SAILING CAMELOT

Friday December 31^st

Up, up, bright and shiny! We’re now all of a sudden very eager to take on this short 8 mile stretch, can’t wait to be in La Cruz.  Early in the morning we take off from Punta Mita and this time a huge pod of good-sized manta rays escorts us out of the Bay, the tip of their fins poking out of the water. A whale calf is leading the way, I’m sure his Mama is close by. Oh, Lord, here we go again… But after a pretty close tail-wave they disappear towards the Islands and for the rest of the short trip there are no more sightings.

I can see the anchorage of Banderas Bay! Lots of sailboats anchored there, there’s plenty of room for everybody, but we’ve already decided to spend a good few days in the Marina of La Cruz. It’s actually called Marina Riviera Nayarit. It is a luxurious, quite new spot and with every amenity and service one can think of or wish for.

The shore at La Cruz, just entering the Marina

Entering Marina Riviera Nayarit, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle

We were here last in February 2009, at the time we spent a week in a house overlooking the anchorage and walked all over the place, meeting cruisers, admiring their boats and dreaming of when our time would come. We’re here now, even after repeatedly pinching myself I can’t quite believe it. The place has changed a bit, much more developed, streets have been paved –most of them anyway-, new buildings have sprung up. 

Main Road from the Marina into La Cruz

This Plaza wasn't here two years ago!

This small town is definitely growing! There are quite a lot of boats in the Marina, a lot more than when we were here last. The only negative difference is the water in the Marina… I remember it being crystal clear, and have pictures of fish swimming in it to prove it, but now the water is a little more murky… Still far from dirty, but also far from the intense azure I remember.  Nevertheless, I love this place and we’re both thrilled to be back here, this time on our beloved boat. It is somehow confirmation of our dream coming true!

Our home for the next 10 days - Dock 4 Marina Riviera Nayarit

As we settle in our slip, friends in droves come to see us, greet and welcome us. It is our 7^th wedding anniversary today, and within minutes this detail becomes of public domain. Even more friends arrive, and we get hugged within an inch of our life! It is still incredible to me to have formed such close bonds with a considerable number of people in such a relatively short time. I never had this many friends when I lived on land… It’s a small, close knit community. We share the worries and we share the joys. There’s an amazing support system within this community. I enjoy it a lot.

Better rest and rejuvenate, as there’s a nice dinner and entertainment planned for the night. But Tom has other plans, as usual. There’s an item on his Bucket List, and it can’t wait a minute longer… So he drags me into the village and makes a bee line for Ana Banana’s. We were there almost two years ago, I can’t believe he knows the way! Ana Banana’s is a simple, very fun place with a lot of character where basic but excellent meals are served, there’s music entertainment most every night. This is a landmark not to be missed!

The Legendary Ana Banana's

It is run by Barry, nicest guy in the world and former Tourism Director for the Yukon Territories. Barry left Canada over 15 years ago and came to Mexico with the intention of staying for 6 months, presumably to thaw his frozen bones. But he met and married Ana, a very pretty local girl, and never left. The rest is history. We like this romantic story. But more importantly, there’s a wall here where visiting cruisers can become children again and indulge in the ultimate forbidden act: write their name, boat name and year of their visit on the Cruiser’s Wall. Although nowadays it’s more like the whole building had become a giant drawing board…

Ana Banana's Faithful Fans

Scribblings everywhere! Yay! Tom is trying to find the perfect spot.

It has been Tom’s goal and ambition for over 22 months to come back here as a cruiser and write our boat’s name on The Wall. It’s now done, our names are on Ana Banana’s wall. One item checked off the Bucket List. It’s a good feeling.

It's a small corner, but it's OURS! Tom pointing at it.

Prime Real Estate!

Now, how about my beauty sleep? I’ve got a New Year’s Eve coming up… And intend to stay awake until midnight!