Mainland Mexico!

A note of thanks to everyone I met in La Paz. I had a wonderful experience at Se Habla thanks to Julie, Andrea, and my amazing teachers: Adriana, Jassiel, and Alfonso. If you're looking to learn or improve your spanish, I would definitely reccomend this school.
A big thanks to my American friends, also learning Spanish, for many wonderful dinner parties and lots of laughs. 

Perfect frittata created by Kaitlin and friends

And of course, I couldn't have asked for a better host family. Two weeks of good conversation and delicious food at their welcoming house was an unforgettable experience.

Alicia and Vicente- my mexican grandparents!

It was hard to say goodbye to my friends in the beautiful city of La Paz, but also exciting to embark on the next leg of our journey. We arrived a little early at the ferry terminal and hung out in the shade of a palapa at a nearby beach while waiting. Some clear blue water, soft sand and Bob Marley made for a pristine waiting experience. 

Ugly waiting area next to ferry

When it was time to load the ferry there was some confusion because there are no signs at the terminal. Luckily various people helped us out and soon our tickets were being checked as a giant 18 wheeler backed up less than a foot away from us. With our bikes securely tied up below deck, we made our way to the 'salon,' a room filled with airplane style seats and a giant TV which movies played on for the majority of the ride. Up a flight of steep stairs was a deck where we could watch the sun set and where everyone else on the boat was purchasing cocktails. Overall, the ride was great. We were served beans and rice with tortillas for dinner and more tortillas and beans for breakfast. In addition, we met some interesting people including Zach and Zoe, a couple from Pensylvania, and an interesting guy from Mazatlan, Agustin, who told us about many places to go.

Zoe and Zach, new friends 

View from the deck

Cruising towards land, we saw some giant whales leaping and playing in the waves. It was exciting to see the outline of Mazatlan approach on the horizon and it hardly seemed important that we had arrived two hours late at port (typical Mexico).

Once in port we happily met up with our friend Dan, whom we met in Pincher Creek, Canada. He and his wife Caroline have a winter house down here in Mazatlan and have generously offered to let us stay for as long as we like. This afternoon we enjoyed some wonderful meals with them and Dan gave us an incredible tour of the old city, which feels very European. 

Vibrant sunset over the ocean 

After reviewing the road maps with our friends this evening, we are happy and excited for all the adventures to come on the mainland!