BajaBruno
Super Nomad
Posts: 1035
Registered: 9-6-2006
Location: Back in CA
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Mood: Happy
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Reflections on Baja
The dearly beloved and I towed our little boat to La Paz, a city we both appreciate, spent a month, and drove back to California. Here are a few
observations.
La Paz: still a beautiful city. La Paz is a special place. The malecon is well maintained, they have almost constant organized activities for
small kids and teenagers, and the citizens are helpful and kind. Even the tourist cops on ATV’s are polite and helpful (I’ll leave the traffic cop
story for another time). The City has added some artwork to the malecon and early every morning as I drove through town to the launch ramp, there were
hard working fellows sweeping and cleaning and generally keeping things in order. One of the really nice attributes is that it has an established
industrial base and you can get things done in La Paz. Need a plumbing part? No problem. I don’t know if you can still get an electric motor
rewound there, but you could 20 years ago.
Launch Ramps: I didn’t do the comprehensive survey I intended, but Marina de La Paz had reasonable rates for both launching small boats and slip
rentals. It is a ways into the Bay, but the next decent and reasonable ramp is in Pichilingue, past town and my usual launch point. Marina de La Paz
has a nice ramp, but it requires some skill to navigate the parking lot and make the backwards turn into the ramp. It also has no trailer parking.
We launched at Cantamar, near the ferry terminal, which has a good, protected ramp with docks, which is nice if you are launching alone. The ramp
has a nasty lateral slant, but is otherwise in good shape for my sized boat. 110 pesos in and out.
Past Cantamar is an unprotected free ramp, but it scared me every time I went there and I never launched. The ramp is in poor shape, there are
rocks all over the beach approach to foul a propeller, and there is no dock. Pangas launch there, but I wasn’t so brave.
Restaurants: Las Tres Virgenes was very nice and we enjoyed ourselves greatly. Prices were reasonable for the location/quality/service. Same with
Café Milano—very good food, service, and ambiance. We met there a couple from Rome who thought the food was comparable to their home city—quite a
recommendation. LongLegsinLaPaz was kind enough to turn us on to a little hidden sope place in Centenario that became a habit. There were many other
good ones, but I don’t want to bore the locals.
Roads: Mex 1 was in great shape, but I say that for travelers who have done the trip before. Newcomers may be less enthralled. A word on the new
traffic lights at Cd. Constitucion (which have been discussed on this board): traveling north, I sidetracked over several blocks and tried to beat the
lights with stop signs. Based on a truck behind us that followed the lights, we gained only about 30 seconds—not enough to make it worthwhile, in my
fuzzy logic.
Military Checkpoints: there were six, I think, and all but Maneadero basically gave us a pass. A cursory look and they sent us on. Maybe Alix’s
beagle intimidated them (haha). Maneadero was a little more thorough. After we were released, I dropped off two bottles of California wine to the
Jefe at each checkpoint, which they appreciated.
Cd. Insurgentes: Bill Erhardt turned us on to a great torta stand here and we hit it going south and north. Yummy! He can give you better
directions than me, if you are interested.
Santa Rosalia: we stayed at the Hotel Las Casitas, which was very nice. Lovely A/C room with a huge balcony overlooking the SOC and we talked them
into allowing Alix’s beagle. Wireless in internet in the room, which was a plus.
El Rosario: we always look forward to staying at the Baja Cactus. Great rates, wonderful personnel, and very nice rooms. I don’t have much to say
about the town, since it is rather isolated and dowdy, but we love the hotel. Still no internet, unfortunately, either cable or wireless, and I’d
like to see that addressed by our fellow nomad…but otherwise, a nice visit.
The Border: Well, what can we say about that? The TJ roads were diverted, as has been discussed here, and it was about 1 ½ hours to cross after we
became stopped in traffic. As a side note, Customs has posted a sign saying they want all boats, trailers, etc., to go to lanes…20 and 21, I think.
We were several lanes east of that when we first saw the signs, but so close that I was never going to convince traffic to let me cross four lanes to
get in the right place. We were stopped anyway, so I got out and walked up to talk to the border guys. “Oh, you have plenty of space to get
across—just move over.” Hahaha! Obviously, they have never driven in that pack. They did say I could go through any lane I could fit through, so I
paced the width of the lane we were in and decided it was wide enough. It was. The kiosk fellow gave us a pass and we were on our way on I-5 north.
I’d like to thank Bill Erhardt for the great fishing advice and for graciously having us for the evening; LongLegs for putting up with us until we
found a casita, and all the other nomads whose information has so contributed to our trips down south. It was another adventure!
Christopher Bruno, Elk Grove, CA.
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Alan
Super Nomad
Posts: 1626
Registered: 4-6-2005
Location: Yucaipa, CA/La Paz
Member Is Offline
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It sounds like you are already back home? I'm heading down Thursday. We miss each other again. I'll be down in mid-October as well.
The best ramp I found was at Costa Baja. Easy launch, trailer parking, slips available and shortest run out of the bay. The Fidepaz ramp is really
nice but waaaaayyyyy back in the bay. Really have to stay in the channel they dredged to get there. You need a good chartplotter to get in and out
in the dark.
In Memory of E-57
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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Thanks for the report. I too like La Paz. It's been 6 or 7 years since I was last there.
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longlegsinlapaz
Super Nomad
Posts: 1685
Registered: 11-18-2005
Location: La Paz
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Always enjoy seeing you guys....my door is always open to you! I really had envisioned more freshly caught fish dinners while you were here, but I'm
sure if you pay really close attention to Alix, you'll eventually get the hang of how to get them on the hook & then keep them in the boat once
you do hook one! 
My little sheep herder, with the non-stop intimidating guttural growl will be taking a remedial class in gracious doggie hostess skills! I'm sure
Luca will require several trips to his shrink to recover from the unrelenting trauma Maggie inflicted on his tender little psyche!
The sope lady misses you; apparently her business took a nosedive when you left!
Thank you for the deliveries you made & the labor with the threshold plate!
I KNEW you'd find some creative way to offload....'errrrr, I mean share....that wine!
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Sounds like a great trip. As for La Paz, great town, and the malecon is definitely the sweetest stretch of developed waterfront in Baja.
As for the Cd. Constitucion traffic lights, my experience leads me to believe it's mostly exaggerated by comparison to the long stretches of open road
that surround it.
Bruno- do you recall what you paid at Las Casitas? Thanks.
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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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| Quote: | Originally posted by longlegsinlapaz
My little sheep herder, with the non-stop intimidating guttural growl will be taking a remedial class in gracious doggie hostess skills! I'm sure
Luca will require several trips to his shrink to recover from the unrelenting trauma Maggie inflicted on his tender little psyche!
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Must be something in naming a dog Maggie! If you find a good doggie hostess class for your Maggie, write me and I will send my Maggie. 
Bajabruno,
Enjoyed reading your trip report and it sounds like over all you had a great time.
On our way down this time, we stayed at BajaCactus and then I wrote a U2U to BajaCactus---no response yet. We were disappointed with no internet
because the lady at the front desk said there was internet and even loaned me a cable. What she did not say until later was that the internet was not
working---for that we would need to go next door.
The other thing we were disappointed with this time was that the small courtesy hand lotion and shampoo bottles had been refilled. We would rather
they not offer them than refill the bottles.
Glad it was a good trip.
Diane
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