After a short trip to San Jose to visit Joan returned to the islands just north of La Paz . It was great to see her and have the comforts of home. I fell into our normal routine so quickly that it was almost like never having been gone. We didn't do anything special. We took walks, went out to eat and just hung out around the house. I also realized that it was going to take well over a month to get home from La Paz and I hadn't been home for over two months. It's a long time to be away from those you love.

Back to my last trip into the sea. I left La Paz with the intention of going up to and anchorage at the north end of Espiritu Santo called Celita Partida. It's about 20 miles north of La Paz. After leaving the channel I decided to sail even though the winds were light. The wind was from the north so I was close hauled and not making bad time. The problem is with the wind out of the north I wasn't heading close enough to the course I needed to get to Partida. I had two options. One, turn on the motor and motor directly to the anchorage or bear away to an anchorage just off my starboard beam. This was a defining moment when I realized I'd truly become a cruiser. I chose to sail to a destination not previously planned for instead of motoring to the planned location. so I ended up at Puerto Balandra only 12 miles north of La Paz. This was a nice stop and I learned that this anchorage is home to the famous mushroom rock "El Hongo". It also had a nice little beach to walk on and collect shells which I'm now doing at every beach I find. The next day I finished the trip up to Celita Partida, sailing most of the way.

2/14 - Celita Partida
This anchorage lies between The northern end of Espiritu Santo and the southern edge of Isla Partida. It is the center of a large, extinct volcano. The western and eastern edges of the rim have eroded away leaving two islands joind only by a low isthmus on the eastern side. I went ashore, primarily to buy some fish from the pescaderos at he fish camp located on the isthmus. Once onshore I found that it was only a short walk across to the eastern shore. It is striking how the eastern, windward side of the island is so different from the western side. The shore consists of good size rocks and the water is a clear, deep green. It is the windward shore and I don't t think I would want to try anchoring there. I found the fish camp on my way back to the boat and bought a whole fish. These fisherman weren't anywhere near as friendly as the ones farther north. In fact, he was quite rude. He wanted twice as much for the fish as I'd paid previously and wouldn't fillet it for me. We did agree on a price, I did fillet it when I got back to the boat and it was delicious.

Isla Partida 2/16 - Ensenada Grande
I weighed anchor at 0930 heading for Ensenada Grande. One of the great things about cruising here is that you don't have to very far to explore another anchorage. Ensenada Grande was only four miles north of Celeta Partida. So what one can do is sail out of one anchorage and head out toward the middle of the sea and then tack back toward the island arriving at the new location at whatever time you choose, having sailed as much as you wanted. The attraction of Ensenada Grande is the hike across the island. It is much farther across the island here and the hike much more strenuous than the simple walk at Partida. It's actually not a hike at all but, for the most part, a climb over large boulders lying in the bottom of an arroyo. At times the only way to know where the trail leads is to follow kerns(rocks stacked one on the other as a signpost) left by previous hikers. I left a few myself when I lost the trail and thought a kern would help those to follow. The trail slowly rises up about 500 feet and is probably two miles long. After a couple of hours of bouldering the trail ends at an impressive cliff overlooking the Sea of Cortez. I spent a couple of hours sitting on the edge of the cliff just taking in the magnitude and beauty of the place. While there I spotted a blue whale about five miles just north of the island. How did I know it was a blue whale, you ask? It was five miles off and I could see it. Blue whales also have a distinctive way that they surface. They stay parallel to the surface, showing most of there back at one unlike most other whales which roll there backs on the surface as they blow. This was definitely was a blue whale. I also saw a pair of Osprey soaring over the water and as I watched them they lead me to their nest,on a ledge, high above the water. It was a little easier going down as I could let myself down the larger boulders using both my hands and feet. I should mention that on, this hike, more than any other place so far, I experienced the solitude that these islands have to offer.

2/17 - Los Islotes
This is not an anchorage but a small island just north of Ensenada Grande. It's appeal is that one can get in the water and swim with the sea lions who occupy the island. I wasn't going to go because there is no anchoring possible their and it seemed a little to far to take the dingy. I was able to make the trip because a neighbor boat wanted to dingy out but thought it would only be safe with two dingies. One as a backup if the other should fail. I jumped at the chance to make the trip. As it turns out the motor on their dingy died before we even got out of the bay. They offered to take their sailboat out to the island if we could use my dingy to snorkel off of. So we were on our way to swim with the sea lions. it was an amazing experience. I was charged, more than once by some of the more aggressive juveniles. One even came up and snipped my wrist. Yes, he actually bit me. He didn't draw blood but it did leave a mark. I also was able to see a baby suckling it's mother underwater. It was a an experience of a lifetime and I'm so glad that I was able to experience it. The snorkeling was quite good also. The best visibility of the trip and lots of interesting fish.

2/18 - Ensenada el Cardonal
This had to be the shortest passage of the entire trip. Ensenada el Cardonal is the next bay south of Ensenada Grande. A total distance of about three miles. On this trip I didn't go off sailing so it was a very short trip around the corner. My purpose for going here was solely for a trail that, again, cuts across the island. This trail was a very easy and relaxing hike along a flat plane from shore to shore. Along the way I saw a red tailed hawk. The only one I've seen in Mexico.

2/19 - Return to Ensenada del Candelero
The snorkeling had been disappointing in the last couple of stops so I decided to return to Candelero and try it again. It was better than Ensenada Grande but not what it was on my earlier visit. I snorkeled my way around the island again.

2/20 Isla Gallo and Ensenada de Gallo
I spent my last two days in the Sea of Cortez with some of the best snorkeling. I anchored in Ensenada de Gallo, where I had been on the first trip through There is a small island about a mile offshore called Isla Gallo. Because it is offshore the water was clear and there were a lot of fish. I found the only complete urchin shell at this spot.

2/21 Return to La Paz
The Sea was good to me on my last sail. I had about fifteen knots of wind on the stern all the way back to the La Paz channel. I used the motor down the channel and anchored off the Marina de la Paz. I would spend the next few days getting ready for my trip home.

Without a doubt the Sea of Cortez was the highlight of the trip. It is a magical place and I now have so many wonderful memories of it. Memories I will cherish for the rest of my life.