It's clear to us now why La Cruz has become so popular with cruisers and how boats seem to be drawn in for extended stays here. The lifestyle in this little Mexican town is simple, relaxed, and fun, with a large community of westerners who work to make our stay as enjoyable and convenient as possible. At times we have to remind ourselves that we are in Mexico. There are also times when we need to get away from La Cruz just to remind ourselves that we are in Mexico. But, we're finding the pace and the lifestyle here to be very intoxicating (as well as the tequila). The days roll past quickly -- most of the time we can't remember which day of the week it is. If it weren't for stray humpbacks, our days would be void of all stress.
A few days ago we took the boat out for a day sail to test the steering after our whale bump in the night. It was a beautiful day on Banderas Bay as we sailed south on a beam reach toward Puerto Vallarta in 12 knots of wind. After about an hour I spotted a lone whale spout in the distance. He was a long way off so I didn't take much notice. About 15 minutes later he spouted again -- a few feet directly off our bow. The blow was so close he sprayed our bow pulpit as I clung to the wheel waiting for the impact. I saw a quick splash as the whale dove and then silence. We had just missed another collision by just a few feet (or, perhaps, inches). WTF?! I see one whale the entire day on a large bay and he just happens to surface in front of our boat. We're either incredible unlucky or have a school of krill living under the keel. Whatever the reason, we're not taking any chances with whales anymore. We used to steer toward humpbacks to get a better view, but now turn the other way with the motor running. We'll be happy to just see them on TV now.
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