Until next year, adios...

After 7+ months in Mexico, eating at all the local taco stands, resturants and tiendas we had our first bout with food poisoning over the last 24 hours.  We got it after having munchies on a friends boat.  Nasty stuff.  We're better, but lost a full day in buttoning up the boat, so we're in double time now.

We've found during these months and more so in the last couple of days that trying to transport a cat causes much consternation.  We have rented a car, driving to Phoenix tomorrow to drop me for a flight on Tuesday.  Ed will drive back and within a couple of days catch a bus back to Phoenix for his flight.  Ugg.

I didn't get to see her come out (I was in her for the trip to the workyard due to illness) but Bullwinkle now rests on the hard.  Its been several years since she's been out of the water, but she didn't do much creaking, so I guess its o.k.  We did pretty well with our supplies, not having to give much up aside from food; mostly pasta.
After all the work we've put into shutting her down in the heat, Ed almost did a reverse to stay aboard!  We'll start earlier next year.

It's been quite the experience.  So much beauty, so many kind people; the way the boating community really takes care of it's own.  It does make a person want to come back.

Play Day

Yesterday we had a play date with Phil from Salty and Roger from Tarrou.  Phil has wintered in the area for several years now and is like minded in trying to find good stuff at the lowest possible cost.  He is a mind field of information on the area, taking us to some of his favorite spots following the scenic route for our viewing pleasure; dramatic backdrops of mountains and sea all around San Carlos, Mirmar, Guaymas and a couple of other small towns. 
We ended our day with a couple of brews at Soggy Pecos.

Mainland Mexico; Martini Cove, San Carlos

Arrived at Martini Cove around 6a yesterday.  Slept until about 12/1.  Went for a kayak to the sea caves and then a swim afterward-our last in the sea of Cortez this year.  Martini cove is a tight little cove and quick stop for all party and fishing boats.  They pack in and there are a lot of them around here!  By late evening it was quite and we had the place to ourselves.
Today we kayaked around to the San Carlos Marina, got a slip and made arrangements for our haul out and storage.  Getting out of the kayak, Ed had our underwater camera on his lap and it went right into the drink.  It was so murky and gross at the dock we couldn't see it.  He says he's going to take his snorkel and go back.
Met and chatted with Phil, S/V Salty, who has offered to be our tour guide and driver tomorrow to a town south of Guaymas that has a giant flea market. 
We'll spend the rest of the week shutting down the boat for haul out on Saturday.

Bye-Bye Baja

Left Santa Rosalia at 1p.m. crossing the sea to Martini Cove just north of San Carlos land of the Sonora sun.  Should arrive tomorrow a.m.

Last stop on the Baja Peninsula

April 1; Santa Rosalia
Stayed one night at Punta Chivato, after beach-combing not much else happening.  Water was to murky to swim.  Arrived at Santa Rosalia after a rolly/choppy/windy sail.  Our last destination on the Baja peninsula prior to crossing the sea to San Carlos.  Checked out one of the copper smelting remains prior to catching up with some friends for dinner, Roy and Marlene, who we met at Christmas.  Lovely evening.  This town was built, primarily by the French when they mined copper through about 1910/20.

March 31; Ed goes native

So Ed does some strange things when he gets bored.  I probably need not say anything more regarding this except that it's something I believe can best be appreciated by his kids/grand-kids (or at least ours.) I'm sure there are many gross boys out there that would also enjoy it.  Spent one night at Punta Chivato; large shells all over beach.

 

March 29; El Burro Bahia Coyote in Bahia Concepcion
Lazy day. Nothing but swimming and sunning. Went into Bertha's in the evening after hearing a live band playing. The local ex-pat community and band having a good time. We got up there around 7:30, in time to hear three songs and then they were done. We'd forgotten ex-pats start early and end early around these parts. It comes from not having much to do after sun-down. The evening however inspired me to write a song which I've already titled 'Where hippies go to die.'

//WL2K /March 23-28, 2013

March 28; Santa Domingo Bahia Concepcion
Today we went to Santa Domingo, a small 'bay' at the opening of Bahia Concepcion, to do some beach combing; good shelling. On the ham net this morning we heard from Marlene of Domiana. They were anchored in Santa Domingo, so we were excited they were going to stay long enough for us to get up there and catch up. I wanted to get into the little tienda prior to our departure in case we changed our mind, which we often do, once we got to Domingo to go further north vs. coming back into Concepcion (once we were done shelling.) Unfortunately that decision made our departure at least an hour behind when we said we'd be to Santa Domingo and Domiana had to head north to catch her sailing partners before weather turned. We hope to catch up with Roy and Marlene closer to Santa Rosalia.
The shelling was a complete success in terms of finding what we were looking for; nautilus buttons. Of course that's our name for them. Not sure of their actual name. As soon as we got off the dingy we found handfuls of them. Ed said there were so many it wasn't fun. We spent hours exploring. There were hills of boulders surrounded by layers upon layers of ancient shell.
Back on the boat Ed wanted to go ahead and push north because it seemed the wind had subsided. But as soon as we said that, it picked up and small white caps outside the bay could be seen. Based on the fact that we'd be heading straight into them and its expected to be higher teens over the next three days we choose to stick with the original plan; come back into the bay and just relax. A very comfortable sail all the way back to El Burro.
Still no cell/internet of any kind.

March 27; Playa El Burro, Bahia Coyote in Bahia Concepcion
Left the boat around 7:30ish for the hike to the bell rocks. Right at the start of the trail are the petroglyphs. Really enjoyed checking these out and trying to find as many as we could. 


Three quarters of the way up the trail I'm drenched in sweat; totally soaked. Initially the trail is almost straight up on what looks like a rocky wash. I decide that I'm not getting much enjoyment out of it, so Ed goes on and I head back down to play amongst the rock drawings. Once he hits the switch backs, he makes it look easy, reaching the top quickly, making a video of the 'bell rocks'. Boulders filled with so much iron that when you hit them with another rock, it sounds like hitting a dull bell.

 Afterward we walked the beach and Ed introduced himself to 'Geary the weather guy' who has a home here not ten feet from the water. He does the weather via ham radio for all the cruisers; very helpful. Back to the boat for a siesta and then to Isle Coyote for some snorkeling. A bit chiller further out in the bay and not a lot of fish to be seen in the shallower waters; giant angels, many small rays and the standard smaller fish.

Back to the boat, cleaned up and into Bertha's for some dinner. Delicious. As we ate we watched a game of volleyball-no hands volleyball. Great enjoyment and honestly wow, they were good. Must have been soccer players!

March 26; Playa El Burro, Bahia Coyote in Bahia Concepcion
Motored two coves over to El Burro hoping to check out the Amerindian petroglyphs. We slept in and took our time getting around and by the time we anchored it was to hot for me to do a hike. No wind and many bobos; irritating little insects that won't give you a moments peace. Once we put up the sun shade we got in the water. It was actually very comfortable and both Ed and I swam for a long while, got out, sun dried and got back in. There are a lot of campers on this beach, and palapa homes, along with a ton of ski-doers. This evening under a full moon and clear sky we are listening to competing music and really bad karaoke.  The Mexican families come to the beach and set up their tents end to end back to back on the water front. Big families and lots of laughter.

March 25; Mulege
Dingying up to the beach this morning we noticed that the beach is getting busier. We thought it'd be emptying out after the weekend. Pat pulled in at 8:30ish this morning to give us a lift into Mulege which lies about 12 miles north. We mentioned how much busier the beach seemed and he reminded us that Easter weekend was coming and said the beach will be packed. Rides will be set up and there will be lots of celebrating.
Very hilly country through here and not much more than Cardons...until of course we get to Mulege. It is an oasis of green. The Rosalita river runs through the town out to the sea and creates a jungle of palms. Having had a hurricane just three years ago, the water from the river virtually wiped out everything in its path taking many buildings in the valley. Not deterring anything, a fancy resort popped up right in the flood zone with litter from the hurricane still visible all around. Visited the mission which was built in the 1700s. So cool inside you'd think it had air conditioning. Large ex-pat community here and they have helped the community bringing in a couple of fire trucks, an ambulance and helping the schools. Picked up breakfast at the town center fish taco stand (Ed said not as good as the one he found in La Paz) and lunched at Dunnys. Picked up some fresh groceries and took a taxi back to Playa Santispac.

 

March 24; Playa Santispac, Bahia Coyote in Bahia Concepcion
Dingyed in for breakfast to Ana's, which is now Lupias. Lupias holds church services on Sunday mornings, so we walked over to the pulapa bar. We waited an hour for our breakfast-which was delicious-watching other gringos drink with theirs. I guess 10a isn't that early. Afterward we beach combed (not much in the way of shells) and checked out the surroundings. Went to Lupias for dinner and met another couple that now have a home in the next cove over. Pat offered us a ride into Mulege, the town about 10/12 miles up the road, in the morning. We accepted happily.

March 23; Caleta San Juanico north to Bahia Concepcion
Last night we spent a rolly night at the southern end of Caleta San Juanico after sailing from Isla Coronados. And that was with a 'mild' southerly. It was too windy and rolly to get off the boat and check out the beaches; which was fine as I hadn't been well all day having caught another mild sinus cold of some kind. We left at dawn this morning to be sure to catch the southerly coming today as to get some sailing in heading north (saving fuel) and trying to get to a good spot for some northerlies that are supposed to start tomorrow and run for about three days. I'm very disappointed because I really wanted to do some beach combing here. This area is supposed to have a lot of obsidian, which I really wanted to pick up for our rock-hound Isaac. Hopefully we'll find some at our next stop which is 12 hours away.
We saw a couple of Blues and small pod of Mink whales today. One Blue getting closer to the boat then any so far. Arriving in Bahia Conception, it was a bit to windy for Santa Domingo (good beach combing) so we went on to Bahia Coyote anchoring at Playa Santispac at about 6:30p. We haven't seen this many boats in one spot since La Paz. Many campers on the beach. We'll dingy in in the morning but tired this evening. We'll have dinner and listen to a little Jack Benny for a laugh.

//WL2K /Anchored Caleta San Juanico

We moved north about 14 miles today, up to Caleta San Juanico a cove on the Baja pennisula. Light SW winds until we got anchored up then 12-15 ESE winds into the anchorage....a bit rolly. Tonight the wind is directly from the west, right off the beach at 12-15. Hopefully it will die down a bit so we can comfortably explore the beach and surrounding hills.
posted by radio

Chillaxin

Isla Coronados; March 20

First let me shout out to the sista-HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRISH!!  Hope you're having a great day.
From Ballandra yesterday we came to Isla Coronados.  It was blowing hard as we got closer to the point to come into the cove so we decided to anchor on the southern side until this morning.  So far a great day with a hike part way up the cinder cone.  White sandy beaches broken up by rocky areas that are supposed to be good snorkeling.

Just another tequila sunrise

White sandy beach

Found a wasp nest on the trail

Where's Waldo?

Here he is...he would not move.  We
gave him a wide birth.

We ended the day with cocktail hour(s) on L'Ange, John and Mitsy's boat, who we met in Costa Baja.  Joined by Dale and JoJo from La Buena Vida it was a very fun evening.