The so called Riviera

Our first experience of tropical Mexico is a mixed batch of colors : green as the vegetation is,  coconut trees replacing the palm trees, grey as the sky can be once in a while loaded with hazy greyish fog like clouds and white as the surf during a crash landing with the dinghy on the beach….

This coast from Mazaltlán to Huatuco is called the Mexican Riviera. For me riviera is synonym of obnoxious resorts, tawdry tourist traps and cheap crowd everywhere.

But beside 4 or 5 highlight places, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Zihuatanejo, Acapulco, spaced along this huge coast there is barely nothing in between but infinite deserted beaches, no towns or villages insight, but also no anchorages….

This coast near those cities are not spoiled too much by anarchist skizophrenics architecs as the European Riviera can be. I guess because there is space here, also because there is not as many people, locals or tourists on this Pacific side. The coast is barely inhabited, all the big cities and towns are inland in Mexico. So this riviera is not overwhelming, but still, it makes us yearn for Baja when anchored off the beach on a sunday afternoon swearing at the  jet skies which buzz around us like mad mosquitoes. We dream of the incredible light which color the bare mountains of Baja, the sun which filled up our power plant…The solitude and silence of the anchorages of the Sea of Cortés. And we also miss the smooth landings on the protected beaches. Here, the mighty swells of the Pacific find its way no matter what even if we do not feel it much from Nanna. Or we get used to it, a gentle rocking that put us to sleep… It does not take much to get a little surf on the beach and above all it does not take much surf to get us and Galatea in trouble. We have pitchpoled once, everything, including me flying off head first in the sand. We are now over cautious when landing, sometimes we rather swim ashore with the dry bags, anything than making a disgraceful and catastrophic landing. Luckily the water is warm enough and the sun hot enough to dry us fast. So of course logistically everything is a little more difficult on this coast. But is it up to us to find the best spots for what the needs of the moment are.

isa.

In Manzanillo, Colima

A bustling and very busy commercial port, this quite charming town (approx. 100´inhabitants) is a contrast to the secluded anchorages we´ve enjoyed along the Baja California coast. Still, it´s interesting, and hopefully we´ll be able to have our alife raft serviced here and some more things that comes with the busy port part.

The water here is a bit over 20 degrees C so that´s a big positive. Also, we´ve had a very warm welcoming from our neighbours in the anchorage dispite their ´ruddy´boat name – Hooligan- who showed us around downtown the day following our arrival.

All is well onboard, more to come soon…

Into the Tropics -crossing the Tropic of Cancer

A bit more than 24 hours out of La Paz, Baja California towards  La Cruz de Huanacaxtle 20.44′ N 105.22′ W(poetry in a name!) in the Banderas Bay, where we are currently at anchor, we passed this maagical line and for the first time your Skipper officially entered the TROPICS on his own boat. (Isabelle, of course did this years ago…) A nice sail it was, 20-25 knots following wind for 26 hours, but then this magical line was crossed….and yes, something became different right away.The wind slowly died on us and we spent the two following days going slowly, averaging 3 knots of boat speed, but very pleasant. Full moon at night, warm and nice and the Pacific Ocean being just that, peaceful and calm. Just as that time it got it’s name.

Since we experienced settled conditions we took the opportunity to spend 2 nights at Isla Isabela, a bird sanctuary and a very sweet spot.

 

This big rock is on the SE side of the island, and we were anchored just S of it

and while swinging at anchor, we found ourselves a wee bit close to the rocks sometimes…

from there to La Cruz, another 22 hours of SLOW sailing, but again, very nice and we truelly enjoyed being at sea again for a few days. It’s like a prolongued meditation when one just exists, in a peaceful state of mind, and lives in the moment – like we always should- HERE and NOW is all that exists.

BTW, has anyone ever heard of a book named ‘Zen, and the art of sailing a boat around the world’ ? ….or is it still to be written?

 

 

The Baja Christmas Tree

We found the tree ! we could not for obvious reasons kidnap a real Cardòn or Saguaro, a plastic one has to do the job.

So here it is : our very unique  tree decorated with all the little tresors found this summer in the Sea.

So to all of you who share our life through this blog : Feliz Navidad  from La Paz.

isa.

The Race

We’ve been doing a lot of wotk on the boat here in La Paz – again – and also aqiured various kinds of stuff we need before moving on. Yesterday we were given the opportunity to a nice diversion from the ‘chores’ of boat projects. A friendly little regatta here in La Paz mostly with the long term live-aboards and cruisers here. Our friend Bob offered  us to crew on his own design, and construction, a 44 ´ catamaran that he calls a ´performance cruiser´ but to us appears more like a racer with some living accomodations. No matter how one defines it´s a beautiful sailing machine, and capable of doing 15 knots of boat speed in 10 knots of wind.

So of course we had a great day, and literally sailed in circles around most of the other participants. Since the race consisted of just one down-wind leg, and Bob´s spinnaker halyard had parted shortly before this event, w had to zigzag downwind in very light air with a heavy genoa when the other participants all flew there big light-air chutes.

Despite this we kept pace with the leader until a few hundred yards from the finish line after sailing at least 50% longer distance. That shows the speed of this vessel.

The most fun part of the day was actually just before the start when we were on a close reach for the start line and made good 13.5 knots in 8-9 true.

Almost lost my hat!

Back in La Paz

Our favorite town in Mexico, so far. Having spent 2,5 months here during spring it feels very familiar and good to be back.

As always, we have a new list with boat projects to do here. Better supply of marine hardware and all other stuff we need here than further south along the mainland coast.

Replacing the attachment ponts for the dinghy on foredeck, rebedding stanchion bases and replacing the bolts. Doing an oilchange on the engine and cleaning the heat exchanger and the exhaust elbow and hoses together with an alignment tune-up for the engine and shaft.

Buying a diverse range of smaller bits and pieces that are needed on board is alwo on the list as doing repairs on the wind-vane (self steering gear) that hasn’t really worked as it should since we bought the boat and probably for quite a few years before that too.

During this time we will also enjoy catching up with some friends we got here and just enjoy life in a big town again with all the produce available in a suoermarket compared to the small stores we provisioned iin during the summer.

Thanksgiving is coming up the 24th of November and we are going to have Turkey and Pumpkin Pie together with 248 other people here, arranged by the ‘Club Cruzeros’.(www.clubcruzeros.org). We are looking forward to this, for me (Magnus) this will be only my second Thanksgiving dinner ever!

www.vivalapaz.net/

The Dangerous Desert

The Baja California is a very hostile environment for humans. When the first Europeans -the Spanish conquistadores -  arrived, there were very few indigenous people (AKA Indians) living on the peninsula and they were very primitive to to the harsh environment. We first hear about Rattle Snakes, Tarantulas, Black Wisows and Scorpions; all capable of killing a healthy full-grown man in good shape. In the water, there are Sharks, Sea serpaints, Rays, Scorpionfish and of course the most deadly of them all – the little Puffer Fish or Blow Fish. Think of deathly poisoning from eating fish in Japan, that’s the Puffer Fish.  They are harmless in the water though, following us when we are snorkeling and skin diving almost like dogs.

I think all of us have heard, and seen how deadly the Rattle Snakes are, and as a matter of fact, there are over ten (!) different species here in Mexico, all of them highly venomous. What we ahdn’t previously heard, and likely not too many people at all, is that more people die from Scorpion bites than from Rattle Snakes….or Sharks for that matter.

We have yet not seen a rattle snake here and only one Tarantula and one Scorpion. Both those during our first week here whiel we stayed in a rented appartment. Considering how many days and miles we have been trekking and hiking these mountains in nothing but shorts and sandals, we might have had a Guardian Angel watching our steps.

That said, the by far most dangerous thing here is the desert land itself. Why? How come?  -The lack of fresh water! Dehydration is the most common cause of premature death in this so beautiful and fascinating part of the world.

Let me share a True Story that I came across today with you:

A Mexican couple was driving along from one place to another on the Baja peninsula in there pick-up car a few years ago. Nothing strange in that, lots of people do it every day right?

Right. But this unlucky couple had a car break-down, an axle broke. Nothng strange in that either, happens ever so often. One has to see the so called roads (mere dirt roads or tracks most of them, (the paved Highway One from Tijuana at the US border and all the way south to Cabo San Lucas the exception) to comprehend it.

Not only did this couple have their car fail, but they weree unlucky enough to have forgot to bring  plenty of fresh water with them! The car broke down just 7 miles (11 km) from a village. They took off by foot toward that village. A few hours later, the man, staggering and totally delirious, made it to a house to try to get help after telling them his story. Three people took off to search for his wife and found her sitting under a bush just half a mile from the house. Dead. By thirst, by dehydration. Her husband so close meet the same destiny.

In the desert, during the day in the summer especially, on needs a gallon (3,6l) of water just to survive. And water is indeed VERY difficlt to find on Baja. This is the reason the peninsula is so sparesely populated, togethe with the fact that it’s so mountaineous that any form of land transportation is extremely difficult. The Highway 1, paved and all, weren’t finsished until 1974 and it still takes several days to drive from North to South.

Oddly enough, this is also what makes this place SO magical and SO interesting. We are far from the first people who have fallen in love with Baja California