A TRIP TO PARTIDA AND ESPIRITU SANTO

November 24, 2018

Morning Moon

I got up quite early on Saturday.  We intended to go to the islands and I wanted to get a run in before it was time to ready the boat for departure.  The full moon was still up when I arose.  I ran down to Palmira and nearly all the way back, covering 4.7 miles before slowing to a walk.  I encountered an entire high school student body walking on the Malecon and had to thread my way through hundreds of teenagers.

I showered while Greg listened to the net and then we secured the loose gear around the boat, filled the water tanks, and prepared to leave.  It was overcast and still.  We motored all the way to Ensenada Grande, munching sandwiches made from leftover arrachera along the way.  The Mexican rye bread we had purchased was a failure.  It was indistinguishable from Bimbo whole wheat bread.

We arrived at Ensenada Grande and anchored, once again, under the fisherman’s cross.  We were a little closer in than we had been the previous week, but the wind was keeping us well away from the rocks and a calm night was forecast.  We took long naps and then lingered over wine and chips with guacamole.  It was too cold to think about swimming.

Motoring into Ensenada Grande

The wind died down while I was cooking dinner and we had spicy chicken wings, salad with a lime vinaigrette, and Spanish rice for dinner in the cockpit.  Not having an internet connection, we had to make do with watching a movie and retired at a reasonable hour.

November 25, 2018

The Rock Face We Nearly Encountered

I woke up at 2:00 in the morning with the uncomfortable sensation that the boat was rocking oddly, as if waves were being reflected from the shore.  I thought I heard surf.  I poked my head up the companionway and all I could see was a rock face.  The wind had shifted to the west and blown us to within a boat length of the rocks.  I woke Greg and he agreed that we were much too close to shore.  We hauled anchor and reset it at a more comfortable distance from the lee shore.  I managed to go back to sleep, but Greg kept an anchor watch until 4:00.

We arose later than usual.  The sun was out, so I dived into the water for a swim as soon as I had finished my morning tea.  The water was quite pleasant once I started swimming and I did a couple of laps around Scout.  The water was clear enough to see the bottom and there was a large school of small fish swimming past.  It was the first clear, warm day since we had arrived in La Paz and I enjoyed lying on the warm, teak deck while I dried off.  Scout had a hot, freshwater shower on the swim step, which made the idea of swimming much more attractive.

Ahelani at Anchor in Caleta Partida

Incredible Moonlight

We made pancakes and lounged away the morning.  About noon, we pulled up the anchor and motored around the corner to Caleta Partida where several other boats from our marina were anchored.  We shared an arrachera sandwich for lunch and later were joined for happy hour by Steve and Pat from Ahelani.  

Our new anchorage was sheltered from the west and the boat remained almost motionless.  We ate arrachera tacos for dinner (We had purchased a three-pound hunk of arrachera at Costco in Cabo and never got around to eating it while the rest of the crew was still present.) and finished the bottle of wine we had started the previous night.  We watched American Sniper and then felt the need to go outside and let the gorgeous scenery elevate our moods.  There was a full moon peeking between the clouds and the evening was spectacular.  We spent some time trying to capture the scene with phones and cameras.  Our anchorage was very calm and we slept quite peacefully.

November 26, 2018

Cloudy, But Still A Pretty Morning

The weather wasn’t quite as wonderful on Monday morning, but there was an opening in the clouds long enough for me to swim three laps around Scout and dry off before the clouds obscured the sun.

Heading for the La Paz Channel

Ahelani was the first boat to leave and they motored out of the anchorage with Steve playing a trumpet solo on the bow.  We left about noon.  There was a bit of wind and we sailed most of the way, taking our time and arriving back at the marina just in time for sunset.  Steve brought Greg a vodka martini and we chatted a bit as the sun went down.  I made chicken in green mole to serve over the leftover Spanish rice and we settled down to watch a few more episodes of Better Call Saul.

November 27, 2018

Tom and Cary from Dragon’s Toy were returning that night, so my mission for the day was to get my laundry done and go to the bank to get cash before it was time to go.  I dropped my laundry off promptly at 8:00 and then took a nice walk into town to visit the ATM, stopping along the way to take a few photos for my blog.

Exposition at La Costa

I spent a large portion of the day working on my blog and we had arrachera quesadillas for lunch.  At 15:00, there was an exposition by local school children at the La Costa Restaurant.  I tried to pick up my laundry at 15:00, but it wasn’t ready.  I left it for the next day and we headed over to the restaurant.

Sixth graders from four different schools had made displays showcasing local geography, food, and points of interest.  Cruisers had been invited to chat with the students about their displays in order to let them practice their English.  The kids were shy, but some of them made a valiant effort.  After everyone had a chance to visit the displays, there were dancers.  A group of seniors performed ballroom dances and then some of the students did a local folk dance.  The girls mostly towered over their partners and looked adorable in their long, flowered skirts, some of which appeared to have been borrowed from their mothers.

I was in luck when we returned to the marina and the laundress had stayed late.  I was able to collect my laundry.

We decided to go to Gina’s for a burrito but found her closed.  Continuing on around the corner, we went to the Salad Club and shared a delicious chicken and pesto sandwich which we enjoyed with freshly made fruity aguas frescas.  Then we rushed back to watch the last few episodes of Better Call Saul.

November 28, 2018

Me in Front of Marina Palmira

Thinking we might possibly leave the next day, I wanted to get in one last run.  I got up early and managed to complete a full five miles along the Malecon before slowing to a walk.  I was back in time to listen to the net and then fit in a shower before breakfast.  Dragon’s Toy had checked in during the morning net and said they’d be around for a couple of days, so I thought I had a little time before I needed to rush off.

We were relaxing in the cockpit when Cary arrived to collect my passport.  They had decided to leave early the next morning and needed to check out and add me to the crew list.  Greg’s riggers arrived about that time to inspect the equipment at the top of the mast, so Greg was occupied with them while Cary and I made plans.  We all agreed to meet at 5:00 to transfer my baggage and go out for one last dinner.

The remaining afternoon was spent packing.  My departure seemed rather sudden.  I was eager to get to La Cruz and glad for the ride, but I was still reluctant to leave Scout and La Paz.  My time there had passed swiftly.

We walked a mile or so to a big palapa restaurant on Abasolo that our taxi driver had said was his favorite.  Their specialty was seafood and I ordered coconut shrimp.  They were a little overdone, but still tasty and we had a nice time with Cary and Tom and their friend, Ed.  We walked back to the marina and then it was time to say goodbye to Greg.  I felt slightly guilty about abandoning him, but we agreed to meet in La Cruz sometime in January.

I settled into my cabin on Dragon’s Toy.  We chatted a bit and then retired early, planning to leave at first light.