Return to La PazFeb 16, 2008
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We had heard that La Paz was celebrating its annual Carnavale and wondered if it was a good idea to stay at the beach near the ferry where we had originally planned. Carnavale means the end of carne (meat) for the period of Lent (a bit of trivia for those of you who enjoy that). Since we had been hearing about such carnavales for years, we thought it might be fun to check it out.
Our rethinking of where to stay was fortuitous. When we pulled into Campestre Marantha where we had stayed on our first stop in La Paz, who did we discover at the next campsite, but wonderful Terri and Mike Church. How happy we were to see them again and talk with them about our experiences and how much we have enjoyed using their book, our bible for Mexico. We chatted for quite some time and remembered why we had liked them so much when we met them at the Life On Wheels conferences. They are so genuine, warm and helpful.
Some folks had told us that the Carnavale was fun. Terri and Mike agreed so we planned to visit it that night. Luckily, we went early (at around seven) and were able to get a parking space which we later realized was brilliant because there were no spaces to be found when we left. The family crowd that drifted along the malecon enjoying the rides, entertainment, and food that were bursting out of every space seemed delighted to be there. Children participated in entertainment, their proud families watching. Clearly, this is a centerpiece for children's classes providing opportunities for recitals in public. Young people floated by wearing masks, obviously enjoying the festivities. It was like a giant hometown carnival in the US.
One ride, called the Euro-bungee, we had never seen before. After getting into a seat harness attached by numerous huge rubber bands on both sides, the rider is pulled down and then shoots up into the air as if on springs. The inventive can flip in the air while others just zip up and down. The art for many was staying upright - I thought of using pilates and one's core muscles. Carol was going to go on the ride at 9:00 p.m. with some young guys from the states, but happily for her, they never showed and she was relieved of having to try the ride. No matter how much she urged me, I was not interested.
As the evening progressed, the crowds thickened and we understood why others had said to go early and leave at 9:00. While there was no parade on Friday and none of the crazy reveling for which carnavales are known (we left before all the cervesa and tequila that was being sold at every other booth had a chance to marinate the crowd), it was fun to see such an event Mexican style. We tasted the various treats available as well as having dinner there. When we returned to our car to leave, we probably could have sold our spot to the highest bidder.
The next morning we got ourselves organized for our ferry trip to the mainland, preparing to be at the terminal by 1:00 as directed by the agent at the terminal. Because we had had a chance to talk with Terri and Mike, we actually found the correct by-pass which we had totally missed the first time we had gone to the terminal. The absence of a sign did not help. Although we got a late start, we arrived there without a hitch driving all three vehicles with me in the lead. The process was painless and we got in line for loading. Ken had a bit of a challenge getting over the hump onto the ferry because it was low tide, but he made it as did Carol. For me, it was easy as could be, although executing a broken K turn in the belly of the ferry seemed an odd way of loading cars. The ferry left on time and we expected to be in Topolabampo five hours later at 8:00 p.m. as per the brochure.
