Tuesday, 15 April 2014 – We left San Blas at 7:00 am and headed north about three miles off the coast towards Mazatlán. At noon, a nice wind at 10-15 knots started from the Southwest which allowed us to put up full sail. Just as the wind arrived and we were setting sails, we caught a nice Halibut, but we had no time to land it, so let it go. For five hours we scooted along at an average of seven knots. This was the longest continuous sailing we have done in a long time and swells were slight so it turned into a wonderful day of sailing.

By evening the wind had died but we were accompanied by an almost full moon throughout the night.

Monday, 14 April 2014 – The weather looks good for a Tuesday departure for Mazatlán. A final quick visit into town to top off our supplies and then back to Hilbre to prepare her for and early departure to Mazatlán. It has been nice being back in San Blas and we were not bothered by the JeJenes.

Sunday, April 13, 2014 – It is Palm Sunday in San Blas and it is a major holiday. On Sunday morning they held a Palm Sunday procession which wandered throughout the streets in the town. Someone rode on a Donkey as Jesus and it was obvious this carries some prestige. Palms fonds and carpets are laid for them to walk on as they proceed throughout the town in a long procession with everyone singing.  The streets are crowded with people waving intricately woven palm fonds from vendors who were doing brisk business. As the procession passes over the carpets and palm fonds they are then picked up and run to the front on the procession to be laid again for them to walk over. The procession eventually ends at the main entrance to the church.  From there, it leads down the main aisle of the church, along with the Donkey, to the alter.  There the main Palm Sunday Service begins.

We spent some time at the Social Club talking to the owner about his time working in New York as a window dresser in many of the large department stores.  From there, we headed to Lupe’s Beach Palapa for our Sunday lunch. We ran into the Canadian Gringo who was a new resident who talked about his first season hanging out in San Blas. Apparently, he was happy being in San Blas where he loved the laid-back life.

Saturday, 12 April 2014 – Back into town and a drink at the Social Club before doing some shopping and getting ice. In the evening we had dinner at La Isla restaurant.

Friday, 11 April 2014 – On Thursday when we arrived in San Blas from Punta De Mita, we met a Swiss guy who was sailing a 27-foot Catalina Capri to South America. He had already sailed all the way from San Diego and was having a great time. The boat next to us in the Marina was empty as apparently the solo sailor, who owned the boat had died suddenly a month or so before and his sister was arranging for the boat to be moved to Puerto Vallarta for sale.  At the end of the dock was the large Schooner ‘Patricia Bell’ who we had not seen her since the 2011 in the Baja Ha-Ha where she was a participant. She had anchored behind us in Bahia Magdalena. She is all wood and built by her owners in the late 1990’s.

The boat next to us was owned by an older American with a girl friend in San Blas. Unfortunately, just after getting back to San Blas, he had a heart attack and died. His boat was waiting for a crew to sail it to Puerto Vallarta where it would be put up for sail.

We spent the morning cleaning the boat and then went into town stopping at the Social club for a drink. Afterward, we went to McDonald’s restaurant for Lunch. After we got back to the Marina, we noticed the Swiss guy had left on his Catalina Capri for Zihuatanejo.

Thursday, April 10th, 2014 – We got underway this morning at 7:00 am, with just a bit of dawn light. The clocks went forward in Mexico last Sunday, so it does not get light (sunrise) until almost 8:00 am. With a slight swell, we headed out of Banderas Bay and made the turn north towards San Blas. The slight swell accompanied us all day with little wind until about 4 hours short of San Blas. At that point, we managed a little boost from the wind as we motor sailed at just over 7 knots.  It was our first opportunity to use our Genoa with its new sun cover. We noticed that the sail had much better shape than before.

During the day, we saw only one other sailboat that came out of Chacala ahead of us and as we approached Mantanchen Bay they veered off to anchor there. Overall, it was an easy passage even if we motored all the way. We were tied up to the dock at San Blas by 7:00 p.m. our time or 6:00 pm local time as we gained an hour.

We do like San Blas and even though many people prefer to anchor around the corner in Mantanchen Bay. By doing this, they do not need to check in with the Port Captain. However, the Fonatur marina here is clean, has good showers and the people are friendly and helpful as is the Port Captain.

Our next port of call is Mazatlán where an additional crew member will join us for crossing the Sea of Cortez to San Jose Del Cabo. We should be in Mazatlán sometime later next week.

Wednesday, 9 April 2014 – We left La Cruz later than planned as we had waited for our headsail which Tony delivered just before noon.  We paid Tony then settled our Marina account and did some general boat preparation. After getting fuel, we finally made it out of the marina at 1:30 pm., just at the right time to get a 20+ knot blast on the nose and short/sharp seas typical of Banderas Bay in the afternoon when there is a good thermal running. It seems the headland just above the marina increases the wind speed because after an hour of bouncing around, things settled down in the 12-15 knot range, but it was still on the nose.

Three hours and 10 miles later, we dropped the hook at Punta De Mita. There was some swell from the Southwest, but it had calmed down by late evening.

Saturday, 5 April 2014– We went into Puerto Vallarta to Zaragosa to purchase a couple of large empty liquid containers for extra fuel to get us to Turtle Bay from Cabo. We have a 25 Gallon Fuel tank and carry a 30 Gallons on the deck. At a burn rate of just under a half gallon an hour, this would give us a safe range of 100 hours of engine time or about 500 Nautical Miles (assuming and average of 5 knots). We know Turtle Bay is 480 Nautical miles from Cabo and we will be going against a possible current of 1 – 2 knots, so we were uncomfortable with our total cruising range for the’Bash’.

These empty containers were used for chemicals and need a thorough washing and drying before storing diesel in them. At 12.5 gallons each, they add 25 gallons to our fuel supply, giving us a new cruising range of 150 hours or 750 Nautical miles. This is plenty for any emergency or diversion due to bad weather.

Sunday, 6 April 2014 – Mexican daylight savings time moved us one hour forward. Again, we relaxed and, in the evening, had some Tacos for dinner from a street seller at .79 cents each. Tony Morelli has agreed to pick up our headsail tomorrow morning.

Monday, 7 April 2014 – Tony picked up our headsail and afterward, we took the bus to Bucerias for lunch and to buy some Huichol artwork. After lunch at a beach Palapa, we went hunting for Huichol threadwork and found a street seller with just what we wanted. After a lengthy negotiation, we purchased the plaque and then headed back to Hilbre.

Tuesday, 8 April 2014 – Today we prepped the boat so she will be ready for a departure to Punta di Mita tomorrow. After visiting the Mega Store for groceries, we filled the water tanks and added a couple of bags of ice to the refrigerator. In the evening we had dinner with Lane & Vicki at an Italian restaurant in La Crus to celebrate Viki’s birthday and our departure tomorrow.

Tuesday, 1 April 2014 – This morning we took the bus to the Home Depot and Walmart. While there we purchased a BandaAncha which will give us WEB access for our journey home. It plugs into the Laptop and is a useful tool to have while in Mexico for internet access.

The evening was spent by the pool enjoying Tacos.

Wednesday, 2 April 2014 – During the morning, I started to clean the lifelines and did a follow-up call with Morelli Sails however he is still busy with the Puddle Jump fleet. In the evening Bruce & Pascale came over for drinks.

Thursday, 3 April 2014 – We relaxed for the day with Lane and Vicki stopping by for a chat.

Friday, 4 April 2014 – Continued cleaning the lifelines and in the evening Lane & Vicki came over for drinks.

Sunday, 30 March 2014 – We spent part of the day cleaning the stainless on Hilbre and doing some general cleaning.

Monday, 31 March 2014 – It was time to change the oil, fuel, and transmission fluids. This is not as difficult as it might seem and usually takes just over an hour and a half. I needed to update our spare parts list so we did a full inventory and updated our list of spare parts, filters and other items.

We had an enjoyable evening at the Black Forrest restaurant with Ralph and Angie.

Friday, 28 March 2014 – We needed to get some groceries at the Megastore, so we took the bus with Lane & Vicki and did some shopping. As there is also a Santander Bank, we topped off our Pesos as they were a bit depleted after a couple of weeks in Barra.

Saturday, 29 March 2014 – We called Ralph and Angie to let them know we were back in Barra and arranged to meet for dinner at the Black Forrest restaurant in La Cruz next Monday. We had dinner at the Octopus Garden in La Cruz, a perfect destination for those looking for a quiet retreat to enjoy this beautiful spot and the activities that the hostel has to offer.

In the Octopus Garden the restaurant and bar are open through the winter season with live music. Depending on the schedule all sorts of workshops are available for guests: yoga, meditation, Tai Chi as well as concerts and dance nights. The Huichol art gallery also looks out onto the garden offering the chance to see and buy examples of the craftsmanship from these remarkable indigenous people.

Thursday, 27 March 2014 – The boats that left Barra before us have all arrived. After checking in with the Port Captain at the marina office, we walked through the marina, frequently meeting with fellow cruisers from Barra, San Carlos, and La Cruz.  In the month while we were in Barra, many of the “Puddle Jumpers” (Boats sailing to the South Pacific) had left.  Now in late March, the marina is filling up with cruisers like us from the south, heading north toward the Sea of Cortez. We expect to remain in La Cruz for 7-10 days before continuing to Mazatlán for a couple of weeks and then at the end of April, we will cross the Sea of Cortez to San Carlos ready for our ‘Bash’ north to Los Angeles.

We called Morelli Sails this morning to book our Genoa in for a new sun luff. He is still working though making and repairing sails for boats waiting to leave for the South pacific. It will be at least a week before he can work on our Genoa.

Wednesday, 26 March 2014 – At midnight, Anita came on watch and we had covered 29 Nautical Miles. We continued to see patches of ‘Red-Tide’ and Jellyfish.  When we shone a light onto the ‘Red-Tide’ we could see it was not on the surface but like a cloud, often a six to ten feet below the surface. At the watch change at 6:00 a.m. we had covered 75 Nautical Miles from Barra and the sun was coming up. So far, the trip had been uneventful and after sunrise, we no longer encountered any ‘Red-Tide’ or Jellyfish.

The day was clear, sunny & warm. At 1:25 p.m. we changed our course to round Cape Corrientes and begin our crossing of the Banderas Bay heading for La Cruz Marina. We had done 102 Nautical miles and shortly afterward some wind allowed us to add the Genoa giving us a small push towards La Cruz. While crossing the bay, we took the opportunity to add some diesel to our tank.  We have been averaging just under a half a gallon per hour when using the engine.

After a pleasant crossing of the bay, we approached La Cruz Marina at 6:00 p.m.  At 6:50 p.m., we were tied up to dock 4B10 in La Cruz. After a quiet 24-hour tip covering 135 Nautical Miles from Barra de Navidad, we were glad to be able to kick-back and get a full night’s sleep. We had thought of stopping in Perula, however cruising friends who did stop there reported that it was all full of ‘Red-Tide’ so we were glad we had not done this.

Tuesday, 25 March 2014 – After a month long stay in Barra de Navidad, and with a great trip inland, we are leaving later today for La Cruz. Six or seven boats have already left to sail north with some of them planning on using the various anchorages along the way. Everyone is taking advantage of a decent weather window to round Cape Corrientes.

The morning was spent organizing the boat for departure and settling our Marina account. We dropped our lines and headed out of the Marina at 6:45 p.m. and got under way. After crossing the bay and somewhere off the entrance to Tenacatita, we started our formal three-hour watch cycle. I started first at 9:00 p.m.

We had already seen a quantity of ‘Red-Tide’ and had passed several large patches of small clear blobs about a half-inch in diameter. Though they are often referred to as “jellyfish eggs” these weird little creatures are called ‘Salps’ and are present because of phytoplankton blooms, which are their food source. As this was our first encounter with these issues, I was concerned about them possibly clogging the engine intake filter. After checking, they did not seem to be an issue as I saw none trapped in the filter.

Saturday, 22 March 2014 – As we are getting close to leaving to sail back to La Cruz, we decided to spend time enjoying the resort privileges and spent most of the day at the pool.

Sunday, 23 March 2014 – Another day of relaxation by the pool.

Monday, 24 March 2014 – As we are close to leaving, we went into Barra to do our laundry and top off our grocery store and get fresh vegetable. In the evening, we spent a ‘happy hour’ with several pairs  of other cruisers at ‘Besame Mucho’ swapping stories and future plans. This will be out last night in Barra as we plan on leaving sometime tomorrow.

Friday, 14 March 2014 – Today it was windy but clear and we went into Melaque to do some grocery shopping. While in Melaque, I was reminded of some little known American, Irish, and Mexican history. The area consists of three beachfront villages: San Patricio, Villa Obregon and Melaque; they are all generally referred to as “Melaque.”

The village in the center, San Patricio, or St. Patrick, is named after a battalion of mainly Irish but also other European citizens who fought on the side of Mexico against the Americans in the Mexican American War of 1846-8.  The Battalion was formed and led by Jon Riley. The town of St. Patricio has an eight-day celebration which ends late on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, with a big firework display in the main square.  It was quite an unexpected sight to see the main church decked out in hundreds of Shamrocks along with the main square hosting a large Shamrock.

The battalion fought with Santa Anna in many engagements throughout Mexico serving with distinction.  Most of its Irish members were deserters from the US Army and any San Patricio’s captured by the U.S. Army, were treated and punished as traitors for desertion in time of war. Seventy-two captured men were charged with desertion by the Army. Two separate courts-martial were held, one at Tacubaya on 23 August, and another at San Angel on 26 August 1847, following which, 48 were sentenced to death.  Most of them were hanged in a mass execution at Chapultepec on 10 September. Although more than 9,000 U.S. soldiers deserted the army during the Mexican American War, only the San Patricios were punished by hanging. The men have continued to be honored and revered as heroes in Mexico.

Those not executed received 50 lashes on their back were branded with the letter ‘D’ for deserter on their cheek and forced to wear iron yokes around their necks for the duration of the war.  Some of the San Patricio’s that escaped are on record as having made use of the land claims promised them by the Mexican government. Supposedly, some settled in the town of San Patricio, named in their honor.

We bought so many groceries we had to use a taxi back to Barra and then get the water taxi to take us directly to Hilbre.

Saturday, 15 March 2014 – This evening, we were invited to a roof-top party in Barra. Three houses share an extended rooftop area which is where the party was held.  We were with Jeff, Debbie, Bruce and Pascale.  The party started about 9:00 p.m. and went on into the early hours of the morning. We got back to the boat by water taxi as the three houses were located in one of the canal areas of Barra.

Sunday, 16 March 2014 – After last nights party, we took the morning to relax in the pool. We later found enough energy to wash the boat.

Monday, 17 March 2014 – Today is a Mexican holiday, this time the celebration is for Benito Juarez’s birthday. It also happens to be St. Patrick’s Day and Melaque is having a big celebration with fireworks. We went into Barra for Ice Creams and Barra was crowded due to the holiday.

Tuesday, 18 March 2014 – This morning we had lunch at the Golf Club with Jeff and Debbie and then relaxed by the pool. This evening, we had dinner at Andres (In the Resort) with Bruce and Pascale.

Wednesday, 19 March 2014 – A relaxing day at the pool.

Thursday, 20 March 2014 – Another day spent at the pool and in the hammocks near the beach. This evening, the resort held a buffet reception for the people staying in the Marina. This is always a popular event and so you need to go early, or you miss out on the tasty snacks. A lot of the cruisers from the anchorage seem to show up for this as guests of the individuals in the Marina.

Friday, 21 March 2014 – We went into Barra to do some shopping and then do some advanced preparation on the boat prior to our planned departure next week. The local fishermen have continued to report there is a cold current close to the coast as they are landing Halibut.

Wednesday, 12 March 2014 – As we were short on groceries, we went into Barra this morning to do some grocery shopping to hold us over until we can get to Melaque. The afternoon was spent relaxing by the pool.

Thursday, 13 March 2014 – Back into Barra to visit the Butchers and do the laundry.  While we were waiting for the laundry, we visited the small tourist stalls and negotiated for a wall hanging, a carving of an Iguana. We also bought a Barra de Navidad shirt for our friend George.

Tuesday, 11 March 2014 – Our bus from Guadalajara left at 10:00 am and we were back in Barra de Navidad at 3:30 p.m. This time we were ready for the Colima Volcano but it did not blow off any steam, but we managed to get some photographs and video from the bus.  Back in Barra, we picked up some ice before taxing the water taxi back to the boat. Everything was good on the boat, so we settled in for an early night.

Monday, 10 March 2014 – We took the 10:15 a.m. bus from Guanajuato to Guadalajara arriving there at 2:00 p.m. and taking a taxi to the Holiday Inn & Suites on Avenue Juarez.  We took the opportunity of wandering along the Avenue looking at the various stores. In the evening, we had Dinner at the Holiday Inn.

Sunday, 9 March 2014

We set off this morning to explore some of the underground roadways. We took the entrance near our hotel on Calle de Alonso. This led to a two-lane road with bus stops and intersections. We wandered along taking video and photographs until we found another exit.

Taking this exit, we finished up in the Jardin and took the opportunity to visit the Iglesia de San Diego church and follow this with a visit to the Teatro Juarez which was completed in 1903. It is an example of eclecticism which was popular at that time. In some areas it follows a Roman Doric theme and in others, an Arabian theme. The hall follows the European model with four tiers and is decorated in an Oriental style. With its mix of Architecture, it is well worth a visit as it stands close the Union Gardens in the heart of Guanajuato.  Behind the theater is the Funicular railway which takes you to the Pípila monument. It is only a short ride up the hillside but well worth taking it for the views over the town.

Returning on the Funicular we walked through the Jardin and ended up at the Plaza de La Paz and the Hotel la Casona de Don Lucas where we stopped for coffee. The next stop was the 17^th century Parroquia de Basilica Colegiata de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato where a Sunday service was in progress. Afterward, we continued to wander through the many small streets, stopping for coffees in a small café and then in the Plaza de Los Angeles. Afterwards, we went to the Alhóndiga de Granaditas and went inside to take a closer look at the interior.

Our two and a half days in Guanajuato were filled with walking, eating, visiting many of the churches, museums, and historical sites. Our legs certainly got a workout from the many hills and sets of steps we walked up but it was certainly well worth the visit. It is a quite photogenic, unusual, and an interesting town, unlike many other places we have been in Mexico. We would certainly like to return here someday.

Saturday, 8 March 2014

The Jardin Union (central) area has many restaurants, Mariachi groups, churches and ‘Callejoneadas’ groups who lead groups and wander the old downtown in costume performing songs and dances. Just off the square is the wonderful Juarez Theater which was opened in 1903; it is one of the principal sites used for the annual Cervantes celebration which started in 1953.

The town which is 6,600 feet above sea level was founded in 1548 after the Spanish discovered extensive silver and gold deposits. It became a wealthy area and was the leading producer of silver during the 18th century; mining continues today but at a reduced rate. The town follows a narrow valley, so streets are just wide enough for single cars , narrow alleys and sets of steps go up the side of the hills. Because of its wealth, it has some wonderful architecture and many of the churches are great examples of the Baroque and Churriguesque style.  It is also a university town and the plazas are thronged with young people at the weekend.

The rivers which formed the valley were a constant source of flooding, so tunnels and ditches were created to divert water and reduce flooding. In the 1960’s, dams were built to finally control the flooding. The tunnels and ditches were then converted into underground roadways complete with intersections, sidewalks and even bus stops. Additional road tunnels have since been built. The entrances to some of the tunnels are not always obvious and you can be surprised by cars seemingly appearing out of nowhere. There are many of them under the town and it is the easiest way to navigate the city by car.

Guanajuato is also the site of the first battle in the war for independence from Spain in 1810. This took place at the Alhóndiga de Granaditas, a granary where a local miner helped defeat the Spanish and gain entry to the building. This is commemorated by a large monument called ‘El Pípila’ on a hill overlooking the town.  It can be reached by a funicular tramway near the Jardin. The Alhóndiga is now a well laid out museum of the area’s history.

The Morning Tour – Beginning our private tour, we went first to the unique Mummy Museum. This Museum contains a large collection of naturally mummified bodies from a cemetery located directly behind the museum. The first bodies were exhumed in the 1870’s and stored in a warehouse due to a new tax levied on graves. Over time, people began to visit the warehouse to see these remains, some of which were eventually put on display. We were the first people of the day to enter the new climate-controlled museum which was created in 1970’s to protect and display the mummies. Because it was early, we had the Museum all to ourselves. It was remarkably interesting and not spooky as it has been very well laid out with informative labels in both Mexican and English. It has become one of the major tourist attractions of the town.

Our tour continued through the older affluent quarter of the town to the Pipilar monument which has wonderful views over the central area of the town. Pípila, became famous for an act of heroism near the very beginning of the Mexican War of Independence, on 28 September 1810. With a long, flat stone tied to his back to protect him from the muskets of the Spanish troops, Pípila carried tar and a torch to the door of the Alhóndiga and set it on fire. The insurgents–who far outnumbered the Spanish in the warehouse–stormed inside and killed all the soldiers and the civil Spanish refugees. Some accounts say that Pípila was not alone but went accompanied by other indigenous miners ready to fight for their freedom from the Spanish, but as the story is told today in Guanajuato, Pípila stood alone to break through the door.

Next on the stop was the Valenciana Church (Church of San Cayetano) which sits close to the mine. It is an 18^th. century stone church which sits on a hillside and has an ornate Churriguesque style interior with three alters heavily covered in gold leaf. We then visited Valenciana mine, one of the old silver mines which is now a museum and took a private tour of the old mine workings. This included descending about 180 feet underground and a visit to a model shop depicting many of the old mines.  During its peak activity, this mine accounted for almost a third of the worlds production of Silver.

In the afternoon, we had lunch in the Jardin at the Café Valadez. Then, we wandered through the many narrow streets making our way to the Alhóndiga de Granaditas or Granary where in September 1810 about 300 Spaniards took refuge while 20,000 troops led by Hidalgo stormed the building. This eventually turned into a rout and the town was pillaged. The four main participants, Hidalgo, Ignacio Allende, Juan Aldama, and José Mariano Jiménez were eventually captured and shot.  Their heads were hung from the four corners of the building until Mexico achieved its independence.

In the evening, we returned to the Jardin and had dinner on the Verandah of the Hotel San Diego which has an Italian restaurant overlooking the Jardin square. By then it was dark, and the entire square was alive with people enjoying the evening. We watched the various ‘Callejoneadas’ groups warming up their groups before heading off to various parts of the city. Music from the many Mariachi groups wafted through the night air.

Friday, 7 March 2014

We arrived in Guanajuato by bus from Guadalajara at 1:00 p.m. and made our way to the hotel by Taxi. The hotel was near the center of the town so much of the town was within easy walking distance.

Our visit to the town was prompted by a distant relative Athelstan Joseph Alexander Kean, who lived here with his family from 1890-1931. Every time we mentioned Guanajuato, people said it was a great place to visit, and they were correct. It has a definite European feel to it; probably from the many nationalities that formed part of the mining community like my cousin Athelstan, who worked as the chief electrical engineer for the newly formed power company which was electrifying mine operations. At that time, many of the mining and electrical operations were owned by American or Canadian companies. Athelstan worked here until 1931 when the Mexican government started their first process of reorganization under the mandate of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).

We arranged for a private tour of the town on Saturday morning. This is not normally for us however we wanted to get a complete overview of the town, given its genealogical importance to my family history.

A short walk from our hotel brought us to the Union Gardens in the heart of Guanajuato which comes alive on Friday and Saturday nights with music, dancing and feasting as this is a University town. We wandered around the general area and visited the Iglesia De San Diego church, finally having dinner at one of the hotels which surround the Jardin.

Thursday, 6 March 2014

Guadalajara at an altitude of over 5,000 feet and has a metropolitan population of more than 4 million. It is Mexico’s second largest city. The central area of Guadalajara consists of three squares, including the Cathedral, many old administrative and historically interesting buildings dating from colonial times. Some of these were involved in Mexican Revolutionary events. 

It has a wonderful theater, a large but congested market and a building housing three floors of Gold and Silver merchants. The Hospicio Cabanas has many modern murals painted in 1945 by Jose Clemente Orozco (1883-1949) who was a Mexican social realist painter. His work is also featured in the main staircase of the Gobierno Palace; another interesting and historical building that still provides some administrative functions for the city. All the tourist sites were within walking distance of our hotel.

The central area has many pedestrian shopping areas which are busy. The first part of the morning was spent photographing and taking Video of the Cathedral area.  There was a protest in progress relating to the issues of the indigenous Indians of Mexico who were dressed in their costumes, banging on drums and chanting; all quite interesting. We then walked to the Hospicio Cabañas which was built at the beginning of the 19th century to provide care and shelter for the disadvantaged – orphans, seniors, the handicapped and chronic invalids. In the early 20th century, the chapel was decorated with a superb series of murals now considered some of the masterpieces of Mexican art. They are the work of Jose Clemente Orozco, one of the greatest Mexican muralists of the period. There is a fee for entry.

Returning to the central area we visited the Teatro Degollado, home of the Guadalajara Philharmonic. The building was begun in 1856 and took 30 years to complete. The five-tiered interior is swathed in red velvet and 23 karat gold-leaf and crowned by a Gerardo Suarez mural based on the fourth canto of Dante’s Divine Comedy. Again, there was a fee for touring the building and while we were there a classical pianist was rehearsing for a concert, so we were able to hear the acoustics for the building.

This was followed by a lunch snack, taken at one of the stands near the treater. After lunch, we headed over to the regular market (Mercado Libertad) and the Jewelry center, a large building housing floors of jewelry sellers.

Our next stop was the Gobierno Palace where we took a self-guided tour of this interesting and historic building which was completed in 1790 and has more Orozco murals. The palace was completed in 1790 and Father Miguel Hidalgo occupied the building in 1810, during the Mexican War of Independence. A radical priest with a taste for wine and women, Hidalgo crusaded for human rights; it was here in the governor’s palace that he issued his famous proclamation to abolish slavery.

Later, during one of Mexico’s numerous small civil wars, Benito Juarez, “Mexico’s Abraham Lincoln,” also occupied the building. When opposing forces entered the city, Juarez was captured outside the palace and very nearly executed. The guns of a firing squad were lined upon him when the novelist Guillermo Prieto jumped forth to shield Juarez. Supposedly he cried “los valientes no asesinan,” (the brave do not murder) and the soldiers lowered their rifles.

The day was completed with a stroll along Avenue Juárez, one of the main shopping streets of Guadalajara. A very full day. Tomorrow we head to Guanajuato.

Although we spent a full day in Guadalajara, we found this just enough time to see most of the historical and cultural sites in the center of the city.  Finding good restaurants within walking distance of the hotel turned out to be a challenge. We are sure there are some, but we were hampered by a lack to good tourist information. Surprisingly, even the large bookstores do not carry foreign language guides or histories of the city.

Even with the noise from the Disco, we enjoyed our stay in the city, seeing everything the central area has to offer.

Wednesday, 5 March 2014 – We left at 9:20 a.m. on an ETN Luxury bus from Barra De Navidad and arrived at the Hotel Frances in Guadalajara at 4:30 p.m. The bus winds along the coast for some time before heading inland to the town of Colima. North of Colima is an active Volcano which rises to 12,533 feet. It does have major eruptions every few years. It also regularly spews out smaller steam eruptions. It was doing this just as we approached Colima however, we were too late to get good photographs of the event from the bus.

The main bus terminus for Guadalajara is on the outskirts of the town, just beyond the ring road, it is called the Nueva Central Camionera. We took a taxi from there to the Hotel Francis which is in the heart of the old city on Calle Pedro Moreno.

The Hotel Frances is full of character, although it needs some refurbishment. The room was clean and comfortable, and the central location was perfect.  However, there was a Disco under the hotel which boomed from 8:00 p.m. in the evening until 3:00 a.m. in the morning, so sleeping was a challenge.

The hotel dates from 1610 when it was built as a hostelry for trading merchants coming from Mexico City. When it was fully renovated in 1983, it was used for several scenes in the Charles Bronson movie “The Evil That Men Do.”

After unpacking, we headed out to see some of the sights. Starting at the Cathedral, we saw parishioners lined up getting their ashes, this being Ash Wednesday. We walked around the Plaza Guadalajara and then down to the Teatro Degollado taking photographs as we went even though the shadows were becoming long.

Saturday, 1 Mar 2014 – We took the laundry into Barra and had breakfast there.

Sunday, 2 Mar 2014 – We went for a walk to the restaurants in the lagoon and had lunch at Mary’s.

Monday, 3 Mar 2014 – We went into Barra once again. We needed to book a bus for a trip inland to Mexico’s second largest city, Guadalajara, about a six-hour luxury bus ride from Barra. The plan included continuing from there to Guanajuato. We would be gone for about 7 days and as we have used Mexican buses previously, we were not concerned as they are quite comfortable and efficient.  The first-class bus tickets were 3,554 pesos. Returning to Hilbre, booked our hotels online for Guadalajara and Guanajuato.

Tuesday, 4 Mar 2014 – It was a busy day at the hotel with lots of security as the President of Mexico was staying at the resort. In the afternoon, we prepared Hilbre for our departure tomorrow for Guadalajara. As we were only going to be away for just over a week, there was not a lot to be done. We had dinner on the boat. This was also Carnival.  We did hear that Malaque has a better carnival with lots of fireworks, apparently it gets a bit wild.

Barra De Navidad (Bar of Christmas) takes its name from the large sand bar which projects from one side of the town out into the lagoon.  The sand bar still exists but it is now a covered walkway and protected from storms by rocks. The town has a long colonial history starting in 1540 when Viceroy Don Antonio de Mendoza arrived to put down a rebellion. In later years it became a major shipbuilding center. Many of the Galleons built here were used in the capture and control of the Philippines.

In 1565, one of these Galleons discovered the easy route across the Pacific. This was used by the treasure galleons of Spain to bring the riches of the orient home to Spain via Mexico. Eventually Acapulco became the major trading and transit center and Barra fell into obscurity.

Wednesday, 26 February 2014 – The town of Barra is quite small and tourist friendly; there are a few small grocery stores with limited supplies so most serious grocery shopping must be done in the next town to Barra called Melaque. A local bus travels frequently between the two towns and costs seven pesos per person each way.

This morning we had breakfast in town and then took the bus to Malaque. There was a street market in progress and the whole street was taken over by this market. It proved to be interesting although much of the craft work was more expensive than Mazatlán. We also found a Peluqueria (Hairdresser) as both of us needed haircuts which cost us less than $5.00 each.

Because we finished up with several heavy bags from grocery shopping, we took a taxi back from the Barra water taxi stand and they took us right to our boat; what a service.

Thursday, 27 February 2014 – We relaxed and swam in the pool and then the beach.  In the afternoon, we went into Barra to see the start of Carnival. There were too many Gringos who seem to have hijacked the event, so we returned to the Marina.

Friday, 28 February 2014 – During the morning, I worked on a document to make manual sight reductions quicker and easier to do. I made a spaghetti dinner and afterwards we watch a movie.

This is quite some resort and as Marina Guests, we have the run of the place with Tennis Courts, Pools, Beach and Restaurants. On Thursday evenings they host a Harbor Masters reception with hors d’oeuvres and an open bar; it is all very welcoming.

The village of Barra is quite small with some touristy things, probably due to the proximity of the resort but it is easy to walk around.

There is a water taxi service to take you between the resort and Barra and the same service will pick you up and drop you off at your boat. In the evening, we explored the resort and from there, we could see the back-bay anchorage where I counted about 20 boats.  Here in the marina, boats come and go frequently, and many boats have guests visiting as it is such a great place to stay.

When it first opened, the Marina was expensive, but they have since modified their rates. While it is still the most expensive marina we have stayed in Mexico, it is reasonable given the availability and use of the resorts facilities and its great location.

Friday, 21 February 2014 – In the morning, we had a visit from the French Baker who does his rounds each morning with fresh French bread and pastries. We bought a couple of Croissants, a Baguette, and a very tasty Almond Croissant.  He wanders about the anchorage and the marina ringing his bell or will respond if you call him on the VHF. The rest of the day was spent cleaning Hilbre.

Saturday, 22 February 2014 – We went into town and wandered around and had drinks at the Sands Hotel. In the late afternoon, we took a water taxi to Fortinos Palapa for dinner. The water taxi takes you a short distance up the estuary to where there are several palapas. We had many Margaritas with our meal and decided to take a walk back to the Marina instead of taking the water taxi. Anita was not too happy with the walk up the hill on the cobbled street which eventually took us to the road leading to the Hotel and then the Marina.

Sunday, 23 February 2014 – We have explored more of the hotel and it is delightful to sit either by one of the pools or the beach lagoon and just relax or read a book.  The resort is popular with both Mexicans and Gringos who are mainly Canadian. Various events take place during the day and because we are in the Marina, we can join any of these. We spent a leisurely afternoon reading and hanging in the hammocks.

Monday, 24 February 2014 – There are individuals can do work on your boat and this morning, I had the waterline boot stripe polished. Hilbre looked smart after this was done. We also caught up on emails and other internet work. Tomorrow we will have the rest of the boat polished and waxed.

Tuesday, 25 February 2014 – We took a water taxi to the lagoon palapas and had lunch at Fortinos. While we were there, the high school must have ended as the children all flooded down to the restaurant pier to take a water taxi home to Barra.

Thursday, 20 February 2014 – In the morning, I topped-off our diesel tank from the Jerry jugs and then took in the anchor. We were underway by 10:00 a.m. headed to Barra de Navidad.

It was an easy three-hour trip from Tenacatita to Barra with calm seas and only a light breeze, not enough to even put-up sail. We passed several boats going north including one from Jersey, UK, who we hailed on the VHF for a chat. I had noticed the three Leopards on the ‘Red Duster’ they were flying. I recognized this immediately as the Jersey flag and sure enough, as they passed us, I saw Jersey listed on the Stern.

The entrance to the channel leading into the lagoon at Barra is an easy passage with good depth. The Marina ‘Grand Bay Marina Resort at Barra de Navidad’ had told us to pick our own berth, so we finished up in G20 next to a nice 37’ from Seattle called “True North”. We arrived at 1:30 p.m., having covered almost 16 Nautical Miles.

A quick visit to the marina office had us checked into the marina. You must report arrivals and departures to the Port Captain in ‘Barra’ so we then took the water Taxi from the Marina across the estuary to Barra to check-in with the port Captain. Their office is about a mile or more inland and we found them to be very friendly and efficient. 

Returning to down-town Barra, we settled for lunch at Mexico Lindo, a restaurant which hangs out over the beach on stilts. We ate on the third deck where there was a nice breeze off the ocean and a grand view.

Tuesday, 18 February 2014 – Because of the late sunrise, the morning VHF Net starts at 9:00 a.m. in Tenacatita. It covers the general area including Barre de Navidad.  As new arrivals, we introduced ourselves along with four or five other boats also new.  Yesterday we passed several sailboats heading north, it is quite a difference sailing in these waters, mostly we never see another boat but not in this area. 

After breakfast we prepared the dingy for a trip into the Mangroves. At the head of the bay, a small creek enters the sea and at high tide, you can navigate the entrance and motor about two miles up the creek through the Mangroves. In some places the creek was quite wide and in others very narrow. We spent about two hours exploring the creek and poking about in the Mangroves. We saw many different birds and even a Pink Flamingo.  It was a fun trip although we did learn a lot about how well our inflatable dingy handles in tight places, which is not very well. It tends to swing wide when steering, so in windy narrow spots you must concentrate on the direction you are going and be prepared for the next turn otherwise you finish up in the Mangroves being poked into by tree branches.

During the afternoon, several new sailboats arrived and at least four of them, two with young children, anchored close by.  A large luxury yacht had also arrived sometime while we were in the Mangroves. In the evening, we fitted our wind-scoop over the front hatch. This worked quite nicely and provided more air flow through the boat.

This anchorage is home to many sail boats that usually arrive in early December and often stay for three or more months.  Supplies are obtained by taking the boat across the bay to Manzanilla early in the morning before the surf and waves get too great for a dingy beach landing. Once the morning shopping is complete, you head back to the anchorage in the late morning.  Like Chamela, there is no internet service here so while I write the blog each day; it must wait until we get internet access for an upload.  However, we do have cell service and therefore have been able to talk to family and friends from the anchorage.

Monday, 17 February 2014 – We left just as the sun was rising at 7:23 a.m. heading out of the bay and past the Islands to a point about two miles offshore. We then turned to parallel the coast heading for the large bay of Tenacatita. Our first headland was the Farallon where there is a large bowl-shaped dish, La Copa del Sol. Later we passed the twin islands of Los Frailes (Friars) which stick up out of the water about a mile offshore. Early in the day we used the land breeze to press on full sail and scooted along at almost seven knots for over an hour until about 9:15 a.m. when the wind finally died.

The sea had only a slight swell and it was a great day to practice taking sun sights with our Sextant; using ‘Dead Reckoning’ and plotting our position by hand rather than relying on the GPS to tell us where we were. The sights were all good as the Line of Position (LOP) passed through the confirming GPS waypoint each time. It is always amazing how accurate a sextant can be if you make a good sight. The one we use is a Celestaire, Astra lllB Deluxe that I acquired last year in Mazatlán for $200. We also have a Davis Mark 25 plastic Sextant on board. We also use a software product called “Starpath” for doing quick and easy sight reductions although we often practice calculating sight reductions by hand, just for fun and for the practice.

An hour or so south of the Frailes, is Punta Hermanos, the entrance to the Bay of Tenacatita. Our plan was to head to the main anchorage just north of Punta Chubasco.  This is a well-protected anchorage from North Winds and if a southerly blow occurs, you head across the bay for protection off the town of La Manzanilla.  The anchorage consists of a large gently curved bay with a fine sand beach which has an all-inclusive resort, the BlueBay at one end and a small campground and Palapa Restaurant at the other.

At 2:20 p.m. we anchored in 25 feet of water about 300 yards off the beach. We had covered just over 35 Nautical miles in almost seven hours. As this is a large bay there were over 20 other boats. After tidying Hilbre we were hungry, so we made ourselves a fine meal of grilled steak, roast potatoes and veggies on the BBQ. After which, we settled down to enjoy the sunset. The resort hotel had some sort of event in the late evening as we could hear the booming voice of the MC wafting across the water but it all ended at 10:00 p.m., and peace was restored to the tranquil night.