3/23-25/08
25 March 2008 | Tenacatita, Jalisco, Mexico
by Cheryl

kayaking through the Jungle River Tour
We had a nice relaxing stay in Tenacatita. The only thing strange about it was that we missed 2 other cruiser friends who had been here while we were only a few miles away having fun in Barra - so close yet so far away. One even left Tenacatita the same morning we left Barra - ships passing in the day! We finally got to do some serious 'hanging out in the cockpit', swimming and kayaking- less of all that socializing and eating out!
When you anchor in Tenacatita you HAVE to go on the 'Jungle Tour' a 5(?) mile river trip that meanders through thick mangroves. It was very neat. We took the kayak so first we had to get through the surf, which went ok except Scott got his clothes wet since he didn't just wear his swimsuit. After sorting that out we had a grand time paddling down the river. It was very peaceful when the motorized small boats weren't zooming by. The mangroves were very green with long gray tendril-like roots hanging down and reaching down into the water. White Cranes & other birds darted about or flew right in front of us -their little yellow feet neatly hanging straight back. A couple swam quietly through the mangrove tendrils. We also saw 3 small crabs squiring along fallen logs - one disappeared right into a hole at the end of one log - very neat after I realized they weren't tarantulas! We didn't see any crocodiles but someone else said they saw 2 small ones. At some points the river was barely wide enough to paddle but those were the neat parts where the mangroves had grown together overhead making a shaded tunnel or canopy. The river ends just after at a small town along the beach. Apparently Corona 'owns' this town as all the restaurants have Corona signs peaking out above the palm tress. We walked the beach and picked a shore-side restaurant for some lunch - fun people watching on another of Mexico's colorful beaches. We enjoyed watching a fruit vendor make what I call 'mango pops' (mango's on a stick peeled and cut so they look like petals of a flower to me, that you put lime, salt or chili powder on) and 'pineapple drinks' (the tropical pineapple drink in a pineapple complete with pineapple top umbrella). We stopped at the small store for $3 worth of veggies before hading back. Once back through the jungle we beached the kayak and took a walk along our beach to the resort and back then braved the 2-foot high waves with the kayak! Very exhilarating - read: we got soaked!