Our ferry, the Baja Star, departs promptly at 6:30pm from Mazatlan. We'd arrived two hours earlier allowing time for embarkation formalities - with Pablo being a Chilean National we've encountered probs along the way! No hiccups this time and by 5:00pm we've boarded (separately), found Pabs a cosy berth amidst the lorries, and been shown to our Cabin - plush, with en-suite bathroom and an exterior porthole!
Cabin Attendant suggests we go straight up for Dinner, which seems a bit odd, but she's right. Dinner is served from 5:00pm to 6:00pm before the ferry departs. It's included in the price, so you wouldn't want to be boarding last minute!
Then it's all up on deck to wave farewell to quayside family and friends, watch the mid-market beach resort of Mazatlan disappear into the distance, and do a spot of whale watching, before heading back below deck to the bar for Margaritas and the evening's Cabaret line-up!
Cover band, Karaoke and a Comedian all very entertaining although our Pocito Espanol let us down on the singalongs and the jokes! Karaoke head hombre offered us a Rolling Stones number to duet - but hey man 'I Can't get no Satisfaction' singing that aged rocker twaddle!
Several Margaritas and fun party games later it's time to conquer the swell and get some shuteye! Is our Cabin rolling, or did we imbibe too freely!?
Breakfast served at 7:00am. David's first in line. Sugary bun and a strong black coffee! No Huevos Mexicanos? Probably just as well or they'd be forever mopping the floor!
Baja Star docks at 9:30am and we've made it to Baja California. Heavy duty Military presence dockside with all vehicles getting a serious screening - sniffer dogs - luggage inspection - paperwork checks and a Q&A session with some hombres who tell me they are looking for Drugas Y Armas. I assure them in my very best English that I don't have any of those, flash my British Passport and proceed out of Puerto Pichilingue wondering how any of the bad guys we've all heard about manage to smuggle anything through Mexican State Borders, never mind into the USA!?
Amanda's made it through the Military checkpoint too and soon we're reunited to journey on through the Baja Peninsula.
