La Paz

January 15 to 19th

La Paz is a really nice place to chill out and spend a couple of days R&R after tackling the 1200km length of the Baja. We always planned to get the ferry from here to the mainland, and the only decision is whether to do a 500km loop of the southern coastline where there are a series of beautiful beaches before embarking. Most are now developed American resort towns designed around larger wallets than ours, and we decide to give them a miss.

La Paz is more cosmopolitan, and the statue lined malecon (beach front boulevard) stretching some 4kms is built to waste time just promenading up and down, people watching and eating ice cream.





Wisely we choose a hostel with one of the best Taco stands known to man directly outside and starvation is averted on several occasions....



4 days pass in lazy hazy fashion as we draw a line under the first chapter in Mexico. Beaches with coffee shops and beer vendors help to pass the time...



It's the kind of place you lose a couple of hours just staring out to sea...



But finally we manage to drag ourselves away, rested and ready to tackle the mainland. Pichilingue is the strangely named port lying 23kms (15 miles) along the coast from where the ferries depart.

Pelicans swoop and feast in the bay around the boat....



The 6 hour ferry crossing to Topolabampo seems expensive at 2500 pesos (£125, $180) for 2. An RV would weigh in at 7000 pesos (£350, $625) and lorries pay 10,000. Perhaps this explains the almost empty boat. Strangely the cafeteria closes 1 hour into the crossing which is an unexpected disaster. However it all saves a rather long swim.



The sunset over the water is spectacular....



We arrive in Topolobampo around 9pm and ride to the nearest hotel by torch light. Next is the road to the mighty Copper Canyon!