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| We stayed in their lovely casita right next to their pool and hot tub. |
Linda and Brent's place was beautiful! A large main house, a 2 bedroom casita, a pool with hot tub, a large garage /workshop. The highlight of the entire gated complex however was a rooftop veranda above the main house, fitted out spectacularly for happy hours and barbeques.
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| Living the dream |
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| The sunsets were spectacular! |
During the stay we were introduced to the community of expats who were clearly loving life in the area. Most were snowbirds who had navigated the waters of buying property and building in the area. They were a rich source of information on local amenities, attractions and customs as well as a source of much amusement in their own right.
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| Cordon Cactus |
As most of you know, I am a big fan of flowers and gardening. We were amazed by the odd cactuses all down the Baja and finally learned a little bit about them from Linda. She has a Cordon cactus, a relative of the Saguaro, in her yard that is estimated to be 1,700 years old. The southern Baja is full of them, many much larger and, I would assume, older.
After a great couple of days we were booked to sail across the sea of Cortez to the Mexico mainland on an overnight ferry from La Paz to Mazatlan.
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| Linda and I heading to golf in La Paz. |
On our last day in La Paz we joined Linda and Brent for a round of golf at CostaBaja, a Troon managed course on the bay just north of the city of La Paz.
CostaBaja was a beautiful track laid out through a desert canyon with magnificent views of the rugged shoreline sheltering La Paz from the open sea.
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| A panoramic view from the clubhouse at the Costa Baja golf course. |
In most ways CostaBaja was much like the courses in the mountains of Arizona and at least as well maintained. It was a great way to close out our tour of the Baja and a great send-off from the warmth and hospitality of our wonderful hosts in La Paz.
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| Brad, Brent and I on an elevated tee box overlooking the Sea of Cortes. |
After a sad goodbye we were ready to head to the ferry terminal, where we were scheduled to set sail at 8 PM. Being Mexico however, nothing is certain, so we wanted to arrive 2 hours ahead to confirm our passage (which we bought online) and pay for the cabin we had reserved several days beforehand. Boarding was a process that involved immigration and security checks, as well as the process of loading the vehicle itself.
Overall it seemed quite expensive as you pay for your vehicle, yourselves and, if you want somewhere to sleep, a cabin. Looking back it was a bargain at about $300 CAD.
Upon arriving at the ferry terminal, we had to show we had the temporary import paperwork for our vehicle..... remember the border! All was good, but our vehicle had to be weighed, a fee charged and the typical runaround for stamps and tickets ensued. We were then informed that we had to separate at this point. He would drive the vehicle on board and I had to go with the pedestrians. We had to find each other on board. OMG!
With some trepidation, I left him and followed the signs and waving personnel. We passed through a security check and were herded onto a small van. After waiting for about 10 minutes, they drove us to the ferry where we followed a yellow line aboard.... up 3 flights of stairs.... and there was Brad. Yah!
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| A view of our cabin, small but comfortable. |
When they led us to our cabin, we were pleasantly surprised! Although they were twin beds, the cabin was scrupulously clean with a small bathroom and a shower. We were able to plug in our phones and we settled in for the evening. We would be leaving port in about a half hour. All in all, quite efficient.
The trip over was calm and very comfortable, an exceptionally pleasant crossing on a very clean and well maintained ship. I occasionally heard the waves hitting the bow and there was a very subtle roll all night, but no seasickness.
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| On the ferry's aft deck, the lights of La Paz in the background Goodbye Baja! |
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