Thursday in La Paz

Lunch at La Concha

Robert, Bob, David, Don, and Ken at Last Supper

This was my last full day in La Paz and I enjoyed it very much.

I had coffee with David at 8.30 AM.  It was just the two of us because Al was off to an early start on a short cruise with his wife Cathy, so we discussed various issues of the MarinePlotter software.  A man at the next table overheard us discussing AIS and wandered over to tell us about the latest Micom VHF radios that incorporate AIS.  This is a sensible because it obviates the need to purchase separate VHF and GPS antennas. 

Bob Carroll showed up at 9.30 AM for our “stroll” to have lunch.  At his suggestion I left the laptop in the office for safekeeping in order to save weight in my backpack. 

Along the way we stopped at the bus station where Bob's proficiency in Spanish would be of assistance in my purchasing a bus ticket for the airport at San Jose del Cabo the next day.  There was no need for an interpreter because the bright young girl gave herself away when she nodded in agreement with something I told Bob.  “You speak English” I said while I teasingly waved a finger at her.  Indeed she did, and very good English too, which she had studied at University.  I purchased a ticket on a bus departing at 11AM which will get me to San Jose at about 2 PM, in plenty of time for the 4.45 PM departure of the flight.

 My return to Seattle should be much easier than my trip to La Paz, given that the bus will drop me in front of Terminal 2, Alaska Airlines flights are back to normal, and the flight is direct to Seattle.

We then resumed our walk.  Past the end of the malecon, past the Marina Palmyra, and past the end of the side walk and on the edge of the narrow road to the “La Concha” restaurant.  This ex US Marine captain had led me on a fast walk that he estimated to be between 6 and 7 miles long, and I enjoyed every minute of it.  I had come to see La Paz and we had walked the full length of the city's beautiful waterfront. 

As Bob had promised, the restaurant was elegant, quiet, and in a splendid setting.   We took a table  as close to the water as we could get and enjoyed a slow light lunch.  On the way back we learned that the last  hotel shuttle that we had planned to take back to La Paz had left at 11 AM so we walked all of the way back to the Marina de La Paz.  Bob then returned to boat which is moored at the Magote and I picked up my computer and proceeded to David's boat for more demonstration of the features of MarinePlotter.  On the way back to the apartment at 4 PM I dropped by The Docks restaurant at the marina and booked a table for 5.

At 7 PM we met at the restaurant and were soon seated at a table overlooking the marina.  When drinks were served there was a toast to my success in rounding the Horn which I appreciated very much and I will remember as one of the highlights of my experience.  That toast from these fine men represented closure to my Horn adventure. 

I then proposed a toast to Rick, that his operation on Monday goes well and he makes a fast recovery.

Bob then surprised me with a thoughtful and useful gift.  I must have described at some time my problem of not being able to mount a compass inside of  Pachuca's cabin.  The magnetic disturbance from the large speakers mounted on the forward bulkhead eliminates the only feasible location for a cabin compass – or so I thought.  Bob produced a compass designed to sit on a flat surface.  I'll be able to place it on the narrow section of the cabin table that does not fold which will present a view to the compass from anywhere in the cabin.  Very clever and very useful.

Then we had dinner, with plenty of conversation material about boating and life in La Paz.  I certainly enjoyed my food, which was fish Veracruz style accompanied by two margaritas. 

After dinner I said goodbye to David and told him how much I had enjoyed seeing him again and discussing the MP software with him.  I expected to see Bob and Don and perhaps Ken for breakfast in the morning at the nearby restaurant where Bob and I had breakfast on the first day of my visit.