Aeeshah

 

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Arrival at Barra Navidad

Again we spotted whales, many whales, slapping the water with their tails, and appearing to frolic in the seas. The scenery too was beautifully rugged and wild.

Towards the end of our sail to Barra Navidad we passed an unusual, huge, white, rocky island. It looked to be made of chalk, but on closer examination we could see dozens of sea birds flying around the top. The white deposits must be guano built up over the many years from the birds have been inhabiting the Isla.  

Further along we saw a ship wrecked on the cliffs. John looked it up and found that it was Los Llanitos,’ the 38,000-tonne freighter that was driven aground in Barra de Navidad, by Hurricane Patricia in 2015. Apparently, the ship was unable to handle the winds of more than 200 kilometers per hour, 125mph, and waves of up to 10m, (30ft) high.

Now it is just a rusty shell, and has split in two. Apparently, almost half of the ship’s stern is buried and the bridge, which had a height of 30 meters, has collapsed. It was a sad sight indeed, but we thought one worth exploring, maybe…..

Our destination was just off of the Bahia Navidad, an anchorage opposite the town of Melaque, in a semi sheltered area. It was near evening when we anchored and the night was comfortable, we even enjoyed the music from the shoreline restaurants and pallapas. 

Into the lagoon

Early the next morning we headed into the Barra Navidad Lagoon. This is where all the cruising boats congregate as it’s sheltered. To get in we had to go to the other end of the bay and follow the navigation markers which extend as far as the marina. Then we were on our own, just relying on our Navionics charts and info from others. It was a squeeze indeed, at one stage we did touch the muddy bottom, but were able to reverse off. The canal is one that is constantly shifting due to tidal currents. However once into the lagoon proper the depths increase so we were able to comfortably anchor. At low tide we were just under 2ft off the bottom.

The lagoon is quite large and of course very calm and sheltered. It was the 1st sheltered, calm anchorage we had had for many months. There were about 30 odd boats there, plus they have a morning net on channel 22VHF, and a French baker that comes around each morning selling goodies. (We had previously been disappointed as we had hoped to get into the marina, but actually the lagoon anchorage turned out to be much nicer than being dockside.)

There’s a water taxi service, just call on VHF 23 and shortly a water taxi arrives to take you wherever for 60 pesos each, that’s $3:00 each for the trip in and back to the boat. 

Exploring the canals and walking the town

Off in the dinghy we went to explore the area. The waterfront along the inside was comprised mostly of restaurants and water taxi services with a few hotels. Further along we found there were canals that were hauntingly similar to those in Florida, therefore our guess was there were many expat folks from the US.

Ashore we found a delightful town, very colourful streets, lots of eateries, many touristy gift stores and a wonderful waterfront.

Walking the length of the waterfront we watched the folks surfing.

Yes, the surf is large and long. The beach is extensive stretching from Barra Navidad town all the way to Melaque town at the end of the bay. We found several laundries and grocery stores – tiendas….just about everything we needed. 

Each day we tended to get the water taxi into town, have a walk, and lunch at a different restaurant, (usually costing less than $20 for us both).

Next, stroll around and buy what ever supplies we needed and water taxi back to Aeeshah. 

The Secret Beach

We decided to try to get to what was locally called “The Secret Beach”.

On our 1st attempt we went to the marina/hotel and asked to leave the dinghy there while we went for a walk. Well, they wanted us to pay 800pesos each!! That’s $40, and no way we’re we going for that… We did take advantage of our time there to have a quick look around. It did look to be a very nice marina, but really a bit too rich for us.

For our second attempt, we found a dock at the side of the lagoon, upon asking a golf cart driver who happened to be there, I was told, “sure, no problem, just don’t walk on the fairways.”

The following day we left the dinghy at the dock, and headed off, using google maps, towards the Secret Beach. It was quite a warm boring walk along the roadway across the golf course. I was surprised to actually see golfers out playing.

At the oceanside we found a massive beach stretching for miles and off to the side a staircase leading up the cliff face. 

Following the stairway we climbed up the cliff face and rounded a corner and there was the Secret Beach.

Yes, it was quite lovely. Of course we explored the whole beach, I found a few shells, John found a cave. Then it was time to head back.

Back around the other side was sat in the shade of a few old palapas and we were very thankful that we had brought water and a snack with us.

Birds sunsets and sunrises

Back at the dock I was thrilled to see a certain bird. We had, for quite a while, since being in Chiapas, been hearing a very noisy, call of a flock of birds each evening and early morning. But, had never been able to spy them. However, I finally had the chance to spy them feasting in the trees at above the dock.

It was the Chachalaca.

I also saw a beautiful vibrant blue bird, I believe it was the Yucatan Jay. 

There were birds of all types flying and fishing in the lagoon. Plus others like egrets just hanging out along the side

Amazing sunsets and sunrises seem to happen daily. The one thing we have noticed, you need clouds for the best, most dramatic sunsets and sunrises.

Tenacaticta

Out of the lagoon we headed across the bay around the point and along to Tenacaticta.

This bay has quite a reputation in these waters for being a great place to spend time. I must say we were very impressed.

First of all there are no palapas or hotels lining the shoreline. There are just cruising boats and folks similar to us, but mainly from Canada and the USA.

There is one area where a cantina/beach bar can be found under the palm trees. There is a river that flows into the bay too. 

The beach was near us and we took the dinghy over and for once it wasn’t too scary to land it. John was very happy to be able to walk the beach and get back to his short runs too.

On our 1st outing we explored one side of the river, along the beach and rocks. On following days we would walk the other direction towards a distant hotel. 

Off to Tequila factory

During our 2nd evening a fellow on a paddle board approached us. His name was Blair and he wanted to arrange for a group to go up the river in dinghies to a Tequila Factory. Of course we jumped at the idea, arrangements were hastily made and we were set to meet the others at the river mouth at 10:00am. Meanwhile we had another fellow stop by in a kayak, he had 2 guests that wanted to go too, please could they tag along in our dinghy? So now we were 4.

In the morning we picked up the couple, from Canada, Sebastian and Nancy and headed to the river mouth.

The beginning part of the river proved the trickiest. The current was rushing out and there were a few bars meaning we did get a little bit stuck but soon got away from the bottom.

We followed the river up stream winding through the mangroves which were absolutely stunning in the morning light.

The mangroves closed in so that we were passing through a mangrove tunnel, I believe it is 2, plus miles that we passed through the mangroves until we came to a sandy river bank where we parked and left the dinghy.

Awaiting us was a truck and Poncho our driver and host. Arriving at the Tequila factory we found a rustic, charming, set up.

After looking around and ordering our lunches we sat in a semi circle for our lesson on Tequila making. Poncho explained using google translate plus the aid of a TV screen the different stages of Tequila making that takes place in the region we were in: Jabsico. 

1st off the authentic Tequila is made by the indigenous. This all started during prohibition way back in the 1700s. And the same methods are used today. Real tequila is not made using the huge metal vats in factories where cane sugar is added, but is processed by the indigenous. 

The beverage called tequila is really a variety of mezcal made wholly or mostly from the Blue Agave plant. This plant is native to the Tequila area so this version of Mescal was named after the area.

Before the arrival of the Spanish, indigenous people in Mexico did not make tequila as we know it today, but instead produced a fermented beverage called “pulque” – a wine, from the sap of the agave plant; it was only after the Spanish introduced distillation techniques that they began to create a distilled agave spirit, which eventually evolved into tequila, marking the start of tequila production as we understand it today.

The ancestral process of the tequila making using the smoking method:

“Artisanal and ancestral mezcal is cooked in an earthen or stone-lined underground pit. A bonfire is built at the base of the pit, and after the fire dies down, stones are piled on the red-hot embers. These stones are themselves covered with wet agave fiber. The pit is filled with maguey, which is also piled several feet above ground level. The mound is covered with straw mats or tarps, and then buried in earth. The heat radiating from the stones cooks the maguey over the course of several days.” 

We were each given a shot of smoked tequila plus a slice of orange with powdered chili on it. I sipped the tequila then had a taste of orange and found the flavor to be “not bad” (but I normally do not like dark liquors) the other folks raved about the wonderful flavor….so did John. 

Our next sample was of tequila made using modern methods. This shot was again with a slice of orange, I found it much harsher. 

Next followed two other shots, one with passion fruit added and one with pina, they were quite delicious, but by that time my head was quite fuzzy. 

Over all for me I still wouldn’t choose to drink Tequila, but it was fun to learn about it and sample the genuine liquor. 

Lunch followed, which was delicious, a local speciality: a fillet of fish stuffed with shrimp, celery, etc, wrapped in bacon cooked and presented in an almond cream sauce. It was wonderful!

After lunch we enjoyed an ice cream, I had a scoop of Lime and a scoop of Chocolate, both excellent. 

Off we all headed back 1st to the river bank and then down river to the bay. Another beautiful journey.

Into the town of La Manzanillo and Crocs

We needed supplies and so decided to order a taxi from the palapa on the beach to take us to the pueblo La Manzanillo. We had heard it was market day, plus I had read about a crocodile area where one could see crocs. 

The taxi drive was through the very dry bushland along narrow lanes until we met up with Highway 200. Once in the town which was at the furthest end of the bay from our anchorage, we headed towards the Crocodile area. 

The crocodile sanctuary is rather inconspicuous, tucked away at the end of the town. There is little sign warning visitors not to bring their dogs any closer. Crocs, have been eyeing dogs since they first  encountered each other and are ever so happy to enjoy one for lunch. There is even a great legend about, How the Crocodile lost its tongue.

There was 25-peso entrance fee and found ourselves on a narrow boardwalk suspended along the side the estuary waters. The boardwalk brought us within a few meters of crocodiles of all sizes. 

All of these creatures are Crocodylus acutus, American Crocodile in English and Cocodrilo Amarillo in Spanish. They seem to be fresh-water river crocodiles with a great tolerance for salt water and live to reach an age of 80 years. However we read that one inhabitant of El Cocodrilario is 100 years old. They are said to be less aggressive than other kinds of crocodiles, but I wouldn’t test that..…

We were both amazed by the amount of crocs, they were everywhere and all shapes and sizes. Many basking in the sun, slowly blinking, hardly breathing, but watching. One would slowly heave himself out of the waters, move forward, stop, others would slowly move away, then rest. One amazing croc had half a jaw, makes you wonder how that happened.

Along further we found the museum. There we read about crocs, saw their skulls, eggs and enjoyed the display.

There was a sign  informing us that the estuary of La Manzanilla was declared an official Ramsar Wetland in 2008. Apparently, local folks had been fighting for years to protect their mangroves from “developers” who had been systematically uprooting the local mangroves and reclaiming the swamp land,

 This continual reduction of the space supporting not only crocodiles, but a wide variety of birds, fish, mollusks, crustaceans and reptiles, and animals like possums, pumas, raccoons and badgers that live around the lagoon area. 

A quote from locals:  “Millionaires were buying up the land and destroying the natural habitats of these birds and animals and the more we looked, the more construction projects of this sort we discovered. We came to the conclusion that this estuary of ours may end up being the last refuge for all kinds of creatures that no longer have any place to go. So we are determined that our Cocodrilario must remain one place that will never be ‘developed.’ That’s why the only form of tourism we allow here is boat rides up the estuary.”

After the museum we continued around the broad walk, surprising ourselves by spotting many more crocs hidden under the water, in the brush or on the muddy banks, watching us pass by.

From the museum we ventured back into La Manzanillo where we found a delightful beach side restaurant for lunch.

Here we were well entertained by watching local young men join the birds to catch the schooling fish that were just off shore. No kidding these young men would race down the beach where they saw the hundreds of birds diving for the schooling fish.

They then sling a hand-line into the commotion and quite often pull out a large jack. Of course there were visitors/tourists running after the locals trying to launch their rods into the commotion, but not once did I see them pull in a fish.

After lunch we went to the local market wander about admiring all the wonderful crafts for sale. The ceramics are absolutely beautiful!!

The jewelry, the textiles are crafted with such skill. We bought lots of fresh fruit and veg from a produce stand,

picked up a few other items and then headed back to Aeeshah for another beautiful sunset evening.

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. – Eleanor Roosevelt

I may not be able to live in perfect serenity. But I can ask the question: What will I, what will you, make of the gift of this hour, this day? How will we write the next lines of our lives? – Deborah Landau

 

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Zihuatanejo, or Zwhat for short,

is a resort city on Mexico’s Pacific Gold Coast, northwest of Acapulco. It is famous for its beaches. For example the sweeping Playa La Ropa, which is the city”s shorefront and is backed by palm trees.

There is a walkway that runs the entire length of the beach. There where the fishermen keep their pangas you can buy fresh fish right from the fishermen. 

Galleries, craft markets and seafood restaurants line the city’s winding lanes. It is a delightful, colourful, fun city.

Offshore, the sea teems with marine life such as dolphins and sea turtles.

Christmas Day

Here, in Zwhat, John and I had a very quiet Christmas Day. The highlight was a lunch out at a Mexican restaurant, eating authentic Mexican foods. The restaurant was wonderfully authentic and the food delicious. 

Everywhere we wandered there were lovely Christmas decorations. The beaches were jam packed with holiday makers and music played through the evenings. 

Markets

Other days we walked all around the craft market and tourist market area of Zwhat. The crafts are wonderful. The ceramics, rugs, textiles and silver jewelry were created with great care and skill. 

Another day we explored the Central Market.

It is always very interesting to see the central markets where all the local foods, fruits, flowers, meats and household items are sold.

New Years Eve

I had read that the fireworks displays at midnight were to be some of the finest along the Pacific coast of Mexico. We were not disappointed. At midnight the shoreline exploded with wonderful, colourful fireworks.

Being right in the middle of the harbour we had an unobstructed view of all. The display lasted for a good while and we could hear the parties continuing till dawn.

The Parthenon

Sits on the near top of a hill overlooking the bay of Zwhat. I, again read that while it had been derelict for many years, people still loved to poke around the property. However, it had, in recent years been renovated and was now officially open to the public.

What is or was the Parthenon? Why is it “special?”

 Arturo, “El Negro” Durazo Moreno, the infamous Chief of Police in Mexico City, from 1976 to 1982 built the Parthenon as a monument to his own, “success.” 

While his official job earned him less than $1,000 a month, Durazo made an absolute fortune off the cocaine drug trade and his notorious racketeering and extortion tactics.

The Parthenon is one of his palaces, a gaudy replica of the Greek Parthenon. It sits atop the highest mountain in the hills of Zihuatanejo, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. 

The story is that he held lavish parties regularly at this property until his downfall and imprisonment. 

So, off we set on New Years Day to walk to the Parthenon. 

And it was quite a walk, some parts were very steep, in the heat of the near midday we were looking forward to a refreshing drink of lemonade at the top.

The walk was through a part of the town where we hadn’t explored and so was interesting. There were many lovely murals on the buildings, and some very posh looking hotel properties too. 

Upon finally reaching the top we found out the Pathenon didn’t open for another hour. So we sat on the curb with everyone else and waited. When the gates opened they separated all the old folks, like us, and we were allowed in first and for free!

The property is now well groomed, well kept and beautiful. It now serves as a form of art studio for local artists and art sales. We enjoyed a walk all around, but were quite disappointed that the cafe wasn’t open till later.

We finished touring, looking at the wonderful artwork on display and headed back downhill. At the beach where we found a wonderful restaurant for a late lunch. 

My meal was amazing, shrimp cooked in coconut with a spicy pineapple sauce.

Passage to Manzanillo

Our 1st stop was just around the headland, the Isla Ixtapa. Which when we 1st entered looked like a nice stop. However the bay and anchorage quickly filled up with every form of water craft from mega yacht, jet skis, tubers etc. Everyone anchoring right next to one another. It was so packed we couldn’t even leave. Plus, it then started to roll. This was not an anchorage to be repeated.

The next day, early we left on our passage, which ended up being just under 48 hours long. We left Isla Ixtapa and as soon as we were out of the bay we spotted a whale, which we believe was a humpback.

The passage was another mixed bag. While the winds were never strong enough to really sail we had the hobby – horsing effect due to current against wind, plain uncomfortable.

We had several spectacular sunsets and sunrises, the shoreline when it was in view was rugged and wild. 

We arrived at the entrance to Manzanillo at around 12:30am.  This “bay” is vast, it took us a few hours to navigate to the recommended anchorage 8.5 miles into the “bay” having to avoid several very large ships that were anchored. Once at our anchorage, at about 2:00am, down went the anchor and off to bed we crashed.  

Manzanillo

– which means little apple in English.

Awaking in the morning and looking out at the shoreline was a surprise…. All the buildings were white and of a Moorish or Mediterranean architecture, quite stunning really. 

This was of course the famous Las Hadas Marina. It is listed as a 5 star resort and marina. We knew we were allowed to use their dock for a small fee so after breakfast we went in to have a walk around.

The property is really extensive with a golf course, separate villas, etc. We enjoyed stretching our legs. Our next mission was to restock, this took a taxi ride into the town. 

Bahia Santiago

The next stop for us was a neighboring bay, Bahia Santiago. We anchored at one end off of Playa La Boquita. This bay again was huge and once again, nearly from one end to the other there were palapas with beach umbrellas set up in front, for their customers. Mind boggling to think that many folks would be at a beach at one time. Or maybe there are just some very optimistic Mexican venders.

Our hope was to be able to get ashore to have a walk, but the swell coming into the bay was just a bit too much for a beach landing. Instead, we went off in the dinghy to have a look at the statue of the virgin on the cliff and to find the Devils cave.

These attractions known as the La Cueva del Diablo, (Devil’s Cave) and the Virgen de los Pescadores, (the fisherman’s Virgin), were found along the shoreline just outside of the bay. 

The landscape was again incredibly rugged, with steer cliffs, jagged rocks, cactus, and such.

This time however the landscape had a reddish, rosy colour, which was lovely in the morning light.

There were seabirds everywhere, pelicans, Boobies, Frigate birds, gulls and more. We easily found the statue of the Virgin Mary sitting high up on the cliff. 

The Devil’s Cave was further on along the coast.

It is a massive cave with a blowhole which is reputed to blow water up to 7 feet into the air. It was quite dramatic to watch the swell pound into the cave and the salty air being blow high up into the cave.

Off to Barra la Navidad

Our next destination was Barra la Navidad. We set off, and were barely out of the bay when we spotted our next whale in the distance. It was surfacing, diving and blowing salt spray high into the air. 

The shoreline was again very dramatic, rugged and wild. I was happily staring off watching the shoreline when right next to Aeeshah a whale surfaced, and then another, and another surfaced ….. There were two adults and a calf. They swiftly swam off away from us, the adults slapped their tails.

I tried to capture a photo of them, but the best I got was their tails as they disappeared into the distance.

Our destination Barra Navidad has proven to be totally amazing. All about that next time……

Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars and see yourself running with them. – Marcus Aurelius

The flower is aware of the fact that it contains everything within it, the whole cosmos, and it does not try to become something else. – Thich Nhat Hanh

 

 

 

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Passage through Tehuantepec

It was time to leave Chiapas. The Tehuantepec winds were going to lay down for a spell, enough time for us to travel through the area.

What are the Tehuantepec winds?

The challenge to our passage this time was the Tehuantepec, Tehuantepecer, or Tehuano wind, which is a violent wind. This wind occurs due to the mountain-gap of the Chivela Pass. The cold, winter, northerly winds blowing from the North American continent, are squeezed through the pass, accelerate in speed and blast out across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. This effect is most common between October and February.

Along with us were several other sailing vessels: Key Lime Pie with Pawel and Bob onboard. They had actually only arrived the previous day from El Salvador where we had met them. They were supposed to leave El Salvador with us but had been struck by lightening and so major repairs had delayed their departure. Just after arriving at Chiapas, Pawel asked when we were off, I told him that  several of us were leaving the next day and so they quickly made arrangements to leave too.

Another boat Doris and his wIfe with their 2 cats and dog left with us, but had to sail back after transmission failure.

The huge schooner Neptun and crew left too but, had to return to refuel after a major fuel leak, however, yes, they were able to continue the journey.

The sailboat Intrepid with Tim, Rooster and friend onboard had a slow but successful passage. And Gobo 2 with Christian, Irene and baby went straight through too, just behind us.

Our passage started off calm, lovely just a light breeze so we were motor sailing. The seas had a gentle swell so for much of the day it was easy going.

I was just enjoying looking at the shoreline, spying massive turtles, dolphin and seabirds.

However, by the evening things started to liven up. We entered the 1st Tehuantepec area and the winds picked up, the swell increased the seas were confused with a chop on top of swell.

I, again felt lousy, nauseous and went below to lay down at around 9:30. For much of the night it was terribly rough. Just awful, the wind, swell and currents were all at odds with each other and so there were angry sea conditions.

John kept in touch with Pawel and Christian on the radio trading sea and wind conditions. It was just a matter of getting through, motor sailing as fast as was possible. Our highest winds were 30knots, which isn’t too high, but there was a nasty current against us that wind that caused very confused sea conditions, plus the chop on top. It was like being in a huge washing machine down below where I was, but finally it was all over and we did get through.

The total passage was 2 days long and it ended with lovely calm conditions as we entered the Bahia Maguay.

Maguey Bay: Bahía Maguay & Bahia Organo

Maguey Bay, is an easily accessible bay with a popular beach of the same name Bahía Maguey. A handful of busy seafood palapas line the beach, and visitors can sip cold beers on deck chairs, or splash around in the bay’s calm, clear waters.

After one wonderful, peaceful, calm night in Bahía Maguay we moved to the next bay – Bahia Organo. The weather forecast said Tehuantepec winds were due to fire up quite severely and Organo, while just next door was going to be more sheltered.

Bahia Organo is totally National Parkland. The beach is wonderful, normally with only a few visiting folks swimming and a boat or two. It is definitely the more isolated of the two bays.

The day after our arrival we went ashore by dinghy to Bahia Maguay  to meet up with Pawel and Bob for lunch. It was a lovely relaxed lunch just sitting back watching the folks on the beach.

The food was great, I think everyone had a shrimp dish of some type. We walked the beach and returned to Aeeshah for a swim.

We swam every day. Yes, the sea was a bit cool at 78degrees, but it was also very refreshing too.

We walked the beaches and were intrigued by the different foliage in this region. It’s quite arid, with brush and cactus.

Off we went in the dinghy along the shorelines of the bays. The rock formations were amazing, totally different from other regions we have been in recently. It was so very nice to get back into the old cruisers routine of self sufficient living.

One morning we got a ride in Enrico’s truck from  Bahia Maguay to nearest town La Crucecita. I sat up front with the driver, Enrico, and John in the back with our diesel  tanks.

The area we passed through was hilly, dry brush land. The town was obviously thriving on the tourist industry. There were many big hotels, tourist busses, coaches and tourists wandering about.

Our destination was the Super Chedraui Grocery store where once again we got some basic supplies. We felt overwhelmed by the size and selection, where to start, trying not to get distracted. Next stop was the gas station where we filled the diesel jugs. A short but fun trip out.

Neptun arrived in the bay where we were, it was good to see everyone again even though we never got to chat.

Pawel and Bob on Key Lime Pie, left the day before we did.

We went ashore to explore and followed the pathway that led from the beach. John wanted to see what was at the end.

Well, it was a very normal pathway and it led to a road…..

Chachacual bay: Playa India & Playa Chachacua

The following day we headed to the Playa India area. We had been told about the lovely bay which is all National Parkland. Our passage there was only an hour, again the shoreline was beautiful beaches and rugged cliffs.

We had been warned that Playa India could be extremely busy during parts of the day with tourists. When we arrived there were already several pangas and tour boats setting up on the beach so we anchored in the neighboring bay Playa Chachacual, the larger of the two.

Inaccessible by land, Chachacual bay has two beaches: the easterly Playa La India is one of the Huatulco’s area most beautiful stretches of sandy beach. And apparently one of the area best places for snorkeling. The much larger Playa Chachacual reputable has strong sea currents. (Which I can attest to)

Both beaches are within the national park hopefully they remain undeveloped.

We made a very wise decision to anchor off of Playa Chachacual as during the day there were many pangas, several very large tour boats, all coming in and out from the beach areas where they had set up chairs, umbrellas and such.

We took the dinghy and did a tour of both bays and both were absolutely lovely. We dropped the dinghy’s anchor off of Playa Chachacual and went ashore. We walked the beach, first along the top of the dunes where we saw masses of turtle nests. Some nests were new and we could see the turtle tracks leading up and then down the dunes.

This was a very long beach, at the other end the tour boats had set up camps for their passengers. There were mini bars and food stands plus chair and umbrellas for all to enjoy. We strolled past and then back up the beach to the dinghy.

Passage to Acapulco

After our previous not so comfortable passages we were treated to a perfectly comfortable 48 hour passage. The weather was perfect and we were even able to sail for most of the night.

Arriving in Acapulco we were 1st amazed by the size of the city,

it stretches for miles. It is set in a large bay backed by high-rises and the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains.

2ndly we were surprised by the surrounding Sierra Madre del Sur mountains,

and 3rdly, by the shocking hurricane damage, for example one can see straight through the high rise buildings.

ACAPULCO

“Sitting on one of the largest bays in Mexico, is the country’s original vacation destination. In the 1950s and 60s Hollywood’s elites came to Acapulco to play. The likes of Cary Grant, Elizabeth Taylor, Rita Hayworth are just a few who chose Acapulco for their vacation. We would have loved to see it back then. Unfortunately, Acapulco has lost favour with international travelers, but it is still the preferred vacation getaway for residents of Mexico.”

A walk around the area.

Our exploits ashore were just around the immediate area, and along the waterfront where the fishermen keep their boats. We saw some pretty amazing catches, the wahoo were an unbelievable size.

We could see how the towns folk were working hard to repair all the damage from the hurricane.

We wandered into a plaza where all sorts was happening, booths selling knick knacks, refreshments, an ice rink being set up and more.

There was a very ornate church that was conducting a service.

We bought our groceries from a nearby tienda and found a place for lunch. Once again it wasn’t Mexican fare, but was yummy.

The La Quebrada cliff divers

We decided to walk through the city and over the hilltop to visit the Acapulco divers for the 1:00pm performance. They dive from a La Quebrada cliff, these professional divers plunge 40m into a small ocean cove every day and night.

Leaving early we first found a small roadside cafe for lunch. It was set up in front of a home and while it did serve tacos, that wasn’t  until 5:00pm, so we settled for shrimp. The lunch was great, $20 for both of us plus my lemonada and John’s cevasa.

The area where the divers perform is a narrow inlet, cliffs on all side with the swell surging in.

We entered at the top and walked down to the bottom level so as we were opposite the diving cliff. I never imagined that the divers would come down to the area where we awaited them, but they did and they climbed over the wall right next to me.

Heading right down the cliff space they then, one at a time, dove into the surging sea below. A couple of them took a few minutes to pick up the debris floating in the gully.

After which one by one the scrambled right up the cliff face opposite, and this is a sheer cliff face! They made it look effortless, no problem at all.

At the top they each had dive positions, but before they took a dive they kissed the statue of the Holy Mother for god’s blessings.

One at a time they started to dive from different vantage points.

A swan dive, then a back flip followed by two diving at once.

It was incredible! Absolutely spectacular! Like unbelievable to see them gracefully spring off the cliff above and glide down into the surf below.

The last fellow took the highest post and swooped down the face of the cliff like a bird, just amazing.

If you ever get the chance to see them go!

The history behind the Acapulco diver:

In 1934, Two fishermen began the tradition by challenging each other to jump from the cliffs. The divers performing in shows today are descendants from those original divers. In fact, only those related to the original divers are allowed in the prestigious group. Divers begin training as young as 5 years and continue for as long as they are able. Knowledge of the cliffs, currents and diving techniques are passed down from generation to generation. Ranging in age from 15 to 70 years old there are at least 75 divers that perform in the daily shows and this includes both men and women. They dive from cliffs ledges of between 98ft and 135 ft.

Overnight to Zihuatanejo

We left Acapulco and basically glided along during most of the passage. There were flocks of sea birds feeding on schools of fish, John was positive there was a whale shark below the surface too.

Yes, again we had a smooth, peaceful passage being able to sail on the breeze from the land at night. A short passage and an easy arrival into the bay at Zihuatanejo.

Christmas Season in Zihuatanejo

Zihuatanejo is another resort city on Mexico’s Pacific Coast, northwest of Acapulco. It’s known for its beaches, like the sweeping Playa La Ropa, which is backed by palm trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Galleries, crafts and seafood restaurants line the city’s winding,

colourful, lanes. We enjoyed going ashore and strolling the many walkways and streets, many of which are just for pedestrians.

The arts and crafts were a wonderfull array of just every type. The hand woven rugs, ceramics and silver jewelry are amazing. Definitely a thriving tourist town Zihuatanejo or Zwhat as its affectionately referred to is a wonderful destination.

Most days we ate ashore as it was so inexpensive, easy with a huge selection of places to dine.

The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it” Henry David Thoreau

Why not live each day as if it were the first – all raw astonishment. – Linda Pastan

 

 

PHOTO LINK —>>  https://photos.app.goo.gl/2GwL63q425M5AWud8

Chiapas, Mexico

Puerto Chiapas is the southernmost port on Mexico’s Pacific coast, the closest port to the Guatemalan border, was our entry port into Mexico. It is relatively new port, built in 1975, and is the primary hub from which the region’s agricultural goods.

We chugged down the channel leading to the Chiapas marina. Along the way we saw the massive commercial fishing boats along the port’s dock.

Chiapas marina

Soon after arriving we were visited by differing departments of the government. We had the Port Captain,

the Navy, the Agricultural department and customs.

By the time they had all visited and finished it was later in the afternoon. I still hadn’t eaten lunch, nor had we set up the boat. The Agricultural guy was the worse.

He was stuck on Chico, fixated on the documentation. He took photos of every page of Chico’s passport and then wanted to know why there wasn’t evidence of flea and worm medication for every month! In the end I just shrugged my shoulders. He then took a black bag and filled it with frozen chicken, mince beef, plus fruit like tangerines and limes, all from our fridge and freezer. 

The next day we spent literally hours in the marina office. More hours going to the officials in the nearby town, Puerto Madero, admittedly we were with a couple from Denmark who were checking in off of a schooner Neptun that had 11 volunteers from all over the world aboard. 

Finally the following day, day 3 we finished off by being taken to the Port Captain’s office where we spent several hours awaiting whatever paper they needed to finalize. Mexico has a terrific amount of BS buracrocy. Finally we were free.

We had filled in the time while awaiting the Mexican authorities by taking a few walks around the marina. There was the typical boatyard, boring to me, interesting for John. 

There was a small peninsular that leads down the side of the entrance chanel. From there we could see the locals fishing on the mud flats across the channel and the distant dock of Puerto Madero.

 While walking along this path I did spy several pairs of beautiful blue birds. I later found out they were Black Throated Magpie Jays. These were of interest to me, but of little interest to John.

We also enjoyed a wonderful lunch at the marina restaurant Baos. The food was excellent. 

Tapachula

Tapachula, the closest city to the marina is the second-largest city in the state of Chiapas. It is a brilliant place to stock up with absolutely everything and anything needed.

On our forth day, being free on of buerocrats we got a taxi into the city. The previous night there had been a terrific amount of rain. John caught 5ins in our rain gauge.

Anyway, our taxi had caught rain too, our back seat and backsides were quite wet. We drove through deep puddles on our way in. You had to laugh it was just so funny like riding in a car down river. 

The grocery store was in a massive mall and it was incredibly big. Neither of us had ever see a grocery store as big before and with such low prices. Consequently we were 2 hours in that 1 store just navigating our way around and selecting our purchases. 

We were very pleased at what we could find. This might be as Tapachula and its suburbs are very multicultural, having benefitted over the last 150 years by Japanese, Chinese, and German immigration.

While at the marina we used the same driver several times. His taxi might leak, but he was a really good sport driving us where ever, waiting for us and with reasonable rates.

Chico’ friends

Chico, well what a cat he is…. He saw all the young folk off of the sailing vessel Neptun…..especially all the young ladies AND every day morning and night he would charge off of Aeeshah and flop at their feet. He wanted a belly rub and to be adored by the lovely humans AND the young ladies obliged. One laid down on the dock with him as she feltl he was nearly as big as was….

Then off he goes and makes friends with Irene and the baby, plus the cats and dog off of another cruiser’s boat. In the end everyone, cats included were adoring him daily. He was one happy cat. 

Playa Linda

We were looking for a place to walk as there isn’t much area around our marina. And Playa Linda, we were told, is located a few miles from the marina.

The road leading to Playa Linda is straight, narrow from over growth and in the over growth there are mounds of trash. We walked, but with traffic skimming past, stinky trash and steaming heat we flagged down a ride.

The ride was in a type of tuk-tuk, really similar, but a bike towing a trolley to sit in. We’ve now found that they are auto rigshaws, Tuk-tuks otherwise known as bicitaxis, ciclotaxis, golfitaxis or tricitaxis and they are great fun to ride.

Arriving at Playa Linda we walked across the sands towards the ocean and found a steeply sloping beach with rough seas.

Unfortunately there was quite a bit of trash along with the drift wood, just the way of things now. Enjoying the beach for a short stretch we returned to the road, again the heat was terrific.

After buying a lovely cool drink in a tienda we returned to the marina on the front of a bicitaxi. 

 

 

 

 

 

Cruisers Thanks Giving

Several of the cruisers at the marina sent out an invitation to one and all for a Thanksgiving get together at the pool and barbecue area.

Everyone came and brought food. Two turkeys were barbecued to pefrection, the side dishes were all wonderful and dessert excellent. We all enjoyed each other’s company for the afternoon and evening.

A day out site seeing

Paul and Coleen, a couple we had previously met in Nicaragua, invited us to go on an outing with a local guide Miguel. Of course we jumped at the opportunity! 

Miguel picked us up at 8:00 am, he had instructed us not to eat any breakfast as we were going to be fed well. 

Off we drove, along the way Miguel told us about the area we were in, that there was enough arable flat land for cattle, and to grow massive crops of mangoes, corn, sugar cane and so many banana plantations that Chiquita has two of its own huge branded cranes in the port for the weekly freighter load that leaves for the US and Canada.

Also that there is enough water that the dams in Chiapas provide 55% of all of Mexico’s hydroelectric power. 

Further along, passing the unusual looking church/temple with the copper dome in Tapuchula, he stopped for me to take a pic and told us it was run by a religious group similar to the Mormon faith.

Stopping alongside a second church we were told this was the María Candelaria church, built in 1808, still an important church for the area. 

We turned out of the city and were soon at what looked like a farm, which was the site of:

Izapa 

The archaeological site of Izapa, which dates back to 1500 BC. Thus making it as old as the oldest confirmed Olmec sites. 

The theory is that when the Olmec people arrived here, indigenous people already lived in the area, instead of fighting them the Olmec people intermarried and traded knowledge with them, giving rise to what we know as the Mayan culture.

We walked around the differing areas of the site while Miguel explained all about the different stone relics. It was very enlightening hearing about the early indigenous folks.

Izapa was really the template for the great Mayan cities that followed. The understanding is that it was here that the very stratified Maya class structure was perfected, the language created, the shape of buildings and cities designed. 

We learned that the “stepped” pyramids were used to reinforce the class structure; when gatherings were held, the highest classes stood or sat on the highest levels, and each level closer to, the ground held a lower class, with slaves relegated to the ground at the very base.

The remains of a stelae shows a prone worshipper, facing in the direction of the nearby volcano, which was revered as a god. You can see the soles of the feet and the statue’s backside.

On other stones stories are carved depicting again the beliefs of the time. 

There was even proof of aqueducts being used and large stones with wells to hold the water.

Miguel showed us the fruit of one tree that was used as the dye for red. 

Further along the road we came to examples of the Mayan numerals from 1 – 20 and a statue celebrating their solar beliefs. 

By this time 11:30ish, I think we all were starving. And so were ever so grateful to move along and arrive at:

Chocolate experience

This was a regular Cassa in what is called Chocolate town. A town that is world famous for its chocolate production.

Inside the cassa was a very colourful front reception area where we met some of the family. One of the ladies was making chocolate blocks. 

Next we passed through the kitchen area where our host was making our meal. We watched her make the torllias on the hot flour covered grill.

Across from her the tamales were being put together for our meal.

Passing along we came to the lovely garden area where we were to have our brunch. 

Once, seated at the table we were served hot chocolate, tamales were wonderful, delicious.  Stuffed with cheese, chicken, an olive, an egg, a prune inside a type of cornbread that were wrapped in a special leaf.

The side dishes were mole, which is a black bean purée, chili salsa, fresh cheese, and cooked plantains. The cheese and plantains were actually to be eaten together and were a delicious blend. The tamales too were excellent! (John and I had been a bit septicel after I once opened a tamale in Guatemala and found a chicken’s foot.) 

Tamales actually originate in Mexico:

“Tamales are part of Mexico’s national identity along with tacos. They’ve been part of Mexican culture since pre-Hispanic times; however, they not only have a cultural significance but a religious one too. In pre-Hispanic times, Mesoamerican cultures used tamales as offerings to gods or to their dead loved ones”

“To traditional Christian believers, each tamale can be considered a metaphor or symbol for the Holy Virgin. After all, every real Mexican tamale must have an olive in it. On one level, that olive represents the Christ child waiting to be born — as he is every year at Christmas”

After our fun and enjoyable meal we were treated to the chocolate making process that many generations of the familiy’s women had followed. The lady showing us the process had twice been to Europe due to her excellent chocolate making!

We were shown the coca trees, flowers and fruit, presented with the coca fruit to eat. Which is excellent tasting.

Next the rest of the fruit was made into a wonderful drink for us. And then we were shown the steps for chocolate making:

1st steps

Roast coca beans, remove the husks.

Next steps

Grind the inside to a paste, roll the paste into disks, and lastly add any other ingredients eg: sugar, cimmonen, etc

It was a wonderful lunch and presentation. 

Lunch/visit to Puerto Madero

Off to Puerto Madero we went with a few friends to have a look at the town and enjoy lunch. The restaurant was right off the sea front and very rustic.

The food was wonderful and the company was fun. After lunch we had a quick look around the small town.

It reminded both of us of Guatemala, not surprising as Guatemala is just 14 miles away.

And then it was time to move on, the Tehuantepec winds were laying down, subsiding for a day and we could cross the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

“It’s in our chasing that dream that we become the people we only dream of.”

— Sanya Richards-Ross

 

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Cerro Verde

It was magnificent weather when we drove to Cerro Verde for the day. We set off early, still the massive roadworks near Sonate held us up. They look to be rebuilding a huge portion of the road and it appears to be an enormous job entailing countless workers and tons of heavy equipment.

Lake Coatepeque

Our first stop along the way was an overlook that was above Lake Coatepeque. The view was stunning! 

Lake Coatepeque is a large crater lake surrounded by wooded hills in western El Salvador. The nearby El Congo is its gateway village. In the lake’s southwest corner is Teopán Island, once a sacred site for the ancient Maya. 

Onwards uphill we drove, finally arriving at the final turn, only to find a road blocked by visitor buses and school busses. Luckily the buses soon squeezed past and we were able to drive into the Cero Verde Parque. 

Cerro Verde National, Park Parque Nacional Los Volcanoes

Also known as Cerro Verde National Park, is a large national park. The park includes three volcanoes: Santa Anna, Izalco and Cerro Verde.

The view looking across to the volcanos was amazing!

One of the best views I have ever had of volcanos and the surrounding countryside.

In fact you could see all the way across to the Pacific Ocean. You could spend hours just gazing out. Enjoying the view.

Off we ventured around the various pathways through the gardens. The main attraction of this park is Cerro Verde itself. This is known as a”cloud or mist hill”.

Along the way, we found interpretive trails from where we could see the biodiversity of flora and fauna that is found in the area.

John really would have liked to do a hike, but no one is allowed to just hike. You must be in an organized group with a qualified guide or stick to the trails. 

We headed to Cassa 1800 the park’s hotel and restaurant which looks out over the volcano Izalco and on the other side over Lake Coatepeque from further above. 

We could look out at the volcano Izalco from a different angle. Once again the views were totally captivating, just stunning! 

Having lunch in the Cassa 1800 Restaurant we were seated where we could look right out at the Izalco Volcano. Sure enough we saw vapor/steam clouds billowing from the volcanoes inside crater. Yes, it is still very active. 

Izalco aka Ilamatepec

is an active stratovolcano, located at the side of the Santa Ana volcano aka Ilamatepec.

 Izalco erupted almost continuously from 1770, (when it formed), to 1958 and then had a further eruption in 1966. This volcano earned it the nickname of “Lighthouse of the Pacific” as ships would use its glow for navigation. During one eruption in 1926, the village of Matazano was buried and 56 people were killed. Today, Izalco experiences only fumarolic activity in the form of rainwater seeping into the volcano and contacting hot rocks, rather than steam emissions from underground gases.

Lunch was wonderful, and as we ate we watched the afternoon clouds moving in and gathering around Izalco. An absolutely breathtaking place to visit. 

Herradura food festival

Friends from the anchorage mentioned to John about a food festival at Herradura. This festival was in the colourful town just 3 miles up river. So off we went in the dinghy to have a look and enjoy lunch.

The plaza on the waterside where it was taking place was full of folks mainly sitting and eating. Our friends were seated at the main area and we joined them.

Our lunch was our regular favorite, the whole fried fish. There were ladies carrying baskets full of snacks, nuts, sweetened coconut and other candied fruits on their heads. We did purchase several to take back with us. 

Pupusas 

After eating we walked around some and decided to purchase a few pupusas for dinner. They happened to be shrimp.

Now pupusas are the national dish of El Salvador. They are basically a thick tortilla stuffed with meat, beans and cheese and grilled over high heat with very little fat. Both John and I haven’t been overly impressed with them. The ones we had for dinner were stuffed with small shrimp. However the shrimp still had their shells still on. Plus there was cheese and vegetable matter in them too. No, not impressive at all.

Beaches, boat prep, and more

Our beach walks continued with the occurrence of low tides. We both absolutely loved those beach walks.

The birds, crabs, shells, flotsam,

reflections

and sand patterns were always impressive. 

John made sure everything was ready for our passage to Mexico. He was up the mast, checking sails and rigging, testing this and that, changing oil, and all those important maintenance chores.

We went out to anchor at the end of October, so it wasn’t as convenient to go for our walks, but for me it was a relief to be away from the mosquitoes. At anchor in the middle of the river meant far fewer bugs and lots more breeze.

I was busy repairing canvases, making new fender covers, getting rid of anything we didn’t need and more. The time flew by. 

 As it happened the International Bill fishing completion was starting and the marina wanted all of the possible slips for the big fishing boats.

It was a week long event with lots of food drinks and prizes for all who attended. John went in one evening and met up with the other fellow cruisers.

Driving around San Vicente 

Our final tour that we took ourselves on was to drive to the middle area of El Salvador near the San Vicente volcano, also known as Chichontepec or Las Chiches.

This was the volcano that we could see in the distance from the boat. It is the second highest volcano in El Salvador. In the indigenous language Nanhaut, Chichontepec means the mountain of the two breasts, because its double summit resembles a woman’s bosom. Each summit has a crater.

San Vincente town

Our first stop was the town of San Vincente. There we hoped to walk around to see the Torre Vicentina, placed in the centre of San Vicente, it is one best known symbols of the city. However we found that the town center is under restoration and mostly fenced off.

We did walk around the main square, called the Antonio José Cañas Park and we were able to look inside San Vicente Cathedral. Plus we saw Tempisque tree, which is where the city was founded by 50 Spanish families in 1635.

Off we went to drive to some of the nearby towns and villages that are famous for their candy making. The famous local sweets are made from fruits such as sweet potato, coconut, tamarind, nance, cashew, plus others.

We found several lovely villages and drove by wonderful scenery. The San Vicente volcano in the background was magnificent. On its side we could see a thermal plant surrounded by farmers crops. 

We stopped and purchased some of the sweets made locally. There were dozens to choose from.

Lastly, we stopped to purchase some locally grown fruits. It was a very pleasant day out.

Meeting Friends at Beto’s

Our friends Wayne and Liz were in El Salvador to visit Liz’s Mom for her 90th Birthday. They suggested that we all meet at Beto’s for lunch. Bento’s is located just past Libertad aka Surf City on the cliff side over looking the Pacific.

It was wonderful meeting up, catching up and having lunch together.

The scenery was stunning, Liz’s Mom was so young for 90 years of age. She told me that she keeps active, walks everyday and enjoys life. 

The food was excellent! And so much choice, plus it was presented like a piece of art.

Goodbye El Salvador

On Friday the 15th November John checked out at 9:00am as instructed. By 1:00pm we were met by the pilot boat and Bill. Next we headed out to the bar. 

And it was a rough but safe crossing that took a lot of engine power to plough into the surf over the bar. The shallowest we saw was 7 foot under the keel, so more or less 13feet. 

Behind us the weather was worsening, black clouds, wind picking up and sea conditions were rough along with a conflicting swell and waves. Consequently, the rest of the afternoon and evening were ugly! We had seas smashing onto the deck and hard top of Aeeshah. Never had we ever had such rough conditions. Sea water literally smashed into the forward cockpit cover, poured under and down below. 

The rain hammered down, we heard thunder, saw flashes but could tell it was a few miles off. It was simply awful but we had no choice but to continue.

 I had to just suck it up and we toughed it out. I managed to hold out till 9:00pm and then I was finished, just feeling dreadful. Poor John had to be on watch all night till just after 5am when I could function again. The conditions improved through the night and by day it was back to calmer seas, not much wind, as usual in along this coast, overcast skies which kept us cooler than usual. 

We have a rain gauge and when John checked it we had caught 2 inches of rain from the down pours. And Bill sent a message that back at his place, where we had left from, they caught 6 inches of rain.

I believe all of this was caused by tropical storm Sara on the Caribbean coast messing up the regular stability of the region. 

We arrived, and began the checking in process.

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.

“Wherever we want to go, we’ll go. That’s what a ship is, you know. It’s not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails. That’s what a ship needs. But what a ship is, what it really is, is freedom.”

 

 

 

PHOTO LINK—->>   https://photos.app.goo.gl/qz2JxYnK98kEwL5CA

 

Herradura

Is the closest town to where we are located at Bahia de Sol Marina. To get there by car is 40 kilometers, by dinghy it is just over 3 miles. We had intended to visit the town on several occasions but either the river was flowing too strongly or the tide would be out and so the town docks would be difficult to access. Finally the perfect day came and we were off up the river to visit Herradura. 

We found the town dock easily accessible and even had a fellow there to watch the dinghy. Right at the top of the dock steps we found a large courtyard with many different eateries. There was mainly seafood on offer, probably because Herradura has a fishing fleet. 

The streets were wonderfully colourful, with many murals on the walls of shops. There was just so much to see…. We wandered all the way through the town.

I just loved the atmosphere of the place. Even the church was nicely decorated and then there were little shrines along the road, guessing it’s quite a religious town. Folks were very friendly to us, going about their business, selling goods, buying what they needed, but noticing us strangers.

It was reminiscent of Fronteras in Rio Dulce, busy, with tons to see, narrow streets and smells of foods. 

We found the market which was a treat. I just adore markets and this one is a very good one with plenty of produce. There were also many differing types of merchandise. 

Yes, we were impressed with Herradura

Low tide walks

We had a week of extremely low tides, in fact the lowest for this year. And importantly they were during the morning hours. We took advantage for the low tides and do some wonderful walks.

In fact… our routine became, beach walk, boat chores, sunset relaxation, sleep, and up and all over again.

I just so love the reflections. 

And the amazing artwork left by the sand and the water as it receded.

Plus the effects of the tidal sand pools with the clouds reflected in them. 

We did walk energetically down towards the distant 15 kilometers of beach stretching away from us. I did do my exercises for my duff knee. And John has taken to jogging off and then catching up with me later.

The only downside is the incredible heat! It really has been very hot and with the darker sands the heat is retained. On the plus side there is always a sea breeze to cool one off.

Puerta de Diablo again

Another car rental, at $25 a day it’s so worth renting a car to travel about. We do our shopping and chores one day and then play the other day. This time we did a 3 day rental. 

We had set off early in order to beat the clouds and when we arrived 2 hours later we were not disappointed.

This time around we were able to walk downhill to the Devil’s door. Once there we were at first the only visitors. We spent time admiring the view gazing out over the forested slopes to the distant town. Above us we could see the zip line riders, zipping from one side to the other of the twin peaks. And the Eagles soaring in the thermals between and above the peaks. 

We again climbed up the central peak which is quite a steep rugged climb. With my duff knee I was quite pleased with myself.

From this central peak we also had a magnificent view of the slopes below and to both sides. It really was very beautiful on this a sunny day. However in the distance we could see the clouds forming ready to cover the peaks for the afternoon. 

Now why is the area known as the Devil’s Door?

Legend has it that during the time of the colonists, the daughter of one of the landowners of Los Planes de Renderos , María de La Paz who was very beautiful, was courted by Satan himself.  

The evil devil kept her locked in one of the famous caves that are found in the area. However, nobody knows if she was found alive or if she was rescued by her father. Only a scapular, bone, that María wore around her neck on the day she was kidnapped was found.

Her father, Rosendo Renderos (the name of the canton where it is located), determined not to leave her in the clutches of Satan, went in pursuit of him when night fell. Satan , harassed by all the landowner’s tenants, fled across the mountains and knocked down part of them with one blow.

According to mythology, due to the arch shape that the strong blow carved in the mountain range, it was called the “Devil’s Gate.”

After our visit we happened upon

another delightful restaurantwhere we had a wonderful traditional El Salvadorian lunch.

Ruta de Flors

The drive from Bahia Del Sol to the city takes about an hour and a half, from there we headed towards a town called Sonsonate which marks the beginning of the Ruta de Flors. However between San Salvador and Sonsonate there are horrible roadworks that stretch for several miles, and there is no other route. So getting to the beginning of the Ruta de Flors took us several hours. Till finally we were off of the major road and onto lovely country roads winding up and through the mountains.

Nahuizalco

This lovely village is known for its wicker and wood handicrafts. We chose to drive through looking at the wicker handicrafts from the car as they were displayed on the side of the road. The work looked excellent.

Salcoatitan

 Salcoatitán is famous for its ceiba tree. This impressive tree is more than 350 years old and located on a small square at the entrance of the village.

The ceiba tree played an important role during Mayan times. The Maya saw this tree as an important connection between the underworld, the present and the upper world.

The Ceiba’s roots in Xibalbá, (the underworld), the base of its trunk placed where the humans live sometimes referred to as Kab, earth, and the trunk and branches the dwellings of the Gods and the entrance to the heavens.

 This town is also best known as the coffee town. Although coffee is grown all over the ruta. When we stoped at a view point it was next to coffee and above coffee being grown.

Steep slopes covered in coffee bushes which were all covered in green ripening coffee berries.

Juayua

Juayua is a small and quiet village, located in the mountains along the Ruta de las Flores. In the native Nahuatl language Juayua means: Place of the purple orchid. We never did see a purple orchid, but we did see lovely crimson flowers in the hedges along the roadside.

Apaneca

This village is located at an altitude of almost 1500 meters, which meant it was pleasantly cool at last. 

Concepción de Ataco

Ataco is the nicest villages of La Ruta de las Flores. This was our destination, we parked and headed off to walk the village.

The streets were cobbled and lined with colorful little stores selling absolutely everything. There was a large plaza with a church at one end.

Cute restaurants, more shops and lots of colorful street art. Yes, wonderful street art, murals everywhere!

The street art is what had me captivated.

We had lunch at a very nice cafe right off the plaza where we could watch the village folk.

And then we were off for another walk around the village admiring the street art. Until finally it was time to head back to Bahia del Sol.

And then there was a village we passed through on our return journey which had many different old fashioned trains on display. 

(Ataco is located 45 minutes from the border of Guatemala – Las Chinamas)

Botanical Gardens

Was another site for us to visit on another shopping excursion. Found In the middle of the big city San Salvador, nestled in a volcanic crater, it is an oasis of huge trees, beautiful vegetation and many birds. 

We arrived, parked, entered and began our exploration of the gardens. There are over 3,300 different plant species in the area. It was said to be an impressive collection of plants and flowers from around the world. 

We wandered around and found  plants are arranged according to their types, including medicinal plants, desert plants, ferns, orchids, and more. Each plant collection was labeled with family, common, and scientific names, as well as their distribution. 

There were aquatic plants, desert plants, begonias, bromeliads, medicinal plants, and orchids. The site is also home to assorted woodland animals. 

Historically, the crater at the garden’s location once held a lagoon for many centuries. However, a volcanic eruption at the end of the 18th century transformed it into a semi-marshy area. An earthquake in 1873 drained most of the area, turning it into fertile land, which was later used for livestock farming and eventually became part of a private garden featuring centuries-old trees and exotic plants.

In the 1960s and 1970s, an industrial complex was constructed on part of the area, and the private garden was handed over to a private association for management and conservation. The La Laguna Botanical Garden was officially opened to the public on December 22, 1978. 

We enjoyed our time wandering around the gardens. My favorite were the exotic flowers blooming from the trunk of their parent tree.

Plus the very colorful iguanas and the very sweet woodland deer.

“And that,” said Bean,” is why loosing is a much more powerful teacher than winning.” – Orson Scott Card

Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient. – Steve Maraboil

 

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Back in El Salvador

Our plane arrived in El Salvador at 10:30am.  Don and Andy met us at the airport in a rental car. They suggested we drive back via Libertad where we could have lunch and a look around. This suited us so we packed our luggage into the car and off we drove.

Libertad aka Surf city

is situated on the coast of El Salvador. It used to be an important port, but now is an important fishing town. It is also renowned for its surf and surfing and to the El Salvadorians as a fun holiday town with great sea food restaurants. 

After a half hour drive from the airport we arrived in Libertad and were lucky to secure a parking bay along the shore front. I say lucky as it was so busy. As it was Sunday the town was packed with local holiday makers.

We walked a stretch of the front and chose to eat at one of the smaller, less crowded restaurants food was amazing! Fresh seafood – grilled spicy shrimp with rice and salad. 

Afterwards we walked along the shoreline, looking out at the beach. I don’t think I would want to swim there. On the way back we walked through the fish market and passed the fishing fleet.

The fish drying on the sides of the boats plus the fresh catch were all being sold. Many of the fish being sold we weren’t familiar with. 

The streets of Libertad were very busy, plus many were under construction so we were not able to wander far. John and I decided to return another day.

Off to Mac Donald’s

Don and Andy stayed a further day on Aeeshah and so we all set off in the dinghy to have lunch in the MacDonalds on stilts.

Once again the lunch was fabulous. I took a risk and ordered the Pescado entero a la Parrilla, they all ordered the Camarones a la Parrilla. My grilled fish was INCREDIBLE! Just so well cooked and flavorful. There was so much of it I was able to give everyone a sample. 

City to shop, Libertad again and along the shoreline

When we need supplies, major groceries we drive into the city to a large grocery store and stock up. Plus we take advantage of being able to rent a car for only $25 day and go for a day of touring too. 

Beyond Libertad

This time, for our tour day, we decided to return to Libertad, and to continue along the coast road to see where it led. 

Unfortunately the day was gray and a bit rainy, off we went anyway. We found the shoreline changes to cliffs and rugged rocky stretches with very dark black beaches attractive in its own way.

The road winds along tree covered and shady with tunnels that cut through the cliffs. We stopped for a walk on a beach and a look around, again I found it difficult to love the black sand beaches. 

We also stopped for lunch at a small restaurant that literally hangs over a cliff.

The food was excellent. Once again I ordered the same grilled fish, (cooked over an open wood fire), so did John. It was wonderful!

Boat chores, beach walks, John’s recovery

Most days have been filled with early morning beach walks followed by boat chores. The beach in front of the hotel is immense. It is wide, especially so during low tide and it is 15 kilometers long.

We cut through the hotel grounds which extend  from the river where the marina is located across the road all the way to the beach on the other side. Watch the Macaws for a spell….

Then we have a choose to turn to our left and the river mouth or to the right and 15 kilometers….

Our favorite time is low tide, the sand is firm and I enjoy picking up the shells. I limit myself to only the perfect ones that I don’t have. Otherwise I would be laden with 100s. 

John is feeling so much better he has taken to jogging along and then walking back. The beach is also nice and quiet, a few tourists, a few fishermen and some seabirds.

There are locals that have huts where they sell refreshments. Some of the locals have mobile refreshment stands. They ride them up or down the beach serving drinks and slush ices.

And yes, it is usually very hot! On a good morning we get a sea breeze, but most mornings are brilliant sunshine with little breeze. I love the reflections cast by the clouds into the pooling water of low tide. Also the marks left in the sands by the receding tide, the patterns are magnificent!

Our boat chores consisted of a very long list. We have smashed the list!! Yep, we have nearly finished all of what we need to do.

Puerto Del Diablo/The Devil’s door

Off on another 2 day driving adventure this time we started at the Puerta Del Diablo.

“The Devil’s Gate is a rock formation and tourist site located in the district of Panchimalco, department of San Salvador, El Salvador. Its main attraction is the crack formed by two rocks nestled on the El Chulo hill, from whose peaks a wide panorama of the surrounding territory can be observed. It is located one kilometer from Balboa Park .”

When we arrived unfortunately so did the clouds. It was obviously a very beautiful site, but with the clouds closing in we had trouble seeing the views. We walked about, being careful on the glass platforms as they are slippery. 

Plus we were able to climb up one of the small overhangs which with my knee was a challenge. Again the view was there but not really clear due to cloud cover. We will definitely return, we need to see the area on a clearer day.

After leaving the park we drove into the city to do our grocery shopping. John indulged with his 1st hamburger since his surgery! He loved it! And had no issues.

El Boquerón

The San Salvador Volcano, also known as Quezaltepeque or El Boquerón. is a  strato volcano situated northwest to the city of San Salvador. In a protected park area. 

We had been told by many friends it was a wonderful area to visit…..so off we went for the day. Luckily the weather was good.

The drive up from the city was along a winding country road with some lovely views through the trees of the slopes and city below.

As we approached the final stretch the traffic became stalled and then stopped completely. We sat, waited, saw others getting out of cars. Then other cars trying to squeeze past, the situation did not look good. We could neither reverse, go ahead or even turn. John suggested I get out, walk uphill and find the problem and let him know.

Much to my amazement I found a huge 8 wheel trailer truck, flatbed and a large digger stuck at the park entrance. Nobody could go anywhere!

After watching the fiasco for a few minutes John appeared, his curiosity got the better of him. We watched, the driver was slowly maneuvering by reversing around a tight bend. The trailer became stuck against a ledge. The large digger was attached by chain to jack up the flatbed. Voila! The driver managed to free the flatbed and roll the whole lot into an entrance way, squeezing in next to a dozen cars.

We finally were able to return to the car, slowly approach the carpark and finally explore the park.

The parkland has marked trails, which you follow to the viewpoints of the crater. Once again while walking the trails I enjoyed the flowers!

 There are three viewpoints all at different angles along  the rim of the crater.

We walked from one to the other being able to look across and down into the crater. From above you can appreciate El Boqueroncito, the smaller crater at the bottom.

Looking across to the far sides you can see the slopes which are forested.

The Boqueron volcano has steep-walls of 500 m and is 1500 m wide at the summit crater, which was formed during a large eruption about 800 years ago. El Picacho, the most prominent peak at 1,960m.

It was a very enjoyable visit. Leaving was a lot easier as the traffic had abated. We chose to stop at a pizza place for lunch and had the most wonderful pizzas made in a proper pizza oven.

The pizza was amazing and all original. John had one with a ton of jalapeño peppers ….. I really don’t know how he managed with all that fire going inside him!

Overall it was a great day out.

National volleyball competition, more beach walking, a boat load of fish, and great inexpensive lunch, (which I don’t cook)

Back at the marina/hotel the weekend brought a national volleyball competition on the beach.

Somehow the competitors wee able to compete in the scorching sun on the roasting beach sand! Plus they were very good.

We also had our neighboring fishing boat return from a full day’s fishing with a boat load of fish, plus a huge Thrasher Shark! Chico was most impressed. Unfortunately for Chico they never shared any of the catch with him….He even begged looking on longingly as they cleaned the catch. 

The next morning Chico was able to catch a flying fish which landed on the dock. I think he was very happy as he ate every scrape of that flying fish.

We have also found that we can walk about a mile down the road and buy a very nice lunch for $7.00 from a vendor. The food is excellent and too much for me to finish. 

Life is going well 

A man is rich, whose heart is light,

Whose pleasures are simple, and his joys in sight,

He finds delight, in nature’s gentle breeze,

And sunshine warms his soul, with effortless ease.

His wealth is measured, not in gold or might,

But in the beauty, of a peaceful night,

A walk in the woods, a book by the fire,

These are the treasures, that his heart desires.

He is the richest, who can find delight,

In the smallest pleasures, that life brings to sight,

A child’s laughter, a friend’s warm embrace,

These are the riches, that fill his heart with grace.

So let us not be fooled, by wealth’s disguise,

For true richness lies, in a heart that’s wise,

That finds joy in the simple things,

And treasures love, above all earthly rings.

Author unknown

 

PHOTO’S LINK—–>>    https://photos.app.goo.gl/3H7C52ojUdq7dXXa7

Travel delays

Off we set for Bermuda with many plans of what  to do: maintenance on our house and Airbnb, house sitting for our son, being daycare for two grandchildren and other expectations of walks, get-togethers and outing

Our flight from El Salvador took us to Miami airport where we caught a taxi ride to Fort Lauderdale. This was to be our hub for our BermudAir flight to Bermuda the next day….. and then our flight was cancelled due to hurricane Ernesto. The airline just simply canceled our flight and left it to us to find another. This was not possible for several days so there we were in Fort Lauderdale in a hotel. Basically we filled the time by wandering around and shopping. Meanwhile John wasn’t feeling 100% 

Our flight new flight on the Monday wasn’t until later afternoon/evening so we spent that day wasting time at Fort Lauderdale airport. Then, the flight was delayed boarding, so more hanging about, then after boarding we sat in the plane, on the runway for 1 and 1/2 hours, while the pilot revved the engines. Why? Because the plane had been over filled/loaded with fuel and needed to burn off the excess fuel before being able to fly. (Or we would have to leave the plane while the fuel was taken out.  This all meant that we didn’t get to Bermuda until 12:30, yep, the early hours of the next day. We then needed to find Gavin’s car in the car park, drive to his place, get the baggage in and upstairs etc. John collapsed from exhaustion, literally he collapsed on the couch, which is not like him. I did think it strange because normally he has much more endurance than I do.

1st week

Tuesday we had to be up early ready to have Quest for the day. Chrissie and Quest were staying at Gavin’s too and so it was an easy transition. Meanwhile, we were still quite weary from the previous day. 

I had a Dr’s appointment, then there was grocery shopping and Quest came along. He was a real trooper, well, as long as we bribed him with this and that….. 

May and Quest

Meanwhile John was still feeling quite rotten. For the rest of the week we were staying at Gavins house as there were guests in our Airbnb. We kept busy: 

May brought me flowers she had picked at the Botanical Gardens  :} We gave her the El Salvador gift box.

We took Quest and Amy for a walks to Devonshire Bay. 

After work each day we had family visit. Everyone enjoys Gavin’s pool and garden being right on the ocean. John, swam with the kids, we chatted and caught up. 

Our girls, Chrissie and Kate

We had further Dr’s appointments. I was hopeful of getting all my complaints seen to.

By the end of the week, John was still feeling crummy, so Chrissie decided to test him for covid. His test came back positive!

We had to cancel most of our weekend plans. The family still came over to say hello. The kids had lots of fun, but poor John was kept at a distance. I was neurotic about catching it too.

In the red, Josh Kate’s bf, Kate, Chrissie, me, Shannon and Ethan our eldest grandson.

Our 25 year old Grandson Ethan and his girl friend Shannon, next to me. John and Rhianna our 23 year old Granddaughter, (who had recently had open heart surgery. Josh and our Kate.

Week 2

We moved to our home and had May and Quest for the week, instead of them going to camp. They thought they were going to have fun with us.

On the Tuesday John had to go back to the Dr’s office for a fasting blood test. That evening John received an urgent call from the Dr….. John had to go straight to the hospital. His blood work showed that his liver was not functioning at all well. It was from this point onwards that all our plans were shot. 

In the hospital John was back on the drip, off of all foods, and tested, tested, tested. It was decided that for what ever reason there was a problem with his bile duct and his liver was very jaundiced, so it would be back to Lahkey Hospital, Boston. Meanwhile John was rapidly declining, feeling really unwell, his colour was yellow, he was shivering one minute then hot the next. And actually he wasn’t himself at all.

The next bad news was that John still had Covid, so we could not fly on a commercial flight. Plus, we had to mask up, and all the rest that goes with Covid. Everyone was having to be tested too, but surprisingly still only John was positive. 

Once again we were Medi-vacted to Boston. This time we flew on a Lear jet with Canadian crew and Medical team. It was a smooth quick flight, but leaving late and arriving at 3:30am! Then off in the ambulance to the hospital about 45 minutes away. 

At the hospital room with just one bed for John which he was tucked up into, and hooked up to a load of instruments. I pulled out the big chair from the corner of the room it reclined quite well, I took one of John’s covers and pillows and rested there in the corner of the room. Meanwhile, poor John was jabbed, blood taken all sorts of machines attached to him and had a constant flow of medical staff examining him and discussing him while they stood on the room. 

At the approach of 7:00am I headed to the front of the hospital where the lady at reception found me a ride in a security van to my hotel.  Luckily it was the same hotel as before. Arriving at so early, I couldn’t check into my room as it wasn’t ready. However,  I could go for breakfast, which I was very pleased about as I hadn’t eaten since the previous lunchtime. The hotel does a really great buffet breakfast. Finally by 10:00am there was a room. 

After a few hours rest I headed out to get supplies, this time using the hotel shuttle. I picked up enough for a few days and then asked the teller to please call the hotel for the shuttle for me. As the area is all medical facilities the staff in all the shops are more than happy to call for shuttles and taxis. 

After returning to the hotel I got the shuttle to the hospital, and found John’s room in the maze of floors, corridors and rooms. John, had already been operated on. 

John’s bile duct had indeed been clogged again, this time with gunk. His liver was also terribly jaundiced, it was nearly one third filled with gas from his intestines and stomach, his blood count was also not good he was anemic, overall he was considered quite ill. 

The medical team had put in another stent. This one was to stay and act as a drain for his bile. He is one of 5% of people who over produce bile, nobody knows why this starts. Many people are misdiagnosed and go years being very ill due to this over production of bile in their system and some never do find out why and suffer.

Believe it or not but, not the next day, but the day after that, John was released from hospital. 

Our first stop was Best Buy, John needed and wanted a new iPad. As luck would have it there was a Labour Day sale on and the price was excellent.

The following day we flew home to Bermuda.

Flying over the reefs on the approach to Bermuda always is awesome!  

However, that did not mean John was well. He was sick for weeks after. His stomach and gut health were very poor. He found it challenging to even want to eat. In the end he lost over 25lbs. It has taken until now, the beginning of October for John to feel better and to be able to enjoy food.

Week 3 

Quest’s birthday October 11th

Needless to say our stay became convalescence for John. We did manage to get our Airbnb touched up with paint, completely cleaned, repaired where necessary and restored after 6 months of near constant use.  Ivan was a great help! However, John never go to do any of the other jobs he had planned…..“never mind, next time”, I tell him. 

Week 4

Taken from our bedroom at Gavin’s

We had another stay at Gavin’s lovely home. This time Gavin and Katie were away for Gavin’s Birthday celebration. We had our Granddaughters Lily and Eve to care for.

Granddaughter’s Lily and Evie

It certainly was a busy several days. There was a schedule to follow, which we hadn’t had for many years. Up early we are used to, but cooking breakfast, driving to school and such. Then after school the various activities to take them to.

We even lost Lily one afternoon, she went to tennis and it wasn’t on the schedule because the school hadn’t confirmed the activity. It was busy, but the girls were amazing! So able, helpful, and easy.

Quest’s Birthday Party

That weekend was our Grandson, Quest’s Birthday Party at Gavin’s place too. The day dawned rainy, overcast, and dull….not Birthday Party weather.

However, the party went ahead, all went well, Quest and guests had a blast even swimming and playing in the rain.

Tzai and Papa catch up. (We hadn’t seen her for quite some time)

We all had a tasty pizza lunch.

The children watched a movie on the big screen in the viewing lounge.

The adults all chatted, and caught up. Above are Quest’s 2 Granddads.

The cake was a great success!!!

and of course the presents were a hit with Quest.

Shortly after Quest’s special day, it was time to pack and leave. John was feeling like he could cope with the traveling and he was keen to get back to Aeeshah and recover. 

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” —Robert Louis Stevenson

FYI:

“Every 35 days, your skin replaces itself. Your liver, in about a month. Your body makes these cells from the food you eat. What you eat literally becomes you. You have a choice in what you are made of. Eat wisely.” ~Anonymous

 

Off to El Salvador

PHOTO ALBUM: 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/6FFoZFXibrdwWq1C7

We left Puesto Del Sol Marina, chugged down the river and were out into the Pacific again. The plan was to head into a bay at the very northern end of Nicaragua.

The day was another mix of weather. It started partly cloudy, became cloudless and then towards the end of our passage along back came all the clouds bringing a threat of rain. We passed around the point before the bay, seeing many fishermen and being careful to avoid the lines. These guys were using flags and buoys from their long lines. 

Punta el Rosario

Was our intension to stop for the night in a sheltered bay behind Punta el Rosario. No sooner than I had reached the bow, ready to drop the anchor than there was a patrol boat with mounted machine guns and 6 troops aboard. 

Of course we had to drop anchor, put out fenders and allow their Lieutenant to come aboard. After showing him our documents, him seeing we were legal, he phoned his superior. He asked if we may stay in the bay for the night. His superior did not advise it as the nearby fishing village had had some problems. They mentioned bandits and I gathered there had been theft issues. They said that it would be a huge temptation for the local fishermen to have a boat like ours anchored nearby.

We decided to head off across the Golfo De Fonseca to Isla Meanguera to anchor near the village on the Isla.

These islands being on the El Salvador side of the bay. The Golfo De Fonseca is a large gulf which has Nicaragua on one side, Honduras in the middle and El Salvador.

It was already 4:30 and we knew we only had a good few hours of daylight left. Unfortunately as we approached the isles not only did it become dark, but the regular heavy rain clouds drew in and it started to pour. We were totally reliant on the Navionics tracks for navigation around the isle and into the bay, just crossing our fingers, hoping there were no buoys or other obstacles in front of us. I stood on the bow with a head lamp and a torch looking out, but with the heavy rain it was near impossible to see any distance.  Finally we were we thought we wanted to be, I managed to drop the anchor, we held, and were set for the night. What was near us? We didn’t know, so we just  had faith in our Navionics. 

Isla Meanguera

We found our selves in a very lovely bay. It was sheltered, calm, with a few houses and fishing boats. We ended up staying 2 nights at Isla Meanguera.

The night we arrived and a second night during which we had the worst possible thunder, lightning, rain, wind event. It was even scary for John who swore that when he was at the stern the lightening hit the rocks just behind us.

 

Finally we received word that we could cross the bar into El Salvador.

We sailed over night towards the bar, but again encountered dozens of fishing boats.

These boats were everywhere and of every size. The large commercial fishing boats were further off shore with the smaller ones closer in.

Luckily they did have lights on, but it meant we were dodging them all night long. Again John did the middle part of the night.

Crossing the bar 

I was up at 4:30am and on watch enjoying a lovely sunrise. Yes, the fishing boats were still around.

By 7:30am we arrived at our rendezvous point with a few hours to spare. We tried anchoring but John was very concerned its having Aeeshah rolling all over the places which meant everything was strained and stressed including us. The answer was to make way at a knot out to sea for an hour and then return. 

Finally our pilot boat arrived, the waiting was quite stressful for both of us. Probably more so for John who was sleep deprived.

Off we set at full throttle following the pilot boat and before we knew it we were across the worst of the swell. Our top speed was nearly 11 knots! 

By the time I got the buoys and ropes readied, fastened to Aeeshah we were dockside at the marina. We received a very warm welcome from everyone there….and gosh there was quite a number of folks.

There were the authorities, Bill and Jean, various cruisers and believe it or not a waiter Oscar holding a tray of delicious looking drinks. 

Hotel Bahia Del Sol Marina

John went off with the authorities to check us in and I sorted out Aeeshah. It was the easiest entry into a country we had ever experienced! 

The marina/hotel is very nice. The grounds run from the river across to the Pacific on the other side. There are several pools and bars, a daily buffet, 2 other restaurants,

plus one can just have a tab for payment at the end of the month.

We have enjoyed walking around the lovely grounds. 

Being on the river but close to the sea the marina is naturally affected by the tide. The tides in the Pacific are very steep. In other words there is either a great loss of water or a massive flow in. The wash by our dock was quite scary, you would not want to fall in.

We found out that the water at the docks was not potable, we needed water and couldn’t make it under the circumstances. So, we called the waterman.

He delivered the water which we shall now use, but we still catch our own drinking water with a water catch system I devised.

After about a week we finally were able to lower the dinghy and head up river for a brief visit to Bill and Jean’s property.

We are looking forward to further river explorations.

San Salvador

A few trips to the city were necessary, we needed a new AC. Ours had been drenched when in Nicaragua and so the electronics no longer worked. We also needed another fuel container for the dinghy. Ours had been stolen when we were in the marina in Nicaragua. It was our 1st night at the marina, the dinghy was way up the top of the davits, well secured. Someone, during the night, managed to climb up, unattached the fuel lines from the tank, neatly coil them up, plus fold up the fuel tank cover and leave with our fuel tank. Thus we needed a new fuel tank. 

Finding either proved to be impossible. We had rented a car, driven into San Salvador and visited all of the recommended AC dealers and hardware stores, absolutely nothing. The ACs were all split systems and not suitable for a boat. We did finally locate a fuel tank for the dinghy.

Also in the city we were able to stock up on supplies as the city has large well stocked grocery stores, near the marina are very small tiendas.

Plus we visited the Artisans market and found some lovely gifts to take home. The folks there were so very friendly and helpful. There were many wonderful arts and crafts.

The city was quite easy for us to navigate around. It was interesting seeing the different areas.

There were lovely murals on walls, the tall Google building and the Arts Museum looks very interesting for a future visit.

The drive there and back was colorful too. Many stands selling plastic beach toys were set up along the Costa del Sol. Further along dozens of coconuts for sale, further still water melons were being offered.

A walk to the end of Costa Del Sol

Costa Del Sol is the peninsular and beach where our marina is located. The peninsular is a good 40 minute drive, the beach is 15 kilometers long. It is a favorite beach holiday area. One morning we took a walk to the end of the peninsula, Costa Del So, from the marina. It is actually not a long walk just about 1.5 kms.

The road there is lined with an odd collection of small farms, luxury resorts and ruins of what must have been fancy homes.

At the end where the mouth is located and the beach starts we found many small palapas which are used mainly at weekend and holidays to serve foods, some small tiendas and water taxis all there to cater to the visitors.

The beach itself is covered in driftwood littered with trash. We guessed this was from the river? I did find some shells and we enjoyed beach walking. 

We stopped under what was set up as a life guards and enjoyed the shade for a while.

We enjoyed a refreshing drink while enjoying watching the venders and locals just enjoying the local colour. 

Again we look forward to further walks to the beach when we return. I just hope it cools down a bit by then……

Don and Andy arrive:

Don and Andy are our Chico and Aeeshah sitters/minders while we travel home this summer.

They arrived a few days before we were due to fly home. We drove into the city to meet them from their bus.

Off we went to lunch and then to the grocery store so that they could get a few basics for staying on the boat.

Back at the marina we briefed them on Aeeshah and Chico.

MacDonald’s for lunch

The day before we left we all went in the dinghy to the local “MacDonald’s”. This was a very rustic restaurant in the middle of a sand bar in the river. Near the marina and the river mouth is a sandbar with a collection of restaurants all on stilts. Why the stilts? The rise and fall from the tides…..

The food was very good, all of us selecting shrimps.

After a fun time catching up and riding the dinghy back it was time for us to finish up aboard Aeeshah. 

The next morning we were driven to the airport and started our journey home.

6 Facts about El Salvador

 El Salvador accepts Bitcoin.

El Salvador means “The Saviour”

San Salvador pre-dates the Spanish arrival.

El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America.

The República de El Salvador flag is a symbol of independence in Central America.

El Salvador does not have a standing army.

 

PHOTOS ——>>   https://photos.app.goo.gl/gidKt6w53VobKtpQ8

Bahia Santa Elena

The passage to Bahia San Elana was lovely. The shoreline and off shore islands looked to be wild and exotic.

This enormous bay was our pit-stop before heading to Nicaragua. We wanted to explore the area as it is all national park, “The Parque National Santa Rosa” and totally uninhabited.

This area had recently been designated a Marine Management Area which meant the bay would be reserved for specific purposes. These include the conservation of marine life. 

Bahia Santa Elena is 732-hectare. It is a breeding area for several marine species, including dolphins, whales, and turtles. Plus the endangered whale shark and several species of rays breed here and are seen here. 

Our explorations were in the dinghy. The day was absolutely lovely, sunny, with just the right amount of clouds in the sky. We set off around the bay in a clockwise direction. Absolutely everywhere was stunningly beautiful.

Along the shores of the first side bay we did consider going ashore, but then I spotted long spined sea urchins by the hundreds sitting in the shallows. We decided to postpone our landing to the other side of the bay.

 The massive, tree-covered slopes on the northern shores were of dense jungle. We could hear howler monkeys, many, many different bird calls and insect screeches. 

Along the shores of the lower part of the bay are several river estuaries. As it was low tide there was no way we could enter the rivers, that will be for the next time. Even the shallows of the rivers were interesting and attractive.

Beyond them we could see that the foliage had changed. It was of species of plants that survive in drier climates.

We surmised that this was probably due to the Papagayo winds, or Papagayo jet as they are called, that blast through in the winter months. These wind speeds have been recorded as high as 70 mph which is just shy of hurricane strength.

We saw cormorants basking in the sun with their wings spread, babbling away to each other. 

The mangrove area that we came to was again impassable for us. There was actually supposed to be an access path to the parks maintenance trail. However we never saw any sign of any possible access.

About halfway back up the far side of the bay we were able to land the dinghy. Being low tide and no swell it was very easy. However we had to be extremely gentle as poor dinghy was damaged. 

Off we went walking the beach. The beach was enormous being as it was low tide.

We walked the shallows, plus the high tide mark where I found many Paper Nautilus shells and bleached sea eggs. I was really surprised as these were so very delicate and yet still intact after being washed ashore.

Near the low tide mark I found a lovely Rooster Conch. At first I thought it was alive, but it wasn’t. 

There were several small rivers running out across the sands and looking up them we could see creeks. We didn’t dare enter, too many bugs plus the threat of snakes.

Again no sign of a pathway that we had read about, however we found a backwards parks sign. However the foliage behind was impenetrable. 

The weather was doing its usual clouding up as the day progressed, getting ready for the regular later afternoon rain event. Back at Aeeshah we readied to leave early the next morning.

———————————————————————

Passage to Puesta Del Sol, Nicaragua

Our passage to Puesta Del Sol, Nicaragua was wonderful. We had perfect sailing wind and the seas were just a gentle roll. There were regular visits from dolphins who would race Aeeshah through the sea. The evening brought a lovely sunset.

The only challenge were the numerous fishermen with their long lines. Most of them were further off shore than we were and so easy to avoid. As the night progressed we came upon a very large group of about 18 lighted boats or vessels. They appeared to be in a group and more or less stationary in the distance. We wondered if perhaps it was some type of netting taking place, or a floating fishery where they keep the fish in nets. Once past this group again the fishing boats tended to be alone or in pairs. We were very thankful they had lights on as they do not show up on AIS or radar, plus they are silent. Without the lights we could have easily run into them.

Into the Viejo River to the marina

The sun rose on the distant shore we could see the Nicaraguan volcanos and ahead we could see where we had to enter the river. To get into Puesta Del Sol marina, (the only Harbour/landing), we had to cross a sand bar and travel up river….the Rio Viejo.

The marina directed us, Juanita whom we had been in contact with gave us very specific instructions as to where enter by sending us way-points, plus she was there to give us further info via her WhatsApp. 

The river was flowing out at quite a rapid rate, but slowly, slowly, we crept up the shores. And around the first bend we could see the marina with a few fellows awaiting our arrival. It turned out to be a very easy entry.

Once in place we were shown to the office to meet Juanita and start our check in process. 

The marina was very empty with just a few slips having boats. We headed towards the office which turned out to be in the main hotel reception area.

Again the hotel was very quiet, just a few workers around. Jaunita met with us, got our info and said the immigration, and ports folks would be along later to check us in. Customs couldn’t make it so he would just take the info via Juanita and email. 

We met with the authorities, who had driven in from the city over an hour away. Within half an hour everything was done, they left and we were officially in Nicaragua. 

The Puesto Del Sol Marina

Was 1st built in 2004 by a returning Nicaragua cruiser. The marina as far as we were concerned was nice, quiet and simple. Other than us for the 1st week, the only occupied boat was the fellow that built the marina and his wife. Then another cruising boat came in they are headed to Costa Rica. 

John was able to use the marina dock to repair our poor, sad dinghy. It is now A1 again.

The marina is attached to the hotel and grounds. These days the hotel is only open at the weekends. So we have the use of all the grounds and plus the bathrooms in the hotel reception. This makes for a very peaceful area to stay and a huge area to wander.

Across the river from the hotel pool you can see Volcán San Cristóbal. This volcano is the highest volcano in Nicaragua at 1,745 m (5,725 ft). It also forms a backdrop to the city of Chichigalpa. From the hotel, you go out the entrance gate and before you is 1 straight country road into the village. 

The village named Aserradores, (which means Sawyers)

On our first trip out we did a sort of reconnaissance mission, looking, and asking and sussing out what was around.

There are fields for cattle, pigs, horses and crops. These fields and the road are lined by lovely shady trees.

Tucked away, off the side of the country lane are the homes, 3 tiendas, a hostel, a young lady who does laundry, a bakery, a butcher’s window, and the local church.

In between are lanes leading to further homes, small farms and the beach. Yes, a very simple village, but we found after looking around that we could get nearly everything we needed. 

The bakery, Buns of Paradise, opens Monday, Wednesday and Friday. They sell very nice freshly made sourdough breads, cinnamon buns, baguettes, rolls and sweets. Going there became a Monday, Wednesday, Friday habit.

The laundry was done by a young lady using a combination of a small machine, a scrubber using hand power and a clothes line for drying. She did a wonderful job! Our clothes smelled of pure sunshine, just so clean! She has a very sweet little girl who has a chick she found as her special pet. 

Finding fruit was a bit challenging until I figured it out. They grow everything like mangoes, bananas, citrus so they really have no need to sell/buy fruit.

Therefore I started walking the marina hotel property, picking and picking up windfalls. The mangoes were wonderful if I could get them before the birds and insects. John loved having the citrus for his rum.

I didn’t wish to buy meat or chicken at the butchers. They slaughtered it right there and sold it out the front window. It was just too fresh for me. 

Beer? Cash? Diesel?

Yep the village was good for nearly everything, that was until, John needed beer, cerveza….. We had started asking in the tiendas for beer, cerveza, and we were met with shocked expressions, almost like John had said a very rude word. “No! No! Cerveza” Once outside we were met by a fellow who must have heard through the village grapevine of our search. He explained in a quiet voice, this was not allowed in this village, but we could ask at the hostel or Pirates bar. That was when we figured it out, the church…..must rule the village and beer/alcohol is the devils brew. 

The hostel sold John cold beers by the dozen. A brand new type, that he reports are very good. The hostel also serves a very decent fish/chips/salad lunch. 

The next issues to solve were we could not get money, cash. There’s no ATM or bank! Nor was there any fuel, diesel for sale. We needed more diesel to carry on towards our destination. (We do sail, but we do also like to keep the fuel tanks full, in case, just in case).

The solution was to travel to the city. However, we found out the taxis are very small cars so we had to do two trips to:

Chinandega, taxi to the city.

Our 1st trip to the city was to get cash, go to a grocery store for all we couldn’t find in the village, to go to a pharmacy and pick up a SIM card for John’s phone. We were picked up by Marvin in his little red car. The drive in was along country roads, passing fields of cattle and acres, and acres of sugar cane. Sugar seems to be a big Nicaraguan product. 

The city was buzzing with energy, traffic, bikes zipping around and folks busily going about their business. I loved the tricycles they were using as transport and taxis.

1st stop was for a SIM card, very easily purchased for $3.00, included 3 gigs for 7 days. Everything done at a roadside Claro stand/kiosk. 

2nd stop was the ATM for US cash, which you can use as well as local cash. Again, very easily done at any ATM.

3rdly we were off to the grocery store. There we found everything we needed in a large grocery store. 

4th we dropped into the pharmacy next to the grocery and I found all I wanted. Finally we drove to a small phone electronics storefront where Marvin, the driver got John his new phone jack and cable. All told the driving plus shopping took just over 3 hours. 

2 days later we once again drove to the city. This time our driver was Noel, in his little white taxi we climbed in with our fuel jugs. Again it was very easy. The fuel was very well priced at $4.50 a gallon. 

Opposite the gas station was a terrific, fruit and veg stand where I stocked up on all we needed. Plus, some fruits to try.

Fruits to try were:

Dragon fruit/ The Pitaya

 this strange looking softball sized fruit with its fluorescent reddish pink skin and overlapping scaly leaves really fascinated us. Even more fascinating was the deep magenta colored fruit inside with its tiny black edible seeds (It’s quite different to the white flesh of the Vietnamese Dragon fruit). The Pitaya is native to Costa Rica and Nicaragua where it is grown commercially for its fruit. This cactus type vine produces huge flowers that only bloom at night. This fruit was sort of like a kiwi in flavor, enjoyable.

The inside such a bright fluorescent pinky purple that it stained our stools and urine for days.

Nance fruit

 The nance fruit looks a bit like a little, yellow, cherry but bears a strong odor and unique flavor. We both like it.

Its thin flesh is golden and it encases a creamy white pulp. Apparently it can be eaten  raw or cooked, into smoothies or jams. I read that In Jamaica it is called hogberry. What’s more, nance fruit is used to make a fermented beer-like drink known as chicha in Panama and parts of Latin America.

Mamoncillo:

 Most commonly known as the Spanish lime, mamoncillo has a striking resemblance to your typical small, lime with its green skin. But it’s not a citrus fruit. This fruit it belongs to the family of lychees and rambutan. In fact, the name “mamoncillo” translates to honey berry, which it really does taste like sweet honey.

It is of the more popular Nicaraguan fruits. It is also added into desserts, beverages and jellies. Nicaraguans even roast mamoncillo seeds and eat them like water chestnuts.

Most of the days we were in Nicaragua we would go for a walk into the village. Normally finding something to pick up from the little tiendas.

Me, looking for birds, squirrels, lizards, flowers, or whatever I could photograph. I spotted and got a photo of the Nicaraguan National bird: The Guardabarranco, Torogoz or Turquoise-Browed Motmot (Eumomota superciliosa) – is the Official “National bird of Nicaragua”

Sometimes following the muddy tracks that led to further small farms or homes. I do believe we probably became know to every villager. They were all very friendly people. 

Beach

Our first excursion to the beach was a trek into the unknown. we followed a trail heading off from the marina passing under very nice shady trees, but soon found ourselves surrounded by mosquitoes. Bug repellent was a must! We passed the small fishing settlement at the side of the bay. With John navigating we followed a lane around, and about, around, and about, until, finally we went straight down a trail and there was the marina’s unused pallapa that sits at the top of the beach. 

The beach is sooo big! And it just seems to go on forever.

This area of Central America is known for its surfing beaches. We didn’t see any surfers. We walked along a ways, and then back. There was nobody about, no boats or ships out to sea, just a very wild, wide, long, beach.

Another time we walked into, then out of the village where we were joined by a very cute brown dog. Down the road and around 2 bends we followed another lane to the beach. This time coming out at the distant end.

This beach is massive! Admittedly, it was just past low tide.

We set off to walk towards the palapa. We had water with us, which in the heat was really needed. There were many shells in the shallows, plus a few folks fishing, a couple swimming and a guy in the surf on his board. By the time we got back we had covered 7 miles, 7 very hot miles. 

Afternoon rain, thunder, lightening was a daily event. On the plus side it sure cooled the temperature down. 

Chico gets ashore at last!

Chico adored the hotel grounds. By the 3rd day he had discovered to his delight he could walk across the docks and up to the garden where there was his favorite, grass.

Of course we had to limit his grass consumption as we did not want him to get blockage like he did in Bocas Del Toro.

He would walk up to the gardens most mornings and evenings when it was some what cooler. 

And then it was time to say good bye to lovely Nicaragua and the friends we had made. We want to return and travel around this amazing, peaceful country.

10 interesting facts about Nicaragua

Land of lakes and volcanoes.

Home to four World Heritage Sites.

It has colonial cities.

Home to 7% of the world’s biodiversity.

Biosphere reserves.

First Geopark in Central America is here.

It is the birthplace of the father of Hispanic modernism.

The country has around 2,000 different dishes.