Saturday 22 February 2014
It took us a few days (OK, at least a week) to recover from our epic push to get here on Feb 10th. As it turns out we ended up leaving quite a few items behind for our friends to deal with. Apologies and a huge thanks to Jack, Madelaine and Rich for covering our assets! It was reported that Jack did a helluva job with our home upgrades so that the new tenants could move in...YESTERDAY! Tom and I are officially homeless for at least two years and you know what? It feels just fine. I hope our tenants Beth, Ryan and their two kids enjoy our house as much as we have.
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| Do I look worried? |
During the past week and a half in La Paz we have been spending most of our time catching up with some old friends and seeing La Paz, and practically zero time recommissioning the boat. We are waiting for our new batteries to arrive (shipped from San Diego) and after we install those I suppose we should get serious about putting the sails back on and getting ready to leave the dock.
On our third day in La Paz I was thrilled to run into our old pal Nick from Iolanthe...
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| We found Nick!! |
We had a great time getting to know Nick last year and we look forward spending more time with him again this summer.
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| Valentine's Day with the crew of Iolanthe and Rob from Tiger Beetle |
So what HAVE we been doing? Most mornings I take the free shuttle into town as an excuse to have to walk back for a little exercise. Nick knows La Paz pretty well and if I can drag him along then I'm sure to discover something interesting. He turned me on to a fantastic bagel shop, the farmer's market, and the bustling Mercado Bravo.
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| At the Mercado Bravo you'll find vats of beef livers for sale... |
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| ...and smoothies to cure any ailment. We ordered the Anti-Gripal (Flu) smoothies. |
Nick seems to know practically everyone in town, so a "short" morning excursion usually turns into a half-day affair.
Some of the cruisers report that the farmer's market is too pricey, kind of like an upscale farmer's market back home. All I can say is they sure haven't been to the Mountain View or Los Gatos farmer's market! I picked up some lovely Murano glass earrings made by an adorable, painfully shy girl who just got her art degree, for about $4.50, a bag of delicious produce (various lettuces and edible flowers, just-picked cukes, avocadoes, and more) for about $3.50, and the big splurge, a jar of gourmet chipotle/orange marmalade for $3.75.
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| Kayle sells organic produce from Todos Santos at the Tues and Sat Farmer's Market |
Tom spent a couple of days doing duty as tech support for the BoschAP auto pilot product being tested by Ben and Lucie on Georgia.
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| OMG don't let Ben have the soldering iron!! |
A couple of days ago Tom, Nick and I made a pilgrimage to the infamous Cinemex Platino, a movie theater that features Barcalounger seats and food and drink service. Press a button and an employee shows up with a menu and ready to take your order. They feature all sorts of food and beverages, including a full bar. I ordered a cold beer and drank it very slowly while enjoying Monument Men on the big screen.
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| Check out the deluxe accommodations! |
We were happy to reconnect with some fun people we met in La Cruz last year. Richard and Amber aboard Vagabundo were the ones who recommended Marina Palmira and our boat managers Ross Marine. They know La Paz very well, in fact Amber built a house here in 1978. They took us to lunch at their favorite restaurant high on a hill with the best view of La Paz. Wow!!
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| Vagabundo, Two Can Play, and Cinnabar at CostaBaja Clubhouse |
Life in La Paz is mostly easygoing and pleasant, but bad things can happen, even in paradise. A few days ago a popular cruiser, John from Time Piece, responded to a VHF radio emergency call about a man getting ejected from his high-powered dinghy (belonging to a charter cruiser). The man was not wearing the kill switch lanyard so the dinghy continued to careen around the marina, dangerously out of control. Unfortunately while John was saving the man's life, the renegade dinghy rode up and over John's dinghy, causing John to sustain extensive damage to his leg and foot. Long story short, John was eventually air-lifted out of here but it took a couple of days. He is in San Diego where they are trying to save his limb, but amputation is a real possibility. John is a young man who is known for his friendly demeanor and willingness to always help out. It's impressive how the cruising community has rallied to support him in all manner of ways with time, assistance, and money. Tom Brown, via radio and his SV Eagle blog, as been excellent at sharing the facts with the concerned community and keeping the gossip and untruths at a minimum. Tom's wife Jeanne traveled to San Diego with John and has been at his side constantly. I heard that the vessel that caused this accident left the area without offering assistance or responsibility.
On a more positive note, Tom joined a cruiser-organized volunteer day at the local animal shelter, "local" being a 25 minute car ride into the desert. One of the concerned young girls from a family cruising boat (Del Viento) wanted to help the local stray animals and so her folks supported her drive by arranging to help the shelter. The task for the day was to build a set of bench seats out of shipping pallets, to be used by local schoolchildren on field trips from the schools as part of a community education program to promote good pet ownership, care and adoption. There were about 14 cruisers from 4 boats and about as many local volunteers. A good goal was reached - 12 sturdy benches were crafted, sanded and painted by the team. Everyone enjoyed the camaraderie of working together and helping our four-legged furry friends. Respect and care of animals is another aspect of a good community that we may take for granted from living back in the USA.
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| Breaking down the pallets outside the animal shelter |
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| Colorful and sturdy benches are completed |
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| Doggies are healthy and thankful |
Right now I am listening to the radio, channel 22 which is the cruiser's hailing channel, and laughing. Apparently there is a boat here named Flibbertigibbet (click name for definition). People keep hailing them on the radio and are totally mangling the name. Normal radio protocol asks you to say the boat's name you are hailing two or three times, then conclude with your own boat name. I am hearing "Flibbertergibber", "Flibbergibbet", "Flibbergibber", "Flippitgippit", and "Flibbe, Flibber, Flibbida...aw heck! Call "Tongue-Tied"* willya?"
Come on, admit it, you just tried saying Flibbertigibbet three times, didn't you?
Some more pictures of our first two weeks can be found HERE.
* Name changed to protect the guilty
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