My log in the Sea of Cortez

Sept 28, 2006: Mazatlan - La Paz - Todos Santos (Baja California)
So, the ferry from Mazatlan to La Paz (Baja not Bolivia). It's a long one at 18hrs. Could be worse, could be crossing the Baltic or North Sea in rough chop instead of the dead calm Sea of Cortez in balmy (errr...hot) weather. I'm in the ferry terminal standing out as the only gringo (although strictly that term applies to Americans not Limeys) amongst a mixed bag of Mexicans. I get a holler from some fellow who spots me for an English speaker. Here we go. He comes over to talk. His name's Fredrico and he has all the hallmarks of a ne'er do well and footpad: over friendly; badly executed Playboy bunny tattoo on his neck to accompany those on his knuckles; 'a way with the ladies', the sort that makes them roll their eyes and ignore him as he makes lude suggestions etc. It seems we are going to be 'ferry companions' for 18hrs, not that I had much choice about it.

The ferry sails out of Mazatlan as Fredrico tells me how he's going to the Baja to look for construction work in San Jose del Cabo after his stint in prison (twice) in the US for drug dealing, his deportation from Canada, the girlfriend and baby he left behind (although from how he describes it, I think she may have been glad to see the back of him) and how he felt he was fleeced by some prostitute in Mazatlan (450 Pesos for some 'action'...nice). On the positive side, his English was pretty good. I keep a weather eye out on my bag.

To be fair, he turned out to be pretty harmless (to me at least) and we shared the obligatory 'pivo' as the sun set ahead of us, a lightning storm lit up the clouds behind and dolphins flashed in the bow wave of the ferry. Pretty sound.

Slept on the floor of steerage class wrapped in the strap of my day release bag after decanting all valuables to my person.

After docking in La Paz Fredrico and I end up sitting next to each other on the same bus going to San Jose but I am getting cold feet about spending too much time with Fredrico - I could corrupt his innocent soul! The bus makes a brief stop in a small town half way to San Jose and I decide in a hurry to alight. The place I later learn is called Todos Santos, home (allegedly) to the Hotel California of Eagles fame and my base for the next eight days or so.

Here's a picture of the sunset on the ferry and Fredrico the Canary. (Actually there's not as t'Interweb cafes never seem to allow you to upload images. Tried several times. Shame shame. More pics when I get less restrictive access.)