But we've been blessed with an unseasonably cool break in the weather, with fresh breezes all day, and comfortable mornings and evenings.
Map of Baja California Sur, shows the capital, La Paz, and the numerous islands on the eastern side of the peninsula, some of which we'll visit on our trip north.
Our neighbors in the next slip are a couple from Portland, OR who live year-round on their boat and would be heading for Central America except that the husband just had a quadruple bypass. They have been the best of neighbors, quiet and yet friendly, lending us their gate key because we got here Saturday too late to check in. The Capt let slip to them that my birthday would be Sunday and the wife came over and presented me with a beautiful handmade beaded bookmark, knowing I'd treasure it as a fellow book fiend.
Yesterday morning we provisioned at a huge market, the CCC (pronounced "say-say-say"), then asked a cab to get us to a good bakery (indulgence already on our minds) where we bought polverones and orejas (Mexican cookies). Back at the marina we stopped in at the Club Cruceros library, which although not as extensive as our own back in San Carlos was at least separated by genre, mas o menos. I grabbed a copy of Roddy Doyle's "A Star Called Henry," about (among other things) the birth of the Irish Republican Army in Dublin. Spent a good part of the day immersed in his wild and crazy prose, and playing guitar camouflaged by the dull roar of our air conditioner in the V-berth.
Our neighbors had recommended El Patrón as an excellent restaurant for a birthday dinner, and it was close enough for a few minutes' walk. The street near the marina used to be a mess back in '98 (our first year here), with broken concrete and asphalt, dust and trash everywhere, but now it's well-maintained and pretty much trash-free, a miracle considering there was big crowd viewing an exhibition of Volkswagens, complete with live music from a local high school band clad in neon lime green.
El Patrón is situated overlooking the Virtual Marina section of La Paz Bay, where boats are anchored with the full approval of the Port Captain and enjoy a number of waterbound services including water delivery and trash pickup. Our first year in Mexico, we spent almost a month anchored in that area, so close to the beach we could have swum to shore.
The Capt had ribs and I went for the coconut shrimp with reduced orange sauce, both outstanding. When the waiter took away the rib bones to box them up for our dogs, he seemed to be gone quite a while. But then he appeared with a fat slice of cheesecake, topped by a single candle, and two musicians were right behind him, to serenade me with "Las Mañanitas," the Mexican birthday song, as well as another couple of birthday songs I'd never heard before, and winding up with my favorite ballad, "Sabor a Mi." I confess, I probably embarrassed the Capt when I started singing along, but I couldn't resist.
Then we strolled down the Malecon, checking out the vintage and pimped Volkswagens of every description. Sunday evening is when everyone in La Paz turns out to do the same, apparently, on foot, in-line skates, bicycles, bikes towing baby carriages... all enjoying the breeze off the bay. We stopped for ice cream at La Fuente, everybody's traditional favorite. I was reminded just why I'm so infatuated with La Paz. More than any place I've seen in Mexico (so far) it seems to me to have an almost European feel to it, and in spite of annual maulings by a series of hurricanes it still looks beautifully maintained, with a sense of pride by citizens who love their city. It probably doesn't hurt that La Paz is the capital of Baja, and the home of the governor.
Of course, I'm still in a rosy cloud. The whole world looks pretty good to me at the moment.
The only bad news: my aged laptop can't take a charge because the cable broke off inside the port, and I will have to use the Capt's until we get home. Postings and photos will be sporadic, especially since we're also going to be anchoring at a series of remote islands over the next week. The plan is to be crossing the Sea of Cortez to our home port next Sunday. But you know that old saying about cruisers' plans: written in the sand during low tide.
Thanks so much to all my cyberfriends who wished me Happy Birthday. Your wishes came true, it was a most happy day, and I have enough left over to last me all week.