July 14

Nancy and I did some shopping and relaxed at home today. We also arranged a new adventure for tomorrow with help from our friends Ken and Pat. We plan to be gone most of the day on a boat trip.

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Nancy made some great meatballs using a recipe from Marta - they were yummy.

I peeled fresh oranges (10 kilos) and Nancy processed them with the juicer. Double yum.

July 13th Road Trip

We have been exploring other places near La Paz. Today we ventured SSE of La Paz to Punta Arenas. The two-lane road was passable, but pothole patching appeared to be the repair of choice.
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When the road ends, you arrive at these beautiful beaches. This is Ensenada de Muertos, one of the beaches at Punta Arenas. It was deserted, and we strolled on the shore collecting sea shells and watching a squall over Isla Cerralvo.

Next we went to La Ventana to have a look around. We found some homes that have beautiful views and are priced way above my pay grade. The desert runs right up to the high tide line.

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As we were coming back through La Ventana we found these lines filled with salted fish air- drying at the top of a beach pull-out for the pangas (fishing boats).

The picture to the right shows part the road back to La Paz. Items to note - The building on the left is a tiny 7-11 out in the middle of nowhere. The two signs remind drivers that there are many low areas where the water washes over the road during rain storms. This long, straight road finally turns right about 5 miles from here.
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This is another view of the countryside. The contrasts are many. As soon as we left town, we entered the southern Senora Desert area. You see lots of cactus and other vegetation that have adapted to this harsh environment. Just beyond is the Sea of Cortez and Isla Cerralvo.

This a palm tree nursery for a big development that is being built.

When we reached the valley, we saw lots of farmland. This is a field of maize.

Road hazards - This is open range country. Cattle are everywhere. These had just wandered across the road.

Here are some cattle wandering down the main highway on the outskirts of La Paz. The cattle should have been reported to the SPCA, because they are just skin and bones. Like the plants and the people of this region, they come from hardy stock.