A life of Good-Bye's
02 December 2015 | 23 16.22'N:106 27.31'W, Mazatlan, Mexico
Mark
It won't be a surprise to any cruisers, or others that live a transient life, that we are constantly saying good-bye to friends, experiences, animals, and possessions.
When we settle into a new area, we quickly make new friends, and then a few weeks or months later, say good-bye to them, never knowing if we will see them again. Some of our friends are now on the other side of the world and out paths may cross there in the future, maybe not. It is definitely one of the toughest things about this lifestyle.
Today, as we prepare to sail south on Thursday morning, I dropped off the final items and locked the door of our condo - which may be for the last time as we have our unit for sale. After spending the last six months in Mazatlan we have especially bonded with many of the staff at our condo. It was difficult to say good-bye to them, since we may not see them again. Dee said her good-bye's yesterday, but today was my day. I found it extra tough as this is a culture that is not afraid to show emotion. When the chef is saying that he is "so sorry" with a very long face and the front gate guard has tears in his eyes, it is difficult to maintain that "North of the Border" composure. It's probably good that I didn't get to say good-bye to everyone in person or I probably would have lost it!
I also had to say good-bye to my little blue motorcycle today - and this was almost as tough as saying good-bye to real people! We've had this bike down here for nearly eight years and it has been a very good friend, carrying us all arond Mazatlan on sightseeing trips, boat part hunting adventures, and countless shopping trips. You would be surprised how much we can carry on the way back from Mega! It's had its ups and downs, many flat tires, broken spokes, and countless carb problems when it was young. But, it never once has stranded us and the brakes always been there for us when a bus decides to cut us off. After many thousands of kilometers, I've given the bike to Mexican friend and I'm sure it will have a whole new life - hopefully a long one!
As I mentioned earlier in this post, Thursday morning we leave Mazatlan just after dawn and head South. As sad as we are to be saying good-bye, Dee and I are definitely itching to be on the move again. We sail or motor all day Thursday, all night, and then most of the day on Friday. We'll anchor in Chacala, or further south in Banderas Bay at Punta de Mita if the wind is good. It'll be a bit nerve-wracking to be on the water again after so much time on land, so we are both hoping that we still know how to sail!
So begins the Mexician crusing season!