Yup, it’s after December 1st, so the decorations are going up on Charisma…

Found some LED candy canes that plug into a USB port...

…and projects galore are being started….

Mad Max on the machine. Headlamp deployed, zig zags in action.

I must point out that Ann has developed a dinner specialty that is delicious.  Pasta with olive oil, basil and sundried tomatoes.  Proof of said dish is attached.

That's garlic toast next to the pasta and a cactus salad on the side!

Here’s a couple pictures of our group dinner.  Marina Palmira cooked Turkey for 250 people and we all brought potluck side dishes.  As you can see, the food was piled high.  Fun, but as it was around 1530, it was HOT.  We were all glad to retire after the dinner to our safety meeting at the end of the dock and cool off.

No expense was spared on table decorations...

Plates were piled high

Surrounded by friends...a good time!

Deanne (from S/V Dos Leos) and Queen Ann

Baja Bob and Cynthia (from S/V Tranquility)

There’s a new “cool” place in town that for now is the hot, new cruiser’s hangout.  It’s called The Shack.  Run by an ex-pat American and his Mexican wife, they specialize in a kind of Burger/BBQ thing (Ann had a burger as you’ll see below and I had brisket that had been in the smoker for a day or two).  They serve a roast pig on Sundays.  Pretty informal as you’ll see by the pictures below.  Their two young kids are running around while Travis cooks and Rosa waits tables.  Marketing consists of Travis occasionally getting on the cruiser’s radio net in the morning (channel 22A at 0800) and announcing the pig roast or some other event.  The night we were there, one of the guys (“Keen”) from the boat ShantiAna was playing guitar for tips.  He wasn’t messing around either.  He was awesome!  We left him 50 pesos in the tip jar.  Sounds like a lot, but the exchange rater means a little less than five bucks.  As you’ll see in the picture below, we sat outside on the sidewalk by the curb where they set up a table for our group.  The curbside diners had to be careful how far they kicked back their chairs.  Too far and you’ll tip over and into the street.  After dinner, Ann got a big fat, black marker pen and signed our names and boat name to the wall for all eternity-or at least until next time they paint it.

The sidewalk seating (and for that matter the restaurant interior) brings up the subject of building codes.  There aren’t any that we can figure.  Ya build it and if it doesn’t fall down or burn down, you’re good to go seems to be the rule.  It’s so funny, yet practical how they deal with sidewalks for instance.  More specifically; what to do when the building or house ground levels change as you walk.  Need a smooth sidewalk?  Not a chance.  When there’s a change in elevation, which is almost every house or store, you just add a bunch of cement and make a platform to connect the sidewalk with the neighbor’s.  Too steep?  Add some steps.  Still too steep?  Get more cement and make the steps bigger.  You really have to watch where you’re going or you could easily and suddenly drop six feet off the pavement as you walk down the street.

There's Brisket in the forecast for tonight

Oh, yeah, them burgers are muy bien, y mas grande!

The kind of place where flip flops are the shoe of choice...

Our "reserved" seating

...kids, dogs, everyone's welcome at The Shack...

...and the music was great!

That would be the great market (Mercado) on Bravo street.  At least it’s supposedly on Bravo street.  We’re not completely sure as there are virtually no street signs in La Paz.  Once in a while you see one and use that as the basis for “counting” streets to find where you’re going.  “Cinco de Mayo street?  OK, found a sign; Bravo is five streets down and four up”  No signs between here and there.

Anyway, it’s a great market for fresh fish, meat, cheese and produce.  Really fun to walk through and see the very strange (to us) cuts of meat, all the different fish stacked up on ice and bargain with the produce guys.  There are usually at least three of each of the above, so it’s somewhat competitive, but in a friendly way.  In one corner of the Mercado (it’s all in an open barn-like structure), there are also a couple of eateries.  We had lunch in one the other day.  Quite an experience.  They don’t speak any English, so we use our best Spanglish and point a lot.  Everyone smiles at and appreciates our attempts to speak Spanish and we all have fun!  After we’re done, right outside is the Tortilleria for fresh, still warm tortillas.  Yum!

Also, while on the subject of being in town; if you have ever wondered where old school busses go, wonder no longer.  They are all in Mexico as you’ll see from the pictures below.  Old school busses are the main mode of public transportation down here.  Very cheap, very slow, but a cultural experience!

Old school busses never die, they go to Baja

...and they paint them pretty colors...

We moved on quickly after taking this picture...

The fish guys are in general more friendly...

...although the fish are not that happy (click to enlarge and see the fish's expression)

Baja Bob enjoyin' the view...

The tortilarilla right outside.

Yum! Those are "ours" coming right off the line....

Every evening about 1730, we gather at the end of the dock to watch the sunset over a glass of our favorite beverage (of course for Ann and I, that would be a rum based “Charisma”).  Since the Marina officially frowns on alcohol use and any types of “Lascivious Behavior” (it’s in our marina contract), we the cruisers present on the dock, have made this daily event our official dockside safety meeting.  Any time a Marina employee comes down the dock wondering what the commotion is, we proudly announce that we are holding a safety meeting to prepare for natural and/or unnatural disasters.  We then offer him a beer and all is well with the world.  Here’re a few pics of just a few of our new friends at the Safety Meetings.

Bob, Deanne, Ann, Baja Bob, Kathy, Rich

Baja Bob, Dave and Stephanie

Queen Ann and Baja Bob

First off, Ann and I want to wish everyone the best on their Thanksgiving wherever they are having it. We  know in our families this year, that includes Scotland, Texas, Colorado and La Paz (that’s us, duh).  Down here, we’re having “dinner” (it’s at 3:30) with 250 of our closest friends.  Like so many other cruiser events, it’s a come one, come all, potluck.  Marina Palmira is cooking the Turkeys and everyone else brings the dressing, salads, side dishes and deserts (you have to remember to put your boat name on your serving ware so you’ll get it back after the chaos).  At this moment (0830), Ann is making a cabbage salad from a recipe her sister Joan gave us.  Cabbage is our new lettuce, since it lasts for weeks unrefrigerated whereas lettuce turns into a useless puddle of mush in short order.  Anyway, great recipe (thank
you Joan); cabbage, red bell pepper, scallions, sesame, oil grated ginger, rice wine vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and Ann’s addition; toasted pinenuts.  Yummy.

Lest everyone think we’re just goofing; we spent most of the
last two days doing boat work.  One of the things on our list (the never ending boat project lists-more on that below) that had to be done was varnishing (actually Cetol for those of you who know).  You just can’t wish that one away.  After about one year the stuff will just start peeling off.  The varnish waterproofs and protects the wood.
Charisma has a fair amount of wood trim.   But it’s not as easy as just getting out a brush and can of Cetol.  First you have to sand, then wash, then tape the surface to be varnished.  So, Tuesday we spent about six hours sanding, washing and taping.  Then Wednesday, I spent six hours straight, varnishing.  It’s a one person job so Ann spent the time on some of the other misc boat projects and then walked into town for groceries (that’s a two hour round trip, plus carrying the bags back-we get a lot of exercise by not having a car).  The six hours part is because once you dip the brush, you’re committed.  You can’t
stop until you’re ready to quit for the day since the brush will harden if you stop and don’t wash it in thinner.  OK, now all at once:  “Poor Bob!”.  Thank you.