We were both so excited Feb 14 finally arrived. We had had booked flights in September and this 2 week holiday just seemed to take forever to get here. We wanted to go to Zihuatanejo when we were cruisers ourselves back in 1997, but we did not go any further south than Manzanillo. We were very happy when Ian and Ellen said they would travel to Zihuat. After we "pushed the button and got the green light" at immigration gate (the lady directly in front of us got the red light) we saw the smiling faces of Ian and Ellen. Our small hotel, Canta del Mar, was wonderful and is run by a Mexican family. The hotel owner, Alicia was pleasant but did not speak english and as our spanish was very rusty, the fun of communications began. Fortunately, Alicia's daughter, Karla was very fluent in english and she dropped by regularly to help out. We spent 7 days at Canta del Mar and I have to say something about Alicia. One day Lynne caught her baby toe on a power pole guy wire. We thought it was broken. Alicia, a very kind and caring person, saw the swollen, black and blue foot, took over and began foot and temple massage, ice, ointment application and wrapping. Fortunately, the toe was not broken, but the therapy had Lynne back on her feet in no time.
Ian and Ellen had arrived the week before and we immediately benefited, with low cost collectivos (taxis, normally vans that share ridership with others), buses which are an even better value, great places to eat, shop and of course sights to see. A highlight included a day trip to Playa Linda to see the wild crocodiles. Wild is probably not a good adjective, as I am sure there is no such thing as a tame crocodile, but they were behind a big strong fence. We also took the dinghy into the lagoon at Zihuat. to look at the local crocs. There were around 15 of them in the water. Some were small and some were big! When you are in the dinghy with crocs swimming nearby, your butt is within easy biting distance. Ellen and Lynne were a little concerned, to put it mildly, when we got really close to take pictures.
Ian wanted to go on an overnight fishing trip that would take Kasasa 50 miles offshore and leave Ellen and Lynne at the hotel. The promise of catching large yellow fin tuna was very enticing. Kasasa weighed anchor and was out of the harbour by 6 PM. The next morning, the boys were 50 + miles offshore, the seas were lumpy and the fishing reels were quiet. They remained that way for the whole trip, unless you count 2 small inedible mexican tunny caught 5 miles outside the bay. Fortunately, there were many birds, porpoises and even a whale to see.
We were given a hand held VHF radio to keep in touch and were immediately introduced to the "Zihuatanejo Cruisers Net". Every day, at 9 AM, a controller would start the net and go through a checklist that among other things included roll call, arrivals, departures and the weather forecast. We used our old boat name "Two Jack" for radio identification. It was amazing as the days went by, we met other cruisers, knew their boat names and even experienced a sense of loss when some of the boats left for other destinations. Zihuat seems to be the place where cruisers decide to continue south to Central America and beyond or turn around and head back north.
After 7 days, we left the hotel and became Kasasa's crew. We decided to anchor out at Isla Grande, 10 miles to the north and very close to Ixtapa. We tucked Kasasa into a corner of the small bay to avoid the Pacific Ocean swells. The water was 25 C and although the visibility could have been better the snorkelling was fun and productive. The beach offered cold beer, margaritas and a chance to win a game of dominos. Every morning, Ian and Harvey went fishing in the dinghy. The reels were quiet. Ellen's galley would not get a chance to prepare a tasty ceveche dish made from fresh caught fish.
Lynne's loves weaving and she is an active member of the weaver's guild in Richmond. She also has a very busy tabletop loom in the spare bedroom. She was excited to find a store, close to Playa Centro selling hand woven rugs from Oaxaca. After watching a weaver completing a project, she noticed him hand finishing the tassels. The tassels were being twisted one at a time by hand. Lynne uses a special tool called a fringe twister that can twist many tassels at the same time. Harvey drew a picture so the weaver could understand the tool. It looks like it was a hit and would be very nice to see it being used the next time we are back.
Cruising is a unique way of traveling. While laying in the shade on a comfortable palapa chair, gently queezing a lime into a cold cervaza, enjoying an appetizer and watching your ship rolling gently in the ocean swells may sound like a beer commercial, it really is a lot of hard work. For us, traveling to new ports, meeting new people and enjoying an area from the comfort of your own boat were highlights that outweighed the high cost of running a boat, the hours spent doing repairs, difficult voyages, provisioning and of course, the constant vigilance. It was a real treat to relive the lifestyle again, especially since we were able to have all the benefits of cruising without the responsibility. We finished the last few days of the vacation in the Marina at Ixtapa. What a difference between the two towns! Ixtapa was developed and built for tourists! Zihuats history predates the Spanish conquest. Harvey was surprised at the lack of tourists! The beaches were empty and the number of restaurants with the managers practically begging for you to sit at their table was heart breaking. Zihuat. was suffering as well, but fortunately it seems to have a broader base for employment.
Sadly, all holidays must come to an end. Our last day was leisurely, as the flight was late in the afternoon. Ellen came as far as Zihuat where we transferred from one collectivo to another. We gave each other farewells and hugs good by before heading off to the airport. Ian and Ellen will leave their boat in the Baja when they return to Canada for a visit this summer. We will look forward to their visit and a chance to return their hospitality. Adios amigos and thank you for the wonderful holiday!
Harvey & Lynne (Two Jack)