A Zoo like no other

We spent the day at the Zoo in Mismaloya, which was a three bus ride excursion from La Cruz Marina, but soooo worth it. Ridding the bus in Mexico is an experience in itself! It is a great way to get around, and you can go just about anywhere by bus here, for very few pesos. We went to the zoo with our friends on Eyoni, who also happen to be best friends with our best friends who are watching over our house in California....Talk about six degrees of separation. They are one boat away from us even. So back to this Zoo.... all the animals were awake and hungry! We fed just about all of them, even the Hippo! There were few that had fences or plexi glass separating us from them. Jack even had the opportunity to frolic with a baby Jaguar, and two baby tigers. It was an experience he will never forget. After the zoo we met up with three other families for pizza and beer at Philos, a great pizza place walking distance from our marina. We are loving La Cruz, and the fact that there are 5 boys here Jacks age. Provisioning is great, the weather is great, there is always a party to attend or a gathering to go to, so life is good, very very good once again. It will be hard to leave this place. So far it is up in our top 5 favorites.

La Cruz and Reality

We are now in a beautiful marina in La Cruz, with lots and lots of families cruising and walking the walk we are walking. It is great to be connected to other families, which is our number one reason for staying in Mexico. Jack is having the time of his life. We took him surfing today in Sayulita, and had a great day. There were horses dancing down town all day long, which was a sight to see. I never knew horses could dance....but they were.....only in Mexico.

Now on to the matter at hand. Reality. First - thank you all so much for the love and support over the last blog post. We hit a low and I blogged about it. Worry not my friends, all will be as it should. I trust in the flow of life. I was hesitant in putting our struggles out there for all to see, but I want to keep this experience real and not like some TV commercial. For the most part, we are really and truly enjoying our time out here on the high seas. But, as all of us who are married or in a relationship know, you go through ups and downs, growth periods, highs and lows...... Well, it is no different being on a boat, even while living in beautiful surroundings. Perhaps it is even harder on a boat, because there is no place to hide, or run from issues, and even find a corner to be alone in. Patrick and I will muddle thru this. We have a deep connection, and care about one another at the basic core of our beings. I am hopeful we will get it together and be the couple I believe we can be..... that I insist we become. I love and miss you, my friends. And especially my Neighborhood Yoga family....where I could sweat, cry, and laugh at life. I seriously miss sharing the best part of me with you.

Tamarindo, Careyes, and life

Here are several photos from our recent locations. Now.....time to catch you up to speed. A lot can happen in a week, and that has been the case out here on the high seas. We spent three days anchored off a beach in Tamarindo, which is a life style of the rich and famous kind of place. The resort was nearly empty, and it felt like our own private island / pool area. The food and Tamarindo margaritas were amazing. We frolicked with our friends on Watcha Gonna Do, and ran into another kid boat, Perfect Wave, who we met coming down with the Baja Ha Ha. On day three in paradise a terrible red tide moved in, along with a bunch of jelly fish, so it was time to change locations. We headed to another anchorage 2 hours north, that took my breath away, Careyes. No red tide here, but tons and tons of jelly fish, so it prompted us to make our way pool side at the resort for the day. It was a beautiful place, but if you go, skip the restaurant. It was insanely expensive and the worst food we have had since arriving in Mexico.

Now onto life. Lets see....this past week has been....well hard is a word that fits well. I have heard from many cruisers that it takes a year to really adjust to the challenges this life style dishes up. It is also a make or break relationship venture. Living side by side in less then 400 square feet 24/7 can rattle even the most solid relationships. In this moment.....it is rattling us. A few days ago I even purchased a plane ticket for Jack and I to head back home, canceled it the next day, realizing that taking this experience away from Jack would be very selfish on my part. Patrick was going to continue on without us, which tells you he is on the same page as me. He didn't try to stop me from leaving, which confirmed for me, that our issues are as real as they feel. Our brother in law Steve is still with us, so he has been witness to all the drama. Lucky him. A good friend, (name with held due to dirty laundry privacy) was in a similar funk, hers related more to the lack of food since she was on a 10 day fast, which cleanses the body, and forces you to cleanse the relationship too. She and her husband had us laughing about it all, and it felt good to know we were not the only miserable couple out there. So......after 4 Tamarindo margaritas, I divorced Patrick. Not legally, so calm down, but in my heart. I am insisting we work on our issues, and get back to a happy place. I would like us to renew our vows and re- marry one another.....if we can get to that place........We will have a wedding and the whole nine yards, and you will all be invited! Living on a boat is awesome. We are so lucky to be able to do this...... I just want to be in love again. Is that to much to hope for? To dream of? Jack is thriving in this environment. He has no fear of Jelly fish, or any sea critters for that matter....see photos of him holding them in this blog. So we are growing. We are evolving, shifting and changing. We are being forced to work out our issues.


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Santiago = Sweet

The passage from Z-Town was a rough one - with 20 knots of wind and mixed swells all night long. Going upwind is not as much fun as going down wind. None of us slept very good on the 32 hour passage. But now here we are in beautiful Santiago...with other kids boats!!!!!! Jack is a happy guy, and we feel so good about our decision to stay in Mexico. Jack had a sleep over with Harrison from s/v Watcha Gonna Do, and his new friend Drake from s/v Blue Sky. Drake and his family are headed back to California after sailing around the world for the past 6 years. They have lots of interesting tales to tell, and we are really enjoying hearing about their travels. Our friends on Watcha Gonna Do are considering crossing to the south pacific in March (and have planted that small seed of possibility in us) or they may head our way to the Sea of Cortez with Blue Sky. It is so great to have other families to cruise with ( Lisa Kay - if you are reading this.....it is not to late to change your mind and meet up with us North!) We have met many folks who have told us not to miss the Sea of Cortez, so we are some what solid on our course North now, but as the saying goes... A sailors plans are always etched in sand at low tide.

Live like you are dying, because you are ( for Dave )

Before departing on this journey, over a bottle...or two of wine....my sister suggested I write a book about this adventure. I thought this was a great idea. I would title it....Live like you are dying, because you are. She suggested I change the title to, Live like are dying, dumb ass, because you are.....since most of us are asses, taking each day for granted, spending far too much time worrying about crap that really doesn't matter, and we create far too much drama and not enough love in our lives. Her and I included. After my brief encounter with the end of the line over a year ago now, I can remember only thinking about my family and close friends. I was completely shocked that I could die. Really? This is it? You must be joking.....were the thoughts in my head. That night I realized it is the connections we make on this journey that matter the most. It is not the money we have or house we live in or the clothing we wear....but each other.

A friend who I have lost contact with e mailed me today with some sad news about a mutual friend whom passed away. We shared many meals and had many laughs together, a long time ago. What happens to connections we make, but loose? Why do some friendships last, and some drift away? When you hear of someone dying, there are lots of I wish I would have, could have, etc. etc. etc. There is that old saying......the only things you will regret are the things you didn't do. I would like to add to that.....the only thing you will regret is not loving more, or letting yourself be loved more.The only thing you will regret is not taking more chances. In other words, live like you are dying.....because my friend.......you are. We all are. So with that in mind, how are you going to live? What are your dreams, and why the hell are you not making them a reality? Write it down, share it with me if you would like. While I am no expert, and a complete work in progress myself, I am living my dream. And I know you can too.



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Goodbye Hualtulco, mole, crickets, and more.......

Oh Huatulco. We are taking many memories of you with us. From our inland trip to Oaxaca, to the time we spent in your beautiful coves and lovely beaches....and yes even the memories of the cricket tasting.....I passed on this, as you probably guessed. Patrick sat this one out too.... while Jack and Steve went for it. Fried crickets are a delicacy in these parts, served on a chip with mole, cheese, and a touch of salsa. (yuck!) Jacks face says it all! I was shocked he didn't run for the nearest trash can and that he actually got them down the hatch!

Jack is still inspired by our visit to the famous animal carver/painter, Jacobo. He added some color to his carved iguana, featured in this post. I wonder now if he would have asked to carve a cricket instead.....eating a cricket will be one of the first things he will tell his friends about when he is reunited with them I will bet.

After stopping for a couple of days at La India, to enjoy a huge empty beach, with fantastic snorkeling, clear warm water, and a nice shady spot to lay my mat, we are now underway once again. This is a 70 hour passage, give or take, which nets me 3 sunrises and 3 sunsets since I have the 4 to 8 shift. ( lucky me!) It is great to have extra help with watches, especially a 3 day-er. With Steve on board our shifts are 4 on 8 off. The seas are a bit bumpy as we are heading upwind, but the winds are light at 10 to 12 knots, so it is not a bad ride. We feel good about our choice to revisit the coast of Mexico and our plan to head into the Sea of Cortez. We passed it by on our way down, and it sounds like our kind of place. Lots of marine life, empty beaches, gorgeous sunsets, great hiking, and snorkeling. The best time to be there is spring to early summer, so we are right on schedule. Thinking now we must have been half crazy to consider leaving such great cruising grounds. So here we are, back tracking into bliss. We will revisit a few of our favorite places, and favorite people we met as we head north into the Sea of Cortez. Thats the plan in this moment and it is all good!