Oaxaca city, Christmas Day, 2009

We arrived in Oaxaca city on Tuesday following a six hour road trip on a very steep and windy road. Very much like a hundred mile stretch of Highway 74 but with potholes and no guard rail. The climate is perfect here with no humidity and high seventies in the day. The city is most interesting with a vibrant downtown area and lots of activity going on. There are two spectacular cathedrals and an excellent cultural museum.





Town square , Oaxaca
and Cathedral














Cultural museum









We saw the Festival of the Radishes which does sound rather strange but is a major event here and crowds of people showed up to see it. It consists of various radish sculptures which really were quite impressive. Who knew that radishes got to be that size.
The Admiral went back to San Diego yesterday with the camera but we will post some photos later.












Examples of radish sculptures



I went to the pre-columbian ruins at MonteAlban yesterday and also the Christmas Eve processions and other festivities in the town square last night. No travel today so I will be going back to the boat in Huatulco via a different route tomorrow or Sunday.
Huatulco itself is much quieter than here and has two small towns and numerous beaches situated in nine bays. Will be easy living until it´s time to depart for Costa Rica in early January.

Huatulco, Monday December 14, 2009

We have now arrived at our final destination in Mexico and Callisto is moored in the Marina Chahue in Huatulco. This is the first time in a marina for a month and it certainly is different having neighbors and urban noises. Puerto Angel was excellent and I would stongly recommend a visit if you want a tropical unspoiled environment.
Huatulco seems much busier. The exploring begins today.

The church in Puerto Angel. Much less elaborate than Puerto Vallarta

Cemetery in Puerto Angel built into a hillside

Can any of you bird fanciers out there identify this critter. He and his girlfriend spent four days on Callisto's pulpit and made an awful mess

pristine beach at Puerto Angel

Puerto Angel

Puerto Angel, Wednesaday December 9, 2009

Spent 3 or 4 days in Zihuateneho which was a truly idyllic and restful place. and decided to give Ixtapa (located one bay to the north) a miss. Ixtapa is full of resort hotels, whereas Z'town was much less developed. Arrived in Acapulco on Saturday afternoon and went to the fuel dock at the Acapulco Yacht Club and got some diesel. I was looking forward to patronizing the facilities which were quite excellent.

They obviously didn't agree as they refused to accept reciprocity with Coronado Cays Yacht Club and asked for an outrageous slip fee. We left and went on a mooring for a couple of days, which was not particularly pleasant (very rolly and noisy). Found Acapulco to be crowded, brash , hot, and a little bit shabby, very much past its prime a resort. It's an extremely beautiful bay surrounded by hills and like some of us who may be past their prime certainly looked better at night. At that time, the bay looked like an inverted bowl of diamonds but in daylight, certainly did not live up to expectations

acapulco urban sprawl

Two days were enough and then on to Puerto Escondido. Unfortunately, the anchorage was not safe to leave Callisto. Poor holding on an irregular, foul bottom so we went on to Puerto Angel which is 35 miles to the southeast.

Will probably stay in Puerto Angel for a week as we are ahead of our very lax schedule. Details to follow.

Mexican Airforce. Z-town squadron, Callisto got dive bombed on numerous occasions

Panga park, Z'town

Market in Z'town. Where was Tony Bourdain?

Sea turtle heading north

Art work at a restaurant in Z'town, La Sirena Gorda. One of the many renditions

Zihuateneho sunset

Acapulco December 6th, 2009

Zihuateneho was excellent and we are now in Acapulco, which is not quite so good. Will leave tomorrow for Puerto Escondido. Photos and full report to follow internet pemitting

Zihuatenejo December 2,2009

We arrived in Manazanillo Bay having spent three days in Bahia Tenacatita. I decided to forgo Bahia Navidad as there were no good anchorages there. We anchored up about 50 yards off the beach from the Las Hadas resort, which was made famous in the 1970’s when it was featured in the movie “10”.
We had some drinks in the hotel bar where Dudley Moore observed the athletic Ms. Bo Derek come bounding down the beach in that memorable yellow bathing suit. Alas, on this occasion she did not appear.
The hotel itself was empty, which is what we have found all the way south ,very few Americans and also locals. The recession must be hitting hard here too.


Las Hadas resort

Also, took the chicken bus into Manzanillo, to check out the downtown. Most of the activity has moved to the surrounding beach areas and it seemed very commercial with a huge dock and rail terminal.

Manzanillo power station. Lots of smoke!

Almost had a disaster with my laptop computer as I gave it an inadvertent shower while washing the boat down with a hatch open. An hour spent taking all the drives out and applying the hair dryer seems to have resuscitated it.
The 200 mile run to Zihuatenejo (aka Z-town) was uneventful as we had to motor and motor sail all the way as there was no useful breeze. Lots of sea life (turtles and dolphins) and a very bright full moon. No fish however.

Sea turtle with a seagull hitching a ride

We are now anchored up in the North end of Zihuatenejo Bay and will probably be here for three days and then head for Acapulco. This still beats working!

Thanksgiving Day, November 26,2009

Sailing slowly down the Mexican Gold Coast from Banderas Bay. We stopped overnight at Yelapa and sat under a palapa. Very strange place indeed, primitive but side by side with aging American hippies and local indigenous population. Sort of Robinson Crusoe meets Kerouac.
Thanksgiving Day finds us in Bahia Tenacatita, about 130 miles south of Puerto Vallarta and 30 miles north of Manzanillo. The bay is a tranquil, picturesque spot surrounded by jungle and rolling hills, weather is perfect and we are going to go on a jungle dinghy ride today. The new dinghy wheels are working well and they were well worth the time spent finding and fitting them.
I doubt we will find any turkey but shimp and lobster may have to suffice. Oh well.
Some photos will follow if we don't get eaten by crocodiles. (just kidding)

The Admiral having breakfast at the Marriott in PV

Yelapa

Beach at Tenacatita

various fauna from Tenacatita jungle trip

White Ibis

Blue heron

Puerto Vallarta, November 21, 2009

We have been lounging in PV and also doing some exploring of Banderas Bay. Old town PV was definitely worth the visit on the chicken bus. Nuevo Vallarta and so called Paradise Village, not so impressive, it looked more like Orange County than Mexico.
I got the spinnaker back yesterday, ready for some more abuse, no doubt. Also, I managed to find a set of dinghy wheels from a cruiser on the local radio net. They are a bit oversize ( in fact I've seen smaller wheels on a Cessna) but surf landings in the future should be less dramatic.
Ron left at the beginning of the week and is back in Long Beach. He was a great help to us and we shall miss him until January
A day at the Marriott tomorrow and then off to the Mexican Gold Coast on Monday.
Some more photos
Tortilla factory in PV









The beach in old town PV








Laundry day on Callisto








Local Mexican dudes in traditional clothing performing cunning stunts atop a 100 foot pole. My question would be why?

Bronze statuary. Old town PV

Sunset over Banderas Bay

Puerto Vallarta, November 17, 2009

Arrived Puerto Vallarta yesterday with an overnight stop in La Cruz. Spent an interesting evening there in a bar with a number of aging, ex-pat, American hippies and a very scratchy rock band. My blown up spinakker disappeared today with a local sailmaker, hopefully I'll see it again during my lifetime. Puerto Vallarta is again relative civilization and Banderas Bay is truly beautiful. We will probably stay here for a week and then head south again. Internet connections a bit iffy here but I will upload some more photos soon.

Mazatlan, November 13, 2009

Spent a quiet couple of days exploring Mazatlan. We are off to Puerto Vallarta tomorrow.

Here are some more photos as promised


Cathedral in Mazatlan

Siesta on the Fiesta deck

Mazatlan market

Mazatlan market. Baby wasn't for sale

Drinks in downtown Mazatlan

Los Archos, Cabo San Lucas

The handicapped ramp at the immigration office in Cabot. I'm not sure it would meet OSHA standards

Sunset in Cabo. Lots of HaHa boats

awards ceremony Baja haha

Paul Allen's second boat 'Medusa' in San Jose del Cabo. First boat is bigger!

Mazatlan November12, 2009

We are now in Mazatlan on mainland Mexico anchored up in the municipal port under a lighthouse that is reportedly the second highest in the world after Gibraltar. The sail across the Sea of Cortez was very enjoyable with favorable winds and two nice Dorado for the freezer. We will explore the old town of Mazatlan today and may leave for Puerto Vallarta tomorrow or the next day. (photos to follow)
Before we left Cabo San Lucas, we had dinner with CCYC members Barbie and Jerry Newmin and also with Abby and Andreas Mozoras and a good time was had on both evenings

Cabo San Lucas November 8, 2009

baja sunset

Ron with dorado

Joanne and Ron getting down in Bahia Santa Maria

Our prize winning 63" Wahoo

Baja HaHa start in San Diego

We arrived in Cabo four days ago after a gentle sail down from Bahia Santa Maria. Weather is quite warm especially at mid-day but cools off nicely at night. We are anchored off the beach and enjoying a view of Los Archos and the entire bay. The Mexican paperwork cha-cha was achieved with only minor hassle with the immigration guys asking for extra money to "expedite" the situation for the visas. We have been involved with the HaHa activities ashore, the last of which was last night with an award ceremony at 1800H. We won an award for the largest fish caught, known as the Master Baiter Trophy. It's a plastic talking bass that I shall treasure for years. Joanne left yesterday for San Francisco and we will probably go tomorrow to San Jose del Cabo and Los Frailes and then on to Mazatlan.