Friday, December 31, 2010
Mazatlan
We hope you have had a wonderful Christmas and we wish you all the best for a fabulous 2011! We arrived in Mazatlan a couple days ago after an uneventful 2 day passage from the Baja. Over the next few days I will work diligently to catch up the blog.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
La Paz - December 10 to 20
Tomorrow we head back up into the islands north of La Paz after 10 days of rest and relaxation in this lovely seaside town. The weather looks promising with no strong winds in the forecast, 30 degrees during sunny days and cool nights. The moon will be full and on the 21st we will see it in full eclipse. We are looking forward to exploring more of the bays and coves of Isla Espiritu and, perhaps, further north to Isla Partida before making the two day crossing the Sea of Cortez to Mazatlan.
We’ve enjoyed our time here. Although many cruisers choose to anchor in the channel of La Paz, Ka’sala has been moored to the dock at Marina de La Paz located near the downtown area and at the beginning of the city’s famous tiled malecon. It’s been nice being tied to the dock – water, electricity, internet, laundry and shower facilities at our fingertips and a few steps to restaurants, cafes and provisioning. Almost like real life!
There are many cruisers in La Paz – I will hazard a guess and say 50 - in various stages of coming and going. Every day more arrive and more leave as La Paz is a resting place for those who come down the Pacific side of the Baja, and a staging point for others exploring the Sea of Cortez or getting ready to cross it. There seems to be a core of yachting people who come back to La Paz each year. Some leave their boats here full time, others live nearby in retirement – but they use the marina as their hub.
We left Bahai San Gabriel in calm conditions and motored on a flat sea for three hours to get to La Paz. Entry to the city is through a well marked channel and, as you follow its course, the city unfolds to port. On the starboard side is a spit of land with a developing condo-like complex and down the centre of the bay is a large sand bar. There are four marinas in town, Costa Blanca is at the beginning of the Channel, Marina Palmilla 2 miles further, then the city stretches out along the malecon. On the other end is Marina de La Paz and the fourth marina – Fonatur – is further down the channel at the other extreme of town. There is a "virtual" marina beside us - a planned marina with only pilons installed.
La Paz is a refreshing change from Cabo San Lucas and very different from San Jose del Cabo. For one thing, this is a city that has not sacrificed itself for tourism. There is a strong heart to this place, with traditions and culture several centuries old.
The first European here was Hernan Cortes who found the place inhabited by aboriginal hunters and gatherers. In addition to the safe harbor, what Cortez noticed was the pearls the natives used to decorate themselves. These lustrous orbs did not need to be cut or polished like gems to bring out their beauty, but were found ready to be used as precious adornment. As I’ve said in an earlier entry, these pearls would become all the rage in Europe and were sought out to the point of depletion.
The native people didn’t fare much better. By the time the Jesuits arrived in the 18th century to build their missions with local labour and convert the Indians to Christianity, disease had taken its toll and very soon their numbers were depleted as well. Today the Mexicans who live in La Paz range in appearance from Indios to fair skinned Europeans. In La Paz, there seems to be a growing middle class who are living well – many schools, nice homes, healthy bodies, lots of work, lots of stores – a very strong economy.
In our time here I haven’t seen a single beggar on the street. I haven’t been touted once. I haven’t felt like I was being pandered to or felt that I was richer than the locals. Everyone has been genuinely friendly and helpful – I have next to no Spanish and, although I am learning fast, the people here are very patient. I’ve had several strange conversations where I try to speak Spanish and the Mexican I am conversing with tries to speak English. It can be frustrating, but it is a lot of fun. Spanish is a beautiful language – lovely to listen to, lovely to roll off your tongue. I could see that within a few months a person could be quite fluent because, in addition to the need to speak it, there are many words in common with French and English – especially when written. (Though you have to be careful – there can be some pretty spectacular mistakes in translation! The other day I ordered two fishermen in a taco instead of two fish tacos! The street vendor looked perplexed, but didn't laugh at me, and figured out what I really wanted. It wasn't until later I discovered my mistake and I was grateful to him for his respectful response!)
On our first few days here we devoted most of the time to cleaning up Ka’sala and catching up on our sleep. There are grocery stores all over the place and I was able to replenish our stores quite quickly and easily. My favourite store is Aramburos - kind of like a Mexican Trader Joe's. The prices are reasonable and I can find most everything I want and also many Mexican goods I can experiment with. In fact, many of the products available here are similar to ones at home – I even found Cheez Whiz! When I couldn’t find something, like a good brie, I have enjoyed exploring the local possibilities – something I might not do unless forced to by necessity. In terms of cheese, although I haven’t found the equivalent of those splendid runny French ones, I have discovered a whole variety of soft textured quesa frescas that would enhance any Caprice salad- and the tomatoes! Oh! One with European epicurean sensibilities would not starve here!
We have eaten out several times and a real favourite has been Rancho Viejo. The two branches of this indoor/outdoor restaurant serve the most incredible arrachera and asado grilled beef tacos, as well as fish and shrimp tacos and the patron-style pork I described in an earlier blog entry.
All their tacos come served with tortillas and bowls of accompaniments. We can eat our fill, and drink some cold cervesas as well, for under ten dollars. What a bargain!
We’ve also enjoyed fish tacos at a recommended street stand near Allende's, the English bookstore. Crispy deep fried fish and shrimp served with all the trimmings and a cold bottle of Coca-Cola for 3 dollars! - a steal and SO delicious.
I needed to find out the secret of the grilled beef taco and finally found a butcher who spoke English at a shop called Arracherras.
He told me that the Mexican’s don’t age their beef, so use the “magic spices” to make it tender. He recommended Angus beef, which was just a little more expensive than the regular, and to sprinkle the magic spices on the meat half an hour before grilling it. Okay – I bought a jar of the magic spices, which I later figured out was primarily MSG (remember Accent?) Then I asked about the sauces – especially Asado which is a dark, fine salsa with a rich smoky/spicy flavor – hoping to get a recipe. Not a chance! Instead, he told me it was very hard to make – many different vegetables grilled, then marinated together, though I did find out that grilled jalapeno peppers gave it the spice. I could see that I could spend many enjoyable years unlocking the secrets to Mexican food, but first, I would need to speak the language and, perhaps, study with a Mexican cook.
We’ve even found some very palatable Mexican wines – another example of being forced to try new things. A sparkling wine called: Chambrule, to my palate, is better than the Spanish Frexinet Negro and is made in the French champagnoise style of double fermentation, for under 10 dollars a bottle.
We’ve found a drinkable Malbec/Cabernet and a Chenin/Savignon Blanc, called F. Chauvenet, each under 5 dollars, that would rival any Barefoot wine found at home. These delicious wines all come from the fertile Guadelope area north of Ensenada in Baja California.
Silas Crosby came back to La Paz with us and chose to anchor out.
We would see Steve and John most days as they brought their dinghy into the marina before launching off on their adventures. One day was John’s birthday, so I had some fun finding the fixings for a chocolate birthday cake and the previously mentioned champagne.
Steve decided to take a week of Spanish lessons and I seemed to run into him most days after his lesson somewhere in town. On another day, Steve, Doug and I visited the adequate Museum of Anthropology to find out more about the history of this area. All the time we have been practicing our Spanish.
Club Cruceros, founded by cruisers, can be found at Marina de La Paz. They provide various services, such as a book exchange, DVD lending and mail service, but are famous for the daily 8am newscasts. By tuning in to 22A on the VHF we all find out the weather, the currency exchange, local events, swaps and trades, who has arrived and who is leaving, as well as helpful suggestions on where to find things and how to get there. The Club also does a great deal of local charity work. For example, while we have been here they have been raising money to provide diesel for free ambulance services.
The day after John’s birthday, he returned to Canada. We thought: what a perfect way to get our Christmas cards mailed! Problem was, we didn’t have any Christmas cards. We didn’t think that would be much of a hassle and headed into town to buy some. Well, Mexicans around here don’t send or give cards to each other. Finding Christmas cards in Mexico would be like trying to find a pinata in Canada! We looked everywhere and finally we deduced that a paper store might be the most likely place. I screwed up my courage and tried to converse with a shopgirl with the help of my Spanish/English dictionary. Finally, I was able to make my request known and she dug around to find an old box under a counter. Inside was a variety of very old, somewhat yellowing cards – all in Spanish (of course – that’s okay!) all without envelopes. After more figuring out back and forth, she realized I needed envelopes to mail them. Well, try to find ones to fit! That took a great deal of searching and sizing, but finally we were able to cobble something together. To buy 10 cards with envelopes took us almost an hour and cost about 5 dollars. This episode reminded me so much of my frustrations in the first year or so we lived in Hong Kong. Trying to find a place that sold what you wanted, trying to communicate your desires in a foreign language once you have found it, learning the customs around buying, selling and service, working out the cost and how to pay, and so on. When I was younger these things would drive me up the wall. I would come home from one of these all day excursions and lay prostrate on the bed, muttering to myself, weeping and vowing to never go out again. Now, in the more mature version of myself, I can roll with the punches.
Cruisers say that La Paz is like a rubber band - once you have been here you are always drawn back. I can see that now and also understand why Cortez called it "The Peace".
I love it when I see things like this!
We’ve enjoyed our time here. Although many cruisers choose to anchor in the channel of La Paz, Ka’sala has been moored to the dock at Marina de La Paz located near the downtown area and at the beginning of the city’s famous tiled malecon. It’s been nice being tied to the dock – water, electricity, internet, laundry and shower facilities at our fingertips and a few steps to restaurants, cafes and provisioning. Almost like real life!
Entrance to Marina de La Paz
Wildlife abounds at the marina - Blue Heron
Fish at the marina - the reason the heron is here! These fearless fish bump into Ka'sala's hull on a regular basis - not a condusive swimming environment for humans!
Doug on the malecon
Yachts at anchor in front of the malecon
City front of malecon
Evening on the malecon
La Paz recognizes the influence of sailors - Diego Carbon, standing beside him, also looks out to sea
Beautiful statues and sculptures line the malecon
La Paz is a refreshing change from Cabo San Lucas and very different from San Jose del Cabo. For one thing, this is a city that has not sacrificed itself for tourism. There is a strong heart to this place, with traditions and culture several centuries old.
This cathedral has already been under construction for 45 years!
Wyland Foundation mural across from the malecon (wwwl.wylandfoundation.org - murals around the world designed to raise environmental awareness about the undersea world)
Mexican wedding
Mexican elections are in February, but the campaigns are well under way. Supporters stop traffic on the malecon to give gifts to potential voters
The first European here was Hernan Cortes who found the place inhabited by aboriginal hunters and gatherers. In addition to the safe harbor, what Cortez noticed was the pearls the natives used to decorate themselves. These lustrous orbs did not need to be cut or polished like gems to bring out their beauty, but were found ready to be used as precious adornment. As I’ve said in an earlier entry, these pearls would become all the rage in Europe and were sought out to the point of depletion.
The native people didn’t fare much better. By the time the Jesuits arrived in the 18th century to build their missions with local labour and convert the Indians to Christianity, disease had taken its toll and very soon their numbers were depleted as well. Today the Mexicans who live in La Paz range in appearance from Indios to fair skinned Europeans. In La Paz, there seems to be a growing middle class who are living well – many schools, nice homes, healthy bodies, lots of work, lots of stores – a very strong economy.
A typical Mexican home in La Paz
In our time here I haven’t seen a single beggar on the street. I haven’t been touted once. I haven’t felt like I was being pandered to or felt that I was richer than the locals. Everyone has been genuinely friendly and helpful – I have next to no Spanish and, although I am learning fast, the people here are very patient. I’ve had several strange conversations where I try to speak Spanish and the Mexican I am conversing with tries to speak English. It can be frustrating, but it is a lot of fun. Spanish is a beautiful language – lovely to listen to, lovely to roll off your tongue. I could see that within a few months a person could be quite fluent because, in addition to the need to speak it, there are many words in common with French and English – especially when written. (Though you have to be careful – there can be some pretty spectacular mistakes in translation! The other day I ordered two fishermen in a taco instead of two fish tacos! The street vendor looked perplexed, but didn't laugh at me, and figured out what I really wanted. It wasn't until later I discovered my mistake and I was grateful to him for his respectful response!)
There is an expat community here - this is an example of a house owned by a family from Vancouver
On our first few days here we devoted most of the time to cleaning up Ka’sala and catching up on our sleep. There are grocery stores all over the place and I was able to replenish our stores quite quickly and easily. My favourite store is Aramburos - kind of like a Mexican Trader Joe's. The prices are reasonable and I can find most everything I want and also many Mexican goods I can experiment with. In fact, many of the products available here are similar to ones at home – I even found Cheez Whiz! When I couldn’t find something, like a good brie, I have enjoyed exploring the local possibilities – something I might not do unless forced to by necessity. In terms of cheese, although I haven’t found the equivalent of those splendid runny French ones, I have discovered a whole variety of soft textured quesa frescas that would enhance any Caprice salad- and the tomatoes! Oh! One with European epicurean sensibilities would not starve here!
Aramburo's grocery store
We have eaten out several times and a real favourite has been Rancho Viejo. The two branches of this indoor/outdoor restaurant serve the most incredible arrachera and asado grilled beef tacos, as well as fish and shrimp tacos and the patron-style pork I described in an earlier blog entry.
Rancho Viejo - malecon branch
All their tacos come served with tortillas and bowls of accompaniments. We can eat our fill, and drink some cold cervesas as well, for under ten dollars. What a bargain!
Taco accompanyments: salsa, guacamole, cucumber, pickled onion, lime, grilled spicy habenero peppers, shredded cabbage with the famous asada salsa in the middle
We’ve also enjoyed fish tacos at a recommended street stand near Allende's, the English bookstore. Crispy deep fried fish and shrimp served with all the trimmings and a cold bottle of Coca-Cola for 3 dollars! - a steal and SO delicious.
I needed to find out the secret of the grilled beef taco and finally found a butcher who spoke English at a shop called Arracherras.
He told me that the Mexican’s don’t age their beef, so use the “magic spices” to make it tender. He recommended Angus beef, which was just a little more expensive than the regular, and to sprinkle the magic spices on the meat half an hour before grilling it. Okay – I bought a jar of the magic spices, which I later figured out was primarily MSG (remember Accent?) Then I asked about the sauces – especially Asado which is a dark, fine salsa with a rich smoky/spicy flavor – hoping to get a recipe. Not a chance! Instead, he told me it was very hard to make – many different vegetables grilled, then marinated together, though I did find out that grilled jalapeno peppers gave it the spice. I could see that I could spend many enjoyable years unlocking the secrets to Mexican food, but first, I would need to speak the language and, perhaps, study with a Mexican cook.
We’ve even found some very palatable Mexican wines – another example of being forced to try new things. A sparkling wine called: Chambrule, to my palate, is better than the Spanish Frexinet Negro and is made in the French champagnoise style of double fermentation, for under 10 dollars a bottle.
We’ve found a drinkable Malbec/Cabernet and a Chenin/Savignon Blanc, called F. Chauvenet, each under 5 dollars, that would rival any Barefoot wine found at home. These delicious wines all come from the fertile Guadelope area north of Ensenada in Baja California.
Silas Crosby came back to La Paz with us and chose to anchor out.
Silas Crosby at the "virtual" marina
Los tries amigos: Estevan, Juan and Diego
Dos hermanos, Una Senora
Cuatro amigos: dinner at Rancho Viejo near the marina
Birthday boy - yes, it does get quite chilly at night!
Museum of Anthropology - all the signs were in Spanish, so it was a good chance to practice - we were able to interpret a surprising amount
Outside the museum - this cultural magazine Steve is reading - Peninsula- was especially helpful as the articles were written side by side Spanish and English
Club Cruceros winding down the daily 9:30 coffee hour
The day after John’s birthday, he returned to Canada. We thought: what a perfect way to get our Christmas cards mailed! Problem was, we didn’t have any Christmas cards. We didn’t think that would be much of a hassle and headed into town to buy some. Well, Mexicans around here don’t send or give cards to each other. Finding Christmas cards in Mexico would be like trying to find a pinata in Canada! We looked everywhere and finally we deduced that a paper store might be the most likely place. I screwed up my courage and tried to converse with a shopgirl with the help of my Spanish/English dictionary. Finally, I was able to make my request known and she dug around to find an old box under a counter. Inside was a variety of very old, somewhat yellowing cards – all in Spanish (of course – that’s okay!) all without envelopes. After more figuring out back and forth, she realized I needed envelopes to mail them. Well, try to find ones to fit! That took a great deal of searching and sizing, but finally we were able to cobble something together. To buy 10 cards with envelopes took us almost an hour and cost about 5 dollars. This episode reminded me so much of my frustrations in the first year or so we lived in Hong Kong. Trying to find a place that sold what you wanted, trying to communicate your desires in a foreign language once you have found it, learning the customs around buying, selling and service, working out the cost and how to pay, and so on. When I was younger these things would drive me up the wall. I would come home from one of these all day excursions and lay prostrate on the bed, muttering to myself, weeping and vowing to never go out again. Now, in the more mature version of myself, I can roll with the punches.
Cruisers say that La Paz is like a rubber band - once you have been here you are always drawn back. I can see that now and also understand why Cortez called it "The Peace".
Saturday, December 18, 2010
San Gabriel, Isla Espiritu Santo - December 5 - 10
We’ve arrived! We’ve arrived! All the way down the Pacific coast of the Baja we felt we were on the way somewhere. People would ask us: “where are you going? We could only answer: “Mexico” or “south”. Even before we left Comox we really had no idea where our destination would be. We were old enough to know that the journey would be more important than the destination and we also did not want to be pinned down – to any place, to any time. This was our “year off” and the last thing either of us wanted to do was micro-manage it the way our “normal” lives seemed to be. But when we dropped the hook in San Gabriel, saw and felt the clear, warm waters (75 degrees), soaked in the heat of the day (85 degrees in brilliant sunshine), surrounded by white sandy beach, and ringed by a landscape with rosy hues – all to ourselves, we knew we were “there”. We knew that San Gabriel would become the yardstick we would measure every place else against.
Interestingly, we had not intended to go to Isla Espiritu Santo – at least not at this time. We had been tossing around the idea of skipping the La Paz area and continuing right on to Mazatlan. We were worried that it would be too cold, relatively speaking, and it seemed that most of the other cruisers we knew were continuing on, with the idea of visiting the area in the late spring when it was purported to be warmer. But Steve, on Silas Crosby, managed to convince us in his gentle, informative way, that continuing to La Paz would be just the right thing to do. Additionally, Doug and I wanted to spend more time with the crew of Silas Crosby before they continued on their way to South America. In San Jose, we had provisioned for a few days, expecting to be La Paz very soon. What Steve suggested to us in Los Frailes, was to put off going into La Paz for a while longer and go to Isla Espiritu Santo instead. Better to turn right for a way after the Lorenzo Channel than to turn left, go three hours to La Paz, and get stuck there for a while, before having the chance to get out again. Good advice.
The whole five days at San Gabriel were gorgeous. The temperatures stayed in the 80s during the day and dropped to the 60s at night. We swam every day. The sun warmed our shower bag so we had hot fresh water showers in the cockpit every day. Our skins darkened and we thought to ourselves that if this was “cold” what more could we want? We walked on the beach, we explored the hills and lagoons, and we pooled our provisions together so that we ate and drank like kings and, with the exception of a couple transient boats, we continued to have the place all to ourselves. Finally, we were flushed out on the fifth day because we had run out of fresh food, but most importantly - beer.
On our first day in this lovely bay, we rowed the dinghies to the beach without really taking into account that the tide was high and the water was shallow for a long way out. We would pay for that oversight later on, but for now we were happy to have an easy landing. We strapped on our hiking shoes and headed up into the shale covered, steep hillside, scrambling up to the peak. As we ascended, I kept thinking about the snakes and spiders I had seen in the San Diego Zoo that were native to this place. We were all careful about where we put our feet and hands to avoid the many different types of cactus-like plants that clutched the nooks and crevices around the tossed rocks.
The view at the top was stupendous. We could see all around the island and pick out the various beaches – all gorgeous, yet all with their own special characteristics. Paradise!
We slithered down a rock slide and ended up at the back of one of the four lagoons lying behind the beach berm at San Gabriel.
We removed our hiking shoes and forded the stream pouring out of the lagoon - our first unacknowledged clue that the tide was going out! I felt like Dora the Explorer!
We strode along the sandy beach, looking for detritus and finding shells, the skeletons of cactus and coral, as well as the ubiquitous bits and pieces of plastic and line, and an intact tortoise shell.
I enjoyed splashing my feet in the warm water and we continued along for about a mile like this until we came to a sign. The sign, written in Spanish, indicated that Isla Espiritu Santo is a nature preserve and that before us was a track we could follow to the other side of the island. It promised us we find petrified fossils of coral, black hares and a collection of flora native to the area if we took the path.
The expedition continued and we zigzagged through the bones of prickly bushes for over two miles through some very desolate terrain, but marveled at the rock formations and their warm colours as we went along.
Steve and I got into a discussion about landscape. He told me that in the late 19th century there was a group of landscape artists who created “natural” parks in urban environments. People who lived in these areas assumed that the landscapes were “real” and many recreated the “look” in their own gardens. So now we get to the chicken and egg part. Today, in our modern world when we look at a wild environment, such as what we were looking at as we walked across the waist of the island, when we say: “Oh! Look at the way this place is. It looks just like a garden” – are our perceptions influenced by those landscapers as to what a garden should look like, or is the wilderness truly a garden? Then I got to thinking about all the mythology around the “Garden of Eden”. If mankind has, indeed, been expelled from that perfect place, do we have an ancient genetic memory that keeps us trying to find it again?
On the other side we came across another amazing beach – this one called Bonanza. Because it is on the north side of the island, it gets a lot more wave action and it is very deep just steps into the water. In fact, with your feet dry in the sand, you could dive right into it.
We enjoyed a break before beginning the higgledy-piggledy walk back through the cactus bracken to return to San Gabriel. Back on the other side, it was a real treat for our feet to splash through the shallow water on our way back to the dinghies. Then we noticed just how far the tide was out. Steve and Doug did the lion’s share of trying to get the little boats afloat again but, in the end, we all struggled to get them waterborne. After a swim and a cold cervesa we were refreshed.
When we arrived at San Gabriel we had noticed a large powerboat moored in deeper water to the side of the bay. It was Mystic, the last Kristian yacht to be built in Sydney, Vancouver Island. We had first encountered Betsy and David, who are from California, in San Quentin. They had cruised sailboats in the past, but this yacht was their second powerboat in which they travelled extensively. Over the years they had repeatedly traversed the Pacific coast of North America and for the last few years had summered in the Pacific Northwest. This year they decided to winter in Mexico.
Betsy graciously invited the four of us over for a barbequed dinner. What a treat that was! We loaded up in Silas Crosby’s wobbly portable dinghy and, when we stepped aboard Mystic, it was like stepping into a luxury advertisement. Betsy had set the dining room table as though we were the most important of dinner guests – beautiful crockery, GLASS glasses, matching linens. Divine! Our toes sank into a thick carpet and we noticed the comfortable reading chairs. READING chairs! We enjoyed gin and tonics – with ICE! We had drinks on the fly bridge before returning to the beautifully laid table to enjoy an evening of delicious food, good talk and companionship. Betsy and David have begun a charitable foundation in South Africa called In African Shoes. We didn't get much chance to discuss it that night, but you can find out more about their educational endeavors at: http://www.inafricanshoes.com/ and at their website: http://www.fullagarsfancy.com/.
It was pitch black when it came time to leave – no moon, but a blanket of stars – the anchor lights of the two little green boats seemed to join the firmament. A ripple of anxiety ran through me as we rocked our way back to them. What if we couldn’t find them?
While onboard Mystic I noted Betsy’s copy of The Joy of Cooking and launched into the story about leaving mine behind and photographing recipes out of Meredith’s copy. When she heard it, Betsy GAVE me her copy. I was completely overwhelmed and did not want to take it, managing to “forget” it when we left later that evening. But Betsy was not to be denied – the next day, when I was kneading bread below, Betsy dropped it off on Ka’sala, making a get-away before I could thank her. Their generosity was very much appreciated and was a real highlight of our stay at San Gabriel. Thank you, Betsy and David!
On another day, Doug dragged out the inflatable kayak, launched it and headed over to the far side of the bay to explore the “foundations” we had noticed as the sun set the night before.
We had read that the bay had once housed an oyster pearl industry and thought maybe these were the foundations of the buildings.
I was hugely intrigued and later, in La Paz, did some research about it. The Sea of Cortez was famous for its pearls. Cortez brought some back to Spain after his first voyage here and they became an immediate sensation. Like their desire for other exotic things, there was a huge demand for these pearls from the privileged European class. Over the course of the next several hundred years the pearls were pillaged from this area with no thought to conservation or protection and, like many other species in great demand, they almost completely disappeared. However, in 1893 Dr. Gaston Vives, a far sighted Mexican of French descent, realized if something wasn’t done, the oysters would become extinct. He built and operated the black-lipped pearl oyster nursery at San Gabriel from 1893 to 1914 when it was abandoned due to the Mexican-American war. In 2010 you can still see all the amazing stone works carefully cut and placed along the shoreline.
It is very eerie to take your kayak into the quiet lagoon and see these man-made works emerging here and there in the mangroves. It seems like they must be ancient Aztec ruins and at any moment you expect a ghost to rise up and you strain to hear the voices of the past in this silent place. If you want to know more about Mexican pearls and this special place check out:
http://www.perlas.com.mx/blog/?tag=isla-espiritu-santo
In the lagoon with the pearl farm ruins, hundreds of frigate birds have nested. As you explore the old works, they circle and dive while others drape themselves in the mangroves.
These are strange looking creatures. Some have red throats, others have white, while still others have none at all. They puff out and vibrate these pouches making a funny whirring sound. Although some of the frigates sit on the branches wings tucked in like regular birds, some of them spread their wings full out with legs akimbo. They are a strange sight.
Other birds surround them – various types of seagulls, pelicans and shore birds as well as ducks! There’s lots of guano, but the smell isn’t too bad. We agreed that our experience in that lagoon was a “National Geographic” moment.
On another day I decided I would do nothing more than read a book. It wasn’t a deliberate decision, but once I started reading The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak I couldn’t put it down. Far from a Mexican island, it is the story told from the perspective of a young German girl who lived in a small town outside of Munich during the early years of the Second World War. It is a riveting tale that reinforces the incredible hardship and loss everyone endured during that unfortunate time in our history.
When I wasn’t reading I was being creative with our food stores, baking bread, muffins and quiche. I enjoyed the challenge of trying to feed us properly and make the meals appetizing as well.
Doug was eager to clean the bottom of the boat, so he dragged out his dive gear. He also took the opportunity to change the zincs. The water was clear, but after half an hour he was quite cold and needed to spend some time in the sun to get his circulation going.
Another bonus we discovered at San Gabriel was that my TelCel “dongle” worked. It was a very slow connection, but if I wrote my emails in word and cut and pasted them over, and was patient as I waited for the various screens, I could stay in touch. We were able to use it to make reservations at Marina de La Paz which was very useful.
We left after breakfast on the fifth day in utterly calm conditions. I was very sad to leave this bay and we vowed to return as soon as we could.. This was one of the first times that I didn’t start thinking about the next place we would be while raising the anchor chain – instead, I was thinking about what we were leaving behind!
Silas Crosby and Ka'sala in San Gabriel - in the distance is the head of the peninsula leading to La Paz
Interestingly, we had not intended to go to Isla Espiritu Santo – at least not at this time. We had been tossing around the idea of skipping the La Paz area and continuing right on to Mazatlan. We were worried that it would be too cold, relatively speaking, and it seemed that most of the other cruisers we knew were continuing on, with the idea of visiting the area in the late spring when it was purported to be warmer. But Steve, on Silas Crosby, managed to convince us in his gentle, informative way, that continuing to La Paz would be just the right thing to do. Additionally, Doug and I wanted to spend more time with the crew of Silas Crosby before they continued on their way to South America. In San Jose, we had provisioned for a few days, expecting to be La Paz very soon. What Steve suggested to us in Los Frailes, was to put off going into La Paz for a while longer and go to Isla Espiritu Santo instead. Better to turn right for a way after the Lorenzo Channel than to turn left, go three hours to La Paz, and get stuck there for a while, before having the chance to get out again. Good advice.
Isla Espiritu Santo - San Gabriel is the large bay to the right
The whole five days at San Gabriel were gorgeous. The temperatures stayed in the 80s during the day and dropped to the 60s at night. We swam every day. The sun warmed our shower bag so we had hot fresh water showers in the cockpit every day. Our skins darkened and we thought to ourselves that if this was “cold” what more could we want? We walked on the beach, we explored the hills and lagoons, and we pooled our provisions together so that we ate and drank like kings and, with the exception of a couple transient boats, we continued to have the place all to ourselves. Finally, we were flushed out on the fifth day because we had run out of fresh food, but most importantly - beer.
San Gabriel - looking north of the bay
On our first day in this lovely bay, we rowed the dinghies to the beach without really taking into account that the tide was high and the water was shallow for a long way out. We would pay for that oversight later on, but for now we were happy to have an easy landing. We strapped on our hiking shoes and headed up into the shale covered, steep hillside, scrambling up to the peak. As we ascended, I kept thinking about the snakes and spiders I had seen in the San Diego Zoo that were native to this place. We were all careful about where we put our feet and hands to avoid the many different types of cactus-like plants that clutched the nooks and crevices around the tossed rocks.
The scramble up
The view at the top was stupendous. We could see all around the island and pick out the various beaches – all gorgeous, yet all with their own special characteristics. Paradise!
View to the bays north of San Gabriel
We slithered down a rock slide and ended up at the back of one of the four lagoons lying behind the beach berm at San Gabriel.
The scramble down
Not exactly easy hiking
Mangrove stream
We strode along the sandy beach, looking for detritus and finding shells, the skeletons of cactus and coral, as well as the ubiquitous bits and pieces of plastic and line, and an intact tortoise shell.
I enjoyed splashing my feet in the warm water and we continued along for about a mile like this until we came to a sign. The sign, written in Spanish, indicated that Isla Espiritu Santo is a nature preserve and that before us was a track we could follow to the other side of the island. It promised us we find petrified fossils of coral, black hares and a collection of flora native to the area if we took the path.
The expedition continued and we zigzagged through the bones of prickly bushes for over two miles through some very desolate terrain, but marveled at the rock formations and their warm colours as we went along.
Local flora
Steve and I got into a discussion about landscape. He told me that in the late 19th century there was a group of landscape artists who created “natural” parks in urban environments. People who lived in these areas assumed that the landscapes were “real” and many recreated the “look” in their own gardens. So now we get to the chicken and egg part. Today, in our modern world when we look at a wild environment, such as what we were looking at as we walked across the waist of the island, when we say: “Oh! Look at the way this place is. It looks just like a garden” – are our perceptions influenced by those landscapers as to what a garden should look like, or is the wilderness truly a garden? Then I got to thinking about all the mythology around the “Garden of Eden”. If mankind has, indeed, been expelled from that perfect place, do we have an ancient genetic memory that keeps us trying to find it again?
On the other side we came across another amazing beach – this one called Bonanza. Because it is on the north side of the island, it gets a lot more wave action and it is very deep just steps into the water. In fact, with your feet dry in the sand, you could dive right into it.
John on Bahai de Bonanza
When we arrived at San Gabriel we had noticed a large powerboat moored in deeper water to the side of the bay. It was Mystic, the last Kristian yacht to be built in Sydney, Vancouver Island. We had first encountered Betsy and David, who are from California, in San Quentin. They had cruised sailboats in the past, but this yacht was their second powerboat in which they travelled extensively. Over the years they had repeatedly traversed the Pacific coast of North America and for the last few years had summered in the Pacific Northwest. This year they decided to winter in Mexico.
Mystic at anchor - San Gabriel
Betsy graciously invited the four of us over for a barbequed dinner. What a treat that was! We loaded up in Silas Crosby’s wobbly portable dinghy and, when we stepped aboard Mystic, it was like stepping into a luxury advertisement. Betsy had set the dining room table as though we were the most important of dinner guests – beautiful crockery, GLASS glasses, matching linens. Divine! Our toes sank into a thick carpet and we noticed the comfortable reading chairs. READING chairs! We enjoyed gin and tonics – with ICE! We had drinks on the fly bridge before returning to the beautifully laid table to enjoy an evening of delicious food, good talk and companionship. Betsy and David have begun a charitable foundation in South Africa called In African Shoes. We didn't get much chance to discuss it that night, but you can find out more about their educational endeavors at: http://www.inafricanshoes.com/ and at their website: http://www.fullagarsfancy.com/.
It was pitch black when it came time to leave – no moon, but a blanket of stars – the anchor lights of the two little green boats seemed to join the firmament. A ripple of anxiety ran through me as we rocked our way back to them. What if we couldn’t find them?
While onboard Mystic I noted Betsy’s copy of The Joy of Cooking and launched into the story about leaving mine behind and photographing recipes out of Meredith’s copy. When she heard it, Betsy GAVE me her copy. I was completely overwhelmed and did not want to take it, managing to “forget” it when we left later that evening. But Betsy was not to be denied – the next day, when I was kneading bread below, Betsy dropped it off on Ka’sala, making a get-away before I could thank her. Their generosity was very much appreciated and was a real highlight of our stay at San Gabriel. Thank you, Betsy and David!
Betsy - beachcoming at San Gabriel
On another day, Doug dragged out the inflatable kayak, launched it and headed over to the far side of the bay to explore the “foundations” we had noticed as the sun set the night before.
oyster "raceways" where the oysters were cleaned and protected
oyster "raceways" with palapa covers to keep the temperatures down
http://www.perlas.com.mx/blog/?tag=isla-espiritu-santo
In the lagoon with the pearl farm ruins, hundreds of frigate birds have nested. As you explore the old works, they circle and dive while others drape themselves in the mangroves.
Entrance to pearl nursery lagoon
These are strange looking creatures. Some have red throats, others have white, while still others have none at all. They puff out and vibrate these pouches making a funny whirring sound. Although some of the frigates sit on the branches wings tucked in like regular birds, some of them spread their wings full out with legs akimbo. They are a strange sight.
Nesting frigate birds
More frigate birds
Pelicans fishing
On another day I decided I would do nothing more than read a book. It wasn’t a deliberate decision, but once I started reading The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak I couldn’t put it down. Far from a Mexican island, it is the story told from the perspective of a young German girl who lived in a small town outside of Munich during the early years of the Second World War. It is a riveting tale that reinforces the incredible hardship and loss everyone endured during that unfortunate time in our history.
When I wasn’t reading I was being creative with our food stores, baking bread, muffins and quiche. I enjoyed the challenge of trying to feed us properly and make the meals appetizing as well.
Doug was eager to clean the bottom of the boat, so he dragged out his dive gear. He also took the opportunity to change the zincs. The water was clear, but after half an hour he was quite cold and needed to spend some time in the sun to get his circulation going.
Doug prepares to dive
Replacing the zinc
Yes, that's the bottom you see - that's how clear the water is
A thin wetsuit would have been the answer. That was reinforced on another day when we took the dinghy to the reef at the side of the bay to do some snorkeling. We saw lots of fish around the pretty coral, but we couldn’t stay in the water very long without getting chilled.Another bonus we discovered at San Gabriel was that my TelCel “dongle” worked. It was a very slow connection, but if I wrote my emails in word and cut and pasted them over, and was patient as I waited for the various screens, I could stay in touch. We were able to use it to make reservations at Marina de La Paz which was very useful.
We left after breakfast on the fifth day in utterly calm conditions. I was very sad to leave this bay and we vowed to return as soon as we could.. This was one of the first times that I didn’t start thinking about the next place we would be while raising the anchor chain – instead, I was thinking about what we were leaving behind!
This tiny little opening at the back of the boat leads to the large lazarette where the dive tank is stored. No, it is not the doghouse!
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