Boatless and Landlocked for Awhile... But With a View to Die For
30 December 2014
rl/ms
People we have met in our voyages and travels over the last 5 plus years have inquired about and have said they missed an update to our blog -
So here it is...
Since Mark sold his business AVID and our boat aVida last year, we decided to become landlocked for awhile - a 2nd home in a warm climate for the winter months.
We travelled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico end of December with no intentions of buying a place, but fell in love with it. We found and bought and furnished a new contemporary condo steps away from the Romantic Zone and the sea, with an extended terrace facing the Banderas Bay. Check it out at http://www.pinnaclepv.com/signature/ . It has truly a view to die for, in a great location. To us this place is magical. The locals, Expats, and tourists are friendly, lots of culture, art galleries, street vendors, musicians, performers, Burlesque comedy shows, Latin music, beaches to explore, watersports, whale and dolphin watching from our terrace, and fireworks nightly... This city is alive, at least in the winter months.
A handful of friends have already come to stay with us, and agree that this city is a gem. We have taken many side trips to the interior of Mexico- what a beautiful friendly country!! A mountain escape to Mascota, a cool hippie surfing town Sayulita, a dive trip to Cozumel, with great friend MarkJ joining us there, and to Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco state where we live, no tourists but a dynamic alive city.
For the summer to fall months, we, just as the whales and other snowbirds will move on.
We plan to return to our home base, our condo in OH in June and then travel another 3-4 plus months until our return back to PV in November.
This year we have booked (on our own) a 3 plus month journey to LA, then Tokyo, then a 10 day sailing charter trip around Indonesia's Balinese islands, Indonesia (Java, Sumatra, Jakarta, Suwalesi), Orangatang trekking in Malaysia/Sumatra and Borneo area, with stops along the way in Singapore, and finally a month of scuba diving around several islands of the Maldives - before they or we disappear under water.
The year after that, we have too many options. Perhaps we summer exploring Alaska or the Arctic/Antarctic, maybe a summer river cruise across Europe, and maybe another safari adventure in Africa in the fall. We say as always, we will see where the wind blows and the seas will take us.
So, now we are boatless and unemployed bums for a while, but perhaps that will again change in the future. Who knows, we may buy another boat, and may return with a new sailblog. There is a big world out there and we still have so many places we want to experience.
For now, we have a new second home in PV. Clearly it is not aVida, but it is not so bad, and with a view to die for.
This is the last entry on this Sailblogs we will post.
We will keep it open for those who want to reminisce, as we do. Thanks to all of the friends and family who have sailed with us, stayed with us, and the many people we have met (many of whom we will see again), who have shared so many great life experiences with us.
What an incredible voyage it has been, with so many very special people.
Adios, Friends and Family... until our next adventure.
Mark and Rita (markarita (margarita) as we are known here ;)