Old Routine and New Visitors

La Paz has been called the "bungee" because one visit is never enough...it pulls you back and you want to return. Cruisers definitely feel that pull, and our return felt like "coming home". Our daily routine kicked in quite easily: up by 6:30 AM, Jerry for his morning run and me for my walk...both of us on the Malecon, greeting other folks out for their exercise.

Outside the gate at Marina Palmira where I begin my walk

each day, under the bougainvillea (also spelled 'bugambilia' here).

Since I began my morning walks in December, many faces have become familiar. One of my favorites is Ysidro, the singing street sweeper, and I mean this boy SINGS!....at the top of his lungs, the most romantic, passionate songs, all the while sweeping, picking up trash, trimming palm trees, etc! You simply have to love it! Ysidro and I have become good friends as we sing our morning greeting to each other...."Buenos dias"....

Ysidro sometimes then breaks into his rendition of "Mary My Love".....might be original?....who cares.  He's a charmer, and I'm a sucker for charmers.  See the marina behind me?

My standard walk takes me to a great little "turn around" park on the Malecon about a mile from the marina, marked by a wind mill and benches. Many folks are there every day, stopping during their walks to stretch, some do tai chi, guys do pull-ups on the monkey bars, etc. There's a little fountain that the windmill feeds, and the view out to the sea is lovely at both low and high tide. 

My windmill turn-around point.

We arrived back to La Paz in time for the Club Cruceros St. Patrick's Day dinner. As you can see, my last minute shopping in town for some appropriate attire was successful.  The corned beef and cabbage, and Irish singing enhanced by Ireland's most significant contribution to Mexican culture, the margarita, (I made that up...)) was enjoyed by all. "Danny Boy" never sounded better!

St. Patrick's Day Dinner

The big excitment last week was our first visitors from home!  Betsy, a senior at UW-Stout on Spring Break, and my brother John, the dairy farmer, were here for a week, and we had a great time.  Included in our activities were dining on fresh shrimp which "Miss Food Channel Betsy" helped me prepare on Sea Story, a trip to see the kite boarding and windsurfing at La Ventana, two days of good day-sailing, pool-side chats, trips in town to our favorite haunts, dinner and dancing at Beach Club at Bahia de Los Suenos, and a general introduction to "What the heck do they do down there on that boat in Mexico????"

Out on the town in Bahia de Las Suenos

John looks like a natural-born skipper, don't you agree?

Our final dinner at Marina Hotel next to our slip at Marina Palmira.

And Adios....for a few more weeks...to Betsy.

Enough for this time.  I have a Bayfest 2010 performance coming up in another couple of weeks, so maybe I'll have some photos from that and other parts of wonderful life here in La Paz aboard s/v SEA STORY.


Best Regards to all..
ML