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Published: June 30th 2007
The Malecon
The main street at oceanside has been rejuvinated and a grand tiled with sculptures abounding walkway stretches from one end of the touristy part of the city to the other. La Paz, BCS, Mexico … June 28, 2007
Stepped off the 50 passenger plane and was assailed by 38 degrees Celsius! Talk about stepping into an oven… THIS was it!
Have now endured heat, cold, wind and wet. What else is there? Bring it on!! I suppose landslide, earthquake and volcanic eruption are possible … but how likely?
Met a woman who owns a house near La Paz. She gave me a map of the city. That made landing and getting to downtown much less stressful. I always like to have a map…then I know where I am!!
The airport is somewhat out of town and ‘un taxi collectivo’ cost $15US. A regular taxi would have cost $28. The only travel agent I could find was nice enough to phone the Hotel Yeneka for me gave me the information. That was his good deed for the day. There is no currency exchange at the airport. Paid for the taxi with $US and received pesos as change … 10 pesos for $1.
Arrived safely at Calle Madero. The woman who seems in charge speaks very good English. The young man who takes my 347 pesos
also understands me with my half English half Spanish …Spanglish?
Settled my things in the room. Went to the bank. Once I arrived at the teller she told me to go to the ATM. This is where I discovered at a cost of $7.50 that the peso is written as a $ sign because I requested 300 dollars and received 300 pesos so had to do a second transaction for another $7.50 to get 3000 pesos. As I am writing a little light bulb is flashing and I hope I am paying 7.50 pesos for each transaction not dollars.
Went for a small, very small, walk ... it was f*^&%$^ing hot and no one else was out there. Bought an umbrella, laundry detergent. orange shortbread cookies and extra toilet paper. Paid for the room then, sent numerous emails and worked on a blog and had a nap … until 9:00. Dressed and went to eat because I had only had a $10US sandwich and coffee from the airport in LA. Only drinks and cookies on the flight.
Went three blocks up the street to The Three Virgins and had a lovely dinner. So atmospheric a flashlight was
needed to read the menu. The soup I chose was green, creamy, with what seemed grated cooked zucchini and kernels of corn and bean sprouts???? Could not see enough to be sure. What ever it was, it was a splendid success and I loved it! The blue crab with Mexican rice on the other hand was less delightful. This dish did taste better once I had scrapped the sauce (green… not leftover soup?) And the stuffing off and out of the three tortillas. The texture of tortilla does not do it for me. The coffee was weak and the milk tasted of cow. The Pacifico Cerveza, my second for the day, was delicious.
The waiters seemed to know the other patrons and the table of fifteen women in particular was most interesting. They had a LOT of drinks. When the square plates of ordered food came the waiters walked around the table more than once trying to find who belonged to which plate. Did not stay long enough to see how payment of the bill was arranged. It was one woman’s birthday. Women came at different times. All drank and ate. Should have stayed to watch the end of
Family Shoeshine Stand
Across the street from the church four shoeshine stands stood ready for business... must be clean shoe to gotochurch are a requirement. the tableaux but it was already 11:30 and they had not yet ordered dessert or coffee.
All in all a very nice meal in a restaurant that was open to the sky, had a visible and behind doors kitchen and if the poster is a clue, has had a write up in Gourmet. The whole experience cost me 265 pesos.
A solitary walk downhill, past the deserted square in front of the church, past the closed stores selling only wedding paraphernalia, and past the sidewalk cart selling hotdogs too his last customers.
The iron gates of the hotel were locked from inside. The woman in charge now dressed in a short red skirt and red top with black thong showing in the back was sitting with five others …outside. The man on the inside let me in. He is apparently on duty all night long.
Upstairs with me, clothes off, ready for a shower after a very long hot day. And what to my surprise…NO WATER. Clothes back on and get an answer to the problem. Pump turned on…I have a shower.
Lesson learned: take shower earlier in the day.
Check email. No response from
anyone. Plug in computer. Lay down to read … this does not last long and with cats still yowling outside I sleep.
Found only one big bug on my towel in the morning. When it started too buzz and struggle as I grabbed it with toilet paper I almost let it out of its paper prison… But I was brave…held on and threw it out the open bathroom window, whence it came, paper and all.
Day two:
I went to Playa Tecolote, a half hour away from La Paz, on the local bus for 20 pesos one way. The beach is the most beautiful around La Paz. Picked up enogh shells with holes to make a necklace. Had lunch and in general avoided sunburn by staying under my umbrella and keepinh my clothes on. Do not believe they have nude beaches in Mexico ... but I could be wrong. Will be on the look-out for the first available one.
Because of the big lunch ...at least a kilo of seafood... had ice cream, cookies and lots of water the rest of the day. The Pacifico beer is going down easily too. Blogged and slept. Still no
word!
Day Three:
My plan to take a trip Todos Santos has been twarted. The truck is on its way south but is 8 hours away. Will stick around the hotel to wait for the call.
Went for a walk thru the residential area and then along the Malecon. Very hot in the 11:00 sun. Even here in the courtyard I can feelthe heat radiating off the tiles.
Am packed and ready. Am happy to be able to sit and finish my blogs. Have enjoyed my usual way of visiting a place ... is this a repeated sentiment?
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Dominique
non-member comment
I just read your message about your mother's passing. I am sorry for your loss and am thinking of you in this time of loss and bereavement. Please accept my deep sympathy.