We have been on the move. We left Tenecatita on the morning of the 19th, heading further south down the coast of Mexico. We were buddy boating with Carol and Ned in Franny B. Planning to go all the way to Bahia de Navidad that day, but they were stopping in Cuastecomate (Secret Anchorage). We decided to slip in and take a look. It was very inviting, much like the little towns in the south of France. We put on our snorkling gear and gave it a try. The water was really cold and there wasn't much to see. For some reason, I kept going in circles, try figure! Carol and Ned went out in their kayak and pulled me back to the boat. They explored in their kayak and had a great time. We are really convinced we need to get an inflatable kayak too. They are really easy to manage for exploring.

They stayed the night and we continued on to Barra de Navidad. What a magnificent setting. There is a lovely hotel and marina. The town itself is charming; they were smashed by a hurricane a couple of years ago and are still repairing. We stayed a couple of nights in the marina to get laundry done, take a shower, get internet, etc. We played in the pool and visited the little town. Each morning a panga arrives with, "The French Baker". He comes to the boats and sells beautiful pastries and bread. He will even take orders (baked or unbaked) for cruisers to take with them. What a treat! There is a lagoon where many boats anchor free of charge. We may try that on the way back up the coast. (The French Baker goes to the lagoon in his little boat, too.)

Our intention was to get to Santiago or Las Hadas next, but we had gone so far out to get wind, that we found we had to head for shore and another anchorage before dark. We joined Carol and Ned who had stopped at Ensenada Carrizal. What a beautiful little spot - kind of a Mexican fjord. Both Carol and I thought it really resembled the anchorages in the Pacific North West. Some boaters had a bonfire on the beach that evening. We were invited, but chose to stay on the boat to make an early departure in the morning. It was a rocky shore and required another dinghy landing in the dark - with surf! This was a little more than we wanted to try.

Santiago was just around the bend, so we skipped it and went on to Las Hadas. Carol and Ned had been to Las Hadas before and chose to go to Santiago, one of their favorites. The coast here is really just one bay after another. Las Hadas is one of the places you want a picture of. It is where Bo Derrick made the movie Ten. This moorish architecture resort sits above the anchorage. Quite picturesque. For 200 pesos (about 17 dollars) a day, you can dock your dinghy and use the hotel ammenities. It is beautiful. I see why folks choose this anchorage. We were able to connect with our friends on Dodger Two before they headed north. We had great time in the pool and lovely meals before they took off. It was good to see them. They had told us about the lovely inland towns of Colima and Comala. We decided before leaving this area to take the bus and see them.

What an experience! It happens it was the one day in the year where they host a rodeo/bull fight/fair. Our Best Western Ceballos hotel was right on the old city square. We had hot water, shower, and a king size bed - What a treat! The square was where the action was. In one hour, there was to be a parade right in front of us. How is that for timing? The bellman was also a tour guide. He got us started with information on the where and when.

We taxied to the event and really got to be one of the crowd. They seated us gringos (we were the only two we saw.) in the front row. The matadors placed their capes on the rail right in front of us, and the action began. Horses dancing, bulls being ridden and roped, bulls being fought (but not killed), incredible horsemanship by the charros. It was amazing. We stayed for hours. The fair had rides, food, and housewares of all kinds. this is where people wait all year to come and buy clothes, undies, shoes, kitchenware, pottery, art, etc. We were overwhelmed - I think that you'll enjoy the pictures. Back to the hotel to enjoy the music and people on the square, have a light dinner of chicken enchiladas, and watch a Mustang Club Rally as they paraded their cars around the square. A second parade in one day. Whew! People still walk with their families here, enjoying the beautiful evenings. What a delight.

Salvador, the bellman, met us at 9am Sunday to take us for a walking tour of Colima and to drive us up to the town of Comala. We were in for a treat. As we left the city he took us to visit local churches and tell us a bit about the culture. He stopped and bought us local drinks (I can't remember the names) made from pineapple, corn and palm oil (tuba). Then on to an archeological site from the time of the 400 BC to 1000 AD. Only 1% of the area has been excavated and it is huge. We were able to just pick up pieces of ancient pottery in the dirt. We looked directly into a tomb with its bones, carved animals, etc. We saw the places of worship and living quarters. These ruins were amazing, and there are no controls on them. People can walk wherever they want.

Then on to the special town of Nogueros, just outside Comala, and the hacienda of artist Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo. He is known for the pictures of angels from many countries that have been used on UNICEF Christmas cards. In this locality, townspeople collected and gave him ancient artifacts they ran across for many years. He worked with Colima University and made an exhibit in his home that continues to be maintained after his death in 2000. The pottery exhibit is finer than anything we have seen anywhere and presented in such an artistic manner. This was really a treat. I've put several pictures of this ancient pottery in the blog. We couldn't take pictures of the paintings, but maybe you are already familiar with them.

Finally, we went to the center of the little town of Comala, "The White City". We didn't have much time before we needed to get back to the bus station, but we took time for a cold drink, and the restaurant people brought plate after plate of food. It was free. For the four of us, the bill was $11. Mariachis sang, an old man played a tune on a leaf, an accordion player entertained and we watched families spending their Sunday afternoon together in the square and enjoying a meal. At the table next to us, a mom was filling her son's sippy cup with Corona. No wonder he didn't give her any trouble. Back to the beautiful Mexican bus (really) and a 90-minute trip back to Realtime. We had left her at anchor here (a first) with friends Ron and Cheryl Roberts from Long Beach in Lazy Days watching her. All was well.

We had previously visited the town of Manzanillo (industrial) and found a repairman for the SSB, so Monday morning we motored over there to have him take a look at it. It's a pretty cumbersome arrangement with us anchored out in the harbor, and Bob has going ashore in the dinghy to pickup and deliver the serviceman, who speaks no English. It was an all day thing. A chance for me to work on the blog. The north winds are picking up and we won't go far tonight. We are headed north.

Unfortunately, the previous negative results of my biopsy weren't really mine. There was an error in the wrong direction. I am heading back to Puerto Vallarta as soon as the winds subside to consult with a plastic surgeon regarding surgical removal of another melanoma from my face. It has developed since we left and looks just like the others looked. It is on my left cheek. I'll talk with him and then decide if I will have it removed here or go to the US. Since it grew so quickly (I was thoroughly checked the week we left), I don't want to delay. If weather doesn't get us north soon enough, I'll go on the bus. We'll see. It is "in Situ" so if they get it promptly things will go well. I'll keep you posted.

We do well. This really does feel like home now. We had a king size bed in Colima, but were still happy to return to Realtime's little quarter berth. I will get to work on downloading some pictures now - also some videos of the Rodeo/Bullfight. We are so lucky to get to explore so much. When I imagined cruising, I didn't really think about all the incredible places we would visit. What an experience!

We have decided not to do the Pacific Puddle Jump this year. We still have issues with our refrigeration and power use (they are connected). We will go north to La Paz in the Sea of Cortez and spend the hurricane months/summer there exploring the sea. We didn't have time to see much of it when we were in the earlier part of our trip. The end of the summer is extremely hot and folks do not stay on their boats, so we will come to the US and pester our friends for a while. Our thought are to rent a small RV and spend a couple of months exploring on land and visiting family and friends. There are many places we haven't seen and we miss everyone. That is fun to look forward to. Most cruisers need a bit of land time every now and again. that is something we hadn't thought about before either. We are living and learning.

We are waiting for winds to calm down and then heading north early on Friday morning. We will travel as far as we can each day, ending up back in Puerto Vallarta. Please post comments and let us know what you think of this blog.