La Paz — Baja California Sur
After finishing the Sonora Desert Recordings in Hermosillo, I started a little race against my Mexican visa’s expiration date. I had about three weeks to go up to the US border then head south to make it to Guatemala. After visiting San Carlos, I first went to Tijuana and followed my journey to Ensenada.
On March 8th, 2021, I was ready for a 22-hour bus trip from Ensenada to La Paz, Baja California Sur. The bus tickets on those day-long trips aren’t cheap. They equal plane tickets for a similar distance. In Mexico, I’ve only taken the plane once for an internal flight. It was on my first visit to this country in 2018 to go from Mérida to Oaxaca. Other than that, I’ve been traveling the entire country by bus, including another 22-hour bus ride from Mérida to Oaxaca a year later of the sole plane trip. The ride ahead of me connecting Ensenada to La Paz was supposed to be an epic one in terms of scenery. For almost an entire day, I’d ride on route 1, descending the Baja California peninsula.
A Hidden Heaven on Earth
The bus at the Ensenada terminal took off around noon. The scenery until sunset was pleasant to watch but nothing mind-blowing. I somehow was able to fall asleep at nighttime. I woke up at dusk, and the bus was going through the Bahia Concepcion area. The view was one of the most fascinating imagery I’ve seen my entire life. The water was so still that I first thought I was contemplating a lake. Few people were camping on the shores with caravans and motor-homes.
I thought, what an exciting experience it must be to camp in this heaven-like place. Far away from urban life and all the stressful factors that go with it. It has now been over five years that I don’t commute to work. Even when I happen to be in big cities, I am not as exposed to stressful factors as commuting urban professionals. Even with that privilege that I enjoy immensely, I still want to get away from big cities. I don’t think that the human mind and body are made to live in a metropolis.
As we were cruising on route 1 next to Bahia Concepcion, I started dreaming about living in a motor-home with a portable recording studio setup. This could be the ultimate heaven on Earth for a creative person. I’d love to write and record a Black Sea Storm album in such an environment.
To me, the beauty of Baja California comes from the fact that it’s massive, yet most of it is empty of humans. The juxtaposed desert ocean combination all around the edges of the peninsula makes the scenery a fascinating one.
The End of The Bus Ride
I’ve made it to La Paz in the late morning, almost a full day after leaving Ensenada. As the bus was slowly approaching the bus terminal, I saw through the bus’s window the street name of the apartment I was renting on one of the streets signs. I thought it was an excellent opportunity for me to not take a cab or a Uber and just walk to the apartment. After leaving the bus terminal, I did not have a hard time finding the street at all. Since I had the street number in hand, I thought it would be easy to find the place.
Trying to find my way around town.
The theory that assumption is the best recipe for failure proved itself absolutely right on this occasion. I found out the hard way that in La Paz, the street numbers aren’t always logically sequenced. I started to walk on Calle Francisco I Madero back and forth. The numbers did not follow a logical sequence at all. It was as if the buildings were numbered randomly. Since I did not have cellular data, I could not download the map and use the GPS of my cellphone as a last resort. I asked several different people for directions. There was no consistency in the directions they were giving me either. A person would tell me to go one way, pointing a path with her index, and another person would point in the complete opposite direction. When people ask me for guidance, and I don’t know where the place is, I just say, “-I am sorry, I don’t know.” Obviously, it’s not OK for many people to admit that they don’t know something.
As I was walking back and forth on Calle Francisco I Madero. I’d repetitively pass in front of cab drivers waiting for customers. With me carrying all my belongings, it was evident that I was a potential customer for them. For obvious reasons, I did not want to ask the cab drivers for directions. Although it could be tempting to jump into one of the taxis, I personally don’t like the feeling of giving up. I am a believer in the idea that once I give up, then I know for sure that I will give up again. The best technique is to never give up, never call in sick to work, never miss class, never miss band practice, etc.…
I have a tendency to put a high amount of pride into the most unimportant things in life. I had decided that I would find the apartment on my own without taking a cab, so I was going to do it all to make it happen this way. Traveling without a phone plan isn’t easy, but it forces me to find solutions. I also feel like I am not experiencing my journey the same way as the ultra-connected travelers.
I watch those YouTube travelers. They are all doing pretty much the same thing with their drones, smartphones, and editing software. I respect the work and enjoy very much watching those videos myself. That said, I want to do something more meaningful, intellectual, and artistic with my traveling experience. For me producing something lasting during my travel is essential. Writing songs, writing a book, playing shows, making life-lasting friendships and memories.
Who is going to remember a YouTube video in 20 years? Books, songs, and true love are forever. If one writes a book in her lifetime, even though nobody reads it, there is a possibility that someone will read it a century later.
The challenge in me finding the apartment the old school way wasn’t about the walk itself but the weight of my belongings. I had about 30 kg / 66 lbs on me, and the sidewalks are not always suitable to use the wheels of my suitcase. My setup is pretty simple. I have a suitcase with wheels, and I mount a sports bag on top of it. I have my guitar on my back which allows me to have one hand free at all times. When I can use the wheels of the suitcase, I am only directly carrying my guitar. The rest is on wheels. The problem arises when I can not use the spins on specific areas. I then have to unmount the bag, carry everything and mount everything back together when the sidewalk is suitable for wheels again.
Breaking The Fast and Getting Directions
On this trip, I had already been dry-fasting for over 40 hours. I saw a vegetarian restaurant with healthy food options. I decided to break my fast with green juice and eventually use their WIFI.
It’s always a moment I feel fully alive when it’s time for me to break my fast. I feel thankful, and I understand each and every time the value of having access to food. As I replenished my body with the healthy beverage, I solved the mystery with directions, thanks to having WIFI access. Once I located the apartment on the map, I realized that there was no way I could find the apartment on my own, solely relying on logic. The address and the actual location of the site I was looking for did not make sense at all.
The waitress serving my table at the restaurant was full of positive vibes and was very welcoming. I love when I meet beautiful people, but their niceness beats their physical beauty. I find that very attractive. I would never have met this lovely person if I had a cellphone plan.
I decided to order one more green juice and stay a bit longer at the restaurant before walking to the apartment. After having the correct directions and being re-hydrated, walking with my guitar and all my belongings became much more manageable.
It’s not ideal traveling heavy, but since I want to produce music and play shows during my nomadic journey, I need to carry around some musical gear. I have small mix monitors, a sound card, microphones and a bunch of cables. I try to have a minimalist approach, and I continuously try to eliminate things that I don’t need.
Five Star Airbnb
I’ve made it OK to the apartment with the right sets of directions. It was probably the best housing situation in terms of comfort during my entire Latin American adventure. The place was a bit more expensive than what I usually spend on a room. On this occasion, I have to say it was worth every penny. The place had a spacious working area and a fast internet connection. It had a substantial L-shaped couch where one could extend her feet and do some reading. The bed was immense and extremely comfortable. The entire apartment was spotlessly clean, the towels and bed-sheets smelled good, there was hot water. The icing on the cake was that the apartment had a balcony where I could take a sunbath.
My host had designed everything inside the apartment in a perfect manner. When hosts have such professionalism, traveling and being productive on the road become so much easier. At each stop I make during my trip, it takes me some time to create a routine and be operational. The less a place has its act together, the more I need to find solutions. And all the time and effort I spend on getting things rolling at a particular site is the time I take from my own projects. At times being cheap ends up costing me more, and also, not always the more expensive options deliver the expected results. For that reason, I do lots of research before booking a place, and I usually reserve only for few days first before eventually extending my stay.
After living for over four years in mostly Airbnbs, if nothing more sustainable comes out of this adventure, I think I could run an Airbnb with the knowledge I’ve been accumulating. My experience on the topic ranges from perfection, as was the case on this occasion. To the host getting out of the same bed, I would sleep in a few hours later.
Discovering The City
After dropping my belongings, I ran outside to discover La Paz. I was amazed at how calm everything was. Once I’ve made it to the waterfront, I realized that the water was also quiet and wave-free. Probably because La Paz does not directly face the ocean. Suddenly, the name of the city made all the sense of the world to me.
All the businesses I would see around seemed to be geared towards foreign customers. I was trying to find a more authentic part of town, but I couldn’t. As if the entire downtown was a touristic zone. The good news was that although the businesses seemed to be geared towards tourism, there was a lot of variety between different shops. Not all were geared towards alcohol consumption and partying. There was a good number of tastefully decorated places aiming to add some cultural value to the experience. I could also see that there were some vegetarian restaurants. Having spent over a decade in the US and double of that amount of time in Europe, it is interesting to witness what audience of westerners what business aims to target in a place like La Paz.
As I was walking through the streets, I’ve noticed that it wasn’t just my host that was on top of things. There was a general vibe that things were pretty orderly in La Paz, and some of the people running businesses were very specific about the guests following the rules. Which was a surprise to me. What appeals to me the most in Mexico is the relaxed mode and flexibility of people in general. I am all for people being on top of things as long as it does not become annoying. Here in La Paz, I could sense some anal-retentiveness in some of the locals. On the beach area, I was asked by the police to put my face-censor on. This was the very first time I was asked to wear such an accessory outdoors in Latin America.
I then went to a café where they had the best sugar and dairy-free smoothies. The manager running the place was also particular about things. He had all these rules, which you, as the customer, had to follow, but he did not make much effort to accommodate the customer. As if all the rules were to annoy the customer and accommodate him as the manager.
He was all freaked out by the health measures, which is understandable. A few minutes after I ordered my smoothy, he told me that it would take a little while before he could serve my beverage. OK, no big deal, at times restaurants can get busy. Once I was done drinking and wanted to order a second smoothy, the manager tells me that he’s sorry that the restaurant will close soon. I wished he had communicated that information earlier. If they weren’t late to serve me the first beverage, I would have had plenty of time to order a second one. When it was time to pay, and I gave him a 500 pesos bill. The manager tells me that he has no change that I need to provide him with the exact amount. Hello!!?? I had never seen such an attitude in Mexico. At times, businesses don’t have change, but they usually feel bad about it. On this occasion, the manager was almost arrogant about it, as if it was my fault.
I am not a masochist, but their guilt-free smoothies were so creative and delicious that I returned to that café hoping that the manager was not working on the following day, but unfortunately, he was always there.
Although, in general, I felt being in a very controlled environment in La Paz, I was enjoying my stay. In particular, the apartment I was staying at. I was sleeping well, and at the same time, I’d get a kick out of working and playing my guitar. I find it very interesting how the environment and the infrastructure can make a big difference in my daily activities. Although the apartment was a bit above my budget, I decided to extend my stay to take advantage of this situation to stay productive with all my different projects and enjoy the high even more. Unfortunately, I found out through my host that the place was booked for the days following my stay. Since my primary motivation to extend my days in La Paz was the studio, I decided to leave this town to venture further south, to Cabo San Lucas.
Leaving La Paz
Now that I knew my way around town, it was pretty easy to make my way back to the terminal. I had even investigated the sidewalks priorly to figure out the best route to use the wheels of my suitcase without having to lift and carry weight. At the terminal, I was asked to put a face-censor on to go inside. I decided to play my guitar in the waiting area while waiting for the bus. Since I despise wearing anything on my face. I use very loose clothing to comply with the rules, one that conveniently drops first under my nose then under my nose in about a minute wearing it.
As I played my guitar, a short elderly man working at the terminal came up to me and told me to wear the clothing properly. I put my anti-virus-burka above my nose. As soon as he left and turned around the corner of the waiting area, I put the useless cloth back under my chin. The man suddenly reappeared from behind the corner, making a backward step. He looked at me half angry as to say, “-Put it back on! -Now!” I put the face-censor back on. He disappeared one more time, and a few seconds later, he reappeared, making the same move. It was a situation out of a Tom and Jerry cartoon, and at the same time, it was kind of sad to see our freedom disappearing little by little, even in Mexico. I was disappointed to see a little old man working a humble job turn himself into a Gestapo agent, now that he was given more power. This little episode reinforced the idea that in La Paz, people were a bit excessively anal-retentive and very specific on following the rules.
My bus arrived. To confirm my observations so far, the bus driver seemed obsessed with the rules as well. He would continuously verify that we had our faces well covered. He would then give us a moralizing speech on how important it was to protect one another. I could not get my head about this culture of following the rules in La Paz. I had never seen anything like it in Mexico. Maybe it was a Baja California Sur thing? The best way to find it out was to go to Cabo San Lucas and see if freedom was more alive over there.
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