Flying to Baja

Another early alarm day and another day of flying. We'd realised on reflection that much as we'd loved the landscapes of the Copper Canyon area, spending a whole day flying to get up here and another whole day flying to get to La Paz, our next destination, was a bit of an indulgence. The original plan had been to get the overnight ferry from Los Mochis to La Paz, which would have eliminated the need to fly there via Mexico City, but it turned out that the ferry had never restarted after Covid. So here we were with two more flights ahead of us as well as a lengthy spell at Mexico City airport. Even more frustrating given that La Paz is only a relatively short hop across the Sea of Cortez from Los Mochis!

Our driver for the ride out to the airport arrived promptly and we were there in plenty of time to get a not very good coffee and snack from the small shop in departures. Apart from that coffee it's hard to fault Los Mochis airport. It's small, clean and modern. The staff are helpful and friendly. And there is lots of seating and good WiFi. And have you ever been to another airport where the marshalls waved off the planes?!

We boarded on time, noting not for the first time on this flight that Mexicans seem much better at following directions and boarding according to their specified group than in many other places. As we took off we had fantastic views of the coastline, dotted with small rocky islets.

As on all these Aeromexico flights, a soft drink and snack (biscuits) were served not long after take-off. The flight lasted a bit under two hours. As we approached Mexico City we saw the surrounding mountains, a few capped with snow, and Popocatepetl steaming, as before. But the pollution of the city was also clearly visible, making the mountain views less clear.

We had several hours to kill in the airport. I got a good coffee at last, from a branch of Le Pain Quotidian, and later we had a light lunch. We had a bit of a hunt for our gate as the signage wasn’t clear (or rather, kept disappearing) but found it eventually. We then settled down for a lengthy wait, but thanks in part to the good airport WiFi were able to amuse ourselves.

An hour or so before we were due to board the departures board showed a change of location from Sala K to Sala E. This was quite a walk away, so we headed over straight away, settled down again and waited for gate info. We may have misheard but before the much smaller noticeboard here could get around to showing our flight, am announcement seemed to be saying that we should go to Sala M, back near K! However on arrival there the larger board clearly said Sala F, so we were off again, back, to where we had come from!

By now it was after the advertised boarding time and it was clear the flight was going to be delayed despite the board saying otherwise, 'En tiempo'. Indeed we both received emails apologising for a change of schedule, giving our departure as half an hour late. And the email proved to be correct. But eventually our gate was announced, and everyone set off to queue there. The boarding process was thankfully smooth, but as we shuffled forward in the queue we noticed a man and woman in uniform marked as 'criminal investigation' checking passports of a few people (significantly none of them white) and pulling them out of the queue. When we boarded they were standing in a small group, watched over by the uniformed woman. We speculated that they were suspected of being illegal immigrants hoping to find an easier route into the US via Baja California.

The pilot made up a bit of time on the flight and we landed just 45 minutes late. It took us a while to connect with the driver we'd pre-booked through the hotel as he didn't come in to the airport to meet us, but a few WhatsApp messages later he appeared and drove us to the Posada de las Flores on the sea front. The friendly guy on reception, Christian, checked us in and gave us a tour. Our room was on the ground floor, off the courtyard, and was a good size with some interesting decorative touches.

It was already after 8.00 by the time we’d settled in a bit, so we walked along the sea front, the Maleçon, to find somewhere to eat. The place I'd first consider, Tailhunters, was closed but further down we found a casual Mexican restaurant where we had good enchiladas and beer at an outdoor table - just what we needed after a day's travelling. We then walked back along by the sea to finish settling in.