A classic AC/DC song on a local classic rock station with all classic English language songs, but all announcements and advertisements in Español. (Reminds me of WOUR, 96.9, The Rock of Central New York- sort of.)(A special thanks to Cris of Chile for teaching me how to make ñ on my phone. This way I can say Happy New Year instead of Happy New Ass.) Sampaguita has arrived in La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico. When she and I mentioned we were in search of peace, this was not quite what we meant. Since we’re full of classic rock quotes, “You don’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, well, you might find, you get what you need.”

It is a very busy, full, and challenging anchorage. Not to mention the many sunk and washed ashore boats from October’s hurricane. There is a strong current in this channel, and when the wind and chop pick up, boats do something called “The La Paz Waltz.” You best make sure you are not too close to your neighbor or some important gear is going to get broken as boats swing out of unison.

Sampaguita is here for a while as we try to sort through some technical details and prepare for the next leg of our journey.

Provisioning for one. A small city, I have been sussing out the grocery options. There are several choices, but I am finding a need to rethink my eating options and strategies. Fresh food is ample and easy, but preserved, long range, non-refrigerated food options are totally different. Mainly, the variety of canned foods I am accustomed too from the States aren’t a thing here. And everything is loaded with sugar. The whole sugar-free market might be more of an American thing, I have come to learn. Even though products are labeled with “exceso de azúcar”, there are few-to-no options.

Drinking water is proving easy so far. Marina De La Paz, of which Sampaguita is anchored right in front of, is cruiser friendly with a dinghy dock. 50 pesos (a little over $3 US) per day gets you access to land, drinking water, and garbage disposal. (La busura.) I have a 20 liter jug I fill up each time I go ashore. After 2 months of water conservation, I can be a little less discretionary. This, and other amenities, makes Marina De La Paz the center of cruiser activity. It is an excellent resource. It’s driven by the ex-pat snowbird and retired boating community. That’s still out of my peer group, but I appreciate it for what it is offering. As an aside, I have met many young (30-something) cruisers in my journey. I think this is awesome and by my understanding, a demographic shift. Canadians and Americans. Not necessarily affluent, but I think they are hip to the world not being the same one their parents’ was and responding appropriately. We are seeing this shift in all areas and fields in the younger generations. The world is changing so fast and so much, there is an increasing disconnect between generations. None of us are driving our parents’ Oldsmobiles. Do you even remember Oldsmobile?

Sampaguita has a “new” used dinghy. This is for redundancy. The kayak’s bottom bladder relief valve was giving out, and while not fully deflating, was softening, making the ride a little wetter and carrying capacity less. (And making me nervous.) Still under warranty, I have a new valve on the way from Idaho. The variable here is international carrier service efficiency, and well, dependability. Fingers crossed. The dinghy came from an Austrian couple (a Danish brand) I met in Bahia Santa Maria, and reconnected with on my arrival in La Paz. The goods are it is drier and can carry more cargo. The bads are it still can’t be carried on deck. It will be more awkward and difficult to inflate and deflate and get aboard. There still is no motor, so oars it is. So before you congratulate me, it’s six of one, half dozen of another. People tend to think because something is more traditional, it is better. That’s just called conditioning.

Another big chore in the works is getting new solar panels and spare solar system parts to increase the efficacy and reliability of that system. This story is complicated and too early to report on. This is a big deal and the learning curve in logistics is proving challenging. Oh, and I need to visit a dentist too. I’m not sure if there is an issue or not and I won’t get into the details of my aging mouth, but whether you still have teeth or not, you can relate. This is where a considerate donation from you, the readers, would be helpful. Please consider the many things you are gated to pay for, both necessary and unnecessary. I’m not putting up a gate, but if you are reading this, you took time and went out of your way to be here. I appreciate that. If I provide heart, pluck, information, inspiration, or a unique perspective, the feedback would be helpful to keep the journey and this blog moving forward. None of what I am doing is easy, cheap, or leisurely. A donation will help to keep me inspired to continue reporting. It would be way cooler if I didn’t have to point out the tip jar, but no one seems to notice otherwise. The next round is on you.

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Thank you to R.N. and L.B. for their thoughtful contributions.