Recommended Reading: The Alamo & The Conquest of New Spain

A few for the history lovers…

The Alamo by Lon Tinkle

Considered the truest and most conclusive account of this famous battle.  Not a first hand account but the information is gathered from credible sources.  It’s not just a story of a battle but of the characters involved and Lon does a great job of giving personality to some of the legends (Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, etc…) who were a part of this pivotal battle in Texas history.

The Conquest of New Spain by Bernal Diaz

This is a first hand account from a soldier who fought with Cortez during his Conquest of Montezuma and the Mexicans. He was not a scholar but felt the urge to document the events of this world changing campaign. He wrote this late in life, fifty years after it all occurred. Due to this, there are a few inaccuracies that the translator has corrected. This one has been a real treat as we are traveling through many of the areas mentioned!

 

Thanks Tomas y Val for sharing your amazing library with us!!

From the Galley: Bonito!

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While under way along the Pacific coast of Mexico we have found a fish called Bonito is hard not to catch. This is a welcome “problem” seeing as it is a member of the tuna family, which equals… sushi!! Which Torch has now acquired a taste for as well!

We have created and learned a few other ways to prepare this little guy than just slathered with wasabi…

Joel’s Bonito Ceviche

Bonito filets               Lime Juice

Salt                              Red onion

Cilantro                      Serrano or Habanero

Cube Bonito and soak with lime juice. Chop all other ingredients and toss with fish.

Pan Seared Bonito w/ Tropical Fruit Salsa

Salsa

Pineapple or Mango             Red onion

Cilantro                                  Serrano or Habanero

Lime Juice                              Garlic Salt

optional-Orange Juice          

Chop all ingredients. Best if using all fresh produce and juices. Salt to taste. Use within hour for best flavor and texture.

Fish

Bonito Filets              Oil

Salt and Pepper        Garlic

Sautee garlic in oil. Salt and pepper fish strips to taste. Sear to desired wellness.

Serve over rice and top with salsa.

Mexican Viagra

Whole Bonito             Lime Juice

Salt                              Cerveza

Butterfly and clean intestines and organs out of fish. Then make horizontal slits in the meat, keeping the fish intact. Squeeze lime and sprinkle salt over meat filling the slits with juice. Eat meat and pour liquid that gathers into your beer and drink. Arriba!!

Mezcal, Mole, y Los Muertos

  While waiting on favorable weather to make the move to Puerto Vallarta with Joel and the good ship Lady Ann, the opportunity arose to head up to the city of Oaxaca, with a few other travelers we met, for the Dia de los Muertos festivities.

If you are not familiar with what Dia de los Muertos is, I’ll give a brief explanation of what it is all about. Here in Mexico, to honor and remember loved ones that have passed on they have reserved the first and second of November to celebrate (not mourn!) their lives. Traditionally families build altars at home or at the gravesites of the deceased. These altars are adorned with marigolds, candles, pictures, and some of the favorite things of the deceased (including but not limited to candy, cigarettes, foods, and beverages, possibly beer and tequila!) The first night of festivities is focused on children and the second is “all saints”. On each night, families go to the graves of their loved ones and “wait” for them to arrive. They stay all night and pray, eat, and drink “with” them. In town is a whole other story… there are parades, vendors, and bands all full of the trademark energy of any Mexican fiesta.

First step. Get tickets on the “vomit van” from Huatulco to Oaxaca. (So named due to the sickness some may experience due to the 6 hour winding road over the Sierra Madres) Our travel crew consisted of a couple from Las Vegas, Karolina and Spencer, who have been traveling through Central America for the last few months, Jorge from PV, a  Mexican who spends his free time touring around his Country, and obviously, ourselves, and Torch. Torch earned a badge on this one, as he had to ride in his crate strapped to the top of the van and managed not to get sick. He did have the best view.

On arrival head to the Mercado for a Oaxacan style hot chocolate y pan de muerto!

Perhaps indulge in a bit of mezcal before heading out for the night…

 

 

to mingle with the “locals”…

 

The second day we were there our friend Mili, who had arrived from Puerto Escondido, met up with us. She had found the bus that would take us to the nearby archaeological site of Monte Alban. Monte Alban is home to some of the ruins of the Zapotec Indians. It was both Marc and I’s first time visiting ruins and they were quite impressive. They are built on top of the mountain with a 360 degree view of the surrounding valleys. Interesting to wrap your mind around the daily comings and goings of a culture so old and distant from our own.

 

With our crew we continued to tour around the city. We visited the cathederal, which no city in Mexico is without, and this one is especially noteworthy due to the amount of gold adorning its interior.

 

 Got some inspiration for next years Halloween costumes while wandering the zocalo.

More friends from Puerto, Eli and Kiki joined up that night and we took a walk to one of the local cemetaries. The cemetery grounds were packed with locals and visitors alike. It was beautifully lit with hundreds of votives along two walls and music drifting through. 

One grave we happened upon had a mariachi band in full swing and cocktails being poured for family, friends, and strangers alike. Seeing as we fell into one of the eligible categories for refreshments we struck up conversation with some of the people milling about. It seems Alejandro had passed 17 years before and every year they throw a hoo-ha “with” him. As he loved music and people, it is the way he would have wanted it they claimed. Begs the question “how will you be remembered?” I realized with the company I keep I better start stockpiling booze now!

 All in all it was a three day whirlwind of sights, sounds, smells, and a heap of great memories. Not having spent much time in a city in the past year, it really took it out of us. Damn, I sound old.

Rovers: Michael, Claire, and Pina s/v Splendid Isolation

Now this is a crew of vagabonds that we hold dear to our hearts. Michael and I met a few years back working together at The Ramos House Café. Claire and Pina are his two top ladies. (Claire is a human and Pina a feline)

 

Michael bought Splendid Isolation, a 1968 Cal 27’, in the winter of 2011 and parked her in Dana Point Harbor. I was quickly convinced it was a lifestyle that suited me as well and I purchased Vitamin Sea, a Newport 27’, by that fall. Michael and Claire began to plant seeds of cutting the lines and living off the grid. So began the cruising dreams…

This is about when Marc and I met as we ended up living on the same dock and became fast friends due to our multitude of common interests. If you don’t already know what happened next, and would like to, start at the beginning of this blog.

Fast forward and Splendid is now officially underway. They just started down the Baja with plans of reaching the Carribean! But as every cruiser knows, plans, much like worries, some how seem to drift away on the open sea! So who knows where they’ll end up, but if you happen to be cruising the Pacific waters this season keep an eye out for a couple in their twenties making moves in a blue hull with a yellow topside. Have’em over for a drink and maybe you’ll get lucky enough to sample some of their top shelf cooking!

stay tuned at: http://www.sailsplendidisolation.blogspot.com/

The Voyage of the Lucky Lady Ann

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Lady Ann- Irwin 37’

Captain: Joel Hoyt

Marina Chahue to Puerto Vallarta

While in Chiapas putting the finishing touches on the sale of Mer-Sea, we received an email from our friends Joel and Vivien Hoyt inquiring if we would be interested in crewing on their boat Lady Ann from Huatulco up to Puerto Vallarta. Since arriving last April in Huatulco and spending the hurricane season there, they have become quite fond of the land life on this quaint picturesque stretch of Mexico’s coast.

Lady Ann is not a day cruiser. With her previous owners she circumnavigated with a family of four. The Hoyt’s called her home for the better part of ten years and cruised her south from northern California down the Mexican coast including a stint around the Sea of Cortez. It just wouldn’t be right for her to sit tied to a dock. They decided to put her up for sale in PV as it hosts a large cruising community.

Excited for the opportunity to get experience on a different vessel under our belts, and just to get back in that salty air, we boogied up to Vivien and Joel’s place in La Crucecita. They opened their home to us and our mornings were spent checking weather for a good window. This would be an “uphill” run (against wind and prevailing current) and our hope was to make it as smooth as possible. Being an El Nino year, we watched and waited as a late season hurricane ran up the Baja and a few more systems spun off the coast threatening to develop into something more.

 

Finally the Pacific settled and within 24 hours we were loaded with provisions and cutting the lines. Just out of the marina Joel opted to anchor in Bahia Risquilillo, one of Huatulcos many scenic bays, to give the bottom a quick scrub. Oh yeah, Torch was approved to join as well! We all took a quick swim, then anchor up and we were off!

Marc had drawn up a delivery plan that had our assumed stops and estimated travel times (based on how many knots we would average). We were scheduled to stop in Acapulco, Ixtapa, and Barra de Navidad before reaching Puerto Vallarta. As we approached Acapulco, Joel assessed our fuel situation and found we had enough diesel to make it to Ixtapa. A unanimous decision was made to carry on to Ixtapa, direct from Huatulco!

We arrived early the second morning to Marina Ixtapa. Joel got us a slip for the night so we could grab a couple provisions and enjoy a good nights sleep. Marc grilled up some fat burgers for dinner, while we all enjoyed a few icy gin and tonics before turning in for the night.

On the next leg we were regularly escorted by dolphins. Torch would usually spot them right off and get very excited. We would tether him to the jackline and he would run up and down the deck barking at them. Not really sure if felt he needed to protect us or he just wanted to play, I prefer to believe the latter. In any case at one of the dolphin shows, Torch decided to try to join the action, by leaping off the bow. Luckily he was tethered to the jackline and never hit the water, but things could have gotten interesting quick! I was crying I was laughing so hard at the look of shock and confusion on his face as Marc pulled him back on board. We’re starting to believe this little guy is becoming a bit of an adrenaline junkie…

At this point we began nearing our waypoint to turn in for the approach to Barra de Navidad, but again Captain Joel found our fuel level was enough to get us to PV. We were well in the groove and welcomed the opportunity to skip another port. Now we were going for a record!

What we had estimated to take ten or so days, possibly averaging as low as 3 knots (due to head winds or current) ended up being a six day cruise. The majority of the seven hundred or so miles was spent motor sailing but we did get a few “leans on” under sail, once up to 7 knots, which is relatively un heard of for a northbound trip!

Fish were bountiful and the weather was fine. Our only rough patch, which had us pitching and rolling pretty well was around Cabo Corrientes (Cape of Currents). It is the Southern Cape of Bahia Banderas and quite infamous for strong southerly flowing wind and water currents, (hence its name) the mix of which amount to short period choppy seas from every direction due to refraction. It slowed us down quite a bit but overall we averaged a good four knots!

Once the lines were tied and Lady Ann was cozied up in her new slip, Joel treated us to a delicious dinner and a few icy margaritas! It was such a great experience to get under our belts and glad we could help out friends as well. Not to mention our first crewing gig to put on the resume!

                 

Cheers Joel and Vivien!

Special weapons training

According to Wikipedia... A blowgun (also called a blowpipe or blow tube) is a simple weapon consisting of a small tube for firing light projectiles or darts.

With that said, here are a few photos from our elite training camp, located somewhere near the Oaxacan coastline.

Ready to blow

Colleen with our sensei Joel

Someday, it could be live tuna instead of canned

That orange never stood a chance!

You got that crazed look in your eye Johnny.

A crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts or quarrels. They are used primarily when shooting in silence is an important consideration.

When good belts go bad!

We were driving back from Barra de la Cruz, when we heard a small pop come from the engine compartment, followed by a loud squealing sound and the smell of burning rubber. Quickly slowing to a halt on the side of Hwy 200, Mexico’s version of PCH, I popped the hood. As I stepped down from BIG Blue, I could feel the blistering heat of the midday sun on my shoulders. Opening the hood, I was forced to hold my breath as a plume of burnt rubber waged war on my nostrils.  Peering into the engine compartment, I bare witness to the mess we now faced, all four of our belts were no longer in their original state or positions on their pulleys. Two were absolutely shredded and wrapped around the fan; one twisted over on itself and the smallest one was miraculously still intact, although somehow managed to make its way to the other side of the engine compartment. What a cluster F@*$!!!

After gathering my thoughts, which consisted of "Thank god we have an entire spare set of belts" (thanks to Diesel Doug and Mikey for suggesting this one) and having a quick pow-wow with Colleen and our friend Jorge, a local from Puerto Vallarta catching a ride with us to Huatlulco, we laid out our game plan. Since neither of us had ever done an entire belt replacement before, we went straight to the Ford mechanic books, which we had fortunately received when we purchased BIG Blue, and have since used multiple times.

After setting out our orange safety triangles (thanks Tomas and Valerie for help locating these in Corpus Christi), and setting up shade over the work zone so we wouldn’t melt, we got started! The next two hours went by in a blaze, literally, it was about 97 degrees out on the scorching asphalt! Once we figured out that we could slide the new belts over and fortunately not have to remove the entire fan/clutch assembly, everything seemed to go on without a problem. After tensioning all the belts and tightening all the pivot/adjustment bolts we were done!!! With a celebratory swig of water and a quick cleanup, we fired BIG Blue up and hit the road!

I am so proud to report that we both managed to keep our cool under those less then ideal conditions, and it is yet another perfect example of why Colleen and I make such a solid team. Not to mention Torch, who is our International Ambassador of Fun, reminding us to have as much fun as possible every day!

Next stop, Oaxaca City for...

When Visiting Virginia...

 

-Do some skeet shootin’ in your backyard.

-Visit some caverns.

 

                                        

                    -Add onto your home.

-Join the Moose. 

  -Have a beer at an establishment that LEGALLY sells guns and serves beer.

-Pick and/or eat fresh veggies daily.

 Learn about home-canning in the process.

 -Try some “shine”(sshhhh), perhaps in the rain?

-Go wine tasting in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

                                            -Hike!

and most importantly.... Eat apple sausage and mom’s peach cobbler daily.

All these good times were made possible by my mom’s generosity and that of her amazing circle of friends.  Mil gracias to Judie and Gary Carnahan, Bobby Ward, Joyce and James Allen, the Whetsel clan- Jay, Susie, Destiny, and Faith, the Pearmans, and the many others who took time to chat  and share with us!!