RTW the Jamie Z Way: Medellín (2024)

16 enero 2015

As usual I stayed up late, mostly utilizing the WiFi to update this thread, upload photos, read a few other threads, and do a bit of research about stuff to do.

I walked to the Oxxo next door for a cup of coffee and finished packing up my stuff, which went quickly today.

My first priority was to get straps to hold my bike on the ferry this evening, but first I rode down the malecon. As I noted yesterday, it’s closed. They have police tape and traffic cones blocking the way.

I stopped for a quick sea photo.

I made a couple stops at gift shops to look for some sort of Baja sticker. I really wanted a Mex 1 highway sign sticker, but nobody had anything like it.

No straps at Walmart that I found, so I crossed the street to Home Depot. I found some ratchet straps, but they were a lot more expensive than I was expecting! The cheapest 2-pack was 600 pesos, and 4-packs were 700-800 pesos. Ouch!

What else could I do? Rope, maybe. But then I saw they had ratchet strap singles for 60 pesos each. So I bought three.

With lots of time before I had to be at the ferry port, I thought I’d ride up to the end of the paved highway at Tecolote beach.

The first section is high-speed smooth, brand-new pavement. Past the ferry port, the road is a narrow two-lane with little traffic.

See Also

Cierra Mistt Leak: Unveiling The Mystery Behind The ControversyBest shower heads of 2024, tried and tested | CNN UnderscoredCar of the Week | Week 72: Hot Hatch (Toyota GR Corolla MORIZO Edition '22)

The beach appears to be populated by mostly locals, though I did see a Jeep with South Dakota plates. Actually… I’m surprised how many South Dakota plates I’ve seen around this area. Is that because it’s an easy place to register and renew?

I still had a lot of time, and wanted to eat and get water before I boarded the ferry, so I rode back to La Paz to find late lunch. Then began a streak of miscues.

First, I saw an appealing taqueria across the street, but I had to continue on for two blocks and make a U-turn and come back. I parked on the sidewalk right out front of the place, got off my bike, removed my helmet and jacket and took out my ear plugs. Just as I turned back toward the taqueria, I heard a loud bang and saw the gate slam shut. Wow… guess they’re closed.

So then I checked iOverlander and there was a taco shop not far away which one review said, “best tacos in La Paz, hands down.” I’m sold. So I rode over there and pulled into the gravel parking area beside the stand. A guy came out waving his hands, “Cerrado!” Closed again? The place looked open. Ok.

Fortunately there was another taqueria directly next door, so I rode up and parked in front. Inside I sat at a table and waited. There were other people there. I saw a person behind the bar. I waited. Nobody came over. Maybe I’m supposed to order at the counter?

Eventually a guy came over to give me a menu, but from that point, every aspect of the meal was in super slow motion. From when I arrived, it was about 40 minutes before my tacos were in front of me. Usually these taco shops are super quick. I’ve never experienced this.

I got a combo plate and the portion was giant, and now I was running late for the ferry.

The food was better than average, especially the empanada-looking one, but now I was in a rush, so I didn’t get to enjoy it like I should have.

I rode up along the coast back to the ferry port. I had to stop and ask someone where to go to board the ferry. I didn’t realize I’d have to go through customs… but it went quickly. They basically waved me through. The customs agent specifically asked to see my TVIP, but so far nobody has asked to see proof of insurance anywhere on this trip.

Boarding is fairly straightforward, but I was confused at almost every step. It’s a big area and there was a lot of pointing and telling me what to do in Spanish. The Baja Ferry people were very helpful and friendly, despite me repeatedly asking, “Como?” “No entiendo.”

I ended up behind two motorcyclists from Guadalajara. We chatted briefly. So far as I've seen, we're the only three motorcycles on the boat.

Before boarding, everyone had to park the vehicles and walk over to a decontamination tent where there was some sort of mist coming down from the ceiling. And then it was onto the boat. I rode up the steep ramp and was directed to the left where a woman shined her light along the railing and told me to park there. There were not yet a lot of cars on the ferry, nor was there a lot of cars loading or other activity.

I dismounted and rearranged my gear to secure everything and bring along what I needed. I brought my tank bag and my sleeping bag/pad, and pillow. I put my pants and jacket in my top case and my boots inside one of my side cases. My helmet I secured to my seat with a bungee strap.

A worker came up and asked if I had straps with me and he assisted me in securing the bike. Truth is, I’d prefer to do it myself. I’ve heard stories. I also felt a little like I was being rushed. There was a woman there waiting for me to finish up so she could escort me from the cargo area to the passenger area. I made sure all the straps were tight, that the bike wasn’t moving in any direction. I left it in gear and applied my brake lock.

I’m on board the Baja Star. Next to us the Mexico Star was parked. They look to be similar size, and sort of similar in looks.

Then I walked around the boat to gather my bearings. It feels smaller inside than it looks from the outside. I also wondered why nobody else on board was carrying anything. No backpacks, no luggage at all. I had my tank bag over my shoulders and carrying my sleeping bag in its stuff sack. Eventually I found the passenger lounges where everyone (who’s not staying in a cabin) leaves their things. So far as I can tell, I was the only gringo aboard.

I think I’d prefer not to stay in one of the lounges with so many other people, so hopefully I’ll be able to lay out my sleeping bag in some random corner of the cafeteria or some other similar place.

I went outside shortly before 7pm when I heard the engines start up. I watched the workers pull in the ropes. At about 7:15pm, we pulled away.

I set up in restaurant/bar area. It’s fairly loud in here. There are people coming and going, and there are TVs playing a series of live music performances. I’m around the corner behind a wall. It’s the quietest place I can find which has a table and a chair. There's also a surprisingly reflective ceiling.

Around midnight a security guard came around and said something to me I didn’t understand. Basically, he was pointing me out. I got the impression that maybe they’re cleaning or somesuch because I think he told me I could come back later. I was basically the last person in the restaurant. There was a couple other stragglers. I decided to call it a night.

Curiously, I found that one of the three passenger lounges was basically empty. It looked empty when I first looked in.

There was one person sleeping on the floor near the front, and another sleeping in a chair near the back.

I spread out my sleeping pad on the floor in the back and pulled out my pillow and sleeping bag.