04/09/2012, Puerto Vallarta
It's been a while since I have entered in the blog. We took a trip to the states for about 10 days. It was a great trip. It was nice to be on land and to see family. We first went to Florida to see Bob's sister Mary Beth and her husband Keith. We had lots planned to do and had a great time. We went to Green Cove Springs to St. Brendan's Isle. They are our mail forwarders. We picked up our "held" mail and packages. they also walked us through becoming Florida residents. We needed a residency while at sea for some paperwork and the mail forwarder isn't quite sufficient. Now we have domicile, drivers licenses, and voters registration. This should put us in good stead.
Keith took us to Hardee High School to speak to his geography and history classes. He made a wonderful power point for the presentations and we talked about our experiences on Realtime. They had prepared questions ahead of time and we answered them. Next year they are going to follow this blog as part of their curriculum. They gave us special T-shirts. You will see them in the gallery. We had a great time with the young people.
We joined Mary Beth at her church for Palm Sunday. It was a lovely service. The people there are very welcoming and they had a lovely pot luck. We saw an unlimited outboard race that reminded me of my youth. Several world records were broken. Mary Beth also facilitated lots of little shopping trips for items we can't get in Mexico. Very helpful.
Our last few days were with my daughter Jacquelyn in Las Vegas. She and her husband Jason have moved into a new home and we were very comfortable. Of course, we had fun with our grandson Parker, who is 3. He enjoyed jumping on the trampoline and going to the playground. Jacquelyn has just opened as the lead in Best Little Whorehouse in Texas at the Plaza. We were so lucky to get to see it twice. It was great. They are working out technical bugs, but as always, she lights up the stage with her presence. We also had a nice night out with Jason as well to see Chris Angel at the Luxor. It was an action packed time. They too facilitated our shopping for things that we can't get here. Bob packed everything masterfully and we made it through customs without a hitch. Good job, Bob.
Meanwhile, back at Realtime, the cabin is still upside down with no refrigerator or freezer. Materials have not all arrived for the completion of the project. We got here in time to send our friends, the Read's, off on their Pacific Puddle Jump, crossing over 2,300 miles of ocean to reach the Marquesas in French Poliynesia. We wish them God speed. There are a few repairs that we will do this week and then we will head north. We have reserved a space a Costa Baha in La Paz for the end of the month. We can take our time getting there.
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03/19/2012, La Cruz de Huantacaxtle
The last time I communicated, we were just about ready to round Cabo Corrientes and enter Banderas Bay for a return to Puerto Vallarta to see the baby tigers, go to the beach and have my surgery. We were just going to stop overnight in La Cruz, at the north entrance of the bay to consult with a refrigeration man who had been recommended and get fuel. Well.....we are still here two weeks later. The refrigeration man used to live in Long Beach and had worked with the man who left us in this refrigeration mess. Since before we left Shoreline the wall behind our bed was always very wet.
We had the man back and he drilled some holes and blew in some more insulation, but it didn't improve. We left the US with two sheets of insulation between the mattress and the wall, drying everything each day as we made the bed. It has gotten progressively worse.
We now have had to cut large pieces out of our beautiful wood and removed the galley counter top to see what was happening. What we found was incredible There were holes in both the refrigerator and freezer boxes that he had not sealed (one very large one where the old compressor hose went). The newly added foam insulation was trapping all that moisture that was being produced by the condensation. It was quite a job to get it all out. Some of it looked like a snow cone. That was the only answer...to get all the insulation out and dry everything. You will see a funny picture in the gallery of the tool I devised from a fish gaff, a large screwdriver and a dagger saw (blades on both sides) all hooked together with duck tape to try to get to the places too deep/far for our arms. To keep from poking things, I kept a kitchen mitt on the unused portion. We were a sight to see around here, insulation dust everywhere. Now we await the new insulation, new insulated lids and the carpentry work to make her beautiful again. I would like to take that guy and get him to open his checkbook to pay for all this work that is having to be redone. Lessons learned. We are fortunate to have found out about it and taken care of it. In addition, I continue to glue down lifting edges of the non-skid up on the deck. Had to stop during this recent crisis, but will finish in a day or so. Bob continues to try to get the two screws out of the windless to service it.
I had my surgery. He put a bandage on that kept me from seeing the results, and also covered it well during all this insulation expose'. He took the stitches out day before yesterday but covered it again. I haven't seen it yet. I see him again tomorrow for the pathology reports to see if he got clear margins. Then an appointment to learn how to massage the scar. Can you believe that! Can't say enough about the medical care here. The surgery and all these appointments cost $350. I'll reserve judgment until I actually see the scar. I plan to take a picture of Dr. Rivera and his nurse to put on the blog. Cruising is not only a vacation...it is doing real life while living on a boat.
Speaking of real life, it was bound to happen...Bob got a terrible intestinal bug. He has never been sick since I have known him. This one took us both by surprise. All when we were sleeping on the salon settee and eating out of ice chests! He is still in bed today, but improved. His temperature is approaching normal. It h ad been very high. We had a cruising physician on our dock who gave us assistance. Others brought CIPRO, thermometer, chicken broth and offers of assistance. This really is a family. I got to play nurse. Now this is a role where I feel confident :-) He is a good patient and I'm glad he is getting better. Good to see him reading and relaxing even if it takes a Mexican Bug to get him down. The doctor says this can sometimes last a few days so we are further slowed down. That's why I had time to do the blog :-)
We are heading for the states in a week to see Bob's sister and her husband in Florida, where we get our residency issues completed. Then on to Las Vegas where Jacquelyn is opening in the lead in Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. We will babysit Parker. We just got an adorable clip with Parker, hand over his heart, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. All this and he just turned 3...whew! We have missed our cruising friends while we have been here doing repairs and look forward to getting together with them again. The Reads will be leaving next week on the Puddle Jump. We are sorry not to be buddy boating with them. :-( We will see the Backuses in PV and the Watsons in La Paz. Friends are really the best part of this.
While we have been up to our eyeballs in insulation, La Cruz has been hosting large sailboat racing, "J" boat racing and windsurfing. There has been a lot of activity and beautiful boats in the marina. I'll include some pictures of them as well. Their President, Calderon came in a helicopter to shoot the opening gun aboard a beautiful power boat. Lots of excitement and lots of security. Enough automatic weapons for a war! There is one at the end of our dock at all times. Wish he would shoot the rat in the garbage area!.
Lastly a book that I would like to recommend. The Lemon Tree; an Arab and a Jew. Sandy Tolan, a graduate professor at Berkeley has written an incredible chronicle of the mideast Israel/Palestine conflict. It has always confused me and I feel much more empathy and understanding now. She tells the story (after interviewing the very people) of two families who actually lived in the same house (not at the same time) in Palestine (one Palestinian and one Jewish) after the Jews were relocated from Europe and given the land in Palestine for their new home (in Zion). The Palestinians were exiled. Reviewers of both cultures say it is fairly presented. Please read it. I would like to hear what you think.
An addendum:
I had my final doctor's appointment. A big surprise. He said that the pathologist (on examining a larger sample) no long believed it was melanoma, but something that looked much like it. The scar is healing well and I am fortunate. Thanks for all the good thoughts. Karyn
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02/27/2012
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.
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02/18/2012, Now in Tenacatita
We finally left Banderas Bay on Sunday the 12th. We anchored in the bay at La Cruz and filled up with fuel, then left about 7pm, heading south around Cabo Corientes. We were very fortunate with the weather and had an easy rounding of that cape. Then some nice sailing for a while heading south in following seas, sailing with just the jib. Bob even got "Hank", the wind vane, working for the first time. Hurrah! That is a story all it's own. Several of the cruisers have formed a Hydovane Society as they negotiate their new equipment. There was also a lot of motoring as well, as we headed for Chamela, arriving in late afternoon the next day. I'm always a little nervous on passage on a regular night. This night I was extra nervous, not knowing how to operate the windvane. Bob was understanding and stayed on deck until I had myself together to stand my watch. We met our friends the Backus' in Chamela. They had arrived earlier in the day and had already gone ashore. We were bushed, not wanting to get the dinghy and motor launched, so we stayed on the boat and took it easy. It was a rolly anchorage, so sleeping wasn't the best. The four of us left the morning of the 15th for Tenacatita. We tried stopping at Paraiso as we had heard it was magnificent. Unfortunately, with the NW winds it was not a good place to anchor. So - on to Tenacatita. What a beautiful bay. Others have told us about it, and we have just loved it. Lots to do, and people are really friendly. Unfortunately to go ashore, you have to make a surf landing and reentry through the surf in your dinghy. We were indoctrinated. Three dry crossings and one wet one. Live and learn:-) We took the dinghy up the estuary into the mangroves to see the wildlife. (Bob swears he saw a crocodile, but no one else did.) Several boats stay here for very long periods of time. They arrange social things like volleyball and raft-ups. We had dinner with other cruisers on a beautiful catamaran last night. It was like being in a seagoing condo! Wonderful, freshly caught fish and lots of good conversation. Lots of book discussion in this cruiser world. Today we hired a panga to take us across the bay to La Manzanilla. Wonderful little town. Very clean, got nice vegetables, had a nice lunch under a palapa on the beach. Unbelievably it was Indonesian food (owned by a Dutch couple who came here 9 years ago and stayed to start their restaurant). Haven't exactly decided where to go next, but think we will leave tomorrow morning. Tried to call Parker on his birthday, but was unable to get through. Maybe tomorrow when we are in a better spot. I've got a lot of bug bites; we have had mosquitos and various other minute pests that are hard to fend off. We also find ourselves struggling with "whose the boss when" issues. (This being a captain is heady business :-). We are learning a lot, meeting lots of interesting people and seeing many wonderful things that we would never have seen wothout this trip. Communication still seems to be the biggest challenge we face. What would we do without our Banda Ancha for internet. All our family has to be very understanding. Aloha from Mexico. More later.
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02/07/2012
It's been a few days since I updated this blog. We have been here at Paradise Village Marina for a longer than we had intended. We have had some more mundane experiences as we get ready for the next move. It was time for my dermatology check-up. I found a great young woman doctor who did a very thorough check. She of course found things to burn off and biopsies to take. Fortunately is was only Basal Cell and not Melanoma.
We are trying to get the boat ready. It is decision time. Insurance requires that we are above La Paz, here in Banderas Bay or into the South Pacific by hurricane season. We feel that by the time we continue south for a few weeks, we will have seen a great deal of Mexico, both on the coast and inland. We are leaning towards the South Pacific. We have gone to a seminar for the Puddle Jump. This is a rally of boats that leave from many places at many times, but all head for the South Pacific. It would require finding at least one crew member to divide the watch. We have a couple of possibilities. It's a big step. Mexico is very hot and humid in the summer, both in the Sea of Cortez and here in Banderas Bay. Without airconditioning (we could put it in), we would be uncomfortable. It's a big decision because then you have to decide where to go next. New Zealand makes the most sense.
There have been many chores to do, but we feel we have made some big strides ahead. All 10 portlights are finished and gleeming in the sun. You can see some pictures on the blog. This has been a two year project. Anyone who has replaced portlights knows just how challenging and time consuming it can be. Then it was time to varnish. If the portlights gleem, the rails need to do so too:-) She looks very pretty.
The Vallarta Yacht Club has lots of interesting things to see and do. We have gone to hear a jazz concert and a presentation on the humpback whales that are mating in this bay a this very moment. You can see mothers and babies and lots of activity. The presenter was terrific. They even had super bowl so all of us boaters who don't have TV could enjoy it.
A real joy was the turtle release. They lay their eggs on the beach here in this bay. They had been endangered, but through the work of volunteers they are carefully relocating the eggs and allowing the turtles to hatch away from predators. They keep them up to 24 hours and release them at night when the birds can't see them and the fish don't see their shadows in the water. It was a great experience. Once again, check the blog to get the whole experience. Here are the two url's for the videos: http://youtu.be/DMjeRgFHPFw and http://youtu.be/b9SXup8vAms It was really lots of fun. We will be leaving in the next couple of days for points south. Probably not farther than Manzanillo. Mostly will be at anchor so internet connections will be limited. This is a big month, as Parker turns 3 and Jim and Cathy have an anniversary. Congratulations all around. Lots of buddies in this boating community. The Watsons left last week to go south, the Reeds and the Backus' leave tomorrow. We will follow soon.
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01/29/2012
Several of us cruisers have been talking about wanting to see Guadalajara. It was often mentioned in Micheners "Mexico" and sounded interesting. The Watsons joined us on a bus trip up the coast and into the interior. We were surprised by dormant volcanos and lush valleys. Many were filled with Agave plants (they make tequila from them) and corn. Stands on the side of the road offered avacados, bananas, corn, tomatoes, etc. The city itself has 4.5 million people. Leif found us a historical hotel, the Morales. It was right downtown and in it's early days was where the bullfighters celebrated after a fight. We tood a city bus tour and were enchanted by this lovely place. We walked, enjoying museums, government buildings, markets and plazas. Jackie and I were captivated with all the stores full of ball gowns for young and old alike. We wished we were 20 and could go from store to store trying them all on. We had a lovely afternoon in Tlacapaque (the artists district). Bob bought me a moonstone necklace that I will treasure at the gallery of Carlos and Albert. We went to a university production of The Magic Flute. This was definitely a student production! He was a good sport, even when the forest fairies wore space suits! Singers did their arias in German and their dialogue in Spanish. Whew! Playing a little pool and then a great bus ride home on Premiere Plus. They give you a little bag lunch to take with you and show movies on little screens. Very comfortable. Back to the marina with many chores to do before leaving this marina later in the week. Two portlights to go and non-skid to glue, oil to change, revisions to the sun cover. We enjoyed our little time off the boat and are ready for what ever comes next. Two couples coming over tonight to celebrate Carol getting her "general" ham license today.
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