LaPaz Blog

Paradise in La Paz

Hurricane Rick Hurling Toward Baja

Posted on Written by

While my beloved wife, Linda, is not thrilled that the strongest Mexican hurricane on record (1997) is named after her, we are praying that Hurricane Rick does not push past second place to claim the crown.

Hurricane Rick is barreling north along the Pacific coast of Mexico, picking up speed and girth over the warm water. Forecasters predict Rick will become a Category 5 hurricane, but expect it to fizzle to a Category 1 hurricane before hitting land.

That will be a blessing. Los Cabos and La Paz were spared major damage from the recent Hurricane Jimena, but towns to the north in Baja suffered major damage. The recovery process will be long and difficult, and these suffering people do not need to go through it again already.

We fly to La Paz in less than two weeks. We’ll know the outcome of Hurricane Rick  by then, so I’ll be able to report the news from the ground.

Hopefully the internet will be connected in our house by the time we get there!

Flu In La Paz? No Worries!

Posted on Written by

With the swine flu media hysteria toning down, some of you may be anxious to head to Mexico. After a week in Baja, I feel confident to assure that you have a high probability of staying healthy in La Paz, all other things being equal.

I delayed my departure for an intended two-week trip due to a bronchial conditional lingering after a severe winter cold. Not the slightest bit concerned about catching the flu in La Paz, I was more worried about spending two hours in LAX and breathing everyone’s air in the planes.

After clearing Mexican customs in La Paz, travelers were greeted by a friendly crew of doctors and nurses who proceeded to give us cursory physicals, starting by pressing an instrument against our foreheads to take our temperatures. They handed out flyers stating that if we are sick, they want to help us.

There may be isolated cases of flu in La Paz, but no one I talked to heard of anyone who was sick. Some bank tellers and retail cashiers wore face masks, presumably as a preventive measure.

The weather was perfect (okay, 90 F. may sound hot to some people, but it FELT perfect!), I had a blast at the owners’ tournament of the first golf course in La Paz, and by the time I left in one short week, felt better than I have all spring.

If you have spring fever, I suggest you carve out two weeks and head to La Paz!

Bus To Cabo, La Paz & Baja

Posted on Written by

It is difficult to locate the website for the aforementioned Aguila bus line that can transport you between Los Cabos, Todos Santos, La Paz, or most of the Baja peninsula for that matter. In fact, many posts on Answers.com and other blogs say they have no website and you must call for the schedule. This is not true but you’ll be hard pressed to reach the website even through a lengthy Google search.

We present the link for you here, and suggest you bookmark the website or save the link so you won’t have to search for it when you need it.

 www.peninsulaejecutivo.com

The website is in Spanish, but even if you don’t read the language, the schedule and fare sections are pretty straight-forward.

If you speak enough Spanish, you can also call the Aguila bus station in San Jose at 011-52 (624) 142-1100- for schedules, routes and prices. You probably won’t reach someone who speaks much English.

From La Paz, you will catch the Aguila bus from the station conveniently located right on the Malecon. You can also catch it in Todos Santos,  Cabos San Lucas, or near downtown San Jose del Cabo.

From the airport in San Jose, you’ll have to take the shuttle ($13 U.S. in February 2009) to the Aguila bus station.  You can pay the fare to San Lucas, Todos Santos or La Paz right on the bus, in pesos.

If money is no object, you can take one of the many cabs from the airport to the Aguila bus station on Valerio Gonzalez Boulevard in San Jose del Cabo. We were hustled by a driver who said he WAS the shuttle, which we believed until he quoted $50 U.S. for the 8 mile ride to the bus station.  The shuttle is a large bus which will park right outside the exit from Customs once it arrives.

The first stop may be the liquor store, where you can load up on cold beer or other refreshments at a better price than your hotel. Undoubtedly the driver gets a kickback, so it works for everybody.

Note that almost everything is quoted and demanded in U.S. dollars at the airport, but in town, either pesos or dollars are often accepted. You will often get a better rate if you pay in pesos. Some places, such as the bus system, accept only pesos.

Change a little U.S. into pesos at the airport if you need to, but save the bulk for a better exchange rate. The last time we changed money at the San Jose airport, we lost about 2 pesos per dollar.

Your trip will take between 2-1/2 and 3-1/2 hours, depending upon the route taken. Buses travel north from San Jose to La Paz, or south to Cabo San Lucas, around the tip of the peninsula, then north to La Paz.

Three years ago we rented a car in San Jose del Cabo and drove the east cape north to La Paz. Along the way we asked a lady waiting at a remote bus stop if she wanted a ride. She accepted and between her few words of English and our small selection of Spanish, we had a delightful drive to La Paz.

There are all kinds of ways to make the trip interesting :=)

Typical Day In La Paz

Posted on Written by

There is so much to do in Baja Sur that I will start by describing a typical day after my wife and I arrive at our casa in La Paz.

First, we take a little siesta to refresh ourselves after the early flight on Alaska Airlines. Then we go shopping for groceries. Having a supply of non-perishable staples is one of the nice things about owning your own home, but we like to load up on fresh produce and warm corn tortillas right away.

There are some great supermarkets in La Paz, with everything you could imagine to delight your stomach … except a large selection of frozen TV dinners. In Mexico, people eat fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and other wonderful products. Another day, I will tell you which markets we shop at and how they compare to those in the U.S.

After a snack, there’s plenty of time to head for the beach. Have you ever heard about the Sea of Cortez? Just 350 paces from our casa, its gentle waves murmur “Welcome Home.”

Last month a National Geographic ship was in the Bay of La Paz, and we have also seen visits fom Greenpeace and the Jacque Cousteau explorer. You probably know that Jacque Cousteau labeled the Sea of Cortez the “Acquarium Of The World.” That’s easy to believe when you witness the whales, dolphins, fish, turtles, sea birds, multitudes of shells … and that’s just from the vantage point on our little piece of the playa.

Windsurfing, boating, kayaking, snorkeling and diving will bring you even closer to these marine wonders of Nature off the shore of La Paz.

Of course, if strolling through the surf on an endless sandy beach is not your cup of tea, you could take in a round of golf, or just relax on the patio (with or without a cocktail) to read a book and await the brilliant sunset.

If we’re really tired, we might eat in and retire early. Usually, however, we venture onto the Malecon with locals and tourists  enjoying the evening along the waterfront in the City of La Paz.

After strolling the Malecon for awhile, one of the fabulous restaurants catches our eye.

What is your delight tonight, dear? Will it be Chinese cuisine? Mexican food? Italian? Indian? Thai? Vegetarian? Seafood? La Paz is truly an international city with any dinner fare you could wish.

After dinner, we’ll stroll back along the Malecon to the electric boat and the relaxing 10 minute ride across the Bay of La Paz to our casa.

The next morning, we’re usually ready to awaken as the sun rises and plan our week. But that’s a post for another day …