Category: Places We’ve Been

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Back in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Mexico

Our second stay in La Cruz was one of the more special highlights of our trip so far. The reason for this is that due to a variety of circumstances it worked out that actually got to live in La Cruz for about 2 months. We rented a room, got to make some new friends, reconnected with our old sailing buddies, rode zip lines, saw whales, starred in movies and found out what happens when those of us used to navigating on the ocean attempt to find their way on land.

I also managed to find two new wines of the world for you: the first is Montevina, which was quite good and became my favorite while staying at Philo’s bar. It got to the point where I didn’t even have to ask, they just brought me a glass when I sat down. It’s good to be known 😉

And the second wine is another L.A. CETTO. This time the white. The red back in Mazatlan was much better.

While beating the bushes and dragging myself around the local bars of La Cruz for the sole purpose of the arduous task of finding local wines to report to you, I also managed to meet and make some new cruising friends. Several interesting conversations about this particular brand of travel lifestyle resulted, including some you may not have thought of. Especially since several of you all have decided to off and get yourselves hitched while I’m gone, here is a good travel trip for all the married (or soon to be married) ladies out there:

Of note, some of you may have noticed that sometimes I don’t have my wedding band on in the videos and that I don’t wear a wrist watch. No, this is not because Tiffany is currently travelling in Florida. It’s an old habit from my Coast Guard training where I was told dock lines grab rings and watches and use them as leverage to pull off your assorted limbs. This is one of the many reasons I use a pocket watch. (that and I don’t get a watch tan like Tiffany has).

Speaking of my lovely and long absent wife, after about two months separation there has been some contention among the local community whether or not she exists or is simply a convenient alibi for me to avoid having to pick up on women down in Mexico. Well, for all of those who doubted, I am happy to report that Tiffany is finally back from her travels in the Caribbean…with an unusual skin condition…

After looking around a bit, we decided to rent a room, get to know the area and possibly find a ship headed west towards the South Pacific that could use some crew. We picked a picturesque little bar / hotel and started exploring.

Keep following for the results of our explorations!

– Greg

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Mazatlan, MX – 3rd

Mazatlan, MX

With the help of Mary-Ann on s/v OLD MOON we found another Mexican wine.

For my last entry on Mazatlan, I’ll focus on our transportation options. Yes, I realize that the topic of transportation would not typically be notable. Here it is.

Getting around presents some interesting alternatives. There are a lot of options for taxis but all of them are a little short on the safety department.

You could take the bus but be warned, you aren’t getting anywhere quickly on the Mazatlan bus system.

You’ll be happy to know that we made it to the local English speaking church on time (they have English speaking churches here…it’s a tourist city). The other transportation option is to rent a car; however, be forewarned that mode of transportation comes with its own inherent additional risks in this town thanks to the unique layout of the curbside parking. Gotta wonder what someone was thinking when they planned this out:

How about horses? Horses are safe, reliable, even fun and in Mexico apparently they are bilingual…

Ultimately though, it is the call of the sea that eventually reaches all of us. Well, all of us that sail on boats at least. I found a ride with Jake on s/v MALOOSE on an overnight transit down to San Blas. For those of you who have been keeping up with this blog, you will know of my long standing battle with Tiffany over the existence of the “supposed” green flash. This battle came to head under a beautiful sunset leaving the port.

Naturally, Tiffany was in another country when this happened.

– Greg

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Mazatlan, MX – 2

Mazatlan, MX

So I thought I was doing OK with the fishing thing…then I met this guy,

Yeah, my biggest fish so far is about 15 lbs. My first question to Marcus was “So what do you do with it!?” Being as Mexican Airlines has a weight limit of about 50 lbs, they might charge a slight overage for a 500 lbs fish and that’s a lot of fish to eat in a week. Marcus’ answer is that the sport fishing guides allow him to take as much as he can eat, then they donate the remainder to a local orphanage. So everyone wins, except for the fish. He pretty much lost when he upchucked his lungs. Which, interesting side note, is apparently normal for them when they are suffocating or so I’m told.

On less disgusting note, we went out for a little Mexican baseball. We stopped for some tacos on the way and John showed us an example of cruiser technology at its finest.

Now as for the baseball game. Look, baseball is baseball. People throw balls, people hit balls, bases are stolen, you know the drill. What makes baseball interesting (at least to me) is what goes on around the games and in Mexico, a lot goes on around the games.

Does the local dodge dealership need their own cheerleaders? Really?
The highlight of the evening though were the fans. The drunk fans. The drunk, very spirited, extremely supportive of the home team, CANADIAN fans.

Notice that guy in the back wearing the blue polo? We started cheering “fear the deer” a few minutes before the video and he called out to us

“en espanol!”

To which I replied

“but then it won’t rhyme!”

He nodded sagely as if this argument made any form of legitimate sense…or maybe he just had no idea what I said. Either way, between guacamole hot dogs, the Pacifico girls, and drunk Canadians, good times were had by all.

– Greg

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Rozario

Hunting Butterflies

Our adventure with tiny busses continues with a video I called, “I guess it’s cheaper than building a gas station…”

Is it bad when you step off a tiny bus into a tinier village and immediately realize that you’re lost in the middle of a rural area in a country that you’re basically unfamiliar with looking for something that you can’t describe to locals due to your lack of higher-level language skills?

Leaving the GPS on the boat was probably not the best plan. Not that we knew the GPS coordinates of this place to start with. Good thing Tiffany speaks some Spanish. However before talking to the locals and finding out where the heck we are, she was so inspired by our recent church explorations that she decided to give us her personalized musical lyrical accompaniment to that well known Catholic tradition of the ringing of the church bells.

We did eventually find a bus that would take us up into the mountains and to the butterfly sanctuary…a transit that I would describe overall as ‘harrowing” to say the least and that answered my unasked question of “why haven’t I seen any roller coasters in Mexico?”

It was worth it though. As I said in an earlier post, I was not expecting much from this butterfly sanctuary as I had spent a few years of my childhood living in Monterey, CA. Which is a town known for its annual Monarch butterfly migrations. What I did not know is that all those Monarchs from Monterey get together with all the other Monarchs from all over North America, all over the entire continent mind you, and they all hang out on this random hill in Mexico for a few months every year. Words like “massive swarm” are not commonly applied to butterflies…in this case though, the word does not adequately describe the sheer volume of Monarchs on this quiet hill in Mexico. No one knows how many are actually here but the best estimates place the number between 7 and 20 million butterflies. Even those numbers do the place no justice in providing you a mental picture, so here is my best attempt with a video camera:

-Greg

(As we headed back toward the coast, we had yet another surprising bus experience…

~ Tiffany)

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Patzcuaro, Mexico

What Greg has completely neglected to mention was the town of Patzcuarto (uh, I totally forgot how to spell this place…) where we could supposedly find those yummy coconut piles. No such luck. We spent a day bussing around and seeing the town and nearby area. I did have a delicious cup of yummy stuff that Greg totally did not appreciate.

We finally found the local cuisine that they’re famous for are their white fish, or Pescado Blanco. And, uh, we had it…

In order to get this questionable delicacy, we had to go to an island with a big statue in the center of it that looked like he was the main character from the movie “Undercover Brother”.

And we had to CLIMB ALL OVER! It was a crazy steep island! There weren’t any streets, just paths, and they ALL HAD STAIRS!

On our way to this mythical island, not only did we get lost (how hard can it be to find an island in the middle of a lake! An island you can see!), we got to make new friends!

I was telling Greg about why burros have a cross on their back (donkeys don’t, just burros, they’re special). These little animals were honored by God because one of them carried Jesus as he entered a town, forever earning them their special mark.

We finally got to where the ferry was, and were serenaded by a mariachi band on our way to the island. Definitely a unique experience.

In summary, here’s what I thought of Patzcuarto, the island and it’s lake:

~ Tiffany

(Two final notes we learned from our road trip into central Mexico.

1) Public bathrooms in Mexico require a certain degree of pre planning to ensure a user friendly experience.

2) Not all of Mexico is tropical, especially the parts 8 hours inland through mountains.

~ Greg)

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Morelia, MX

Morelia, MX

A few days between boats and nothing to do with our time? Grab your bus passes kids ‘cuz it’s time for a road trip! Tiffany heard tell of a mythical place far into the center of Mexico that held a monarch butterfly sanctuary. Now having been a first grader in Monterey, CA, I didn’t think there was much that could impress me by way of butterfly homes…I was wrong but I’ll get to that particular experience in a few posts.

Let’s start with the trip itself. Our plan was to ride busses from Puerto Vallarta (aka “PV”) to Guadalajara to Morelia (about 10 hours each way) and base ourselves out of that city as we attempted to find this mythical butterfly haven. Now coming from Northern California and with a good friend who lives in Texas, let us say I had a very firm perception of what I would experience riding Mexican busses. I was excited about filming a report that included surround sound chickens and me sharing a seat with a goat. As you will see, my assumptions could not have been farther from the reality.

Every US airline service CEO should ride a Mexican bus and when they do, they should bring a notepad. Kind professional staff, free meals, no hassles getting onboard, no questions on my bag being 0.2 kilograms over some arbitrary limit, free movies in transit…wow. Truth be told, I was a little disappointed. I mean, come on, the goat would have been cool. (Personally, I’m very glad there weren’t any goats. Chickens, now they would have been neat, or… well… at least interesting. ~ Tiffany)

I will sum up my experience of the majestic city of Morelia for you by tackling the 4 main parts of our time there: Getting Around, Adventures in Dining, Making Money, and Living Life/Culture. It may seem presumptuous to declare myself an expert in these areas after a 3 day visit, and I agree it would be. I didn’t come close to experiencing everything this city could offer. There was just so much there at my fingertips that I could walk out of my hostel and stumble over cool stuff, which is basically what happened.

Getting Around: Perhaps it’s because this city is the capitol of a landlocked region far from the United States – this town is an interesting blend of Mexican and European influence and it’s old. Because of that, the old town district has a very old European city layout, which in Greg’s book means narrow streets that won’t fit the average American car, along with big, beautiful, elaborate buildings crammed next to each other. So if you don’t own a car your two options for getting around are walking or micro buses. These little guys make up their lack of capacity present in the larger species by adopting swarming tactics.

It was not unusual to see packs of these guys roaming the roads looking for unsuspecting prey. Hopping a bus was a great way to get around but walking was also an amazing experience in and of itself. As you will see farther down this post, the real joy of Morelia is that there is something interesting around every corner and random encounters abound. The city itself is also very pedestrian friendly. They go so far as to provide you with a visual reference to let you know exactly how fast you should be crossing the street to maximize your chances for a safe arrival at your destination.

Adventures in dining: Look, as an American who can’t stand the mild sauce at Taco Bell Greg acknowledges that his particular palate may not be for everyone, but seriously folks, God did not intend for every piece of food on the planet to be spicy:

Speaking of Taco Bell, those fools have been lying to me for years…years I tell you! How might you ask? I used to tell people I like churros, much like a man trapped in a prison would say he likes the illumination that is cast from the ceiling lights of his otherwise dank and dismal cell. Take that man from the prison, place him in a sun kissed field full of tulips and baby bunny rabbits frolicking in the golden glory & radiance of God and the man’s perception on the overall enjoyability of the aforementioned florescent light fixture would likely decrease significantly. My friends, I have found that sun kissed field…metaphorically speaking. (Yeah, huh? Anyway, real Mexican churros rock! ~ Tiffany)

And should your taste buds demand a leave of absence, if only to once again experience the unrelenting rapture of that first bite from a fresh perspective…you can always switch hit with the other local desert we found:

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La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Mexico

La Cruz, MX

As promised, here is the first entry of the revised blog. You’re going to notice a lot of significant changes.
– Each entry will cover a city, island, series of events or completely subjective period of time that I will use to tell you a more cohesive story all at once instead of single videos posted daily.
– Each entry will contain my notes integrated with videos and pictures as I begin to weave our disjointed adventures into a story, explain and give context to the videos and provide amusing commentary from time to time.
– Our new production schedule will be Mondays and Thursdays. Since the posts are going to have a lot more content, they will often be broken into two parts. I am covering a lot of stuff here!
Please continue to comment on the entries. The only way I know what you want to hear and see is by you telling me what you like and don’t like. Thanks for reading and watching!

Without further adieu, let me welcome you to the Banderas Bay…

…and you thought what Tiffany and I are doing is weird. Welcome to Sayulita, Mexico. Think of it as Santa Cruz, if Santa Cruz ever got to a temperature above completely frigid. To give you and idea of how far south we have managed to get ourselves, we are far enough towards the tropics for Tiffany to consider picking up water sports that are actually IN the water.

(Notice, Greg didn’t put any half naked videos of himself on this blog… No, just of me… ~ Tiffany)

It should be noted that I never saw Tiffany get in the water in the Bay Area…ever. We have sailed down to the Banderas bay, a large bay about half way down Mexico best known for its largest city: Puerto Vallarta. However, to say the Banderas Bay is PV would be like saying the Bay Area is San Francisco. (Ok, it would be like saying that to someone from San Jose, like me.) I spend most of my time well away from the big city and primarily in the outskirt cities of Sayulita and La Cruz. Sayulita is based around surfers and La Cruz is one of two major cruiser towns in the area.

La Cruz was our first real opportunity to stop, catch our breath and actually experience something of what it is like to live in Mexico. Needless to say, a lot goes on around here that has nothing to do with boats, sails, lines or waves. The first thing that struck me was not the difference between the poor and the rich in Mexico, what was so interesting was how very close both worlds exist next to one another.

Upon reflection, I have to say that Mexico is not unique in this particular regard. In my home town there was often no more than a freeway that separated a higher income area from a lower income district. Perhaps the extremes of wealth are more pronounced in Mexico but the theme is the same.

We also lived in the area for a few weeks and started really sampling the local food. This next video amazes me. I mean, I’m sure you’ve heard of and possibly even personally eaten “street tacos” but these people are way ahead of the power curve on the production and distribution of this fine culinary delicacy. I suppose relaxed health code laws can be helpful to some people and really, how often do you see a giant wheel of pork on a spit being roasted on the street? It is a sight that demands both reverence and a little personal introspection.

And where does all this pork and beef and assorted taco stuffing’s come from? Well from what I would like to think of as the “ultimate playing with your food experience”…

…which is naturally located in the dead center of downtown in the main city of the area. You know, right next to freaking Macys!?
I regret to report that my schedule and the bull fights never seemed to match up and know that a seed has been planted, a spark lit in my soul. I can only pray that little spark can meet some opportunity. I might look good in those bullfighter pants.

Continuing with our theme of foods south of the border, I encountered an interesting gastronomical dilemma and found myself shirking from the task. I ask, presented with the same dining opportunity, what would you do?

However, know that Mexico is not just questionable fish products, bullfights, street tacos and guys hiking around the countryside on 4 foot stilts. No my friends, not by a long shot. You see, Mexico has joined the community of nations in embracing the modern era and as always, it is to the little children we all look to bridge the gaps of language and culture that keep our peoples apart.

I do believe “Halo” is most assuredly guaranteed a place in the international lexicon.

-Greg

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Birthday & Updates to the site

If you had told me a year ago that I would spend my next birthday sitting in a 40 kilometer wide lagoon in Rangiroa, French Polynesia on a sailing yacht I might have agreed it was possible, but I certainly wouldn’t have put any money on the odds. This year has been one heck of a ride: I started out 12 months ago starting to see the results of years of hard work and sacrifice pay off…just to be reminded what it feels like to be betrayed by someone you trust implicitly a few months later. However, this time, I also had the rare privilege of experiencing what it feels like to have a friend stick by you when all hell breaks loose and things fall apart. I have opened offices, employed people, and had someone tell me I am the reason their children are fed and their marriage still exists. A pastor told me that killing someone might be seen as justifiable in God’s eyes but that local law enforcement might not be so open to the idea. I needed to hear it more than I realized at the time. I have learned some Spanish, can hold a simple conversation in French and have been told by a Polynesian that I make “good music” with one of his instruments. I still don’t know how to read music. I have read more of the Bible than ever before and have earned my SCUBA certification in one of the most idyllic diving paradises in the known world. I have been reminded how well Tiffany and I can work together in our element and we won a sailing race! We now know what 1 million monarch butterflies look like when viewed from a hill top at once and that not all Mexican busses have livestock aboard, in fact few do. Tiffany and I have sailed across the equator and crossed an ocean in a 44 ft sailboat.  We’ve made some great new friends along the way while missing those we left behind a lot more than we realized.  Right now Tiffany is cooking me a key lime pie with the last of the lime juice we brought from Mexico.

Like I said, it’s been a heck of a ride. I certainly would not say I wouldn’t change a thing, because I would.  I can say I played the hand that was dealt me as well as I could and I’ll keep doing just that.…which brings me around to this blog. I have put a lot of thought and effort into revising this journal and I have come to the conclusion that the progress desperately needs to keep up while at the same time allowing you to see the sights I see and hear what I hear. I don’t want you to just read about what I’m doing, I want you to experience as much of this trip as possible and I want to give you more than just the words I find on a lot of other blogs. I have some massive updates for this little video journal that are ripe for the happening. One little challenge: I am in the butt-arse end middle of nowhere right now and it takes about 3 hours to send a simple email! However, wheels are turning, assistants are being contacted and alternate forms of delivery are being arranged. Expect to see changes in the middle of June. We’ll see how well it goes and this is the basic plan:

1) Entries will be parsed down to the best 10 or so videos for each place I’m at.

2) All entries will be accompanied by text and posted together so you get a more complete story all at once instead of piecemeal.

You’ll be able to browse entries at your leisure and keep up with our travels better than you have been while putting in less effort. I need your help with this though: I need your comments so I know what it is you are looking for. What do you want to see of French Polynesia, the South Pacific, Australia, Asia, Russia, etc? People, cultural events, scenic vistas or more of me getting myself into amusing situations? Hey if nothing else, drop me a note for a happy birthday. My ability to respond is limited (being as I am on an island several thousand miles away from the nearest continent or even 1st world country) and I do read what you all say.

Thanks for sharing the adventure.

-Greg

PS – what do you think of me working at a remote outpost in the middle of the Australian outback for a few months?  Just curious.

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