The road north from La Paz
Time to leave La Paz and hit the road! So after another good breakfast at the Posada de las Flores we took a taxi (which the hotel had kindly booked for us) to the Europcar office at the airport. Our car was pre-booked through Rainbow Tours and all pre-paid, but we discovered that as we didn’t have a credit card (we only ever use debit these days) we had to pay for extra insurance. Lesson learned – we will get a credit card before our next car hire abroad!
The car was a red Kia with quite a few scratches which we made sure to photograph before leaving (just as well, as the photos promised and later sent by the company were so dark that no marks were visible!) Then we set off, Chris driving. The road wasn’t too busy and the first part through open country heading north was relatively easy going, apart from the occasional massive pothole.
The road north from La Paz
We'd been going for some time when we realised that our decision to pay the car hire company for just half a tank of petrol had perhaps not been a wise one. Petrol stations were pretty much non-existent away from the towns, and the nearest one of those, Ciudad Insurgentes, was some distance away. For a time we started to think we might not make it there but thankfully we never had to find out, as we passed through a small community, Las Pocitas, which despite being more village than town had a Pemex petrol station - phew!
We stopped briefly on the outskirts of Ciudad Insurgentes, hoping to buy a cold drink, but the roadside stalls there didn’t seem to have any, although it gave us a chance to stretch our legs and take a few photos.
Near Ciudad Insurgentes
Our hire car in Ciudad Insurgentes
So we pressed on, turning off the main road to drive through the mountains to Loreto. This road was more scenic, with amazing views in places, but also very winding so more of a challenge for Chris to drive.
On the road to Loreto
As we neared the coast we had alluring glimpses of a deep blue sea and offshore islands, but by the time we stopped in a mirador the sky had clouded over a bit and the light was rather flat for photos.
First glimpses of the sea
View from the coast near Loreto
Arriving in Loreto we drove around the one way system to reach the Plaza and found parking next to the City Hall. We walked across to the hotel, another Posada de las Flores, to check we were OK leaving the car there. The very laidback guy in reception assured us we were and offered to show us to our room before we went back for the cases. The first room he showed us was up two spiral staircases and had single beds, but he offered us an alternative on the floor below with a double bed, so we accepted that. When we came back with our bags he brought us a refreshing welcome drink of lemonade which we enjoyed at a table outside the room before going out to explore a bit.
Our room in the Posada de las Flores
Our bathroom, and the central courtyard
Door to our room on the left
We had a stroll in the streets around the Plaza. We chose, and booked, a restaurant for this evening; checked out the mission church (the Mission of Our Lady of Loreto); bought a silver necklace (well, I bought!) in the Desert Silver shop that I’d seen recommended; walked down to the sea; and of course took quite a few photos.
In the Mission of Our Lady of Loreto
Street art and street planter
Spotted on our way to the sea
On our return to the hotel we settled in a bit more. In the evening we ate in the nearby restaurant that had caught our eye earlier, Mezzaluna. It is part Italian, part Uruguayan. We ordered drinks (beer for Chris, wine for me – it was time I tried a Mexican wine!) and two variations on their specialities, Milanesa, breaded meats (we both had chicken as the pork I wanted wasn’t available) with various toppings. Mine had basil, fresh tomato and mozzarella, Chris's a tomato sauce and melted cheese. The wine, a Sauvignon Blanc, was good as was the food, but very filling! But the service was slow and not especially friendly, and our table inside seemed to be a bit of an afterthought in an area otherwise used to ferry food and drinks to the outside terrace.
In Mezzaluna
My breaded chicken
The mission church at night
After our meal we had a stroll around the block to see the church illuminated at night and check up on the car. Then, with a hopefully exciting day ahead of us tomorrow, it was time for an early night.
This featured blog entry was written by ToonSarah from the blog Travel with me ....
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