BOATSITTING, IMMIGRATION, AND THE SAN PANCHO MUSIC FESTIVAL

February 18-19, 2019

Monday was just another day in paradise.   I went to the gym in the morning and spent the afternoon at Scout, taking advantage of Greg's absence to thoroughly dust the forward cabin.  Monday night, there was a screening of the documentary, Sonic Sea, about how human generated noise pollution affects whales and other marine mammals that rely on sound to find food and each other.  The screening drew a big crowd. I had never seen the amphitheater so packed.

The Crowd at the Amphitheater

According to the film, many seemingly mysterious beachings of whales and dolphins can be traced to noises so terrifying that the animals were trying to escape from the sound by heading for shallow water.  Something like 60,000 freighters ply the seas at any given time, generating a horrific drone that drowns out whalesong.  Even more disturbing is military sonar, which even the navy has accepted can cause whale beachings.  Perhaps the most horrifying case of all is the practice of prospecting for oil by setting off explosions at nine-second intervals and mapping the sea bottom using data from the reflected sound.  Sound can travel immense distances through water.  Using the navy’s listening technology, whales off the coast of Ireland could be heard in Virginia.

This constant noise makes it hard for whales and dolphins to use sonar to find food and scares away fish, resulting in as much as an 80% decrease in their food supply.  Obviously, that isn’t sustainable.  The only good news is that sound rapidly dissipates once we stop making noise, unlike other forms of pollution.  Quieter ships are also more efficient ships, so there is good motivation for improvement in that area.  The navy is doing what they can to reduce their impact on whales, at least while testing, although they continue to prioritize the safety of human lives and equipment over marine life during conflicts.  Only the oil industry has yet to make any attempt to mitigate the damage they cause.  I left the screening with one more reason to hate the oil industry and the hope that we make the shift to renewable energy as fast as possible. 

I ran early on Tuesday so that I could make a trip to Nuevo Vallarta to check on the status of my application for Mexican residency.  I had received a letter saying that they had resolved to grant me residency, but I had not received my resident card or any indication as to how I might receive it.  I needed to have it before I could leave the country, so felt I should check on the process.

A Surreptitious Shot of the Immigration Office

I took a combi to Mezcales and switched to another headed for Nuevo Vallarta.  It was market day in Nuevo Vallarta and the place was crawling with tourists.  It was a rainy day, so the Immigration office was quieter than usual and I didn’t have to wait long before my number was called.  It seemed that even though I had given them my fingerprints electronically back in Sacramento when I started the process, they wanted a hard copy.  I had to wait some time before the form was ready for them to use, but I left with a certificate displaying my official resident’s number.  They told me that I could return the following Monday to pick up my card.  I finally felt like I was making progress.

Seminar on Reading GRIB Files

I make a quick stop at the Walmart shopping center (otherwise known as Lago Real) for lunch and to pick up a couple of things and barely made it back to the marina in time to attend a seminar on reading GRIB files, the source of weather data received over satellite or single sideband.  I was tired after rushing around all day and stayed in to write while everyone else was at the Brittania.

February 20-21, 2019

Wednesday was music circle day.  We had a larger than usual group and two guys from Texas, Jerry and Nick (I think), made a great addition.  We sounded pretty great and drew a big audience for the Poolside Deli.  I took the guitar to the boat, afterwards, and read and napped the rest of the afternoon. 

Our friends, Blair and June, were flying in that evening and we had tentative plans to meet for a late dinner.  They were only planning to spend a couple of days in La Cruz before heading inland by car.  Blair would join us, after their return, to crew on the Banderas Bay Regatta and possibly help Greg return Scout to La Paz.  I was resisting leaving La Cruz before the end of the season and while the weather was still cold in La Paz.  It was the coldest year I had ever experienced in Mexico.  La Cruz had been cold and drizzly all week and there was snow in Tucson and Southern California.  I had no desire to go north before April at the soonest.

Blair and June arrived about 21:00 and I met them at the Red Chairs for a taco and a quick visit.  After dinner, we walked to the plaza for an ice cream and then I headed home.

Overcast Morning in La Cruz

I ran on Thursday but it was so overcast that the dawn was a non-event.  Paul, Carol, Blair, June, and I met for lunch at Tona’s Cocina Economica, the best deal in town for lunch.  While the place didn’t look like much from the street, there was a nice patio in the back with tables.  A complete lunch including agua fresca and dessert cost fifty pesos.  I had grilled steak with rice and salad.  “Dessert” turned out to be a hot roll with peanut butter, which was a little odd, but perfectly edible.  We had a nice, relaxing lunch together.

Tona's Cocina Economica

I spent the afternoon at the boat, practicing and reading.  We all planned to meet at the amphitheater, later, to watch the latest Mission Impossible movie.  There was a pretty sunset and all the buildings in Nuevo Vallarta were glowing orange as the sun set.  There was a good crowd for the movie and Paul and Carol brought popcorn.  It was a little chilly, but not drastically so.  I had never gotten so much wear out of my long pants in Mexico.  It seemed I needed them every day.

February 22-24, 2019

Friday marked the beginning of the San Pancho Music Festival.  I went with my friends, Marc and Karen.  Karen was kind enough to drive and bring camp chairs for us.  While the festival had provided mountains of plastic chairs in the past, they had not done so after 2017 and we had to bring our own.  We left La Cruz about 16:15 and headed up Highway 200 past Sayulita.  Huge swaths of forest on both sides of the road and been cut down and the trees lay scattered in the mud.  The land looked devastated and we wondered what lay behind the deforestation.  It was terribly sad to see what was once verdant jungle looking so dead and bedraggled.

The festival organizers had invited the Indians from twenty-five Huichol villages to sell their wares at the festival.  Vendor tables outlined the plaza, squeezing the attendees into a smaller space and adding to the crowding.  The festival grew larger each year but it was threatening to rain on Friday, which kept the crowd to a manageable size. 

Huichol Musicians

The first group was a Huichol band playing traditional Mexican music on traditional instruments.  They were unremarkable except for their fabulous, embroidered outfits.  Werther Ellerbrock played some nice fingerstyle guitar arrangements while the main stage switched acts.  The next act on the main stage was two women (Karen Bently Pollick and Oana Rusu Tomai) playing violin and piano duets transcribed from operatic arias, Gershwin, and Romanian folk songs.  It rained during their set and stage hands rushed to cover the musicians and instruments with beach umbrellas.  We almost had to run for the truck but the rain tapered off just in time.

Karen and Oana Playing in the Rain

One of my favorite things about the San Pancho Music Festival was the shrimp tamales.  One made a meal and they were a very reasonable twenty-five pesos, making them one of the cheapest dishes available.  The strawberry margarita I ordered was an expensive disappointment, but the tamale made up for it.  Later in the evening, I enjoyed a piece of cheese flan.  I can’t say I could taste the cheese, but it was good flan.

Craig Caffal played some solo blues while the Dave Fisher Quartet was setting up.  It was the day that Peter Tork of the Monkeys died and Craig led us in a bittersweet singalong of Daydream Believer.  On the one hand, it seemed like we had appropriated the plaza to celebrate American culture, but then I recalled Mexicans playing a tribute to Chuck Berry in the Chihuahua plaza on the day he died and realized that they liked American music, too.  Music respects no boundaries. 

The Dave Fisher Quartet

Dave Fisher seemed pretty low energy.  A young man that I think was his son played lead guitar and they also had a really good steel guitar player that I really enjoyed.  They got off to a slow start, but they warmed up and ended up being enjoyable.

The following act was a very commercial jazz group fronted by Gabriel Mark Hasselbach.  Jazz isn’t my thing and I was irritated by his constant self-promotion.  The previous act on the second stage had been jazz, too, and I was bored.

I woke up when PUG came on the second stage.  They were a young Mexican group playing original music.  They were loud and went a little overboard with their distortion, but they had potential.  If they could straighten out their sound, they would bear watching.

The Crowd Dancing to Cheko Ruiz' Band

The festival was behind schedule when Cheko Ruiz and his band finally came on about 22:40.   Between the late hour and the intermittent rain, the crowd had thinned considerably.  The diehards were rewarded with a great show.  Everyone was up and dancing.  They played a long set.  It was nearly midnight when the tired organizers finally convinced them to stop playing.  I didn’t get to bed until well after 1:00 on Saturday morning.

Having been up so late the night before, I did not get up to run on Saturday morning.  I stayed in and did laundry and concocted some coconut lemon meltaways that I had been threatening to make for weeks.  By the time I finished those two projects, I barely had time to check on the boat before it was time to report to Agave Azul to meet Karen.

Diego Chavez and Band

Julio Cabrera kicked off the festival on Saturday with delightful Latin music.  Then Diego Chavez took the second stage.  He played original rock songs in Spanish and he really grabbed my attention.  I was disappointed that he was not selling CDs, as I would have liked the opportunity to hear more of his music.

Caravane is always a crowd pleaser and this year was no exception. They took us on a journey through different musical styles from around the world.  Alfredo Muro played some very nice Spanish guitar on the second stage, but failed to capture the attention of the crowd who were still arriving, setting up chairs, and procuring food and drink.

Caravane

Beto, the MC, had heavily promoted Mariachi Tradicional the preceding night. They had received a UNESCO designation, but we found them somewhat painful to listen to.  They played traditional instruments, but the violins were out of tune and I could barely stand to listen.  The situation improved when the vocalist started singing.  He was good and served to drown out the tuneless scratching of the violins.

Mariachi Tradicional

Joe Hadlock, who produced the Lumineers, brought his band, Joe’s Garage Entourage, to the second stage.  They had a very talented Russian violinist who immediately attracted the attention of Geo from Luna Rumba, who had been sitting with us, went dashing off to listen to her more closely.  They played an interesting blend of musical styles including Middle Eastern.  I couldn’t get close enough to see them, but I did enjoy listening.

Jeff Oster on the Main Stage

The trumpeter Jeff Oster was next on the main stage.  He came out in a black jacket completely covered in what looked like Swarovski crystals that was worthy of Liberace or Elton John.  He was good, as always.  I am not a jazz fan, but I couldn’t resist a good trumpet.  Things went downhill after that.  Juan-Ted played the same tired set of oldies that they have played every year.  We weren’t impressed with the Rob Cavazzini Project and packed up to leave after two songs.  An excellent keyboard player joined them, directing their style from country to blues, as we were walking to the car. We probably would have stayed if that had happened earlier, but we were tired and already half way to the car.  It was nice to leave before the main crush of traffic left town.

Latcho & Andrea at the Market

I had no intention of going to the Sunday market, but Latcho and Andrea were playing, so I stopped by on the way to Scout.  I got there shortly before they took a break, but stayed long enough to purchase a copy of Los Ambienteros, the CD they had made in 2014 with Geo from Luna Rumba.

I was looking forward to seeing Soul Trip who were supposed to kick off the festival on Sunday, but they never arrived.  The organizers cobbled together a group to play for a few minutes before Norm Strauss and Tony Kovacic (the steel guitarist) came on the second stage at 17:45.

Ojo de Agua

The next band on the main stage was Ojo de Agua and they were enjoyable, as always.  They played a fusion of traditional Mexican and Cuban rhythms and had everybody dancing.  I bought a copy of their CD.

The Jokers

Steve O’Connor played jazz on the second stage while the Jokers were setting up on the main stage.  The Jokers were a Mexican band that played straight up rockabilly.  It seemed a bit incongruous, but everyone enjoyed them.  They were certainly energetic and it was fun to watch their stand-up bass player dancing with his bass.  Werther Ellerbrock was back for another set of fingerstyle guitar tunes while Tatewari was setting up on the main stage.

Tatewari

Tatewari is always great and they seemed very relaxed that night.  The crowd enjoyed them, although the Jokers were so energetic that they were a hard act to follow.  Charlie Pena, who had been playing with Tatewari all season, was playing with Ojo de Agua and the Orchestra San Francisco and did not appear with Tatewari, which made them sound a bit subdued.

Lobo and Jaguar

The surprise hit of the evening was Lobo and Jaguar (Esau of Tatewari) playing flamenco on the second stage.  They didn’t come on until 21:30, so the remaining crowd was mostly young and many of them had never heard real flamenco before.  They clustered around the stage and listened with rapt attention.  Lobo was thrilled and Esau soaked up the admiration, tossing his long, loose hair.  It was emotional for me to see how the crowd loved them.  They played encore after encore until the organizers began to get concerned that the last group would never get to take the stage.

The evening ended with the Orchestra San Francisco on the main stage playing Cuban style music that got everyone dancing.  It was another late night and I was relieved that the festival was finally over and I could finally slow down a bit.  I was happy to return to La Cruz.

The Orchestra San Francisco

SCOUT RETURNS TO LA CRUZ

February 11-12, 2019

It was good to be back in La Cruz among our friends and familiar pursuits.  I enjoyed the dawn views from the marina and resumed my exercise routine.  I spent my days back at my house, catching up on my blog and practicing the guitar.  It was nice to have my own shower again.

We had tickets to see Tatewari at the Octopus’ Garden on Monday night.  Tom and Cary came with us.  We were all big fans.  The show was amazing, as always, and the band signed the CDs Greg bought. I was sorry that I had already bought the CDs because it would have been nice to get them signed.  I was very happy to have had my CD of the original Luna Rumba signed.  It was wonderful to have recordings of the music from La Cruz to take with me everywhere I went.

Casino Night on Scout

  

Tuesday night, we went for dinner at the Ballena Blanca and then had the crews of Dragon’s Toy and Unleashed over for an evening of Texas Hold ‘Em.  Greg fixed the table in the main salon up like a casino.  We didn’t have any poker chips, so had to use Cary’s laundry quarters.  I lost early, so became the dealer until Tom, too, went bust.  I recalled that someone had been trying to get rid of poker chips a few weeks before but couldn’t recall who.  I promised to work on that.

February 13, 2019

Palms in Bucerias

I went to the gym in Bucerias on Wednesday morning and it dawned on me that the following day was Valentine’s Day.  I thought it would be nice to go to Karen’s Place for dinner that night so, after the gym, I walked clear across Bucerias to try to make a reservation.  They were already completely booked.  I did, however, manage to take some really nice photographs of street scenes to paint later, so my trek wasn’t for nought.  I did, however, exhaust myself after having worked out exceptionally hard.  My legs were Jello by the time I got home.

Greg had never seen my house, so we ventured across the highway to visit the house and go to Tacos Junior for tacos al pastor.  It was hard to beat a plate of five tacos for seventy pesos.  We decided to stop for ice cream at the parlor near the plaza in La Cruz.  We found the plaza transformed for a large private party.  It seemed that the Four Seasons Hotel in Punta de Mita had staged the event so their wealthy gringo guests could experience “an authentic Mexican fishing village.”  They had decorated the entire plaza with paper flowers and colored lanterns.  They had folkloric dancers and music, catered food, and fancy wine.  Every entrance to the plaza was guarded by tourist police to keep out the authentic residents.

The Four Seasons Party in Our Plaza

Decorations in the Plaza

 I had a very strong gut reaction to this invasion of our public space by wealthy foreigners.  The irony of my reaction did not escape me.  However, after six years of trying to blend in and be a good neighbor in La Cruz, I resented our town being made a tourist attraction.  Even Greg, who only comes here for a few weeks each year,  had a strong negative reaction to “our plaza” being invaded and the locals being excluded.  I couldn’t help but wonder how the Mexican residents felt about it.  I hoped the hotel had paid dearly and that the money would go towards improving the plaza for the benefit of all.  I also hoped they wouldn’t be turning our village into Disneyland Mexico on a regular basis.  There was nothing “authentic” about the experience they were offering their guests.  If they wanted “authentic” they should have been turned loose to eat street tacos and trip over cobblestones.

February 14-15, 2019

Valentine's Dawn

Special Decorations in the Marina Restroom

I got up early to run on Valentine’s Day.  The cleaning staff had decorated the restrooms specially for the holiday.  We listened to the net and then moved the boat from Dock 3 to Dock 10.  Greg wanted to get Scout farther away from the dusty parking lot.  I liked being on Dock 3 because it was closer to town and my house, but Dock 10 was closer to the showers and I did have a lot of friends there, also.

After securing the boat, I headed home on my borrowed bicycle.  Instead of cycling up Langosta, I decided to ride around the marina and take the dirt road that runs up to the highway behind Oso’s.  Somebody must have bought the lot where the road ran through because I suddenly encountered a shiny, new, chain link fence around the rectangular parcel containing the road.  Not to be discouraged, someone had already cleared a new road a few hundred feet to the left.

Fence Across the Road

So Somebody Bulldozed a New Road

Greg had also tried (and failed) to make reservations at Frascati’s for Valentine’s Day, so we had elected to eat an early Valentine’s Day dinner at La Cava.  We were the only people there at 17:30 and had a nice, quiet dinner.  We went early so that we could make it to the amphitheater in time for movie night.  They were showing Just Getting Started with Morgan Freeman and Tommy Lee Jones.  It was a cute comedy and there was a big crowd even though it was Valentine’s Day.

Friday evening was Mexican Train Dominoes at the Poolside Deli.  I hadn't been for a few weeks, so was eager to go.  It was there that I had heard someone wanted to get rid of a set of poker chips, but I couldn't recall whom.  I asked around and it turned out that it was Alvaro, the owner of the deli.    My friend, Judy, asked for me and, the next thing I knew, I had a lovely set of poker chips to donate to Scout.

I was making an effort to introduce Greg to more of the delights of La Cruz so, Friday night, we went to the Black Forest to eat German food and listen to Latcho and Andrea.  The place was full and the audience appreciative, which inspired an energetic performance.  A gypsy dancer dropped in during the second set and danced a couple of numbers.  Soon, nearly everyone was on their feet.  One of their fans passed the tip jar and they did well that night.  I would have to remember to do that for them in the future.  We made a reservation to return on March 1^st when Geo would be playing with Latcho and Andrea.  I had never heard them play together.

February 16, 2019

I got up to run on Saturday but had been working out hard all week and my body told me that running was not a good idea.  I settled for walking 2.5 laps around the marina and enjoying the beautiful sunrise. 

Dawn Over the Marina

I returned to the boat and spent the rest of the early morning helping Greg get ready to fly home.  I made breakfast while he packed.  It was a shame he had to return home, where it was snowing heavily, when there were still so many things that I wanted to show him in La Cruz and Bucerias.

Once Greg had left and I had showered, I set about removing the covers from the cockpit cushions to launder them.  All of the zippers had corroded and pretty much dissolved the plastic teeth under the zipper pulls, making them very difficult to remove.  I managed to get three of them off and soaked the others with lubricant in the hope that I might be able to budge them later.  I packed up the laundry, closed up the boat, and went home to relax and practice the guitar, balancing the bag of laundry on my handlebars.  Both my roommates were off sailing and I had the house to myself.

Cheko and His Band at the Octopus' Garden

I had a ticket to see Cheko Ruiz’ band play the music of the Gypsy Kings that night at the Octopus’ Garden.  For once, I elected to eat before I went and just have a glass of wine and a piece of fabulous carrot cake at the show.  The place was completely sold out.  It was clear that Gypsy Kings music was a big draw for Canadian condo dwellers.  I was a big fan of Cheko’s original music, so was a bit sorry to see him go in that direction, but it was clearly working for him financially.  The audience was enthusiastic, and I hoped they would support him in whatever else he did going forward.  He did announce that he was releasing a new, original song on Spotify later that week.

February 17, 2019

Sunday being my rest day, I slept in until 8:30.  I undid my braid and stepped into the shower.  I always start showering while the water is still cold, but I wait to wash my hair until it warms up.  That day, it never did.  I threw on a dress and went to take a look at the water heater.  We were out of propane.  I had to bundle up my loose and frizzy hair, pack up the laundry, and return to the marina to complete my shower.

Coffee at La Comer

While I was at the marina, I replaced the clean cushion covers and successfully removed the remaining ones.  Paul and Carol from Unleashed had suggested we have gin and tonics on Scout that evening and we had invited a few other couples.  There was nothing left in the way of food on Scout, so I needed to go to the store.  I liked to have Sunday morning coffee and pastries at La Comer but, with all the distractions, it was after noon before I was able to return home, start the second load of laundry, and catch a combi to La Comer.  I was afraid I’d have trouble getting a seat because of the crowds for the Sunday market, but I got lucky.

I went to the Scotia Bank at the Mega to get money.  They had an agreement with the Bank of America not to charge ATM fees, but the only bank in the area was at the Mega and not convenient.  It had been much easier when the agreement was with Santander, but they had switched.  I had been using the CI Banco below my gym, instead, because they charged the lowest fee and were convenient, although somewhat unreliable.

I finally got to La Comer about 13:00 and enjoyed free WiFi while drinking my caramel macchiato.  The girls behind the counter were real artists in coffee foam and served me a credible portrait of Tony the Tiger with my mini croissants.  I felt more like I was in Tuscany than Mexico.

I appeased my guilt over having a party on his boat while Greg was enduring a snowstorm by buying him a bottle of nice gin and restocking the supply of snack foods.  Then I crossed the road and did the majority of my shopping at the Mega.  Between resupplying my home and provisioning Scout, I could not have carried one more item.  It was fortunate that a bus arrived before a combi.  I took the front seat and filled it with all my packages.  I had to walk a little further from the official bus stop when we got to La Cruz, but I didn’t have to squeeze down the aisle with all my bundles.

Party on Scout

It was nearly 16:00 by the time I got back.  I hung the cushion covers out to dry while I unpacked the groceries.  Fortunately, they dried rapidly because I barely managed to make it back to the boat before 17:30 when the guests started arriving.  I was still installing the last cushion cover when Paul and  Carol arrived with the bar supplies.  Paul made a round of gin and tonics while I whipped up some guacamole.  Each couple brought some appetizers and we had a nice spread.  Judy, from Honu, even brought homemade tonic.  It was a lovely party and we sat in Scout’s cockpit until long after dark.  Eventually, we moved the party to the Red Chairs and ate tacos, quesadillas, and stuffed potatoes.  We had a very nice dinner, including soft drinks, for 55 pesos apiece.  It was one of the nicest evenings we had spent in La Cruz and it was a shame Greg missed it.  We took photos to send him to make him jealous.

By the time the boat was cleaned and put away, it was quite late.  I bicycled home through empty streets.

BARRA DE NAVIDAD TO LA CRUZ – SAILING UPHILL

February 4, 2019

Cannons awoke me at 6:00 on Monday.  In Mexico, they set off cannons to frighten away evil spirits on holidays.  Monday was Constitution Day in Mexico, which commemorates the signing of the constitution that returned the land to the peasants (and created endless land title squabbles for the next century plus.) 

Water Hazard at Dawn

I got up to get in a last run before we left Barra.  I ran four miles through the golf course before dawn.  Bill and Susan were up by the time I got back, since they needed to leave by 8:45 to catch their flight back to L.A.  We all drank coffee and they stayed long enough to receive one last visit from the French baker.  I passed, having made another batch of hard boiled eggs.

Early Morning Colimilla

I finally found hot water at the shower in the hotel spa.  I took advantage of that to wash and re-braid my hair.  As my braid was then over two feet long, I required conditioner to be able to comb it out and that required hot water to rinse out of my hair.  On long passages with no showers, I wrapped it in a bandana to keep it from getting shaggy.

We spent the day doing last minute chores.  The laundry was closed for the holiday, so I did a load of washing in buckets while Greg used the internet in the hotel lobby to take care of business.  We made tacos from chilorio and leftover bean dip for dinner.

So many cruisers had departed after the Superbowl that the WiFi, which hadn’t worked since we arrived, suddenly began to operate perfectly well.  We spent the evening with our noses buried in our devices.

February 5, 2019

Morning in the Barra Marina

The cannons woke me, again, at 6:00.  I got up early, but it wasn’t a running day so I merely sat in the cockpit, drinking bouillon, and enjoyed the internet connection.  We were leaving that morning and had chores to do but there was no hurry.  It was only a few hours to Tenacatita.

Rounding the Point Between Barra and Tenacatita

We checked out and left the marina just before 11:00.  Leaving the bay, we motored straight into the wind but, after we rounded the point, we were able to fall off just enough to sail the rest of the way.  We had a leisurely sail across Tenacatita Bay and dropped anchor just in time for lunch.  It was quite breezy and, by the time I had made quesadillas for lunch, I found it too cool to want to swim.  We relaxed and enjoyed the scenery.  I practiced the guitar and read while Greg took a nap.

Sunset in Tenacatita

The sunset was gorgeous enough that I paused my dinner preparations long enough to watch it.  I made Tuscan sauteed chicken breast fillets for dinner with fried plantains and salad.  The data connection was surprisingly good in Tenacatita Bay and we managed to sit in the cockpit and watch Trump’s State of the Union address on my phone via YouTube.  In 2016, I couldn’t even get a voice signal there.  Technology was improving rapidly in Mexico.

February 6, 2019

With no cannons to wake me, I slept until nearly 7:00 but still managed to rise in time to wrap myself in a blanket and watch the dawn from the cockpit.  It was quite chilly (probably 67 degrees) before the sun rose and I needed long pants and a fleece.

Sunrise from the Cockpit of Scout

Greg got up in time for the net and I made banana pancakes after that.  Greg started up the generator to charge the batteries and make water and I sat down to write while there was power for the computer.

We were too lazy to bother putting the dinghy in the water, so spent the day on the boat.  I swam six laps around the boat, forgetting, once again, to wear my goggles.  The water was quite pleasant, especially near the surface where it was probably 80 degrees.  Whales and dolphins were playing in the bay and people would get on the radio and alert everyone when they saw a whale.  The anchorage was a lively place with lots of people swimming.  One woman reported being circled by dolphins as she swam.  Unfortunately, I had no such company as I circled the boat.

We enjoyed a colorful sunset and then prepared dinner.  We waited until after sunset so that we wouldn’t be ready for bed at 20:00.  I made steak, salad, and smashed potatoes (potatoes cooked in the microwave, flattened, and fried in butter) for dinner.  We were out of red wine but shared a bottle of pinot grigio.  Lazy days at anchor were quite enjoyable if one didn’t get stuck out there for long stretches.

February 7, 2019

I got up early to watch the dawn.  If I hadn’t being seeing pictures of snow in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’d have been tempted to say it was downright cold.  I wrapped myself in a blanket and watched the dew drip off the bimini.

Motoring out of Tenacatita Bay

As soon a Greg was up, I made coffee and baked some corn muffins.  Even so, we managed to haul anchor and sail out of the bay just before our anticipated departure of 9:00.  There wasn’t enough wind to sail, so we motored north towards Chamela.  Dragon’s Toy had left an hour earlier and we could see them in the distance.  We gradually overtook them as the day progressed.  There were no wind waves (no wind) but the swells were bigger than usual and we rolled a lot.  Still, the weather was warm and the scenery lovely.  I had no complaints.  I was so relaxed it was all I could do to stay awake.  It was hard to believe I had been stressed just a few months before.  Even La Cruz was stressful compared to cruising the coast of Mexico.

Passing Dragon's Toy

Dragon's Toy at Anchor in Chamela

We pulled into Chamela Bay in time for lunch.  Greg took a nap and I took a swim.  Then we put the dinghy in the water.  There was still quite a bit of swell, which required me to lower it to the water at precisely the right moment to avoid tangling it in the lifelines.  Then we had to repeat the process with the motor.  Once we had the dinghy assembled and running, we collected Cary and Tom from Dragon’s Toy and went ashore to check out the town of Perula.

While I had been to the beach on a couple of other occasions, I had never realized there was a town there.  We took the dinghy up the estuary to where the pangas tied up.  It was low tide and we bottomed out.  We had to get out of the dinghy and walk the last twenty-five yards.  We had forgotten the oars and were out of luck once the water got too shallow for the motor.  Fortunately, the water was less than a foot deep.

The Plaza in Punta Perula

 We walked through a beachfront restaurant and a couple of blocks up to the main road through Perula. It was a sleepy place.  There were a few restaurants along the highway, but most were closed at that hour.  There were some good grocery stores and a couple of farmacias, but no touristy shops, which was refreshing.  We walked as far as the main square before we got hot and decided it was time for a cold one and headed back to the beach.

The Beach at Perula

We strolled along the beach to a restaurant near where we had left the dinghy and ordered an early dinner. I was in the mood for a breaded fish fillet but the others ate shrimp.  In Jalisco and Nayarit, it was easy to get sick of shrimp.  I always got enough to last me through the months spent in the USA.

Tom, Cary, and Greg in a Palapa in Perula

We returned to the boat before sunset and sat in the cockpit reading and surfing the internet.  The connection was surprisingly good considering the only cell tower I had seen was in the main square. There wasn’t much of a sunset to watch and I actually dozed until after it got dark.  The night was uncommonly warm and dry and we stayed in the cockpit until it was time to retire.  I was tempted to sleep out there, but the soft mattress finally lured me below decks.

The Anchorage and Islands in Chamela Bay

February 8, 2019

Dragon's Toy Leaving at Dawn

Once again, I got up to sit in the cockpit and watch the dawn.  Dragon’s Toy was motoring out of the bay as I came on deck. They were headed for Ipala to get a head start on rounding Cabo Corrientes on Saturday morning.  With a faster boat, we planned to remain in Chamela’s superior anchorage until midnight and then head for Cabo Corrientes, hoping to round the cape about dawn.

 

Dawn was very pink and much warmer than the day before.  We lounged in the cockpit through coffee and breakfast and then I did eight laps around the boat.  I finally remembered to wear my goggles, which allowed me to swim the crawl without getting salt in my eyes, although I still got plenty in my mouth.  I figured I ought to practice swimming the crawl, but it was by far my least favorite stroke. 

I swam when at anchor but swimming would never be my preferred form of exercise.  The only part I really liked about it was looking across the water from that low angle when it was calm and the surface glassy.  With my goggles on, I could see that the water was very clear and a beautiful shade of blue green.  The morning sun was just warm enough to dry me when I got out, but not hot enough to burn.  Scout had a hot, freshwater shower on the swim step which was the ultimate luxury.  I was getting very spoiled.

I spent the early afternoon writing and then Greg made lunch.  It seemed like we had so much time to kill and then, suddenly, it was almost time to leave.  I made a quick dinner of chili and grilled cheese sandwiches and we pulled out of the anchorage just after sunset, hoping to reach Cabo Corrientes at dawn when calm conditions were forecast.

The weather report was predicting calm conditions all night, but there was a large swell running and a steady wind on the nose.  I stayed up to stand on the bow and keep a look out for the reef as we exited the bay.  Once we were clear of the reef and headed north, I went below to catch a few winks on the settee as we bashed along.  I slept for the first hour or so but then it got rougher and awakened me.  Greg came below to rouse me for a change of watch just after midnight.

February 9, 2019

Rather than set a watch schedule, we had agreed to just request relief whenever we grew tired.  It was only a one-night passage, so we didn’t need to worry too much about getting enough sleep.  It was chilly and very dark when I came up at 00:30.   There was only a sliver of a moon and it was very damp.  The wind and swell had not abated.  I had all my clothes on and was considering putting on socks.  Scout’s engine didn’t heat the floor of the cockpit like Comet’s did.

We pushed on through the night, followed by Pura Vida several miles behind us.  Dragon’s Toy had left the previous morning and was spending the night in Ipala.  I had intended to stick it out until 4:00, but Greg couldn’t sleep and came back on deck at 3:30.  Shortly after I went down, I felt water on my face.  I got up and closed the porthole over my head, thinking that would solve the problem.  I didn’t realize that all the hatches aft of the mast were open.  The next big wave gushed through the three hatches in the main salon, drenching Greg’s (fortunately closed) computer, the settee and the galley.  I had to get up and mop up the water before returning to my nap.

The wind and seas grew rougher with the daylight and we saw nearly 20 knots of wind coming around Cabo Corrientes.  It always seemed like we were home once we rounded Cabo Corrientes, but it took us another five hours of damp and windy motoring to reach La Cruz.  Dragon’s Toy had left Ipala at dawn and were two hours behind us.

I stayed up until 9:30 and then went back down to take a nap.  That far into the bay, it was calmer and I slept well until Greg slowed the motor, which woke me just in time to prepare to land in the La Cruz marina.  I piloted the boat while Greg prepared the lines and fenders.  He got things organized just in time to take the helm and make the last two turns into the slip.  I really didn’t want to take responsibility for parking Scout on a windy day.  Even Greg had a tough time backing into our slip near the seawall on Dock 3.  It was windy enough that the wind overcame the bow thrusters and we needed help from line handlers on the dock to get the boat secured.

We were hungry and tired when we arrived.  Showers were the first order of business and then we went in search of breakfast.  Unfortunately, we had missed breakfast, so had to settle for shrimp and arrachera tacos at the Ballena Blanca.  Then we went back to the boat for a nap.  I really meant to go home and do laundry but ended up lounging around the boat until it was time for a cocktail and a lasagna dinner at Falconi’s with Tom and Cary from Dragon’s Toy.

February 10, 2019

Dawn in Marina La Cruz

I got up early on Sunday morning and sat in the cockpit, using the internet before everyone else in the marina overwhelmed the system.  I munched a leftover corn muffin, made some coffee, and waited for Greg to ready himself to visit the Sunday market.  We bought churros at the food court near the marina entrance, which tided us over until we had worked our way through the throngs of people to the food court at the other end.  I bought a baguette and some raspberries on the way but my true destination was the Italian meat vendor out on the end of the breakwater who sold porchetta.  I bought a double portion and we went back to the boat and made porchetta sandwiches for lunch.

Dancer at the Market

Figures at the Market

With raspberries threatening to go to mush if I didn’t get them in the freezer immediately, I packed up my things and we headed to the taxi stand.  The taxis were busy with all the tourists attending the market and it took about a half an hour of waiting in the hot sun to finally get a taxi to take my luggage the short distance to my home.  It was good to be home.

I took a shower and spent the afternoon doing laundry and trying, unsuccessfully, to nap.  Every time I started to doze off, someone came home or it was time to change the laundry.  The last of my clothes got dry just in time to catch a ride to the marina on the back of Cherie’s scooter.  All our food was on the boat and I went back there to make chicken in green mole from the chicken we had thawed and never eaten the night we left Chamela.

I meant to go listen to the Cuban band at the Green Tomate on Sunday night but they started late and, by then, I was too tired to walk the three blocks, much less dance.  We sat in the cockpit and listened to the Cuban band compete with the music coming from Oso’s.  They sounded good and I would have to get there some night when I had more energy.