Turning point

Shindig has gone as far South as we will this season.

Las Hadas was our turn around point and we has just cleared out with the port captain in Barra de Navidad.

The Lagoon in Barra is calm and peaceful this morning

Anchor up in 10 minutes!

A New Year, Las Hadas, Colima and 1000 bricks

After 105 days of sunshine (and 1 day of rain in San Diego), we had our first rainy day, New Years Day, in Mexico.  We enjoyed a quiet day, after a couple days and nights of revelry with our fellow sailing friends, Sue and John from Wizard, and Danny and Debra from Cyclades. 

We were invited to a delicious holiday homecooked meal aboard Cyclades several nights ago.  Debra astounded us all with her pork chops and vegetables dish, sauteed green beans and warm hospitality.  Their beautiful boat is spacious and comfortable with lots of interesting hanging out places including an outdoor sleeping platform.  Cyclades is a beautiful wooden boat, built in New Zealand in the early 1960's.  There is much love and pride in this seaworthy boat.  There was even a Christmas tree, the mast disguised with garland and decorated with sparkling lights and ornaments.  It really helped us remember the Holiday spirit. 

Debra and her beautiful dinner table

New Years Eve Day we went to the town of Salagua, closest to Las Hadas, via dinghy and taxi.  Headed to Tacos San Julio, our 2nd time there, to gobble up the skirt steak and adobado street tacos, served with bowls and bowls of condiments like fresh onion, cilantro, radishes, frijoles, mucho salsas.  Very Tasty.  Nancy doesn't want to leave this place!  Off to the air conditioned movies to view the Hobbit, English with Spanish sub-titles.  With our burgeoning Spanish, we were a little distracted trying to absorb more Spanish as Bilbo Baggins and the pack of Trolls were fighting the Orcs. Then a quick trip to Sorianas, which is like a Costco.  (New Years Eve is not a good time to have "quick shopping trips".)  Taxi ride to pick up 5 kilos of cleaned laundry, which was not ready after two days.  Nancy stayed behind, and let Rob and the rest of the gang go back to the Marina.  She arrived 30 minutes later, just as the rain started, with the precious bags of cleaned and folded clothes.  Love those lavanderias.

Shindig chill'n

Debra, Nancy and Sue on Cyclades

Then a quick spruce up and an acknowledgement that our Shindig was on, and New Years Eve started aboard Shindig.  We had a fun potluck dinner/bbq in the rain, and then the men set off their Mexican fireworks.  Impressive rockets were launched from the aft deck BBQ.  At midnight, the entire bay exploded with over a dozen different shows going off.  It was a New Years Eve to remember!

Danny, John, Rob

On January 3rd we took our first inland tour thanks to Danny (Cyclades) and another Dani, our tour guide. He picked us up in his air conditioned van, and we headed out of Las Hadas resort's hills, through the real port town of Manzanillo, and up into the mountains towards Colima, the capital of the state of Colima.  We stopped at a banana plantation along the way, marveling at the 50 acres (20 hectares) that were originally given by the government to local farmers generations ago as land.  Generally two crops are grown at a time; bananas and coconut palms, limes and coconut palms, or mangos and coconut palms.  The bananas grow fast, one big bunch per tree, and are harvested along with the full tree, down to the roots, each season.  The roots are fertilized and grow again.  The blue bags are put on about 2/3rds of the way thru the growing cycle, to prevent the bananas from turning brown. 

Banana Farm - all organic

Gotta love those bananas!

More bananas for the sailboats!

 

Armed with a giant stalk of bananas, we next stopped at a local brick "factory".  In a space of about 3 acres, there were two women forming bricks by hand, from the mud and water.  Each mold produced four bricks, and they were then dried in place, and then stacked for more time.  Finally the bricks were stacked and coconut husks burned to help the final drying process.  We were told that the woman earned about 450 pesos for each 1000 bricks she made or about $35. 

Debra (left) helps with brick molds

We continued along the road, stopped by a small coconut tienda to sample the coconut milk, and meat.  Our tour guide sharpened his machete skills by demonstrating how the coconut is opened.  We all enjoyed trying the coconut meat, first alone, and then seaesoned with lime and chile powder. 

Once in the Capital town of Colima, we strolled through a really nice museum filled with artifacts extended back from 1500 BC.  Also shopped in the clean streets around the city square, which reminded us both of Healdsburg and Sonoma Square, Mexico style.  After several other stops at smaller towns in higher elevation, we reached our lunch stop in a pretty town of Cuauhtemoc.  We enjoyed a shady backyard lunch near a coffee plantation, with delicious appetizers of guacamole, frijoles, special queso and salsas with blue and yellow corn tortillas.  Entrees included chile rellenos and skirt steak or pork fajitas.  Many  were disappointed that the rabbit and goat had run out, but we managed. 

After a brief stop down the hill at the town of Comala, where we sampled local liquors and did some more souvenir shopping, we settled into the van ride back to the marina.   It was a great 9 hour trip.  We piled into the Shin-dinghie, and delivered each friend to their respective sailboat.  Then Rob armed himself with a sharp knife, and went to each boat in the anchorage, offering up part of the large bunch of green bananas procured from the banana farm.   A Bueno Day!

Pretty cathedral in Colima

Arches in the square

Feliz Navidad decorations on display

Traditional masks hung at restaurant for children to use during celebrations

Dani stopped at several roadstands to find us the "Pineapple Watermelon" hybrid

Blackberry margaritas at Paradise Restaurant - Las Hadas

Tana's visit on Shindig

We were happy to host our friend Tana over the Christmas week.  She's been sailing with us as well as Rob's parents, over the last couple of decades.  Yes, there is a fountain of youth on Shindig. :)
Our visit started Christmas Eve, with an impromptu dinner ashore with 10 others. Then a Christmas day potluck, turkey and ham provided, with impressive dishes coming out of small galleys.  We left Barra and started our exploration south, re-tracing many of the spots we'd discovered with Bryan.  Lots of snorkeling, hiking, shopping, eating, and lounging pool side when available. 

Merry Christmas!!!!!  Tana brought a suitcase of supplies for Shindig
Coffee, Wine, Trader Joes goodies

Captain Rob and two reindeers

Hike to hidden beach from Grand Bay resort in Barra

Underwater Yoga

The plentiful Puffer Fish

Ensenada Carrizal is a snorkeler's paradise with schools of fish amidst coral reefs

Rob and Tana both snorkeled with underwater cameras - hence the great photos

Cave and Wall diving at Ensenada Carrizal

Rob spotted this octopus on the coral reef

Lunch at Rey's at Playa la Boquita (Santiago Bay)

Bonita Fishing on the way to Santiago

View of Santiago Bay looking East

Rob and Rob - Las Hadas

East of Denver

This morning I was calculating our progress since we left San Francisco and we have traveled more that 1700 miles.

As we head South we have done a fare bit of easting.  In fact, we are east of Denver Colorado now.

If you want to track Shindig on the map here are a few links.

Via the spot tracker (Thanks Matt!) : http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0iKWqrVDaEHXPqqrOOJp6N2ZQI4p3FNnm

We turn this on and put out position reports when we leave and arrive at an anchorage. On longer trips we'll turn on automatic position logging and updates are made every 10 minutes or so.

Via YOTREPS: http://www.pangolin.co.nz/xtras/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=kd6tog

This position is updated when I connect on the ham radio and the reported position sometimes lags a day or two.
A small version of this YOTREPS map is on the front page of the blog too.

This afternoon, Shindig will be on the move.  We are leaving Barra de Navidad and sailing 20 miles South to a small anchorage North of Manzanillo for some snorkeling.

Feliz Navidad from Barra de Navidad

Merry Christmas!!!  Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas from the land of sunshine, sandy beaches, palm trees and warm Mexican culture.  Our thoughts are with our friends and family, far and near, who we keep close to our hearts.  

We've spent the last week or two exploring the anchorages to the north and south of Bahia de Navidad.    Adventures have included many overnight trips to nearby secluded anchorages, with fantastic snorkeling and tasty menus ashore.  A few errands were thrown in to ensure we have enough provisions aboard as well as fuel and laundry done.  Shindig is looking neat and clean as she's has had several nice washes by eager staff when we've pulled into marinas.   

In the towns of Barra de Navidad and Melaque, the restaurants and shops sport some blow-up snowmen and reindeer, many twinkling lights and a few decorations in the neighborhoods.  Everyone is still wearing shorts and t-shirts.  The small tiendas (stores) may have decorations for sale, but overall, the appearances are of a perpetual beach town with colored surf wear, inflatable toys and flip flops for sale.  Further off the beach, the stores offer tortillas, fresh fish, street tacos, bananas and pineapples.  There are no timeshare presentations here. 

We're treating ourselves to some marina time now, and are at the Wyndham Hotel's Grand Bay Hotel Marina.  It is a fantasticaly deluxe resort, with all the amenities. Not surprising that Nancy is in the gym every morning. The first day we enjoyed french fries and pina coladas pool side. We explored each slide that connects the three main pools. There is even a "secret" pool off the 10th floor, with incredible views of the marina and lagoon, and quiet chaise lounges.  During our first night, we hosted a small Shindig with three other couples. A few nights ago we had a little reunion hosted by Patty and Ken on Oogachaka, with Brian and Elizabeth from Autumn Wind.  There was a lively game of electronic charades; the ladies lost, but are eager for a re-match.  The French Baker also makes his way via boat to the marina daily, where he delivers fresh baguettes, croissants and other pastries.  Muy Bueno!

View from hotel of Marina and Lagoon in background

 

Santiago Bay Christmas Tree

Enjoying Red Snapper on the Beach, Sarandeado Style at Santiago Bay

Las Hadas Resort

Hiking to the bus stop on the way to Mega (like a Costco)

Bryan and Nancy on their super fast ATVs

Bonjour! Would you like pain de chocolat or a baguette aujourd'hui?
The French Baker makes his daily rounds

Bryan is here!

 

 

Bryan is here! He flew in from Boston a day after his sophomore finals at Northeastern.  As he had to get to the airport by 5AM, he stayed up all night before traveling.  Nancy met him at the airport, shared a cab back to town with another sailing boats visitor, took a water taxi out to the sailboats anchored in the Barra de Navidad lagoon.  We went ashore for dinner, had some ice cream and planned our voyage for the next morning. 

Instead of turning right, to bring him up to Tenacacita, we impulsively turned left, and headed an equal distance, about 20 miles, towards Santiago Bay , near the Las Hadas resort.  We were in search of new snorkeling spots and had heard there were some excellent ones.  Fishing lines were deployed; three bonita were caught, and we were on our way. 

Water Taxi from dinner to sailboat

Fishing while underway

In search of the wild needle fish

Nancy and Bryan relaxing in cockpit
(Hey, I am turning brown - Nancy )

Mom's cooking: Jumbo shrimp (oxymoron), peas and stuffed shells

Fitness on the boat

Fitness and Sailing

Several friends have wondered what I am doing on board to “stay fit?”.  Last February, I had joined the Mountain View YMCA, and worked up to going every weekday, taking cardio kickboxing, body sculpting, an occasional Zumba class, 30 min boot camp or walking an hour with the “ladies”.  It was great fun.  With the anticipation of a very different lifestyle, I consulted a fitness trainer who had actually gone sailing on a similar trip, for ideas and exercises to keep me fit.

So I moved onboard with my exercise kit:  one pair of dumbbells, a full set of colored elastic bands with nice handles, a folder with a collection of strength training /floor type exercises, workout music playlists and yoga tapes.   I left the 15 lb kettleball and a 2^nd pair of weights in our car.  There is only one level place in our main salon where I can squeeze in to do push-ups, planks and yoga.  It’s hot here in Mexico, so this is only an early morning routine.  Rob is good about ignoring me during my exercise times; he’s happy sitting at the chart table, near all the technology, and working the VHF or Ham radio, while “Shake your booty" is blasting on the stereo. 

When we are on longer sailing passages, there’s plenty of time to do some more exercises in the cockpit.  On a quiet watch, I’ll do sets of bicep curls, hammer curls, triceps and deep knee bends, plus general stretching. 

Just living on a boat, whether at a marina or anchorage plus sailing, is very physical work.  There are steep stairs in the companionway connecting our outside to the below.  Some day I’ll  count how many times we go up and down, or carry a pedometer to see how miles we “walk” during a day or two of sailing.  We also enjoy snorkeling, swimming and hiking.  Walking a long beach with the waves and sand tickling my toes is my favorite meditation.  Our stand-up paddleboard is a nice way to get exercise as well as check out other boats in a quiet anchorage or marina. 

In Tenacatita Bay, Rob dropped me off at a 2 mile long beautiful sandy beach. I walked back and forth for an hour, finishing up with more squats, stretches until he picked me up.

We’ve found some Yoga classes being offered daily in both La Cruz and Barra de Navidad.  Rob has enjoyed his first few sessions with me this week.  We want to do that more regularly.  After an afternoon of playing in the surf with our paddleboard, we were ready for our late afternoon siestas.

Here’s to Health and Happiness!!