Ferrying to Mainland Mexico

TODOS SANTOS PIT STOP

After 2 months in Baja spent on beaches, in deserts and at mechanic shops, we prepared to ferry over to the mainland. Never ones to rush, we decided to stop in Todos Santos on our way to La Paz for one last trip to La Esquina, a great little restaurant where we always ate too much.

It was crowded there, so we invited a few people waiting for a table to share ours with us, and as it turned out, a couple of them lived in Austin. By the end of the meal, they invited us to stay at their rental house and have dinner with them. We said yes of course, because random encounters and side trips are our favorite part of traveling.

SETTING OFF FOR THE MAINLAND

The next day, full of pizza and smelling of campfire, we headed to La Paz to see about catching the ferry to Mazatlán. Our first stop was the ferry terminal, where we dealt with importing our vehicle, and then we headed next door to the ticket office. We’d read that the trucker ferry was the cheaper option, but we wouldn’t likely be able to open our tent, leaving us without a place to sleep, so we opted for the passenger ferry. We drove back into town to buy tickets at the Baja Ferries office there, as they told us it’d be easier to book a cabin for the next sailing.

The next day, we headed back to the terminal early not know how long customs would take. We’d read that at the entrance there is a light that determines if you’re stopped for a full inspection (unload the whole rig!) or not. Red means you’re unlucky and green means you’re on your way. We were lucky and got green.

Only one person was allowed to drive the car onto the ferry, so one of us boarded with the rest of the walk-ons. Once on the ship, we dropped off our packs in the cabin we’d splurged on and then headed to the deck to watch the ship set off and the sun set.

That night there was live music in the cafeteria. A man and woman sang and played a keyboard. The songs must be well-known Mexican folk songs, because everyone in the room knew the words and melodies. Some sang along and others shouted and howled at the songs high-points. We enjoyed the show and the $20 MXN beer.

The next day we were happy we’d spent the extra money on the cabin. We were able to sleep most the long ferry ride away and arrive on the mainland rested and ready to go.