La Paz

December 23, 2010
Please scroll down. Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarto are just below this entry.

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The port for La Paz is up the coast a ways near a Baja Ferry terminal on a barren stretch of coast line.

We both had enjoyed the previous night’s show but went to bed early. After a light breakfast, we headed to the pool where we found an aerobics powerhouse in action. There we were, bounding up and down in the very chilly water for half an hour. Healthy…all I could do was laugh at us.



So we were early for our tour. An hour early. Mariachis filled the air with om-pa-pa happiness. Nope, there wasn’t anything we wanted to buy at the Mercado…always one of those waiting just on the far side of the gangway. There was just enough time to run back and get my Aleve. Run, run…and back to the bus laughing again.



Yesterday in Mazatlan Maria was our guide filled with information and humor. Today we had Guillermo…very funny patter while teaching us about his community of La Paz. Today we saw even less of the city since the focus of this tour was on the art and artisans of the area. First a family run business of weaving. They had the usual tourist stuff mixed in with some really finely woven smaller pieces. I paid too much for a stunning runner that we both loved.



Here the weaver works on a simple white series of runners. He throws the shuttle through the warp by pulling a rope above the weaving that propels it from end to end. I was fascinated by this, and managed to get a clear shot of the shuttle as it came through the other side. I felt right at home here. Oh, I miss my looms…but weavers must be able to manage math.





A little red right to hand.



All the equipment was made here on site out of 2 x 4’s. Not crafted for beauty, the utilitarian looms and spinning wheel do the job well. Our guide told us that the next generation does not want to carry on the business.
Our second stop was an artisans cooperative where there was barely an artisan in sight. It was a small rented building with only one or two good drawings mixed among acres of the usual tourist stuff. A big disappointment.



Thirdly a pottery. Again…nice stuff, made on site by one family, strong colors…we liked the work, the inventiveness of it all. No photographs allowed. Darn. We bought a small plate glazed with happy oranges for the orange bathroom, returned to the ships library through miles of desert, enjoyed a book, and found ourselves playing a game of trivia in observation lounge.