La Paz

Niaji’s pearl of wisdom.  "When someone is stupid, we say ‘f###-up’".  Everyone laughed and I tickled him and said, "well, YOU might, dulce, but WE don’t".

How to capture the past few days?  We arrived in Ciudad Constitución and selected Palapa 206 to camp because we couldn’t find La Pila and were driven out of Manfred’s by his attitude and prices.  We found such a lovely site, with such hospitable caretakers and a darling son (4) that we decided to stay two nights in a city that most people pass by and avoid.  The kids played with the animals; there were turkeys, peacocks, roosters, chickens, a kitten and numerous dogs.  Late on the afternoon of our second day, a caravan arrived and that night we were invited to watch a folkloric dance presentation (for the benefit of the caravan members).  The kids LOVED the dance and Ellen was in tears when she decided (too late) that she wanted to join the last dance and it had ended.  (as it turned out, tonight, in La Paz, we saw ANOTHER folkloric dance presentation, on the malecon, and Ellen got her wish to dance).  The caretakers’ son, Naiji, LOVES to ride his bikes and would wake us by announcing "HI!" at the door of the trailer and wait for the kids to eat so they could go riding.  He was crushed when we finally packed up the bikes and headed away.  His mother is Mexican and father is British, so he is bilingual (but only 4) and that made it much easier on Pike.  It really bothers Pike when he can’t communicate with someone.

We easily made La Paz from Ciudad Constitución, but are still scratching our heads, trying to figure out why the accolades for the view of the bay from the highway.  The drive from Mulegé to Loreto is incomparable in it’s beauty and even the climb south from Loreto to the flats is better than La Paz’s bay view, but to each their own.  We had some fun (NOT!) finding an RV park.  We first tried "The Oasis" (which, as most Baja establishments, is NOT signed with that particular name, making the search just that more exciting), accompanied by Ellen crying/screaming that her butt was "sweaty" (it was REALLY hot).  I finally found it, but had to back up a few times to make turns and get to the driveway.  Jamie decided he didn’t like that one, so accompained by the screaming Ellen, we drover hither and yon, trying to get back onto the freeway (Big Fat Four lane!) from the dirt frontage road.  I ended up backing up along the frontage road until we got to a place that didn’t seem too terribly steep a slope and I mentally pulled the trailer up the slope and away from tipping over.  I was really surprised we made it out of there in one piece.  Down the road to the next camp; it was $18/adults and $3 for each child, AND I’d missed the turn and couldn’t figure out how, without backing up the 4-lane, I’d be able to make the turn again.  So, I pulled over (BIG, WIDE shoulders - enough to park the trailer and pull out the slide!!) and fed the kids some frozen pineapple (which ended our frozen fruit from Trader Joes in San Diego) to stop Ellen from screaming about her sweaty butt and down we headed to the next RV park. 

Did you know that El Cardón trailer park has closed?  Well, it has.  We needed to make the next one the last one.  Off to AquaMarina and while it was locked up tight, the dueña saw us and opened up.  The kids saw the pool and that was that.  Two hundred fourty seven and a half pesos later, we were in a space and resting.  It isn’t the most beautiful place we’ve been to, but it fits the bill (except for the price).  Jamie really wanted to stay an extra day, so we’re here again tonight.

We checked out the ferry prices and schedules and it looks like no reservations needed and the cheapest will be to Topo.  After checking ferry information, we headed to the "free beach" at Tecolte and again found paradise.  We’ll head there tomorrow for a few days, then hit the ferry and the mainland.

The last two evenings, we’ve spent strolling the malecon and old town (though the reality of pouting Jesse cause we won’t buy him cotton candy, pissed Pikey cause we won’t buy something else, crying Ellen cause she’s hungry (as it turned out) and tired and refusing to walk and whining Sissy just cause the boys are pissed and she can’t be left out, should put to rest any fantasies of a romantic and relaxing stroll on the beach).  Tonight we found a folkloric dance, a night market and lots of romantish couples.

We’ll stay at the free beach for a couple days, even though I’m itching to get to the Yucatan before the rains (April).  Probably won’t update until we’re in Mazatlán (4 days or more).  Love to all!