In a few days we are leaving La Cruz for a place called Puerto Salina on the Pacific side of the Baja peninsula near Ensenada. When we arrived in La Cruz on February 6th we figured we would stay two or three weeks. My parents were coming into town for a week and thanks to our friends on S/V Proximity, we were able to arrange a gorgeous condo for them to stay in, overlooking the water in Punta Mita. Then our three week visit stretched into four months.

After my parents departed Jean and I had a lot of work to do with our businesses. La Cruz proved a good place to get caught up. And after a while we really fell in love with the village here. We enjoy walking through town with a combination of chickens, stray dogs, and little kids running around on the street. The food is fantastic and reasonable. Tonight we are wandering up to an unnamed taco stand on the other side of the highway. It is only open Friday through Sunday. We have probably introduced 30 different people to this place. The proprietor is Sandra. Sandra grew up in La Cruz. Her father owned a beachfront restaurant and Sandra grew up around visiting cruisers, long before Banderas Bay became as popular as it is today. Back then La Cruz was a sleepy fishing village. One night Sandra told us about an American couple who had befriended her 25 years ago and sent Christmas cards to her from exotic cruising destinations. She remembered the boat name and first names of the couple. I happened to have my Asus netbook PC in my backpack when I heard this story and managed to track the people down before we left the restaurant. I will check in with Sandra tonight to see if she has been enjoying an email exchange with them.

As I sit in the cockpit writing this blog post I am enjoying some live music emanating from Ana Banana's, a fun bar and restaurant that used to be right on the beach until the marina development and resultant landfill put them hundreds of yards from the marina and nowhere near a beach. Part of me wishes this marina had not been built, as some of the charm is undoubtedly dimmed. No account of La Cruz would be complete without a mention of Philo's, a near legendary bar and eatery with great music. Philo has been around a number of years and does a great deal to support the local community. In addition to his generosity he is a genuine nice guy. Right now he is escaping the summer heat and playing music in San Miguel Allende, a mountain community about 8 hours from here.

Next season we will have a more formal presence for Island Planet Sails in Banderas Bay. I was able to help several cruisers this season with not only getting their new sails ordered, but the more challenging task of actually getting the sail shipped down here without paying a fortune in duties. Our shipping partner has proved reliable and reasonable, a marked contrast to some who specialize in shipping boat equipment to Mexico. I installed a windvane for someone who was readying their boat to transit the Panama Canal. This poor gentleman was charged $2000 to get his windvane down here. Unbelievable.

We have met a number of great people here in La Cruz, cruisers and locals. Thank you one and all for making our stay muy especial (very special). We look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones here next season.