Cruising Mexico contd.

SV Secret o' Life
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CRUISING MEXICO (CONTD.)
Coast of Mexico Date 28 December 1999
	Dear family and friends, I'm anchored off the beach at Chacala, one of the most beautiful places I've yet to visit. I can only describe it as perfect - and no phones !! So, today I ventured forth by hitch-hike and taxi-van about 20 miles to the larger town of La Pinita where I found an internet connection in a private home about six blocks off the main street. He had 2 or 3 computers on line and was able to provide me with a connection for my laptop and AOL, so I got mail !! Total charge, including the LD phone call to Puerto Vallarta - 15 pesos, about $1.75. Everyone I'm in touch with seems to be doing just fine, as I am down here, but I'm sorry to say I did receive some bad news from the Portland area. My good friend, Jim Peterson (we first met when I was manager of First National in Tualatin, 1973 and then I worked with Jim at Sunn Musical for a couple of years and went on to buy lumber from him as our paths crossed again in the 80's) died December 7th of a heart attack at home with his wife Carol by his side. My kids and any friends who've attended the past 4th of July celebrations at the Bachelor Blvd place will remember Jim for his raucous good humor and the fireworks that he always supplied to fill out the party. I'll always remember Jim for his honesty, integrity and friendship through a lot of changes in both of our lives. This afternoon was another beautiful day on the beach, but a lot of my thoughts were disturbed and by the time the sun set and I returned to the boat, I just felt I had to write something to keep my mind busy and occupied. Jim was probably only a year or two older than me - way too young. No Mean Dogs In Mexico!! First impressions mean a lot. Bahia Tortuga - Turtle Bay - about as far from anywhere on the Pacific Mexican coast as you can get, either arrive by boat or travel several hours across single track dirt road to find a quiet village nestled on a gentle slope leading to the edge of a protected harbor - 300 miles north to the US border. I chose the marine access and now, from the beach, I'm walking up a dusty yellow path of a street with shacks like houses on each side, doors flung open and windows wide, looking for any breath of wind to cool this hot November day. The children - huge brown eyed, mop-topped, toothy grinned - stand in a doorway or sit on a short stone wall following every step. One or two with a quiet "Hola" and wait for a response. "Hola", I say or "Buenos tardes", and that brings a bigger grin. I'm looking for a block of ice, maybe two, and I don't even know how to ask for it in this foreign land !! But as I amble up the street, sand and some cobblestones, it's the dogs that get my attention. Not a bark, no whimper - they're quiet in the afternoon heat, and they know better than to move too fast. Floppy black ears above pointed snout with scruffy spotted back and bushy tail lays in the shade of the wall and follows me only with eyes that show the strength of life. I wipe the sweat from my brow and mutter to the dog "Pero - you're not stupid!" The Spanish word for ice is "heilo"; say "yehlow" and you'll find it if they have it in the village. La Paz - capital of Baja California Sur and 400 miles south of Turtle Bay - just as dry, just as dusty, but some of the streets in the city are paved, a few have their original stone base and the rest are just sand - yellow and brown. But where you would never expect them, concrete gutters line the sides of sand covered streets - and end abruptly for no more reason than they began. The small brown terrier eyes me suspiciously and I wonder if this is the one that will attack. But no, when I "cluck" at her she stops and looks quizzically, head tilted and ears listening for more. "Pero", I say, "como esta" and she scoots around me without a second glance. I'm in the back streets, several blocks off the waterfront, in a residential area of gated fine homes, questionable huts, an auto repair shop and a used battery warehouse - zoning hasn't found a definition in this country. An acquaintance had given me directions to a "Deposito" where I hoped to trade my cervesa empties for full ones at half the price of the bars and several pesos less than that charged at the corner tienda. Again today it's hot, in the 80's, and I cross to the shady side and in the process find a concrete sidewalk behind a planting strip full of squatty green trees, each with a brick circle at the base to contain a daily ration of water. Even the indecisive houses are well kept and I pass several with fresh swept portions of walkway and bright potted flowers by the door. But the dogs - does every house have one? Here a perfect yellow lab lays with head between paws, eyes tightly shut, and makes no motion as I pass. And at the next yard a fancy ironwork fence and ornate gate guard the modest concrete block structure behind and the mutt within. Yellowybeige - about the size of a large cat - with white socks on three legs, his tail curls completely and ears perk straight up behind the short muzzle punctuated by black olive nose. When he sees me passing, he jumps up to put his forepaws on the lowest iron rail and forces his head and neck through the bars, sniffing and tail wagging. He's just looking for some fun. In the next block, Pacifico is 4 1/2 pesos each if you buy twenty and if you have the empties to return. From La Paz you'll sail 15 miles north, then around the point and 280 miles south-easterly across the widest part of the Sea of Cortez to San Blas, in the State of Nayarit, the oldest port in Mexico, established in 1744 after being first explored in 1530. The Port of San Blas and adjacent Matanchen Bay was the starting point for Padre Junipero Serra in his quest to establish a chain of missions up the California coast. Today, the town is only a quarter the size it was in 1873, the year that maritime commerce ceased by decree from Mexico City, but the buildings remain and local commerce continues. Being well off the north-south coastal highway between Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta, the area receives a smattering of tourists and Mexican vacationers looking for an inexpensive and quiet getaway. I'm told that the cobblestones in the streets date back to the early 1800's and the church on the plaza was begun in 1808, but most of the homes and active commercial establishments are of this century. The climate here is very different from that of Baja, being tropical, with lush jungle growth, coconut palms and noticable humidity. In the residential areas there is much greenery to shade the concrete and masonary structures and at times it can feel quite cool when out of the sun. But the dogs of San Blas are no different. As I walk beside a tall block wall, up ahead it's capped by the concrete roof of an adjacent building, and on the roof a fifty pound stark white Heinz 57 variety has his eyes glued on my progress as he stretches his neck out to peer down and along the wall. This one barks loudly and I wonder if he's the exception to the rule, but as I approach and see his awkward position, tail wagging, front legs bent low, I know he's only announcing my passing, as he must for anyone that approaches his vantage point so much higher than the other dogs. And they are many - all over Mexico - of all colors, shapes and sizes. Some would carry the description "flea-bitten mongrel" while others would be "an adorable lost waif" and yet one or two maybe a "fine shepheard" or "beautiful pointer". Today on the beach I saw two perfect black labs trouncing in the surf and running in the sand and one morning a few weeks back a lonesome, scraggly, splotchy shephard, recently a mother with stretched teats almost dragging on the stones but tail high as she loped along, bouncing gait, tongue hanging in the heat, crossing the street well ahead of me to give plenty of room to pass. I'm impressed too, with the people of the coast of Mexico. They live a simple, apparently happy life, never grumbling or complaining at their lot - pleased with the day. Many times more often than not, as I pass someone on the street I'll receive an "Hola !" and I respond with "Buenos dias".... and see the smile.
Winter? What Winter? Date: 19 March 2000
	Hola family and friends - around 2 o'clock this afternoon I was standing in a square (one of many) in the old town of Mazatlan, ear to the phone, adding minutes to my calling card when something fell from the sky, grazed the edge of my glasses and dribbled down the front of my T-shirt. I knew without looking closely - a bird had graced my presence. But. . . . this is so atypical of the last several months, it stands out in it's singularity. Looking back in my files, it's been since just before new years that I've sent an "update" of what's been happening - so here it is (at least part one). The stereo is playing some soft jazz (Jimmy Smith) and I'm finishing day number 12 at anchor in the harbor at Mazatlan. The cruise ships come and go here - Thursday is the day for "Elation" and Tuesday is "Rhapsody of the Seas". I arrived here in time to enjoy the last half of Carnival week and can truly say I've never seen so many people lined up for a parade - 12-15 deep and stretching for at least 4-5 miles along the malecon. We arrived at 1500 hrs, the parade started at 1730 hrs and ended at my viewpoint at 1930 hrs !! The parties went through the night - I could hear music and dancing until 3 a.m. each night. The city is back to normal now and I'm preparing to leave within a day or two - checked out with Migracion, the Port Authority, and the Capitania del Puerto today, so I am free to sail to Baja and La Paz as the weather permits in the next few days. Daughter Christen, her husband Christian & mi nieta Sydney will be there to greet me at Cabo Pulmo, where I hope we can spend a week together, before I head on up to La Paz and stay several weeks getting the boat in order and provisioned for the 3 1/2 week passage to Hawaii for daughter Hollice and her beau Troy's wedding on Kauai June 23. This is soooooo hectic - when do I get the chance to relax ?? In the past few months I've heard from most of you and several want to know of "My Favorite Place" on the Mexican west coast. Well, here it is - the 6-8 mile stretch including Barra de Navidad and Tenacatita !!! This slice of paradise lays about 125 miles S of Banderas Bay and Puerto Vallarta. How do I qualify this ?? It's the one area where I would wake up in the morning, the day would pass most beautifully and I would go to sleep at night. What else is there ?? Leisurely breakfast, do a little computer time (e-mails, etc), jump in the water (80 F), snorkel around the rocks and shore, have a light lunch, siesta, go ashore to the one palapa restaurant for a couple of 8 peso cervesas and maybe, once in awhile, a fish or shrimp dinner (40 pesos) and then back to the boat to enjoy a quiet evening and in the bunk by 9 p.m. Now that was Tenacatita-aaahhh. Barra had a little more action, with numerous restaurants and night life, but the cost was low and the anchorage quiet - an enclosed laguna a mile inward from the sea with no memory of the rolling swell and a sunrise through the haze at 0700 that would make you happy to be up and at 'em so early each day. The days - Oh, the days - never above 90 F and rarely below 75 F. Nights in the 60's. What else is there?? There were numerous other anchorages - S/V "Secret O' Life" has not been tied to a dock since the first week of October in San Diego - and they are many: Chamela, crystal clear diving; Las Hadas, memories of Dudley Moore and Bo Derek; Chacala, my second favorite place; Santiago Bay, quiet water and few other boats; San Blas, where the jejenes (no see-ums) try to distract from the ambiance, but lose - - and all the others, where the water is warm and the sun sets red every night. A number of you want to know how I manage the e-mail in Mexico. It hasn't been difficult - well, except for finding the time to compose these messages. AOL has a number of connections here and I simply find a place to plug in the laptop and do a "flash session" which takes 2-3 minutes. During that time all the messages I've composed are sent out and any waiting to be delivered are downloaded. Then I unplug and go someplace quiet - usually including a meal or drink - to read the mail. These places to plug in vary from a hotel lobby to an Internet cafe to a marina office, or the most memorable, the Larga Distancia Caseta in the village of La Manzanilla on the eastern shore of Bahia de Tenacatita. With the laptop firmly sealed in the waterproof 'Pelican' case, I make the 20 minute crossing of the bay and brave the small surf break in the dinghy, then walk into the village to find, along the narrow dirt street, sandwiched between the liquor store and a small hotel, the one place with a public phone. This is someone's home, and as you enter through the door you'll see a small office-like setting with a desk, atop which sits a couple of phones and a FAX machine, and two phone booths on the opposite wall. Through an arched opening you can view the living area - a couch and perhaps the TV is on - with several residents taking care of their daily chores, while the public files in and out of the business portion of the 'casa' making and receiving the important phone calls of the day. To place a long distance call here, you give the number to the person at the desk and when the connection is made you're directed to cabina uno or cabina dos. As I walk in, a young woman - 23 years old I learn later - is sitting behind the desk with a year-old nino at her breast, and I open the attache' to reveal the computer. She motions for a wire or plug and I hand her the phone cord that's attached to the modem input while she leans over behind the desk and plugs it in. She says "OK", I hit a few keys, the dial tone comes up and I'm connected to AOL through a server in Puerto Vallarta and the entire session is over in 2 minutes. For this I'm charged 8 to 12 pesos (about $1 US) and I'm set for another week or so !! As I dig in my wallet for the coins, I show her pictures of my hija's, hijo and nieta. She calls out and immediately three more women are looking at the pictures and laying multitudes of compliments on me in a language that I can only hope to comprehend. Her plump child has a wide grin between his rosy cheeks and now several of her customers and the lady from the liquor store next door are leaning in to have a look at my kids. I put the computer away, rescue my wallet and back out the door to return to the boat and read the latest from the "world to the North". Since New Years - which I spent at Tenacatita, in a dinghy raft-up with 20 others at midnight while we shot off dozens of expired flares - until today, St. Patricks here in Mazatlan - I've traveled several hundred miles of this coast, as far south as Manzanillo, and it's all beautiful. The winds, unfortunately are light, which means we all burn a little more fuel. But that keeps the batteries charged and the lights burning at night. Even though I know I have to move north and/or west to avoid hurricane season here, I feel like I've barely brushed the surface of the Mexican coast and look forward to a return here next fall. In the next few weeks, I'll put together more detail of the past few months and send it off. Until then, I hope everyone is looking forward to the transition from winter to spring - I'm having trouble remembering what that's like. Hasta luego from Mazatlan Terry, aboard S/V "Secret O' Life"
La Paz and More Date: 20 April 2000
	Hola, Family and Friends - Back in La Paz, and I can't believe it's only 2 weeks and a couple days till I depart for Hawaii !!! The past week or so - and the next couple - will be spent working on the boat and provisioning for a possible 4+ week passage, although Pilot Chart data suggests I should make Hilo in about 22 days in the 'average' year during the month of May. I plan to leave La Paz Saturday, the 6th of May and I want you all to consider it may be the 6th to the 10th of June before I arrive in Hilo - and I'll send out an arrival e-mail there, so please don't go calling the Coast Guard if you haven't heard from me by then. I expect a relatively benign passage with little threat of hurricane as the La Nina has got the water pretty cold this year. But, let me digress here. Leaving Mazatlan I had a great passage across the Sea of Cortez, 175 miles in 33 hours to Cabo Pulmo, where I met up with daughter Christen, son-in-law Christian and granddaughter Sydney. We enjoyed a wonderful week together swimming and snorkeling on Pulmo Reef, collecting shells and putting away a few Pacificos. Unfortunately, the northerlies blew several days and prevented any day sails in the area. As my luck goes, it was blowing another northerly when I departed there for La Paz, so I sailed long tacks out into the Sea and arrived in La Paz about 36 hours later. Since then the weather has settled and most days here are in the hi 80's, low 90's with afternoon winds to 15 kts - just about perfect. I'm anchored close in and have use of a pool, so the afternoons go by nicely (mornings are for projects). A couple of days after I had the anchor down here I was in the galley beginning to prepare dinner - well, maybe I was slicing a lime to squeeze in my cervesa - when a huge splash beside the boat brought me up into the cockpit to see a large porpoise chasing a number of 8 to 10 inch baitfish only 20 yards of the stern. Within minutes what was one porpoise was now five, plus a youngster just learning the fine art of chasing down his dinner. For the next 30 minutes, this small pod stayed within 100 yards and treated everyone aboard the 10 or 12 boats in the anchorage to an exceptional show. The several porpoises would surround a school of small fish and cause them to surface, then while one or two would circle the fish, another would force them to jump and then yet another would catch an individual and toss it in the air to be chased again and consumed by another. Now, I've seen these porpoises cruise through an anchorage before, slowly gliding through the water as they surface for a breath of air and dive to find their feed, becoming a synchronized team with a regular cadence and predictability - when they sound you know where they'll surface next. But these guys were wild and aggressive ! Numerous times they would leap clear of the surface with a small fish scrambling just ahead only to be nabbed at the last moment. What a fantastic show -- and near sunset as well, with no wind to scar the glassy surface of the bay. I'm also reminded of the many whales I've seen along the coast this winter. None close enough to touch, but always within sight, some as close as a hundred yards. At times, one will 'full breach', coming straight up out of the water only to fall over sideways and create a splash that can be seen for a mile or more! But the true clowns here are the Manta Rays. In Banderas Bay, all across the Sea, off Cabo Pulmo, schools of 10 to 50 will begin to leap free of the water, some performing multiple flips in the process. These rays average 2 -1/2 to 3 feet across their wings and are all heading in the same direction. The first indication is usually the slapping sound they make as one will belly-flop back to the surface after a "flight" of maybe six feet, some two or three feet above the wave tops. Jet black on top and stark white underneath, it's easy to count the number of rotations one makes when performing flips. Once they begin, they'll carry on for ten minutes or more, at times there will be 8 or 10 in the air together ! Looking so much like top secret stealth fighters, they leave the water and gain shallow altitude, wings vigorously flapping in hopes of an extended flight, only to fall victim to gravity and 'slap' down on the surface of the sea to once again build up momentum for another flight. On occasion, one will leave the water with a much steeper angle of flight and commence doing flips - I've counted as many as 6 rotations - before crashing back to the waves. Why do these creatures perform such antics? I've heard a number of suggestions, but I personally think they do it because they CAN. As far as I've seen, this activity is limited to the smaller, maybe juvenile or adolescent Mantas. The larger ones seem content to sublimely cruise the surface of the ocean with just the tips of their wings turned up, protruding ten or twelve inches above the water. At first usually mistaken for a pair of sharks swimming side by side, the symmetry of the pair of "fins" is finally recognized and their distance apart gives a valid gauge to the size of the ray. I've personally seen a distance of ten or twelve feet between these 'wingtips' and have heard of distances exceeding sixteen feet ! These rays are huge ! In fact, at Bahia Tenacatita in January a Manta confirmed at 16+ feet fouled the anchor of a 42' sailboat and commenced to pull the 25,000# hull through the anchorage at a speed of several knots. Witnessed by dozens of cruisers, the ordeal finally ended when a fellow dove to the bottom at 30' and untangled the line from around one of the 'horns' on the front of the ray. It's possible to grab on and ride the back of one of these monsters, but as yet I haven't had that opportunity - and wonder if I would try should the chance present. Well, that's the report from La Paz. It's Easter, a bigger holiday here than Christmas, I think. School's been out all week and there's been parades in the evenings with many businesses closing for 4-5 days. Several cruising boats I met on the 'Gold Coast' this winter have arrived here preparing to spend the summer in the northern Sea or leave their boats and go back to the US and Canada during hurricane season. I'm excited about the upcoming crossing of 3000 miles and look forward to an extended period of 'self appraisal' - what else does one do when alone, out of sight of land and subject to the wonders of nature (both pleasant and perverse) for weeks at a time. Hopefully, I'll be comfortable enough to hammer on the laptop from time to time, so that upon arrival in Hawaii I can send a first hand report on this experience. In the meantime, I hope this report finds you all well and looking forward to spring and summer. Hasta luego! Terry, aboard S/V "Secret O' Life"