11/22/2009
La Paz, A city and its people
Michael and I stand at the corner of a busy street in downtown La Paz. We have just passed by the taco stand which always seems to be the most popular. Even at this time of night he still has a line up waiting for his tacos. There are road side stands everywhere throughout the heart of the city as well as along the main roads leading into and out of town. I am about to try to buy a little treat from an old man with a broad faced smile who has positioned himself particularly well so that his cart is the first one encountered at the intersection.
Our morning started at sunrise, as it usually does most days. That may sound early, but often we are in bed and asleep by 9:00! Yikes! This has to do with our inner clocks adjusting to the 12 hour day here, where it gets dark promptly at six every night, and light at the same time in the morning. This morning I am feeling particularly well rested as I slept with my ear plugs in. It is not that La Paz is a particularly noisy anchorage, actually for anchoring right off of a city, it is probably on the quiet side. But noise really does travel across water, so if there is noise to be heard, we hear it! The usual cacophony includes the rumble of traffic, dogs barking on land, church bells ringing, the singer and bands in the nearby restaurant s at night, and the sirens as they make their way to the hospital in the early morning hours.
La Paz is a modern yet traditional Mexican city. The people who live here embrace their city and are very proud of where they live. We have met many residents who speak English very well, but most only know a little bit or none at all. I have been practicing my Spanish daily. The other day I went into a Government office to buy a pass for the nearby state parks. In my 'perfect spanish' I asked if I could buy the year passport. The man looked at me with a puzzled look and asked if I spoke English! Too funny. His English was as good as mine. It is much easier to practice my Spanish with those that speak just a little bit of English, as they tend to try to actually listen to what I am trying to say. It is so much fun! This communication often involves a lot of gesturing, and is much more dynamic than usual interactions. I've had lots of conversations where I start in Spanish, they understand, then ask me a question back in English. If their English is marginal, they find it much easier to hear the question or problem in their language first, and then they often will respond in English back to me. Some people are more timid, and only start to use their English once you speak with them a while.
This morning we woke up to the sounds of marching bands coming from the waterfront. It was Dia de Revolucion (1910) and we were in for a treat- there would be a parade down the malecon! We quickly finished our morning emails and breakfast, and headed in to the Marina de La Paz with our dinghy. This marina is the focal point for cruisers in the Sea of Cortez and features a very active cruisers club. The marina charges us 15 pesos a day to use their dinghy dock, which is a bargain. This allows us to use their washrooms, fill water jug (if we needed to) and take the garbage in. There is also a Laundromat 200 feet from the office marina where Patricia will do a load of laundry for 50 pesos!
As we made our way to the malecon we were delightfully entertained as we walked by the meeting area for the parade. Hundreds and hundreds of school children participated in the parade and they were practicing their routines on the streets as they waited for the parade to begin. We made our way to find a viewing spot on the malecon, and ended up right across from the announcer who introduced each group in the parade. At the head of the parade a group from the Educacion Especial proudly marched, some children in wheelchairs, and others walking beside their parents. I was so pleased to see this gesture of significance and consideration given to this group of people. For those of you with a background in this area, don't jump to any conclusions about an inclusive lifestyle here. There is no possibility that a person in a wheelchair can easily make their way along any of the streets or sidewalks here. The sidewalks are impossible to navigate even in a stroller, and are plenty dangerous for pedestrians. They are strewn with holes of various sizes as well as random spikes of rebar , not to mention a cluster of street stands selling food and trinkets along the sides.. The malecon is the best and likely the only place to stroll in a wheelchair and we saw two young men out in their 'sport racing' wheelchairs zooming along the other day.
The parade was LOUD, even by Mexican standards. Each school proudly carried their flag in front of their marching band. Most of the children were dressed in modern uniforms, but with traditional Mexican colors and waved their pom poms and flags in well practiced routines as they went by. Each school had its own truck with music blasting out of huge speakers. The children were very well looked after and most wore nice new tennis shoes for their marching parade. There was one group of children of migrant workers who all wore matching leather sandals, but one girl marched the entire way in bare feet. Following the school groups there was a long line up of sport teams and clubs; obviously proud to demonstrate their skills ! We saw clubs for soccer, volleyball, tae kwon do, and basketball. At the end of the parade the local firemen , police and army demonstrated mock rescue scenes as well as some pretty cool maneuvers over tightropes strung between two army trucks. We think all 220,000 people of La Paz were either in the parade or watching it! Most of the people who lined the streets were well dressed. Look at the faces of the people watching this parade, you will see many warm smiles. You will see that the gringos are easily identified by their shorts, hats and sunglasses. There are only a few locals wearing sunglasses, and definitely none in shorts, they prefer jeans! The teenagers here are universally similar to those we know at home and were thoroughly enjoying the holiday, enthusiastically greeting their amigos along the malecon.
After dinner we set off for a walk through town. Walking in La Paz at night feels entirely safe, and it is a fun time to explore the city. We walked by a series of bulk food stores where huge bins of dried chiles and other spices were for sale. One colorful store sold piñatas and all the candy that you could fill them with! The old man with the broad smile stood in front of his street cart loaded with nuts and candies. He was intent on offering me a variety of nuts, and we joked as I asked him how to say each nut in Spanish. In the end, I bought a bag of candy - Tengo bastantes almendras en nuestro barco! No necesito almendras! ( I have enough almonds on our boat! I don't need almonds!) Me gustaria intentar el caramel ( I would like to try the candy!) This brought the biggest smile to his face and a business deal was struck!
We are sure to come back to La Paz and look forward to continuing to explore this wonderful seaside location and to enjoy the smiles of the many people who know La Paz as their home.
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Comments [4]
sv Navigo
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Michael sets up office and gets hard to work on the Baja
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Beth
11/11/2009, Bahia Los Frailes, Baja
I placed my sweaty palm on edge of the granite boulder to pull myself up. We were in a particularly steep section of the climb and my hiking poles were hanging uselessly around my wrists. Micheal and I were climbing up to the peak overlooking Bahia de Frailes, elevation 755'. Initially we thought we would be up the side of the hill in less than 30-40 minutes (ha ha!). The mountainside was strewn with large boulders, interspersed with various cacti and short, water starved trees which all clung to the side of the hill, as did we. We had already been weaving our way through the growth and scrambling up the rocks for about an hour. 500 feet below, the beach stretched out in a distinct line against the brilliant ocean blue. Loud crashing and distant rumbling indicated a very dirty truck making its way to the fish camp at the head of the bay. Here local fishermen live in small huts, made out of whatever material they can find. Their life appears simple, and probably is. Perhaps the truck was bringing in their monthly supply of water and other bare necessities. With the air so dry the truck turned up a huge puff of dust which stretched back into the distance along the dirt road it was traveling on.
Michael and I had decided to climb straight up to the peak, and then follow the more gentle ridge down to the point at the head of the bay. This would allow us to walk back to our dingy along a relatively flat and open beach. Looking down at our path, I was relieved that I didn't have to find my way down the same way. That route would have been difficult, especially considering that in the already intense morning heat my feet were sweaty and sliding inside my running shoes ! On most sections I was happy to have my hiking poles, not only to steady my balance, but also to use as potential weapons against the snakes we occasionally encountered bathing in the sun and scooting into the rock crevices. At the top I scrambled onto a large round boulder, and with the wind blowing in my face I stood and took in the spectacular view of the rugged Baja Peninsula. The head of the bay continued for miles in a relatively flat delta, which was surrounded by progressively larger hills and mountains in the distance. Other than the fish camp, the diametrically opposed western homes (of which there were 3) and a small hotel on the opposite side of the bay, there was no other sign of civilization for miles. American money has splashed itself in the most pompous way along the tip of Baja peninsula coast. The private homes and resorts are all magnificent and dot the coast line pretty much the entire way. Michael and I have talked a lot about this phenomenon. We guess that as we sail our way along various coastlines throughout the world that this pattern will repeat itself endlessly. The rich buy the waterfront and the locals support them in the background. One could argue that this migration of wealth into an area improves the day to day standard of living of the locals, but you could just as easily argue that it has made an irreversible change, leaving behind the distinct culture which once flourished there. One of our cruiser friends says that as a foreigner here in Mexico, you will never really get to know the locals. The locals are friendly and very helpful, but will always see you as a lemon, to be thoroughly squeezed.
Nearing the end of the ridge , 50 to 100 feet above the sea, the granite boulders change gradually into large formations, worn smooth by years of ocean surf. The formations created are delightful, and Michael and I slide ourselves one at a time through a small slot formation as we pick our way around the last outcropping. We have left our dinghy pushed high up on the sandy beach with the use of our handy dinghy wheels. Here was another opportunity to take the dinghy back into the surf without swamping ourselves. We had learned from the start that anything of any value must go into waterproof ditty bags for this process- it is no fun to find your camera floating in the swamped dinghy! We have gradually improved our technique, experimenting with different sequences to get ourselves safely back through the surf. It always involves getting wet up to the hips as we push the dinghy back through the surf, quickly climb aboard and "HIT IT" full speed out to safer deeper water. Timing is absolutely everything! Of course with the water temperature at 27 degrees and outdoor air temperature at 32 degrees, getting wet is a welcome relief! We pick out Paikea Mist from a plethora of other cruisers in the bay. Having come down the Baja with 190 other boats in the Baja Ha Ha, we still find that the pack needs some more time to spread out. There are perhaps about 30 other boats in Bahia Los Frailes. On the water you could close your eyes and imagine you are in our local BC waters, perhaps on a hot day in Desolation Sound, with the cruisers calling back and forth to each other in their floating community. But as an outboard motor hums by my eye catches the colorful blue panga heading out to sea for a day of tuna fishing, and my illusion of homeland is cast adrift.
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Jill
Beth
11/02/2009, Off the Baja Coast, Mexico
"Do not speak unless it improves our silence"
Sights and sounds of a night on the Baja: Musings of a night watch.
Orion has always been one of my favorite constellations. Orion is so readily found, boldly protective in the night sky, watching over us with his bow and arrow at the ready. I can't help but think of him as my friend. I find Orion each night low in the eastern sky, he lies peculiarly on his side, as if knowing that he should rest himself before a busy night watch. Later still, on my 3 am shift, he resides high above me, and holds my attention from above. Even as I write this I contemplate my need to personify and take personal meaning from all that surrounds me. Thoughts tunnel deeply in on themselves during a crossing alone on watch. At other times these philosophical ramblings can vanish all together and allow minutes and even hours to pass without a thought to anything other than the wind, waves and the sails. I love the quiet of the night watch. I once read a Buddhist quote which resonates with me: " Do not speak, unless it improves our silence". You can find silence on the ocean, but it is not the kind I ever imagined when I was living my life on land. There, on land, silence can be absolute. Here on the ocean sound is constant, yet somehow it is easier to find the silence.
Paikea Mist is sailing amongst perhaps 30-40 other sailboats, all part of the Baja Ha Ha fleet. The night chatter on the radio is sometimes amusing as lone watches find themselves looking for company on a long watch. In a spooky voice, one of the sailors calls out "what's that noise?' Everyone who has ever done a night watch alone, knows immediately the feeling: your ears pick up a noise, it is repeated, yet you can not quite identify it. In the dark, your mind plays tricks on you. In daylight hours, we simply look in the direction of the noise, and our eyes fill in an incredible amount of data to draw a reasonable conclusion. At night, with just the noise, we are left to vacillate between our wild imaginations and our rational explanations. In the end, it is often impossible to tell. Usually I turn the radio down to low, so that the constant talk is not what defines my sailing experience through my watch.
The wind passes through the sails, as the Paikea Mist charges through the water. I hear a whoosh in the water to the starboard side of the boat. I look down to see phosphorescent torpedoes strike out like lightning bolts in uniform directions from the hull. I look and listen again, this time intent on making meaning of the sight and sounds. Dolphins have come to greet me on this dark evening, and are enjoying themselves riding alongside Paikea Mist! I can count up to 4 streaks, as the dolphins swim in tangent beside me, then suddenly strike out away from the boat, and then repeat the fun all over again. Paikea Mist is flying with the genoa and full main downwind in a steady 15 knot wind. We are approaching the lower half of the Baja, and the night temperatures have become comfortable, allowing me to wear only a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. On night watch, I love to stand between the two wheels, right in the center of the cockpit and ride the boat like a ride at a carnival. With the sunshade rolled back out of the way, the entire universe encloses me, with the streak of the Milky Way and of course Orion high above. The universe shrouds me like a huge umbrella. I think to myself, I am part of all that I can see. Paikea Mist is a mere speck on the ocean, crossing it 50 feet at a time.
My musings are brought to an immediate stop. I call Michael up on deck, he is just getting ready for a rest. A fishing boat has broken my silence. I have been watching it come towards me for a better part of an hour now. He is now close enough that with binoculars I can see he is a large trawler, with massive poles off each side. He does not appear to be fishing, however in the dark this is still a question in my mind. With the fish boat now 1.5 miles away, and Paikea Mist running more or less downwind, I decide the safest thing from our perspective is to turn into the wind, pick up some speed and allow the fishboat to maintain its course. Although unconventional to pass on the starboard side, to turn Paikea Mist too far to starboard may result in gybing the sails. It is confusing to judge a fast moving boat on the water in the dark. My mind is framed by an incident told to me via VHF a few nights past. That night, as we coasted along in the dark enjoying an energetic sail with a nice following wind in big swells my silence was broken by a VHF call " Any Baja Ha Ha fleet, any Baja Ha Ha fleet, please come back". When I answered the call, it was the sailing vessel 'Trim'. With a certain amount of excitement edged into to his voice he exclaimed: "A 60' fish boat just about hit me! We came within 50 feet of him" In this case 'Trim' was riding in large swells and as he came to the top of each swell he was catching glimpses of the fishboat. Eventually he realized that the helm station on the fishboat was unmanned. The fish boat was swaying to and fro in each swell so that 'Trim' would first see red then green, then red lights confirming the predicament. 'Trim' eventually passed so close to the fishboat that they could clearly see all instruments alight onboard with not a soul at the helm, nor on deck! As I watched the fishboat approach Paikea Mist I was under the suspicion that this fish boat coming upon us may well be on an autopilot without a watch. Despite turning the boat into the wind, and making several course adjustments to move away , the fishing vessel appeared to stay on an intersecting course with us. "We are getting closer!' I yelled in panic to Michael. Michael tried valiantly to resist my panic and stalwartly refused to agree that the fishboat was any closer. "NO!! Michael I am telling you, he is getting closer!" By this time even Michael knew that further evasive action was required. He took the helm and steered us hard to port, turning Paikea Mist almost 180 degrees. I grabbed our horn and blew 5 long blasts. We don't know if the fish boat heard the blasts, but the commotion immediately brought our friends up from their berths wondering what was going on! We will never know if the "capitan" of the fish vessel was watching us, or if he even ever saw us. Thanks be that we saw him, while Orion stood watch above. With Paikea Mist back on course, we set and trimmed the sails once more and welcomed the silence of the night once again.
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10/18/2009
10/11/09 9.15 am We finally got away from Cabo yesterday afternoon. We had some fun filled days there - but it was a very busy place. Even at our anchorage there were Pangas, Para-sailing boats, Jet-ski boats and sightseeing boats going by continuously from sun rise until sun set. On shore, the resorts had loudspeakers blasting music, and /or announcements. One resort carried on a monologue pretty much all day every day. In the evening live bands were playing. We took a dinghy ride along shore one night, and made out at least 6 different live bands. Some playing traditional Mexican folk music, which was quite nice, but out on our boat they kind of all blended together.
We went for some really nice runs on shore into and throughout a large gated community. This was actually a whole hill outside of Los Cabos, with terrific views, and access to both the city, as well as a private beach on the other side of the point. Beautiful landscaping everywhere, and because it was private, very peaceful to go running in.
Los Cabos is a dynamic city - lots of construction, very friendly people, and very clean. The stores have everything you want, but at pretty much California prices or higher. Lots of nice restaurants, but not at bargain prices. We had a nice dinner one night with Mike and Joanne (at Cabo Wabo) and then went to El Squidroe - a sort of nightclub place. Very noisy, but fun. We didn't stay that long - it seemed that they were continuously cranking up the music as the night went on.
Mike and Joanne left on Sunday morning - we dinghied them to shore with all their luggage - luckily nothing got wet. Now we are settling back into our routine. After filling up with fuel yesterday we motored (in very light winds) to a small bay behind Palmilla Point (lat 23.00; long 109.41), only about 20 miles from Los Cabos. Much more peaceful - we took the dinghy ashore and went for a nice walk along a beach that had very high end homes (this whole coast line is pretty much built up), and a few Mexicans enjoying the water. The water temperature here is 26 degC, and very clear. When we drop the anchor in 25 ft of water we can follow it all the way to the bottom.
Today we are moving on to Bahia Los Frailes, about 35 miles further up the coast (lat 23.28, long 109.25) which is just outside of the really built up area, although there are some homes along the coast. We should be able to go for a nice hike there, and there is also a marine park nearby. We would like to try out some snorkeling or diving.
Gloria has posted a lot of new photos on the website, so you may want to check out the photo gallery.
05/11/09 6:10pm We are now anchored off of the beach in Cabos San Lucas - this is a very busy North American city. We will stay for a couple of days, and then move on further up the coast (likely on Sunday).
04/11/09 8.58pm We are having a very pleasant downwind sail in about 15 knot s of wind - currently doing about 7 knots. Hopefully the wind will continue. We should arrive in Cabos San Lucas by noon tomorrow. Our position right now is 23.53 lat, 112.12 long.
03/11/09 6.35pm After 2 super fun days in this anchorage (lat 24.46; long 112.15), we will be leaving with the Baha Ha Ha fleet tomorrow morning at a 6:00 am start. Yesterday we did some odds and ends on the boat, and then took our kayaks to the beach. The surf wasn't very large, but it was still fun going through it. I got soaked the first time. This morning we kayaked to another small beach, from there went on a 3 hour hike up to the top of the local mountain. The mountainsides are just covered in a low scruff, with some blooming plants, and a shale like rock. This mean that we could hike up any ridge we wanted - there were not really any trails. Some spectacular views from the top.
The distance to Cabos San Lucas (22.53; 109.54) from here is 183 nm - we will definitely get there some time on Thursday, November 5th - most likely by around noon.
31/10/09 8.17 pm We left the Turtle Bay anchorage early this morning after a fairly windy night. Our course is for Bahai Santa Maria (24.45N 112.12W), 240 nm away. We have had a nice 12 - 15 knot wind for most of the day today, from the west, which means we are on a beam reach. The swell is only 2 - 3 feet providing a very comfortable sail at 7.5 to 8 knots. If this continues we should be arriving in Bahai Santa Maria around 5:00 or 6:00 pm tomorrow evening.
Yesterday in Turtle Bay (Bahia de Tortugas) Gloria and I went for run up one of the local ridges, from which we had a spectacular view. We had a walkie talkie and had Mike (who was back on our boat in the bay) take a picture of us way up on the ridge. In the afternoon we went to the Baja Ha Ha potluck party on the beach which was attended by about 400 other sailors. There was a lot of camaraderie considering we had all been through the same sea conditions, in all types of sailboats and even some power boats. In the evening we went into town to see the local celebration of the 'Dia de Muertos' - Day of the Dead. This is a very different celebration than our Halloween, but has some similarities. It took place at the local square with a band and some performances by the local school children. Turtle Bay is a small typical Mexican village, with very friendly people - although there is not much money around, except of course lots of American dollars provided by the Baha Fleet. They get very busy during the arrival of the fleet and seem to enjoy water taxiing (called pangas) the cruisers back and forth to their boats, charging $2.00 each person for the trip to the dock. The cost of everything is inflated in town for the Baha fleet, can't say I blame them so we don't mind at all. Getting off the dock is interesting and involves leaping from the dock to the stairs, about 2 feet!
It has been a glorious sunny day - we have spent the time reading, trimming sails, relaxing. This is exactly what Mike and Joanne had signed up for! Gloria even made some sushi from the tuna we had received in Quintin Bay. Our current position is 26.36N, 114.04W.
29/10/09 2.58 pm We arrived in Turtle Bay (27'41N, 114'53.W) about 9:30 this morning, having left Bahia San Quintin at about 9 am the previous day- which also happened to be Kristine's 23rd Birthday! We missed her but managed to send her a birthday message before we set sail.. We had an energetic sail down here, with big seas and winds between 18-25 knots most of the afternoon and evening, with some higher gusts. This was unusual weather for the coast of the Baja. Joanne says thats why they call it the Baha Ha Ha- "ha ha- fooled you!'". The boat managed well, however one of the Nausbaums who will remain unnamed (leave the guess work to you...) suffered a wee bit of seasickness. Everyone is fully recovered now and will explore the tiny, dusty town at the head of the bay later this afternoon. Joanne and Mike will definitely have some TALL tails to tell when they get back!
We will likely be on the hook here in Turtle Bay (Bahia de Tortugas) and leave on Sunday, weather permitting.
27/10/2009. 10.22pm We have stopped over at Bahia San Quintin (lat 30.2345, long 115.5596) for the night. There is quite a large storm off of Oregon which could possibly have brought some higher winds and big waves, so the Baha Ha Ha organizers thought it would be safer to stop here instead of proceeding to Turtle Bay. We will likely stay here for the night. This despite the fact that we had to motor all night because there wasn't enough wind! However, this morning the wind came up again, and we were able to sail the rest of the way here.
Once we got here we went exploring with the dinghy, and noticed that there were two grey whales with their calves in the northwest corner of the bay in less than 10 ft of water. It was very exciting to watch them. One of the guys on the other dinghy there said that the moms bring their calves in here because it is more protected from predators, and they can relax before proceeding up north. One of the other Baja Ha Ha boats also caught a whole bunch of skip jack tuna, and gave us one - which Gloria cut into fillets, and we are searing up for dinner tonight!
The weather today was a bit cooler - kind of nice after the heat yesterday.
We managed to get a wifi connection here, so will give you another update tomorrow as to whether we stay here for the day, or leave in the afternoon for the overnight trip to Turtle Bay.
26/10/2009. 11.00 am We have left San Diego and are on our way down the coast - now in Mexico! Started off with a nice sail from the starting line right up at the front of the 190 boat fleet. As we rounded the first islets and started heading downwind we switched from our Code 0 sail to our spinnaker, and the wind started to die down, so we slipped back a bit. However, the wind has now died to the point where we are all motoring (very interesting race!). Anyway we are motoring a bit close to shore then planned.
We saw some huge whales at least 3 different ones which surfaced right along side of our boat, they appeared to be grey whales. The weather has been clear and hot (about 25 degC).
Our current position is 31.56N, 117.12W - we are heading more closely along the shore, and may stop of at Bahia San Quintin.
25/10/09 6.00 pm Well, after a week of doing odds and ends, and some sightseeing in San Diego, we will be departing tomorrow morning. Mike and Joanne flew in at noon yesterday, and we spent part of today at the Baja Ha Ha meeting. There are 190 boats registered in the fleet this year. We will all be starting at 11:00 am tomorrow morning, and heading down to Turtle Bay (lat 27.3953; long 114.5326) which is about 340 nm away. We expect to get there by Wednesday pm (Oct 28th), after a two night passage. Winds will be light tomorrow, but then we should have about 20 - 25 knots on Tuesday pm, and Wednesday.
Everything is ready, the weather is sunny and warm and we are looking forward to a great sail. Once in Turtle Bay we will be staying there until Saturday Oct 31st, when we depart on the next leg. This first leg is the longest, the next two legs to Cabo San Lucas are probably going to be single overnight legs.
18/10/09 9:00 am We have spent two really great weeks back home in Vancouver. We were able to stay at our friend's Norm and Beth house, which worked out very well (saw them at the airport as we were coming in and had lunch with them - they were on their way to Fiji for a sailing adventure!) Gloria spent a lot of time working (seeing clients in Northern BC for the first week, writing reports and marking papers for the second week), while I visited the office a few times, and went through our to do list here. We had a beautiful weekend with the Nick, Kristine, Kolby at Whistler over the Thanksgiving weekend. The weather has been exceptionally sunny and warm (except for the last couple of days when we have had some real downpours). Tomorrow morning we are headed back to San Diego, where we will spend a week doing odds and ends on the boat before heading south to Cabo San Lucas with Mike and Joanne.Your text to link...
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