La Cruz, MX
And now let us turn our attention to the world of cruisers. La Cruz is an interesting place. A quiet little town that depended on sailing ships anchoring off the beach and the fishing industry, the town is currently going through a massive shift as condos are going up all over, a new multi-million dollar marina has recently opened its doors with over 100 slips and the quaint little town is becoming a tourist Mecca for people looking for a…quaint little town. Sound like an oxymoron? It is. The amusing part is it seems that the only people who are really miffed about the situation are the cruisers. Local business is booming, jobs abound – however all the sailors who came here are watching their little piece of Mexico become an industrialized tourist machine. So far, La Cruz has maintained some balance between old and new, but I’m not sure that will last, and who’s to say whether that’s bad or good?
La Cruz may be going big time but the spirit of the little town that was can still be found when you look in the right places. For example, the marina security system, while completely effective, also adds a certain local flair to the marina.
Needless to say Tiffany’s revived interest in water sports was hastily reevaluated. You’ll also never know what you’ll see while you’re walking the docks.
Have I mentioned most people go to bed on their boats with the hatch to the main part of the boat wide open? Seemed an appropriate time to let you know.
In addition to the wild safari adventures, La Cruz has an interesting announcement system.
These guys drive around all day broadcasting everything from political announcements to local radio to announcements that the propane truck is on its way. The propane trucks have the best music. Don’t ask me why this is.
I would be remiss to talk about La Cruz and not mention Philo’s. Pizza maker, local philanthropist, musician and former cruiser, Philo is a local deity in the cruising world, a heck of a nice guy, and his bar, named “Philo’s” is one of the main hang outs for cruisers in La Cruz. Cheep beer, friendly staff and good music make it a great time. Here is what a night a Philo’s is like when he brings in his band to play.
Leon’s up first on the washboard (he’s a retired school principal!), we’re not sure who’s playing the other stuff, and Philo’s sitting center stage with the electric guitar.
Not every night is out partying though, sometimes we stay in and cook a meal onboard. Here is Tiffany preparing a lunch and doing her best iron chef impression.
The Banderas bay is also one of the main areas that the sailing community gathers throughout the year so naturally they do races, events and what not. I could give you an introduction to this video on the race Tiffany and I participated in, but really, I think it speaks for itself.
Finally, for those of you who are jonesing for your dolphin fix, or wondering what dolphin poop looks like in the wild, we manage to meet both of your needs in this final video
Until next time
-Greg
