Pictures of Mexico

As our time in Mexico comes to an end I wanted to post some pictures that I have that are not in previous blogs.
The next few postings are these pictures:


Mexico Sunsets:


Sea of Cortez Spring 2012 (cut short)

We are finally ready to make our way up in to Sea of Cortez again. We plan on meeting Judy Cole in Loretto in May. In the mean time we will visit our favorite places, find new anchorages, and new places to explore.

We are also looking forward to breaking in our new dinghy.

Before we left we had word that Mel's lung surgery date may moved up, so we head up with a shortened schedule.

We explore estuaries, kyak and fish in Augua Verde and make our way to Loretto where we will be able to access the Internet.
In Loretto we learn  Mel's surgery is moved to May 20th !!! wow only 2 weeks away. Our only choice is to hurry back to La Paz, missing our time with Judy and get Mazu ready for the summer hurricane season.

An over night trip gets us back to Marina de La Paz, and the work begins.



Dinner and Dancing with Renia and Bill in La Paz

Estuary Tour with Captain Mel

Mel relaxing with "Bird"


 



Dr.Bryson performs minor surgery. Those dental tools come in handy

Mazu is put to bed for the summer

New sailing "season"

Dear Friends and Family,
In October Mel and I returned to La Paz Mexico where Mazu rested over the summer.  As we worked to get her ready for sailing Mel became ill. We had to return to Oregon to sort it all out. It turns out that he had an abcess from a leaking appendix.

After that issue was resolved we returned to La Paz to sail MAZU to Mazatlan for a haul-out appointment. Here she is waiting for us to return from Oregon (yes, we came home again for the holidays) to complete the haul-out work.

Just to keep it interesting we must return to Oregon at the end of January for what we hope will be the last time as Mel will have his appendix removed.

We then hope to start our new adventures on Mazu. Our plan is to cross the Pacific and contiue our journey in the South Pacific Islands. If all the planets align we will "puddle jump" sometime in March of 2013.

I have found a blog site that will allow me to post even while crossing the Pacific, using my SSB radio, so I will soon change over to that blog site. When it is up a running I will post the address here.  If I have your email address I will also be sending you and email.

In the mean time I will finnish off Mexico on this blog site, so stay tuned....

Zihuatanejo to Bahia Santiago February 23rd- March 7th 2012

Goodbye Zihuatanejo:

The highlight of our last week in Zihuatanejo is a visit with Kristine and the girls (Mel’s daughter and our 2 granddaughters, Katie and Mary). They are in Ixtapa at Club Med for their annual vacation with Kristine’s friend Jen and her family. We have a nice lunch on the beach and have the girls over for a sleep-over on Mazu.
We then motored to the marina in Ixtapa to spend a few days getting the boat and us ready for our return trip north.  Mel and I both come down with bad colds so we postpone our departure for a few days. Soon enough we are better and it is time to go. I head to the grocery store to provision (bus there, taxi home) and we are ready to leave.

We head out of Ixtapa Marina in the morning on February 23rd, heading for Bahia Santiago (near Manzanillo) where we hope to meet up with our friends Ned and Carol on Franny B and Larry and Danice on Ladara Star. There is no wind to start so we are motoring. Soon we hear a call on the VHF from our friends on Camelot. They are passing by us heading south on their way to South America. We are sorry that we did not get to see them, but we had a nice chat on the VHF. They let us know that the wind will be picking up as we head north.

We soon are able to raise our sails and turn off the noisy engine, ahhhhh, this is what it is all about, the sails set right the sound of the boat through the water, and just the sailing silence that we enjoy so much.

Just as we were settled back in with the lines stowed and ready to relax, we hear a Mexican voice on the radio hailing the sailing vessel at coordinates that are close to us. This is all in Spanish mind you, and then I hear him again, this time in broken English, again calling for the sailing vessel. Mel says, “well there is a big grey ship over on our starboard side, could it be the Navy?”  I get on the VHF and yes, it is the navy requesting to board our vessel. Down come the sails, on with the motor as we slow to await their launch to arrive.

A panga type boat comes and makes several circles around us taking pictures. There are about 8 seamen and an officer. They are all armed. They then pull up and the officer and one armed seaman climb up onto the boat. Now mind you the seas are not calm and we are rolling and pitching all over. But they get on and do not bump into Mazu.

The officer asks if we speak Spanish, I say very little, he says he speaks very little English. He has a clip board and starts to request information. We had heard from other cruisers what most likely they were going to ask for so I had it all ready. They wanted to see our boat documentation and our passports. He then asked if we had any guns. No we said. He then wanted to look down below. I went with him. He had me open various closets and storage areas. He would just look in and say ok. He again asked if we had any guns. I said no.  He then said that the sea can be very dangerous and if we needed any help to call on the radio for the Navy and they will come. He then apologized for the dirty shoe print on the deck and said good-bye.  That was it and back to their ship they went.

By this time the seas were building, it was going to be dark soon and the winds had changed direction so we decided that we would just motor (we were still not fully recovered from our colds and did not have the energy to sail). We did not know that this would prove to be a really good choice.

As the sun went down the seas and winds continued to build. We were heading directly into the seas and were being bashed about. Water was splashing over the bow and sometimes even into the cock pit. The wind was a constant 25-28 knots with gusts up to 35 knots. We continued in this way all night and into the morning before it settled some. We were very happy to see the calm anchorage of Santiago. We set the hook and promptly took a long nap.  I have to say this was the worse 24 hours I have had on a boat. I was never afraid, just sick, and very uncomfortable. As always we are sure to clip ourselves in when we are on watch and wear our lifejackets.

Bummer in Santiago:
Franny B is in the bay and we have a great visit with them that evening. We make plans to go to the Saturday market the next morning. Here we are able to purchase all kinds of produce, gifts, kitchen items, clothes, you name it. Ned and Carol and I have a great day.

When I get back we see Ladara Star in the anchorage, it is good to see them. It is such a small world. Larry is a retired dentist from Springfield just like Mel. It is funny that we meet them here in Mexico. We look forward to spending time with them here. We all enjoy beers and a meal on the beach palapa restaurant. We enjoy the “battle of the bands” as there are several small traveling bands that play for tips, going from restaurant to restaurant. You will hear the tuba’s play all day and into the night.
Well our quiet happy time is short lived.

When we got up on Sunday morning, Mel discovers that our dinghy with motor and all are gone! We have help to make a search. Carol walks the beach and Mel and I raise anchor and search the rest of the bay and out in the sea. About a mile or so from our anchor spot we find the remains of the dinghy towing bridle floating in the water, it has been cut. We are now sure that it was stolen and for sure not to be seen again by us.

Later that day we bum a ride with Larry and Danice and go to shore. Word travels fast and many know of the theft. Even the waiter, Don Jose is very upset about it. When he learns that it was our dinghy he calls the police and gets them to the restaurant to talk with us. They suggested that we make a report at the station in Manzinillo. Don Jose offers to take us the next morning as it is his day off. So we make plans to meet him in the morning at the restaurant.

We meet Don Jose at 8 a.m. and drive to the main police station. Here we “sign in”, and wait. When it is finally our turn, the officer will only let Don Jose and Mel it. So I wait outside. Soon they come back out. It seems the officer cannot take his report as he does not speak English and Mel does not speak Spanish. Don Jose calls a friend who agrees to come and help us. Well after 5 hours we have a police report, and a promise from the officer that they will investigate. The next day I am reading the report and discover that he wrote our phone number down incorrectly. We have a friend call the station but to change it we must return to the main office. Forget it.

One thing Mel knows how to do it is how to get parts to where ever he is. We soon find a shop where he can order us in a replacement motor (the same one we had). Ned can bring down misc. parts we need when he flys home for a week so that is taken care of.  We decide that our best bet is to wait to purchase a replacement dinghy in Puerto Vallarta. So while we are staying longer in Bahia Santiago it is a good chance to relax and do lots of kayaking and exploring.

Colima:

I have decided to go with Larry and Danice on an inland trip to Colima to see the volcano and the ruins. We are picked up at the beach restaurant and in a 10 passenger van we take off with our guide, Danny.

Colima is about 2 hours from Santiago/Manzanillo. Colima is the capital of the state of Colima. There is a VERY pretty square, and we tour a nice small museum. We then head out to see the still active volcano. The guide takes us to a great spot to get a great picture of it. As it would take too long we do not go up to the top.

Our next stop is the newly discovered Aztec era ruins. The story is they were expanding the main highway out of Colima a few years ago, when the ruins were discovered.
It was a fun, long and very interesting day.

We will leave Bahia Santiago and head to Barra de Navidad on March 8th as we continue to make our way north.

Inland trip with Joaquin: February 13-15

Joaquin and Family

Nuera Italia, Uruapan, San Juan Nuevo, Santa Clara, Paracuaro


When we set out on this sailing adventure I was excited to see places in a different way really see not only the country but the people and its culture. I feel that with this trip we achieved this experience.
We met our friend Joaquin last year in Ixtapa where he worked as a waiter. While we were at his restaurant we overheard him say he lived in Tillamook Oregon. Well that is a small place, and so we struck up a conversation with him about his time in Oregon. We learned that he also provided inland tours and fishing trips. We exchanged email addresses and he invited us to look him up when we returned the following year. We were happy to meet with him on our return to Ixtapa.  We then made arraignments for this tour prior to leaving for Huatulco.
Day One: February 13
With Kris and Bob watching Mazu in the anchorage of Zihuatanejo, meet Joaquin on the pier at 7am for an early start. Joaquin lives in Nueva Italia which is about two hours north of Ixtapa. We ride along on a nice toll road to get there.
Nueva Italia is a working man’s Mexican town with many working in the nearby fields and orchards. Joaquin grew up here and this is where most of his family still lives. His Mother and Father are here along with 9 brothers and sisters (two sisters live in Oregon). There are also numerous Aunts, Uncles, cousins, etc. here.  He first takes us to his home to meet his family (and to drop off his laundry). He has a nice large home that he takes great pride in. His parents’ home is in the same fence area as his and he has several brothers with homes along the same small dirt road. As is with most homes in Mexico it is constructed of concrete with tile floors. We meet his wife, Esbeida, his daughter, Esbeida (they call her Beida) and son’s Jacob and John. We also meet his parents Dolores (Lola) and Father Viviano.
After a quick meal at his sisters (Minga) louncheria we head up to the city of Uruapan. We take the old highway that winds through the mountains. We travel through a beautiful and rugged canyon by a really large reservoir and are soon in a pine forest. It reminds me of central Oregon.
Uruapan is a large city, clean and with what seems to be a good standard of living. As we are higher in elevation it is much cooler that at the coast, in fact today it is cloudy and a bit rainy again reminding me of Oregon. He takes us to this beautiful park/nature preserve “Patronato del Parque Nacional.
It is absolutely beautiful here. You follow a trail through a lush forest full of pine trees, cedar trees, ferns, and a rushing river. You think you are in Oregon (the rain is helping) until you see the banana trees. You follow the river as it meanders through the park. Along the way to are treated to elaborate fountains and man-made and natural waterfalls. There is even a fish hatchery located in the park. Most of the drinking water for the city comes from this river.
We finish up our time in the park and head to the small town of San Juan Nuevo. Nuevo means new and it is called Nuevo as the town had to be rebuilt after it was destroyed in 1941 by a volcano eruption. This town has a large and grand church that we tour. It is the largest church I have seen so far in Mexico. Such a large church for such a small town, I am sure there is a story behind that. San Juan Nuevo is also known for its fine needle craft work. There are many shops selling clothing and table cloths with fine embroidery work. Here we have a late lunch and return to Joaquin’s home where we will spend the night. 
Day 2: Santa Clara de Cobre, Patzcuaro, Janizio. (February 14, Valentine’s Day)
We are up early as we have a long day planned. We have a light breakfast of homemade tortillas and cinnamon tea. We are picking up Joaquin’s nephew, Raul. He will assist as our guide as he lived in the area we will be going to.
We head north again this time on the toll road for a faster trip up to Santa Clara de Cobre. This small town is renowned for its copper artisans. It is again cool and cloudy as we travel up into the mountains.
Our first stop in Santa Clara de Cobre (Cobre means copper) is a small family copper smiting forge. It is a simple operation with a fire area, a blower to stoke the fire and several specialty hammers and various molds and stumps for hammering the copper to its final form. The son explains that the copper use to mined in the area but now they use recycled material. Here we see several large copper pots/kettles and small decorative items. We purchase two small capper jars.  We stroll down the streets looking in the shops. We visit a museum that has many examples of the copper works of the area through time. They also have several pieces from the winners of the annual copper works competition held annually here.
We then go to “Cobre El Porton” where we can see a demonstration of how the copper is worked into the decorative and functional pieces to be sold. Each piece takes several days to complete. The workers are paid by the piece and the tips they receive for the demonstrations. I take several pictures and I am given the opportunity to work on a pot, hammering it into the solid form it will take. It is harder than it looks to get the consistent hammer marks that make up a completed piece. I will leave it up to the artist.  I purchase a salt and pepper shaker and a small copper rose to give to Esbeida for Valentine’s Day.
It is soon time to leave as we still are to visit the town of Patzcuaro and the Island of Janizio, In Patzcuaro we have lunch in the large Mercado near the square then head to the lake where the water taxis wait to take you out to the island.
The island is in the middle of the lake and is home to the indigenous people of the Purepecha or Tarascan.  Janizio means “Where it rains”. The town if famous for its butterfly fishermen who are skilled in lowering butterfly shaped nets to catch the local fish” pescado blanco” a small white fish that they fry in oil. Now the town caters mostly to tourist who come here.
At the top of the island is a large statue of Jose Maria Morelos, a hero of Mexico’s independence. The island is very steep. You hike up narrow streets and steps to reach the top. Once we are there we are rewarded with a fantastic view of the lake below and a close up look and the spectacular statue. I think that we are done and start to head back down. Joaquin laughs and stops me, saying we are now going to walk up inside the stature to the top of his upraised arm! I think that I won’t come close to making it, but I am game to try. We walk around and around the narrow stair case; each level is painted with murals depicting the life of Morelos. We finally reach the top ( 135 ft.) I get up enough nerve to climb on the small ledge to look out the small window and snap a picture.
It is time to go back to Joaquin’s for dinner. I am going to make spaghetti for him and extended family (about 20). We spend the evening enjoying the food, wine and his family. But we are glad to lie down and sleep after such a long day.

Day 3 Paracuaro and home:
Esbeida makes us a huge breakfast of hashbrowns, eggs, and of course tortillas. I get a lesson on how to make them. It is not as easy as it looks to get them on to the hot skillet just right and then to flip them (with your fingers) over at just the right time. But I manage to make a few that are edible. Today we will go with Joaquin and the kids to the local Mercado and to his favorite water “park” in Paracuaro.
The park has several pools constructed that are filled with the spring water that his here. The water is so clean, cool and fresh that many people come and fill water bottles to take home. That is what we do too. It is too cool to swim today, but this is a favorite place with Joaquin and his family in the hot summer months where they will spend the entire day here.
And all too soon it is time to go home. We are full from a wonderful fish lunch that Esbeida has prepared for us. We say goodbye to her and the kids. We have had such a great time. And we are truly happy to have met them all.

Zihuatanejo & Sail Fest: February 1-11

Our trip north from Hutulco is a quick motor. We are making good time so we decide not to make a rest stop in Acapulco but to continue on to Zihuatanejo. Along the way we see a giant pod of dolphins, more than we have ever seen in one place. Several come over to play in the bow of the boat.

We arrive at Bahia Petatlan (just north of Zihua) before dark on Thursday the 2^nd making the passage in just over 48 hours. We set anchor and relax in the cockpit and then early to bed.

As we are still having some refrigeration problems we decide to head into the marina in Ixtapa first thing in the morning. I have already called our friend Brian (remember, he watched to boat for us while we were home in December) to ask if he knew a repair-man. He said he would make a call and have the best one around at our boat by 10am in the morning. We arrive at 9:30. We are happy to see our friend’s boat, Serendipity in the slip just next to us. We just missed them though as they needed to hop on a bus for an inland tour.

Brian is there to greet us and soon the repair folks are here. The problem just seems to be getting the Freon correct. So he tests it and adds more Freon. It now seems to work great, let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Our boat is a mess after two long passages, so we have Brian give it a good wash. I also take up all the laundry to be taken to be washed, (laundry mats are really nonexistent, and usually the same place as who will do it for you and it is just as cheap to have them do it).

Mel and I take the bus to Zihatanejo to register for the Sail-Fest activities. Sail-Fest is an annual five-day festival with the goal to raise money and awareness for the education of Zihuatanejo’s poorest children. There are concerts, beach parties, a boat parade and auctions.  We register our boat, sign up to be in the sail parade and purchase tickets to the benefit concert. Then head to Zorro’s for a cold beer.

On Sunday we head over to the main anchorage in Zihatanejo and find a good spot close to the dingy beach. After we settle in we take a cab to the market to provision for the week. We are happy to welcome our friends, Bob and Kris from Seattle. They have come to visit us for the Sail-Fest activities, and will stay on our boat while we are gone for our inland trip. They arrive on February 6^th and we enjoy drinks and dinner in town with them.

The next few days are busy with activities. We enjoy a walk along the beach walkway and drinks by the pool at Bob and Kris’ hotel, the opening party and auction, and the benefit concert. Once again this is one of the highlights of the festival for me. While the meal has something to be desired, the music is fantastic. We are also happy to meet up there with two of our “ladies” who were our guests at last year’s boat parade. They are also going to go to Huatulco, so I give them Gabriel’s information. It is also a bit of a sad time when we say goodbye to our friends Hugh and Anne on the boat Serendipity. They will leave for South American in a few days and I doubt that our paths will cross again. We had lots of good times with them while in Mexico.

Sail Parade

Friday is the parade day. It is cloudy with a few sprinkles now and then. This is unusual for here. It does not seem to be putting a damper on the guests and we have seven guests on board. We had purchased a ticket for Joaquin to come as our guest. So along with Kris and Bob, we are hosts to Karen, of Nanaimo BC, Charlie and Dianne of Minnesota, Tracy of Main, and Tim and Donna of Nanaimo BC. All the boats in the parade make a circle around the bay then head over to Ixtapa bay make a circle around it then head back. This takes about 2 hours or so. We manage to sail for a little. When we return all are welcomed to stay and relax in the cockpit for the afternoon. We share drinks, snacks and great conversation (and a Spanish lesson from Joaquin).  Even with the rain it was a great day. Thanks to all our guests for the memorable day.