It Takes a Tsunami to Leave Tenacatita

Well, at 7 am this morning we woke up to a "Sécurité, Sécurité, Sécurité" warning regarding the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the coast of Chile this morning. NOAA issued a tsunami warning for the entire Pacific coast including Mexico and California. According to the warning:

Tsunamis can be dangerous waves that are not survivable. Wave heights are amplified by irregular shoreline and are difficult to forecast. Tsunamis often appear as a strong surge and may be preceded by a receding water level. Mariners in water deeper than 600 feet should not be affected by a tsunami. Wave heights will increase rapidly as water shallows. Tsunamis are a series of ocean waves which can be dangerous for several hours after the initial wave arrival.

Now, we always sleep with the VHF radio on, "just in case" and this morning was one of those "just in cases." We woke to the Sécurité, logged on to the internet to check the NOAA warnings, talked among the other boats in the Tenacatita anchorage – we even had to dinghy over to some of the 30 plus boats anchored there in order to wake them up because they do not sleep with their VHF on, -- prepared our boat, raised anchor and made our way out to sea. Now, in 600+ feet of water we are enjoying a beautiful morning sail. Since Tenacatita is such an awesome anchorage (one of our friends has been there for over four weeks) and the dolphins were swimming all around the anchorage this morning, it took a tsunami warning to get us (and them) to raise anchor and head out. We have now decided to make our way to Melaque (19 degrees 12 minutes north by 104 degrees 41.4 minutes west) for a few days. We will pick up provisions and do laundry and then make our way back to Tenacatita. It is too nice an anchorage!

Always some sort of excitement.

Michael

A Different Type of Zoo

Last week, we went to a zoo in Mismaloya called the Vallarta Zoo. When you enter, you get a bag of food with a list of what you can feed each animal. We fed camels, zebras, giraffes, monkeys, bears, and other animals out of our bare hands!

Even though that might sound very interesting, the highlight of this day trip was when we got to hold a baby panther! We had the choice of holding a tiger cub or a panther. The tiger was stronger, so we chose the panther. It had light blue eyes and little faint brown dots on it’s black fur. She had the softest fur I’ve ever felt and was the cutest cat I’ve ever seen. She didn’t bite but did lightly scratch.

I held her almost the entire time and wasn’t scared. Harrison held her but was kind of scared. She kept on trying to run away, but most of the time we just held her. She wasn’t scared-at least I don’t think she was- but she didn’t bite, so I guess she didn’t feel like she needed to protect herself. It was the best zoo I’d ever been to!

We will post pictures and video when we next have good internet connection.

Danielle

On Our Way Again

Well, after being in Banderas Bay since December 24th, we've finally raised anchor and are currently en route to Bahia Tenacatita (19 degrees, 16.17 minutes N by 104 degrees, 52.40 minutes W). We've had a lot of fun in Banderas Bay and also a lot of guests, including Harrison's friend Kenji and his family, the Bernsteins, the Arfin/Rebitzers, the Saal-Dalmas as well as my mother- and father-in-law and my mother. We even had Berly Willow and her partner Jerry join us for Friday night dinner this week. So, its been great to have so many share a part of what we are doing. Yesterday, as a farewell activity we went to the Puerto Vallarta Zoo where Danielle and Harrison got to play with a one-month old black panther. Very cool and I am sure they will blog about it in the next few days.
But now it is time to be on our way to what is called Mexico's Gold Coast and includes Tenacatita, Barra Navidad and Manzanillo. Tenacatita, our first stop, is about 100 miles south of Banderas Bay and apparently has a very cool jungle river dinghy trip which we will definitely do. It is now 11:50 pm, we have about 22 knots of wind, clear skies (no rain!) and a half full moon to light our way. We are doing about 7.5 knots and should make Tenacatita by mid-morning tomorrow, February 22nd, which is also Harrison's birthday. He will be nine! Unfortunately, this evening he was feeling a little seasick so, hopefully by morning he will be feeling a lot better and ready to enjoy his birthday. Barb busied herself during her last "watch" making carrot cake for Harrison, as that is one of his favorites, and, along with Danielle, decorated the boat with streamers. I am sure Harrison will wake up very excited.
Signing off from 19 degrees 55.0 minutes N by 105 degrees 42.96 minutes W.
Michael

Spelling Test

See if you can find the three spelling errors on this sign, which appeared in the main square in Bucerias. Warning: the first one is not for young children.

What's with this weather!

So, I have been meaning to write a blog about the weather we've been experiencing but between repairing a head (boat toilet), replacing the filters on our water maker and making water, recharging our batteries and a continuous flow of guests, its been somewhat hard to find the time.

Banderas Bay, where we have been since December 24th, has been experiencing some bizarre weather the last few weeks. When my in-laws were here, you should have seen the storm. No, not a storm about having them here, but rather a water spout (otherwise known as a tornado over water). Fortunately, because my in-laws were arriving, Barb and I decided to move the boat from the anchorage to the La Cruz marina to make it easier to get off and on. The day after they arrived, the morning cruisers' net was talking about the weird weather that we were experiencing and the distant squalls in the bay. I decided to take the kids over to the break water to see the weather and the distant squalls. While returning to get Barb and my in-laws, I saw a "finger" growing down from the sky. I quickly headed back to the kids as what we were watching grow was a tornado coming down from the sky and making its way to the marina. It felt like Danielle and Harrison were Dorothy and Toto! Barb quickly snugged up our lines in the event that the tornado hit the marina. Thankfully, it changed direction, lost its force and dissipated.

About a week and half later, my mother came to visit. Again, we started out at a marina (this time Paradise Village) and decided to make our way to Yelapa (see Barb's post on this very cool town which is only accessible by boat or horse (no roads)). Again, we had weird weather. We got to Yelapa and it started to rain. Understand, last year, there was no rain from November until April! We've had more rainy days than I'd care to count! Anyhow, after hanging around Yelapa, hoping the weather would clear so that we could do a hike up to a spectacular waterfall (we came back and did it with our friends the Saal-Dalmas) we decided to head back to Paradise Village Marina. With a break in the weather, we powered to the marina and luckily got a spot at the dock even though it was the most exposed to the weather and the bay. We had a spectacular seared tuna dinner on the boat and, after getting the kids to bed and getting ready for bed ourselves, all hell broke loose. With no prior warning, the sky lit up with lightning like the Fourth of July and the wind went from 0 to over 50 knots (or a Force 10 on the Beaufort Scale) which is considered Storm or "Whole Gale" force winds and lasted for about 45 minutes. Our boat felt like it had been lifted out of the water and shaken violently by the wind. The lightening was like out of a scary movie. Believe it or not, our kids slept through the whole thing. The weather folks here in Banderas Bay called it a "weather bomb" -- a most appropriate name!

We feel very fortunate to have headed to Paradise Village marina. We could have just as easily headed to the anchorage off of La Cruz. They were hit with hurricane force winds of over 88 knots (Force 12 on the Beaufort Scale), while some claimed over 100 knots (to convert to miles per hour multiply by 1.15), and nearly all of the 30 plus boats in the anchorage dragged their anchors. Many were hit by other boats and one even ended up on the beach but a big wave brought them back into deeper water. The following link gives that boat's experience that night. Another boat's blog gives an excellent first hand perspective of what it was like in the pitch black, yet lightening filled, night with huricane force winds. You can read about it in their February 4 posting. All we lost was a bowl and a pair of flip flops.

Last week there was a threat of another "weather incident" coincidentally while our next set of guests were arriving. We moved into the marina (with substantially all the other boats that were at anchor) and went through a hurricane preparation drill. We took off all our canvas, lashed down our main sail, put extra straps on our solar panels to make sure they would not blow away, used every spare line we had to tie the boat to the dock and made other preparations. Fortunately, the storm did not materialize and we only experienced about 30 knots of wind for just a few minutes.

So, what gives with all this weather? People that live here year round have said they have never seen anything like this during the winter season. Waterspouts and hurricane force winds this time of year? Is this what global warming is causing or is it just because it is an El Nino year?

Oh, by the way, its been raining all day today!

Michael

Releasing the Turtles

One day, when we were at Paradise Village Marina, we went to release one day old turtles into the ocean. Environmentalists go up and down the beach waiting for mothers with eggs to save them from extinction. Then they gather the eggs until they hatch. One or two of the turtles from every nest will grow to be 8 years old (that's when they start to lay eggs). Predators will eat the rest of them.

If you hold the turtles, you have to wash your hands in sand. When a volunteer says: "1, 2, 3", you put them down and watch them go into the ocean. I felt sad because I wanted to keep one turtle but I knew it wasn't the right thing to do.

Saving turtles is a great thing for the environment. What did you do today to help the environment?

-Harrison

A Different Life Cycle

About two years ago, I was in Costa Rica with my Dad's side of the family. We went to go see Leatherback turtles lay eggs. Now, a few years later, I saw a different type of sea turtle, the Olive Ridleys, set out to sea for their first time, completing a turtle's life cycle.

A few weeks ago, we walked along the beach until we came to a small palapa. This palapa, in case you didn't already guess, was an institute where they dig up turtle eggs that have been laid on the beach that runs from Bucerias to Paradise Village in Banderas Bay. The institute then digs a similar hole in a protected area to let the eggs hatch, protecting the eggs from birds and other predators.

You get to the institute at sunset and if turtles have hatched within the last 24 hours, you can let them free. You walk to the beach and stand behind a line, and then you take a turtle in your hand and, on the count of three, put it on the ground. The turtle will stand there for a moment, imprinting on the sand so that it knows where to come back to lay their eggs when they get older. They'll walk down to the ocean, and, just before they hit the water, they'll stick up their heads for two reasons: (1) to tell what temperature it is (to remember the place to come back to), and (2) to hold their breath since it will be their first time in the water.

You learn to understand what it could be like to be a turtle, how the things we do could be killing one, and what we can do to help. For example, Leatherback turtles only eat jelly fish. A plastic bag could look like jelly fish to a turtle. If you see a bag, pick it up, as you could be saving the life of a Leatherback turtle. Some types of turtles eat everything. They like seaweed and jelly fish, as well. A straw could look like white kelp. Pick one up if you see it laying around. We'll be saving turtles if we just remember to pick up trash we see lying around on the beach!

-Danielle

Things I wish I'd brought

Considering that we had 6 weeks to move aboard the boat and prepare to set sail for Mexico, we did quite well. Checklist after checklist, we managed to be one of the more prepared of the boats we've come across. Many spend years getting ready.

Preparing the boat with food was relatively easy. When we set sail, I knew I needed two weeks' worth of food for the four of us plus our two crew members. I calculated this by planning meal by meal. The only thing I calculated incorrectly was bread - I figured on one loaf per day, and we ate less than half of that. In addition to the food for the two weeks, I only needed to stock up on brands of food that I liked. After all, they eat in Mexico, so I knew we wouldn't starve. I stocked up on some Trader Joe's items, and other things that several boaters' guides say you can't get in Mexico (maple syrup, good chocolate chips, almond butter, jam - you can get these items, but not the same quality). In fact, it has been surprisingly easy to find foods we normally eat in Mexican grocery stores.

In addition to food, there was a first aid and medications checklist. That was easy enough to follow but was time-consuming organizing into the various categories for quick access. For example, all the burn items go together in one large zip-lock bag; all the cold remedies in another; all the pain meds in another; and so on. We had to remember over-the-counter meds like lice treatment, yeast infection meds and splints - in case we're in the middle of no where. Epi-pens, strong pain meds, antibiotics were part of the prescription drugs. But we got it all together.

Michael took care of boat spares - an extra head macerator (the 'blender' that chews up the stuff that goes in the toities) has already come in handy (a blog post in and of itself). He brought extra parts for motors, rigging, electronics, and so on. Parts that have names like flopper stoppers and gaskets. Of course, it's impossible to have an extra part for everything, and ultimately you just have to hope that you have the part that needs replacing. Or that some other boater decided to bring that particular part and is willing to give it away or trade it.

You need to make sure you have all the cosmetic brands and cleaning supplies you are tied to. There's only so much Charmin Ultra I could fit onto the boat, and we are now using Mexican TP. Same with Brawny paper towels. We're almost through our stores of Kleenex Cold Care. But all the large Mexican stores sell biodegradable cleaning supplies.

We bought the boat with almost all the kitchen equipment we needed as far as pots and dishes go. We added a hand blender, a blender, a food processor and a toaster oven (all only to be used when on shore power). We also added more cutlery, dishes, plastic cups (I blogged about those some time ago) and plastic wine glasses. A lot of our food is stored in tupperware (we cannot have any cardboard on the boat as the cockroaches love those). A great piece of advice that I got about cooking and food prep on the boat: you'll cook and eat the same way as you do on land. And we do exactly that.

We managed to get our games/toys down to a small load - everything fits under the kids' beds. We've got tons of books - travel books, fishing books, boating books, Mexico/Central America books, school books, cookbooks, pleasure reading, and so on. We have all the linens we need (we ask guests to bring their own towels though). We've got the basic office supplies - even stamps as there are always boaters traveling back to the US who are willing to carry mail for you (always announced on the morning boaters' network on the VHF radio). We've got our music, our computers, even a printer/scanner/fax machine.

So what, you may ask, could we be lacking??

There are two categories of items that I wish I'd brought more of. The first one was an area in which I was steered in the wrong direction. All the boating books and information I got about clothing said that you'll dress very casually so bring only bathing suits and shorts/t-shirts. The trouble is, I don't wear just plain shorts and t-shirts at home. I like to wear dresses and skirts in hot weather. And I do like to look semi-presentable, even as a boater. Okay, so I love clothes. In addition, there have been opportunities for date nights, and I've needed something funky to wear. But as I was trying to fulfill my goal of living minimally, I failed to bring clothes I like to wear and that I feel good in. I did not bring any date night clothing. After some time, though, I got smart and did do a bit of shopping. Piece of advice #1: If you are to set sail anytime soon, don't alter your wardrobe. Bring your favorite clothes - except perhaps anything that needs dry cleaning as we've not seen any dry cleaners (not that we've looked). Even for my delicates, hand washing is in fact way easier on the boat in 5-gallon buckets than it is on land in my small laundry room. I have certainly not needed the number of shoes I wear on land. Heels as a boater are practically impossible. But I'm sure glad I brought some nice flats...

Second area I wish I had thought about: greeting cards. Sounds silly, but I wish I had gone through my calendar of birthdays, anniversaries, holidays etc. and picked out cards for everyone for the entire year. Our friend and former crew member Caren Edwards advised us to prepare a holiday box which has come in so handy. We have put in it a menorah for Chanukah, a Haggadah for Passover, a birthday book I like to read my kids on their birthdays, some birthday candles and streamers, and so on. However, given how easy it is to send mail to the States, and given that I even have 'forever' stamps, I do miss not having English greeting cards. Somehow, I managed to have Valentine's cards for my kids, but not for Michael (he still brought me flowers - I love that man). So ends my stash of greeting cards. Our anniversary is coming up in two days and we don't have cards for each other. I don't even have a card for my son's 9th birthday in 6 days. Piece of advice #2 to those planning to set sail imminently: stock up on greeting cards for the entire year before you depart.

I'd better go to begin writing out a poem for hubby for our 14th anniversary, and some cutesy handmade card for Harrison. I hope they'll appreciate the effort from an otherwise uncreative, non-artistic wife/mom.

Signing off from the anchorage in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle,

Barbara

A Palapa in Yelapa

Yelapa is one of the coolest towns we've come across yet. It is located in the south end of Banderas Bay and accessible only by boat. There are no cars in this town - NONE. We spent three lovely days there last week with my mother-in-law who was here visiting and had a blast.

When you arrive at the anchorage at Yelapa, a panga approaches your boat and brings you to one of its mooring balls for a nightly fee. For all we know, Bully, the panga driver doesn't even 'own' the mooring ball, but just takes your money, attaches your boat to the mooring, and laughs all the way to the bank. Either way, he also gave us free rides to/from shore as this town was no place for a dinghy beach landing (too steep). Bully promised us a ride back to our boat each night but only up to 5 p.m. as he then goes home to his family. One evening, after dark (and well after 5 p.m.), we bumped into him in the 'street' and he said he could take us back to our boat. Apparently, at night, he himself moors his boat out, so he had to send his cousin swimming out to get the panga in order to drive us back to our boat. It is little experiences of Mexican hospitality like this that make Mexico such an incredible place to be. We have found that most will go out of their way for you in an instant.

Back to Yelapa. The town is located at the mouth of a river, and built almost vertically up the mountain. What is so surprising is that there is so much more to the town than you see from the water. You could spend days there exploring and still find new things of interest. The path-streets wind through the town up and down the hillside without much order (or street signs, for that matter - it's one of those "take a right at the house with the three windows" kind of a town). Some of the paths run so steep that even the donkeys that carry heavy loads seem to slip down every few steps. On the steepest of the hillside paths, Harrison was invited by a couple of town boys to sit with them on an upside-down milk crate covered with cardboard and slide down treacherously heading for a huge rock that acted as a ramp to take them airborne. They were slowed down only by hanging onto the branches hanging over the path just before the path takes a sharp twist to the left. Quite a site. There's no way we would have ever permitted Harrison to do this at home, but here, well, it's all part of the experience, no?

There are several good Mexican and seafood restaurants. Thanks to my mother-in-law's keen ability to talk to just about anyone, we befriended Susan, the proprietor of Cafe Bahia right on the shore at the end of a broken down concrete dock. Being an expat, she appreciates good freshly baked bread which she bakes daily along with amazing desserts (like homemade cinnamon ice cream, homemade lime bars, homemade granola, trail mix cookies, etc). In addition, she serves delicious fresh and mostly organic food. We spent two afternoons there, as it was like visiting her and her family at their own home - the waitresses would serve you a cookie and take one for themselves as well. She also provided us with shelter (and pretzels) one evening when it started to rain. They provide internet, but only after 3 p.m. as it is dial-up and they have to turn off their phones to let you have it.
We purchased amazing banana bread and Mexican wedding cookies at a 'bakery' called Brisas which is essentially a bake sale run out of someone's kitchen. This was a great experience going into their home and their colorful large kitchen, and watching the mother of the family cook chile rellenos in a huge skillet over a large old fashioned stove. When we had to use the bathroom, they sent us into their own personal bathroom in their home - toothpaste cap still off the tube and all.

We had another wonderful encounter there as well. Walking down the path along the shore, we came across an American gentleman, John Van Winkle, who invited us up to see his vacation rental where he and his wife, Margy, stay for 2 weeks every year. Up we followed him - at least 250 stairs carved into the rock - to his open air home - no walls - just a roof with the mountain side acted as a back wall. They shower outside in complete privacy in the jungle facing a waterfall. This was certainly heaven on earth. The person who runs the five or so similar rental homes called Casa Isabel is Judy, a lovely classy lady with whom we spent much time chatting as well. Apparently, THE Isabel passed away last year after living in the area for about 40 years and establishing these beautiful homes, while helping the locals and having a romance with the son of the Mexican president. Anyone who spoke of her did so with much admiration and love. The stories were fascinating.

And then the heavens opened up and it rained and rained. We were hoping to stay another day, in order to hike up the river to what is supposed to be a spectacular waterfall but instead headed for Nuevo Vallarta and the comforts of the marina. More on the weather later - it's been weird, to say the least.

And by the way, we never did sit under a palapa while in Yelapa, but what other word do you know that rhymes with palapa???

Signing off until next time,
Barbara

Why we are doing this...

I've come across a book entitled "Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost At Sea" by Steven Callahan. Haven't read much of it, but in the opening pages, he has aptly stated (and in better words than I ever could) why we took off on this adventure.

"I wish I could describe the feeling of being at sea, the anguish, frustration, and fear, the beauty that accompanies threatening spectacles, the spiritual communion with creatures in whose domain I sail. There is a magnificent intensity in life that comes when we are not in control but are only reacting, living, surviving.... [F]or me, to go to sea is to get a glimpse of the face of God. At sea I am reminded of my insignificance - of all men's insignificance. It is a wonderful feeling to be so humbled."

I have found this quote particularly compelling. As part of my own coaching training, I put together a Life Purpose Statement, and interestingly it begins:

"I am inspired and alive, completely aware of the wonders and awe of everything around me. I am deeply connected to the past as well as to the future, fully aware of my place in this universe (both great and small; both physically and in time). My inner voice is strong and clear, and guides me to live life fully. I move through life with a sense of purpose. I receive abundant blessings."

And boy, do I ever. So far, so good.

Signing off from Nuevo Vallarta,
Barbara

How the Parrot Learned to Dance

Harrison has been working on creating a story with a beginning (sets the scene), the middle (with details that are important to the story), and an ending. Harrison wrote the first draft, and then Danielle worked with him beautifully asking him relevant questions that helped him add interesting details. This story goes with the video at the bottom of this post - you'll have a good laugh.

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful parrot that lived on a power boat with his owner, Jake. Jake and the parrot both liked each other very much and thought of each other as best friends. One day, Jake decided to bring his friend, Tim, with him and the parrot to the Antarctic.

The next day, they were ready to go. During the journey, every night when Tim went to bed, the parrot started chirping. Tim was annoyed! He couldn’t sleep at all. He got very upset with the parrot. When they anchored in the Antarctic, Tim was so fed up with the parrot that he threw it far into the cold water! The last thing the parrot heard was Jake screaming “No! Don’t go!”

The parrot swam and swam, looking for the boat, but he couldn’t find it anywhere. He kept on looking, and the next thing he noticed, he was in the middle of the ocean. He thought he knew which way the boat was, so he swam in that direction. He kept swimming, and somehow, he made a wrong turn and ended up in Australia.

The parrot was shivering a lot because he was cold from being in the freezing Antarctic water. Even when he got out of the water, he kept on shivering.

All of a sudden, many parrots jumped down from the trees to greet the parrot. They all thought he was dancing because he was happy to be alive, not that he was shivering. When all the parrots heard what happened to the parrot, they all started dancing just like him!

Then, all the parrots heard a roaring motor! Jake had just pulled his jet ski up onto shore! When he saw all the dancing parrots, he laughed and started to dance with them!

Ever since then, parrots start dancing whenever they see anyone, people or parrots, dancing. If you ever see a dancing parrot, think of this story and dance along with him.

A Cinquain about our Blog

A cinquain is a poem that is five lines long; the first line has one word, the second line has two, the third line has three, the fourth line has four, and the fifth line has one word.

Blog
What's happening
Tells our story
Happy about our trip
Stories

Written by Harrison
Feb. 1, 2010
Yelapa

An Acrostic Poem about the Ocean

Seasick

 

Oh, my tummy.

Crazy movement.

Extra Wavey.

Action-packed.

Nauseous.

 

-Harrison

From the Perspective of Freda & Allan Brender (aka Bubbie and Zaida)

My mother and step-dad, Freda and Allan Brender, wrote the following contribution to our blog, describing their experiences aboard Whatcha Gonna Do during their recent visit with us. I added the photos. -BG

"We arrived in Puerto Vallarta on January 14 and were met by Barb at the airport. After picking up an air shipment of kosher meat from Mexico City we made our way to the marina at La Cruz and first boarded WhatCha Gonna Do.

"As first time sailors, we were looking forward to our time on the boat with our family but were also a bit apprehensive since this was a new experience and we also wondered whether our physical abilities were up to life on a boat. As it turned out, our primary difficulty was in getting on and off the boat and we generally managed OK.

"The weather did not cooperate and we spent our first three days in the marina. We saw a pretty spectacular waterspout offshore extending from the clouds to the ocean's surface, basically a tornado over water. We walked around La Cruz which is a small Mexican town that clearly benefits economically from the new marina. Shabbat dinner on the boat was a delight with home-baked challah. The next evening we had dinner at an excellent Italian restaurant together with the family from another boat that has been mentioned in these blogs, Journey. A few nights later we also met the family of another boat mentioned here, Mishak.

"We left La Cruz on Sunday, January 17 for Punta Mita at the northwestern end of Banderas Bay. We sailed for 4 -5 hours, zig-zagging across the bay following the wind. Along the way we saw several whales and a number of great breaches. We anchored offshore for the night.

"On Monday morning we set sail for the Marietas, a group of uninhabited and largely inaccessible islands at the opening of Banderas Bay where there was swimming, snorkeling, kayaking and touring by dinghy. We sailed back to Punta Mita where we anchored about a half mile off shore. The next day, after school work was done, was spent onshore but the highlight was getting there. Freda and Barb swam the whole distance in about an hour while the rest of us followed closely in the dinghy.

"Early Wednesday morning we headed east to Paradise Village Marina in Nuevo Vallarta. Michael caught a late afternoon flight to S. F. to attend to business. The rest of us spent time in Puerto Vallarta and near the marina. The marina is part of a large complex with a major resort hotel. We were able to use its facilities and made good use of the pools. We took an interesting boat tour up the river into a national park and saw lots of iguanas, crocodiles and water birds.

"Now we have left the boat and Mexico. Looking back, we are impressed with how all the Mitgang family has adapted to life on the boat and at sea. They are all sailors now. The catamaran is just right for the four of them, is comfortable if compact and a great way to see the world. The Pacific coast of Mexico is really beautiful and we are grateful we had the opportunity to see some of it with them."

-Freda and Allan Brender

What we did over winter break and beyond...

Our internet has been down, I've been sick, and we've had guests. Excuses, excuses, excuses. But so be it - it's good to be back! Here's a recap of what's been going on since mid-December.

When last I wrote about our day to day life, we had our friends Natsuko and Kenji on board and were making our way from Mazatlan to Banderas Bay (Puerto Vallarta area), with some stops in San Blas and Chacala.

San Blas (21 degrees 32.617 minutes North, 105 degrees 17.612 minutes West) was a cute little town where we spent two overnights at a marina. Many cruisers bypass this town as it is known for the jejenes (known as the 'no-see-ums'). True to its reputation, we got eaten alive and were still recovering from several of the bug bites several weeks later. Nonetheless, we were there during a town Christmas celebration which took place at the central plaza with jumpees, sparklers and poppers, food and local artisans selling their wares. It was a lot of fun participating in the festivies with the locals. We visited the cathedrals - there are two side by side - one much older than the other and which was made famous in a Longfellow poem about the town and its church bells, only days before the poet died (another useless fact you may be interested in).

Next stop: Chacala - photos of this beautiful spot (21 degrees 9.819 minutes North, 105 degrees 12.615 minutes West):

We anchored in Chacala Bay (photos above) and it was so beautiful that we decided to stay there a couple of nights. Only two small issues arose while we were there. The first is that the bay is only about a half-mile inland so the waves roll in when the seas have even a bit of swell. This made getting into and out of the dinghy a bit tricky at times - when there are waves, the boat is up when the dinghy is down, and vice versa. It's a lesson in patience to get the timing just so. The second issue arose as a result of the first: I thought I broke my toe getting into the dinghy on our first day there in order to get to shore. By the time I got to shore, a fisherman had to help me get to a rock where I could put on my shoe, and Michael had to carry me the rest of the way. It turns out that my toe is not broken, but I had a tough time walking for several days.

Back to Chacala. It's another little out of the way fishing village with a beautiful beach lined with palapa restaurants. The town itself has only a couple of streets. Our friends the Bernsteins from San Francisco happened to be vacationing down the coast and took a taxi there to meet us for the day. The kids enjoyed swimming to/from the boat, boogie boarding, and playing in the sand. The ice cream was pretty good too. I remained pretty stationary with ice packs on my toe (see broken toe story above).

Photos of the Bernstein visit:


Next stop: La Cruz de Huanacaxtle (20 degrees 44.92 minutes North, 105 degrees 22.83 minutes West), where we made our home base for several weeks. We arrived at the marina by mid-afternoon on December 24 to a fabulous greeting from both old and new friends. It was an incredible feeling seeing the Rebitzer/Arfin family waiting for us on the dock - coming all the way from Palo Alto, CA to visit with us. In addition, we learned that our friends from Gypsy Wind and from Meshach had also arrived that day. We had a happy reunion with them as well.

We said goodbye to Natsuko and Kenji, who were joined by Jonathan and Tomo (Kenji's dad and brother) after a couple of days, and spent the remainder of the week with the Rebitzer/Arfins. We went into Puerto Vallarta to walk around the old city, the malecon (boardwalk), watched some dare devil acts of sea worship by 4 local men in traditional dress swinging from a pole, and had possibly the best seafood we've had to date at Joe Jack's Fish Shack (our waiter was from Toronto). The highlight of the week, however, was our 3 day trip to Punta Mita. As you read from the kids' blogs, the kids/dads enjoyed surfing lessons while Mimi and I had a leisurely breakfast on shore. It was such a treat to spend uninterrupted time together.

What the kids didn't mention in their blog was the excitement getting back to our boat after the day of surfing on the biggest surf day of the year. Our boat was anchored off the beach in what normally would have been a safe distance out. However, the waves had gotten so big that they had started breaking right under our boat. Had we not left when we did, the waves would have swamped our boat (the big one, not the dinghy). We needed to get back to the boat as soon as possible and lift our anchor, otherwise, in these conditions, the strain on the anchor chain could knock it loose and the boat would quickly be on shore (again, that's the big boat, the mother ship, not the dinghy). And so, as we noticed how close the break of the waves was getting to the boat, we hurried to get back. Michael had to dinghy us back in two trips, and for several nights afterwards I had nightmares of the experience: Think Poseiden Adventure. Okay, the waves were not that high, but they rose up around 8 feet high, and our dinghy had to get through them. You must know that this is not an easy task. In fact it takes much skill. You have to ride up the front of the wave and through it, but if you see it's about to break, you must turn around, head back toward shore and try to outrun it or surely get swamped, or worse yet, have your dinghy capsize. Our small 8 horsepower motor served us well and got us through several huge waves, and although a lot of water got in, the dinghy did not capsize. Michael's skill was truly impressive in running those waves, although at times I wasn't sure we'd make it. It got to a point that the surfers themselves were cheering him on each time he actually made it over the waves. It was truly exhilirating, but at the same time, incredibly scarey. Not sure I'd ever want to repeat that again.

Of course, as Danielle mentioned in her blog, on the way back we saw several whales and dolphins, and had a close encounter with one large whale only a few feet from our boat. Between our dinghy trip back to the boat, together with the whale incident, this was surely the highest level of adrenalin flow of our trip so far.

We were so sad to see Mimi, Bobby, Elana and Maya go. They were much quicker than we have been and have already posted their photos at their website. Here are a few of ours:

New Year's Eve was spent with our friends from Mesach and Gypsy Wind at Philo's Bar, a local cruiser's hangout in La Cruz. Harrison spent the evening playing pool, while Danielle hung out with the adults. Here's another Mexico-ism: Puerto Vallarta is on Central Time, but just north, across the river in Nuevo Vallarta, the time is one hour earlier, on Mountain Time. In La Cruz, we were on Mountain Time. However, the marina and boating community go by PV time. Making appointments is often a hilarious exchange about what time the meeting is really going to take place. In any case, we celebrated New Year's first on PV time with other boaters at the bar, and then walking home had a second wonderful show of fireworks an hour later for La Cruz time.

We also had a great time shooting off our own expired flares. For those not familiar with flares, they are a must-have emergency supply - you shoot them off when you think a possible rescuer is close by (another boat or plane) if you get into trouble. It's a good thing we have current flares on board, however, because only 2 of our 3 expired ones actually went off.

More about Philo's Bar. Loads of cruisers hang out here, and the owner, another expat, does a tremendous amount to help the local communities, by hosting fundraising events, being a collection spot for donations of clothes, and so on. The 20 pesos it costs for our Spanish classes that we take there Tuesday and Thursday mornings all goes to charity. The other great thing about Philo's bar is that Harrison has befriended Alex, the almost-9-year old son of the concierge that works there and lives in the back of the bar. Harrison will have great stories to tell about how, at 8-years-old, he hung out at a bar playing pool and working the soda fountain.

Harrison and Danielle with Alex behind the bar at Philo's:

The first week of January was a bit challenging for us. We all got sick and got stuck on the boat, a very smaaaaaalllll space. After day four, we clearly needed some personal space. Michael took Danielle to shore to run some errands and Harrison and I stayed on the boat. Good decompression time. Took me well into last week week to feel 100% again due to my asthma that seems to crop up after a cold, and is much worse in the humidity. And it wasn't until the second full week of January that I felt well enough even to begin homeschooling again. Now that we have, however, it really feels good to be back in the routine.

In one of my next posts, I'll write about my mother and step-dad's visit, which sadly is coming to an end tomorrow. And we are expecting more visitors this and next month. Given the number of guests needing to make plans, we decided to stay put in the Banderas Bay area until mid to late February - there's a ton to do around here, and several different places to anchor or dock, so we certainly won't be bored. It's actually so wonderful to share our experiences with family and friends, to allow them to experience first hand what we do, how we live, what we see and experience.

Wishing you all a wonderful 2010 full of adventures and good health!

Signing off from Nuevo Vallarta (20 degrees 40.429 minutes North, 105 degrees 17.607 minutes West),

Barbara