Drakes Bay



Jerry & Lauren crossing a creek..keep your feet up!

Sam's horse actually drinking fresh water. Lauren watching

We come into town a-hoopin' and a-hollerin! .

 As with most great plans, we didn't stay at Quepos as we thought.  Due to the high cost of slips at the marina ($150/night), no mooring balls, and with the anchorage being very rolly and too deep to anchor comfortably, we decided for a (slow) overnight sail to Drakes Bay.
 We couldn't go too fast or we would arrive at Drakes bay in the darkness of night...which is not a good option to enter an unfamilure bay at night. With only 7 knots of wind we put the sails up for the next 11 hours it was peaceful, calm, and Nancy got some sleep below till her watch at 1am...and of course thats when the rain started. Oh well, we arrived at Drakes Bay at daylight with rain and another rolly anchorage.
The Oso Peninsula covers nearly 500 square miles and most is in the Corcovado National Park.
The next day I put out a stern anchor and this worked great to keep Windfall pointed to the large swells enterning the bay. It's much more relaxing for Windfall to take the swells head on than to roll side to side...trust me! SOMF also put out thier stern anchor...much better!
Drakes Bay is named after Sir Francis Drake who landed here in 1579. Rumor is he buried gold treasure at the...now don't as me, if I knew where it was I wouldn't be telling you this!
We took the dinghy to the (small) dinghy dock and explored the village. After a quick stop at the a small  "Soda" (store) for cold bottles of water, we spotted several Scarlett Macaw Parrots in the tree  not more than 50 feet away. Lauren and Nancy began taking pictures of these beautiful red, blue, and yellow colored birds.
We continued our tour of the village with a stop at the market, and it just happened to be the day the produce truck parks outside. We bought fresh bananas, apples, and a pineapple. I've got to say that I never knew just how sweet a pineapple could be till we tasted these. These pineapples are the sweetest, juciest, and most delicious I've ever tasted.
We noticed a guide trip on horseback available, within a shot time we we signed up for a trip in the morning.
Ok, here we are, four gringos ready for our steeds.... Our guide "Oly" said we would ride the beach, then a mountian trail, and we would see some huge rocks that are perfectly round...no reason known why the natives did this , how they made the rocks so perfectly round, or why at the locations  were picked.
We mounted our horses and off we went...The Four Gringos...and Oly. The beach was beautiful, our horses wanted to drink saltwater standing in the small waves...Hmmm, this should have been an indicator of how smart these horses were.
We left the beach and took to a mountain trail, 6 miles of steep, winding, mud trail where our horses were slipping and sliding.

Bronk Buster Nancy - Yee Haaaa!

irlJerry's horse was the slow-poke, always far behind. He actually named his horse "Old Spice" but saw no reason to rush his horse on the trip.  Nancy's horse actually slipped and fell to all four knees, but, like a true rodeo bronk buster, "Cowgirl Nancy" stayed mounted and rode it all the way! I swear she yelled Yee-Haaaa!..Ok, maybe she did forget the Yee part of it, because all I actually heard was AHHHHHHH!
Let me just say that after 5 1/2 hours of trial riding, bronk busting, and saddle sitting the "Four Gringos" could hardly walk afterward! A cold brew at the nearby waterhole sure helped to sooth the saddle sores.
As we boarded the dinghy and started back to the boat, a "small" gotor was spotted 20 feet ahead. Gulp!  Later, Jerry mentioned he needs to clean the bottom of his boat...and I was thinking "Gator, the other white meat"...no make that "Jerry, the other white meat"!

Would you cross this knowing we just saw an alligator?

We instead headed up the small river we were in for a short dinghy "jungle tour"...and oh, how beautiful it was. The water was nice and cool, a swinging bridge crossed the river leading to an wildnerness lodge for those eco-minded tourist.
We like it here so much we've decided to stay another day, our firends aboard "Sunnyside Up" just entered the bay and dropped anchor. Time to break out the Captain Morgan and make a toast to Sir Francis Drake for finding this perfect tropical location....just for us!
Next stop Puerto Jimeniz

More from Northern Costa Rica

Windfall sailing away.....

 What a true adventure Costa Rica has become for us all. We've really  enjoyed traveling with SOMF (Sand On My Feet) as we set courses for beaches and bays marked on our charts.
As we're now in the "rainy season" of Costa Rica we get some pretty heavy downpours that may last a few minutes to about an hour. We've found leaks we never knew Windfall had till a mix of 25 knot winds driving heavy tropical rains onto the boat. But after several tubes of sealer, and yards of weather stripping, and a bit of frustration on my part (according to the Nancy) we've think we've got the leaks stopped (for now). 

A hike to a very cool waterfall

We took a bus trip to a very cool little village called Montezuma where we hiked to a very cool waterfall. Whew! It was hot, but the cold beer and great food at the local watering hole made for a wonder day. We enjoy the bus trips, talking with the locals, and seeing the countryside... Costa Rica has an abundance of natural beauty to be explored.

Lauren & Nancy hiking the trail to the waterfall

We had friends from "Sunnyside Up" stop by the anchorage and are spending a few days traveling along with us. One afternoon we decided it was time for a tour of the estuary around the bay and look for some monkeys. No monkeys were seen till we stopped at a couple of abandoned houses... there... and there.... in the huge Mango trees....Howler Monkeys! They have a distinctive sound to be sure as they leap from tree to tree in search of the ripe mangoes.
Before long, we were back at the dinghies cooling off and swimming in water...with the monkeys curiously looking from above. We all snorkeled, swam, and enjoyed the warm afternoon...that is till a "few" drops of rain began....followed by a torrential downpour as we stood in the water with no cares of getting any wetter than we already were.

When you are in the water, looking for any sign of the rain stopping and you only see MORE rain....you finally say..."Let's go for it!"
Racing across the two mile wide bay, unable to see with the rain pelting our faces, I reached down and put on my swim mask! I saw Lauren, racing beside us in their dinghy and look over, point at me, and before long Jerry had his mask on to see as well!
On our way back a fully loaded tourboat was stopped in the bay and in the heavy rain. They had ran out of gas! Captain Jerry and crew to the rescue! Jerry was quick to toss a line and give a very welcomed tow to the nearby dock. Well done, Captain Jerry! I doubt the driver got any tips this day...his passengers were all soaked to the bone!

Hey Jerry, didn't you ever learn to come out of the rain?

At times, when we are anchored in nice little places and don't want to leave, only the rumor of "Oh there's a better beach, bay, bar, or whatever that lies just around the next corner" is our only motivator to hoist anchor and leave.
 Currently, the three boats are anchored in a wonderful little bay, Punta Leona, with a white sandy beach, a luxury 5 Star all inclusive resort hidden in the trees, and beautiful Red Scarlett Macaw parrots flying from tree to tree. We dinghied to the beach where Lauren fell off the dinghy into the water - Note: this was NOT the Captain's doing!We went to the resort store for a few well deserved treats and snacks for the crew. Oh, and while we were in the store the afternoon torrential downpour began...just in time for our dinghy trip back to the boats!

I see blue sky...but not here!

 Boy! What fun! You know those "wash and wear" clothes you always hear about? Our's were defiantly "wash and wear" on the trip back. Now,  THAT'S FUN!
We've used our "Bad Boy" WiFi antenna and very pleased with getting internet from the boat, including Skype. Ok, so we've been uhh..."pirating" a few more movies to watch in the evenings.
Tonight we have invitations for dinner aboard "Sunnyside Up"...always a good time when friends get together for drinks and dinners. I must say we've had some great potluck type dinners aboard friends boats, you never know what will turn up.  
Tomorrow we're planning a course to Quepos where we will leave the boat on a mooring ball while we  will travel with Lauren & Jerry (by rental car) inland . Quepos is only 38 miles from our present anchorage, hopefully we will catch a nice Dorado to share.

Howler Monkeys watched from above while we swam

We did have a little problem with our windlass not wanting to raise the anchor. After cleaning out the V-birth completely to get to the windlass, it turned out to be a simple little fuse...Whew!
Well, time to get the dinghy loaded and motor to the neighbor's for dinner..

We plan to leave around 6am to Quepos,

Update.....Quepos was too expensive at the marina ($150 per night), the anchorage too deep and rolly to anchor comfortably, and no mooring balls, so we decided to set a overnight course for Drakes Bay (names after Sir Francis Drake- who stopped by for a while). We dropped anchors in Drakes Bay at 6am. This is a beautiful anchorage to say the least!
....Horseback riding, alligators, and lots of rum...sounds interesting! More on the next blog

Northern Costa Rica

    Whew! After some rough seas, and one sea-sick Admaral, we made it to Santa Elena Costa Rica. In the Papaguyo's (area notorious for sudden high winds and rough seas) we actually had "green water" roll across the boat deck and the sea spray fly clear over the hardtop, Windfall took the rough seas and 35 knot winds kindly. We love our boat!

Monkeys in the trees!

  We were contacted on the SSB raido by our friends aboard Royal Albatross as they were just

leaving the bay and gave it high ratings. We pulled into the beautiful Santa Elena Bay at 1:30, dropped anchor and promptly dove into the warm clear water. Our friends aboard SOMF and Varuna were expected in 3-4 days, so we had the whole bay to ourselves. As a note, this is where Oliver North was training the Contra Rebles to invade Nicaragua...which is located just around the corner from the bay!

    Nancy and I love to explore the bay and mangroves with our dinghy "Blondie", we watched as Macaw parrots flew over each morning and evening. One day we decided to take a walk to a 8' waterfall that was rumored to have a nice freshwater pool to swim at the bottom. We treked up an empty creekbed where finally a trickle of water began, and before long we were wading chest deep in the creek to continue our journey to the waterfall. After 30 minutes we walked upon a beautiful clear water pool and jumped in. The water felt refreshing in the tropic heat and I even did a cannonball from the top of the rock bluff! It was a slice of paridise and we hads it all to ourselves.
    The next day we dinghied our bikes to the shore and rode along a dirt road where we spotted MONKEYS in the trees! How cool! The monkeys had white faces and looked like they were having as much fun seeing us as we were snapping photos of them.
    The next day we spent snorkeling and exploring more of the big bay. We spotted lobsters clinging to the rocks, colorful fish you only see in tropical aquariums, and even a 7' nurse shark, don't worry, these sharks are very dosile...at least that's what "they" say,,. I turned to tell Nancy about how tame the shark is..."Hey Nancy"! She was nowhere to be seen...aparrently she was "forgetting" something important on the beach that she needed...Well, at least that's HER story!
    Our friends arrived early in the moring, and that afternoon we went snorkeling at one of our newly favorite spots. Over the next several days, we hiked back to the waterfall, swam, snorkeled, fished, and even panned for a little gold in the stream....gold flakes sure are tiny, but those gold rocks seem to add weight more quickly! Yes Sir, Jerry and I  probibly panned a total of $1 gold flakes! Only $2 million more and we can make a downpayment on those new boats!  Oh, did I mention we had a poisonous sea snake pass by the boat.....Ewwwww! Gulp!
     We spent a total of 2 weeks in the bay, needless to say we did not want to leave! Of course, we were "Pirating" as we had not check into the counrty. yet...but, oh well. We were out of beer and veggies...and I think in that order!
    We sailed to Playas del Coco, Costa Rica and dropped anchor in Playa Panama (just around the corner from Coco...and where the Port Captain wants boats to anchor till they are "officially" in the country. Ok, so we got a little chewing out from the Port Captain, but after a two day process to check in with the Port Captain, Migration, pay a fee at the local bank to have an Agriculture Inspection done aboard the boats, and finally (the second day) a taxi trip to Customs in the nearby city of Liberia, we were officially in Costa Rica. We had to dinghy the Agricultrue Inspection guy out to the boats where he looked inside the refridgerator and freezer and our "inspection " was complete. Jerry and Loren aboard SOMF has a dog and cat, but aparrently were  listed as "No living animals abaord"....Jerry said he's pretty sure the cat isn't dead and does move once in awhile, but the guy had to step over the dog to come aboard!
    May 24th was my 51st birthday...or 15th as Nancy says is more true. We all went to a neat little beach bar and enjoyed great food and drinks...Ahhh, Costa Rica is a nice place to celibrate for sure.
    We moved the threee boats to the Coco anchorage, it's right in front of the cool little village, but the anchorage is VERY rolly and not plesent to be aboard, sleep, or cook meals...time to check out with the Port Captain and leave!!  Fun little place, too bad the anchorage is so rolly for boats.

Nancy looking at Windfall "on the hook" - Looks nice!

    Currently, we are traveling with SOMF and on our way to explore other Costa Rica bays and have made it a whole 8 miles from where we were anchored. We have a beautiful beach right behind the boats, and in 15 minutes we'll be in the water snorkeling.
    Ok, time to get the fins on...... more postings later.

Check us out on www. youtube.com at Windfall Adventures...it's FUN!!

Antigua, Guatemala - What a great place!

 Two Beauties - Nancy and Antiuga, Guatemala

    Well, here we are in beautiful Antigua, Guatemala and having a wonderful time! We organizationally planned to stay 2 weeks learning Spanish and living with a Guatemalan family to become "immersed" in the culture and language. As it turns out, we are living with my Spanish teacher, Patty, and her family. We are having such a great time we have extended our Spanish classes for a 3rd week! I know, I can´t believe it either, even I am learning Spanish! Wow!
    We have great respect for my teacher,Patty, and Nancy´s teacher, Juan, for their patience and teaching skills.  We have our lessons in Patty´s home at 8am, while Juan, (Nancy´s teacher) comes every morning for Nancy´s lessons.

This is the McDonalds in Antigua!! Yes, really!

This was a 300 year old church and now a 5 star hotel!

   
    We are very fortunate to be in Antigua at this particular time. Easter in Antigua is celebrated with people from around the world who come here to see these special processions found only here in Antigua and Spain!
    Nancy and I have already seen three separate processions (a children´s, women´s, and men´s processions with floats) who carry these large and heavy  floats for miles! The women´s float was carried by 50 women, and the HUGE men´s float was carried by 90 men! It was AMAZING!!
    One procession begins at 6am in a nearby town and ends at 2 am in Antigua! Last weekend we watched what we thought was the largest of the processions, including a Saturday night procession that was filled with lights and excitement and 7,000 people IN the procession...BUT, the largest will happen this week with nearly 10,000 (men only) IN the largest procession of all! Antigua´s population is about 45,000 but swells to unmeasurable amounts during the Lent / Easter weeks.  We are lucky Patty has room for us!
    Believe me, it´s unreal to see in person, and we can´t wait for this weekend´s procession to begin. The people, the atmosphere, the vivid colors, and the excitement are beyond description! Oh, and the food(s)....delicious beyond words! Oh my!
    We´ve gained new levels of food appreciation since coming to Antigua and Patty has spoiled us with her wonderful and traditional Antigua and Guatemalan dishes. Nancy is busy copying recipes till her fingers bleed! In return, Nancy has given Patty´s family a few new dishes enjoyed as well...especially Nancy´s famous Mango Salsa! Wow! And, Nancy is makeing her famous Chili for them this weekend!

We took our immersion "family" to dinner. My Spanish teacher, Patty, is in the Red.

This is a sample of a beautiful Alformras that line the streets of Antigua for the procession. Some are made of painted sawdust (pictured),  while others are of beautiful flowers laid in intricate detail then walked upon only by the procession! (Yes, that´s all painted sawdust they are working on)

    We´ve explored 300 year old churches, picked fresh coffee beans from a plantation, tasted chocolate coated macadamea nuts right from the farms where Nancy also received a macadamea oil facial - Which she highly recommends!
    We´ve explored Casa Santo Domingo, a famous 300 year old church and now a 5 star hotel where even Bill Clinton stayed last year. Check it out at https://www.casasantodomingo.com.gt/  to look at the amazing pictures!
    We really like shopping at the central market, using our Spanish, where you can find amazing bargains as well as the freshest veggies and fruits (Bananas, Mangoes, Papillas, tomatoes, melons, even blackberries and apples) right from the farms. Did you know there are 15 varieties of mangoes? Our favorite is the "pina" (pineapple) mango that is small in size but so sweet! And best of all, we get these (pina mangoes) free for the picking on the island where Windfall is at anchor! How nice!!

Nancy with her teacher, Juan.  Muy Bueno, Nancy!

    We are anxious to return to El Salvador where Windfall is at anchor, and to try out our new Spanish language! But there are still so many exciting thing still do do here in Antigua! It´s a good thing we´ve got another week here!
    Antigua is truly an amazing place that should be on everyone´s "bucket list".
 
       Well, it´s time for us to head back to the casa...We´ve got homework to do and I´m anxious to see what new tasty dish Patty has waiting for us!

GUATEMALA

"Tuk-Tuk"

Lake Atitlan sunset

Hand made detailed fabrics

Lake Atitlan with two volcanoes

 GUATEMALA

         We’ve left the boats moored in El Salvador and rented a car with our friends Rick and Sue (New Yorkers) from the sailboat Moonshine. The rental car costs $35/day if you stay in El Salvador and $50 per day as we’re taking it to Guatemala.

ANTUGUA - Our trip began with taking the coastal route to Guatemala, and then to Antigua, a famous old European style city with many varieties of local artisan works.  We enjoyed the couple days in Antigua, the Central Market area, town square, the delicious foods, and the wonderful friendly people. Antigua is located high in the mountains where it was nice and cool – which felt very refreshing from the warm 85-90 degree days aboard Windfall.Our hotel was an old Colonial Spanish design, beautiful with it’s manicured gardens, and located within an easy 5 minute walk down a cobble stone street to the town square. Our room was simple, clean, and overlooked the beautiful gardens area below.
          We went to the Central market and bought beautifully detailed hand woven cloths made by the local women, of course the prices depend how well you barter – which these women selling their goods are masters at! The items are made at the nearby villages and brought to the market to sell, and just getting the items to market is quite a chore from the remote villages.We hired a guide for an afternoon to tour the city. He gave us the story of Antigua, the churches, Jade artisans, the major earthquakes and volcanoes, and it’s friendly people. We asked about where a good Spanish immersion school is located, Antigua is famous for it’s Spanish immersion classes with one-on-one teaching which we hope will improve our (my) Spanish skills.  Nancy and I signed up for a two week immersion class, beginning April 4^th, where we will live with a Guatemalan family (who only speak Spanish) and go to the school 4 hours a day for the two weeks. We already met our new “Madre” who will cook our meals.

 LAKE ATITLAN…oh, and along the way we were stopped by the “Policia” and politely asked for “Propina” (a tip)…which cost us $100 Quetzals ($13). It’s not looked upon kindly by the locals for tourists to pay this, but….what are you going to do but pay-even though they are not supposed to do any longer.
         We arrived at Lake Atitlan and begin our search for hotel rooms. We were directed by a great kid on a bicycle and his uncle (self appointed tour guides) of where to go, what the prices were, and that they can arrange a tour of the lake. We looked at two hotels, one completely booked, one with $20 rooms, and the last very near the lake which we got for $25/night. It was a great place, nice lawns with covered patio, views, and only a two minute walk to the lake shore.As the sun dipped behind the distant volcano mountains, people quietly lined the waterfront to admire the spectacular red-umber hues transform to complete darkness before our eyes making “postcard perfect” photos.
         The next morning we met at the nearby dock with our “self appointed tour guide” for the lake tour of two local villages, and we were not disappointed. Local fishermen in tiny wooden carved boats tossed baited lines as our panga driver took us close to the shore to view many beautiful waterfront homes, with terraced gardens to the shoreline, and shaded by palm trees perched on the waters edge. Colorfully dressed artisan women lined the streets weaving their beautiful cloths and inviting us into their shops and view their wonderful handmade goods. We learned some of their colorful, and highly detailed,  woven shirts take as long as 6 months to complete and each village has specific “colors” woven to distinguish their Mayan villages. The tiny details woven in the cloths are amazing to say the least.  You can’t imagine the time and patience it takes to produce such handmade works of art, but you quickly realize how spoiled we, as Americans, have become when viewing life from the other side of the world.
          Later that afternoon we went with Rick and Sue on a “Tuk-Tuk” tour. A Tuk-Tuk is a three wheeled vehicle, fun (and cheap) to ride, and we learned they have 165 Tuk-Tuks for the area! Our drivers charged $6 for an hour tour of the city, pointing out internet cafés, points of interest, great places to eat, then took us to a high overlook of the lake and volcanoes….on a scale of 1-10….this is a definite TEN
          Leaving Lake Atitlan to Guatemala City, we took a different route leading us to cross a river (ok, small stream) with the rental car! The bridge was washed out, and had been for quite some time, but Sue did a great job driving the car and fording the ravaging white water …ok, so it was 6” deep, but she still did a great job of getting us across without getting our feet wet.

         ATACO - Time to cross the border back into El Salvador with our next location Ataco, about 30 minutes out of our way, but highly recommended to visit.
          We stayed in a small posada (Inn), newly remodeled, and welcomed with friendly staff ($30/night). Soon, it was time to search for a restaurant for dinner. As many of you travelers know, this can be a scale of delicious foods…to well, not so great.I must say, we found a little café with great live music, tastefully decorated, and with a Filet Minion that was delicious as any we’ve ever had, served with rice, veggies, bread, and a wonderful pastry desert. Oh, and the price…an easy $9.00.

San Andres Ruins- The next morning we toured the ancient ruins of San Andres where we happened to arrive during a Mayan ceremony of Springtime and offerings of wisdom, forgiveness, and healing to the circled fire. Drums beat as conch shells were blow to welcome the Gods and bring those to the circle. Even a newscaster was on hand for the occasion as I heard mention of “President Obama”….What??? Yes, Mr. “Presidente de Americana” Barack Obama is to visit this very ruin in two days and they were excited with the news.We moved on to the next site.
Joya de Ceren Ruins - Also called the “Pampae of the Americas” and designated a World Heritage Site. What makes this area so special is this is the only area known to show where the common people lived who built the great temples and ruins. A volcano, 1/2 mile away, gave ample warning for the people to escape before it began erupting and completely covering the area with steam and ash.  This event happened 14 times and has buried the city with 4-6 meters of ash. The new site was found in 1976 when a backhoe was working and found a wall preserved deep in the layers. They have only dug 3% of what is believed to be buried as they have no way to preserve the artifacts (homes and personal items) once exposed to the weather and elements. So, for now, the city remains protected and well preserved buried deep within the layers of ash.

It was nice to get back aboard Windfall and back to “busy schedule”…..We’ve been invited to a nighttime beach bon fire, a chicken barbeque to benefit the local school, and of course make our presence at the pool for the afternoon “Cruisers Net” . Nancy has signed up for a drawing and painting class offered by one of the cruisers, and volunteers working with the English class at the local school. I have been working on a picture CD, our Blog, practicing my guitar and strangely enough keeping any “critters” away from the boat….Hmm, …..Nahhh….Couldn’t be…..It must be some strange coincidence.
 More Windfall Adventures when we get back from our Antigua Spanish classes….I feel sorry for my teacher already……

Surfin' Windfall at Bahia del Sol, El Salvador !!

February 26^th – Bah'ia del Sol, El Salvador!!

                Arriving on schedule for the 7am high tide, we were six boats sitting at the entrance starring at the big breakers crossing the entire entrance to Bah'ia del Sol. Soon, our bar guide shot across the breakers on a jet ski and began giving instructions to the first boat of how to cross. We sat anxiously watching with binoculars as Mita Kuuluu closely followed the guide to the entrance. Nowhere did we see a place safe enough to cross…then, suddenly the guide gave the signal and Mita Kuuluu began to enter the breakers. Gulp! Just as they started to cross the breakers suddenly flattened…smooth as a lake! Jean, from Mita Kuuluu came on the VHF radio and said, “Hello, El Salvadorl”, and the bar guide turned back for the next boat.

                Windfall was number four in line and soon it was our “chance” to cross. With Captain Nancy at the helm, we listened carefully to the instructions of the bar guide about hand signals and to stay CLOSE to him as we begin to enter...and once we begin do NOT turn around. Gulp! All we could see were solid 6’-8’ breakers where we were to enter. 

Suddenly, our guide gave the “Go” signal.... Nancy pushed the throttle FULL SPEED FORWARD and in an instant we were committed to crossing.  I turned and looked behind as a 6’ wave started to pick up the back of Windfall…in my head I could hear the “Hawaii 5-0” theme music ….Windfall was SURFING down the wave at full throttle!! Nancy held Windfall straight to the wave and the wave passed under the boat. ”Welcome to Bah'ia del Sol, El Salvador,” Well done Captain Nancy! !

                We motored up the bay and took a spot at the Bah'ia del Sol Hotel dock. With much appreciated help from the dock hands Windfall was quickly secured and soon Customs was aboard filling out necessary paperwork.  We walked up the dock, admiring the beautiful Hotel and it’s new swimming pool, to check in with the Port Captain, Immigration, and with the Marina. Within a few minutes we were sharing a dockside coldie with our English friends, Henry and Janis from Cloudy Bay, a very beautiful Nordhavn power yacht.

                With mention of it being near 102° today, Nancy and I returned to the boat and put the new shade over Windfall….Whew! It lowered the temp in the cockpit by 20°, and within a few minutes we were stretched taking a long nap.  The local “cruisers net” is held at the pool at 4:30, early attendance is acceptable and coldies are required.  I can tell you that after 48 hours sailing that pool felt wonderful!

                The next day (Friday) we went to dinner with Rick and Sue (upstate New Yorkers) from Moonshine. They carry Mr. Boogaloo, a poodle, onboard who has a lot of sea miles under his…uhh, collar.  

After the 4:30 “Cruisers Net” at the pool, we decided to go out to dinner with Rick and Sue for “Paposas”. These are an El Salvadorian dish that looks like a Gyro, but made with a heavier bread of corn or rice, and about as thick as a pancake. Inside the bread is a variety of meats, cheeses, veggies, etc…   Very delicious, tasty, and cheap at only 60 cents each! We ordered 3 per person, with beers, and our total bill for the four of us…$10.80 (The US Dollar is the currency used in El Salvador).

It’s 7:30 am, 80°, and another beautiful El Salvadorian day! We have a couple boats waiting to cross the bar this morning with the 9am high tide. I’ll listen on the VHF radio as the bar guide instructs them safely across the bearkers. It’s quite daunting as you wait outside the breakers and watch without unseeingly any opening to bring your boat across….but have no fear, they haven’t lost a boat yet in the 10 years of doing this. It’s certainly not a crossing for the faint of heart!

I went on a bike ride with Anton from Royal Albatross today, we rode about 12 miles and stopped for beers along the way…..Well, you know it’s hot here!

Nancy and I went with the group by dinghies 4 miles up the bay to a small town where we purchased fresh fruits and veggies. I’ve got to say the fruits are some of the tastiest we’ve had, the cantaloupes , pineapples, and melons are so sweet and juicy, plus  it’s fun to shop at these open markets. We parked the dinghies at a palapa (beachside café) and enjoyed cool beers before loading our groceries and heading back to the marina…and to relax in the cool swimming pool.

Yesterday, we talked with Rick and Sue aboard Moonshine about renting a car and doing a sightseeing trip to Guatemala. We can save a lot of money doing our own tour vs paying for a guide and van.

Today we are taking our dinghy,”Blondie,” on an adventure /sightseeing trip around the mangroves and estuary.  This is a beautiful area with palm lined beaches, coconut trees, mangroves, and NO Mosquitoes! I thought we’d have to have all our bug screens covering the windows each night, but we have not seen or heard one mosquito yet! The days get up to about 90°, but in the evenings there is a nice cool breeze and it cools off nicely. We still have two 12 volt fans running in the bedroom at night, but it’s very comfortable without having air-conditioning. We’ve noticed those cruisers who do have air-conditioning usually stay inside their boats till the afternoon “cruisers net” which begins at promptly at 4:30 in the swimming pool. It’s actually for “Beers and BS’n” and some cruisers like to get there early to start the cruisers net “warm up session”! 

We stay busy, doing what I’m still uncertain, but before we know it’s time to head to the pool for a coldie. Oh, but it’s not all about relaxing in paradise. Today I have an “opportunity” to challenge and sharpen my sanitation engineering skills, and to become much closer with the Zen of our boat….Ok, I have to fix one of the toilets. But, on a positive note, I see its 40 degrees and raining in Portland, so I’m going to smile in the sunshine as I take the toilet repair challenge.  If you want to see what true cruising is like, just spread your toilet out on the dock and soon you’ll other cruisers stopping by with advice….no help, but LOTS of advice and stories of…”There we were, 200 miles offshore with six crew members and  our head went out….”

Nancy is below making …and get this… Biscuits for breakfast! WOW! This must be some kind of wife-bribe to get the toilet working sooner! Well friends, it’s time to get some tools out and look like I’m going to do something important…I’ve got to make it look like her “Biscuit Bribe” is working…

Still at La Crucecita (Marina Chahu'e) Mexico

Bahias de Huatulco, Mexico - Marina Chahu'e (still)
Whew! Here it is Mid February and we’ve been here at Marina Chahu'e since January 17th - the time is flying by! Marina Chahu'e is in a beautiful area, the town of La Crucecita is very clean, beautiful, and one of the best, if not the best, places we’ve found in Mexico. This is not a typical “Mexican” town by any means, and it’s no wonder there are six direct flights weekly from Canada to here. You won’t find any high rise beach condos here, just friendly people, beautiful warm water, and wonderful beaches to explore.

Nancy and I love to ride our bikes to the Zocalo (town square), an easy 15 minutes and we’re at the local markets where you get the freshest fruits and veggies…with some you’ve never seen ,but are delicious and fun to try. One of our favorite is the Lemon-Mandarina….part Lime and part tangerine… it looks like a large lime, but inside it’s orange, sweet, and makes delicious Lim’onada – a perfect refreshment on a hot sunny day…just like today!

Nancy organized a great trip for 10 cruisers to tour a nearby botanical garden. We first enjoyed a great breakfast(and later a great lunch) cooked over a traditional wood oven and served with fresh fruits. We were told to bring swimsuits as there is a great place for everyone to swim and cool off before lunch. What a treat this was! Everyone gave Nancy a round of applause for her effort of organizing the fun trip. The “garden” is 350 acres large with over 10,000 fruit trees and assorted plants from around the world. I never knew there were so many different types of bananas, mango, nuts, and many other fruits I’ve never heard of. We tasted star fruits right off the tree, smelled the cinnamon tree, and dreamed of tasting the sweet new pineapples growing along the trial. The botanical garden is a vision of the owner and developed to show the local people how they can prosper from the land using natural, organic, and composted materials to grow the new types of plants.

On our way back to the marina, our driver took us along a back road, where we viewed a grade school that was nothing more than a thatch roof covering an open dirt area with the student desks. You can be sure there isn’t any free lunch programs, bus systems, or after school programs here. School hours are from 7am till 1 pm, and students wear spotless school uniforms.

Luckily, the “girls” made it back to the marina just in time for their hair appointments scheduled with a woman ,originally from London, who comes aboard the boats and provides haircuts for 200 peso (about $16). The ladies were all in line waiting their turn as Nancy was seated in the chair.

Recently, we went to a local dentist to have our teeth cleaned for 300 pesos ($25), and I have to admit she (the dentist) did a wonderful job. We later found she has been trained in both Mexico and Germany for dentistry. I think my last dental visit in the US nicely “cleaned” my wallet of $200!

One Saturday night, we went out for a pizza dinner and had a wonderful time…and great pizza too! We met a couple Canadian ladies down here for vacations and to get out of the 40 BELOW ZERO weather back in Winnipeg. One was a nurse, and the other worked for an insurance company. When they asked what work we did I told how Nancy was a surgical nurse…and I…a male model….which lead to a moment of unbelievable silence, then laughter broke out. I swear, I live for that wonderful “brief moment of silence” while their mind ponders what I’ve said and wonder if they should believe me…or not! I did follow up with, "I'm still waiting for my “big break” to happen". I think they began to order stronger drinks after that.

After dinner we decided to take in a movie at a local cinema. Yes, it was in English (with Spanish subtitles) and our ticket cost….an easy 67 pesos ($5.58) for both tickets! And, a combination large Coke with popcorn was less than $4.00……Ok, so now everyone KNOWS I’m a cheap date! And yes, we’re going back for another movie!

We’ve met many new friends and fellow cruisers, and the most frequently asked question is…”Are you going through the Canal, or heading to the South Pacific”? Most are going through the Canal and onward to the Caribbean Islands. As for Nancy and I, well, our course has not been set, we’re discussing going through the Panama Canal, then possibly heading toward Brazil and maybe sailing up the Amazon River. That would be an adventure for sure! But, that course is down the road and we have so much to see in El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Of course, first we have to break the Velcro holding us to this marina!

Oh! We have some videos on Youtube, just search Windfall Adventures – we added 3 short videos (so far) and will add more as time goes on - you may have to click on see all posts, for some reason clip #2 didn't show up when you search.

See you at our next Port’ of Call - Bah'ia Jiaquillisco (pronounced “hee-kee-LEE-skoh”) in El Salvador – A four day sail leading through the famed Gulf of Tehuantepec. Upon entering the bay you MUST hire a pilot boat to help guide your boat past the shifting shoals and breaker waves- where it can be flat calm, or…let just say “not so calm.” This has promise to be a (Gulp! )knee shaking adventure! …..Hey Nancy! Let’s review those boat insurance papers just one more time!!

Marina Chahue - Windfall is beside the big power boat.

Swimming at the Botanical Garden - this was FUN!!! We swam inside a cave behind the waterfall!

Nancy getting her hair trimmed

At Marina Chahue - with our new sun shade!

This is the wood fired stove/oven she cooks on everyday at the botanical garden.. The flat part is where she cooks tortillas, the ceramic clay pots sit on top of the oven and get VERY hot!