Sunday, February 28, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Part of the Story
February 24, 2010
Cocodrilios: Off the beach we anchor near is a salt water crocodile. I have seen her (female because she is only about 12’ long, the smaller of the species) in the lagoon only once but she is a sight I will never forget. Grey, with scales on her back, and the interesting thing about her is that she never moved once in the two hours I observed. Apparently, she lives in the lagoon and at night she is let out to feed in the ocean. They say she is not really contained by the fence that shields her from the tourists that walk by, I believe them. Appearances are comforting, yet deceiving in this instance. Cocodrilios feed at night, and lounge, much like we do during the day in the sun. Never the less, I do think of her as I swim ashore daily and resist the thoughts and fear that linger in my mind. There are many creatures in the water here, many of them I have not seen. Other than the dolphins, whales and small fish we see play daily; we have spotted some beautiful schools of spotted manta ray. They are a smaller species (about 2-3 feet) and are quite striking. Deren has seen them jump out of the water, a stunt I had not witnessed till today (oh by the way it is February 24, 2010). It’s fun to snorkel and identify the stingrays that hide under the sand. I feel like I’m playing I spy as I seek to spot these camouflaged fish with long stingers. Crabs are everywhere and love to cling onto your boat permanently. Recently we have heard concerns and instances whereby these buggers crawl into your ears. That is why it is best to have a professional clean your boat or at the very least wear protective clothing. We regret not having a visual guide to identify all the various fish we continual see both in and out of the water.
Dingy problems: Amy, her official name, has the knack of getting punctures; thankfully Steve is persistent and ornery enough to never give up trying to patch the continual new found holes…very, very teeny holes. We are not sure if it is our grocery bags or the clasps on the life jacket that continue to puncture her or perhaps we are being vandalized…I doubt the later and I only mention it because there are times our gasoline seems to disappear rather quickly. Almost daily we bring the dingy to a designated spot whereby Jesus, our dingy guardian, is supposed to watch her diligently. I think Jesus is far more interested in helping us land and depart and receiving our pesos than standing watch over the fleet of dingys that flood the shore, and of course he speaks absolutely no English so it is difficult to communicate any concerns or problems we may have. This particular spot is located next to the fishing market where the local fisherman (literally fifty, or so) anchor their pangas and bring in their daily catch. This is an excellent place to get fresh seafood or just view the comings and goings of the locals working. Anyhow, patch number five on Amy will be tested today on our one mile run to Jesus’ Landing. Oh by the way, Steve just brought home one of those mats that you lay under your office chair to insure mobility, yes the type that has razor sharp grasping teeth on the bottom, a sure way to pierce the floor a hundred and fifty times on one run. He agreed a might have a point so it is now folded in half…..he is such a genius, I’ll keep you posted on her status.
The Head: Otherwise known as the throne or the shitter (Steve told me to write this) or internationally known as the bathroom, is also a source of contention, probably not so much with Steve but certainly with me. The daily amount of pumping to get her flushed (which is done with salt water)is estimated to be 100 strokes…at least! She too is known to have issues. Sometimes she needs to be primed because we pump out too much water, sometimes we need to clean the outflow on the outside of the hull as it accumulates growth from the warm water creatures (like crabs), and other times she decides to leak through the pipes onto the floor and the smell is not pretty, attracting little nats and mosquitoes that linger and bite. Thankfully we have Tang which cleans nicely and salt water aplenty to scrub the fiberglass wall and floor. We have two heads on the boat. There, don’t you feel sorry for us now?
Bugs: I have been pleasantly surprised of the absence of these critters. I had visions of cockroach wars and have yet to see a one. Probably because we are at anchor verses tied up at a marina. The no see-ums arrive at sunset and sunrise for only about an hour; I never see them but manage to get a bite or two a week. I do light incense and smelly candles and avoid turning on lights (also to preserve power) which seem to be a deterrent. We see very few traditional looking mosquitoes but do get bites on our legs if we are inshore at dinner (they live under tables etc.). Ants are our biggest problem on the boat right now and really it is a small problem as we are on top of it. Along the sink and perhaps anywhere we have fresh water, the smallest of ants, and I mean barely visible, appear. We have traps out and we see fewer and fewer each day. One of the places we stayed at in Troncones had hundreds of these buggers under the sheets of my bed, needless to say, I did not sleep well.
Weather: It is always warm, a typical day has temperatures near 90° and winds 15 to 20 miles an hour. The tides are very slight compared to the northwest therefore we don’t pay much attention to them. We have very few perfectly clear days which is nice as the cloud coverage gives a bit of a reprieve from the hot afternoon heat. Rain is very infrequent but when it comes it comes in inches. We have a neighbor who collects his drinking water from the sky. He lets his dingy fill up with water and then filters it out. He tells us that he has had it checked and it is purer than our purified water. We may try this during the next rain as we are now paying for our water where ever we go. Even the marina meters our consumption in Ixtapa. While anchored in the bay, Hilda and Ishmael deliver water by panga, 10 five gallon containers at a time, purified water. This goes into the tanks, and our drinking water is hauled aboard via muscle once a week or so. Typically we have ten big jugs on the boat at all times, up to 30 when cruising. Anyhow, the weather is always of interest to us as the swells and ocean storms impact our comfort level. Actually, I think we have both adapted nicely to the rolling and we don’t seem to complain but certainly mention it frequently as a topic of conversation. We rarely check the marine forecasts due to our permanent residence here (almost 2 months before we leave on March 14th) and over time we have learned that where there is one prediction, another completely opposite, also exists. For example, this past Thursday one guy predicted the worst system he has ever seen bringing all kinds of rain and swells to the area. No rain, no swell and the best sleep ever on that particular Thursday.
I guess that is enough for now. Internet is still a royal pain as we do not have it available on the boat, and frankly I have reached the point of letting it go, and sometimes even forgetting it exists. Life is simple and we love it. No, we are not bored. Sometimes we get a bit antsy to move on but then a neighbor drops by, a fish jumps, a new book arrives, something breaks, cushions need cleaning, a good musician shows up, or a storm, and another month has passed. I cook and bake often and reflect daily on the wonderful friends and support I have. It is nice when we call our family and friends and get caught up, and if you have a Verizon cell phone you can call us for free…so do! I wonder if I’ll ever return to my occupation as a counselor and then realize I am still on-call at two hospitals and greatly miss my co-workers and patients. We are both anxious to get home and begin wedding plans; I have stayed up a few nights creating landscape designs and problem solving the unsolvable. Someone once told me that all thoughts and decisions made at night don’t count and should be thrown out….my latest coping skill. xo
Cocodrilios: Off the beach we anchor near is a salt water crocodile. I have seen her (female because she is only about 12’ long, the smaller of the species) in the lagoon only once but she is a sight I will never forget. Grey, with scales on her back, and the interesting thing about her is that she never moved once in the two hours I observed. Apparently, she lives in the lagoon and at night she is let out to feed in the ocean. They say she is not really contained by the fence that shields her from the tourists that walk by, I believe them. Appearances are comforting, yet deceiving in this instance. Cocodrilios feed at night, and lounge, much like we do during the day in the sun. Never the less, I do think of her as I swim ashore daily and resist the thoughts and fear that linger in my mind. There are many creatures in the water here, many of them I have not seen. Other than the dolphins, whales and small fish we see play daily; we have spotted some beautiful schools of spotted manta ray. They are a smaller species (about 2-3 feet) and are quite striking. Deren has seen them jump out of the water, a stunt I had not witnessed till today (oh by the way it is February 24, 2010). It’s fun to snorkel and identify the stingrays that hide under the sand. I feel like I’m playing I spy as I seek to spot these camouflaged fish with long stingers. Crabs are everywhere and love to cling onto your boat permanently. Recently we have heard concerns and instances whereby these buggers crawl into your ears. That is why it is best to have a professional clean your boat or at the very least wear protective clothing. We regret not having a visual guide to identify all the various fish we continual see both in and out of the water.
Dingy problems: Amy, her official name, has the knack of getting punctures; thankfully Steve is persistent and ornery enough to never give up trying to patch the continual new found holes…very, very teeny holes. We are not sure if it is our grocery bags or the clasps on the life jacket that continue to puncture her or perhaps we are being vandalized…I doubt the later and I only mention it because there are times our gasoline seems to disappear rather quickly. Almost daily we bring the dingy to a designated spot whereby Jesus, our dingy guardian, is supposed to watch her diligently. I think Jesus is far more interested in helping us land and depart and receiving our pesos than standing watch over the fleet of dingys that flood the shore, and of course he speaks absolutely no English so it is difficult to communicate any concerns or problems we may have. This particular spot is located next to the fishing market where the local fisherman (literally fifty, or so) anchor their pangas and bring in their daily catch. This is an excellent place to get fresh seafood or just view the comings and goings of the locals working. Anyhow, patch number five on Amy will be tested today on our one mile run to Jesus’ Landing. Oh by the way, Steve just brought home one of those mats that you lay under your office chair to insure mobility, yes the type that has razor sharp grasping teeth on the bottom, a sure way to pierce the floor a hundred and fifty times on one run. He agreed a might have a point so it is now folded in half…..he is such a genius, I’ll keep you posted on her status.
The Head: Otherwise known as the throne or the shitter (Steve told me to write this) or internationally known as the bathroom, is also a source of contention, probably not so much with Steve but certainly with me. The daily amount of pumping to get her flushed (which is done with salt water)is estimated to be 100 strokes…at least! She too is known to have issues. Sometimes she needs to be primed because we pump out too much water, sometimes we need to clean the outflow on the outside of the hull as it accumulates growth from the warm water creatures (like crabs), and other times she decides to leak through the pipes onto the floor and the smell is not pretty, attracting little nats and mosquitoes that linger and bite. Thankfully we have Tang which cleans nicely and salt water aplenty to scrub the fiberglass wall and floor. We have two heads on the boat. There, don’t you feel sorry for us now?
Bugs: I have been pleasantly surprised of the absence of these critters. I had visions of cockroach wars and have yet to see a one. Probably because we are at anchor verses tied up at a marina. The no see-ums arrive at sunset and sunrise for only about an hour; I never see them but manage to get a bite or two a week. I do light incense and smelly candles and avoid turning on lights (also to preserve power) which seem to be a deterrent. We see very few traditional looking mosquitoes but do get bites on our legs if we are inshore at dinner (they live under tables etc.). Ants are our biggest problem on the boat right now and really it is a small problem as we are on top of it. Along the sink and perhaps anywhere we have fresh water, the smallest of ants, and I mean barely visible, appear. We have traps out and we see fewer and fewer each day. One of the places we stayed at in Troncones had hundreds of these buggers under the sheets of my bed, needless to say, I did not sleep well.
Weather: It is always warm, a typical day has temperatures near 90° and winds 15 to 20 miles an hour. The tides are very slight compared to the northwest therefore we don’t pay much attention to them. We have very few perfectly clear days which is nice as the cloud coverage gives a bit of a reprieve from the hot afternoon heat. Rain is very infrequent but when it comes it comes in inches. We have a neighbor who collects his drinking water from the sky. He lets his dingy fill up with water and then filters it out. He tells us that he has had it checked and it is purer than our purified water. We may try this during the next rain as we are now paying for our water where ever we go. Even the marina meters our consumption in Ixtapa. While anchored in the bay, Hilda and Ishmael deliver water by panga, 10 five gallon containers at a time, purified water. This goes into the tanks, and our drinking water is hauled aboard via muscle once a week or so. Typically we have ten big jugs on the boat at all times, up to 30 when cruising. Anyhow, the weather is always of interest to us as the swells and ocean storms impact our comfort level. Actually, I think we have both adapted nicely to the rolling and we don’t seem to complain but certainly mention it frequently as a topic of conversation. We rarely check the marine forecasts due to our permanent residence here (almost 2 months before we leave on March 14th) and over time we have learned that where there is one prediction, another completely opposite, also exists. For example, this past Thursday one guy predicted the worst system he has ever seen bringing all kinds of rain and swells to the area. No rain, no swell and the best sleep ever on that particular Thursday.
I guess that is enough for now. Internet is still a royal pain as we do not have it available on the boat, and frankly I have reached the point of letting it go, and sometimes even forgetting it exists. Life is simple and we love it. No, we are not bored. Sometimes we get a bit antsy to move on but then a neighbor drops by, a fish jumps, a new book arrives, something breaks, cushions need cleaning, a good musician shows up, or a storm, and another month has passed. I cook and bake often and reflect daily on the wonderful friends and support I have. It is nice when we call our family and friends and get caught up, and if you have a Verizon cell phone you can call us for free…so do! I wonder if I’ll ever return to my occupation as a counselor and then realize I am still on-call at two hospitals and greatly miss my co-workers and patients. We are both anxious to get home and begin wedding plans; I have stayed up a few nights creating landscape designs and problem solving the unsolvable. Someone once told me that all thoughts and decisions made at night don’t count and should be thrown out….my latest coping skill. xo
Monday, February 8, 2010
No Shoes,No Shirt, No Problem
February 7, 2010
Yes, we are still in Zihuatanejo and loving it! Here is the latest: Francie and Deren arrived on the 27th of January and left on the 5th of February. We miss them already as lots of fun was to be had with this feisty, playful couple. Our visit with them began with a sail to Isla Grande where we anchored, swam, walked, ate and drank ourselves into a healthy blissfulness. I must say that health has been a number one priority on this trip and it was great to have Francie as a swimming partner nearly every day. I have met few people who enjoy the water as much as Steve and I. Deren actually ‘snorkeled up’ and cleaned our boat hull. Steve’s ear issues are slowly improving so Deren’s efforts were greatly appreciated as weird, ugly things grow profusely on the hull in this very warm water (85°). Next, Francie and Deren encouraged us to take a bus ride to Playa de Potosi which was a gas. This is my favorite beach so far as the water has some mineral in it that looks like gold. It is about an hour long ride that involves a simple transfer, fast cruising, prime cultural viewing and intense perspiring. After being dropped off by the bus in an unknown region we were offered a ride in the back of a pickup truck several miles to the beach where we ate ice cream, guacamole, salsa & chips, fish, etc for hours. The swimming was great and the many discoveries and people we met just trying to get a bus back to Z-town was consistent with our theme of FUN, FUN, FUN. Noteworthy is our daily consumption of guacamole and chips. Steve is getting a bit sick of this menu item but not me……exclude the tomatoes and I know I have experienced many days thus far where it’s all we have eaten and I believe is the perfect meal. Thankfully Frannie and Deren felt the same. Our next activity was to rent a car ($50.00 a day which includes insurance) and head for Troncones which is an hour drive north. Maryjo and Bill introduced us to a great villa there called Manzanillo Bay Inn and for $100.00 a night we had a great bungalow, pool, private surfing beach, restaurant, and comfortable housing for three days. The only bummer was the rain. Yes rain and lightening invaded us and we had to have fun anyhow. We still managed to boogie board and laugh our way through three days of intense moisture. Deren and Steve actually had to drive back to the boat which we left at Ixtapa marina to dry it out as again, we left the hatches open. Francie and I played cribbage and read most of the day and okay…..she won and I lost 3-2. A few places that I highly recommend if anyone is planning a trip to this area, both in Troncones: www.manzanillobay.com my favorite. Also, a few miles down we stayed in another villa called Majahua palms www.majahuapalms.com this is also nice but you have to walk a ways down the beach to swim and the units not quite as clean. Mike Graves is the owner of the second spot and he and his wife are very friendly Americans who aim to please all guests. Next, after leaving Troncones and boarding the Lady J we went sailing and France caught a fish, a beautiful 18-inch blue fin tuna…a major treat for all of us as we scarfed it up immediately. Sailing and fishing is like being in heaven for those of you who have never tried it I highly recommend the experience so please COME VISIT US! So much more has occurred and at the expense of boring you I’ll stop here. We are now without company and have enjoyed the sail fest activities and actually plan on watching the Super bowl at Banditos restaurant this afternoon. Amy and Tom plan on joining us around the first of March and perhaps we’ll cruise up to Manzanillo with them and pick up Ali and Daniel on the 23rd and home on the first of April from Puerto Vallarta. Steve is idly searching for a crew mate to bring the boat to Mazatlan or north into the Sea of Cortez, so anyone out there interested should contact him. Time is flying and the good news is that Steve and I still love each other.
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