12/28/2011, Paradise Village Marina
The Christmas Eve cocktail party was a smash hit. 14 people from assorted yachts came to visit, bringing assorted goodies (even home made cinnamon rolls to bake on Christmas morning). The sangria made by Marsha and Debra was the biggest hit with almost all of the three bottles of wine and assorted ingredients consumed. With all the food for the cocktail party, dinner was totally unnecessary, so it was off to bed as soon as we cleaned up although we were tempted to check out the midnight mass (actually at 9PM) at the local church directly across from the town plaza and only a few blocks from the marina.
Christmas Day morning started with the cinnamon rolls and an exchange of presents amongst the three of us. Then it was off to a local street market at the end of the marina where Debra and Marsha made good on locating items to acquire including a hand-woven table cloth for our cockpit table that we like to use for dinner when the weather is right or our cabin table when eating inside. I then prepared fresh Grouper for lunch, which I had purchased the previous day from the fish market right where the local fishermen sell their daily catches. The evening culminated with dinner at a Mediterranean-style restaurant in Bucerias-a very nice change from the local cuisine which has been the staple of our dining out meals.
Monday was time to pack up, leave the marina and sail across Banderas Bay to Yelapa, a small pueblito only accessible by boat or walking as it is surrounded by tall mountains unsuitable for motor vehicle travel. We arrived after a mostly sailing trip across the bay and tied off at one of the moorings placed by the locals in the bay (as a source of income) which is mostly too deep for suitable anchoring. After paying the proprietor, it was off to the pueblito to explore before nightfall. There was no suitable landing place for our dinghy, so we had to convince one of the pongas to take us to the dock where one could disembark but not tie off. We walked through the "streets" of this pueblito if you can call them that-With no motor vehicles there, the very steep streets were nothing more than cobblestone and concrete walkways amongst the houses and the few stores and restaurants making up the pueblito. We took one street to its culmination at the local cemetery and then another along the creek running through the pueblito and culminating at a beautiful waterfall where some entrepreneurs had set up a bar to sell drinks if you can call it that. We returned to the boat at dusk, having arranged with the ponga driver to pick us up a las siete de la noche (7PM). I then prepared chili con carne as it was getting quite cool out. We had debated whether or not to spend the night in the harbor as there was a significant swell coming through. The vote was to stay, but we paid a high price of minimal sleep as the boat rocked and rolled, bow to stern and side to side throughout the night. This was one of the worst, if not the worst night on the boat since we started living aboard last March.
One of the main reasons that we decided to stay the night was that we had run into a man in the pueblito, who convinced us to schedule a horseback ride the following day to a different waterfall outside the pueblito. After convincing another ponga driver to give us a ride ashore, we rendezvoused with Matilde Lornezo, a 71year old native of Yelapa, who put us on three horses (actually mules) and led us on his horse for the trip to the waterfall. We went through the center of the pueblito on the horses and followed the trail along the river until we had to dismount and walk the final 100 yards or so on foot. It was well worth both the time and price (300 pesos each) for what turned out to be a 3 hour journey which gave a real feel for what life must be like in this rustic and isolated location which is not without a number of ex-patriats who had made it their home in some very rustic accommodations. After returning to the start of our horse journey, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at an outdoor café overlooking the cove. We then had to find another ponga to get back to the boat, which we did, and started our trip to our next destination-Paradise Village Marina in Nuevo Vallarta, just north of Puerto Vallarta. During the sailing portion of the journey, we encountered several pods of whales. Two of the whales did manage to flip their tails-quite a site for Debra and Marsha, as I tried to catch some shuteye along the way. After securing our slip and docking the boat, it was off to showers followed by a dinner of Mahi Mahi prepared by Marsha. After dinner, I walked through Paradise Village to check out the amenities while Debra and Marsha stayed behind, still recovering from their lack of sleep the night before. Paradise Village had been described to us as a kind of Disneyland which, except for the lack of an amusement park, fit the description-resort hotel with lots of swimming pools, a beautiful beach, restaurants, a golf course, spa, and a shopping center which, but for the fact that most of the stores were not recognizably named ones (there was a Dominos Pizza, Subway, and Baskin Robbins), one felt like they were in the US at a similar shopping mall- not in Mexico. We are now all turning in for the night as we try to make up for the lack of sleep last night. Plans for the rest of our stay in Paradise Village are wide open at this point, so you will just have to wait for subsequent blogs to find out what we are doing for this part of our journey. Marsha will leave to return to Merida before the end of the year, and Debra and I have scheduled an open-ended trip to Colorado starting on January 7th, as we leave Murar's Dream in the capable hands of the marina here in Nuevo Vallarta until we return to continue our journey.
Debra and Andy
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12/24/2011, La Cruz
Sayulita is quite the pueblito. It lies on the Pacific just north of Banderas Bay and is known as a surfing mecca. Debra was still feeling under the weather, so she decided to stay onboard while Marsha and I made our way there. It was a 2 bus ride trip, the first an uneventful 5 or so miles and then a second bus which took us to the edge of town. It was a 45 minute ride over a mountain ridge before dropping back to ocean level. When we boarded, there was not a seat to be found, and the isle was full, so it was standing, sardineville for this leg of the journey. Once we arrived, we discovered a weekly street market where many locals had set up tables selling mostly their food fare. There was one table run by the "Lasagna Man," and I could not resist a piece which proved well worth the 60 peso ($5) price. We also came across a woman with baked goods and managed to snare a piece of Martha Stewart's recipe key lime pie. We then walked the main street of the pueblito past the plaza, stopping in various stores where Marsha picked up some Christmas gifts for friends, which she will take back to Merida when she leaves us. Marsha also found the women's boutique of a friend of a friend's she had been told to visit. We then walked to the beach, and it was touristville with numerous surf shops/stands and horses for rides on the beach along with cabanas and locals trying to hawk their handmade goods. It was then back to the bus but not without an obligatory stop at a taco stand on the street where Marsha dined on a shrimp empenada as we sat at a blue and white checkered tablecloth table halfway into the street, as the kitchen was located on the sidewalk. The bus ride back was much more enjoyable since we were able to sit down and observe the scenery as we wound back over the hill between Sayulita and La Cruz (when standing, it was impossible to see much out the windows except the road). We returned to the boat in time for me to participate in the day's Mexican Train dominoes which I managed to win, entitling me to a free margarita which I brought back to the boat for the ladies. We were then off to dinner at Philo's (named after the proprietor, Philo, an American ex-patriate whom I learned had graduated from Eastern Michigan University just down the road from the UofM which I attended. I learned this from his brother who was also there in a UofM polo shirt, so of course my "Go Blue" greeting struck up a conversation as he, too, was a graduate only 3 years after I had graduated). Philo had his own band which played live music, mostly country, with a small dance floor. At one point, most of the women (but neither Debra nor Marsha) came up to line dance. Only one of the women really knew the steps so it was fun watching the others struggle to learn and not step on another's feet in the process.
This afternoon is our Christmas Eve cocktail party on Murar's Dream so we have been full of preparations for the event. I rode my bicycle to Bucerias again to go to the Mega grocery store and obtained fresh rolls for the arachera I will grill and we will serve as petite sandwiches. Debra and Marsha took charge of the other fare including sangria, grilled vegetables, and jalapenoes stuff with smoked marlin (which we obtained from the local market in LaPaz and have been waiting for a reason to use). The boat has been cleaned for our guests, and we lowered the dinghy and turned the boat around so that people will be able to easily board the boat from the dock onto the swim platform on our transom. We will give a report about the party in our next blog.
Tomorrow is Christmas, so we have made reservations at a nice restaurant in Bucerias for dinner. We may also try the Sunday brunch buffet which is served at the marina restaurant.
Feliz Navidad from Debra, Marsha and Andy
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12/22/2011, La Cruz
The trip from Chacala to Banderas Bay was relatively uneventful except for the spotting of several whales along the way. There was virtually no wind until we entered the bay, so it was 3+ hours of motoring. However, once we got into the bay, the winds came up, and we were able to sail most of the way to the La Cruz marina-We bypassed Punta de Mita at the entrance to the bay as a possible stopping point due to overcast skies and cool temperatures with probable swells due to its southern exposure. What was amazing were the large, cresting waves extending about one mile offshore to the south of the point, apparently due to a very shallow sandbar-something you could encounter due to a failure to see them in time if you were entering the harbor at night. There is a buoy marking the southern edge of this bar, but we could not tell if it was lighted for night navigation. We finally called the marina once safely inside the bar, were assigned a slip, and entered the harbor under sunny skies and light winds. Just before entering the harbor, I did spot a breaching whale, but it was so far away that we did not get the closeup view we all would have liked. Upon reaching our designated slip, we noticed Lady A, a very large yacht, about 100 feet long, which we had seen in Marina del Rey, and were given a tour by the captain and engineer whom we had met in MdR since the owner was not going to arrive until a few days later. That night, we just cooked onboard, as it had been a fairly long, travel day. Debra stayed onboard as she was not feeling that well due to an apparent cold, so Marsha and I decided to check out the town square, only a few blocks from the marina, and found an ice cream shop. In the square was a Navidad fiesta for all the town's children, so we watched them as they tried to break the pinata hanging from a tree branch.
Yesterday, I took my bicycle off the boat for the first time in many days and was able to ride it to the next town along the bay-Bucerias. It was a quaint pueblito where I found a taco stand serving carnitas for my lunch stop while Debra and Marsha explored La Cruz on foot, stopping for breakfast. Later that afternoon, Debra's illness got the best of her, so it was siesta time while I took to washing the deck and cockpit of Murar's Dream and cleaned the dinghy. It was then time for Mexican Train dominoes at the marina restaurant. Debra and Marsha stayed onboard while I took on 5 other players at 15 dot dominoes-the largest set I had ever seen. I managed to come in last place. I then returned to the boat where Debra was still feeling under the weather, so Marsha and I were off to the taco stand just outside the marina where I had a torta (Mexican sandwich), and Marsha had a hamburguesa and papas (hamburger and french fries). We then returned to the ice cream store for single scoop cones to finish the evening fare. Upon returning to the boat, I worked on our Christmas lights which had been giving us problems. I finally got everything working, only to watch one of the strands fail about one hour afterwards, so I knew I would have to deal with the problem again today (I test every bulb to see if it lights and conducts-hundreds of bulbs!).
This morning was yoga class for the three of us. Debra and Marsha then took the bus to Bucerias to check it out and for shopping as we are going to have a cocktail hour Christmas Eve on Murar's Dream for a few of the other boats we had encountered along the way and are also in La Cruz. I spent the day working around the boat as I had to stay behind for the hull cleaners who were scheduled to come at 1PM. I went to the local fish market at the marina and bought a couple of whole red snappers which I grilled for dinner. Then Debra and I were off to watch the weekly movie at the outdoor amphitheater on the breakwater, which is part of the marina complex. Marsha decided to stay behind and have some alone time on the boat. We are now securely onboard with a planned bus trip tomorrow to Sayulita which is a pueblito on the coast just north of Banderas Bay.
It is hard to believe that we have exceeded the two month mark since leaving MdR for our journey south. We plan on leaving this marina on Monday and going to Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta, just north of Puerto Vallarta, with one stop along the way at a secluded bahia in Banderas Bay accessible only by boat.
Debra and Andy
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12/22/2011, Bahia de Chacala
Chacala has been one of the highlights of the Mexican adventure so far. After arriving on Saturday, we dined aboard. Sunday brought out the kayak for Debra and Marsha followed by a trip in the dinghy to do some snorkeling along the point at the north of this most scenic anchorage. We were then invited to a neighboring boat for a hot tub adventure in a "Tug Tub," a floating hot tub filled with salt water but heated to a temperature of over 100 degrees (The owners of the boat had started a business selling these systems but decided that cruising was a far more rewarding experience.). Debra and Marsha stayed onboard sipping the white wine we had brought while I took a dip in the hot tub along with a local massage therapist who gave me an abbreviated massage while we were enjoying the warmth of the hot tub. We then returned to our boat where we dined on Mexican surf and turf (Arachera steak and grilled shrimp) with fresh poblano peppers stuffed with cheese and roasted on the grill.
Today, Debra and Marsha were off early on the kayak for a yoga session on the beach conducted by one of the women aboard another vessel anchored in this cove. We were then off for a hike to the top of an extinct volcano where the inside of the crater was a beautiful, flat caldera. After returning to the boat, it was off to massages for Debra and Marsha as I handled the necessary paperwork with the Capitania de Puerto (Port Captain), where we had to check in-Mexico requires that boats visiting any port where there is a port captain in that location must check in and out, obtaining the necessary paperwork to show the port captain in the next destination port, so that the government can keep track of the travels of non-citizens. While Marsha was receiving her massage, Debra and I sat at a palapa enjoying our customary margaritas while watching a wonderful sunset (see lead photo). After massages, it was off to dinner at one of the beach palapa restaurants for a nice dinner of seafood. We are now all back on board ready to turn in as we will head off to our next destination tomorrow.
Debra and Andy
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12/17/2011, Chacala
We have arrived in Chacala Cove after a 3 hour sail/motor, so it is time to bring you up to speed on our activities. We awoke on Friday morning in Matanchen Cove and launched the kayak to explore the shoreline. Marsha remained aboard Murar's Dream while Debra and I paddled our way around the cove which was lined with numerous palapa (open, thatch-roofed structures) restaurants. We visited a couple of the boats also anchored in the cove, sharing information and greetings from our kayak. We then returned to the boat, secured the kayak and motored off to the marina inside San Blas harbor. We were warned about the shallows, and when the depth gauge read less than 10 feet, there was a bit of nervousness, as we draw almost 7 feet, but all went well. After securing our berth and checking in, it was time to walk to the town center. San Blas is a very traditional pueblo with a town square along with cobblestone-like and dirt streets lined with assorted homes intertwined with stores and supermarkets-no zoning here. Along the way, we came across one of the recommended restaurants, so that became our lunch stop. The obligatory limonadas were top-notch, but the chicken enchiladas were nothing to rave about. After lunch, we continued our walk to the central plaza, stopping in the cathedral which was decked out with flowers which were obviously for a wedding that evening. We continued to explore the area, checking out a restaurant where the chef had studied at Cordon Bleu for possible dinner and ultimately finding Juan Banana's, famous since 1973 for its banana bread which we purchased. After returning to the boat and showering, we were off for dinner at Tony's La Isla, rated best for seafood, but when we arrived, all was dark. We found someone who worked there in the back, and she told us that they were closed (Friday night?), so we walked to the plaza where we had Margs at one restaurant while a Christmas pageant was taking place on a make-shift stage on the plaza. The other Gringos who were eating there said the food was not good, so we went two doors down to a taqueria which we thoroughly enjoyed. We returned to the boat, and our greatest fear came to fruition: There was a wedding reception on the grounds of the marina, and we had to live through live music until the wee hours of the morning, making for a poor night's sleep.
The next morning we arose early to head off to the river trip. We took a taxi to the bridge where the boats left, and after some help from a local, we hooked up with a guide and did our first truly tourist activity. It was outstanding, as we rode through the mangrove-lined estuary, seeing all types of water fowl, turtles, and numerous crocodiles sunning themselves along the way-every size from infants to an adult about 8 feet long (check out the lead picture for this blog). After the river trip, we stopped at one of the palapa restaurants along the road for lunch, dining on smoked marlin, grilled shrimp, cheese quesadillas, and fish ceviche. We then caught a taxi back to the marina, checked out and headed for our next destination, about 20 nm away.
We started this leg in 13-17 knot winds on our beam, so we quickly set the gennaker and sailed on that sail only for the first ½ when the winds decided to subside, so it was motoring for the second ½ until we set anchor at Chacala Cove where we currently are aboard Murar's Dream after taking the dinghy ashore for some cocktails at a palapa on the beach. This is the kind of place which will probably warrant a couple of day stay. Tomorrow, we will explore the adjacent town and do some water sports, hopefully launching the paddle board if the cove calms down overnight, as we are in a bit of a swell.
Debra and Andy
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12/16/2011, San Blas
Here we are anchored in the cove just south of San Blas, pleasantly surprised by internet access, though somewhat sporadic, so we are not sure when we will be able to send this out. However, that does not deter us from writing this latest blog.
We arose the morning following Marsha's arrival to yet another sunny but cool day. Debra and Marsha went off to do provisioning while I went back to Centro to do some final shopping before departing Mazatlan. We then caught lunch at El Fish Market before checking out and setting sail for our next destination-Isla Isabela, about 100 miles away, which meant another overnight sail. The winds proved favorable, allowing us to set the gennaker until dusk, when it was doused based upon my promise to Debra not to fly it at night due to the difficulty in dousing it in the dark, if necessary. This proved a wise decision as, that evening while over 12 miles offshore, we hooked a fishing line which was set by some local fisherman. Fortunately, the engine was not running so fouling the propeller was not a concern, but we began to slow down due to the drag of the line, meaning that I had to do something to free us from this entanglement. Recognizing that the line was probably just strung around our keel, we tacked the boat several times to turn 180 degrees in hopes that it would fall off and end the entanglement. It worked, so it was smooth sailing for the rest of the night until the winds died just before sunrise meaning motoring the last two hours to our anchorage (see lead photo) during which time we were careful to look for and avoid the numerous black flags floating on the surface and marking the locations of these fishing lines, something that you cannot do in the darkness of night.
Upon arriving at Isla Isabela, we tried to set anchor in the limited amount of sandy bottom, as we were warned of the possibility of losing our anchor if we anchored and hooked a rock. As I brought in the hand line while anchoring, I was surprised to find another Skipjack Tuna on the hook, so after setting anchor, I fileted the fish and put the filets in the refrigerator for another round of sushi. The water was so clear that I was able to clearly see the anchor set with my mask, snorkel and fins since were were anchored in only 15 feet of water. It had hooked a rock, but not under it, so I knew that was safe for the time being. Debra and Marsha went snorkeling while I sat watch on the boat, and they returned to report that this was a great spot for snorkeling due to the large variety of fish they were able to observe. While they were off the boat, I took out the tuna and prepared nijiri for lunch since we had purchased some sushi rice in LaPaz. Marsha had found powdered wasabi in Merida, which she brought to the boat, so it was a true sushi meal complete with soy sauce and wasabi. Debra and I were then invited to a neighboring boat for afternoon coffee, so we launched the kayak and paddled over. This was a family of four with children ages 7 and 4, so we offered to watch the kids so that mom and dad could enjoy the same snorkeling that Debra and Marsha had. They took us up on the offer, and all went well. We then had to decide whether to leave there due to predicted brisk, overnight winds (15-20 knots) or spend the night in hopes of being able to do a hike on the island before leaving this remote site - a huge rookery for seabirds which we could see sitting in the trees and flying overhead in the 100s. We decided to stick it out at anchor, so as night arrived, we re-set the anchor in a new location where I confirmed (again with mask, snorkel and fins) that the anchor had landed in a sandy patch, thus giving us the holding power we would need for the predicted, brisk winds blowing through the anchorage. We settled in for a dinner of grilled chicken wings and stuffed poblano peppers-I did the grilling and Marsha prepared the peppers.
The anchor held through the night despite a night of rocking and rolling, but with daybreak, the winds had not subsided, and the waves made it questionable whether to attempt a beach landing by dinghy or kayak. We decided that discretion was the better part of valor and gave up on the hike, setting sail for our next destination about 40 nm away. The winds again cooperated, allowing us to set the gennaker for a long day's sail in moderate, trailing seas. We arrived at our next anchorage in overcast and cool conditions, set anchor and played a round of Mexican Train dominoes. Marsha then fixed a nice dinner of shrimp scampi, wild rice and salad. During all of this activity, I noticed the bilge pump intermittently coming on, so it was time to find the source of the water. Lo and behold, the cap to the water strainer on the fresh water pump which I had replaced in San Diego due to the cracking of the original cap also started to crack, causing a slow leak every time the water pump was activated. Fortunately, I had obtained two spare caps when in San Diego, so the fix was an easy one, but it does make me nervous that this could happen again. Therefore, I have begun the process of trying to secure additional parts for future failures should they occur while we are in Mexico.
Tomorrow we will move into the marina at San Blas so that we can explore the town and also take the river cruise that everyone says is a must. We will give you the details of that outing when that occurs, but that's all for now.
Debra and Andy
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