Cruise of the Confidence 20-Feb-2014 to 04-mar-2014 Barra de Navidad

19-Feb-2014 Barra de Navidad and Ajijic

On Tuesday we raised than anchor and headed to Barra de Navidad. We have been keeping in touch with Mike and Mae (my brother's partner, Heather, and Mae are sisters). It just so happened that they were going to be golfing on the 18th and 19th in Barra. 

We met up with them for dinner at the Grand Bay Hotel and made some plans.

We had anchored in the lagoon for the night and had to make arrangements to get some water. The next morning Mike and Mae took the water taxi out to the boat and we left the lagoon for a short sail to Cuastecomate (Secret Anchorage). We just wanted to give them a taste of our new life on the sea.

I let Mike sit in my favourite spot on the boat!

Mae and her new sun hat - not a boat hat!

Mike at the helm!

I know that Mae likes the water so we anchored and then her and I swam to shore. The boys followed us in the dinghy. After a nice lunch at a beachside palapas (thatched roof outdoor restaurant) and some excellent entertainment from the meriache band,  Mae and I swam back to the boat. We had a nice dinner on board and enjoyed a quiet calm night on the water.

 

The next day Mae and I went for another swim before heading back to Barra. We made arrangements to keep the boat at the Marina Puerto de la Navidad and then jumped in the Jeep with Mike and Mae and headed inland to their home, or should I say small hotel, in Ajijic. The drive took us through mountains and across salt flats

 and alongside coconut groves, mango groves

, papaya groves and agave - the cactus that they use to make tequila.

A few pictures of their beautiful home.

 

 

 

 

 

Then another 4 days living the life of the rich and famous. Mike and Mae were very gracious and generous hosts - introducing us to their friends and sharing their home. We just caught the end of the Olympics which was a treat in itself. We actually stayed the extra day so that we could watch the Gold medal game between Canada and Sweden. We also got to see the finals of the curling. Go Canada Go!

 

We took the bus back to Barra on Monday and were lucky enough to see the volcano belch white smoke at Colima. Volcan de Fuego is one of the world's most active volcanoes in the world.

 

It was nice to be off the boat for a couple of days and sleeping in a real bed, with a flush toilet and TV. But the best was just getting to know Mike and Mae. Mae and I did not know each other while we were growing up but we had so many of the same experiences that it felt like we did. And knew a lot of the same people.

 

After being pampered we decided to stay at the marina for a few extra days. At $28 per day, why wouldn't we.  This included full use of the hotel and of course the pool. And rather than taking the dinghy to town, as the resort and marina are actually on an island, we took the watery taxi.

The town is great with lots of nice tiendas (stores) and restaurants. We were told about the French baker (more on home in a minute) - so we went there for a latte and croissant. We were almost done when this women comes up to David and starts hugging him. Bronnie was one of David's favorite deckhands when he worked for BC Ferries. I had met her and her husband on Hornby. Jim is from my home town and was best friends with one of my brother's good friends. So how bizarre was that to run into them in a place that I hadn't even heard of a month ago. So we invited them for dinner the next night. David and Bronnie got caught up on the BC Ferry gossip and Jim and I reminisced about the Sault.

 

Next couple of days was spent doing a few projects on the boat. We got someone to clean the bottom and replace the zincs, David did some varnishing and painting and We defrosted the freezer. And of course I put in my daily workout in the pool.

And it is a good thing that I can workout every day as the French baker delivers fresh croissants, my favorite being the almond croissant, to the marina and lagoon every morning except Wednesday. So David puts on the coffee and I lay in bed until both are delivered. I would say that this is the definition of decadence. He also has other treats like baguettes and Danishes. What a way to start the day.

 

Today is carnival day in Barra so we will take the water taxi to town to watch the parade and join in the festivities. The Marina and resort are actually on a island and rather than bring our dinghy across we make use of the great water taxi service at less than $2 for a return trip. Not only is it a great service but it is also a great way to meet the other boaters and get the skinny on places to eat and shop and make new friends.

This posting is getting a bit long so I think I will close here.  I have more to add on our visit to Barra but I will include it on the next blog.