La Paz to Puerto Vallarta

Crossing the Sea of Cortez

After spending three weeks in La Paz it was time to move on. We had a weather window to make our crossing. Even though we would be missing Isla Partida we decided to take the opportunity to cross the Sea of Cortez to Mazatlan. After Mazatlan we will make our way to Puerto Vallarta for the holidays.

12/11, Arriving Mazatlan

23'10.985N, 106'25.303W, Mazatlan

On Sunday morning we had originally planned to head up to Isla Partida before heading across. There is finally a break in the weather and we are anxious to leave La Paz. We listened to the weather report and realized that our weather window to cross the Sea of Cortez was either today or after at least 5 days. Some of the cruisers are also planning on going to Isla Partida.

This is a tough decision, to wait or to go across.

We decided to go across while we had the weather window. We will miss Isla Partida but better to cross when the crossing is good so to speak.

So cross we did. The first half of the day we had some winds 10-15 but the ride was choppy until we were way past Isla Cerralvo. It is around 236 miles from La Paz to Mazatlan. The second day there was little or no wind and flat seas. Rain off and on. A booby came to rest on the front pulpit and remained until we anchored in Mazatlan. Of course we reached port at night - around 10pm. We need to have better timing. We are now anchored in a small bay before you go into the main port. There are 2 Canadian boats and an American boat with us.

I will close this email for now. Rich and I will venture in to do the check-in shuffle.

Adios for now

12/14, Mazatlan

23'10.985N, 106'25.303W, Mazatlan

On Tuesday morning, Rich and I went in to do the check-in/out shuffle. Compared to Cabo San Lucas this was a breeze. The walk to the Capitan de Puerto is relatively short, about 6 blocks. They reviewed our paperwork and sent us on to Immigracion, reminding us that Wednesday is a bank holiday and that we need to get our receipts today. Immigracion is one block down, so they said. We got a little lost but found it (a block is in the eye of the beholder I think). Immigracion was a short wait but free. From Immigracion, we went to API, about 4 blocks. This was a little trickier since we could see the building but it was behind a big wall with barbed wire and cut glass so we had to find a gate. From the gate it was back a block. This was a 65 peso fee, about $7US. From here we walked into the square in the old section of town near the cathedral. At the Banamex we paid our boat fee of $438, about $47US. We checked our email and then back to the boat.

Wednesday morning another boat we have met pulled into the harbor. They had been in La Paz and had left Sunday morning. Instead of coming directly across they went to Ensenada de Los Muertos for a night before heading to Mazatlan. They were pretty beat up, having to beat into an easterly to come across. Both of them were seasick from the crossing. What a difference a day can make.

After we did a few things on the boat we went into town. Jesse and Sarah joined us to check out Mazatlan. After a stop at the Capitan de Puerto to pay our fee we went to Mi Cochina for lunch. It was recommended to us by Donna and Howard on Nintai. Great food and friendly people. We went to the old section of town and browsed around. There is a Mercado Suarez, which is a farmers market with shops selling t-shirts, souvenirs, etc. We bought Sarah a dress, an early birthday present. Walking by the butchers we saw pig's heads, feet, tails, to cow's tongue, feet, and everything in between. The sights and smells were great. Outside by the cathedral were children of all ages in traditional costumes pretending to be Mary and Joseph. I saw one small boy, about two, being carried by his mother, in traditional dress, with a small moustache painted above his lip. Cute kids. We took a taxi back to the boat. It was a VW bug with no windows and a makeshift roof of canvas.

On Thursday we just stayed on the boat and did boat chores. The winds were from the north at 15-20 knots in the harbor most of the day. This morning we listened to the SSB radio and heard that two other boats from La Paz were going to Los Frailles from Ensenada de Los Muertos. After spending the night, they would head to Puerto Vallarta directly instead of attempting Mazatlan. Tough decisions.

This morning Rich and I grabbed our laundry to take it to the Laundromat. It is about 12 blocks so we decided to grab a taxi since the bags are heavy to carry. No taxis. So we saw a bus come by and figured why not. Well, this was not the most direct method to go 12 blocks. The bus took a turn and went off in a direction away from the Laundromat. We pantomimed about going to the laundry. No English speakers on board. The street that the Laundromat is on was one of the streets listed on the front of the bus so we thought okay, we will be able to get back eventually. Nope. The bus finally stopped at the bus barn. The driver turned off the key and started to get out. We, of course, were the only passengers. We were over 6 miles away from the Laundromat!! The bus driver pointed to a bus across the street that was just leaving. We grabbed our bags of laundry and caught a ride. This bus did not go back the same route we had just come. Oh no, where were we going now? So we had a scenic tour of Mazatlan. Eventually we started to recognize the main street close to the Laundromat. Enough chances taken we got off immediately and walked the next few blocks to the laundry. Time to get some lunch!

Walking back to the square we stopped to look at a map. A man walked up and started talking in English. He operated the restaurant next to us and asked if we needed help. We took his offer for lunch - great fish and shrimp tacos! Some cruisers before us, Saperlipopette and Kiapa had been there before us. After lunch we checked the internet for flights back to Philadelphia and Seattle then bought a few souvenirs. Back to the Laundromat. The owners of Mi Cochina, who also operate the Laundromat, gave us a ride back to the boat.

After I send this email we will head out for dinner in town.

Adios for now,

12/17, San Blas

21'32.449 N, 105'17.593 W, San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico

On Friday we went for dinner at the Tunel across from the Opera House. Then we went to Pablo and Lulu's to purchase a CD from the artist, named Jock, who was playing clarinet there. It turns out he lives on a sailboat names Chaussen and he used to be on 'K' dock at Shilshole Bay Marina. Small world.

Saturday we transferred fuel to fill the tanks via the jerry jugs. Of course it started to rain in the middle of this. That evening we celebrated Sarah's birthday with shrimp sautéed in garlic and butter. Sarah is now 14 years old. Happy Birthday Sarah! She got some earphones and a hammock for presents. She can hardly wait to try out the hammock.

Sunday we got up leisurely and prepared the boat for passage. We left Mazatlan in the early afternoon. Destination: San Blas, 129 miles to the south. It started as a nice run south with only headsails. We saw whales breeching on the horizon. A magical sight. To think that something the size of our boat was leaping out of the water is amazing. As dusk approached we turned on the engine to charge up the batteries. During the night we saw many fishing boats, long lining for tuna. They are everywhere, crisscrossing our path. We have to stay alert to avoid them and their lines. At one point there are 12 boats around us. It is like a jammed freeway!

We arrive in San Blas on Monday morning around 9 am. We are anchored in the small harbor/estuary bordering San Blas. San Blas was where Longfellow wrote his last poem, The Bells of San Blas. It is also known by surfers as a place to find the longest wave. It is small town not much larger than Turtle Bay but it is a port of entry so we went to the Capitan de Puerto. We were sent to the Ship Agent to file our paperwork for us, for a fee of 20 pesos above the port fee. We pick up our paperwork tomorrow. Rumor has it that she is the Capitan de Puerto's sister-in-law. Share the wealth, I guess.

There are two other boats with us in the harbor. One is from the Baja Ha-Ha and we had seen in Mazatlan. The other is a boat from Victoria BC. They came over to chat for a while and share a beer. Oh, and Still Crazy is anchored here also, he must be doing some surfing.

Tomorrow we will go into town to do some exploring and sign up for a panga trip up the river to see the jungle first hand including the crocodiles. Kewl.

As the sunsets and the no-see-ums start biting, adios from San Blas

12/19, San Blas

21'32.449 N, 105'17.593 W, San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico

This morning we got up early, 5 AM, to meet the crews from Music and Viajeva for a jungle trip on the river to La Tobara. La Tobara is a natural freshwater spring located in the middle of a series of estuaries near San Blas. Not all Windarra crewmembers were happy with getting up at this hour. Some of us had difficulty sleeping because of the itching from the no-see-um bites. There was also the sound of shotguns firing randomly at 3:30 am that caused some to wonder what was happening in sleepy San Blas.

Regardless, we packed up and left the furry kid to guard the boat and headed for the rendezvous point at the beach behind Roberto's house. Eight of us, including the crew of Windarra, Joe, Steve and Manuela from Music and Helen from Viajeva, walked to the bus station. A local gringo, Norm, also known on the local vhf net as "Jamma" told us to go to the bus station and catch a bus to the bridge and from there get a panga ride up the river. Well the folks at the bus station were not forthcoming about any buses stopping at the bridge. So we hiked a mile or so to the bridge to catch a panga. The reason we were up so early is that this trip is very popular with touristas, including folks coming all the way from Puerto Vallarta, and we wanted to have a panga and the mangroves to ourselves.

The panga headed down the river and turned into the entrance of a mangrove. We wind through mangroves, sometimes only 8 feet wide and often providing a canopy completely across. You could see where they had cut back the vegetation to make it passable by the panga. Dense vegetation in a spectrum of greens, ferns, palm trees, banana plants, etc. We would slow down to see birds such as herons, hummingbirds, owls, storks and other species that we could not name or identify. We saw crabs hanging onto the mangrove roots by a claw. Varieties of orchids and other flowers. Giant termite nests, red wasps and bright red dragonflies. Sometimes there would be breaks in the canopy overhead and you could see the jungle foliage covering the hills beyond. We came around one corner and saw huts built on stilts in a small open area of the mangrove swamp. It was not from some indigenous tribe but left over from a movie set in the swamps.

The panga driver slows down and we see turtles sunning themselves on a log. A heron stands motionless as we take pictures four feet away. Around another bend we see a splash as a crocodile slides into the water. Yes, a crocodile! We look for his eyes and nostrils on the surface. We pass by another one who opens his mouth to show us his fine array of sharp, pointed teeth. Look at them snappers!

The panga pulls up to a concrete dock that appears out of nowhere. Here is a crocodile farm. We get a chance to get out of the panga and see the various pens of crocodiles, sunning themselves or floating in their small pools, surrounded by strong chain link fences. Each has an identification tag on its tail. I hope they keep a close count! Besides crocodiles there are peccaries, falcons, raccoons, parrots and a small marsupial that has a long furry tail and a long nose, almost like an anteater. Never did find out what they do with the crocodiles.

After visiting the crocodile farm we got back in the panga. We wind around the swamp until we get to La Tobara. Here is a restaurant overlooking a natural pool. The water is very clear and full of fish. We sit down for a snack while Steve and Manuela swim in the pool. No sign of crocodiles.

After our snack we pile back into the panga. The ride back is a bit fast; we only slow down when we meet up with pangas full of tourists heading the other way. Glad we came early; we had the mangroves to ourselves. We return to the bridge and walk back through town and to our dingy.

The jungle trip was very different from the desert of Baja. It is hard to believe we are in the same country when the landscape is so different.

Tomorrow we head south again, making our way to Puerto Vallarta.

Now if these bug bites would just stop itching....

12/20, Punta Mita

20'45.891N 105'30.858W, Anchored off Punta Mita

This morning we got up, listened to the radio about a pineapple express coming down from the north. So we headed for Punta Mita. It is just inside Banderas Bay and about 20 miles from Puerto Vallarta. Tomorrow we will head into Marina Vallarta for the holidays.

Today was pretty uneventful. A long motor. We did see a few turtles. Jesse caught a skipjack but we tossed it back to get bigger. We saw panga fishermen out with nets. They put up flags made of black garbage bags so that you can see them at a distance, well sorta.

Looking forward to Puerto Vallarta.

12/23, Puerto Vallarta

20'39.923N, 105'15.026W Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

On Friday morning we pulled up anchor in Punta Mita and motored about 20 miles across Banderas Bay to Puerto Vallarta, and in to Marina Vallarta. Even though the seas were flat and there was no wind we saw all sorts of sea life. We saw dolphins jumping in the water and racing around, there were fin whales and humpbacks and turtles splashing. What a welcoming committee! Marina Vallarta in tucked in behind some large hotels and condominiums. We are in with sailboats and powerboats, big, very big and some small. Around the marina is a walkway and beyond the walkway are restaurants, bars, gift shops, stores, places offering recreation to the tourists - fishing, sailing, snorkeling, horseback rides into the jungle, etc. and the infamous time-share offerings. It is hard to walk anywhere and not get hounded. I kept saying Habla Ud tibetano? (Do you speak Tibetian?) It may not stop them but it slows them down.

It is a lot more upscale than La Paz but still a nice place. We have not done much exploring. After we docked we grabbed some showers and relaxed. Who should stop by but the crew of Saperlipopette? They are at Paradise Village in Nuevo Valllarta. The kids were talking a mile a minute catching up since La Paz. While the adults went out for Pina Coladas and paella at a local restaurant, the kids went down the way for Chinese food. It was a fun evening.

On Saturday we did some chores on the boat and some laundry. Great Escape came in and docked. We helped them dock Aristos. Aristos lost their transmission between Mazatlan and Isla Isabela. If there is not enough wind to sail, Great Escape has been towing them. They hope to make repairs here in Puerto Vallarta. In the afternoon we took a taxi to Paradise Village to visit with Saperlipopette. It was interesting that between Puerto Vallarta which is in the state of Jalisco and on central time, when you go to Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta, in the state of Nayarit and on mountain time, you pass through a military checkpoint. They did not stop our taxi but there were soldiers in fatigues with automatic weapons.

Paradise Village is quite a resort with two pools, complete with waterslides that look like carved crocodiles. It is like the resort near Disney World but here in Mexico. They even have a crocodile swimming in the marina. There is a small zoo with monkeys, kinkajou, parrots, small deer and two tigers and 3 new tiger cubs that were born during the past week. Kewl!

Today all four of us cleaned the outside of the boat from top to bottom. It had seen many miles since we did the last real thorough cleaning in Redondo Beach.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. We put up lights in the salon. Some boats are really decorated! We will spend the evening with Saperlipopette. On Christmas Day, Doug and Nancy arrive from Seattle to spend a few days with us.

Hope you have a happy holiday with friends and family! We miss you and will be thinking of you.

Feliz Navidad!