San Blas

Leaving La Paz, we anchored in Balandra Bay in brisk 25-knot southerly winds that kept us awake most of the night. The next morning we left to cross the Sea of Cortez. With light winds, we were able to sail and motor-sail through three days and two nights into Mantanchen Bay near the small town of San Blas on the Mexican mainland. We had intended to end this leg of the trip at Punta de Mita, but decided to take a rest along the way. Sea life is abundant...here in the bay were dozens of little brown rays, slowly cruising along the surface of the water, rhythmically flipping the tips of their fins above the waves.


Oyster and crab gathering near San Blas

La Paz hills

Heat radiates up from the trail, or the semblance of a trail. On one side of the ridge, we scramble up through cacti, palo verde, and volcanic rocks, looking for the path of least resistance. On the other side, coming down, someone has dribbled white paint, a spot here, a long line there, a modern hieroglyphic on the side of a stark black rock, zig-zagging us through the bush as the vultures and frigate birds ride the thermal waves above.

La Paz

The old men and the sea...
















Kathy takes flight at Carnaval!

La Paz

Ana and Steve Hall (Gate 11, Marina Village, Alameda) have been wonderful hosts in La Paz...tours of town, introductions to great restaurants, happy hour and fish tacos at their lovely home, and help schlepping our groceries around...Ana has said "nuestra casa es su casa" and she makes it happen!

A Bed

This is a bed.

Some people sleep in them.


On land.

La Paz

Bienvenidos a La Paz!

Philip wins 50K Olympic Trials

Philip wins the US 50K Olympic Trials

Photos and more pics  Thanks to Jeff Savage for the photos

Philip's site

Los Muertos

The sea here is deep blue, there are reefs and rocks near shore, the sun is hot, and the day is dusty.






It's a good day for a cold beer at the Giggling Marlin.








Getting to Los Muertos wasn't that easy! The seas continued at 6 feet combined with a few 10 foot swells and 25 knot winds "on our nose."

Los Frailes

It's a good thing we like battening down the hatches and settling in with a good book on the boat. This morning, we hailed the Western Flyer, a research vessel out of Monterey Aquarium (shades of John Steinbeck and Notes from the Sea of Cortez) as they passed our anchorage. They told us there were 31 knot winds from the North (the direction we wanted to go), and 6 foot combined seas. We said we had thought about sailing up to Los Muertos...they laughed. We stayed put.


Later in the day, the winds moderated and Jeff and Kathy from Beatrix motored their dinghy over to this fishing boat, where they were hoisted (literally, by the wrist, no ship's ladder here!) aboard, welcomed profusely, and given a gift of shrimp and fish. We feasted well tonight.

Puerto Los Cabos

Puerto los Cabos is at Cabo San Jose, about 15 miles north of Cabo San Lucas, but eminently quieter, less developed, and easier to manage. Fishing boats anchor off the entrance to the marina, and whales abound.





We haven't given up on trying to get good photos of whales, but we are more likely to be successful if we take a picture of one of us watching for whales than the whales themselves.

Cabo San Lucas

Cabo San Lucas, dubbed “Miami Beach with Tacos” by some cruisers, sports hundreds of hotels, condominiums, and homes draped over the rocks along the sea.





Off the tourist track, we find a panaderia, tortilleria, fruteria, and places like Lolita’s, a family restaurant near the Capitania de Puerto, where sopa de verduras comes with a big piece of beef…and it’s delicious!


Odyssey at anchor off Cabo beaches...photo courtesy of Scott Stolnitz on s/v Beach House

Sunrise coming into Cabo San Lucas

An overnight from Bahia Magdalena to Cabo San Lucas brings us around Cabo Falso just at sunrise, with no wind, and air temperatures of 64 degrees F.