Illusion, Friends, Lips, Hearts and Sunsets

Happy Spring Equinox! It's already starting to feel like summer here in La Paz.

The good life! La Buena Vida.

I don’t know why it’s always more fun to run into people from home when you are in a foreign country, but we always get very excited when we have the chance to rendezvous with people from the SF Bay Area here in Mexico. It’s not actually that odd, considering many of us are sailors/cruisers, but we were really surprised when we got an email from my ex-boss/now-friend Sally saying she and her husband Stan had left California, had sailed across the border and were hanging out in Turtle Bay having fun meeting other cruisers. 

When I first met Sally in 1998 she and Stan were “getting ready to cruise”, but one thing led to another, year after year, and they were never able to break away.

OK, to be fair, Stan WAS running a company, navigating mega-yachts, winning Volvo Cups, and creating viewing technology for the America's Cup. And he DID get me this great gig managing the antenna on top of the GGYC, where I got to watch the awesome AC action.

 But my, how time flies. And finally here they are in Mexico!

They let us know when they eventually arrived in Cabo San Lucas, so Tom and I decided it was a perfect opportunity for a road trip. We packed a few extra clothes just in case, hopped into the Tundra, and enjoyed a gorgeous drive down the west coast of Baja.

 A surprising Concours d'Elegance on the way to Todos Santos

We know that Sally and Stan take great care of their Cal 40, but we were still amazed to see that she was in pristine condition after her trip down the coast.

With Stan and Sally next to the beautiful Illusion.

We were having so much fun walking around Cabo that I almost forgot to take pictures!

I did remember to pull out my camera at the Dolphinarium,  where we were impressed with the parrot cage and their dedicated trainer.

The trainer was fantastic! He's giving her a High-5.

We mooched a bunk aboard Illusion for the night, and then spent the next day sightseeing and running errands.

Would you believe this great restaurant was at the food court at Walmart? Best  Mahi-Mahi burrito so far!

At the end of our busy day we said goodbye to our friends, who had plans to arrive in La Paz in a couple of weeks.

That night we looked for a campground that I had read about, but couldn’t find. We asked for directions at a tourist booth, and one of the local guys said he’d be glad to jump in our car and show us the way. REALLY? Was this going to be a set up for highway robbery? He asked us to promise to drive him back, which made us feel a little better…until we turned down a dirt road in questionable condition that went past a sketchy looking beer store with guys hanging around spitting and scratching their huevos. Hmmmm…  But our guide kept chatting amiably trying to sell us a timeshare, and soon he directed us into what appeared to be a dusty campground. We’d made it! Not quite to the place I was looking for, but it would do. We drove our guide back, tipped him which he greatly appreciated since he was unable to sell us a timeshare, and stopped at the scary beer store to stock up on beer and cookies for the night.

We pitched our tent in the dust under a huge cell tower that had survived Hurricane Odile, and were kept company by the owner’s two frisky Chihuahuas and one cat. Even though it was kind of sketchy, the place had GREAT showers!

Our campsite!

The next day we were skunked in the wind department, but we happened to stumble upon a famous surfing spot, Monuments, and after talking to some friendly locals who were departing, Tom had the whole place to himself.

Happy!

We continued up the East Cape through the wind-lovers mecca of Los Barriles (yes it means The Barrels). As we drove north, Tom remembered that El Triunfo is the home of a bakery famous for its authentic sourdough bread. So far we have not been impressed with Mexican sourdough, but this place made the real deal, almost as good as SF Sourdough. It smelled so good I wanted to stick my face right into it!

OMG real sourdough at last! Not SF Sourdough but close, very close.

We got back into La Paz just in time to hit commuter traffic, which gave us plenty of time to talk about what a great trip we’d had.

Typical commuter traffic in La Paz.

Album: Cabo Road Trip

The rest of February was filled up with Super Bowl…

Enjoying super bowl with our neighbors Manny and Lola.

Valentine’s Day…

Susan of Ross Marine wishes everyone a happy Dia de Amistad y Amor.

And of course our Valentine's Day fiesta.

Good-bye celebrations...

Farewell party for John of Time Piece; he got a great job with Caribbean Cruise Lines.

And Carnaval…

At the end of the month we got some insane Southerly winds...

Blue over gold means the Capitania de Puerto has closed the port!

...and as luck would have it Sally and Stan were heading to the East Cape from Cabo. Instead of trying to go into a rolly anchorage, they continued up on a spinnaker run with the favorable winds at their backs, and rolled into Marina Palmira during a morning calm.

We had a great time showing them around La Paz…

In front of my favorite statue on the Malecon, The Old Man and the Sea by G. G. Macias.

...and they introduced us to a fantastic couple they had met in Turtle Bay, Barry and Judy aboard Kiwi Three.

Happy Anniversary! So much for your romantic evening.

We invaded Barry and Judy’s anniversary, but it turned out to be a special night filled with jokes and laughter. Judy gave us our best quote of the month.

Tom: What were you before you were a cruiser?

Judy: Well, I was a child.

During the meal at a lovely outdoor patio, my watch alarm went off, reminding us that the ISS (International Space Station) was just about to pass directly overhead, and as we watched it we were awed to think that this extremely bright thing over our heads had humans in it.

Wow.

More Pictures in our: February Album

And Happy Anniversary to our friends Nancy and Rob aboard Shindig, enjoying the beautiful Mexican mainland. 

We miss you guys!!