Mexico
June
13, 2012 - From Bahia de Los Angeles, we made two more stops
before we rolled into La Paz, from where we are taking the ferry
to Mazatlan. Our first stop was in Santa Rosalia, where we were
entertained by a live arrest right in front of our hotel, a fire
just next to our hotel involving multiple fire trucks, and the posting of
a police watch for the night with our bikes which were securely
locked up around an electricity pole.
Earlier in the evening, we had our first police experience as we noticed being followed, very overtly, by a uniformed Policia de Santa Rosalia while we took a stroll through town. Despite all this, the night passed uneventfully and the next day we pressed on to Loreto. The road at this point was a bit more reliable and the scenery was delicious.
It was a nice change from the monotone cactus theme from earlier days.
Loreto was deserted. Even the malecon was empty at night with nary a local to be seen. Earlier in the day my headlight failed and I got to enjoy some sunshine while I tried to figure out how the previous owner had wired certain things. In 2006 I had only a few problems, but this time I've had to dig into the spare parts box once or twice already. Here I was, juggling a wiring diagram along with a voltmeter.
La Paz has a bit more life to it after a string of relatively monotone towns with pretty beaches. Finally the big camera saw some daylight again.
The malecon in La Paz is more than a few miles long it seems and lined with coconut trees.
The waterfront is a hangout for skateboarders and young couples.
Even the hotel had a bit more character and I gladly accepted an invite to park the bike behind closed doors for the night.
Tomorrow we're off to Mazatlan and will continue south along the coast, dipping inland for places such as Morelia and Oaxaca.