A great trip back to La Paz

Our trip back to La Paz was wonderful. We saw so much sea life. While at anchor in Los Muertos we had our own Sea World Dolphin show. The dolphins were really showing off, leaping through the air sometimes two at a time in a synchronized show. We clapped and hooted and hollered giving them a "10" . Wow, I have never seen anything like it.

We are back in La Paz now and will leave for San Diego in a couple of days so Robert can have his second carpel tunnel surgery. We are hoping to have the boat back in the water early April so we can sail the Sea of Cortez. Next season we hope to make it to El Salvador to wait out the hurricane season.
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Mazatlan and Carnival

Wow! Lots to see and do in Mazatlin....Carnival was interesting and fun was had by all. Spent time with our buddy boat yatistas, Jessies Girl and Leo and Larry on Chaz de Mar. We stayed at the El Cid Marina, a bit on the "Spendy" side for us "budget" crusiers but we enjoyed the jacuzzi and swimming pool a bunch. I have managed to get some good bike riding in although did suffer some bad road rash after a crash on the way out to a cool coffee shop in the Cerrito area, Looney Beans!!

Will post some photos soon.......meanwhile waiting for the "Norther" to blow itself out so we can head back to La Paz as we are leaving for San Diego on the 2nd of March. Can't wait to get the Blue Dolphin back in the water!!

Ciao for now!!

Lovin Mazatlan

La Paz to Mazatlan back to La Paz

This is the view from the restaurant having a "cuba libre" or rum and coke, where we are waiting for better weather to finish our sail back to La Paz from Mazatlan. We have had a great 3 weeks sailing on our friend's boat while ours is getting a new bottom job in La Paz. We had a lot of fun at the carnival celebration, relaxing in the sun at El Cid Marina resort at their pool and hot tub and enjoying visiting Mazatlan. Thought I would include some photos. kathy

Life in La Paz

A beautiful La Paz chuch under renovation. I love listening to the church bells every morning at 7 and 8 AM. A nice way to wake up.

La Paz's version of Macys

Yummy red snapper for dinner

I think I will pass on the pork!

Food carts are very common on the streets. My favorite is the Carne Asada tacos and the shrimp tacos. I haven't gotten sick yet! And the best is that they are only $1.00

Another beautiful sunset in La Paz.

Our New Home (for awhile) and New Friends

We are enjoying our new little apartment. The compound is completely walled and has a very nice family feel to it. Their is a great room with a huge, huge kitchen, tables, couches and American TV. A fun congregating place for guests. The compound comes complete with two very fat, friendly and lazy dogs and a new adopted black kitten that loves to lay in my lap and sleep and purr.

I can see myself building a little Casita in Mexico when my cruising days are done. I love the laid back lifestyle. It does come with drawbacks such as horrible sidewalks and hurricaines. It is amazing to see the number of ex-pats living here. We got our FM3 which allows us to live here for a year. It can be renewed each year and after 5 you can become a resident. Who knows where we will end up? Having fun! Come visit.

We have been hosting a couple from Germany that have been on an 8 month bicycle trip starting in Anchorage, Alaska and they will continue on to the tip of South America. Nilz and Carolyn are a wonderful young couple and we have enjoyed. There is the ferry but it costs a lot for most of their budgets so they look for a free ride to the mainland. They are living on the boat in the boatyard under pretty primitive conditions but they usually spend most nights in a small tent they pitch wherever they can find a spot so this is luxurious to them. We finally found them a ride on a catamaran leaving in a week so they are excited to add a sailing adventure to their adventure. We will miss them when they leave.

Nilz and Carolyn

Sam, from The Neatherlands was our first bicyclist to stay on the Blue Dolphin.

He is cycling from Newfoundland to South America. I have heard recently he is in Costa Rica now. He is the most minimalist cyclist we have met. A small backpack and a light road bike is all he carries. He sleeps under a tarp at night. What a nice guy.

Alex and Meredith bicycled from Canada to La Paz and are on their way to Panama.

What an adventuresome group of kids these are. So fun to have on the boat to share their stories.

Life is Good......mostly

We hauled our boat out to paint the bottom (it is good to apply special paint every 2 years to keep the critters from growing on the boat bottom) and it was time to remove all the years of accumulted paint and redo it all. We got an expert to look at the boat and he suggested we remove all the paint and let the boat dry out for 2 months! (I KNOW I WILL NEVER GET OUT OF LA PAZ). We are also taking the opportunity to do some repairs to the hull, put in a new tranducer, new inspecti0n ports in the diesel tanks and other "stuff".

We will head on over to Mazatlan with a friend on his boat. We will get to be his crew! We sure didn't want to miss Carnival and I am sure ready to see more than La Paz. It is really wonderful here though. Great people, great food and the weather is amazing!! I have flip flop suntan marks on my feet. I haven't worn a pair of shoes in months.

We are staying at a really cute Bed and Breakfast. We have a little apartment that is very nice within walking distance to the boatyard. I tried staying on the boat in the boat yard but we can't use the bathroom or water and the trip up and down the ladder was too much!!

We won't get to cruise south this year because of the late start so we have decided just to sail the Sea of Cortez this year and be in Loreto for Loreto Fest which I have heard is a lot of fun. We had wanted to spend the hurricaine season in El Salvador but guess we won't make it this year.

We will spend a couple of months in the US for the hottest part of the summer. Can't wait to see the grandkids!!!

All in all I am really enjoying life. I started a new mosaic and I am trying to work some and play some. It is easy to get caught up doing nothing but boat projects! Robert brought his good road bike back with him from San Diego so he is a much happier camper now.

Our next plan is to visit the grey whales in Magdelena Bay. It will be a 2 day trip with an overnight somewhere, then we will go out in pangas right up to the whales! The whales have had their babies now and are wintering here in Mexico. I am really looking forward to that!!

Hope all are well back home. We miss you!!! Kathy

Poem from Terry Downs

Sunset Looking Away

The sun slides under earth’s cover

Slowing, slipping Liquid fire diffusing the blue at its edge
Heating the wisps overhead to the color Of coral and softness.
It takes only moments really for the heat

To leave the sky and the air to start to cool

But in that moment you can see God.

--Terry Downs

(Terry was crew for us on the haha and we were all so impressed with her beautiful poetry inspired by the moment)

Happy Captain Robert

It is still a daily struggle keeping things working. Our diesel tank has been leaking into the bilge and needs a new valve, our water to the kitchen sink drizzels out, we need a new faucet I think, we have someone working on fixing the blisters on our hull, we still have to deal with hauling the boat out and putting in a new transducer/depth finder (hey a couple years ago I didn't even know what that was). Keeping a smile on your face can be hard sometimes. Everyone I know has "issues" on their boat no matter how new or how expensive. It ain't for the faint of heart.
Still for some reason I really want to keep going. Ask me why in a year will you? Kathy

Ispirtu Santos

Our wonderful new friends Steve and Arlene on the sailing vessel Ubuntu.

A typical position for Robert

Just another day in Paradise

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

We are still here in La Paz. Robert left for San Diego this morning for Doctor appointments and to get my car ready to sell. It looks like we will be cruising for awhile and I don't see any need for a car. We do a lot of walking around town, taxi's and buses. Our next stop will be Mazatlan for carnival. It should be a blast with other couples meeting us there. A week of non stop parties, music, parades similar to Mari Gras. We will try to rent a room on the parade route for good viewing. We have a week reserved at the El Cid Marina resort while in Mazatlan as we have heard the anchorage is near the sewer plant and doesn't smell too good! Then off to Puerto Vallarta where I have heard they have some good anchorages.

We had a wonderful Christmas with our friends from Babeeze and Ubuntu. All crusiers refer to each other by boat name. The cruisers net on VHF radio each day at 8 am is a wonderful resource for anything local. Club Cruceros hosts it and every day someone gives the weather, any emergencies, local assistance, swaps and trades, tides, rides and crew--I got on the radio the other day as our electric cord needed repair and by the end of the day 4 people had come by to see if they could help! Awesome.

My life long crazy friend Kay ( that I love dearly) came to visit for 10 days and even spent her first Christmas away from her family with me. I am honored.

We had so much fun! Robert and I and Steve and Arleen from Ubuntu went to the Island of Ispirtu Santos for 3 days. We tried 3 different anchorages and each had it's own beauty and attractions. The Island is protected and only a few fish camps are allowed. The water was a beatiful turquoise blue, the beaches white sand with fun shelling, hiking and kayaking.

Zorro lives

yes Carrie!, the fishing is good

Video of Copper Canyon

Ramblings about cruising

For 3 years Robert and I have been planning our trip to ??? My observations are
1. Most women HATE THIS
2. It is way harder than anyone can imagine
3. Get used to the boat breaking down, every day plan on some new problem !
4. A lot of relationships fail doing this.
5. Most people end up changing plans and course. Not a bad thing. It is ok to see the Sea of Cortez instead of sailing around the world. Don't be disappointed. It is ok.
6. You will meet the most wonderful people and make the best of friends.
7. I have a lot to learn.

Kathy

Some random images from early in the trip

Steve and Michael and the famous "rocks" on the way into the Cabo Harbor....hot showers and lots of Margaritas!!!!

Turtle Bay

The "Dolphin" in Cabo Harbor!

Bahia Santa Maria was one of our favorite stops on the way to Cabo!

The "crew" enjoying Margaritas on the Beach at Cabo San Lucas

Trip to Copper Canyon

Some of the fabulous views into the Canyon! "They" say this Canyon is longer and deeper then the Grand Canyon. One major difference is that the surrounding area here in Mexico reminds me of the Tahoe area whereas the Grand Canyon is more of desert environment. Great trainride up from Los Moches where we arrived from Baja Sur via the ferry, a six hour crossing of the Sea of Cortez.

The trip was over 5 days, we stayed at the Hotel Santa Anita in Los Mochis then took the train through the country side up to the Sierra Madre Mountains to Parque National Barranca de Cobre where the Canyon is.

Robert