SAILING CAMELOT

Isla Grande, as it’s known to the locals, is a mere hour away from the Ixtapa Marina. Such a short trip, we were all set and ready to enjoy the new beach by 1 pm. Oh, goody, it’s time for lunch! Nothing much to report from here; this island, being so close to the mainland, is the chosen destination for Club Med and other hotels guests who want to spend a “quiet” day away from their luxurious accommodations. The soft, golden sandy beaches are postcard perfect. But it’s Tuesday and there isn’t too much going on here today, which is precisely the way I like it.

Isla Ixtapa Beach

We spend the day snorkeling in warm waters, solving the world’s problems laying comfortably on the beach, amiably chatting with other cruisers and vacationers.

Tom surveying the activities

There are two beaches on Isla Grande, at opposite ends. Venturing out for a walk, I discover that it only takes 3 minutes to reach the other side, that there are massage tables almost everywhere, and that there are huge house rabbits roaming around. Quite a contrast… 

The Other Side

 Anyway, the “other” beach is beautiful but rocky and the surf is heavier, with waves breaking ashore with some violence. Spectacular, deafening, and definitely not conducive to swimming. Nevertheless, there’s a good touristic presence here as well. 

Open Air Facilities

Tilework Detail

We spent our Valentine’s Day tying up loose ends and getting ready to leave, not much of a romantic day at all… It’s a good thing that Tom did the “romantic Valentine thing” on the beach a couple of days ago… We ladies don’t like it when such occasions get totally overlooked.

What Is He Doing???

... The Proper Valentine Thing, of course!

 In any case, Camelot is once again ready to go find new places. While thoroughly enjoying our visit, we both agree that our preference remains with the more secluded, wild and undeveloped little bays. It’s time to head back up North, in no particular rush.

We’ll leave Ixtapa Marina early tomorrow morning and take the short hop to Isla Grande (also known as Isla Ixtapa). We’ll spend a couple of days here before resuming our gypsy ways. 

View of Ixtapa Marina

 

Ixtapa Marina Entrance

 

It’s Sunday, we’re finally caught up with all of our chores so it only feels right to take a lazy day off. Along with Anne and Hugh of Serendipity –who have been working as hard or even harder than us- we take a taxi ride to Playa Linda (the beach on the side of Club Med), where we spend the day visiting the local attractions: the Crocoriladium, home to a huge number of these reptiles (they fascinate me while making me cringe), giant iguanas and lots of very noisy birds. The ever-present tourist market, with lots of stalls all selling pretty much the same things but very colorful and a delight to walk thru.  

Playa Linda

Ana & Hugo strolling the Playa Linda market

 A number of palapa restaurants right on the beach, were inevitably we end plopping our exhausted and hungry bodies. The meal stretches on for hours, as the people-watching is intensely satisfying. The Sunday Crowd is mainly composed of local families; we Gringos (Canadians included) are for once in the minority.

Yet Another Crock!

Need a Mint, buddy?

 A quick swim in the warm water, and it’s time to return to base. Yep, you guessed it, it’s Siesta Time! What a rough, tough life… 

Cops On The Beach

Tom is thinking of applying for the job...

Ixtapa Beach

 Our poor boat is pretty filthy, she hasn’t had a good bath in almost a month and there’s some routine maintenance to take care of that is better done comfortably berthed in a Marina. We leave our sweet spot at anchor in Zihua Bay and aim for the Ixtapa Marina, literally just around the corner, no more than an hour away. The scenery changes dramatically, going from the quaintness of the little homes on the hills overlooking the Bay of Zihuatanejo to the high-rises luxury hotels and condominiums on the long beach of Ixtapa, truly a man-made tourism hotspot. 

The Marina welcomes us. After a quick stop to refuel we take residence in a comfortable slip close to many of our friends. We’re all here with the same objectives: cleanup, maintenance and chores.

The weather is gorgeous as usual but the temperature is much hotter here than it was anchored out in the Bay. We quickly learn to get up early in the morning and work as much as possible before 11 o’clock, maybe stretching it until noon, but after that it’s pretty impossible, it’s just too hot with temperatures in the mid-nineties. So it’s common to see the whole dock littered with anchors and chain, various lines laid out to wash and dry, some of the women doing their hand-wash in huge buckets and hanging it on the boat’s lifelines (yep, I’m one of them!). It’s a buzzing hive of activity until noon, after that pretty much everyone retires only to reappear at sunset for socializing on the docks. Or, as it’s known to us, The Crock-Tail Hour…

They Call Me Pancho

The “on the dock” entertainment consists mainly of the visiting resident crocodiles. Yes, there are a few crocodiles IN the Marina and they come around the boats at dusk, swimming in the empty slips, eyeing the tasty-looking humans. I noticed only ONE cat in the neighborhood, no dogs. It is strongly recommended to keep small children and pets in your arms while walking the docks… I’m mildly concerned and ready to run for cover as I observe our visitor, but can’t stay away from Pancho (that’s his name). 

Inviting Welcome to the Marina!

We spend our “down-time” walking the neighborhood, discovering awesome places to eat. Hey, I found a place that makes pizza as good as the ones I got in Rome! Sadly, after three pizza meals in a row, Tom forced me to change destinations… But I’m going to sneak in one more time before we have to leave! There’s a famous burger joint in town, called Reuben’s Burgers. And you know those Americans, always looking for a good burger! So on Saturday evening a group of ten hungry Gringos takes off from the Marina (us included), with murder in their eyes and burgers in their hearts… Nobody got hurt, we all got our (huge) precious cheeseburgers with delicious fries and all the trimmings. Peace restored, food coma follows. That, however, didn’t prevent us from getting a memorable dessert upon returning to the Marina.  

Ixtapa Beach

Gringo On the Prowl

Even in this infernal heat we take long, pleasant walks. The beach access is just across the road from the Marina and strolling with your feet in the (warm) water makes you forget that you’re getting scorched… We must have walked for about a mile before making a beeline for a friendly hotel with a pool, it was high time for a cold drink! Restored, we resume our walk, this time choosing the main street for our return to the Marina. The street is lined with palm trees, there’s abundant shade, no way could we have tolerated the heat otherwise.

Very Vigilant Lifeguard

 Ixtapa is filled with world-class hotels and high-end condos, restaurants of all size, shape and kind, amenities, local craft markets; you name it, it’s here. Even Club Med! But the tourism industry on which Ixtapa and most of the Mexican Coast is based is clearly suffering, there aren’t many tourists around, some local operators told us there’s a mere 10% of the usual presence.

Ixtapa Beach House

Time flies when you’re having fun, as you can probably tell by our silence… Our 10 days in this beautiful little town –which is much more than just a fishing village nowadays- have been spent well.  Mostly we strolled around town sampling the local cuisine, taking in the sights, admiring the many bronze statues gracing the streets. 

Postcard Perfect View

 

One of the Many Bronze Statues in Town

 

We both managed to get a nasty cold, Tom first and –inevitably- I ended up getting it too. To speed up the healing process we baked our sinuses on the beach. Las Gatas Playa remains our favorite, and we ended up returning there day after day. Most of the Palapa Bar & Restaurant owners are now on a first name basis with Tom. 

The Malecon - Main Street by the Beach

 

My husband has a way with people that I envy. Early one morning while having coffee in the cockpit he noticed a Panga (fishing boat) with five fishermen aboard, intent on tossing their net right under our boat (there was a huge presence of sardines enjoying the shady spot under Camelot’s hull). After a few minutes observing the men working, Tom greeted them with his booming, friendly voice offering them freshly brewed coffee. The fishermen were surprised, maybe they didn’t understand right away, but in the end they got the meaning of Tom’s pointing at his supersized coffee mug and they shyly accepted. So we poured them coffee in big foam cups, they thanked us with big grins and left to go fish in the open sea. The sardines caught with the net were to be the bait for the day.

Fishermen Mending Nets

 At dusk that same day the Panga came back with two men, Tony the boss and his apprentice Xavier. We learned that Tony speaks pretty good English when he offered Tom a big chunk of a sailfish he caught that day. They chatted with Tom for a few minutes before returning to port as it was getting dark.

At sunset the next day Tony returned, this time bringing a 2 feet long Spanish Mackerel that he insisted we accept as a gift. We invited him aboard and offered him a cold Cerveza (beer) and had a nice little chat about his family and work. He was quite disappointed to learn that we were leaving the next day, as he really wanted to take us out fishing in his Panga named Kayla. Well, we now have a friend in Zihuatanejo, a reason good enough to consider returning… And all over a cup of coffee! 

Local Hand-Woven Textiles

 

My Favorite Work Of Art

So up we go, slow slow because the water is shallow and murky, in a single file. We’re last in line and despite our care we manage to bump our propeller into a rock. Oops. But apparently everything is ok, no noticeable damage done, so we proceed after raising our engine a little.

 In front of us, Hugh and Annie didn’t notice that their propeller is obviously stirring up the dark mud at the bottom of the lagoon. Tom hollers at them “look behind you!”, drawing their attention to the oil-black trail they’re leaving behind. This lagoon is very shallow, quite stinky, but somewhat fascinating.

We soon see our first croc, a small one posing in the shallow water like a statue, its snout wide open. It looks like a puppy, but I assure you there’s nothing cute about this kid. It’s only smaller in size but it doesn’t look any less menacing. 

We carry on a little further, towards the end of the lagoon. It’s like a basin, and we’re thinking about turning around when Annie (always the eagle-eyed!) half yells and half whispers “look over there!”.  Sure enough, there’s Papa Croc taking a break from his busy life. He’s laying on a strip of sand/mud, half hidden under the jungle-like vegetation. It looks just like another statue, eyes closed, no sign of life.

Papa Croc

 

It looks about 15 feet long, but being so immobile it doesn’t feel threatening. We decide to take pictures of each other on our dinghies, close but not too close, with Papa Croc snoozing in the background. You’ll probably notice the slightly tense smiles on the pictures…

Too close for comfort

Get your limbs in and get out!

As we’re taking the very last shot of the Serendipity crew, Papa Croc must have decided he had enough of our loud whispering and intrusive presence. With an agility and speed I would never have thought possible he turns and slides in the muddy water. All that’s left of him is a trail of small bubbles on the water. We’re not whispering anymore… Tom is closely following the trail of bubbles, they disappear under our dinghy, reappear in the vicinity of Serendipity’s dinghy. We all start our engines and make the most expedite and less graceful exit in history.

Enough excitement for the day? I’d say! Better go back to the safety of our boat and end this day while we’re still ahead of the game.

Zihuatanejo, or more practically known to the Gringo community as Z-Town, has been on my mind for years. It started with cruisers and friends who had been there and recounted the quaintness and beauty of this fishing village, and it became the object of my cruising obsession (one of them, anyway). Now we’re here. It is truly beautiful, but as in all much-dreamed-of projections, it is not what I expected. Not better, not worse, just different. I know I’ll enjoy this town nonetheless. We have made it a point to arrive here in time for the Zihuatanejo Sailfest, a yearly event that lasts 5 days , geared towards raising funds for local schools and less fortunate children. There are regattas, competitions of various nature, concerts, raffles, auctions, you name it. It’s nice to see so many people coming together for such a worthy cause.

Approaching Zihuatanejo Bay

The Bay of Zihuatanejo is plenty big to accommodate all the boats participating; we chose to be anchored a little further away from the town and are totally happy with our spot. When the whim takes us, it’s only a short dinghy ride to town.

It’s Sunday 30^th. So far –we have been here only two days-, we devoted more time to the beaches surrounding us. There are four beaches: Playa Principal and Playa La Madera right in front of town, Playa La Ropa and Playa Las Gatas on the other, more secluded side of the Bay.

Playa la Ropa in the background

Camelot is safely anchored in front of Playa La Ropa and it’s only a 3 minute dinghy ride to Playa Las Gatas. Las Gatas can only be reached by water and it’s supposed to be an excellent spot for snorkeling, so we decide to make it our destination for the day. Great choice! The water is clear and very calm, the beach is postcard perfect.

Las Gatas Beach to the right

View to the Left

But… it’s so shallow that it takes all of Tom’s concentration and ability to maneuver the dinghy safely to shore. Thankfully, some of our cruising buddies are already strategically positioned, Margaritas in hand, to assist us with the landing. Thank you, guys!

It is so beautiful here it almost feels like an out-of-body experience!

The Parking Lot

It’s Sunday and it also happens to be Election Day: they’re electing the State Governor. For this reason, alcohol is NOT to be served today, as our friendly waiter Ernesto explains with a mournful face. Then in a barely audible whisper he adds that he cannot serve alcohol in bottles or glasses, but… anything you’d like can and will be smuggled from the bar and delivered to the beach disguised in innocuous coconuts. And so it is, the whole group is soon clutching massive coconuts filled with a variety of alcoholic drinks. I stick to lemonade and am holding the only glass on the beach…

My juvenile husband felt the need of having this picture taken… And being the dutiful wife that I am, here it is:

Don't even THINK of commenting on this one!

Some swimming, some snorkeling, lots of reading, the days ends quickly. In fact, we decide we need to return here, many more times! This is, in my humble opinion, the best of the four beaches.

We spent the day here, pampered and spoiled.

Friday Jan 28th. It’s 7:30 and we leave this gorgeous Bay just as the sun is peeking out of a cloud. As we round the little point, exiting the Bay, I get the most beautiful Good-Bye… Two huge whales -close enough to be seen in all their glory- swim in front of Camelot. We get to see their massive humps, followed by a perfectly synchronized, two-tails-in-the-air dive. Took my breath away, and this time it wasn’t fear!

We have about 30 hours of navigation ahead of us. It turns out to be a pretty easy, lazy trip. No more whale sightings, no dolphins, no turtles. Hmmm. I wonder where they all went…

The night was long and pretty boring to tell the truth, though the stars were magnificently lit and a teeny weensy fingernail of a moon decided to rise at about 5 in the morning. There was a little traffic, mainly tankers and cargo ships, but they were far from our path and I only saw their lights in the distance. Three other sailboats were making the trip to the same destination with us: Serendipity, Liberty and Mazu. We left a few hours apart from each other and travelled in a staggered formation. This is called Buddy Boating. It is very comforting to know that friends are ahead of you, beside you, behind you. You get bored in the middle of the night? Grab the radio and check on each other.

A few miles before our destination, Mazu left the formation to stop at Isla Grande and Liberty peeled off the group to go to the Marina at Ixtapa, leaving us behind Serendipity, aiming at Zihuatanejo.

By 13:30 we were safely anchored in the Bay, right in front of one of four beautiful beaches. I’ll find out the name soon…

Needless to say, we spent the rest of the day in a haze, leaving fun and explorations for tomorrow.

My favorite Beach House!!!

For now, it time to rest, rejuvenate and remember how lucky we are to be doing what we do.

A week has gone by since we arrived in Las Hadas, and what a week it has been! We were allowed to take full advantage of this wonderful resort.

A strange but very appealing mix of architecture

For those old enough to remember, the movie “10” starring Doodley Moore and Bo Derek, was filmed on these spectacular grounds. We felt quite privileged to spend time in such luxurious and extravagant (for our budget!) settings.

Poolside Restaurant decked out for Italian Night

A few days were spent by the pool, chatting with other vacationing people, sampling delicious Mexican food, swimming and overall taking it extremely easy.  

A Rock in the Pool, who would have thought...

We visited The Paraiso Restaurant, self-proclaimed “Cruiser’s Spot”, for a meal or two.  Here we also had dinner with a handful of fellow cruisers, all anchored out in the bay with us. After dinner our table was approached by a really nice and friendly couple from Tennessee, Sondra and Thomas, there on vacation for a month. A lot of questions about life on a boat were asked and even more compliments paid to the boats. Sondra recognized most of the boats’ names, confessing that she liked to watch the anchorage and the boats with her binoculars. We got a snippet of what “normal” people (read: non-boaters) think of us crazy cruisers. There was also a bit of benign envy for the many adventures that are ahead of us, hopefully every one of them positive… 

We are being observed! But I understand...

A couple of times my friend Annie and I took the bus to Manzanillo for some “girlie” time; we explored the crafts market adjacent to the big Walmart where we purchased some gifts –Mom, you’ll love what I got for you!-. I was enthralled with the textiles as usual, while Annie was concentrating on jewelry.

Another day we ventured out with our men to explore “El Centro”. The bus ride alone is an adventure! For 6 pesos (not even 50 cents) you can travel all over town. The bus picked us up at the resort, which stands on top of the hill, and the ride to town is spectacular and hair-rising at the same time. These drivers are fearless! I know they drive these roads day after day, but for me… Well, here’s my perception: your life flashes in front of your squeezed-shut eyes, that you’ll open only after offering a heartfelt prayer for your safety. The two-way cobblestone road is very narrow, winding and twisted, and drops at a considerably steep angle, but affords incredible views of the Bay. Worth risking your life, I say… Besides, I lived to tell the tale.

A view to die for... Literally!

The town of Manzanillo is divided in two sectors: on one end of the Bay the big stores, Soriana, Mega and Walmart offer convenient provisioning, on the other end lays Manzanillo proper-or “El Centro”- with its little shops, mercados and restaurants. The day of our excursion coincided with the arrival of a cruise ship, so it was slightly crowded but pleasant nonetheless.  

Curious Propeller Sculpture, Cruiseship in the background

In Manzanillo we visited the Mercado Cinco De Mayo, huge stands filled with colorful vegetables, meats, fish, candy, cheese.

Mercado 5 De Mayo

Annie and I were wondering about a strange looking fish displayed, trying unsuccessfully to identify it. In my tentative Spanish I asked “que es esto?” (what’s this?), and I was amazed when the fisherman responded in perfect English “this is a Sierra fish, of the Tuna family”! Even a young Indio lady selling shawls and scarves took time to explain the different fabric compositions and origins in perfect English. It never fails to surprise me, and always thank them for their courtesy in speaking our language.  

Produce on sale!

On the way back to the other side of town the bus took a convoluted route that cut through the residential neighborhood, allowing us a glimpse of the very modest but colorful and clean little houses the locals live in.  

Downtown Manzanillo

I just want to go up there...

It is, however, time to move on. So reluctantly we said goodbye to Las Hadas and Manzanillo Bay, grateful for the truly great time we had here. Who knows, maybe a little stop again on our way back up the coast?

Sailfish Sculpture in Downtown Manzanillo

Manzanillo City Hall

We consistently keep breaking the rules on Camelot, insisting on leaving on Fridays… But so far so good! Ah, the old superstitions… Never leave on a Friday, don’t carry bananas aboard, black cats and all that crap. If shit has to happen, it will regardless, so we left on Friday with bananas aboard. I refuse to live without bananas!

 Anyway, on this Friday morning we make our way towards Manzanillo Bay. This is what I absolutely love about the Mexican Coast: just a few hours of navigation up or down, and there’s another slice of Paradise waiting for you.

Upon arrival we decide to settle in the northern part of Manzanillo Bay, a very nice anchorage right in front of one of the Top Ten Resorts in the World: Las Hadas. In this case, pictures are worth a lot more than my babbling. See for yourself.

Las Hadas Resort

All I can say is, I’ll be offline for a few days, intent on checking out every square inch of this manmade Paradise. Manana, everybody!