Rockin’ Across the Sea of Cortez

When I left La Paz on the Baja Peninsula last year under a cloud of melancholy, I set some intentions declaring aloud, “The next time I come to La Paz, it will be on a boat!”   As is often the case, though, I needed to be a bit more specific.  What I had in mind was a sailboat.  What I manifested instead was a ferry. Continue reading

Mazatlan Memories: Music, Markets, and Mujeres

I made several trips across the shipping channel from the sleepy little Isla to the historic center of Mazatlan. The small boats, or “pangas” cost less than $1 to cross. There are pulmonias (open air golf carts on steroid-type vehicles) waiting at the Embarcadero to take you to your destination, but for someone who loves to walk, it’s a great way to spend an afternoon exploring “old” Mazatlan. Continue reading

The Password is “Fresnel”

On my last visit to Mazatlan in 2013, there was one thing I wanted to do, but due to a commitment to meet Don in Oaxaca for New Years, there wasn’t time.    I wanted to climb “El Faro.”   And if you haven’t figured out by now, El Faro stands for
:::(drumroll):::   “The Lighthouse!” 

I knew very little about Mazatlan’s lighthouse….only that it was atop a very large hill at the end of the shipping channel, and was reported to offer spectacular views.   So given that it’s a lighthouse, and I am a self-proclaimed “lighthouse nut,” it was a must-do this visit. Continue reading

Life on the Isla

In picking a path through Mexico this winter, the northbound option had an extra plus in the pro vs con analysis…getting to visit with my friends Contessa and Colin.   I’ve been a follower of Contessa’s blog for years.   She is yet another example of how my life has been enriched by meeting people through blogging.  We first met when I visited the Isla back in 2013, and have kept in touch regularly since, even meeting up in the desert on Continue reading