Trip to the Sea of Cortez & Cruise

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Trip Itenerary
In January, 2020, we drove to Santa Barbara, left our Car at Joan's daughter's, and, with Lily, the 3 of us flew from S.B. airport to Phoenix. We stayed overnight and boarded a deluxe bus the next morning for a nice ride across the border into Baja, Mexico. This cruise took us from Puerto Penasco to Topo La Bampo, (Los Mochis) to Mazatlan, Cabo San Lucas, La Paz, Loreto, Santa Rosalia, Guaymas and back to Puerto Penasco.
Late in the afternoon we were shuttled to the Cruise Ship Astoria. It was an older ship but refurbished and comfortable. It cruises in the fall and spring in the fjords of  Norway, Denmark and Sweden. This was the first sailing for the Sea of Cortez.

MV Astoria was constructed as the transatlantic liner MS Stockholm in 1948 for Swedish American Line, and rebuilt as a cruise ship in 1993. At 72 years old, she was the oldest passenger liner still sailing in deep water routes. As Stockholm, she was best known for an accidental collision with Andrea Doria in July 1956, resulting in the sinking of the latter ship and 46 fatalities off the coast of Nantucket.
     We enjoyed the many amenities, including yoga one morning, and seeing movies in the theater on the days we were at sea. The weather was beautiful. A rumor learned from a historian's talk was that the ship was haunted by a little girl in white who was on the Andrea Doria when it sunk.

Our ride from Phoenix to Puerto Penasco
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Our Ship Astoria
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They Tendered us onto the Ship from Penasco
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Loading us on board
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Bow of Astoria headed south
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All the ports had these colorful signs
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Joan at the Botanic Garden in Los Moches
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Lily as an indigenous indian costume
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 Los Mochis Botanic Jardin. large  trees of all types: Palms, Elms, also Ducks, Turtles, Iguanas.
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Turtle in and out of the water
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Iguana Lizard
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Iguana Lizard 2 or 3 feet long
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Mazatlan  Market place
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Street art Mazatlan
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Joan & Lily and Don Walked 5 miles today around town
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Cathedral in the plaza
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Interior of a side chapel
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Beautiful bouganvilla in church courtyard
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Cabo San Lucas
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A Don look-alike with his wife who shared a ride with us from the docks
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Taking the shore boat into cabo
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Small boat harbor & hopping area along the Malecon  Cabo
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Joan & Lily  shopping
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The entrance area to the boardwalk leading to the shops all decked out  
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More of the malicon at Cabo
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Heading Back to the Ship
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Loading ramp back onto the ship which is tricky with rough seas
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Entertainment on board
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Here's to you Lily relaxing in La Paz at the outdoor restaurant
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Loreto
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Astoria anchored off Loreto
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Interior of one of Loreto's many churches
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A nice reminder of the times we flew the plane and shopped here tiendas here in Loreto
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Bueatiful area to go for a walk
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One of Loreto's Mariachi bands
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Plaza in Loreto
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Santa Rosalia  Welcoming Mariachi Band
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unloading dock
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Indigenous dancer with his son performing a native dance
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Old Panaderia sure smelled good with all that baking bread
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This little dog could do amazing tricks
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Crowed streets of Santa Rosalia
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One of the few reataurants where we could get whole beans and rice for lunch
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Vendors in a plaza park where the bus dropped  us off and picked us up to return to the ship
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At the tour and talk of the procedure to grow the oysters that produce the pearls.  
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Looking Accross  Guymas Bay at San Carlos
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View of  San Carlos across the bay from Guaymas
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Another beautiful Church
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 Crowds out for a stroll, and to shop in the park 
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Lily posing for our Guaymas Picture
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. We Headed back to Puerto Penasco from here, and thus the end of a great trip to fly home from Phoenix airport
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