5-3-15
Salinas- Puerto Escondito- Candeleros
We awoke early, checked in on the net and decided to head for Puerto Escondito. We needed fuel and also thought we might run into friends there for Loreto Fest.
On our way out of the anchorage we saw a juvenile whale shark swimming near the boat. We had such an amazing time last year swimming and paddling with them up in Conception Bay that we both felt sad not turning around to stay and play. However, we are on a schedule and there was no guarantee the whale shark wanted to play with us. So, we continued on.
We sailed past the group of kayakers and we radioed in the latest weather forecast, as it was Sunday and there was no local net from which to receive weather.
We had a nice sail to Puerto Escondito. There was a catamaran at the fuel dock when we arrived so we just circled the anchorage looking for boats we recognized.
It was our turn at the dock, so we tied up (by ourselves) and I went to look for the agent. We got fueled and as I was taking the trash to the dumpster I ran into Terry from Cetus! We caught up a bit and then made our way south to Candeleros. We were able to sail there, as well.
When we arrived in the anchorage, we were so happy to see that our friends Katie and Robin were anchored there!! Yay!!! We connected and shortly after were picked up by Robin and taken to their boat for margaritas and catching up.
We went to bed after a shrimp pasta dinner. We were able to get wifi here, too!
First Mate Kate
5-4-15
Mike and I decided (more me) that a night in a hotel room would be a good way to really recover from our long passage. Thus, we went on hotels.com and booked a room. We paddled into shore with our dry bag backpack full of clothes for our stay and checked in. We then paddled around the anchorage and swam over to Agave Azul to say good morning. We were having so much fun that we swam all the way to Pangaea.
The rest of the day was dedicated to serious pool time. Mike was aggravated because the wifi was so slow/bad. It's interesting that when it's free on board it is great, but irritating when you are paying for it.
We took a long hike up the ridge along the coast this afternoon. Then a hot shower. Ah!
We had a sushi/sashimi dinner at the main restaurant and then went upstairs to our room and watched movies on tv. That was fun!
Having a vacation from our vacation,
First Mate Kate
5-5-15
Happy Cinco de Mayo! It's funny that this is a US holiday, primarily. No one even mentioned it here in Mexico.
We had a nice buffet breakfast at the main restaurant and then took a long hike to the southern most part of the trail. Luckily, most of it was still in the shade of the hillside.
From there we went back to the pool to get our last dose of wifi and relaxation. I actually did my physical therapy exercises in the pool and kicked myself for not doing them yesterday.
We made a nice dinner and watched the rest of Big Bang Theory.
First Mate Kate
5-6-15
Candeleros- Puerto Escondito
We had a rendezvous plan today for a reunion with Shindig and Agave Azul on Elegante in Puerto Escondito today, so we waited for the wind to pick up and then had a nice sail to Puerto Escondito.
We anchored in our favorite spot which also happened to be close to Elegante. Rob and Nancy stopped by and gave us the plan and offered to be our ride, as our dinghy was still stored from our Mazatlan passage.
I made stuffed peppers and little cherry tarts in wonton cups. They turned out pretty well. I also brought a small baked camembert with drizzled raspberry jam on top.
We all had a really fun time being together again. We ate, drank, and told stories and laughed a lot.
Cruising through life,
First Mate Kate
5-7-15
Puerto Escondito- Candeleros
We woke up early and met Nancy for a paddle around the anchorage. We saw some spotted rays and a huge sea turtle while out paddling.
We decided to go back to Candeleros where we can enjoy paddling, swimming and hiking. And free so-so wi-fi. :-)
We had another excellent sail all the way to the anchorage. When we got in we saw that our friend Dave on Free Spirit was anchored there.
We debated about going to shore for dinner but we decided to make our own and go to shore in the morning.
All is well,
First Mate Kate
5-8-15
We got really used to our daily hikes, so we had breakfast and paddled into shore to do another coastal hike. Afterwards we went to the restaurant/bar at Villa de Palmar for a hamburger. Mine came so rare that I sent it back for more grill time. When it did arrive, Mike was finished eating and my burger still was pink inside.
We got back to the boat and I had phone service, so I called my mom to wish her an early Happy Mother's Day. It was nice to chat, although the service was really spotty and we had to re-dial each other several times because of a poor connection.
We went for a morning paddle and walk on the beach, and on the way back to the boat, stopped by Free Spirit to see Dave. We were happy to see each other and he invited us over for drinks later on.
We did a late afternoon paddle and walked along the west beach. We tried to dig for Chocolata Clams but had no luck.
We went over to Dave's with wine and a tapenade and his friend Brad from White Wind was on board. It turned into a really yummy dinner of fish and beans and fresh sour dough bread that Dave is so famous for making, and brownies for dessert.
It was getting late and we were on our SUPs, so we decided to head home. As I went to get my board set to launch, I noticed a ton of bioluminescence sparkling as I moved the lines. As I got on the board and started paddling, every stroke was like a magic wand of sparkles in the water. Our boards left a rocket fuel trace as they moved through the water. It was incredible. I giggled. Mike and I splashed each other with water and watched spray appear as sparks. It was definitely the best experience of bioluminescence so far in my lifetime. And it was totally and thoroughly a joy. Awesome. I felt like a little girl again.
First Matey Katie