La Paz Baja Mexico

LA to Perth

2006-10-30T14:42:47Z

This is always the part I hate, going home from a good trip and getting back to work. The flights home were all good and broken up with an overnight stop in Kualalumpur. I stayed at the same hotel and did pretty much the same as I had on the way over.
The leg home to Perth was good we came down the coast and then landed in perth around 7:00pm. I cleared customs and imigration and headed to the car for the 40min drive home all the while planning my next trip.

LA to Perth remains copyright of the author bluegroper, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Springfield Missouri

2006-10-30T14:30:20Z

I woke up reasonably early and helped Traffton with the kids and breakfast before getting the kids off to school. We then went to Traftons office to wait for pinky to arrive. Pinky called when she was nearly in town and we arranged to meet at a nearby restraunt for lunch.We made plans for a party the following weekend at Davis and Kitt's place in Springfield. Pinky and I then drove back to Springfield to start my week. I managed to get around and see everyone from the Honduras trip except Tommy (sorry) dude. The days were spent enjoying the local sights and a visit to Branson.

Bling or what?

All to soon the weekend rolled around and the party went off well a good time was had by all.

Patty and I stayed the night at Pinkys place as we were all going up to the Lake of the Ozarks the next morning.
We left early and arrived mid morning had some morning tea then picked up Robbert and headed for the dock.

The rest of the day was spent cruising around the lake relaxing then dinner at Pattie and Robberts house. I left late for the drive to Kansass City and stayed in a motel near the airport in order to get my early morning flight back to LA. The flight back to LA was pretty uneventfull but the checkin at LAX for my flight back to Australia was a different story. What caos LAX has to be the worst airport in the world to Depart from I dont know how it functions properly at all. I met up with another group of Ausies
and we had a couple of beers together and discussed the peculiarities of the US before the flight.

Springfield Missouri remains copyright of the author bluegroper, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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La Paz to Kansass City

2006-10-30T14:34:06Z

We all had an early start leaving for the airport in the dark then checking in for our flight back to LA while waiting to board we took the opportunity for a group photo.

The only group photo of the trip.

The flight to LA was the reverse of the trip down with a stop in Lorreto on the way. We landed in LA and collected our luggage I said a quick goodbye to the others as I had a different flight to them. I was going to Kansas City via Saltlake City and they were to Springfield via dallas. I got stopped at the final security check and searched I only just mannaged to make the flight in time.
The flight leg to saltlake city was smooth and I then changed planes for the short hop to Kansass city.

The view from Salt Lake City airport.

The steward on the plane made a comment about my fins as we boarded so once we were settled I asked how he recognised them as freediving fins. We had a good conversation and it turned out he was a retired SAT diver and also freedived. I arrived late in the evening around 9.30pm and was it cold I still had on the same clothes I was wearing in Baja. My friends Traffton and Kerrie live nearby in Lees Summit and met me at the airport and I spent the night at their place. I had also met them 2 years previously in Honduras so we sat up for a while catching up over some rum and beer.then off to bed for some much needed sleep. Pinky was driving up in the morning to pick me up and take me back to Springfield to spend the week with the rest of the group. I was also going to catch up with the rest of the group from Honduras that I hadnt seen so far.

La Paz to Kansass City remains copyright of the author bluegroper, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Day 6

2006-10-29T15:45:51Z

Today we had a sleep in and then headed into town for some shopping. I bought a few T'shirts and postcards and some hand made local kids toys, a couple of bottles of the local Tequila and walked the full length of the beach front.We discovered the best mural on a wall on the beach front.

Wall Mural in La Paz.

We ate lunch in a local bar then got on the bus back to Pichalingue Bay. The rest of the afternoon was spent packing then relaxing at the pool. We went back to the restraunt on the beach for our last dinner of the trip and watched the sunset over the bay one last time.

Sunset over Pichalingue Bay

Day 6 remains copyright of the author bluegroper, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Day 5

2006-10-29T14:59:36Z

This was to be our last day diving so Pinky and I left early for El bajo in a Panga While the rest of the group followed in the bigger boat. The plan was for us to get in early before all the others arrived to give us a better chance at some good fish. I was told my Panga drivers name was Joe Louis only to discover his name was Jose Louise and he spoke no english at all and as I dont speak Spanish I got a bit worried but with hand signals we worked it out. He turned out to be a realy good Pangeroo and was never far away but never so close as to scare the fish and was always ready with a drink or food for us.

Jose Louise.

Pinky is doing the camera thing with me spearfishing, we are to pick up Jeff later after he has hed a chance to see the Hammer Heads as he missed them the other day.
Well all went to plan and I managed a nice wahoo of 50lb after working the edge of the bait schools for a while. The trick was to spend as much time in mid water as possible and wait for the wahoo to get within range which is easier said than done.

Wahoo at El Bajo.

Waiting Mid Water on El Bajo.

We Picked up Jeff and headed to one of the nearby Islands for the rest of the afternoon so Jeff could spearfish in the shallower water. I managed to get a nice Mexican Hog Fish before the afternoon was out unfortunately Jeff had no luck.

Mexican Hog fish.

Me and Jeff

We had just got out of the water and I had turned off the camera when a Sailfish cruised past with its sail out of the water before lighting up and bolting off into the blue. It was the perfect end to the days diving I only wish I had a photo of it. We enjoyed the ride back in the Panga drinking soft drink and relaxing. There was congratulations all round on catching such good fish when we returned and the fish was divided up between all the hotel staff they were most grateful. We spent the rest of the afternoon around the pool with the others going over the days events. Tommorow we were heading into town to do some souvenier shopping before our flight back to LA the following day.

Day 5 remains copyright of the author bluegroper, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Day 4

2006-10-29T15:42:05Z

I finally had a good nights sleep after the combination of cocktails, dramamine and hanging my towels over the curtains.
I woke feeling realy rested.
We spent the morning diving with Whale Sharks in the bay but the visibility was not too good and the jelly fish were savage. We used a lot of vinegar on a lot of arms and legs that morning.

After lunch we dived at Whale Island and a small bay nearby we picked up Chocolate clams from the bottom and ate them with tabasco sauce on the way back to the dock.

Chocolate Clam

Whale Island in background.

I have spent the past few days checking out the fish and taking pics so I got the spearfishing gear out today and got a nice Pargo for dinner. Juanita at the hotel cooked it up for me with some salsa it was wonderful.Tomorrow is going to be a big day, we are going to spend the day on EL Bajo spearfishing. I want to try and get a wahoo and a tuna if I can.

Day 4 remains copyright of the author bluegroper, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Day 3

2006-10-29T13:59:27Z

I need sleep I walked arround half the night then watched TV in spanish not that I understood what was going on. We dived the
El Bajo sea mount today and saw the schooling Hammerhead Sharks they were totaly awsome. They were all around 10ft long and swimming at about 90ft they were rather timid which was a surprise to me. Most of the time I encounter sharks they are anything but timid. There were some huge Dog Snapper on the edges of the drop off and schools of Mac Tuna swimming over the top with the odd Wahoo screaming through feeding on the masses of bait fish.

Bait fish in the blue water around El Bajo.

Tuna on El Bajo.

Spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool over a couple of Pacifico's then had dinner at the restraunt on the beach. Pinky gave me some dramamine saying it should help me sleep but I backed it up with a couple of cocktails at the bar for good measure. The food at this place is just brilliant and cheap it's cost about $10 for food and drinks each night. The service is great as well and the 10 minute walk back to the hotel is just what you need after such a big meal.

Day 3 remains copyright of the author bluegroper, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Day 2

2006-10-29T15:44:53Z

The routine for day 2 was the same as day 1. I havent slept a wink since I got here there is a full moon and my bed is hard as a rock and the curtains are thin as its like daylight inside once the moon is up. Still a good day diving the weather is great light winds and warm during the day, no wind at night and cool but not cold. We ate dinner at a little bar / canteena overlooking the bay the sunset from here was spectacular and the food pretty good as well. I had a fair bit to drink I need to sleep somehow.

From the bar looking back to the hotel.

Day 2 remains copyright of the author bluegroper, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Day One in Baja

2006-10-30T15:22:12Z

Day one saw us up before dawn for breakfast not that I got any sleap I must have got the hardest bed in the world. I have slept on softer concrete.
Breakfast was good and hearty and the quality never changed for the rest of the week always excelent. We then headed off to load our gear onto the boat for the day's diving. We had about an hours travel to and from the dive sites each day. The routine was to be under way around 7am and in the water by 9am then 2 hours surface interval and lunch before an afternoon dive and back alongside arround 3:30-4pm.
The first days dive sites were the Sea lion colony at Los Isalotes
then the Salvatore Wreck. The sea lion colony was good with plenty of bait fish on the edge dropping down to about 70ft and plenty of Dog snapper and Grouper swimming mid water. The occasional barracuda would cruise in and smash the bait every 15 or so minutes. Then the seals would do the same thing as if trying to show off.

Curios Sea Lion

Grouper at Sea Lion colony

The wreck is pretty much broken up due to being rolled along the bottom in the last Hurricane but is still a great dive. There are plenty of fish around it and bigger pelagics make the occasionan visit including huge tarpon.

Morey Eel on the wreck

The remainder of the afternoon was spent lazing at the pool before dinner at a little restraunt on the beach overlooking the bay.

Day One in Baja remains copyright of the author bluegroper, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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La Paz Baja Mexico

2006-10-30T14:36:17Z

The hotel Club Cantamar was nice and organised all we had to do on arrival was sign in and grab our room keys. We all headed off to our rooms having had dinner late agreed to meet at the bar in 1/2 an hour.
The first thing I noticed about La Pas was the roofs on most buildings were quite flat and most of the tiles were cracked.
This and the lack of vegitation told me it dont rain much here.

We all met up at the pool and had a few more beers and a swim discussing the days ahead before heading off to bed ready for an early start.

La Paz Baja Mexico remains copyright of the author bluegroper, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Arriving in Mexico

2006-10-29T10:54:16Z

I checked in early and headed to the arrival area to meet friends from Missouri that were going on the trip as well.
They all arrived safely and we headed off to get them checked in then went to the departure bar to catch up on the past 2 years while waiting for our flight.
The trip into Mexico was nothing special just a stop at Lorreto to clear immigration and drop off passengers before a short 1 hour hop to La Paz. Arrival in La Paz was no problem at all and once we had all cleared customs and stopped laughing about the local 5/0 and the size of their weapons we headed out of the airport. We were met by the hotel bus driver and driven to the hotel at Pichalingue Bay 1 hour away. There was not much of interest on the drive apart from 2 cows and a cactus. The cows must take turns sucking rocks as there was nothing else for them to eat. Those that have been to Baja will understand, it is rugged, hot and barren.

Arriving in Mexico remains copyright of the author bluegroper, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Malaysia to LA

2006-10-28T17:29:03Z

The flight to Taiwan was quite pleasant and I purposfully stayed awake so I could sleep the next leg. We arrived around midnight for a quick 2 hour stopover and I was surprised to see the airport shops open up for us as we arrived. I thought it was a nice touch as we were the only plane on the ground. I had a walk around the airport and some shops, bought a can of coke and some chocolate before boarding the plane again for the leg to Los Angeles.
I managed to fall asleep shortly after take off and woke up for breakfast just before landing in LA. I Collected my luggage and cleared customs with no problems. The hotel bus was waiting right outside the arrival terminal so I had no problems there.
I checked into the hotel had a quick shower and Emailed home before heading out to explore a bit. I walked around for a couple of hours then got some dinner and a couple of beers from the service station across the street and headed to my room for a night in.
I managed a good nights sleep and woke around 6am for breakfast then had a lazy day watching TV and resting in my room and getting ready for the following days flight to La Paz. Things were going to get busy from here on in with not much rest for the next week so I soaked it up as best as I could.
I checked out early in the morning and jumped on the bus to the airport ready to take on tha caos at LAX departure terminal.

Malaysia to LA remains copyright of the author bluegroper, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Heading to La Paz Baja Mexico

2006-10-29T10:55:37Z

2 Years previous I had met a bunch of divers on a trip to Honduras and 8 months earlier they had asked if I was interested in a trip to Mexico. What a stupid question of course I was. I boarded the plane in Perth for the flight to La Paz with 3 stops ahead of me. The first was an overnighter in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. It was warm and raining when I arrived and as i had checked my luggage through to Los Angelese I simply got a taxi strait to my hotel. Once checked in I called home then went out to explore the surrounding nightlife. First up was food and as I was not in the mood to tackle the local frog porrige I settled for chicken wings and a beer at Planet Hollywood. I had a leisurly scout around and bought some bottled water and souveniers before heading back to the hotel for some rest.

I got up early and had another walk around before breakfast then grabbed a taxi to the airport to catch my flight to LA via Taiwan.
FROG PORRIGE

FROGS PRE PORRIGE

PETRONAS TOWERS

Heading to La Paz Baja Mexico remains copyright of the author bluegroper, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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