Paradise East of the Cape

We had a good several days making our way up the East side of the Baja Peninsula enroute to Bahai La Paz. We monitored the weather and while we did some pounding into the wind it was well worth the distance as the Pacific Ocean gave way to the warm waters and dramatic Sea of Cortez.

Cruising up past the East Cape

Each stop along the way was progressively more dramatic. We were surprised by the green hues of the hillsides, remnants of the recent monsoon season and the breathtaking sunsets. We enjoyed jumping into the ocean after each day and frequent beach hikes to stretch the legs.

Red skies at night

La Paz is a bustling city of 200K inhabitants. English is not spoken frequently so we've ramped up our spanish studies. We started with our daily cribbage game in spanish. That prove to more difficult than planned as counting above 10 seemed a limiting factor. Eventually it will improve I hope!

The sailing community is quite active in La Paz with a daily radio welcome/check in on channel 22A every morning at 8 AM. It is easy to see why some people arrive in La Paz and never leave. On the radio they had so many activities. Saturday was potluck. Sunday was the welcome dinner. Monday was yoga. Tuesday was a celestial navigation class. Thursday Thanksgiving. And every morning between 9-10 was coffee at the cruisers clubhouse. Kind of like summer camp.

Buildings in La Paz

Statue commmorating Jaques Cousteau

We very much enjoyed the welcome dinner that was hosted by the city officials. There was some great local entertainment and good food. But we were eager to get out to something a bit more remote. The anchorage is a bit tricky. Shallow with lots of currents that go in unusual directions. Nightclubs on the wharf continued thumping until 2 or 3 in the morning (this happened every night we were in town). And the wind was supposed to pick up for a few days with our first 'northern' system and we wanted to be out of the city.

Traditional dancing

Mariachi band at the welcome dinner

So we left very early in the morning for the short trip to Isla Espiritu Santos and Isla Partida. We had some hearty winds while there. Due to the geography of the islands, we had good protection from the North so we'd experience 0-5 knots, then an occasional 30 knot gust that would bend around the mountains and come from the East. It was very unnerving. But the holding was good. We explored around the islands for a few days.

Ensenada de la Raza

Today we find ourselves on Isla San Francisco. Our thanksgiving was blessed with some fresh Snapper, a beautiful cove, white sand beaches and crystal clear warm water. We had lots of chats with family this week and are enjoying a slower pace....very grateful.

Picture perfect Isla San Francisco