Lots has been happening for us, thus the lack of a blog entry. Too busy living life down here! Since my last entry in which I mentioned that Ron and I both survived our hospitalizations, I had yet another birthday, Ron went to Colorado for his Aunt's funeral, and I had several weeks of physical therapy on my knee and am still healing. We have also now been in Guanajuato for three days in a VRBO that we rented for 3 months. It is our way to further explore Mexico, but additionally to escape the heat of the coastal summers down here. The trip was interesting to say the least, as was getting the boat ready for storing it "on the hard" in a boatyard for 6 months. I will fill you in on all that later in this entry.

Ron's Hospitalization
We experienced a very frightening episode with Ron when we ended up hospitalizing him. As I mentioned before, we both periodically had gastrointestinal ordeals, which seems to happen more regularly down here. Even though we try to take precautions, as we have discovered, you can only do your best. We have continued eating out in restaurants, and occasionally eating some of the street food (at taco stands), but the sanitary conditions just aren't the same as the U.S. That means if you bathe, brush your teeth, and eat salads, or uncooked ingredients, then you inadvertently expose yourself to bacterial infections. We have probably gained some immunity in the 1 ½ years we have been here, but still.... So what we understand is that Ron never came out of the fatigue, diarrhea, nausea, shakiness, and lack of appetite that he had in his last gastrointestinal bout during the holidays. He went to 2-3 doctors and was given antibiotics and Vermox (kills parasites), but they had only run stool sample tests and really didn't find anything wrong. He would not feel like eating, wanted a morning nap and an afternoon nap, and the only thing that ever sounded good was ice cream and a drink or wine in the evening. Well, his liver became inflamed, which we didn't know, and couldn't process the sugar anymore. He became lethargic and confused, and I kept saying "something is WRONG! This isn't like you." But he thought he just hadn't gotten "over" the gastrointestinal stuff. Finally, as I mentioned, he was to fly to Colorado to see his Aunt Rita in her last few days, but two days prior, I said that I didn't care what he thought, I was taking him to the hospital. I packed a few clothes, and dragged him to the car. On the way to the hospital, he asked me if "they have turned on the sirens yet?" That really freaked me out, as I clearly knew he was in a delusional state at that point. To make a long story short, he went directly into the emergency room, and they admitted him. His blood pressure was a little elevated, and the rest of his vitals seemed okay, but the ER doc knew pretty quickly that his liver was not doing well. Tests confirmed it. His triglycerides were at 1770, when they should be no more than 150 or so. He was off the charts and had peanut butter for blood; it was that thick and sludgy. Turns out he had Acute Hepatitis, but not the viral kind (A, B, or C). His liver had just become inflamed because of poor eating habits and too much sugar. They kept him 2 ½ days and pumped him full of good vitamins and antibiotics. Four days after his release his blood pressure was low, and his triglycerides were at 83. The doc said he was a "miracle," to have gotten better so quickly. We have him on a better diet, well, us both, and no alcohol for a month. He has a little wine now, but overall, no processed foods and keeping away from the sugar. More veggies and fruits is the key, and minimal amounts of protein, at least for now. You know, basically eating the way we all should!

One little story about my drive home from visiting Ron one day in the hospital. I was heading to our boat in La Cruz, and within one 5-minute period of time, I came upon a campesino (a peasant farmer, the ones with the big straw hats) on a horse, guiding another horse down the side of the road, as well as "Juan de Semilla de Tomate"(Johnny Tomato-Seed). The highway is the main thoroughfare (4 lanes, divided with a median that is planted with palm trees from PV to La Cruz). "Juan de Semilla de Tomate" was this guy in the back of an old open produce pick-up truck, and as we were making our way across a long bridge over a river and low lands, he would occasionally toss a tomato from one of the many crates he was sitting on, over the side of the bridge. He had the biggest grin on his face. I'm not sure why or what he was doing, except spreading his little tomato seeds throughout the river valley. Thus the name I gave him. I continue to be astounded and pleasantly surprised by the sights I see down here.

Back North to Mazatlán
In mid-April we returned to El Cid marina in Mazatlán, having a successful motor sail up the coast. Ron returned from Colorado the last day in March, missing my birthday, but making up for it when he returned. Anytime one of us, or friends and relatives, come back from the U.S., we/they load their bags up with items that we can't get here (dozens of bags of cat treats, cough syrup, Advil PM), with the priorities being boat parts (!), but he also bought some delicious loaves of banana bread and chocolate chip cookies that his mom always makes for us. (They both make the passages a little more enjoyable!). He also brought me two pairs of shoes, one pair that I knew about, and a pair of Keens as a birthday (BD) gift, as well as new Mac laptops for each of us! His computer had died completely right before he left. Mine was a complete BD surprise! Ron has rarely been able to surprise me, but he certainly did this time. He was a little nervous that they might stop him at customs for bringing over electronics to sell, since we as temporary residents, are not allowed to make money in Mexico, but no problema!

Anyway, once he was home, we did last minutes provisioning, picking up pizzas, snack bars, fruit; all easy items to eat underway. I finished up my physical therapy, and we picked out a weather window to leave. We headed out first to an anchorage two hours away, mainly to get in motion again, so that we and the cats could start getting our sea legs. They got sick of course, and stayed sick for a lot of this trip, including during the overnight part of it. We did a one day sail, to an anchorage near San Blas, which we have stayed in before, and then left there for an overnight (26 hours) sail into Mazatlán, arriving unfortunately before daylight which meant we had to slow down, and meander a little before we could enter the channel, and finally into El Cid marina, exhausted from not enough sleep, and rolly big seas (6' rollers parallel to the boat, which makes you go side-to-side for hours). But it was great getting there as several friends we had met previously on our other two times there, came out to grab our lines and to greet us, saying "Welcome home." That felt good. Also, be sure to look at the photos of the iguanas (once I post them!) They hang out at the pool area at the marina/resort, entertaining the guests by stealing their food when they aren't looking, climbing on to the lounge chairs poolside.

Ron's brother Tom, sent us an email not long after we arrived and had been reading a book by Yvonne Chouinard, a famous mountaineer, philanthropist, and founder of Patagonia (clothing and gear manufacturer). The book is 180 Degrees South: Conquerors of the Useless. In recreating his first trip to Patagonia, one of his partners signed on to help a sailing ship/crew in exchange for a ride south from Ventura, CA to the southern end of South America. There was "passage about a passage," and Tom forwarded it to share with us. (He is considering coming down to help us with a crossing/passage at some point). I think this so aptly describes our experience at times:

Crossings are like jail time, only prettier. They alternate between extremely boring and absolutely terrifying. In some ways they are worse than jail: fewer people to talk to, less space to move around in, and your world is in constant movement, 24/7. It never stops: not while you pee, brush your teeth, eat lunch, fix dinner, or shuffle from one small area of the boat to another. Bouncing, rolling, lurching, slamming, rocking - it never stops. You can only tell or listen to so many stories, read so many books, watch so many videos, listen to so many songs. Eventually you just sit there and stare at the same things you've been staring at for how many days you care not to remember. But you do know, down to the hour, when you think you will hit land. And all you can think about is that day: the day you get out.

I remember at one point on this passage when I thought, "I can't stand this one more moment!" It was quite hot, with 85 percent humidity, temps in the 90's. Our breeze was coming from behind, meaning, it felt like no wind, still as can be. The sun was beaming down on us, at such an angle, that our overhead bimini was doing no good, and the four of us were squeezing ourselves into the only square foot of shade we had, making us sweaty AND hairy!

Another segment from that book is the following, also very true to our experience:

Then again, there are those moments, the reasons I subject myself to such abuse. The nights alone at the helm, sitting under the stars, thinking about life, the world, the universe. Or, after having endured the crossing, you set foot on foreign land and have earned it, much more than if you had taken a commercial flight to get there. You see things you never would have seen had you not sailed there.

Leaving Our Home of 16 Years for a Summer in the Mountains!
I previously mentioned some of the details of what needs to be done to put the boat on the hard. We had two weeks to do that work before our "haul out" date on April 29th. We had reservations for the place in Guanajuato for May 1st, so we needed to haul out and have at least one day in the boatyard to finish up some of the things that can't be done when you are in the water. Like putting stuffing in all of the thru-hull openings (where the sinks drain out into the water, pumps and the engine discharge water, etc.). Any opening like that has to be stuffed with something that will not allow dirt-dobbers, bees, wasps, or birds to build nests. You also have to cover any openings above on decks for the same reasons, so we have aluminum foil and tape over all of the winches and other openings. Additionally, we had to buy material to cover the dorades, to keep birds from flying down inside the boat. We had a vague address for a fabric store, but couldn't find it. I parked on a street and Ron went to a mini-bed, bath and beyond (similar to such a store in the US, but not part of the chain, and very tiny), and he looked in the window to see if it was the fabric store. Nope, but the woman came running out to ask him what he needed and then to describe to him where the store with material was. He went in and found he didn't have the Spanish to ask for a netting of some sort. Actually you have to buy bridal veil to be able to allow air to go into the boat. I guess he engaged several customers and they finally figured it out. I was outside in the car with the cats, as we had just taken them to the vet for yearly shots. The fabric ended up costing $0.80 (US equivalent) for several yards, enough to cover all of our openings.

We also had to prepare the car for the trip. I meant to take photos of the final load, but we had probably 6 medium and large bins filled with food, vitamins, medications, clothing, cat supplies, office supplies, as well as several large bags and luggage, a cooler with cold refrigerated food, a cat litter box, two folding carts, bottled waters, car repair tools, space for the cats so they would not have to be in their carriers for the 9+ hour drive from Mazatlan to Guanajuato, which is northeast of Mexico City, at an elevation of close to 7000 ft. The car was LOADED, and Ron only had a little space for his feet. I drove, as I am a terrible back seat driver, and sometimes a control freak! Shocked, right?

A day or so before we hauled the boat I met the couple renting us their house, Rachel and Adam, from Guanajuato as they happened to be traveling through town in their 1969 VW van on their way over to the Baja peninsula (by ferry) and on back up to the States and to Canada, where they stay during the summer. They are a lovely couple and we had a pleasant visit while having breakfast outdoors on the Plaza Machado in Mazatlan, after having some difficulty finding a time to meet. They don't carry cell phones, so all communication was online, which to me seems even more complicated in this day and age. Anyway, they gave me keys and drew me a map of how to get to their house, as Guanajuato is a VERY complicated town in which to maneuver, built in and up the sides of a canyon. The roads go under the town in places, are very tiny in other places, and only wide enough for one car, or just a burro. They are cobblestone or brick, and some abruptly end in stairs! So a map was essential.

After meeting Rachel and Adam, I walked a couple of streets over to catch the bus back to the marina. Those of you who read this blog regularly know that I always write about these positive experiences we have had here in Mexico, dealing with locals who have been so helpful and friendly. Well, I had an experience that informed me, rather painfully (!) that I need Spanish classes again, and that I can't always depend on the friendliness of strangers. I found the bus stop at the mercado, leaned into one of the "verde" buses, and asked the driver whether they were going to "El Cid Marina." The night before we had been out and we had taken a different bus from our usual one, and Ron told me that he had taken this other one before, and it took us to our marina as well. Well, this was clearly NOT the same bus, although the driver nodded yes, twice when I inquired twice, that he was going to be going there. Well, it seemed like a circuitous route, but I thought, oh, well, I'm seeing some different sites and streets.... how interesting. Finally, it got to the last drop off and the driver turned around and "lectured" me in español, most of which was too fast for me to understand. He then proceeded to the end of the line, parked alongside 4-5 other buses in a dirt parking lot 1+ miles down an undeveloped road past the big mall here. I told him I was sorry, that I thought he had agreed that he was going past El Cid, and then he said, this is El Cid calle (street). I said, "You mean I have to walk, because there are no taxis out here." (in Spanish). He nodded, shrugged his shoulders and sat there. I tried to show him my new knee scar, to no avail (!) so I then got off the bus and trudged down the road! I heard some laughing behind me from the other bus drivers. I was quite bummed and pissed off that my Spanish wasn't any better. Never really felt in danger, but this was SO different from my usual experience down here. I wanted enough Spanish to be able to say, "This was wrong of you, Señor!" But then again, I am the visitor here.

So we got the boat hauled just fine, although it was a scary process as the current and winds were against us, and we had to throw our lines up to workers on the sides along where the travel lift runs. That means throwing the lines up from the boat to about 10 feet above us while a dinghy or two were helping push the bow of the boat into proper position. We had some friends onboard to help, and survived. I then had to stay on the boat to keep the cats calm as the boat was lifted into the air, all 22 tons of it, and driven to a spot for storage. It was very loud down below, with the boat creaking and the cats freaking. Then for the next two days there was the climb up and down a 12 -14 foot shaky ladder to go to the showers or bathroom, and sometimes in the dark!

The Boring, yet Harrowing Drive to Guanajuato
We left fairly early from the boat on May 1st to drive the 9 hours to Guanajuato. This was my first time to drive the highways and toll roads inland in Mexico. The roads were in much better condition than we thought, and we began climbing fairly soon out of Mazatlán through high country scrublands, covered with cacti, cattle, and small towns with campesinos walking about. Before or after many towns, people would be out waving us over to buy dried or barbequed shrimp, fresh mangoes (tons of mango groves), pineapples, and other fruits. I can't imagine standing in the sun along a highway all day long, waving people down. Very hard work. We continued to climb in altitude and began seeing fields of blue agave plants - similar to an aloe vera plant to me, if you have never seen them, although they are apparently related to the lily and amaryllis. They grow in cactus-like environments, but are not cactus. The blue agave has a life-span of 7-15 years, stands 4-5 ft. tall, and has a diameter of 3-4 ft. They were in abundance as we passed the town of Tequila, surprise, surprise, as that is why this plant is harvested. Ron saw a worker out with a small bundle of the "pups" which resemble pineapples. This is what they make the tequila from, and the workers work out in the hot sun, collecting hundreds of these per day, without damaging the mother plant. Much of these are grown in the Mexican state of Jalisco, which brings me to the other thing that Jalisco is famous for - the large drug cartel operating in the area.

Around 1:30 pm that day we had passed through the town of Tepic, and driven for about 10 minutes, when we saw another line of cars ahead, but really long for a regular toll booth. (BTW, our total cost for tolls from Mazatlán to Guanajuato was 1271 pesos ($82 US equivalent), which seemed like a lot to me. Every toll booth charged different prices, some as low as $5, and some up to $20, without much rhyme or reason to our understanding of things.) We couldn't see around the jumble of vehicles to figure out what was going on, but we finally made it past the long line of standing buses and trucks, passing people squatting in the shade cast by their trucks, eating their lunches or just chatting, or under the few shade trees scattered about. We then began seeing a large number of federales and military vehicles and trucks. Every car was pulled over and asked where they were going. We told the officer "Guanajuato" which meant passing through Guadalajara, and he just shook his head and told us "No passa." Which I guess was his way of saying "You can't pass" in his broken English. We were then told in Spanish, that there was a shoot-out up ahead, and that the highway was closed in both directions, and that we couldn't go through until "posiblemente en una hora, o en un dÍa," which is possibly in one hour or one day!

We turned around and decided we would return to Tepic, rather than wait in the heat with the cats, and with our air conditioning not exactly working up to speed. We found a place called the "Paraiso" motel, after passing up a few motels that were highly questionable, meaning, they rent them by the hour. With cats, we couldn't go to a Hotel, nor could we find one easily with our GPS or Yelp, so imagine a 50's motor court motel with a pool in the middle. Unfortunately our room also came with the additional challenge of problematic air conditioning, even in our "deluxe" room. Deluxe in this case translates to the room having a fan AND an air conditioner, however, I sat in the car and watched Ron through the door of the room directing the remote at the air conditioner on the ceiling, pointing this way and that, with no luck. He then had to enlist the help of the woman back at the office to come help him. She and he stood in our deluxe room, looking up, pointing again to no avail. They then left, returning with one of the maids, who saved the day with a "bucketa," a bucket that she overturned and stood on. She asked if we wanted to keep the bucketa in case we needed it. Ron and I then made the executive decision that we wanted a different room. We finally settled into a room with construction going on next door, however that ended by 7:00pm. I will include some photos of the room. Some of the wiring was a little scary and I refused to use the funky shower. There was a cement half wall in the middle of the room, for some reason, and a cement bench along one wall. Not the most comfy spot, but it worked for one night.

I tried to find out something about the "gun battle" but had no luck with the TV or wifi in our room. We ended the evening going to the motel restaurant, which was the first restaurant that I think we have been to where there is no menu, but they tell you what you can have out of 3 or 4 choices. They had chicken on the grill right in the open air seating area and were making fresh tortillas. So we got half of a chicken each, rice, salad and fresh tortillas, as well as a drink each for a total of US $17.00, or 8.50 each, including tip. Not bad! We were getting into cheaper food prices, which we have heard about since coming down to Mexico, but not always experienced in some of the more touristy areas.

The next day we left early and passed through where the roadblock area. We got a call while on the road from a British friend of ours who had heard on the BBC news about the violence the day before in Jalisco. Apparently a "New Generation" cartel is wanting to show its muscle and began burning cars, gas stations and banks in an area from near Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta, even shooting down a military helicopter! Apparently the military were putting up roadblocks throughout Jalisco state, and that is what we got caught up in. At least we weren't stopped by one of the cartel road blocks, which we have also heard about. We saw no other signs of problems on our way to Guadalajara, but saw many many military vehicles carrying armed men with machine guns. I even saw two camouflaged container trucks! That was a first for me. Obviously the camouflage didn't work!

So we made it in to Guanajuato by 1:45 in the afternoon, and were again stopped at the entrance to town by the militia. They were pulling over random cars this time, and we were one of those. We thought for sure we were going to be searched, and I began the conversation telling him that I could only open the window (ventana) so far because of the gatos! Samantha was trying madly to get in to the front seat to say hello, and to sniff his nose, which is her way to greet others. The guy spoke no English, so he called someone else over, who was as smiley and friendly as could be! He asked where we were going, and when we showed him our little hand drawn map, he told us it was very complicado, and gave us a tourist map and directed us how to get to the right area of town. He then asked for a little "propina" (tip) for the map, and wished us a good visit. Very kind and helpful and had a good sense of humor.

We made it up to the house in about 10 minutes from there, and I will include photos of the skinny drive toward the end. This is NOT the driveway to the house, but the street we had to drive in on, surrounded by 15-20 foot stucco or concrete and stone walls, with the side mirrors on the truck folded in, and maybe 6-10 inches clearance on each side of the car. Ron got out and directed me, particularly when I had to make a 90 degree turn in to the parking space behind a big metal gate that hinged open. Our view up here is incredible, as you can see from the photo, but we are at approximately 7000 ft., and we all initially experienced a little altitude reaction, particularly coming from 16 years living at sea level!

We have now been here for three days, and much to our surprise, the cats have adjusted marvelously.
There are 4 levels to the house, and the cats think they are on a really big boat, getting to run up and down stairs, as well as enjoying the cool tile floors, and the outdoors! Temps at night are great, down to upper 50's, lower 60's. We wear sweaters and socks in the mornings when we get up, but have shed them by 10 or 11. Today Ron put on jeans for the first time since we have been in Mexico I think. It was strange seeing him in long pants again! Days warm up into the mid-80's, and May is supposed to be the driest month here. Boy, our skin has dried up! The next couple of months are to see a little more moisture, but similar temps.

The first night we arrived we were greeted with fireworks until 9:00 am the next morning! Throughout the night! This of course started all the dogs barking and howling, rounding out our nighttime cacophony of sounds. The celebration was apparently due to a 3 or 4-day celebration of May Day and Cinco de Mayo. Today is the official day, but we haven't heard any fireworks or music as of yet. On the positive side, there has been great music flowing through the house. We are at an elevation that overlooks the town and we keep windows and doors open for the breeze, and of course, the music during this celebratory time for Mexico. At times it has been quite loud, but it is part of the experience, part of this adventure, and you just have to accept it and enjoy. We really love the variety of instruments we can hear, and how much live music there is. This is also the town where the University students have occasional "party" parades up and down the alleyways, playing music, singing and partying away. We have yet to see that.

As I've said before, Guanajuato is a really old colonial town, with a large university population, tons of old churches, and even a Mummy museum. We plan to explore a lot, as soon as we get our high-altitude legs working. We went down the mountainside that we are on the 2nd day we were here, using one of the many alleyways composed of uneven and sometimes crumbling stairs to get to the historic centro district. It is easy to get lost in this maze of small streets and callejónes (alleys). Our only mistake was accidently walking into someone's private courtyard and casa when I thought it was part of the alleyway! They quickly informed us "No, No," with a shake of their fingers, and then got a good laugh at our embarrassment! We profusely apologized, and that we are just confused gringos! They were setting up for a party and had made their place quite festive with balloons and streamers. We then explored a little and went to a restaurant. My legs were shaking by the time I got down to town on the hundreds of steps, and we had to taxi back up. The taxi driver drove at break-neck speed through the tunnels and skinny windy streets, scaring the you-know-what out of us!

Then yesterday we stayed in our barrio (neighborhood), and walked around to see what we can buy in terms of food or other items nearby. We managed to get some boneless chicken breasts from a little butcher shop, and then went into a tienda for 2 beautiful mangoes, 2 yummy avocados, a package of paper towels, a big bag of fresh strawberries, and 4 containers of yogurt, all for less than $4.50 US, and then had lunch at a little mom and pop "restaurant" which was in their patio area with two plastic tables and chairs. There Ron had 3 pork tacos "al pastor" and I got a chicken breast, rice, beans, salad, and fresh tortillas, all for $4.05 U.S. equivalent. They were delicious and we had no gastrointestinal reactions at all! This, as I said, was all within a block or two. There is also a small pharmacy although I doubt they have much, a couple of small fruit and vegetable stores, and a chicken roasting place. The place we are staying at has an organic garden, full of baby arugula right now, which made a great salad last night with what we had bought. They also have fruit trees, including fig, orange, avocado, mango (not quite ripe yet), guava, and something else, that I've forgotten at this point. Obviously, it is time for me to put this blog entry to bed. I hope to include a few more stories from this fascinating town, before we move on to San Miguel de Allende for three months in August. We will return to the boat the fifth of November. Of course, it might just be Ron and I, after the cats have been enjoying yards and their outside freedom for the first time in their lives. Having places with walled courtyards makes that possible, and I can just imagine a cat-revolt as we try to repack the car to head back to the boat.

Adios, and Féliz Cinco de mayo!
Vanessa y Ron