Illusion, Friends, Lips, Hearts and Sunsets

Happy Spring Equinox! It's already starting to feel like summer here in La Paz.

The good life! La Buena Vida.

I don’t know why it’s always more fun to run into people from home when you are in a foreign country, but we always get very excited when we have the chance to rendezvous with people from the SF Bay Area here in Mexico. It’s not actually that odd, considering many of us are sailors/cruisers, but we were really surprised when we got an email from my ex-boss/now-friend Sally saying she and her husband Stan had left California, had sailed across the border and were hanging out in Turtle Bay having fun meeting other cruisers. 

When I first met Sally in 1998 she and Stan were “getting ready to cruise”, but one thing led to another, year after year, and they were never able to break away.

OK, to be fair, Stan WAS running a company, navigating mega-yachts, winning Volvo Cups, and creating viewing technology for the America's Cup. And he DID get me this great gig managing the antenna on top of the GGYC, where I got to watch the awesome AC action.

 But my, how time flies. And finally here they are in Mexico!

They let us know when they eventually arrived in Cabo San Lucas, so Tom and I decided it was a perfect opportunity for a road trip. We packed a few extra clothes just in case, hopped into the Tundra, and enjoyed a gorgeous drive down the west coast of Baja.

 A surprising Concours d'Elegance on the way to Todos Santos

We know that Sally and Stan take great care of their Cal 40, but we were still amazed to see that she was in pristine condition after her trip down the coast.

With Stan and Sally next to the beautiful Illusion.

We were having so much fun walking around Cabo that I almost forgot to take pictures!

I did remember to pull out my camera at the Dolphinarium,  where we were impressed with the parrot cage and their dedicated trainer.

The trainer was fantastic! He's giving her a High-5.

We mooched a bunk aboard Illusion for the night, and then spent the next day sightseeing and running errands.

Would you believe this great restaurant was at the food court at Walmart? Best  Mahi-Mahi burrito so far!

At the end of our busy day we said goodbye to our friends, who had plans to arrive in La Paz in a couple of weeks.

That night we looked for a campground that I had read about, but couldn’t find. We asked for directions at a tourist booth, and one of the local guys said he’d be glad to jump in our car and show us the way. REALLY? Was this going to be a set up for highway robbery? He asked us to promise to drive him back, which made us feel a little better…until we turned down a dirt road in questionable condition that went past a sketchy looking beer store with guys hanging around spitting and scratching their huevos. Hmmmm…  But our guide kept chatting amiably trying to sell us a timeshare, and soon he directed us into what appeared to be a dusty campground. We’d made it! Not quite to the place I was looking for, but it would do. We drove our guide back, tipped him which he greatly appreciated since he was unable to sell us a timeshare, and stopped at the scary beer store to stock up on beer and cookies for the night.

We pitched our tent in the dust under a huge cell tower that had survived Hurricane Odile, and were kept company by the owner’s two frisky Chihuahuas and one cat. Even though it was kind of sketchy, the place had GREAT showers!

Our campsite!

The next day we were skunked in the wind department, but we happened to stumble upon a famous surfing spot, Monuments, and after talking to some friendly locals who were departing, Tom had the whole place to himself.

Happy!

We continued up the East Cape through the wind-lovers mecca of Los Barriles (yes it means The Barrels). As we drove north, Tom remembered that El Triunfo is the home of a bakery famous for its authentic sourdough bread. So far we have not been impressed with Mexican sourdough, but this place made the real deal, almost as good as SF Sourdough. It smelled so good I wanted to stick my face right into it!

OMG real sourdough at last! Not SF Sourdough but close, very close.

We got back into La Paz just in time to hit commuter traffic, which gave us plenty of time to talk about what a great trip we’d had.

Typical commuter traffic in La Paz.

Album: Cabo Road Trip

The rest of February was filled up with Super Bowl…

Enjoying super bowl with our neighbors Manny and Lola.

Valentine’s Day…

Susan of Ross Marine wishes everyone a happy Dia de Amistad y Amor.

And of course our Valentine's Day fiesta.

Good-bye celebrations...

Farewell party for John of Time Piece; he got a great job with Caribbean Cruise Lines.

And Carnaval…

At the end of the month we got some insane Southerly winds...

Blue over gold means the Capitania de Puerto has closed the port!

...and as luck would have it Sally and Stan were heading to the East Cape from Cabo. Instead of trying to go into a rolly anchorage, they continued up on a spinnaker run with the favorable winds at their backs, and rolled into Marina Palmira during a morning calm.

We had a great time showing them around La Paz…

In front of my favorite statue on the Malecon, The Old Man and the Sea by G. G. Macias.

...and they introduced us to a fantastic couple they had met in Turtle Bay, Barry and Judy aboard Kiwi Three.

Happy Anniversary! So much for your romantic evening.

We invaded Barry and Judy’s anniversary, but it turned out to be a special night filled with jokes and laughter. Judy gave us our best quote of the month.

Tom: What were you before you were a cruiser?

Judy: Well, I was a child.

During the meal at a lovely outdoor patio, my watch alarm went off, reminding us that the ISS (International Space Station) was just about to pass directly overhead, and as we watched it we were awed to think that this extremely bright thing over our heads had humans in it.

Wow.

More Pictures in our: February Album

And Happy Anniversary to our friends Nancy and Rob aboard Shindig, enjoying the beautiful Mexican mainland. 

We miss you guys!!

The Saga of Bandito - The Tiny Puppy With a Huge Heart

Reporting from La Paz, Baja California Sur

The puppy had a frightening introduction to life. No more than two weeks old, his litter-mate was squashed on the highway and his mother ran off into the hills. The tiny puppy was abandoned next to the entrance of Marina Palmira, so he wisely ran away from the scary highway and into the compound where there were aromas of food and lots of kind people walking around. 

Will you help me??

The people didn’t seem to care that the puppy was dirty, skinny, and had patches of fur falling out of scabby spots. They petted him and gave him treats and, eventually, real puppy food. 

The puppy had a cheerful disposition in spite of his traumatic beginning. Truth be told, he was quite a scamp, and he immediately endeared himself to the people who lived in the marina. Some of the nice people took him to the veterinarian to get shots and special cream and shampoo for his skin.  

Soon his fur looked healthy (almost) and he even had a bit of a tummy. For a while the puppy lived a life of relative independence, sleeping where he wanted, trotting over to the restaurants, workers, and cruisers to beg, and poking his nose into the businesses that lined the marina. But he would never, ever leave the marina and go near the highway.

I'm staying right here!

The puppy especially liked to hang out at Cross Marine Works, because Kim Cross played with him and took care of him, Rob Cross let him play with his tools, and there were always people stopping by who would scratch his ears, hold him, and let him nip at their toes.

One night when it was cold, Kim found him shivering in the dirt behind the buildings, so she wrapped him in a towel and took him to her boat for the night. She was officially his temporary mom.

 After a couple of weeks the puppy had become a part of our marina community, and it was time to give him a name. Rob said the puppy was a little robber who was always sticking his nose into Rob’s tool bag and trying to carry off tools as big as himself. He tried out “Bandito” and the puppy looked right up at Rob, as if to say, “Yes sir, that’s me all right. I’m Bandito!”

Rob and Bandito

Kim and another nice lady contacted the Baja Dogs Society, and found a very nice home for Bandito. The adoptive parents wanted a dog to cuddle, and Bandito LOVED to play and cuddle. They also had a big house and a fenced in yard with lots of room and another dog for Bandito to play with. As soon as Bandito’s skin fungus was completely cured he would be allowed to go to his new, permanent home. Meanwhile, Bandito lived with Kim and Rob. He spent his days playing around their workshop and nights on their boat, where he had his own bed and bowls.

If this were a fairy tale there would be a wicked witch, but it’s a true story and witches don’t really exist, do they?

Way at the end of a dock there was a big motor yacht owned by a very rich lady. 

She rarely smiled, didn’t like to say hello, and she had a lot of big bodyguards (with guns, although they were hidden) making sure that nobody could hurt her or even talk to her. People said she had experienced great tragedy in her life, and her heart had turned to black ice. This lady decided she did not like seeing Bandito running around the marina, so she complained to the office and requested they send a dog catcher to capture Bandito and “throw him away”.

Luckily, the office told Kim. She immediately put Bandito on a leash and informed the office that Bandito was not a stray but had a real home waiting for him. Kim made sure Bandito was never off the leash. Even though he didn’t like it at first, he soon became used to it. 

It's better than being thrown away!

The leash was long enough for Bandito to sleep in Kim’s office, play in Rob’s workshop, and scamper around in the yard behind the shop. People stopped by during the day to play with him, take him for walks, and throw his squeaky toys for him. Life was happy for Bandito because Kim had saved his life.

Kim and Bandito

But one day things changed 100%, and not for the better. Kim and Rob came back from lunch and called for Bandito like they did every day, but he wasn’t there. His leash was still attached to the building, but Bandito and his collar were gone! Many of us searched everywhere for Bandito, Kim put out a general radio alert to the fleet, but Bandito was nowhere to be found. His leash had a strong clip on it, he would never, ever leave the marina, and so we knew he had been stolen. We were all heartsick and sad.

Kim was diligent and questioned everyone at the marina, and finally a clue materialized. Two people, reliable sources, had seen a truck drive into the marina just after Kim went to lunch and park next to Bandito. Then, a couple of people got out and unclipped him from his leash, tied him into the back of the truck, and drove away. And the witnesses said that the thieves looked like two of the rich lady’s bodyguards! 

Some people surmised that maybe they stole the dog to give it away or sell it. Some people feared that the rich lady ordered her guards to steal the dog and “throw it away” (or worse) as she had previously demanded. We were very concerned, and I cried that first night with worry as to what had become of Bandito. 

Kim made a sign – ROBADO/STOLEN!! – with a picture of Bandito and a description of the truck and people who had stolen him, and she posted it around the marina. She went down to the big yacht and spoke to one of the bodyguards, and he claimed to have no knowledge of the theft. Kim went to the marina office and asked them to inquire with the rich lady to see if her guards had taken the dog. Kim pursued it the next day as well, and was supported by the cruisers who owned pets. Many of them went to the office to express concern about the safety of their own pets.

Two days after Bandito disappeared Kim spoke to more of the guards and told them that Bandito had a contagious skin condition, he needed his medicine which only she had, and that she was going to report the theft to the police. Bandito was returned within an hour. The story the guards told was that they thought Bandito needed to be adopted and so they had taken him. Kim said “No, you stole him from off a leash when you knew I was gone! He has a home and I’m his adopted mom until he goes there.” 

Bandito went crazy with relief when he was returned to Kim. He was dusty, dirty and very thirsty, so wherever he was they hadn’t taken very good care of him. Kim wanted to take Bandito to her boat so she could give him a bath, and he was so excited to be back he wriggled underneath the gate before she could even open it, and he made a beeline straight for “his” boat. Kim lifted him up to help him into the boat and he leaped out of her arms, ran into the boat, and snuggled into his bed. Bandito was home at last.

Kim and Rob cleaned Bandito, fed him, and brought him to where we were all gathered watching a football game, and Bandito got a hero’s welcome. I called him and when he ran into my arms I cried again, this time for joy. It was time to celebrate. Also, Seattle had just miraculously beaten Green Bay, but everyone was so happy to see Bandito that even the Green Bay fans wanted to celebrate.

Time to celebrate! Is that why we're wearing near-identical outfits?

Bandito had another great week living at the marina, but eventually it was time for him to go to his new, permanent home, high on a hill overlooking La Paz. (Pretty deluxe, actually.) 

Wow! Check out Bandito's new neighborhood.

One afternoon Bandito got picked up by his new parents and Kim said goodbye to him, probably for the last time. She was sad to lose her little pal and adopted puppy, even though she always knew he would have to leave.

Bandito’s new family said they might change his name because their other doggie was named Bonita and they thought the dogs would get confused.

Maybe Bandito’s family will change his name, but to us he will always be Bandito, the little bandit who stole our hearts.

Bandito thanks everyone for helping him out.

The saga of Bandito has a happy ending, thanks to a doggie’s tenacity, positive attitude, and a person’s (and people’s) ability to see a big heart in a little package and lend a helping hand.

Unfortunately we see many strays in La Paz and there are several organizations dedicated to adopting them and trying to help them have better lives. You might recall that Tom spent a day last year donating his time at one of the animal rescue shelters: February 2014

We have met numerous cruisers who have rescued strays and found new homes for them or adopted them onto their boats. Most recently:

Jennifer and her boyfriend Lance found Enya thrown (literally) on the rocks near our Marina. Enya had cuts on her head, a swollen brain, was starving and covered with ticks. She was in doggy ICU for several days and we didn't know if she would make it.

Enya is still a bit skinny but getting healthier every day. She's very shy but if you give her a treat she'll sit in your lap. Jennifer is looking for a permanent home for this sweet, quiet little girl.

Gilligan is 3 months old, 2.5 pounds and was found abandoned and hiding under a car. Our friend Geno adopted him.

Epilogue - Let's just say it was a misunderstanding with the bodyguards and leave it at that. They are always nice when we say hi to them, but they are still bad-asses and I think Kim was pretty brave to confront them.

Life in Marina Palmira - First Month in La Paz

Our Marina celebrated its 27th anniversary shortly after we arrived. Dig the cake!

It has been over a month since we arrived in La Paz and obviously we are not in a huge rush to leave. For the most part life is extremely pleasant here. La Paz is a beautiful and interesting place, and there are many things that distract us from the work we should be doing occupy our time.

There are several marinas in La Paz, and we prefer to stay in Marina Palmira which is a couple of miles from the hubbub of the city center. The harbor water does not seem too polluted and there is good tide action in and out every day which helps to freshen the water. There is much fish life here in the marina, which is an excellent sign. In addition to the ubiquitous Sergeant-Majors there are schools of good-sized mullets, some snapper-looking fish, some sort of schooling jacks that occasionally swim through, pargo, large bat fish, and many schools of small fry that help kick off a healthy food chain.

Batfish nibble on the algae growing on our dock.

I love to sit in the cockpit to read and keep an eye out for all the animal life. The Mullets like to slap themselves against Cinnabar's hull which can make for a noisy experience. We are at the end of the dock and have a good view of the channel where numerous fish leap out of the water in their attempt to escape their predators which are bigger fish, birds and the occasional seal. In fact, one day something thumped against our hull and, believing that we had been hit by another boat, I leaped up on deck and was surprised to see not a boat, but a large seal chasing fish underneath us!

There are many types of sea birds that visit the marina. It is a grebe's paradise with all the small fish and I have seen at least three different kinds of grebes, as well as four types of herons, egrets, numerous (but all loud) seagulls, pelicans, cute little sandpipers, coots, frigate birds, terns, and a pair of Osprey who like to fish in the mornings and evenings. There are many more marine and land birds here, but these are what I recall off the top of my head.

This young heron found a perfect spot to snatch up as many fish as it liked.

One afternoon while Tom and I were both on deck we heard a deranged buzzing sound that crescendoed until it was right over our heads, and then diminished as it headed out to the channel. "What was that?" we both exclaimed. When I looked up I saw the tail end of a swarm of bees that had passed over our boat. The only warning had been a solo bee scout I had chased out of the boat 10 minutes earlier. You just never know sort of animal life is going to show up here.

Every Wednesday morning La Paz Cruiser's Supply hosts a small farmer's market that sells organic produce, freshly baked breads, pies, smoked fish, German sausages, and jewelry. There are even a couple of ladies who come in to give haircuts.

It's always busy on Wednesday mornings.

We've really enjoyed getting to know many of the other cruisers who live here or who are just passing through. Most of them come from Canada and the U.S. Since marina regulations do not allow parties on the dock, we occasionally have "Safety Meetings", aka sunset appreciation meetings. 

Jim from "Prairie Oyster" wearing the official Safety Chairman day-glo reflective jumper.

Bringing one's own drink and a snack to share is a nice way to meet people and enjoy the sunset. And of course make us safer too, ahem.

This "Safety Meeting" was on Three King's Day. Whoever finds the baby in their piece of cake has to make tamales on Feb 2nd. The holiday festivities continue!!

There are many very good restaurants in La Paz, and we have been enjoying trying out new places in addition to our old favorites. 

Dinner at Rancho Viejo with Alameda friends Ben and Lucie of "Georgia".

Marina Palmira has two restaurants and bars, one each at either end of the marina. The best bar is conveniently located just outside our gate, which can be good or bad depending upon how you look at it. For New Year's Eve the cruisers pooled money and hired a fantastic band to play there. 

Happy New Year from Sylvia and Conchita!! The band gave her one of their T-shirts.

The band was surprisingly good and we had a great time dancing up a storm to tunes from the 60's, 70's and 80's.

The fun lasted until 9:00 p.m. which is known as "Cruiser's Midnight" since cruisers have well-deserved reputations for hitting the sack early. And if you think 9:00 p.m. is early, the La Paz Marina in town hit their climax at midnight Greenwich Mean Time which happened to be 5:00 p.m. local time. Compared to them we are party animals! 

We've also enjoyed a few day trips and overnighters.

We took a day trip up to the very long Tecolote beach.

Last year we went to La Ventana where Tom took some kiteboarding lessons. Since we returned he has been to La Ventana several times to continue learning this sport. 

Tom inflates his kite that reminds me of a bat wing.

All the colorful kites waiting for the wind.

Instructor Molly and student Tom

While in La Ventana we were able to meet up with Steve Cameron, whom we know from sailing in the SF Bay Area. He is an avid surfer and windsurfer and every winter hauls a trailer filled with surfboards and NINE windsurfing sails down to Baja. He sets up a compound in the La Ventana campground where he spends the entire winter. He windsurfs in the winter and sails in the summer. What a smart guy! The La Ventana Campground is packed with people who are doing the same thing.

Steve and his "garage" filled with his toys. His camper is on the right with the big flags.

In addition to all the fun and games we are completing various boat projects. It's a lot of work recommissioning a boat for the upcoming cruising season. Our friend Rob on Shindig did a blog post of his projects with 116 line items that he had completed so far!  

One of the big items we hauled down is a new, 77 lb. spade anchor. It took us a while to remove the old 55# anchor and feed the huge shank of the new anchor through our bow roller without incident. But we did it!

New anchor (left) and old anchor (right). Will the new one fit?

Success!

And I am not sitting on my butt eating bon-bons and drinking Finlandia Vodka tonics EVERY day (although I would like to). 

Finlandia does a booming business in Mexico with its mixed drinks.

I got in on the boat work action by borrowing a sewing machine and attacking a big cushion project that has been nagging at me for a while. 

Yes, I am using my headlamp!

In addition to the nice people and good food, the weather here has been lovely. There was a week when we had chilly winds, 64 degree weather, and we were reduced to wearing long sleeves or sweatshirts. Frankly we were traumatized. Luckily things warmed up again. Today the sun is out and it is a pleasant 80 degrees.

There are many more things that we have experienced in La Paz. Maybe I can get Tom to list all the projects we have been working on so people will think know we have been hard at work, and not just sitting in the cockpit reading, watching fish jump, and enjoying the superb sunsets.

More pics from our first month...Life at Marina Palmira.

Our cockpit is the perfect place to watch the sunset.