Happy Holidays from La Cruz

We will be spending the holidays in Banderas Bay this year and want to wish all our friends and family a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2013. 

We've been here in La Cruz for about a month now after deciding to simply stay put and relax for a little while.  It's given me a chance to tackle some necessary boat projects and offered Millie and Colin time to adjust to life on the boat again.  Also, we have visitors coming after Christmas and didn't want to sail off and then have to rush back.

For many cruising boats, La Cruz is a popular destination for the holidays and new boats are sailing in each day.  If it weren't for the beaches and 85 degree weather I'd say it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.  The truth is it's hard to feel anything when lathered in sunscreen and dripping in sweat.  Most of the time we have to remind ourselves that the holidays are here.  Although, we did have a little cold spell this week which forced us to sleep under a sheet for the first time....brrrr!  Now it's beginning to feel like Christmas.

So, in an effort to further boost our holiday cheer and emphasize the whole gift-giving tradition we took the bus to Puerto Vallarta and bought a new dinghy.  There are a lot of things you can buy here in Mexico that are substantially cheaper than in the U.S. -- inflatable dinghies are not one of those things.  But, after applying yet another patch to our aging dink, we managed to justify the purchase of a new and ridiculously overpriced hard-bottom inflatable simply by calling it a Christmas gift to ourselves.  We felt we deserved it.  The next day we sold our old one to a guy who lost his while crossing the Sea of Cortez and was desperate for a replacement.  We gave him a great deal -- all in the Christmas spirit.

 

Onions in Mexico are lethal!

And so, next week, on Christmas Day, as our loved ones back in The States are sipping eggnog and feasting on gravy-soaked platters of turkey and ham before dozing off in front of the TV, we will, most likely, be spending the holiday at Philo's here in La Cruz, a popular hangout for sailors and North American ex-pats, sipping Pacifico and feasting on pork tacos.  Actually, Philo's usually serves a traditional Christmas dinner, but there will be cold Pacifico.  We're looking forward to it. 

Then, on the 27th, my brother Denny and his family are flying out to spend a week with us -- first in La Cruz and then a few days in Sayulita where we plan to bring in the new year.  We made a day trip to Sayulita on Monday and, through good fortune or just dumb luck, managed to book a cool little bungalow.  Most of the accommodations there are booked months in advance so we considered it a good omen for the new year.  Sayulita is a trendy little hippy hangout with great surfing.  It should be fun.

After the holidays and things return to normal here (relatively speaking, that is) we plan to sail north to Mazatlan.  There's a mechanic there who comes highly recommended.  I've been communicating with him through email about our engine situation and he seems willing and able to help.  The goal is to finally get this resolved by the end of January.  That's New Year's resolution numero uno.

Colin and his new friend Cora

In the meantime we'll be filling our time here in La Cruz with cruiser potlucks and beach parties, hanging out with new friends and watching Colin grow a little more each day.

Merry Christmas!