GOSH, IT’S GOOD TO BE BACK HOME. IN MEXICO.

Mon Day 1. Arrived PV Airport and welcomed by our boat neighbors Irwin and Jaye on SV Winsome who later showed us the way to amazing street tacos in the neighboring town Jerretaderas a 20 minute walk away. We open our boat and are thankful that Moondance isn’t overrun with mold and has not sunk in protest of our absence. Walk on the beach.

Tues Day 2. Go to local market in Jerretaderas for fresh fruit, veggies, tomales, and almond mole. Unpack, quick boat rinse. Carry 15G of drinking water to the boat. Take towels to laundry lady nearby. Go body surfing at the beach. Eat street tacos in Jerretaderas again with Jean and Stephanie from SV Le Letty.

Wed Day 3. Get bottom of boat cleaned and zincs replaced. Wash boat. Take a nap. Get pooped on by a bird. Chase birds away from the boat. Have cocktail hour on the boat.

Thurs Day 4. Stephanie on SV Le Letty gives me a beginner class on aerial acrobatics. I love it! Conor fixes the water pump and fills the water tanks. We go body surfing on the beach and visit with SV Miramar and SV Dejala for a potluck dinner.

Friday Day 5. I make a cockpit shade to keep us cool this summer. Conor goes to gym to work out and explores Puerto Vallarta neighborhoods off the main drag. The minimum wage in PV is $5 per day. This is evident in these neighborhoods.

We are SLOWLY making our way through our boat project list. Life is good here:)

LEAVING ON A JET PLANE. DON’T KNOW WHEN I’LL BE BACK AGAIN.

We had spent the last couple of days preparing Moondance for her stay in Nuevo Vallarta Marina without us. We left PV wearing jeans and sweating. We were welcomed to San Francisco by a cold wind and quickly realized that we had forgotten to bring a jacket.

We went out to dinner and spent $60 on a modest meal. I almost had a heart attack. $60?!?! We have not spent $60 at one time in months! Dinner is usually not more than $10 for both of us. Trying to cut costs on our return trip from NY to CA the next week we took a train, bus, two flights, 2 bart trips, 2 more trains, and a taxi. 13 hours after we left NY we were back at ‘home’ in California and realized that there was definitely such a thing as too many forms of cheap public transportation.

We got to play “dress up” at Brian and Kelly’s wedding!

Things we miss from the US.

• Family and Friends
• Good beer and good wine

so much to choose from!

• Little Ryan!

• Pizza (we ate pizza at least 4 times!)
• Clean tap water
• SF Bay- the view from the Golden Gate Bridge on a clear blue day is amazing.
• Accessible and affordable boat parts!

Perspective that a US visit gave us.

• We feel grateful that we still have strong bonds to family and friends.
• Despite our feelings of self-importance, all of our parents are doing just fine, if not better than when we last saw them. What?! Their lives go on perfectly without us?! …….. Phew!
• We are lucky to spend dedicated time with each other as a couple without the stresses of normal life to infringe on our relationship.
• We are not doing something ‘weird.’
• We love living on our boat in Mexico.

Upon our departure from Mexico we questioned our plans for such a long stay away from Moondance. By the time we were boarding the airport to return to Mexico, it felt like the time was too short. Many thanks to our family and friends on the West/East Coast for a lovely visit!!

Farewell America. We’ll meet again.

Updated Sailing Route

Updated Sailing Route

San Francisco Bay to Banderas Bay

We have made it as far south as we are going to go this season and plan to head up to the  Sea of Cortez next month where we will remain for hurricane season.

View Larger Map

A Palapa in Yelapa is better than a Condo in Redondo

On an early morning this week we left the La Cruz anchorage aboard Hydroquest to celebrate Sarah’s birthday! Will and Sarah were hosting this fabulous outing and Conor and I as well as Jean and Stephanie from SV Le Letty were happy to join. We were off to spend the day 15nm away in Yelapa, a village surrounded by jungle and inhabited by about 1400 indigenous people who have a right to live on this land. In 1581 King Philip II of spain granted property rights of 25,000 hectares to the indigenous people of Yelapa and their community (surrounding towns) and these rights were protected in the Mexican Constitution of 1910. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILED HISTORY

Today the village consists of a people that ride mules and ATVs instead of cars. A people that use sarongs instead of glass to cover their windowsills and a people that first had access to electricity (and refrigeration) ten years ago. In fact, the community is so secluded that the only way to visit is to ride a horse or mule on a long rocky coastal route, come down on a dirt trail from Chacala, or by boat. All supplies for the town arrive by boat.

So we chose to arrive by boat!

When we were still 15 minutes away from the anchorage Rafael, the panga driver, met us to secure a sale. He asked if we needed a mooring and offered to help us tie up. After accepting we had to tell the subsequent panga drivers that we had already spoken with Rafael. Early bird gets the worm. Rafael obviously excels in outside sales.

Each panga driver and mooring ball is associated with a specific restaurant on the beach. You must go to the restaurant in order to avoid both the mooring ball fee and fee for a panga ride to and back from shore. However, tips are graciously accepted.

After a couple of dives off of Hydroquest we were ready for a shore adventure. We passed woodworking shops with signs posted offering a free shot with purchase, laundry hung in the jungle, a beautiful waterfall, an empty building containing with makeshift weights, and a mule that almost ran us down (literally) on the path. The night ended perfectly with a lovely sail the whole way back to La Cruz powered by the Hydrovane and street tacos in La Cruz. One taxi van and two buses later Conor and I were back home in our boat. For anyone planning to visit Yelapa and stay in a hotel, stay at least a week and feel yourself quickly unwind.

Yelapa

Yelapa

Horse parking lot in Yelapa

Hands Off

Conor admires his handiwork in Sayulita.

Some people sell beaded jewelry and sarongs on the beach. Conor sells handprint tans.