2011 Hola Mexico - Missive 11

January 25, 2011: We escaped Mazatlan early this afternoon and made it a whopping 12 nautical miles to the anchorage at Stone Island just around the breakwater from the entrance to the old harbor. Felt good to get away from the dock but we also endured the ocean swell. However, the sunset view was marvelous.

Stone Island 23 10.917N 106 24.409W

January 26 - 27, 2011: We must be jinxed ... another passage with no wind. It took us 24 hours to travel 166 nm to La Cruz so we averaged about 6.9 knots an hour. Since we were motoring we filled both water tanks taking advantage of our power situation. We finally got to see numerous turtles swimming leisurely along, lots of birds and a pod of dolphins. The weather, wind and seas were benign and we arrived at La Cruz around 9 am. As you probably have guessed already it didn't take long to anchor, chow down breakfast and go back to bed for a few hours of shuteye to make up for lost sleep last night.

La Cruz 20 44.775N 105 22.184W

January 27 - February 7, 2011: I am negligent in writing on a daily basis about our activities here in La Cruz. But there is only so much you can say about eating, visiting with cruisers, drinking beer/marguerites and exploring. And really one day melts into another and you wonder what you have accomplished. It has been very nice to hang out with fellow dockmates from Shilshole - Bill & Sue on Dilligaf, Paul & Judy on Grace and Bill & Kat on Island Bound.

Instead of boring you with daily activities I am going to list some observations and experiences:

• Never ever ride on the last row of seats in a bus; it will jar apart every joint in your body.
• If you see your favorite food or parts or whatever you need or might need ... buy it ... you may never find it again.
• Tips ... the major earning power for the average worker.
• Singers/guitar players traveling on buses to entertain gringos can't carry a tune.
• It does cloud over in Mexico ... not every day is sunny.
• Puerto Vallarta has capitalized on tourism; its old downtown is clean with a lovely waterfront walkway, nice restaurants (with US prices) and plenty of security.
• Cruiser's net - just like a small town; everyone knows each other's business, everyone listens in on conversations and everyone has something to say and everyone is willing to assist.
• So far my favorite beers are Negra Modelo & Modelo Especial ... Pacifico tastes like beer koolaid.
• Crackers taste like cardboard.
• Only 50% of equipment works on any given day in Mexico - don't bother asking "why" it doesn't get fixed especially noting all the junk piles of broken down crap lying everywhere.
• Toilet paper never goes in the toilet, only in the garbage can - very sensitive sewage system. Sometimes it's even hard to find the toilet paper - in Walmart the "one" dispenser was hung on the wall next to the sinks ... not in any stall. You definitely needed to plan ahead.
• Baby wipes and hand sanitizers are just as critical as money.
• Bread turns moldy in just a couple of days ... tortillas last for months.
• Marina Riveria Nayarit (LaCruz marina) has an outdoor movie theatre - Thursday is movie night.
• One restaurant here in La Cruz pours a mixed drink at your table and you tell the waiter when to stop pouring the alcohol. This practice will put them out of business rather quickly.
• Live music is everywhere - some good, some not so good.
• Mexico is dusty and dirty ... you and the boats are chronically covered with dust.
• Sooner or later cruisers get traveler's diarrhea no matter how careful you try to be - and it can be very serious if not treated.
• Manana doesn't necessary mean tomorrow, just means not today.
• How do you run a laundry service when you run out of water? So I leave my laundry anyway (it's Friday am) to get washed "manana" ... come back Saturday - laundry is cleaned however the place is closed and also closed on Sunday ... and Monday is a Mexican holiday. They must have needed dinero since they came to work on Monday.
• Ever seen 4 good sized adults in a small taxi with a trunk loaded with Costco purchases? Picture four us with toilet paper, paper towels and back packs on our laps heading back to La Cruz ... the taxi driver took the speed bumps and pot holes (they are one in the same) very slowly. I believe he was preserving his shocks not us.

Anyway you get the picture; I will pass more on as we experience this different culture! Time to leave for Barra de Navidad. The Ponderosa "not so fast delivery service" has goodies to deliver to various cruisers.