Holiday Sails

It was one of those days that one can only dream about; the kind that no amount of planning can produce. We, that would be Claudia and I, and Mitch and Laura from sv Hanali, have been going absolutely stir crazy from being tied to the dock. Even Maxine had been making noises. Sooooo



The day dawned a chilly 52 degrees - an all too common theme lately - but the sky was clear. And the forecast was for sunny, calm winds and seas with the high to be around 75. I feel an idea coming together....... By 10:00, the lines were cut and we were underway.





The sea was like glass as we motored out of the harbor to the channel that would take us to deep water. About an hour after leaving the dock, we shut down the engine to simply enjoy floating three or four miles ftom land. It was one of those rare experiences with a sea like glass for as far as we could see. The girls were creating wonderful smells in the galley, and Mitch and I were just enjoying the whole scene when I thought I felt a puff of air. By the time we had finished a fine lunch, there was an actual breeze, so we did the only thing we could - get the sails up!! Soon we had a consistent 10 - 12 knots of breeze and we were flying along about 6 knots (about the speed of an easy jog, but just about max speed for our hull). Woo Hoo!! It was a pretty super four hours of fun.

12/31 Tonight being New Years Eve, we have reservations at the "Roadhouse" for dinner and live music. Unlike the U S with all the big parties, this night is primarily a family night here in Mexico. I remember being almost dumbfounded last year finding most places closed and nothing to do, so this year should be fun. We're looking forward to Blues by a group from Las Vegas and good old Rock and Roll later on. Wonder how long Claudia and I can stay awake?

Here's wishing you all an exciting 2010 !! E

Merry Christmas to ALL !!

It's been really hard to feel like it's Christmas this year. It's just sooo different here. Then, this morning we got an e-mail from our daughter Jenifer with this attached. Check it out.

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/mlwj1dV8mNx5L5RNBg2g

There are some decorations here in Baja, but they're mostly small and simple, not the Las Vegas gaudy type stuff that we're used to at home, yet still very enjoyable. And, many of the stores have special toy sections and Christmas candies and stuff. We even said hello to Santa Claus at the supermercado the other day - that was kind of a treat. Yesterday, we were invited to have free coffee and pastries at a local restaraunt. Their way of saying thank you to customers. So the Christmas spirit is alive and well. It's just different. I think it's the lack of television - the constant barrage of commercials urging people to spend more and more - that makes it feel so different. There's no pressure, and it's a joy.

Well, here's wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas.

WHAAAAT"S UP???

Well, we are. In this photo from friends on s/v Red Pepper, we're about 10 or 12 feet above the concrete with Sojourner cradled in the slings of what is called a Travellift. This device - a likely candidate for a transformers movie - is what picks boats out of the water and puts them back in. I will say that it's a rather strange feeling, sailing in mid air as it were, moments before splashdown.

That was about three weeks ago. Since then, we've been getting used to our new digs, making new friends and enjoying some old ones.



Here's a shot of our Thanksgiving dinner celebration.

A local cruisers club, clubcruceros.org put on the feast with help from about 100 or so pot luck dishes. I'm told that 250 folks signed up to attend. I couldn't prove it, but it certainly was busy as this photo shows only about half. And there was a LOT of really good food too. Out of this crowd, we knew about a dozen and had a fine time with them.









Sadly, the boat sales business is not taking very much of our time, or producing any results as yet. So, we continue to upgrade our little home and we do a lot of walking. Here are a couple of street scenes we thought you might enjoy. This Cathedral is near our marina and is still under construction. I hope you get a feeling for just how large this building is. There's a lot of concrete in this job!! and I believe the dome is clad in copper sheet. Quite impressive. We walked to it this morning to get this shot and see a bit of the inside. The inside is a huge open chapel but very plain - maybe it's waiting for the outside to get finished before getting dressed up. Because of the
people inside, it didn't seem right to try for a pic.





Here's a shot of a nearby neighborhood that shows just how colorful things can be here. You have to admit, it actually looks pretty good?!?!

Now, it's time for a siesta. Then, this evening we plan to have dinner with friends at a place called Banditos. An outdoor restaraunt amid palms and with candles for most of the lighting. Plastic tables and chairs, but very inviting with great food prepared on a grill set under the hood of an actual '57 Chevy. I think JD would really like this place. Afterwards, we'll be looking for a place to watch Monday Night Football. Until next time........E