Hi Everyone -- Puerto Vallarta to Ixtapa, Mexico

On Saturday, December 2 we pulled out of our slip in Paradise Village heading for Manzanillo, approximately 180 miles south. We left at 8 a.m., crossed Banderas Bay and headed around Cabo Corrientes (Cape Currents) late morning since we’d read and heard that this cape is similar to Pt. Conception along the California coast—can be very windy with confused seas. Nope, nada, zip, zilch—oh, may be a little white capping—but then we rounded the cape early, which is best. Heading south towards Bahia de Chemela we saw lots of dolphins which came to ride our bow wake, sea turtles, whales, tropic birds and yellow bellied sea snakes (very venomous). The maps in Mexico aren’t accurate and at one point our GPS showed us going right through a small rocky island and later when we were at anchor in Chamela, the GPS showed us anchored up on land. Anyway, after a 12.5 hour transit, we pulled into Chemela at 8:30 that evening. Ordinarily, we wouldn’t enter an unfamiliar anchorage at night, but since we had a full moon and the GPS coordinates for entering the bay from Rains’ Pacific Mexico Guide, we felt a little more at ease going in. We had a quiet, easy anchor during the night and I was able to get some much needed rest from my traveler’s illness.

We made it to Manzanillo Sunday evening about 6 p.m. and anchored just off the Las Hadas Marina and Hotel. The hotel is quite something to see—it’s architecture is based on a Moorish fairytale and in fact the name Las Hadas means the fairies. You may have seen the movie “10” with Bo Derek and Dudley Moore; it was filmed there. We had use of the dinghy dock in the marina, the fabulous pool, the restaurants, laundry, etc. Most of Monday was spent trying to find out what we had to do to get a temporary import permit. After several phone calls, we spoke with the Las Hadas Marina dockmaster who was most kind and helpful. With his assistance, by late in the day we were put in contact with a ship’s agent who we arranged to take care of obtaining our permit.

Tuesday it took the better part of the day to get the permit since a custom’s agent had to be driven out to Las Hadas and brought aboard our vessel for inspection, photos and taking down info (and he couldn’t speak English), the paperwork had to be completed at customs and we had to take a taxi to the banjercito (government bank) to pay the $57 permit fee. But by late afternoon we had our permit and we were standing in the lovely pool at Las Hadas with beers in hand chitchatting with a Canadian couple there on vacation.

Wednesday, December 6 after refueling at Las Hadas we took off south for Ixtapa, a 24-hour transit. When darkness came upon us we made sure to stay well off shore to avoid any possibility of running into uncharted rocks, etc., and to stay away from the few albeit poor anchorages along the Michoacan coast since that area apparently attracts drug runners. For the 12-hour period from 7 p.m. through 7 a.m. the following day Paul and I each had three 2-hour watches. You try to get whatever rest you can during your 2 hours off, but for me by the time the 3rd watch comes along, I tend to move around, standup, continually check the radar and GPS map and hold my eyes open with my fingers (just kidding)—you do whatever you can to stay alert.

We cruised into the Ixtapa area on Thursday mid-day and got ourselves settled into the marina, Renegade’s home until mid-January 2007. Friday we went into Ixtapa to change dollars for pesos, do a little looking around, and picked up a few groceries at the super mercado (supermarket). Don’t know why they call it that, since there is absolutely no fresh meat available and very little produce. Friday evening we had a very good dinner and enjoyable conversation with two other cruiser couples who we met in the marina. It’s even more hot and humid in Ixtapa. We don’t wear anything while sleeping and one morning I got up and it was so warm I said to heck with it and stood in the galley in the nude preparing breakfast. There are certain benefits to that, you know.

Saturday I decided we needed to take the bus into Zihuatanejo to do some Christmas shopping for the family. I liked what we were able to see of the town during our visit and look forward to doing more sightseeing and shopping when we return. We stopped by Rick’s, a joint owned and operated by an American ex-cruiser, and enjoyed lunch of old fashioned hamburgers, potato salad and beer. Rick’s is the focal point for the Zihau Fest, a 5-day festival held in late January and early February as a fundraiser for indigenous Mexican Indian children in the area who can’t attend Mexican schools unless they learn to speak Spanish. We plan to move from the Ixtapa Marina to anchoring out in Zihuantanejo just before the festival so we can be where the action is and participate in the activities. On Monday, December 11 we are taking a flight out of Zihuatanejo to Sacramento, where we will be spending the holidays with our family and taking care of personal business. We plan to return to Mexico on January 10, 2007 where we will take up where we left off.

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas holiday season with family and friends and hope too that your lives are filled with good things in the New Year to come.

Feliz Navidad y Feliz Ano Nuevo,—Marilyn & Paul