The Cruising Life?
We had an amazing crossing of the Sea of Cortez. Once we put La Paz behind us we where met by short choppy seas and no wind which meant we got tossed around pretty bad. Without the sails to stabilize the boat she rolled from rail to rail. We started the motor to put some way on and motored for the next five or so hours. When the wind finally filled in we had a pleasant sail with the wind from behind us. The following evening a brown footed booby landed on the end of the boom and perched there trough the night till the wind died and I had to start the motor. He was the perfect companion for night watch. No complaints and did his business over the side. Our arrival at El Cid in Mazatlan was no less than hair raising. The tide rip is fierce and on approaching the dock Joe underestimated the force of the current which resulted in having to fend off other boats and a bump on a piling with the wind vane. A little lost varnish scratched stainless and hurt pride was the some of the damages. The second attempt at landing went well and within the hour we where at the swim up bar with margarita in hand.
Taking a bus in Mexico is an adventure in itself. Debbie had been to Mazatlan before and wanted to show me old Mazatlan with the central market. The bus ride was pleasant and we arrived at the central market with the goal of finding material to make shades. The central market is exactly as I envisioned it should be with hundreds of small markets specializing in certain products such as fish, beef, chicken, vegetables and even sombreros. The entire structure covered an entire city block. All food was prepared fresh right in front of you. We finally found a fabric store after visiting the cathedral and secured the material for our shades.
After our shopping we headed back to El Cid Marina. There is something I want to say about this marina. It is the Charlie’s Chocolate Factory for adults. It sucks you in and doesn’t want to let go. It has laundry, super clean showers, two swimming pools and a Jacuzzi. You had multiple restaurants and the pool bars actually put alcohol in their drinks. It was too easy to just stay there and never leave. We finally had to slap ourselves upside the head and say tomorrow we are leaving. So after settling up with the marina, and getting our laundry we finally headed to Stone Anchorage in Mazatlan.
Stone Anchorage is a sweet little anchorage on the outskirts of the main harbor. We were the only boat in the anchorage and that was pretty cool. The cruising guide mentioned a place called Benji’s Pizza, so we knew we had to make the pilgrimage. We found Benji’s on the beach right where we made our dinghy landing. Now if I had seen this place without the recommendation I would have walked on by. However, that being said, we walked in to this run down palapa that had dirt on the tables. We ordered a shrimp garlic pizza and meandered to the second level that overlooked the bay. I lounged in the hammock, enjoying the cool breeze on my skin and enjoyed a cerveza while waiting for the pizza. It took almost 40 minutes to get the pizza but once you took that first scrumptious bite you understood. It was made with love and cooked to perfection. Now I love pizza and have had many wonderful pizzas, but nothing will ever compare.
Welcome to the Jungle
We stayed a couple of nights in Stone Anchorage watching the goats walk up and down the hills and enjoyed some beautiful sunsets. Now it was time to leave. Our next destination was an overnight and the weather was perfect. There is something very peaceful about looking into the night sky at more stars than you ever thought possible. You hear the sound of the water as it rushes by the hull. It feels like your senses are heightened and you can even tell when a wave has come close to the boat and the crest of it crumbles and disappears back into the ocean. Our destination was the bay of Mantanchen, just three miles south of San Blas. We arrived around 1:30 pm to a bay that was dotted with about four boats. We had heard of the nasty no see ums and of the mosquitos that are known to take no prisoners. They descend on you at dusk and dawn. So being the smart humans we are, we went to the boat and hid down below. Joe built a mosquito screen and we had another make shift screen for the front hatch. We were safe.
During the day, however we ventured into town and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the small town of San Blas. We visited the infamous bells of San Blas and also the fort that was instrumental in the war against Spain. The fort had an amazing view of the town below and the surrounding ocean. It is always interesting to visit a building that is actually older than your own country. We enjoyed the area so much that we stayed for a week. In the anchorage we met and became friends with another couple, Ken and Carrie. We ended up going on the Jungle tour on the Rio Tovara. We saw many different types of birds and several young crocodiles. The tour stops for an hour to give you time to look at the clear spring filled with none other than catfish. The owner of the restaurant assured me that fishing was not allowed in the spring. I was tempted though. We had lunch and than returned to the panga to begin our ride back. Since the tour was over the Panga driver felt no desire in taking it easy on the way back. So we basically raced back to the beginning like a horse that was barn shy. Ahh Mexico! We said goodbye to our new friends and said we would meet up again in Chacala or la Cruz. We chose to stay another night. We let our guard down and the bugs ate me alive. I have no less than 30 bites. Time to move on.
