May 17, 2015 - La Paz and area with guests

We went back to La Paz to pick up Steve’s sister Pat and her boyfriend Doug for a week of fun.  We went back to places we had explored in our last two week excursion and had a great time showing our guests what fun we have exploring these beautiful places.  Once again I have had a difficult time choosing the right pictures as there are so many.  This posting is a synopsis from the week rather than each location separately. 

Caleta Partida was fun but a little cloudy.  We were able to explore the shoreline and take a trip back to the caves we had explored from our last visit.  The tide change and wave swell made for a different experience in the caves.  It was fun to visit once again and this time less windy.  To make this stop memorable, on a star filled moonlit evening on the bow of our boat, Doug asked Pat to marry him and she said yes!  Now we have a wedding to look forward to. 

Pat and Doug at Caleta Partida beach

Caleta Partida anchorage from Isla Partida

Fiddler Crab.  Males have this one huge claw!

crab piles.  Yes this is poop

Beautiful eroded sandstone formations

Getting ready for our dinghy ride to the caves

Pat, Doug, Steve and kids to the right in the cave

working on the rock bridge

Cindy walking the ledge

So this is what you find at the end of a rainbow!

Isla San Francisco once again was spectacular.  Cindy, Steve and Doug hiked up the ridge trail for a bit while Pat, Kevin and I went past the salt ponds and to the other side of the island.   We swam and were able to spend two nights there.  The kids got to do some surfboard riding/towing behind our dinghy as well. 

Doug jumping from the boat deck

Cindy jumping off the boat deck

Getting the surf boards out and ready for surf riding

Practicing standing up on the surfboards

Surfing, Adagio style, when there are no waves to ride

Cindy

Kevin practicing balancing

Cindy surfing

Noodle 

Doug, Cindy and Steve on their hike on the ridge

Kevin and Pat on the salt pond

Our last night before heading back into La Paz was at Puerto Balandra.  We had an extremely rough night there and days later found out one of our anchor stabilizer plates broke a hinge it was so rough.  Steve and I had almost no sleep although Doug and Pat said they slept well once they fell asleep in the master stateroom.  The kids also seemed fine in the bunk room in the bow where Steve tried for a brief time but could not take the bouncing around!  A beautiful spot though once again and it calmed down by mid-morning. 

We stopped at Ensenada Del Canderelo on our way back south for a quick snorkel.   Our trip started with some choppy seas but as usual it seems to calm down in the afternoon; at least it has on the east side of Isla Espiritu Santo, in our experience.  Calm conditions and more sun…..

Colorful reef fish swimming around the coral.

Kids waiting for us to finish snorkeling

Towing Pat and Doug back to the big boat with the dinghy and them on boogie boards

Balandra is a spectacular site and still a favorite except at night.  We have now spent three nights there with three sleepless nights.  The days are always a very pleasant experience.  But at night the winds kick up and the resulting waves send the boats rocking and rolling.  Watching several sailboats near us overnight made us thankful for our “flopper stoppers”.  The other boats we being tossed about like a rag-doll in a dog’s mouth.  We can’t imagine what it felt like inside those other boats.  We visited the beach and the following day snorkeled once again in the clear waters, prior to heading back to La Paz for a last night with Pat and Doug out at a restaurant.

The towel jumps

They are all looking at the pelican

making pico de gallo

pictures with our new go-pro like camera from my parents (date wrong)

needlefish with the go-pro camera

Cindy taking a photo of Kevin with the go-pro

another awesome picture with the go-pro

Pat photo taken by Cindy with the go-pro

Our last night we went out to dinner at Bandito's.  It was a favorite of ours there.  As you can see everyone is hooked up to electronics!  What a world we live in............

Eating at Bandito's.  They cook on a grill in that old hood of a car.

We took Doug and Pat over to the bus station to head back to San Jose Del Cabo for a flight home.

We then had a last night with sv Pesto and sv Coastal Drifter along with meeting and playing with a family that we first met back in San Diego from sv Sangvind. We went out to dinner at the same place, Bandido's and there were 14 of us.

It was a fun week and all went well having two additional people on board.