04/13/2012, Isla Mujeres
Checking into Mexico is a huge ordeal, You can do it yourself or get an agent. My advise, GET AN AGENT. Also do not leave the USA without a Courtesy Clarence from US Customs. That little red stamp on our paper from the US is the difference between getting a smooth entrance in to Mexico and taking 8-10 days to clear, or not at all. Our agent was Julio who happened to be the marina manager. His fee $40 and he calls all the officials to come to the marina. Immigration official, fill out paper get a stamp, slip him a $20, Customs another paper another stamp, another $20, Health, another stamp another $20 and Agriculture another stamp and a $20. They come on the boat tell how nice it is and the are off. Sweet indeed. Here's something you never read about in cruising guides....fumigation....They said we had to have proof of fumigation every 6 months. The $20 to the Health inspector took care of that. One quick stroke of the pen and we were fumigated. After all that we still needed to go to Puerto Juarez to the Port Captain for our final papers. Most people have to go there 2 or 3 times because of some missing serial number, or a passport copy, or something. We went prepared. Several copies of everything including ships papers, passports and the papers with all the stamps. I made photos of the the stamped hull number, dinghy ser#, and dinghy motor ser #. With Nancy speaking perfect Spanish she schmoozed the lady at the port captains office and $50 later we had our final papers. We are good for 6 months and Tradewinds is documented for 10 years. Yea!!!
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Comments [4]
The glass rifle of tequila laid to rest
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more shots
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More shots
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04/12/2012, El Milagro Marina Isla Mujeres
After a day of shopping and exploring Isla Mujeres it's Roberts last day. The question remains, how do we get the rifle of tequila back to the USA on the airplane? Our quest was to find a guitar case or box stuff it with durty laundry and check it. We found a box and Robert carried it on his bike back to the boat, where we began to re-think the whole idea. Plan 'B'....drink the tequila in celebration. Being true mariners up for any quest, that's just what we did. All 40 ounces. No ice, no salt, no lime just shots from the glass rifle. Don't really know how many rounds are in a 3 foot glass rifle, but it is safe to say there is enough to get really drunk and have the marina talking about those loco gringos.
We miss you Robert.
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04/10/2012, Chichen Itza
THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A NEW BEGINNING
According to the Popol Vuh, the Mayan sacred book, time was divided into "Eras." In each one of them, the gods created versions of man using different materials, but it was not until the present Era, when they fed their new human creation with grains of corn, that they finally considered their work worthy.
Each Era lasts 13 baktuns (periods of 394 years), adding up to a total of 5,126 years per Era. According to our calendar, the Era we live in began on August 13, 3114 BC, which means it will come to an end on December 21, 2012.
The Maya always believed that death & endings were merely a natural & necessary step towards a renaissance or renewal. Therefore, this date should not be thought of as catastrophic, as mistaken interpretations of the Mayan Prophecies have done; it is merely the start of a new Era, A NEW BEGINNING.
The ancient Maya believed that the gods gave men the responsibility to maintain their creation. Thus, today we can understand that human intervention is vital to preserve the world we live in; we cannot avoid this great responsibility. Following the belief that a new man was created in each Era, a man better than the one that came before, we are now given the great opportunity to renew ourselves & our lives, to turn into a better version of ourselves, so that this new man can re-establish a balance with the planet & with all other living beings.
Mayan wise men said that in the teachings of the past, we find the knowledge to live a better future.
On December 21, 2012, A NEW OPPORTUNITY begins.
FROM TODAY ONWARDS LET US CELEBRATE LIFE,
IT IS A NEW BEGINNING!
I found this in a tour book. I thought it was cool & wanted to share it.
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