So, after a month or so of being cryogenically frozen in order to be transported into the future, the Reynolds family has finally thawed out and are back to the cruising and blogging lifestyle. What a great nap the past month has been!

Anyway, we are all very alive and well and still living on the boat in La Cruz, Mexico. After being chastised by more than one friend and blog reader, we realized we needed to get things going again. Gene’s has recently returned from about 3+ weeks of training for his new job in the states and we are all getting reunited and enjoying our time together.

As fortune would have it, Tami had to fly back to Seattle on the very day that Gene flew back into Puerto Vallarta. After 3 weeks of being apart, we were able to see each other at the airport for a few minutes at least before being separated once again. We have a close family friend who is terminally ill in the hospital at Fort Lewis and Tami needed to get home to see her one last time. She was fortunate enough to spend some quality time with her before returning home just a couple days ago. It was hard to say goodbye.

Yesterday, we re-entered the cruising lifestyle and slipped away from the relative safety of our marina for an overnight cruise to Yelapa. One of the benefits of Gene’s new job is the schedule. He works 2 weeks and then has 2 weeks off. So, during his time off, we can pretty much do whatever we want. It’s like a mini vacation every month! Anyway, Yelapa is located on the south side of Banderas Bay – a short 15 mile day-sail from La Cruz. Yelapa is a very unique little town. The land in Yelapa is owned collectively by the indigenous people, and the families there have extensive backgrounds dating back centuries. It is also home to numerous expatriates. Yelapa sits inside a small cove and is surrounded by towering lush green mountains. There is no road access to this small town; therefore, transportation is provided by water taxi, 4-wheeler, horse, or donkey. Only recently have telephone and electrical services been brought to Yelapa. The Rio El Tuito meets the bay in Yelapa and one can hike up through the town to a beautiful waterfall set against a tropical backdrop. In the warmer months, a dip in the water at the base of the cascada is well worth the walk. We didn’t get in the water, but we did take plenty of pictures.

For 200 pesos (about $20 US), we spent the night on a mooring in the bay. The water is too deep to anchor so entrepreneurial pangueros will hurry out to meet incoming cruising boats and help them with a mooring, for a fee of course. We were able to say hello to some cruising friends of ours on sv Savannah who were moored next to us as well. The anchorage was a bit bumpy, but the visit to the town was worth it. We only stayed one night, but next time, we will be sure to enjoy the popular restaurants, the Yelapa yacht club, and the delicious pies sold by the local ladies on the beach.

The overnight trip was a nice getaway. We sailed most of the way across the bay and enjoyed being back on the water. Andiamo was able to stretch her legs and fly full sail in the warm afternoon breeze. The weather was beautiful and the sun was hot. We are counting the days until Gene’s next time off so we can explore further and further away from our home base here in La Cruz.