Mexico's Revolutionary Day!!

On November 20th Mexico celebrated the Centennial Anniversary of its revolution.  On this date in 1910 the revolutionary war to overthrow the dictator Porfirio Daz began.  To celebrate this festival schools of Zihuatanejo and of the surrounding towns participating in a parade, it started around 9 am went to 11:30am.  I can't even begin to think about how many children were involved.  It was fun to watch and enjoy this day with so many proud people.

there were hundreds of people watching the parade throughout the downtown area!

each shcools class did something a little different

The pyramid theme was throughout the entire parade

Many of the classes dressed the part

kids jumping through fire rings, they did an amazing job!!

The cultural wedding dance

Rescate and the firedepartment were even part of the parade

Hanging out in one of our favorite towns!!

We are really excited to be back in Zihuatanejo, there only a couple of other sailboat in the bay.  We had an easy check in to the port captian, there is a muelle (peir) for the fishing boats and the cruise ship shuttles, but unfortuently we are not allowed to leave the dinghy there.  So beach leanding it is, now there is hardly any surf in the corner where we land the dinghys, but because we have no dinghy wheels it is still quite a struggle to drag the heavy dinghy up the beach.  There are a couple of guys, Jesus and Alfanso who if they are around will help for a little tip, which for us is worth it.  We have been having a great time walking around the downtown and the centro market.  Skeeter and I have been running on a little path around the bay, that by 8 am expecially on the weekends is really crowded. 

Jerry sitting in Tanya's fixed up car, Tanya own's The Fishing Hole one of the best local gringo bars in Zihuat!

Jerry got a kite!

watch as it sails throught the air!!

While having breakfast one morning we met a couple from Michigan on vacation down here, after talking with them a while we invited them to come have some beers on the back of SOMF one afternoon.  We had a great time with them, after we drank all the beers on the boat we went back to town to go check out some of the night life.  It was a Tuesday evening and there was not a huge night life going on, but we had a blast staying out till about 1am...I know what you are thinking...we are some party animals!!  A few days later we went over to their hotel to hangout out poolside and go have a nice dinner together.  They were a great couple and am so glad we met them, we wish them safe travels home.  

Us with Joe and Jackie having drink on the deck of SOMF

Jerry going down the slide at Joe and Jackies hotel

They still had a Day of The Dead alter up in the lobby of the hotel

a view of the bay from their hotel room, not many sailboats out there!

 We took a taxi over to Ixtapa one afternoon to go check out the marina.  This is one of the largest and probably expensive marinas in Mexico, holding over 500 slips.  There was one little marine store that happen to have the generator water pump that we have been needing for $120 dollars, but more about that later.  We stopped at one of the restuarants in the marina and then took the bus back to Zihuatanejo. 

Marina Ixtapa

Zihuatanejo here we come!!

We decided to leave Bahia Tangolunda and head up to Zihuatanejo the next morning on 11/8 around 10am to head 343 miles that took about 72 hours.  We had another great motor north with the wind on our nose and some strong current against us.  We were running the motor between 1500 and 1600 rpms and were averaging only about 4.8 knots over the three days.  We did not catch any fish, and again not with lack of trying and besides talking to SV Mita Kuuluu on the VHS we did not see any other sailboats.  We did have the Mexico navy traveling with us for a while, and of course saw many shrimpers.  We had a full bright moon the whole trip, it was pretty amazing!

Had lots of dolphins traveling with us within the three days!

The coast of Acapulco about 5 miles away

Entering the Bay of Zihuatanejo

Crossing the Tehuantepec!

Seven cruisers, one from each boat including Jerry got in the back of Guarrmos truck to go and get checked out of Puerto Chiapas and pay API (the fee some ports have to achor) to prepare for our departure Saturday morning.  Supprisingly it only took them a couple of hours, that evening we had coctails on the back of Adagio, a large catermarane who came in the day before.  Saturday morning the navy showed up around 6 am to start the inspection process to be able to leave.  Even though we are not leaving the country we still had to have an inspection by the navy, I am guessing it is to check that we have not picked up any drugs to smuggle to other ports.  It took the navy about 45 minutes at each boat, then we all started our engines to motor out of the marina.  It looked like a parade of sailboats leaving one right after another, but it did not take long for us to all disperse out into the large ocean.  We left around 9:30am to head our 250.5 miles north to Huatulco and the big journy of crossing the Gulf of Tehuantepec.  We had an easy 51 hour motor across, we had one night that the winds we up to about 17 knots, but other than that, it was an easy, beautiful, almost full moon crossing.  On Sunday our second day out we had a couple of catch and release skipjack fish and got to listen to the Packers and the Broncos on Sirius Radio.

Turtles!!

Shiraz has decided that he loves laying up on the dodger, it is like his own personal hammock!

But the captian does not like it...don't think he is listening to you Jerry!!

We arrived around 5:30am at Bahia de Santa Cruz, one of the nine bays of Hualtulco, and waited till sun up to motor in and drop anchor.  Unfortuently the area that we were going to anchor was pretty rocky and our anchor would not catch, so we motored out back down a mile to Bahia Tangolunda, where SV Luna Azul was already anchored.  It took a couple of tries but we got the anchor set, dropped the kayaks and had a great little tour of the bay.

Going to Town!

Well we have been here in Puerto Chiapas for almost a week now and have really been enjoying ourselves.  The weather has been fantastic, warm with a slight breeze duing the day and cool with a slight breeze in the evening.  The only thing that I would complain about is in the marina the mosquitos are really bad in the eveing, but with enough spray and coils we are surviving.  On Tuesday morning we picked up SV Kona in the dinghy and went to the port captains office to check in.  After handing the lady all the paperwork, Guerrmo one of the managers of the new marina they are building, walked in and helped us with the paperwork.  The office was unable to do the money at the time so Guerrmo took us to the airport where the immigration office is to get our mexican visas.  After paying the migration officer 262 peso per person for the visa, Guerrmo drove us back to Puerto Madero where are dinghy was parked, and took us to a fabulous resturant for lunch.

After we took the dinghy back to the boat, SV Kona and SOMF moved our boats over to the marina.  Jim on SV Against the Wind was aready in the marina, we tied up the dock lines a couple of slips down from Jim.  Now the marina is not officially open yet, they have no water or power or trash survice but the no slip fee it was ok.  The marina wanted boats to start staying there so they could get pictures and just for them to get the word out that they were opening in Novemeber.  The marina has 40 slips and will have a 70 ton travel lift and haulout facility.  They are building a restaurant, a laundry service along with a couple of little stores.  The marina is a little out of the way to go to Puerto Madero, but a short dinghy ride across the bay and you are there.

Joan and Tim on SV Kona and us took a taxi into Tapachula the large town about 20 miles away.  The taxi there was 250 peso, but I think if we would have walked to the street and waited for a taxi we could have bargin for a better price.  We had a great time walking around the centro area of Tapachula going by the church and into the centro market.  We then took a 5 peso airconditioned bus to the Walmart center and got some groceries, and a quick jaunt across the street to Home Depot and then got a taxi for 150 pesos back.

The central park

Theatre

The church!!

these three guys carry this everywhere, and they are really good!

and of coarse we had to check out the local street market, they do always have the best produce, and at the best price!

Jerry and I have gone over by dinghy to Puerto Madero a couple of times to get tacos at a little cart, we have been craving street tacos for a long time and I have to say for 6 pesos they are really good along with a 9 peso beer what else could you ask for.  The peso is at 13.00 peso to the dollar so 6 tacos and 4 beers for lunch we are paying $6.29 you can't beat that!

We always have to stop and have a couple of beers on the beach, this was one of our favorite places.. Brenditas, where Anna the waitress was always in a good mood, sometimes to good.

The gangs all here!!

Chiapas Mexico!!

Well we finally have left the dock of Bahia Del Sol and are heading up 236 miles north up the coast to Chiapas Mexico.  We had a very very easy bar crossing leaving El Salvador, us and SV Kona left around 10am on the 22nd of October and had a 51 hour motorsail up the coast.  Both days and nights were perfect.  The first night was wonderful, you could imagine how many stars were up in the sky, I counted 12 shooting stars in my 3 hour shift.  And the sunsets and sunrises were some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. 

Beautiful Sunsets!!

another great sunset!

Off the coast of Guatamala we did see about 12 shrimping boats around 6pm on the first day, but after that we had the ocean to ourselves.  It was one of the best passages every, we even got the sails up a little both days.  Unfortuently we did not catch any fish, we did hook a few, but none that were keepers.  We saw a few dolphins, but not as many as we usually do, but we did see tons of sea turtles, what a site.  The third day we were about 30 miles (about 6 hours) from Chiapas and our engine started to over heat.  We shut off the engine and put the sails up, but with 3 knots of wind we didn't do much.  About 30 minutes later Jerry went into the engine room to check things out, the engine fresh water heat exchanger did not take any water ( it would have taken water if that was the problem for the overheating), we turned on the engine and the temp immediately started to go back to normal.  The only conclusion we think is that we must have gone over a bag or something that cased the through hole to plug up temporaraly. 

We pulled into the enterance of Chiapas around 12pm, there was a dredger comming our way so we had to turn around and wait for it to exit so we could pass.  We anchored around 12:30 and the Mexican navy came to inspect the boat and do some paperwork.  They left our boat and went over to SV Kona who anchored about an hour after us.  We then put the dinghy in the water to go to shore and try to finish checking in.  The Port Captian was closed so we had a couple of beer at a beach palapa and then went back to the boats.  We will try to finish checking tomorrow.

Having Fun in El Salvado!!

Well we have been here in El Salvador for a couple of months waiting for the hurricane season to end so we can start heading up to Chaiapas Mexico.  We have done some boat projects, fixing the sun/rain shade after it got torn in the 60 knots winds that we had one night during a storm.  We have also started cleaning and reoiling the teak on the side rails, but for the last 8 days we have had none stop rain.  Here are some pictures of some of the activities that we have been doing.

Skeeter and I went running on the beach every morning, they is nothing better than the fresh salty air to wake you up.

 September 15th was El Salvadors Independence day, Jan along with the school children on the Island put on a parade with music, banners and hotdogs at the end.  There were many activities all over El Salvador with the next closest in La Harradura, that had a parade and festivities.

I have been helping Jan at the school teach english to the little kids.  There is school on the island up till grade 6th, but then after that they have to take "cayuca's" (little wooden canoes) across the estuary to the mainland for the higher grade schooling.  Most of the families on the island can not afford to send their children, or don't think it is important for them to go on to further their education.  Jan is trying to get more teachers to come to the island to further the education, but with all governments, it is a hard process. 

The kids were playing a word game, and of coarse Alex being in front

Talofa a tall ship from 1928 has been anchored in the estuary for a couple of months, Captian Cactas and Roni take out the ship for tours of the estuary for the hotel, and also have the island school kids aboard, where the whole crew dresses like pirates, the kids love it.  We have also had a few potlucks on Talofa, which makes sence since she is bay far the largest at Bahia Del Sol. 

John and Leanne from SV Red Sky

Jim from SV Against the Wind

Roni and Captian Cactus from Talofa

 We have gone out to the stilt restuarants in the estuary for some good ol fried fish.  Where you bring cooler of beer and enjoy a great afternoon.