Afternoon at the beach

On the way to Tecolote

Last Sunday, as a reward for completing some unsavory tasks and to escape from some obnoxious fumes, the captain and I decided to take Buddi and her backpack and head north to visit a couple of beaches. Balandra and Tecolote are favored by locals and  tourists alike and while we had seen them from the sea on our recent cruise, we hadn't had an opportunity to explore them by land.
The coastal road north is rough with numerous potholes in the "good" stretches and a lot of construction going on in other areas.  We made slow progress, partly because of the roadway conditions and partly because of the stunning views: La Paz Bay and the Sea of Cortez on one side and rugged mountains on the other.  The captain tried to ease off the road periodically to allow the cars behind us to pass as we paused to quietly reflect on the vista before us.
   And that brings me to another thought: we find that for the most part Mexican drivers are far more patient and tolerant than their American counterparts. It is rare to hear a honking horn or see a driver making a rude gesture.  Once in downtown La Paz I observed a driver make five or six tries at a parallel parking spot as other drivers waited patiently to pass and a bystander helped guide the driver into his space.  A friend mentioned recently that he had seen only one accident in La Paz since he arrived five months ago, and even then the two drivers just stood next to their vehicles and chatted while waiting for the police to arrive.

Tacos for two!

 But I digress. We arrived at Balandra and squeezed into a parking place in a deeply rutted dirt parking lot. We decided to put Buddi in her backpack as many dogs were wandering around, some on leashes and some loose. The first things we came to were a fresh coconut and pineapple stand and the ever-present taco truck. The captain ordered a couple of fish tacos for himself, cokes and a packet of cookies for me.  We sat at a small table and enjoyed the snacks then headed down to the beach.

Boys just wanna have fun!

Balandra seems to be a family oriented destination and we watched groups eating on the beach and playing in the water.  One large family (looked like four generations) walked over the sand dune carrying boxes and baskets of food, chairs and tables and even a rather large grill. Because the water is so shallow, barely knee deep clear across the bay, it is a great place for children to play, but big boys seem to enjoy it as well. One group of four guys had taken a table out into the water. They were standing around enjoying cold beer and just harvested chocolate clams drizzled with fresh lime juice.  The Mexican music on their boom box just added to the ambiance.
We spent the next hour or so walking the beach and stopping to chat with gringos, Mexicans and even one talkative Argentinian. Two Canadians sunning themselves on beach chairs in the water asked, "Why would you want to be anywhere else"? We couldn't think of a good reason! We walked back to the car, dusted off the sand and drove north the short distance to Tecolote.
Tecolote is very different from Balandra.  First of all it is about a half mile off the main road. As we drove in we saw several miles of tightly packed cars all backed
up as close as they could get to the water. The beach itself is quite rocky and waves were breaking on the beach. Unlike Balandra this beach was frequented by a younger, hipper set, most in their late teens and twenties.  There are a couple of restaurants there as well as a kiosk renting surf boards and kayaks. The music was loud as each car seemed to compete with those around it for the decibel award, and  dune buggies thundered over the sand.  It looked like a fun place and we would have stayed longer had we arrived earlier in the day.

On the way back to La Paz

We drove back to La Paz with the sun near the horizon; the vistas coming down the mountain were breathtaking as we looked west toward the bay. We often chide ourselves for not taking more time to visit places in this beautiful country.  Maybe after this latest project.....but then we want to sail!  So many beautiful places, so little time.