Helen's Cool List

Saturday, December 31

by guest blogger Helen

On Wednesday, my mother and I went out early to get some provisions at Mega, a large chain grocery store. Mega had almost exactly the same (and, as far as I could tell, same quality) fruits and vegetables as what we found down at the outside market—which is sort of like going to the Pike Place Market and then to Target and finding the same selection. I was invited on this particular shopping trip to increase my mothers’ efficiency, but instead spent most of my time giggling in the aisles, as this kind of store combines two of my favorite things: food fads and language. For instance, I found Galletas Salades, which I initially translated as Salad Cookies. I wondered if this was a cookie made of vegetables or (better) a cookie to go with salad! As it turned out, my translation was just bad. Galleta can also mean biscuit or cracker. As anyone who has been to Mexico surely knows, the most common bread brand is Bimbo. We also discovered that it was near impossible to find unaltered sugar—almost all sugars were “Reducida en calorías” and/or “Adicionada con fibra”. Perhaps this is common in the US too, and I just don’t spend enough time in chain grocery stores. Finally, I found a package of “Facial Quality” toilet paper.

Since I have been benefiting from my parents’ generosity, I offered to help my father out with a few boat repairs. I’m the smallest adult around, so I suggested that perhaps I could help him with something bosun’s chair-related. He was excited and quickly had me replacing zip ties on the SSP antennae attached to the backstay. I thought I was done, but no. He wanted me to go up the mast. I agreed and got harnessed up again. I then discovered that the rides up the mast that I remember from childhood are apparently over. I had to go up there under my own power, using an extremely awkward push-me-pull-you inchworm system. I wasn’t totally thrilled about this but figured it would be worth it to help my dad make important improvements to the boat. Silly me. When I asked what I would be doing up there, he replied, “Oh nothing. Just looking around.” But of course it was worth it when several guys watching from below commented that they would be scared to do what I was doing.

On my first night in the boat, I heard a sound in the night that I interpreted as rain. I thought, “That’s strange. It didn’t seem like rain when I went to bed,” but had forgotten about it by the time I woke up in the morning. The second night, I heard it again and attributed it to normal boat creaking and/or water noises. It sounded like thousands of pop rocks going off in succession. Finally, the following night, Peter inquired about the sounds during a lull in a raucous bridge game. My mother informed him that the noises he heard were snapping shrimp. I was up a few margaritas, and therefore in a gullible state. I waited until the next morning to confirm the story with her. It’s true—snapping shrimp are about 1.5 inch long tropical shrimp designed with one huge claw that snaps shut with such a bang that it can even break glassware. We hear them especially at night.

I am sad to be going back to Brooklyn. My favorite times in Mazatlán have been mornings on the boat, waking up to the gurgling of the coffee maker, and tuning in for the updates from other cruisers on the local Net with my parents. This morning, my coffee is accompanied by a slice of guayaba pie (guava cream pie with pecan crust), my new favorite food.

Feliz Nuevo Año, Helen and everyone!

Helen Gets Us out of Town

Friday, December 30

Thursday afternoon Helen in her usual efficient way focused on making the most of her last day, but in our usual pull it out of your, uh…the air, fashion we were a bit in the dark on how to grant her final wish for some sightseeing outside the city.  Having “done” the town, all three of us wanted to see a bit of the countryside sampling the rural flavors of Sinaloa, but not with a busload of tourists. That night no obvious means for achieving this end came to hand but we had one hope left. Fortunately the 8 a.m. cruisers’ net came to our aid with the number of a cab driver, a former tour leader named Gerry. With fingers crossed I called him and by 8:45 we were in Gerry’s cab headed out of Maz on Route 15. Phew!

Having rejected the standard tourist destinations, we decided to head for a lagoon south of the city where we could see some birds and seaside settlements. Our first stop, in Rosario, one of the oldest cities in Sinaloa and formerly quite an important center of wealth and manufacturing, took us to an ancient church built in1759. Mining around the region had yielded so much gold that the front wall of the church was finished entirely in ornate gilt relief. Local mining had also undermined the church’s original foundation setting off a major rebuilding project in which the whole church was moved stone by stone. We watched a bit of a christening ceremony, then crossed the street to read about the famous singer Lola Bertran.

No Mexican town could function without a traditional market. Set in a maze of narrow one way streets, Rosario’s was a challenge to reach. Each of us wanted something specific (besides the baños). Charlie found some locally produced spicy choriso. For me Gerry located the best juice bar. The celery, guava and orange drink was a hit with Charlie and Helen. I shocked the ladies by ordering a blend of strawberry, orange and milk. Milk!? Actually this was a recipe from the Licuados stand in Mazatlan. Then Helen insisted on a reprise of our earlier candy shopping. Jerry bought us coconut covered marshmallows while she found tamarind candy and a guava sugar cake to take on the plane.

Really the Mazatlan Market, thanks to Margaret J

On a sugar high we headed out to the coast through orchards of mangos and plums, passing many farms with serially planted corn crops, lettuce, chiles and tomatoes, and even cactus. Near the ocean on the flat sandy land we saw huge coconut palm plantations and quite a bit of cattle ranching along with shrimp farming. Laguna Caimanero’s feeder streams and muddy shores are a great place for birding. Surprisingly Gerry had never been out here before. The birds fascinated him as did my Sibley guide but it didn’t cover a lot of the birds. Back at the boat I took out the Mexican birds book and learned about all the ibises. This one is probably an immature white. Lots of new species to study!

Having a college educated bilingual guide made the whole trip twice as good. He told us stories about the past and answered questions. How bad is it with the local drug lords? (The Army got 'em.) Why don't cruise ships come to Mazatlan any more? Too many charges by the port and of course the economy. The next day he brought us corn and empanadas, regalos from the market, before going off to work. Thanks, Gerry. Thanks, Helen too. We'll miss you.

And Then There Were Three

Thursday, December 29

After we hugged the Vermonters good-bye, Helen and Charlie set off to see the sculptures on the Malecon. 

The little open car is a pulmonia, the local open air taxi originated here over the protests of taxi drivers. (Pulmonia, as those drivers christened them, means pneumonia!) At this season it’s a bit chilly driving around in them, but kind of fun, especially when all 8 of us could crowd into the back of the pickup truck variety and sing along with the inevitable 60’s pop music piped in for us.

That evening as the dew started to fall, we loaded into the dinghy for the long awaited exploration of this big estuary, home to four marinas, a golf course, several hotels and many residences. Many fish were jumping and the wading birds were out in force finding plenty of prey. The banks, unfortunately, are mostly rock lined but a few mangroves are left. We saw black skimmers, many egrets, yellow-crowned night herons, great and little blue herons, wood storks and hundreds of flying cormorants. Also noted California style canals with docks installed side by side where the residences were packed along the slough, but oddly, no other boats in transit. Finished our cruise in last of sunset afterglow with Venus and Jupiter joining the crescent moon.

Isla Venados

Wednesday, December 28

While the VT kids were visiting we wanted to get out on the water at least once, hoping to combine a trip to Venados Island with some fishing. However no amount of late night internet time could finagle online registration for licenses on the government’s Conapesca site. In the morning I even called them, but they were closed for the holidays! No point in gnashing teeth. Just go out and have fun.

 So, following the cattle boat cats moored in our marina, we “cruised” out to the island on a beautiful morning, anchored, dinghied in and played on the beach. 

The mountain goats of the family couldn’t resist climbing to the top of the island for great city views and a good workout. Helen made the ascent twice! Along the trail we admired a leaf cutter ant parade. 

Forrest and Gardy found a couple of dead blowfish and enshrined one with tourist beverage bottles.

The trip was just as good, maybe better, without bait, hooks and snarled lines.

Photo gracias a Margaret

For Margaret’s family’s last night we went out to the El Cid Fiesta. Usually I don’t comment on meals, but this event involved a splendid buffet that occupied the area of two basketball courts with a variety of Mexican dishes at which, for once, “all you can eat” was not the kiss of death. Afterwards we watched the show, a delightful assortment of talent and culture running from a demonstration of roping by a lasso champion to various styles of dancing in traditional costumes, a Mariachi band and singing. It was a great choice and at a bargain price. 

Birthday 64

December 22 and 23

by guest blogger Helen Stillman

You know your blog life is going well when you get requests from guest bloggers.

I arrived in Mazatlán on Thursday (my mother’s birthday) and immediately requested guest blogger status, so I guess that means my mom is blog famous.

In lieu of Christmas carols and cold cuts, it became quickly apparent that my mother intended to take advantage of her Mexico birthday by creating an elaborate and unique plan of celebration for su compleaños de año 64.

She was practically giddy as I entered the boat and headed towards the fore cabin, my designated sleeping quarters. Waiting for me there was an enormous, wide-eyed, yellow piñata. My mother proudly informed me that its name was Seattle Rein!

As a women’s basketball fan, I heard this as Seattle Reign (Seattle’s women’s bball team). I laughed, confused about my mother’s sudden enthusiasm for women’s athletics. However, I was quickly informed that this was instead a joke on reindeer. Mazatlán, incidentally, means “Land of the Deer”, so it seemed fitting all around.

We were in good spirits and excited to share birthday celebrations with Margaret’s family. Unfortunately, the big celebration had to be postponed until Friday because of flight troubles on the way down from Vermont. Peter, Kate, and Forrest were in Mazatlán, while Margaret and Gardy were stuck in Houston. No matter—we had the available relatives over for a feast of grilled shrimp. (The shrimp came from the guy who drives the marina water taxi. Muy sabroso!)

I have to insert here that I have discovered that my parents’ individual strategies regarding use of the Spanish language very much mirror their strategies as human beings. My mother has worked hard to know everything and to be competent, and plows through conversations in Spanish with vendors, children, security guards, and taxi drivers, insistent on getting her point across. My father, in contrast, has mastered two charming phrases that he repeats with gusto. Phrase 1: MUY SABROSO!! Phrase 2: La cuenta, por favor. (He insists that he knows more—and adds “Besides, I have my telephone app to look up any word rather efficiently.”)

On Friday morning, my mother and I headed to the downtown city market. I prodded my mother to purchase every kind of exotic fruit we saw—particularly guavas. We also found a small candy stand, where we procured items for the piñata. I was excited about “pulparindo”, a spicy tamarind fruit leather-like product.

In the afternoon, we filled the piñata and started to tackle the next big problem: where and how to hang it. Always the rebel, my mother tended to think that we should sneak down to the beach and hang it from a palapa. Luckily, she decided to consult the La Cid hotel staff, who had a rope available, and were experienced at manning it, an excellent system for us.


With the whole family gathered, we took turns waling at Seattle Rein/Rain/Reign, starting with the youngest and going towards the oldest. You'll notice that we're all sporting tropical shirts... someone's idea of party favors. (My mother felt genuinely remorseful about taking a bat to the poor little deer and justified her actions by invoking the added pun “beating Seattle rain by coming down to Mexico”.)

I was delighted to see the hotel guys jumping in to to grab dulces along with the rest of us when the candy started raining down. Afterward, Kate and I took turns throwing candy up to the guy who had been holding the rope from the roof.

After a surprisingly delicious hotel dinner, we headed back to the boat. Margaret and Gardy had written my mom new verses to When I’m 64 during their Houston detour, which they sang. My mother was prepared with printed copies of the original version, which she passed around for all to sing.

Margy and Gardy’s lyrics:

When you get older

Sailing with ease

You’ll be having fun

You’ll invite your family

To play with you
And your Charlie
In the Mexican sun

Eating some tacos

With guacamole

Having more and more

You’ll be cruising

Winning and losing

Now you’re 64

We will have a merry merry Christmas

In the warmer climes

With our captain Susie

Which spot will she chooooooose?

And if you are good she will share her views.

We followed this with key lime pie, cocinado por mí.

Piñata Search

December 21

Most of this day was spent exploring the historical district and walking the Mazatlán malecón, about 4 miles along gorgeous beaches. Charlie and I realized we had somehow forgotten the whole point of the expedition: to purchase a piñata. (Don’t they just grow on trees in Mexico?) Upon inquiring, we learned of Mil Piñatas, a store downtown.

When the pulmonía driver escorted us to a tiny hole in the wall on a narrow residential street, it almost seemed he must have made a mistake, but a hand lettered sign confirmed the shop location. Inside it was dark and about as big as our cabin, but with a high ceiling strung with wires for hanging the piñatas. A small woman came out of the back room, also dark, in which we glimpsed a man wrapping crepe paper around a paper maché form and a helpful spotted dog. Speaking only in (my lame) Spanish we established that we were looking for a small piñata. There wasn’t much choice. While getting our bearings and adjusting to the dark, we looked again into the workroom. Beside stacked newspapers I saw an orange cat and now three dogs. Along the back hung half finished piñata bodies. Suddenly a chicken strode across the cement floor. Talk about breaking the ice. I had to know if the chicken and the cat got along. “Sí, son amigos” the lady told me.

After that we had a great talk about my birthday, our party plans, and so on. Charlie selected a charming yellow reindeer for me and photographed everyone. We all hugged good-bye and left in a happy glow which lasted as kids looked up, smiled and pointed at the funny foreigners carrying the awkward but charming deer past them on the streets.

Hasta Luego La Paz...Hello Maz!

Monday, December 19

Every day Charlie has been up early, and even before coffee, tuning the SSB radio to listen to the weather forecast by Don Anderson up in Ventura. The views of this old salt added to info from Sailflow.com and other sites contributed to a picture of favorable conditions in the waters of the "Southern Crossing" this weekend. Especially for a long slog like the 240 mile trip across to Mazatlan we wanted to be off when the going looked smooth.

All signs were for light to moderate wind from the north for a couple of days starting on Saturday, and although I had to walk off just before the Bridge game and a great Christmas concert in town, we said our good-byes to Mary and the nice folks at Marina de La Paz. About noon we powered out the long channel in a dead calm. The tilted rock strata at the end of Isla Espiritu Santo looked particularly appealing as we passed it, but we expect to have more time there when we return in February.

After a quiet night the wind came up a bit and I was lucky enough to see a terrific sunrise against a sky of Martine's blue with crazy light splashes like solar flares at the horizon. All day the wind carried us at about 7 knots though it came up to 20-25 eventually with short, rolling waves. We watched a glow on the southern horizon gradually turn into city lights. Charts of this area are notoriously lacking in detail, but Charlie set waypoints for our turn at the base of Isla Venados and for the anchorage on the lee side based on our cruising guides and info on our iPad Navionics charts. While bouncing around in the dark and the wind we found our way effectively due to his foresight.

Our midnight arrival wasn't great timing but a the night on the hook inside the island gave us calm water and some lovely sleep even if the wind was buffeting the boat a bit. The long strip of shore lit by bright lights and Christmas decorations felt welcoming and exciting, our first real city since San Diego. Today we got up, listened to the weather and the radio nets, pounded north about 7 miles into sloppy waves and made the tight turn between breakwaters into Marina El Cid. This place with its two swimming pools will be home for our first tropical Christmas.

Cruising Isla Espiritu Santo with Andy and Lise

Saturday, December 10

After many weeks of anticipation, Andy and Lise arrived at our marina with a (tiny) car laden with stuff we’d been lacking, various items that you can’t obtain in La Paz. Now we know how the inhabitants of remote islands, or explorers living through the Antarctic winter, must feel when the supply ship finally arrives. Lise smoothly talked her way through Customs lugging our replacement alternator with “Reconditioned warranty replacement” written all over the box. Charlie’s care with the paperwork and our Temporary Import Permit worked! They also brought replacement reefing lines, coffee, mail, our favorite crackers, yarn and an amazing quantity of tequila.

Sunday, December 11

The next morning, after an early bedtime, they were ready to shop at the giant box store grocery with me. It was exciting to have the capacity of a car to contemplete. With it we lugged more than 30 pounds, my bike max, including a half case of beer, several bags of fruits and veggies, all the cheap limes and avocados 4 people could consume in 5 days, etc. As planned, we headed out of the marina while the wind was still under 5 knots. Leaving La Paz it’s about 7 miles of narrow channel before you round the big sandbar outside of the low, sandy peninsula known as the Mogote. Off its north shore there’s an underwater canyon. In its upwelling the enormous and endangered whale sharks are known to browse.

On our way we sailed along under jib alone, startling a huge manta ray, about 12 feet across, as it floated at the surface. Eventually we noticed pangas converging and motored over. We saw fins in on the surface and Andy jumped in. (The rest of the crew had excuses not to swim.) He and the paying customers from Mar Y Sol frolicked with the 25 foot long, slow swimming plankton eater for quite a while. Eventually Andy rejoined us remarking that the creature looked like a shark, not a whale. He was right, of course. I guess he didn’t hear its whole name before he jumped.

The wind picked up giving us a nice afternoon reach over to Isla Espiritu Santo, one of two islands across from La Paz that the government has protected as a sanctuary. We anchored in La Raza harbor, part of Ballena Bay, the only boat there.

That night Lise, our tequila connoisseur declared that we should taste the four varieties aboard. The blindfold tasting revealed that all discriminating parties disliked the Jarana. To me they all tasted like rubbing alcohol or Scotch and Jarana was the sweetest and seemed mildest. The people with taste generally gave their blessing to Don Julio.

Monday, December 12

A cloudy, calm morning for boat chores and for Lise and Andy to explore the island. They walked up a dry wash passing mangroves, and many cactus. They saw a fox sized ungulate skeleton, tiny crabs with one giant claw, a dead snake and many cool rocks. We would all like a geology lesson on this area!

We motored off to another anchorage on the northern island, Isla Partita where I dinghied around the spectacular red sandstone formations of the anchorage while Andy made his now famous chainsaw guacomole. We played Take Four after dinner. Lise is hooked!

Tuesday, Decemer 13

More cloudy and cooler than yesterday, but still calm. We powered up to Los Islotes, some guano covered rocks where we heard there was a friendly sea lion colony. Lise took about 400 pictures but nothing could really capture the delightful family life of the sea lions. When Charlie in his lycra sea lion suit and Andy went for a snorkel among them, the kids raced out to play. They rushed toward our swimmers, then flipped over and swam beneath them. The little ones can fling themselves into the air for a sommersault, but it’s hard to photograph. Meanwhile most of the big ones were sleeping, pretty much blended with the rock forms.

We dinghied through a rock arch, found colorful crabs, just above the water level, watched gulls, black vultures, pelicans and finally saw the feet of perching blue-footed bookies. They hide them in flight! The little sea lions were surfing waves over the rock ledges and bumping our dinghy bottom. What a great place!

That evening we spent at Caleta Partida, a large anchorage between the two islands where we did have the company of 10 or so other boats.

Wednesday, December 15

The morning was spent rigging our new reef lines with the kind assistance of L & A. It was supposed to be quite windy in the afternoon. We thought about going out to test our new reefing capabilities and our cutter jib, but instead took out books and read a bit. (Now Andy and Lise know what cruisers really do with all that time.) Eventually C & S roused themselves to clean the bottom, but the amazing Andy swam about a mile to the gorgeous while sand beach, jogged its length, had some exploring time, and returned, having given himself quite a workout.

Later the neighbors came over from their converted Army boat, Korean War vintage. They chatted, took A & L aboard for a tour, and gave us three Cabrilla fish for dinner! We enjoyed looking at all our trip photos after the dishes.

Thursday, December 16

All night we felt the boat swinging in gusty winds. A norther had come up as predicted, at 20-30 knots. Setting our reefs with the sweet new lines (Ph.D by Yale cordage), while still at anchor, we crossed the Sea back to La Paz in steep 6 foot waves. Lise and Andy took turns steering to practice going downwind in challenging conditions. Off Pichilingue the wind diminished. Just as we were getting ready to drop the main and power in, a grey panga came by. Uh-oh. The young men were wearing bulletproof life preservers! It was the Armada, which means Navy in Spanish. They kindly allowed us to furl the main and then the young officer boarded and looked over our papers. They were in perfect order and very colorful, thanks to the TIP.

Wonderful crew to the end, Andy and Lise drove me to the Mega, a giant supermarket where we played hide and seek in the aisles until we had all we needed, and in my case another bottle of Don Julio, pressed upon us by Lise. They were terrific company, made several boat repairs and replacements possible, cooked, entertained us, and kindly put up with our slow pace. Next for them is surfing at Todos Santos while we have a day in La Paz to get ready for the crossing to Mazatlan.

Travels about Town

Among the pleasures of staying a while in one place is the opportunity to make repeat visits to favorite spots. We have become regulars at the Bagel shop and come to laugh every time at the motto on its neighbor’s tile house plaque.

Home Security Humor

The other day I realized we’d seen so many matching tile signs, including all over this marina, because they’re made locally at Ibarra pottery. Our friend Bonney L. emailed that we should get out to visit this family business so I did. It’s up in our neck of the woods anyway. I had a nice chat with the daughter of the owner who turned up again with her wares at Subasta.

Radio Ramble

Almost every day we have squinted up at the top of our local mountain looking for parties of hikers who show up at the rock tower there, take a photo and disappear. We could see a Mexican flag on a cross implanted in the tower, but didn’t exactly get it. The other day I finally decided that the afternoon was cool enough to make the climb myself.

With my trusty 2 meter radio and some water in the backpack I crossed the carretera (dual carriageway) outside the marina and worked my way around to a trail. It’s really only a 30 minute climb, interesting mostly for the geology, sandstone with loose rocks on top, and amazing cactus growth.

The view was worth it. I now get the lay of the land, especially the Mogote peninsula, to the right, formerly a mangrove swamp, where a partially built huge hotel, marina and golf course development has gone bankrupt. The photo looks southwest.

On the way down, a very drunk young man joined me trying to start a conversation on the trail and asking for money. Using the radio to let Charlie know what was happening worked really well. It confused the guy and Charlie could hear everything that was going on. Soon he showed up and we parted with the drunk in a friendly fashion. Another score for our expensive Mexican ham licenses.

Santa Claus Viene a la Ciudad!

Across the carretera just south of the mountain, are the Education Department Offices for the State of Baja Sur. They appear to be a few one-storey portables behind a big lawn planted with palms. About a week ago we noticed unusual activity on the grounds along the road. Pretty soon a palm tree had been wrapped in green and decorated with ornaments, a sleigh had appeared, gingerbread men much bigger than me and candy canes sprouted up, and a collection of gigantic mylar wrapped presents was stacked on the lawn. At unusual hours Christmas music would start blaring from the speakers on the grounds.

Finally we had to check it out. We weren’t the only rubberneckers. Actually cars were stopping and families getting out to wander around. Some posed with the crèche scene in which all the men are wearing nice straw hats. Charlie checked out the Norte Pole mailbox but it was empty. (Maybe we’ll take more pix later.) Apparently the state has no problem with spending to show kids how to set high holiday expectations!

N.B.

Charlie would say that the advantage of remaining in one place for a while is more time to work on the boat, but as we know, he doesn't write this blog.

Subasta

Mermaid and Porpoise on the La Paz Malecón

Sunday, December 4

La Paz is proving to be a delightful place. Among its draws is the helpful Club Cruceros sited at Marina de La Paz, a.k.a. the “other” marina, located at the southern end of the Malecon. We find ourselves riding down this waterfront, actually in large part beachfront, promenade almost every day. Club Cruceros supports cruisers in a wide variety of ways as well as promoting good relations with the community. In the morning we listen to their announcements on the VHF radio on subjects of interest to us such as weather, how to get supplies into the country without bureaucratic snags, where to procure all sorts of useful items from fishing licenses to boat parts, and so on. The club has a shack, er, clubhouse, in which is located a good selection of videos and books that go out on loan to boaters.

Over time, the club has supported programs in the local schools to fund meals and scholarships for needy kids. Commonly many families find the financial burden of keeping kids in school, especially paying for uniforms, to be too great to continue after about the 6^th grade. Eventually forming an independent non-profit, Fanatur (www.lapazninos.org), members of the local ex-pat community, both boaters and dirt dwellers, developed the annual event known as Subasta to raise money for the kids. As we happened to be here when this local fundraiser was happening, it seemed like a good idea to pitch in.

On Saturday afternoon while I played bridge at the marina’s restaurant, Charlie helped unload bags of donations being delivered to the marina parking lot. The whole place was taken over with tents and tables, kind of like a street fair, in preparation for Subasta. Sunday morning busy volunteers set up the tables with bake sale items, crafts, rummage and clothing, four pickup truck loads of black garbage sacks stuffed full! When we arrived we went to the clothing booth and started emptying the sacks and stacking clothes on tables. A bunch of high school kids who participate in Fanatur programs joined us and helped us with this, the most active area of the event. At nine the crowds rushed in. The kids helped us with adding and counting scrip, no real money in use. We got coaching in Spanish as they didn’t speak much English. Now we really know those numbers!

The volume of clothing was truly staggering. As customers bought and the levels dropped, we opened more bags and kept the tables full. I met the mother of Paola, the girl who was assigned to children’s clothing with me and we dug through the piles to find clothes for her three other daughters. Cruisers outfitted their growing children at 5 or 10 pesos for a shirt or pants, and grandmothers carted off armloads for grandkids. At noon Mary Shroyer, the marina owner and boss of the clothing tent and pretty much everything else, determined that prices should drop to 50% off, and business doubled. Charlie bought us sauerkraut dogs, but we hardly got out to see the rest of the event. Subasta means auction, by the way, however, the stage was too far from our tent for us to participate.

By 4 o’clock the remaining clothes, maybe an eighth of what we started with, were stuffed back into sacks and given to the cooks and the teachers. The kids swept up trash, folded up tables, said good-bye, and bang the whirlwind was over. Carrying a few “new” clothes, in low gear we pedaled the flat Malecon into a 20 knot Norther past white caps in the harbor, boats dancing at their moorings and sand blowing into our eyes. We were totally exhausted but delighted with the day.

La Ventana Visit

November 26

Martine drove in to town for a little shopping and a change of scene. We didn’t find much to buy besides avocados and salsa ingredients, but it was fun to look round the markets. We had a good browse among the cowboy boots and sandals. Leather is big here. At dusk she cautiously drove Charlie and me to La Ventana. It’s about an hour’s drive and somewhat dangerous to do at night as black cows and horses may wander out onto the road.

Dodging all livestock we ended up at their white adobe casita, watched Fred make vast quantities of guacamole, played games and eventually, with the assistance of a case or two of Pacifico, entered into Mohawk Mania. A couple of nights before one of the guys had had his hair shorn and now Andrew and Fred decided to go for it. Kling did the honors for both, with Fred hoping that he would not look too awful for his work trip to Disney next week. After all, Kling is the Synapse team leader. See before and after shots. There was a later exercising of the clipper when Fred shaved Kling and Kling removed Fred’s remaining tufts. Though it was painful to watch, the padres kept their own counsel, I’m happy to say.

November 27-28

On Sunday after a swim we planned to take the bus back. However by asking at a local cafe, we found the transit website was out of date: no 1 pm bus. Thus was our visit extended. Mid-afternoon the wind finally came up affording us a chance to watch the boys kiteboard.

We caught the 7 am bus the next day, a schoolbus with no springs, for a painful hour’s ride. By the daylight we could observe the sandy dry landscape. Everything that grows there has thorns! I don’t see how cattle survive in the cactus forests of this part of Baja.

Back in La Paz we were welcomed by this cautionary Muerto at the Perla Hotel restaurant.

We also found a faux Starbucks, La Paz style, apparently beyond the corporate reach of Howard Schultz.

Thanksgiving

Martine and Fred came for a visit on Tuesday, November 22, bringing the mail and town access by car! We celebrated on board with Mexican popsicles, more like cremesicles concocted in dozens of flavors, purchased by Martine.

It was determined that their crowd would join us for a sail on the next calm day. By good fortune, that coincided with Thanksgiving.

Thursday, November 24

The self described herd of locusts boarded Gratitude and sent a delegation off to bring joy to the marina store by emptying its shelves of a goodly supply of chips and drinks before casting off. Anchoring at Gaviotta Island, they snorkeled the local reef, swam, napped and read books while Charlie and I scrubbed the boat’s bottom.

For lunch we moved a bit farther north to Balandra Bay, a most beautiful spot. Too bad we didn’t have time for a beach visit. This group of hardy athletes included a number of excellent sailors who, like us were looking forward to a good spinnaker run back to the marina.

Dinner at Bismarkcito on the Malecon concluded the day. Having nothing traditional for fare, the restaurant served up a feast of local seafood. To wrap ourselves in that good Thanksgiving feeling, at the end of dinner each of us described a place, an event and a group of people that we were grateful for.

La Paz Hiatus

La Paz Hiatus

Although Gratitude has been berthed in La Paz for a week now with excellent internet, we have been laggardly in getting up to date! Somehow while making the last few long days on the way to La Paz, we stopped taking pictures, slipped into Marina Palmira and generally took up city life.

Rounding the Baja Peninsula brought us to Bahia de los Frailes, a lovely quiet beach next to Pulmo Reef , a national park. We took a swim but didn’t bother to launch the dinghy. In the park you’re not supposed to release soapy washwater, let alone flush a toilet overboard. This reef serves as a very successful nursery and sanctuary to a number of fish that used to be caught commercially. At the moment another mega marina is planned on the beach next to it, but a coalition of locals and environmentalists are fighting this development. (http://www.chron.com/news/nation-world/article/It-s-groupers-versus-growth-on-the-beaches-of-Baja-2296353.php)

After dinner we went on deck to look at the stars. It was really dark! Tom used the iPad app called GoSkyWatch to find all the zodiac constellations from Taurus to Sagittarius.

The next day we motored to Bahia des los Muertos, getting there early enough to swim, walk on the beach and inspect the turtle nests. There were 6, roped off, covered with green cyclone fence squares, about 8 by 8, staked and numbered. A local fisherman showed us the dorado he’d caught and we watched him tow his panga up the beach with a rope from a pickup. We had a nice dinner ashore and dinghied back through the FUBAR fleet of powerboats, still straggling in, that had filled in the anchorage. Should I mention their bickering, irritated radio conversations over anchoring too close or Charlie’s chagrin at kicking our new LED flashlight into the water where we watched it shine its last 25 feet down?

The forecast predicted stong northerlies for our last sail with Tom and Lee around Punta Arena de La Ventana, passing the house where Fred and Martine had just arrived with a bunch of friends, and north to La Paz. We admired the beautiful 12 mile beach before they were up to enjoy it! The wind turned out to be great for sailing, the mountains of Cerralvos Island and the mixed geology of the shore fascinating with everything from sandstone to purple volcanic rocks. It was a wonderful end to the long push from San Diego, all together about 900 miles.

The next day our next slip neighbors, a Dana Point, CA couple who have just retired here, instructed us in La Paz 101 and away we went to explore the town! The nearest grocery, Aramburo, known to some as “cow on the roof” was a first stop. Soon Tom and Charlie were operating on the boom to diagnose the reefing problem. We cleaned up the boat, the bikes came out, we taxied around to update our cruising permit, buy a temporary import permit to get the alternator replacement into the country, and found a bridge game, thanks to Tom and Lee via their B & B landlady, at the “other” marina downtown.