A FAST RIDE DOWN TO EL SALVADOR

At the Britannia Pub - a lot of sheet

We’ve been really busy keeping up with the cruisers rally to El Salvador. We left La Cruz right after Mardi Gras. We had a nice time at the theme party that was held at the Britannia Pub. We fast tracked down to Huatulco stopping only one night in Z-town. We waited for a weather window then made a very fast 4-day trip down to Bahia del Sol.

Dolphins riding the bow wave

Rogelio and Claudia at the bar crossing

Outrunning the surf

Our pilot and the girl they hired as rally hostess greeted us to cross the bar. A few days later more rally boats showed up so the hotel threw an opening day party. The following day we took some folks up the estuary in our dinghies to La Herradura for a day of shopping and beer drinking. We took some nice pictures inside the wood-fired bakery and later watched fishermen unload a panga full of fish. We’ll be here for six months before heading back to La Cruz to promote the rally all over again.

Hotel owner Marco (l), Cluadia, and two boaters

The opening day party at the hotel

Fresh pastries waiting for the oven

Inside the wood-fired oven

A good chance the fish is fresh.

ANOTHER YEAR, WOW, ALREADY?

The Choppers, Mario & Paul

Well sitting here in the La Cruz Marina makes time go by real fast.  We’ve been busy with the Cruisers Rally and the La Cruz music scene.  I had quite a musical birthday this year (well, now last year).  First, I played two sets of classical guitar at a local restaurant.  Afterwords I played at an acoustic jam at another restaurant.  That evening Jean and I and our friends Mandy and Mike from the Britannia Pub went into downtown Puerto Vallarta to the Hard Rock Cafe.  Friends in a local rock band asked me to sit in with my blues harmonica and for Mike to play bass. 

At the Hard Rock Cafe

 

Jammin' at the Hard Rock

 Much later, like 3 am we taxied over to the club Roxy where I again sat in with another band.  We then all got some rooms at the local “sex” motel.  These are places that are very discreet.  

At the Roxy

They even have a revolving cubby where they deliver room service and the delivery person can’t see into the room.  Besides a room service menu they also have a sex toy menu!  Naughty Jean stole the menu as a souvenir.  Mandy and Mike refer to these motels as “have-a-nap” because they rent by the hour with 8 hours the maximum time they allow you.  Mandy likes them because they are always clean, secure, quiet, and cheap with plenty of hot water.  We paid $23 for the eight hours.

At the no-tell motel

Between Christmas and New Year we had a chance to hear Willie and Lobo at a local restaurant.  If you don’t know who they are just look them up on YouTube.  

Willie & Lobo at Hurkuri

We spent New Year at the Britannia Pub where I played until 3 am and we both drank A Lot.  I play a lot at the Britannia and if you’re interested I’ve added a link to them.

Midnight snacks

Bill and Leon

Our only weather excitement after the New Year was a cold front, which dumped a lot of rain and wind on Puerto Vallarta.  The front also spawned a waterspout, very unusual for this area.

Rain dampens the fleet in La Cruz

Our little waterspout

Now we are just doing maintenance on the boat and expect to leave for El Salvador the middle of February