The next leg of our journey took us over to the bath-like water of the sea of Cortez surrounding the fishing village of Loreto. There’s small chance of getting any waves, but we’re one step closer to the famous Coast De Azul at the tip of Baja. If there’s anywhere you could forget about surfing it’s here in Loreto harbour, crystal blue waters and reefs make it an awesome natural setting for snorkelling and fishing. We managed to rent a boat for the day with some Canadian guys for $10 us each. You need a fishing permit but our gnarled old captain happily hid us behind an island and handed out the rods. Our meagre catch was complimented by a 60lb Dorado donated by a rich gringo at the port. The local restaurants will make a meal out of your catch for free, you buy the beers and everyone's happy.
The nightlife in Loreto is minimal, so we purchased a bottle of Mezcate Tequila for 20 Pesos (about £1.50), easily enough for three and made a night of it with our new Canadian friends. Later in the evening we had our first encounter with the Federales (Mexican police) - Dan felt the drunken urge to relieve himself against a tree on some back road, but managed to hold it until he was in the main town square. In a region that has a 1% chance of rain on any given day, growing a tree takes a lot of effort. No sooner had he zipped his fly than cries of a disgruntled local filled the sleepy town. Dan was immediately apprehended. Once again the language barrier came to the rescue. A 10 minute international conversation left neither party any the wiser and Dan was spared a night in a cell. Tomorrow we're headed for La Paz, capital of Baja Sur and party centre. While still on the Cortez coast it's only an hour from our ultimate destination and all the best surf spots.