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Bridgie's Babble - April 22, 2007
April 22, 2007
Continued from Previous Page..La Paz
I am reminded from time to time how fortunate we are to be here. As we stood at an ATM machine to withdraw some cash for
Immigration, a Mexican man who appeared to be about 60 years old was attempting to use the machine next to us. He inserted his
card and hesitated for some moments.When the ATM "bells" started chiming, he became flustered and asked what was wrong. I
read the prompts on the machine, to which he responded by putting in his pin number. The next words were asking if he wished to
get a balance inquiry or wanted to make a withdrawal. Again, I read it to him and he proceeded by my pointing to which buttons to
push based on his response to the options. At that point I understood his problem. Yes, the ATM instructions were in Spanish but
he could not read them. I helped him complete his transaction. At the end, he asked me to read how much money he had left in his
account to which I responded $730.00 (pesos), the U.S. equivalent is about $73.00. You should have seen the smile on his face as
he exclaimed how much money he had and how proud his was! It really must be easy to leave cheaply in Mexico. I could have used
some tips from him!
Do you love that photo of Juanito? Well, here's the story. Since it's (supposed to be ) so hot here, we wanted to be sure that the
faces were protected from the sun. A wide brimmed straw hat was just the ticket so when John found one at the local "tourista"
shop, he found the perfect fit. I'm sure it's effective but every time he puts it on, it makes me chuckle. He just looks so......mexican!
There is a downside to this hat...if it's not on his head, it takes up half the space of our boat....no kidding! It's a tough thing to stow
and may end up doing double duty as a fruit bowl when not in use on his head.
Rancho Viejo Sidewalk Cafe (so to speak) is the best place in town for a good, cheap meal..Well, it's actually on the outskirts of
town but only about a 2 mile walk They have a large, 4 sided stainless fire pit on the sidewalk where they cook potatoes and various
beef. The arrachera cubed beef is superb! This is the place to go with a group of at least 5 people. You get a kilo of meat (2.2 lbs)
on a platter, bowls of various salsas, cucumbers, roasted peppers, pickled onions, tortillas, etc. You can either eat at the raised
tables along the sidewalk or go inside the open air restaurant. We choose to eat out...By the way, this is a favorite hang out for stray
cats, too......can't say I blame them!
I know this is the desert and I shouldn't be surprised but there are just so many cacti and they are quite large. I couldn't help myself.
When we went on a hike I think I took a hundred photos. They are everywhere!
Pete and Tracy, friends from Ventura, Ca, of the s/v Foxen, flew into La Paz. They were heading to Santo Tomas to visit with
friends and help build a house. While they were here we met them at the hotel and walked over to Rancho Viejo..for dinner. Seems
we aren't the first to discover this great place to eat. Unfortunately, I had left my camera in their hotel room so we have no pics to
share. But be assured that we had a wonderful visit. Pete and Tracy were very helpful in giving us tips during our final days in
Ventura. They both have extensive cruising experience and gave practical ideas. They also acted as our support team while we were
coasting down the outside of the Baja. They would send weather reports and suggestions via the SSB radio as well as chat with us
when we checked in to the morning and evening nets. We appreciated their help and enjoy their friendship.
We were advised by the folks at BayFest to invest in an all Lycra suit to swim in during our summer in the Sea. There are 2 reasons
for this. First, it's generally hot (well over 100 degrees) and a good amount of time is spent swimming during the day. This suit will
prevent the skin from burning and is more comfortable than living in "sun screened skin". The second reason is that we would be less
likely to be stung by jellyfish and strings of pearls if we're covered up. Each of us already had these suits but John's was getting old
so a replacement was in order. We went to Katty's to have one custom made. It took 3 days. The complete neck to ankle "skin" and
2 hoods cost U.S. $45.00..a real bargain!(considering I paid $75.00 for mine in the states a couple of years ago without the hood!).
As you can tell from the photo below, she can whip up anything in Lycra and offers a variety of colors and patterns. I couldn't get
John to model his for the website but the summer is still young : )
There is just so much to say about our stay here. It would have been easy to call this chapter "Lazy and Lovin' It". We have heard all
sorts of slogans including "we paused in La Paz...and here we still are". Some people have been here for more than 3 years! But, for
us, we have to get moving...it's costing us much more than our allotted budget. If we want to keep cruising, we have to move on.
Did I tell you they have ice cream???? And it is good ice cream...I don't need ice cream but I can't help myself...like I said..it's time
to move on...
Continued from Previous Page..La Paz
I am reminded from time to time how fortunate we are to be here. As we stood at an ATM machine to withdraw some cash for
Immigration, a Mexican man who appeared to be about 60 years old was attempting to use the machine next to us. He inserted his
card and hesitated for some moments.When the ATM "bells" started chiming, he became flustered and asked what was wrong. I
read the prompts on the machine, to which he responded by putting in his pin number. The next words were asking if he wished to
get a balance inquiry or wanted to make a withdrawal. Again, I read it to him and he proceeded by my pointing to which buttons to
push based on his response to the options. At that point I understood his problem. Yes, the ATM instructions were in Spanish but
he could not read them. I helped him complete his transaction. At the end, he asked me to read how much money he had left in his
account to which I responded $730.00 (pesos), the U.S. equivalent is about $73.00. You should have seen the smile on his face as
he exclaimed how much money he had and how proud his was! It really must be easy to leave cheaply in Mexico. I could have used
some tips from him!
Do you love that photo of Juanito? Well, here's the story. Since it's (supposed to be ) so hot here, we wanted to be sure that the
faces were protected from the sun. A wide brimmed straw hat was just the ticket so when John found one at the local "tourista"
shop, he found the perfect fit. I'm sure it's effective but every time he puts it on, it makes me chuckle. He just looks so......mexican!
There is a downside to this hat...if it's not on his head, it takes up half the space of our boat....no kidding! It's a tough thing to stow
and may end up doing double duty as a fruit bowl when not in use on his head.
Rancho Viejo Sidewalk Cafe (so to speak) is the best place in town for a good, cheap meal..Well, it's actually on the outskirts of
town but only about a 2 mile walk They have a large, 4 sided stainless fire pit on the sidewalk where they cook potatoes and various
beef. The arrachera cubed beef is superb! This is the place to go with a group of at least 5 people. You get a kilo of meat (2.2 lbs)
on a platter, bowls of various salsas, cucumbers, roasted peppers, pickled onions, tortillas, etc. You can either eat at the raised
tables along the sidewalk or go inside the open air restaurant. We choose to eat out...By the way, this is a favorite hang out for stray
cats, too......can't say I blame them!
I know this is the desert and I shouldn't be surprised but there are just so many cacti and they are quite large. I couldn't help myself.
When we went on a hike I think I took a hundred photos. They are everywhere!
Pete and Tracy, friends from Ventura, Ca, of the s/v Foxen, flew into La Paz. They were heading to Santo Tomas to visit with
friends and help build a house. While they were here we met them at the hotel and walked over to Rancho Viejo..for dinner. Seems
we aren't the first to discover this great place to eat. Unfortunately, I had left my camera in their hotel room so we have no pics to
share. But be assured that we had a wonderful visit. Pete and Tracy were very helpful in giving us tips during our final days in
Ventura. They both have extensive cruising experience and gave practical ideas. They also acted as our support team while we were
coasting down the outside of the Baja. They would send weather reports and suggestions via the SSB radio as well as chat with us
when we checked in to the morning and evening nets. We appreciated their help and enjoy their friendship.
We were advised by the folks at BayFest to invest in an all Lycra suit to swim in during our summer in the Sea. There are 2 reasons
for this. First, it's generally hot (well over 100 degrees) and a good amount of time is spent swimming during the day. This suit will
prevent the skin from burning and is more comfortable than living in "sun screened skin". The second reason is that we would be less
likely to be stung by jellyfish and strings of pearls if we're covered up. Each of us already had these suits but John's was getting old
so a replacement was in order. We went to Katty's to have one custom made. It took 3 days. The complete neck to ankle "skin" and
2 hoods cost U.S. $45.00..a real bargain!(considering I paid $75.00 for mine in the states a couple of years ago without the hood!).
As you can tell from the photo below, she can whip up anything in Lycra and offers a variety of colors and patterns. I couldn't get
John to model his for the website but the summer is still young : )
There is just so much to say about our stay here. It would have been easy to call this chapter "Lazy and Lovin' It". We have heard all
sorts of slogans including "we paused in La Paz...and here we still are". Some people have been here for more than 3 years! But, for
us, we have to get moving...it's costing us much more than our allotted budget. If we want to keep cruising, we have to move on.
Did I tell you they have ice cream???? And it is good ice cream...I don't need ice cream but I can't help myself...like I said..it's time
to move on...
