Everywhere we go, we see men with guns. Municipal police, Federales ("we don't need no stinkin' badges") and marines, walking the streets, or riding in trucks, all carrying U.S. supplied machine guns at the ready. Off on an isolated stretch of Balandra beach, we encountered 4 marines in full battle gear, helmets, boots and of course machine guns, walking the beach. Maria asked "aren't you hot in all that clothing?" to which they replied, "Nah, we're used to it". There is a contingent of maybe half a dozen Federal police stationed at the hotel. Sometimes they are in the halls. All young kids of course, playing with their cell phones.…

Yesterday we spent the day at Tecolote beach. Unlike Balandra where the sand just is, this one has lots shells, sea glass and rocks to search through. Since we had walked the left side of the beach earlier this week, we went to the right and much longer side this time. As we started walking, we were approached by a very friendly, youngish man in shorts and sunglasses. For 100 pesos (about $7 U.S.) we could have the use of 2 lounge chairs, an umbrella and use of the bathrooms all day long. We parked our stuff and started our very long walk. This was made longer by the constant…

1. La Paz is the cleanest city I have ever seen, there is absolutely no litter in the streets. 2. We have yet to see a native smoking, have only seen the occasional American. 3. The locals are exercise fanatics. They run, bike, rollerblade and speed walk on the Malecon. They also have what looks like organized exercising, and even something that looks like a cross between a treadmill and a stepper facing the water, there are 4 or 5 of these contraptions. Last night at 9:30, while we were walking back from the restaurant, they had an exercise class on the sand!!! I'm feeling out of shape... 4. The…

We celebrated our 20th anniversary today, starting out at a very nice breakfast restaurant where we had spicy Mexican eggs. Then off to the beach, and later out for a memorable dinner including oysters, octopus and red snapper at a local gourmet restaurant. Accompanied by a very nice Mexican chenin blanc. Here is an anniversary self-portrait, on our balcony overlooking the Sea of Cortez.

https://youtu.be/j-W-RfeUYz0 Today, we were collected at our hotel and driven downtown to Baja y Espiritu Tours where we were fitted for wetsuits, snorkels, masks and fins. Also there were a young couple from San Francisco, and a middle-aged couple originally from Austria, now living in Mexico City. And our captain, Saul, and tour guide Marcos. We walked across the street to the beach where we boarded a panga, a boat probably 18 feet long with a big outboard motor. We started out going up the coast, past the beaches we've been hanging out on for the past few days, then headed across a channel several miles wide to Espiritu Santo…

Everywhere we go, we see men with guns. Municipal police, Federales ("we don't need no stinkin' badges") and marines, walking the streets, or riding in trucks, all carrying U.S. supplied machine guns at the ready. Off on an isolated stretch of Balandra beach, we encountered 4 marines in full battle gear, helmets, boots and of course machine guns, walking the beach. Maria asked "aren't you hot in all that clothing?" to which they replied, "Nah, we're used to it". There is a contingent of maybe half a dozen Federal police stationed at the hotel. Sometimes they are in the halls. All young kids of course, playing with their cell phones.…

Yesterday we spent the day at Tecolote beach. Unlike Balandra where the sand just is, this one has lots shells, sea glass and rocks to search through. Since we had walked the left side of the beach earlier this week, we went to the right and much longer side this time. As we started walking, we were approached by a very friendly, youngish man in shorts and sunglasses. For 100 pesos (about $7 U.S.) we could have the use of 2 lounge chairs, an umbrella and use of the bathrooms all day long. We parked our stuff and started our very long walk. This was made longer by the constant…

1. La Paz is the cleanest city I have ever seen, there is absolutely no litter in the streets. 2. We have yet to see a native smoking, have only seen the occasional American. 3. The locals are exercise fanatics. They run, bike, rollerblade and speed walk on the Malecon. They also have what looks like organized exercising, and even something that looks like a cross between a treadmill and a stepper facing the water, there are 4 or 5 of these contraptions. Last night at 9:30, while we were walking back from the restaurant, they had an exercise class on the sand!!! I'm feeling out of shape... 4. The…

We celebrated our 20th anniversary today, starting out at a very nice breakfast restaurant where we had spicy Mexican eggs. Then off to the beach, and later out for a memorable dinner including oysters, octopus and red snapper at a local gourmet restaurant. Accompanied by a very nice Mexican chenin blanc. Here is an anniversary self-portrait, on our balcony overlooking the Sea of Cortez.

https://youtu.be/j-W-RfeUYz0 Today, we were collected at our hotel and driven downtown to Baja y Espiritu Tours where we were fitted for wetsuits, snorkels, masks and fins. Also there were a young couple from San Francisco, and a middle-aged couple originally from Austria, now living in Mexico City. And our captain, Saul, and tour guide Marcos. We walked across the street to the beach where we boarded a panga, a boat probably 18 feet long with a big outboard motor. We started out going up the coast, past the beaches we've been hanging out on for the past few days, then headed across a channel several miles wide to Espiritu Santo…

Everywhere we go, we see men with guns. Municipal police, Federales ("we don't need no stinkin' badges") and marines, walking the streets, or riding in trucks, all carrying U.S. supplied machine guns at the ready. Off on an isolated stretch of Balandra beach, we encountered 4 marines in full battle gear, helmets, boots and of course machine guns, walking the beach. Maria asked "aren't you hot in all that clothing?" to which they replied, "Nah, we're used to it". There is a contingent of maybe half a dozen Federal police stationed at the hotel. Sometimes they are in the halls. All young kids of course, playing with their cell phones.…

Yesterday we spent the day at Tecolote beach. Unlike Balandra where the sand just is, this one has lots shells, sea glass and rocks to search through. Since we had walked the left side of the beach earlier this week, we went to the right and much longer side this time. As we started walking, we were approached by a very friendly, youngish man in shorts and sunglasses. For 100 pesos (about $7 U.S.) we could have the use of 2 lounge chairs, an umbrella and use of the bathrooms all day long. We parked our stuff and started our very long walk. This was made longer by the constant…

1. La Paz is the cleanest city I have ever seen, there is absolutely no litter in the streets. 2. We have yet to see a native smoking, have only seen the occasional American. 3. The locals are exercise fanatics. They run, bike, rollerblade and speed walk on the Malecon. They also have what looks like organized exercising, and even something that looks like a cross between a treadmill and a stepper facing the water, there are 4 or 5 of these contraptions. Last night at 9:30, while we were walking back from the restaurant, they had an exercise class on the sand!!! I'm feeling out of shape... 4. The…

We celebrated our 20th anniversary today, starting out at a very nice breakfast restaurant where we had spicy Mexican eggs. Then off to the beach, and later out for a memorable dinner including oysters, octopus and red snapper at a local gourmet restaurant. Accompanied by a very nice Mexican chenin blanc. Here is an anniversary self-portrait, on our balcony overlooking the Sea of Cortez.

https://youtu.be/j-W-RfeUYz0 Today, we were collected at our hotel and driven downtown to Baja y Espiritu Tours where we were fitted for wetsuits, snorkels, masks and fins. Also there were a young couple from San Francisco, and a middle-aged couple originally from Austria, now living in Mexico City. And our captain, Saul, and tour guide Marcos. We walked across the street to the beach where we boarded a panga, a boat probably 18 feet long with a big outboard motor. We started out going up the coast, past the beaches we've been hanging out on for the past few days, then headed across a channel several miles wide to Espiritu Santo…

Everywhere we go, we see men with guns. Municipal police, Federales ("we don't need no stinkin' badges") and marines, walking the streets, or riding in trucks, all carrying U.S. supplied machine guns at the ready. Off on an isolated stretch of Balandra beach, we encountered 4 marines in full battle gear, helmets, boots and of course machine guns, walking the beach. Maria asked "aren't you hot in all that clothing?" to which they replied, "Nah, we're used to it". There is a contingent of maybe half a dozen Federal police stationed at the hotel. Sometimes they are in the halls. All young kids of course, playing with their cell phones.…

Yesterday we spent the day at Tecolote beach. Unlike Balandra where the sand just is, this one has lots shells, sea glass and rocks to search through. Since we had walked the left side of the beach earlier this week, we went to the right and much longer side this time. As we started walking, we were approached by a very friendly, youngish man in shorts and sunglasses. For 100 pesos (about $7 U.S.) we could have the use of 2 lounge chairs, an umbrella and use of the bathrooms all day long. We parked our stuff and started our very long walk. This was made longer by the constant…

1. La Paz is the cleanest city I have ever seen, there is absolutely no litter in the streets. 2. We have yet to see a native smoking, have only seen the occasional American. 3. The locals are exercise fanatics. They run, bike, rollerblade and speed walk on the Malecon. They also have what looks like organized exercising, and even something that looks like a cross between a treadmill and a stepper facing the water, there are 4 or 5 of these contraptions. Last night at 9:30, while we were walking back from the restaurant, they had an exercise class on the sand!!! I'm feeling out of shape... 4. The…

We celebrated our 20th anniversary today, starting out at a very nice breakfast restaurant where we had spicy Mexican eggs. Then off to the beach, and later out for a memorable dinner including oysters, octopus and red snapper at a local gourmet restaurant. Accompanied by a very nice Mexican chenin blanc. Here is an anniversary self-portrait, on our balcony overlooking the Sea of Cortez.

https://youtu.be/j-W-RfeUYz0 Today, we were collected at our hotel and driven downtown to Baja y Espiritu Tours where we were fitted for wetsuits, snorkels, masks and fins. Also there were a young couple from San Francisco, and a middle-aged couple originally from Austria, now living in Mexico City. And our captain, Saul, and tour guide Marcos. We walked across the street to the beach where we boarded a panga, a boat probably 18 feet long with a big outboard motor. We started out going up the coast, past the beaches we've been hanging out on for the past few days, then headed across a channel several miles wide to Espiritu Santo…

Everywhere we go, we see men with guns. Municipal police, Federales ("we don't need no stinkin' badges") and marines, walking the streets, or riding in trucks, all carrying U.S. supplied machine guns at the ready. Off on an isolated stretch of Balandra beach, we encountered 4 marines in full battle gear, helmets, boots and of course machine guns, walking the beach. Maria asked "aren't you hot in all that clothing?" to which they replied, "Nah, we're used to it". There is a contingent of maybe half a dozen Federal police stationed at the hotel. Sometimes they are in the halls. All young kids of course, playing with their cell phones.…

Yesterday we spent the day at Tecolote beach. Unlike Balandra where the sand just is, this one has lots shells, sea glass and rocks to search through. Since we had walked the left side of the beach earlier this week, we went to the right and much longer side this time. As we started walking, we were approached by a very friendly, youngish man in shorts and sunglasses. For 100 pesos (about $7 U.S.) we could have the use of 2 lounge chairs, an umbrella and use of the bathrooms all day long. We parked our stuff and started our very long walk. This was made longer by the constant…

1. La Paz is the cleanest city I have ever seen, there is absolutely no litter in the streets. 2. We have yet to see a native smoking, have only seen the occasional American. 3. The locals are exercise fanatics. They run, bike, rollerblade and speed walk on the Malecon. They also have what looks like organized exercising, and even something that looks like a cross between a treadmill and a stepper facing the water, there are 4 or 5 of these contraptions. Last night at 9:30, while we were walking back from the restaurant, they had an exercise class on the sand!!! I'm feeling out of shape... 4. The…

We celebrated our 20th anniversary today, starting out at a very nice breakfast restaurant where we had spicy Mexican eggs. Then off to the beach, and later out for a memorable dinner including oysters, octopus and red snapper at a local gourmet restaurant. Accompanied by a very nice Mexican chenin blanc. Here is an anniversary self-portrait, on our balcony overlooking the Sea of Cortez.

https://youtu.be/j-W-RfeUYz0 Today, we were collected at our hotel and driven downtown to Baja y Espiritu Tours where we were fitted for wetsuits, snorkels, masks and fins. Also there were a young couple from San Francisco, and a middle-aged couple originally from Austria, now living in Mexico City. And our captain, Saul, and tour guide Marcos. We walked across the street to the beach where we boarded a panga, a boat probably 18 feet long with a big outboard motor. We started out going up the coast, past the beaches we've been hanging out on for the past few days, then headed across a channel several miles wide to Espiritu Santo…

Everywhere we go, we see men with guns. Municipal police, Federales ("we don't need no stinkin' badges") and marines, walking the streets, or riding in trucks, all carrying U.S. supplied machine guns at the ready. Off on an isolated stretch of Balandra beach, we encountered 4 marines in full battle gear, helmets, boots and of course machine guns, walking the beach. Maria asked "aren't you hot in all that clothing?" to which they replied, "Nah, we're used to it". There is a contingent of maybe half a dozen Federal police stationed at the hotel. Sometimes they are in the halls. All young kids of course, playing with their cell phones.…

Yesterday we spent the day at Tecolote beach. Unlike Balandra where the sand just is, this one has lots shells, sea glass and rocks to search through. Since we had walked the left side of the beach earlier this week, we went to the right and much longer side this time. As we started walking, we were approached by a very friendly, youngish man in shorts and sunglasses. For 100 pesos (about $7 U.S.) we could have the use of 2 lounge chairs, an umbrella and use of the bathrooms all day long. We parked our stuff and started our very long walk. This was made longer by the constant…

1. La Paz is the cleanest city I have ever seen, there is absolutely no litter in the streets. 2. We have yet to see a native smoking, have only seen the occasional American. 3. The locals are exercise fanatics. They run, bike, rollerblade and speed walk on the Malecon. They also have what looks like organized exercising, and even something that looks like a cross between a treadmill and a stepper facing the water, there are 4 or 5 of these contraptions. Last night at 9:30, while we were walking back from the restaurant, they had an exercise class on the sand!!! I'm feeling out of shape... 4. The…

We celebrated our 20th anniversary today, starting out at a very nice breakfast restaurant where we had spicy Mexican eggs. Then off to the beach, and later out for a memorable dinner including oysters, octopus and red snapper at a local gourmet restaurant. Accompanied by a very nice Mexican chenin blanc. Here is an anniversary self-portrait, on our balcony overlooking the Sea of Cortez.

https://youtu.be/j-W-RfeUYz0 Today, we were collected at our hotel and driven downtown to Baja y Espiritu Tours where we were fitted for wetsuits, snorkels, masks and fins. Also there were a young couple from San Francisco, and a middle-aged couple originally from Austria, now living in Mexico City. And our captain, Saul, and tour guide Marcos. We walked across the street to the beach where we boarded a panga, a boat probably 18 feet long with a big outboard motor. We started out going up the coast, past the beaches we've been hanging out on for the past few days, then headed across a channel several miles wide to Espiritu Santo…

Everywhere we go, we see men with guns. Municipal police, Federales ("we don't need no stinkin' badges") and marines, walking the streets, or riding in trucks, all carrying U.S. supplied machine guns at the ready. Off on an isolated stretch of Balandra beach, we encountered 4 marines in full battle gear, helmets, boots and of course machine guns, walking the beach. Maria asked "aren't you hot in all that clothing?" to which they replied, "Nah, we're used to it". There is a contingent of maybe half a dozen Federal police stationed at the hotel. Sometimes they are in the halls. All young kids of course, playing with their cell phones.…

Yesterday we spent the day at Tecolote beach. Unlike Balandra where the sand just is, this one has lots shells, sea glass and rocks to search through. Since we had walked the left side of the beach earlier this week, we went to the right and much longer side this time. As we started walking, we were approached by a very friendly, youngish man in shorts and sunglasses. For 100 pesos (about $7 U.S.) we could have the use of 2 lounge chairs, an umbrella and use of the bathrooms all day long. We parked our stuff and started our very long walk. This was made longer by the constant…

1. La Paz is the cleanest city I have ever seen, there is absolutely no litter in the streets. 2. We have yet to see a native smoking, have only seen the occasional American. 3. The locals are exercise fanatics. They run, bike, rollerblade and speed walk on the Malecon. They also have what looks like organized exercising, and even something that looks like a cross between a treadmill and a stepper facing the water, there are 4 or 5 of these contraptions. Last night at 9:30, while we were walking back from the restaurant, they had an exercise class on the sand!!! I'm feeling out of shape... 4. The…

We celebrated our 20th anniversary today, starting out at a very nice breakfast restaurant where we had spicy Mexican eggs. Then off to the beach, and later out for a memorable dinner including oysters, octopus and red snapper at a local gourmet restaurant. Accompanied by a very nice Mexican chenin blanc. Here is an anniversary self-portrait, on our balcony overlooking the Sea of Cortez.

https://youtu.be/j-W-RfeUYz0 Today, we were collected at our hotel and driven downtown to Baja y Espiritu Tours where we were fitted for wetsuits, snorkels, masks and fins. Also there were a young couple from San Francisco, and a middle-aged couple originally from Austria, now living in Mexico City. And our captain, Saul, and tour guide Marcos. We walked across the street to the beach where we boarded a panga, a boat probably 18 feet long with a big outboard motor. We started out going up the coast, past the beaches we've been hanging out on for the past few days, then headed across a channel several miles wide to Espiritu Santo…