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Published: February 6th 2020
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Week three and it starts in Los Barriles. So having made the decision to leave Puerto San Carlos as it was rundown and we found ourselves in Los Barriles, in the hotel of the same name. At $75 US dollars a day, without breakfast, our most expensive stay and not very good value. It was clean and the room was large but the washbasin was in the room and the fan in the bathroom would have woken the dead.
Our first two mornings we had breakfast at Caleb's cafe and the next two at a Mexican place opposite for half the price. It really felt like we were kicking our heels, most of the routes south and inland needed a 4x4 or quad type vehicle and at $100 a day we didn't feel the need to rent. We had a trip out to two “traditional “local villages neither of which were in the least bit interesting or attractive. One morning we had lovely walk along the beach before the beach was mobbed by kite surfers. We found a bar La Cantina that sold Baja beer so it became our pre-dinner place before we then ate in several traditional Mexican places.
Coconut shrimps and baked clams one night, meat and baked potatoes another and a pretty average veggie burrito. Unless you are American, a kite surfer or big game fisherman can't see why you would like the place. Never seen so may drunken Americans and they are so loud , our last night was spent with earplugs as they went on and on about the bloody superbowl. A couple of times we tried to chat to people and they just ,closed it down. We decided it was the Mexican equivalent of Benidorm and I make no apology if that sounds either unkind or snobby.
I was delighted as we headed north for another night in La Paz. Sunday 2nd February and my 65th birthday. Amy had rung me the night before after midnight in the UK to wish me happy birthday with her friend Claire , as we share a birthday. I got a lovely video of Finn blowing kisses and of course lots of Facebook messages. En route we stopped off at El Triunfo an old silver mining town which in its heyday had 6,000 residents but now only about 150. There was a fabulous museum and the cafe
on the top floor was set out like an 1800 tea room with China tea sets from around Europe. We had delicious Assam tea served in a China pot with a tea strainer.
Once we arrived back at La Paz it felt like going home Luisa's place is so light and bright after some of the gloomy places we have been. We went out for dinner to a place with no telly to avoid the Superbowl. It tuned out to be a pretty poor night, we got our salad starters together and then Chris got his pasta and my pizza was forgotten about! In the end I left without getting it and had coffee and biscuits over the road. Good job my birthday meal had been weeks ago!
Next morning we had lovely homemade breakfast from Alma and chatted with two other Canadian guests, Herb and Phyllis. Alma played Happy birthday on her phone . We returned the car and flew to Guadalajara in Jalisco. The luggage took forever but the car hire was speedy and efficient but driving to the hotel was pretty hairy and we got lost at least 3 times. The hotel was on the edge of the city a bit like an IBIS or Travelodge. The room was fine but there was no food nearby so we ended up with takeaway pizza and burger neither of which were very good.
Wednesday we arrived at our friend's place at Laguna Santa Maria del Oro. People may remember we housesat here 8 years ago for 5 months while Uwe and Marlena travelled in Canada and Germany. It was great to meet them and if felt like only yesterday when we were with them. We have the trailer in the garden mainly for sleeping so it is good to have our own space. We chatted, drank beer and brandy and ate delicious homemade soup. We had a horrendous storm in the night which pounded on the roof of the trailer.
We have a week here with them before we head off to Yucatan and Campeche, we have binned the plans to go to Isla Mujeres, had enough of touristy beach places.
More of our trip next time.
Norma xx
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