We can now say “We’ve sailed the Horn of Mexico” and we find ourselves in Bahia Los Frailes… 104 nautical miles south of La Paz on the beautiful Sea of Cortez. Los Frailes bay is surrounded by very high rocky mountains covered with a green brushy vegetation, small sandy beaches, and clear warm turquoise water. We enjoy our quiet Mexican evenings gazing upon the many stars not seen near city lights.
Each night hundreds, or maybe even thousands, of 10 to 12 inch fish come to feed on smaller fish attracted by Windfall’s lights. Their eyes glow an eerie orange as we cast our bright spotlight in the darkness upon the clear water surrounding Windfall…believe me, it’s an awesome sight! Nobody has yet dared to jump into the water at night …not even with a “double-dog dare” as these “orange-eyed-man-killers” appear hungry! Well…that’s our story anyway! And we dare you to come and try!
This morning Windfall is anchored in 30 feet of warm 78 degree, blue, and very clear water of which I can easily see the sandy bottom. This is our third day at anchor along with our friends Butch, Susan, and their 19 year old son Joe on Valparaiso that is anchored 75 feet off our starboard side.
Yesterday, we snorkeled nearby Pulmo Reef, the only coral reef on the Pacific side of Mexico. With dinghies fully loaded, the white-legged crews of Valparaiso and Windfall motored along the rocky shoreline toward Pulmo Reef. As we approached the reef, the park ranger come along-side to tell us the rules…No anchoring on the reef, No touching the reef (it kills the coral), and it’s a 50 Peso ($5.00) daily fee for a wristband to use the park….But, he was out of wristbands…so today is FREE! “Gracious A-mee-go”, I said as we headed for the beach (I’m still working on my Spanish)! Ha Ha
We anxiously pulled our dinghies ashore and soon we were all in the water pointing out the many varieties of colorful coral fish…including one small moray eel! The water felt marvelous and we were not disappointed with our snorkeling adventure (as seen by the sun-baked smiles on our wet salty faces). We all agreed THIS is what we came to Mexico for!
Ben (our “crew”), Nancy, and I returned to Windfall exhausted after a day of exploring, swimming, and soaking up that warm Mexican sunshine. Nancy prepared a great lunch made with our fresh caught Bluefin tuna. Lunch was followed by a long “siesta” that lasted well into the late afternoon.
We’ve heard rumors of the best coconut shrimp and strongest margaritas are in the neareby village. So today this is our quest. …This is the voyage of the S/V Windfall…To seek out new life and new civilizations...To boldly go where no man has gone before… unless there’s rumors of coconut shrimp and margaritas!
We have a funny situation…we don’t really know what time it is! We were on pacific time, then USA daylight savings (and Mexico’s daylight savings falls on a different day), now we are in the Mountain time zone… in Mexico… and unknown if it’s daylight savings time or not…..in fact we have to quiz each other to see what DAY it is! Seriously! Hey, it’s Mexico …the land of Mañana…so why worry about the time… And right now, Nancy has breakfast ready…is it 8am, 9am, or 10am…..who really cares…it’s time for breakfast.
A nice 20 minute walk from our beached dinghy found the local restaurant made of a simple open air palm-thatched roof structure and small open kitchen. Our cook, Christa, took special care of us and also helped our Spanish. We watched anxiously as she prepared our dinners of lobster, breaded scallops, shrimp (in a sauce that was finger licking good!), and wonderful mashed potatoes made with milk, a dash of chicken bouillon, slice of butter, and her secret spice …fresh nutmeg (she allowed me to watch as she prepared each item). We can honestly say this was the very best meal we have had in years. Our delicious dinner by candle light was $13 US dollars, Pacifico beer was $2, and fresh Lim’onade (limeade) is a delicious house specialty made with fresh squeezed limes mixed with mint leaves picked right off the bush just 10 feet from our table. As we prepared to leave, the owner, Albina, offered to give us a lift back to the dinghy…to avoid snakes resting on the warm road at night. We declined (at first) then he added…and to also watch out for tarantulas and scorpions on the road! Christa pointed to a small scorpion resting on the floor…. Ok…“three gringos” would appreciate that a ride now! Gracias Amigo!! Nancy rode up front, while Ben and I jumped in the back of Albina’s flatbed truck with our flashlights anxiously scanning the road for “critters of the night” (none were seen).
Christa was out of coconut for the coconut shrimp and graciously invited us back…Hmmmm , Christa’s Margaritas and Coconut Shrimp…Hey Nancy, put those hotdogs away, we’re going out for dinner tonight!
Sadly, our friends aboard Valparaiso have decided to leave their boat in La Paz, and return home to Portland and back to the “real life”. It’s not uncommon to have cruisers anxious to “live the dream,” only to find the “dream” is not shared by both partners. I am very lucky to have as great a partner as Nancy.
Cruising partners must share the same dreams and desires if they wish to make those dreams become a reality and enjoy the adventures…Which does include the icy margaritas toasted during warm tropical red sunsets, but it also includes such things as repairing a broken backed up toilet…and I can ‘t think of anything worse…Oh what fun! And, what an Adventure!!
Here aboard Windfall, for Nancy and I, the rewards are well worth continuing and living our dreams while enjoying the many challenges life brings. We can’t think of having a better life than right here, right now. Yea, I love cruising…..Hey Nancy! Where’s those rubber gloves, I’ve got an “adventure” waiting to be repaired!