tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24453321547730509992024-03-08T04:48:36.205-08:00CRUISING WITH MITA KUULUUJoin us, Bill,Jean and cat Kissa as we cruise the countries that border the Pacific Ocean aboard our Irwin 37 sailboat.Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-67648025253267868482011-01-24T13:31:00.000-08:002011-01-24T13:31:11.719-08:00WE ARE SUPER BUSYYes, almost a year since the last post. We're running the Cruisers Rally to El Salvador now and spend all our blogging time on that blog so we won't be doing much posting here. We did spend 8 months last summer in El Salvador, four months of which we lived on the local island running the haul-out facility. It was a nice change from the boat. We plan to do the same this summer. If we get some time we'll post some personal stuff here but come over to the rally blog and see all the work we're doing.Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-43369904718685268232010-03-20T15:26:00.000-07:002010-03-20T15:26:16.896-07:00A FAST RIDE DOWN TO EL SALVADOR<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/S6VJj1hTwaI/AAAAAAAABHk/O9qiYN-9i4o/s1600-h/P1030566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/S6VJj1hTwaI/AAAAAAAABHk/O9qiYN-9i4o/s320/P1030566.JPG" vt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">At the Britannia Pub - a lot of sheet</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">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.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/S6VJmZK9wUI/AAAAAAAABHs/aKbcFgqF2xE/s1600-h/P1030602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/S6VJmZK9wUI/AAAAAAAABHs/aKbcFgqF2xE/s320/P1030602.JPG" vt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Dolphins riding the bow wave</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/S6VJrdACaiI/AAAAAAAABH8/ITMxhUwMnvE/s1600-h/P1030632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/S6VJrdACaiI/AAAAAAAABH8/ITMxhUwMnvE/s320/P1030632.JPG" vt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rogelio and Claudia at the bar crossing</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">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.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/S6VJ0WZSASI/AAAAAAAABIc/m_71ydElwo0/s1600-h/P1030666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/S6VJ0WZSASI/AAAAAAAABIc/m_71ydElwo0/s320/P1030666.JPG" vt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hotel owner Marco (l), Cluadia, and two boaters</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/S6VJ2xNRhUI/AAAAAAAABIk/CK24KX9s2fs/s1600-h/P1030686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/S6VJ2xNRhUI/AAAAAAAABIk/CK24KX9s2fs/s320/P1030686.JPG" vt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The opening day party at the hotel</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/S6VJ8EJ4ycI/AAAAAAAABI0/b-no_NIBevI/s1600-h/P1030732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/S6VJ8EJ4ycI/AAAAAAAABI0/b-no_NIBevI/s320/P1030732.JPG" vt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Fresh pastries waiting for the oven</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/S6VJ4532IDI/AAAAAAAABIs/n6t_kasOVdo/s1600-h/P1030731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/S6VJ4532IDI/AAAAAAAABIs/n6t_kasOVdo/s320/P1030731.JPG" vt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Inside the wood-fired oven</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/S6VKAAq2WxI/AAAAAAAABI8/ULaDqLI3QH4/s1600-h/P1030738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/S6VKAAq2WxI/AAAAAAAABI8/ULaDqLI3QH4/s320/P1030738.JPG" vt="true" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A good chance the fish is fresh.</div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-42995570192301245382010-01-22T11:31:00.000-08:002010-01-22T11:50:49.629-08:00ANOTHER YEAR, WOW, ALREADY?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">The Choppers, Mario & Paul<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">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.</span> </span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">At the Hard Rock Cafe<br />
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</style><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-size: large;">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.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> <span style="font-size: small;">At the Roxy</span></span><br />
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</style><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">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.</span></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">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.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> </span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">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.</span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Midnight snacks<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">Bill and Leon<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">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.</span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rain dampens the fleet in La Cruz</span><br />
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</style><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now we are just doing maintenance on the boat and expect to leave for El Salvador the middle of February</span></span><br />
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</div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-38425974768919560012009-09-22T16:08:00.000-07:002009-09-22T16:33:16.705-07:00CRUISERS RALLY TO EL SALVADOR PLANNED<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Srld3Ioez_I/AAAAAAAAAck/7EonKJtdmCU/s1600-h/bar+entrance,+bahia.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 279px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384438031289602034" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Srld3Ioez_I/AAAAAAAAAck/7EonKJtdmCU/s400/bar+entrance,+bahia.jpg" /></a> Google Earth view of Bahia del Sol<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Srld2iTk7-I/AAAAAAAAAcc/o8IZz9FaZs8/s1600-h/BahiaDelSol+009.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 196px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384438021001375714" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Srld2iTk7-I/AAAAAAAAAcc/o8IZz9FaZs8/s400/BahiaDelSol+009.jpg" /></a> A day in the bocana</div><div><br /><br /><div>The El Salvador Minister of Tourism and Hotel Bahia del Sol has authorized Jean and I to develop a cruisers rally to be held in the Spring of 2010. It is free to enter and a lot of gifts and prizes will be given away at the end at the big cruisers party. We have a rally blog so just click on the blog list on the right to go to the site. We are very excited about helping with this event. A lot of long-time cruisers in Mexico are looking for a change but do not want to comit to a long distance cruise which makes El Salvador the perfect destination. It is only 450 miles ( 1/2 Baja Ha Ha) from Huatulco and 1250 miles (Baja Ha Ha plus) from Puerto Vallarta. We hope to have a lot of friends join us this next spring and we are looking forward to meeting a lot of new cruisers at the rally. Please help us by telling any of your cruising friends who may be interested.</div></div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-70002991846541910772009-09-12T11:54:00.000-07:002009-09-12T13:40:59.922-07:00OUR LITTLE HURRICANE<div><div><div><div><div><div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyy7D9lIhWiNNCp121YJXlLGZ0I_K7BHlJHalw_yeLrDMceokJeZeo8RnabVhBtwRb1pmISNNqnzbh2VeJ9FA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SqvugxFo1GI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/wV7SFy_8ScE/s1600-h/jimena.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 318px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 238px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380656426524398690" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SqvugxFo1GI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/wV7SFy_8ScE/s320/jimena.jpg" /></a><br />Here on the Baja August and September are the months for hurricanes and this September was no exception. We were anchored on the south side of Isla San Marcos when the word was passed on the HF net that the category 5 hurricane, Jimena had formed south of Cabo San Lucas and the forecasted track took it north along the Baja coast uncomfortably close to our location and was due to arrive in four days.<br /><br />We previously decided that if a hurricane threatened that we would ride it out in Playa Santa Barbara located in Bahia Conception where, in 2001, we successfully rode out <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Sqvv1P1cW7I/AAAAAAAAAZg/CEaIG-LGjtw/s1600-h/P1030129.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380657877886983090" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Sqvv1P1cW7I/AAAAAAAAAZg/CEaIG-LGjtw/s320/P1030129.JPG" /></a>hurricane Juliet. When we arrived in Santa Barbara four boats, (2 sail and 2 power) were already there getting ready to deploy their storm gear. We moved into 12 feet of water one hundred yards off the beach and dropped our arsenal. We also prepared our big 44-pound claw anchor with chain and rode to throw overboard should we get into trouble. We added two long 5/8” nylon snubbers to the main anchor, stripped the boat of sails, and tied down everything. Jean marked our position on two GPS units and set them up so we knew the exact distance to our anchor.<br /><br />At 0800, September 2 Jimena arrived with short, 60-knot gusts and plenty of rain. Because we anchored so close to the beach there was no fetch to allow wind waves to build up. The wind remained in the sixties for a couple of hours and we thought that it was going to be over quickly. What we didn’t know was Jimena, which was previously forecasted to bounce off of Magdalena Bay on the outside of the Baja 140 miles away had changed her mind and turned inland coming over the Baja to our location. By 1100 the wind started to strengthen and much longer gusts were well o<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SqvwEs5gtmI/AAAAAAAAAZo/HGp03o3wqHw/s1600-h/P1030125.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 181px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380658143386711650" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SqvwEs5gtmI/AAAAAAAAAZo/HGp03o3wqHw/s320/P1030125.JPG" /></a>ver 70 to 80-knots. The wind picked up the sea surface and turned it to fog and we started to experience complete whiteouts. The rain and wind made so much noise that we couldn’t hear each other 3 feet away; in fact the wind drove the rainwater right through the canvas dodger! Up until this time our boat was behaving normally, slewing side to side about 30-degrees from each gust. However, with the increased wind strength the boat slew 90-degrees to each side and remained that way long enough so we would be broad side for the next gust. When the wind is blowing in the sixties the wind force hitting the boat is around 3,600 pounds for our size boat. At 100-knots the force is greater than 9,000 pounds. It’s like getting hit with two fully loaded Hummers … broadside! Five hours later, at 1300 the wind was consistently 100-knots, the air a mixture of salt and rainwater and the sea had so much air mixed in it that the depth sounder would not read. After a few hours I had to go forward wearing my swim mask to check the snubbers. The rain hitting my head felt like flying gravel and I had to hold onto the boat to keep from going overboard. I saw that the main snubber had parted and we were riding on the back-up so I <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SqvwMUf4h9I/AAAAAAAAAZw/Q9neb4__W9U/s1600-h/P1030138.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380658274275723218" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SqvwMUf4h9I/AAAAAAAAAZw/Q9neb4__W9U/s320/P1030138.JPG" /></a>made two new ones and attached them thinking that they may only last a couple of hours. A short while later Jean was watching the GPS and, to her horror, saw we were dragging … fast! I put my swim mask back on and ran forward to see if the snubbers had parted (and they hadn’t) then ran back and had Jean start the engine. Then I returned forward and heaved the emergency anchor off the port bow. I was worried about how much rode to let out, as I didn’t want to foul with the main anchor. In the end I just guessed and tied it off then ran back to the cockpit.<br /><br />I could only catch glimpses of the other boats so Jean kept track of them and their anchor floats and told me which way to turn to avoid hitting them. I couldn’t take my mind off of steering the boat for even one second or we would be out of control. The set of dragging anchors kept the bow pointing somewhat upwind so I could use the engine to shear the boat left or right as needed although I had to use full power to do it. Without the <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SqvwTQTpQVI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/0Ne0EvTOYe4/s1600-h/P1030139.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380658393409732946" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SqvwTQTpQVI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/0Ne0EvTOYe4/s320/P1030139.JPG" /></a>anchors we would have been unable to control the boat except for to head downwind, probably onto the beach. We dragged 720 feet straight downwind and the anchors caught in 28-feet of water. It appeared that we were not moving but didn’t know how well the anchors were set. We decided to keep using the engine to take the load off the anchors. Around 1900 the wind diminished to around 50-knots and our GPS confirmed that we hadn’t moved in a few hours so we cut the engine and rested between the remaining gusts. It was pretty much over by 0300 the next morning but we were still getting 25-knot plus gusts. We had no significant damage to our boat or psyches but we almost ran out of beer and I thought that we might have to set off our Beer-PIRB.</div><div> </div><div>Jimena packed 100-knots of wind and dumped over 15 inches of rain on the Baja. The lowest barometer reading was 991mb, the temperature fell from 94 degrees to 72 and the hurricane lasted 16 hours.</div><div><br />The local towns of Mulege and Santa Rosalia (where we often stay) were devastated by the hurricane. The towns were flooded by many feet of water. Roofs were lost, whole houses disappeared and everything was covered with mud and boulders. All services were out and the main highway <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Sqv0CEIMI2I/AAAAAAAAAaI/e--Xr3sKyLM/s1600-h/100_0837.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 248px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 250px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380662496129196898" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Sqv0CEIMI2I/AAAAAAAAAaI/e--Xr3sKyLM/s320/100_0837.JPG" /></a>was closed due to flooding and damage. The main bridge south of Santa Rosalia was destroyed.<br /><br />We were surprised to witness the fast rescue response from the Mexican government. Military and service vehicles were on the road as soon as the weather passed. We think FEMA could learn a few things from these folks!<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Sqvzl15za-I/AAAAAAAAAaA/oE3tZUIvZUs/s1600-h/100_0836.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 262px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380662011274423266" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Sqvzl15za-I/AAAAAAAAAaA/oE3tZUIvZUs/s320/100_0836.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><br /></div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-33486343878444980522009-06-26T13:42:00.000-07:002009-06-27T15:16:54.614-07:00Mea Culpa<div align="center"><strong>Our friends and the music scene in La Cruz<br /></strong><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZmTiStYYI/AAAAAAAAARg/YKkooADM4bk/s1600-h/100_4593.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352077692985237890" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZmTiStYYI/AAAAAAAAARg/YKkooADM4bk/s200/100_4593.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZk-wXBo9I/AAAAAAAAARQ/Yk2twrawZAE/s1600-h/P1020021.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352076236472558546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZk-wXBo9I/AAAAAAAAARQ/Yk2twrawZAE/s200/P1020021.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZjrDiu6SI/AAAAAAAAARA/CFMYODn0f5Q/s1600-h/100_0055.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352074798512924962" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZjrDiu6SI/AAAAAAAAARA/CFMYODn0f5Q/s200/100_0055.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZmtBsOkqI/AAAAAAAAARo/fFE6bwGeoXA/s1600-h/P1020111.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352078130910499490" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 169px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZmtBsOkqI/AAAAAAAAARo/fFE6bwGeoXA/s200/P1020111.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZkThef89I/AAAAAAAAARI/_9KwQegyIoc/s1600-h/100_0127.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352075493742998482" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 166px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZkThef89I/AAAAAAAAARI/_9KwQegyIoc/s200/100_0127.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZnTypMn6I/AAAAAAAAARw/1Qe5vsVKO2o/s1600-h/100_4583.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352078796886155170" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 144px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZnTypMn6I/AAAAAAAAARw/1Qe5vsVKO2o/s200/100_4583.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /><div><div><div><br /><div>Yeah, it's been a while since our last update. So ...we spent all spring of this year in La Cruz just hanging out playing music and visiting with all our friends. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZlmlfLiUI/AAAAAAAAARY/yNtLfyL6Ae0/s1600-h/100_0065.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352076920748738882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZlmlfLiUI/AAAAAAAAARY/yNtLfyL6Ae0/s200/100_0065.JPG" border="0" /></a>Our local friends, Sandra and Tito, whom we’ve known for ten years opened a taco stand so we made sure that we went there for dinner a few times a week. The tacos are only nine pesos, about 65 cents each. They’re so big that three is plenty for dinner. Bill played blues harmonica with a local band every Wednesday night and played blues guitar every Tuesday at an open mic. </div><div></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZhq2uY-FI/AAAAAAAAAQw/ItpBIP4-Tl4/s1600-h/100_0332.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352072596048902226" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 79px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZhq2uY-FI/AAAAAAAAAQw/ItpBIP4-Tl4/s200/100_0332.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />The exchange rate for the peso jumped up to 15.50, a 50% increase from last year so we decided to buy a new outboard. We chose a 9.9 hp Mercury two-cycle and paid only $2450 US. In addition, it was delivered right to the dinghy dock at the marina. It is quite a change from our 5 hp Mercury. We can cruise at 16 knots and plane three adults.<br />The marina at La Cruz is mostly finished and they have hired some new management. The old management made a lot of public relations mistakes which caused a lot of cruisers to avoid the marina. Now, they have a free dinghy dock, garbage collection, fuel dock, (without services charges) and are offering reduced and special slip rates. A nice change from last season when they were charging $10 US for the dinghy dock.<br /><br />We left La Cruz bound for La Paz in early May. When we arrived we received an email that Bills mother had a stroke so we booked a flight to Tijuana and picked up a car in San Diego and drove to San Francisco. Bills’ entire family came to be with her. The whole family has not been together for over 20 years. She is now recuperating in a rehabilitation center in Vallejo so we returned to the boat a week later. It’s been a long time since we were in the States. We were surprised how expensive everything has become.<br /><br />After returning to La Paz we day sailed up to Santa Rosalia where Jean could take the bus up to San Diego to pick up our 9 year-old granddaughter, Courtney, to spend a month with us.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZoR3xrnzI/AAAAAAAAAR4/LgAQfrJ0vLw/s1600-h/P1020575.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352079863415807794" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZoR3xrnzI/AAAAAAAAAR4/LgAQfrJ0vLw/s200/P1020575.JPG" border="0" /></a> Our engine fresh water pump failed just outside Rosalia so she also had to bring back a new pump. We sailed out to our favorite island, San Marcos, and spent a nice week snorkeling and towing Courtney behind the dinghy on our new inner tube thingy. On our way back, wouldn’t you know it, the engine heat exchanger corroded through so now Jean has to bus back up to San Diego and pick up a replacement. Our list of failures continues to grow and grow! Some more things that didn’t make the previous list: </div><div><br /></div><div>** Toshiba computer eats its’ system board<br />** Kodak digital camera fails<br />** Wind point isn’t pointing<br />** Bar-b-que falls off the stern rail <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZidrLH2MI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/avfNxl96Mvo/s1600-h/broken+parts.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352073469121517762" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SkZidrLH2MI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/avfNxl96Mvo/s200/broken+parts.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />** Switch for GPS falls to pieces<br />** Engine thermostat fails<br />** Engine fresh water pump fails<br />** Heat exchanger fails<br />** Dinghy foot pump stops pumping<br />** Water maker membrane fails (makes salt water out of salt water)<br />** Storage bags for inflatable kayaks fall apart<br />** Zipper for dodger falls apart<br />** One fire extinguisher goes off accidentally (kind of messy)<br />** Three hand rails have cracked welds<br />** A solar light falls overboard</div><div>** Water maker motor fills with water and corrodes<br /><br />Well, after ten years of hard cruising things do wear out, (but all at once? )</div><br /><div></div><div>We plan on spending the forth-of-July down in Bahia Conception where they have a gathering of boats for a day-long eat-drink-swim-sunburn-party event. One of the local ex-pats supplies all the hot dogs and everyone else fills in what is needed. OK I'll try and update a little more often.....</div></div></div></div></div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-23892708985217184292009-03-03T07:15:00.000-08:002009-03-03T07:55:15.573-08:00HOLY CRAP ! (pt 2)<div><div><div><div>After a great month in La Cruz we flew back to El Salvador to haul the boat and repair the broken rudder. After hauling out at Island Marine which is owned by our friends Colette and Murray,<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Sa1QGypnCcI/AAAAAAAAAPo/tGjcM93cIm4/s1600-h/P1010560.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308987613345417666" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Sa1QGypnCcI/AAAAAAAAAPo/tGjcM93cIm4/s200/P1010560.JPG" border="0" /></a> we found that ten inches missing from the back of the rudder and a foot missing off the bottom. Murray welded a reinforcing structure made from 3/8” steel to the now exposed old one. We covered the whole thing with close-cell foam and after shaping the foam wrapped it in many layers of fiberglass and resin and reinstalled it. All in just three days. We decided to stick around to watch Super bowl with our friends Bill and Alice aboard Grey Wolf. We had a great party and were joined by the other cruisers in the anchorage. Before leaving we purchased another solar panel from a friend on another boat so we now have over 400 watts of solar power. We checked the weather for the Tehuantepec and the forecast was for a gale about the time we were to arrive there. The Bay of Tehuantepec is located between Northern Guatemala and Southern Mexico and is notorious for extremely dangerous winds blowing from the shore out to sea creating huge seas just a mile or so from land but, if you transit along the shore in 30 feet of water it is quite safe as you are protected from the seas so we felt that we would be right next to the land by time we arrive there two or three days later. A few years back we did the same thing in a 40-knot gale so we weren’t worried. We transited the bar along with Grey Wolf and once clear we turned opposite directions. Grey Wolf was headed south and we north. Just an hour or so later we picked up a nice wind coming off the shore and sailed parallel to the land on our way to Guatemala. We hoped that it was a good sign that we would arrive in Mexico with much of our fuel still onboard. We paralleled the shore until we had to move out to five miles go around a point. By midnight we were pushed out to seven miles, farther than we liked but the wind was slowly dying so we set a course to angle us back near shore over the next six hours.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Sa1K7rUdo9I/AAAAAAAAAPQ/OrfVyyOjopo/s1600-h/P1010932.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308981924840973266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Sa1K7rUdo9I/AAAAAAAAAPQ/OrfVyyOjopo/s200/P1010932.JPG" border="0" /></a> Shortly after midnight the wind all but stopped so I started the engine and motor sailed with the staysail and double-reefed main still up. Yup. Holy Crap time. The wind came up to 50 knots in an instant and I had to turn the boat down wind to take the pressure off the sails so I could take them down. I yelled Jean awake and she came up to steer the boat while I dowsed the sails. By the time the sails were down the seas had built to over 12 feet and very short duration. We started the engine and turned up wind but the wind and seas were so strong that the closest we could motor to the wind was 45 degrees and we had to use full throttle to do it. We had to hand steer to keep the boat from accidentally tacking through the wind and heading us out to sea where the seas were bound to be much larger. This is the first time in 10 years that the autopilot failed to steer the boat. By now we were out 12 miles and making only one knot towards land. We took a lot of green water over the bow and got soaked in our, until now, dry cockpit. It took a lot of concentration to keep the boat on course. If I took a moment to check our progress on the GPS we went way off course and took a long time to come back. Jean and I both felt a little sea sick because of how rough it was and from the adrenalin. It took us 12 hours to make the 12 miles back to shore and we were both toasted. We stayed less than ½ mile from the beach still with lots of wind and decided to pull into Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala to take refuge from the weather. Everyone has been warned that <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Sa1L1hmK5uI/AAAAAAAAAPY/XhfhR2Et7Qw/s1600-h/P1010936.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308982918663300834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Sa1L1hmK5uI/AAAAAAAAAPY/XhfhR2Et7Qw/s200/P1010936.JPG" border="0" /></a>Quetzal should be avoided due to the cost of the marina, (no anchoring allowed) and the governmental costs but we had no choice. For our two-day stay it was over $350. We arrived near dusk and were happy to be out of the weather. The following morning we discovered that the mainsail was completely shredded so we removed it and left it in the garbage. Also, we found that the huge seas had damaged part of the planking on our bowsprit platform and we had wrapped a 10-foot line around the prop.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Sa1NVnUjjnI/AAAAAAAAAPg/mc0ZJ6-Ie7o/s1600-h/P1010941.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308984569467473522" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Sa1NVnUjjnI/AAAAAAAAAPg/mc0ZJ6-Ie7o/s200/P1010941.JPG" border="0" /></a> To add insult to injury, the surge at the marina was so strong that we ruined a set of dock lines in two days. Well, two days later the wind stopped and we motored out of Puerto $$ and motored all the way to the marina in Huatulco, Mexico all the time staying very close to shore. Oh yeah, we’re chickens now!<br />In Huatulco we met up with our long-time friends Alan and Margaret aboard Effie. They were planning on going to Bahia del Sol where we had just left. We also made some new friends in the marina and handed out some information on El Salvador. We loaded up on fuel and a week later headed out for La Cruz. It was a total motorboat ride. We stopped overnight in Zihuatenejo and Chamela just so we could get relief from the sound of the engine. We arrive in La Cruz at 3am and anchored as soon as we found 30 feet of water. Later that night we went to a Mardi gras party at the Britannia Restaurant and I played with the band until 2 am and, unfortunately, had way too many Jack on the rocks and tequila shots. So, here we are back home in La Cruz among our many friends and with lots of opportunity to play music. Oh, and we gotta fix a lot of things too.</div></div></div></div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-54955975441323371722008-12-23T14:33:00.000-08:002008-12-23T14:42:26.210-08:00SPENDING CHRISTMAS IN LA CRUZ<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SVFo8zriz0I/AAAAAAAAAO4/27T24rmZKIw/s1600-h/P1010149.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283119231756586818" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SVFo8zriz0I/AAAAAAAAAO4/27T24rmZKIw/s200/P1010149.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div>Even with all our problem with the boat we are still having a good time here in La Cruz, Mexico. I’ve been able to play music with many of my old friends at Anna Banana’s, Britannia and Philo’s. I am playing some classical guitar sets at Anna’s on Christmas Day. I’ll be opening for a Flamenco guitar group and then play the closing set. New Years Eve I’ll be filling in with my blues harp with the band at the Britannia Pub. There is plenty of music to keep me busy.We rented a nice studio room near the marina <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SVFoMCjqqbI/AAAAAAAAAOw/MOcPxxyMpeA/s1600-h/P1010148.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283118393936488882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 186px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SVFoMCjqqbI/AAAAAAAAAOw/MOcPxxyMpeA/s200/P1010148.JPG" border="0" /></a>for only $300/month complete with Internet and cable TV. On Christmas Eve we are giving a talk on cruising El Salvador hoping to excite more people into sailing there. Jean and I hope everyone has a nice Christmas and New Year. We’ll be flying back to El Salvador on Jan 8, 2009.</div></div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-37903712153836810292008-12-02T11:12:00.000-08:002008-12-02T12:18:14.812-08:00YOU THINK YOUR HAVING A BAD DAY?Yes, Holy C.R.A.P!!!! We departed Ecuador in late October bound for Panama City. We found ourselves with a great South wind giving us a nice downwind sail to Panama but, after three days the wind changed to coming right out of Panama City so it was the beginning of an uphill slog. The wind quickly went from 10 to 20 to 25 knots in just a few hours and the seas became those short, nasty 4 to 5 footers with foamy tops right on the forward port quarter. It became a really, really rough ride. Probably the roughest we’ve had in ten years of sailing. It was so rough that things were flying out of the cabinets and even our abandon ship bucket flew across the cabin setting off our EPIRB stowed inside. We know that happened because we received a frantic email from my brother asking where we were as he just received a call from Hawaii Coast Guard! The EPIRB didn’t go off long enough to get a location only identification. We couldn’t make any tacks because with the combination of seas, wind and current our tack angle was 150 degrees which gave us a choice of sailing towards Hawaii or Columbia so, we had to motor right into it. After two days of getting beat up we decided to seek refuge in the Perlas Islands, 40 miles from Panama City. The anchorage we chose gave us complete shelter from the harsh winds. As we motored slowly into the anchorage we freed our vacuum packed anchor chain and when we were in position we put the engine in neutral and dropped the anchor. When Jean went to back down on the anchor…. No back down! No transmission! No nada! C.R.A.P! So, we decide that we will sail out of the anchorage at midnight when the tide and current would be in our favor. We left at midnight and took 26 hours and ten tacks to go 28 miles when, at 2am we decided that we would just sail into 30 feet of water and drop the anchor and continue in the morning. Later that morning we tug-boated the last 8 miles into Panama City. We had repair parts shipped down and after two weeks we had things going and headed to El Salvador for fuel and a little rest. Six days later we were at the bar crossing just after high tide. Since I helped pilot over 30 boats across the bar earlier this year I just decided to come in across the same old waypoints. OOPS! The entrance had moved west a little so we bounced on the bottom a few time but the waves lifted us off and we made it OK just in time for Thanksgiving dinner at the hotel. <br />So, why the Holy CRAP? Since we left Ecuador we’ve had a huge series of failures and problems. Get this:<br />1 The EPIRB goes off.<br />2 The hatch in the head starts leaking and soaks everything on the other side of the boat.<br />3 The propane fitting on the back of the stove cracks and leaks out half a tank of propane.<br />4 The bulkhead in the head collapses due to dry rot.<br />5 Transmission thrust plate explodes.<br />6 Engine raw water pump seal fails.<br />7 Engine overheats.<br />8 A vent cap comes off a diesel can on deck and spill diesel on deck.<br />9 Water maker belt comes off.<br />10 Water maker High pressure hose comes loose and soaks everything in the water maker room.<br />11 The high pressure head on the water maker starts to leak.<br />12 Bimini top tears due to UV degrading.<br />13 Snap shackle for jib falls overboard due to rust.<br />14 Propane locker cracks and lets water run inside the boat soaking the carpets.<br />15 Loose the gas funnel overboard.<br />16 I need an operation on my big toe in Panama City.<br />17 Second reef block on boom explodes when putting in reef.<br />18 Loose the main halyard up the mast.<br />19 Handle comes off the door to the head.<br />20 Fresh water pressure pump fails.<br />21 Hot water pressure relief valve fails and dumps fresh water into bilge.<br />22 Hand bilge pump diaphragm fails.<br />23 Circuit breaker for autopilot fails.<br />HEY, I’m not making this stuff up!!!!<br />24 Alternator belts comes loose.<br />25 Diaphragm fails in dinghy air pump.<br />26 Dinghy gets an air leak.<br />27 Radar reflector falls off.<br />28 Stern light fails.<br />29 Big tear in mainsail<br />30 One of the computers fails<br />31 Main fuel bladder develops a leak<br />32 Rudder cracks in half vertically from bouncing over the bar.<br /><br />Yeah, that last one is the showstopper. We were supposed to be in Puerto Vallarta before Christmas because I was doing a classical guitar recital on Christmas Day. But, we are here now for a few weeks because we can’t get hauled out until we get a really high tide (around Christmas time). Luckily, we love El Salvador so we can make the best of it. <br /><br />So, if you think you are having a hard time just read this, you’ll feel a lot better.Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-82521557693188145192008-10-10T08:19:00.000-07:002008-10-10T08:52:16.141-07:00AND THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES ....<div><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO9ztaz9SLI/AAAAAAAAAK8/Mh1DDwOLJac/s1600-h/MACHU-PAN3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255546514293213362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO9ztaz9SLI/AAAAAAAAAK8/Mh1DDwOLJac/s200/MACHU-PAN3.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />While in Cusco we booked a one-day It turned out to be a dawn-to-dusk day) tour of the lost Inca city ruins at Machu Picchu. The </div><div>tour included the train ride up to the town of Agua Caliente, </div><div>located at the foot of Machu Picchu <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO91QJeVF4I/AAAAAAAAALM/6aBTrmliC3c/s1600-h/MACHU-PAN2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255548210446145410" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO91QJeVF4I/AAAAAAAAALM/6aBTrmliC3c/s200/MACHU-PAN2.jpg" border="0" /></a>and the bus rides in between as well as an English speaking guide at the ruins. The train to Machu Picchu was delayed for over an hour due to a forest fire next to the tracks. When we got off the train in Agua Caliente there were hundreds of tourists looking for their guide groups. We had to find the gal with the orange flag. Once the guide had all her sheep we loaded on the bus for the <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO90cClnw9I/AAAAAAAAALE/IrXDAPxDyrY/s1600-h/MACHU-PAN1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255547315244483538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO90cClnw9I/AAAAAAAAALE/IrXDAPxDyrY/s200/MACHU-PAN1.jpg" border="0" /></a>45 minute ride up the mountain to the ruins. The ruins are unbelievable having only been discovered in the early 1900’s. There is very little re-construction so it is pretty much as it was centuries ago. We wandered away from our tour group and I played my blues harp inside one of the buildings just so I could say I did so. Some people spend a few days at Machu Picchu but, we were toured out so we returned to Cusco late that evening.<br /></div><div><div><div><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO91_r6XbPI/AAAAAAAAALU/s_TNH0IjUfM/s1600-h/cusco-pan1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255549027144396018" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO91_r6XbPI/AAAAAAAAALU/s_TNH0IjUfM/s200/cusco-pan1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />One more day in Cusco had us taking the double-decker, four-hour city tour bus around Cusco and walking around the central plaza, Plaza de Armas. As it turns out, most large cities have a plaza with the same name. The next day Jean booked us a flight from <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO92tbGwb6I/AAAAAAAAALc/jLyn84owf24/s1600-h/100_4202.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255549812906946466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO92tbGwb6I/AAAAAAAAALc/jLyn84owf24/s200/100_4202.jpg" border="0" /></a>Cusco back to Lima. She was tired of buses, trains, automobiles, etc. In Lima we again hooked up with friends and we taxied into central Lima to visit the oldest Chinatown in South America. We were happy to find Chinese Roast Duck hanging in the store windows so we purchased one to take back to the hotel. However, we were very disappointed to find that the taste wasn’t even close to what we are used to. After a long afternoon we said our good bys and early the next morning (again early) we hopped a flight back to Guayaquil and a couple of days later we bused back to our boat.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO930rdOeNI/AAAAAAAAALk/DdOGJJlOjvA/s1600-h/100_4395.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255551037066868946" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO930rdOeNI/AAAAAAAAALk/DdOGJJlOjvA/s200/100_4395.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO94OaFYE5I/AAAAAAAAALs/diyT8COAlMM/s1600-h/100_4386.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5255551479080031122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO94OaFYE5I/AAAAAAAAALs/diyT8COAlMM/s200/100_4386.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div></div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-6680344206457300512008-10-08T10:19:00.000-07:002008-10-08T12:25:18.019-07:00PLANES, TRAINS, AUTOMOBILES, PED-ICABS, MOTO-TAXIES, BOATS, AND BUSES, OH, AND DON’T FORGET THE TOILET PAPER!<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOzwoO-pxTI/AAAAAAAAAIc/18MCxJ4_swE/s1600-h/LIMA-PAN1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254839439240840498" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOzwoO-pxTI/AAAAAAAAAIc/18MCxJ4_swE/s200/LIMA-PAN1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOzxRIGP97I/AAAAAAAAAIk/PchloXcVmjk/s1600-h/100_3459.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254840141768292274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOzxRIGP97I/AAAAAAAAAIk/PchloXcVmjk/s200/100_3459.JPG" border="0" /></a>We just returned from a three week plus tour of Peru and we traveled in most modes of transportation excepting animal. Jean spent weeks pouring over tour books, calling airlines and booking agents to organize our trip. We began our journey by taking the long six-hour bus ride to Guayaquil over the “less-than-secondary” Ecuadorian road system. We arrived just in time to taxi over to the airport to catch our flight to Lima, Peru. We were met at the airport by the hotel driver so we didn’t have to figure that one out. Lima is a HUGH city with 8 million <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOztW8j0lbI/AAAAAAAAAIE/xPoHbasJ-24/s1600-h/100_3443.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254835843703805362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOztW8j0lbI/AAAAAAAAAIE/xPoHbasJ-24/s200/100_3443.JPG" border="0" /></a>people. We stayed in a nice part of town and had previously arranged to meet some boating friends there. The highlight for me was seeing my long-time friend Joe Smith who I hadn’t seen since 2005. Joe and I used to play guitar and fiddle together for years in Mexico<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div>After two nights in Lima we climbed aboard a luxury, double-decker, semi-sleeper bus for the long ride to Ica. Of course we were served lunch, a dry ham (one slice) and cheese (one slice) sandwich with a choice of a glass (not a bottle)</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254836667341879730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOzuG42cObI/AAAAAAAAAIM/gAVU8k0x7XM/s200/100_3472.JPG" border="0" /> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOzzBbhmETI/AAAAAAAAAI0/zubmopaLQd8/s1600-h/100_3543.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254842071128609074" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOzzBbhmETI/AAAAAAAAAI0/zubmopaLQd8/s200/100_3543.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div>of water or sticky sweet Inca Cola. From Lima south the land is all desert right down to the ocean and the road was bordered by high sand dunes. When we reached the coastal town of Pisco, which was mostly destroyed in the 2006 earthquake, we headed up into the high desert to Ica.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOzyZBOWLSI/AAAAAAAAAIs/qFUrjrVkjzI/s1600-h/100_3502.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254841376873786658" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOzyZBOWLSI/AAAAAAAAAIs/qFUrjrVkjzI/s200/100_3502.JPG" border="0" /></a>Ah Ica, the noisiest town in Peru. There is hardly a private automobile in the town. The streets were crowded with yellow taxies (a universal color for taxies) and moto-cabs. From the sounds on the street they all have a working horn, bell, siren, or claxon. Our semi-cheap hotel ($15/night) was furnished with a nice horse hair and pebble mattress (said my back each morning) and two ten-pound pillows (I guess so you don’t steal them). The hot water was a 50/50 deal. However, it was quiet except for the 2 AM hooker some guy brought to his room. Oh, it was also good that we had a few rolls of toilet paper in our luggage. We surmised that hotel profit margins depend on how much toilet paper they give you. This was to be the norm for our whole trip.<br />In the morning we booked a tour to three local wineries where they not only produce some good wine but also distill a brandy they call Pisco . The Peruvian drink is a Pisco Sour, which is similar <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz0sbmZuiI/AAAAAAAAAI8/JJ9F8gzY08k/s1600-h/100_3533.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254843909394774562" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz0sbmZuiI/AAAAAAAAAI8/JJ9F8gzY08k/s200/100_3533.JPG" border="0" /></a>to a Gin Fizz. A big controversy exists between Chile and Peru as to who invented Pisco and Pisco Sours. Our ten o’clock tour found us quite tipsy by noon.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz1mw6dyvI/AAAAAAAAAJE/DwvROIu4gVw/s1600-h/100_3554.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254844911548484338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz1mw6dyvI/AAAAAAAAAJE/DwvROIu4gVw/s200/100_3554.JPG" border="0" /></a>Very early the next morning again boarded the bus for Nazca where we had booked an early afternoon flight to view the Nazca lines. Nazca lines are those shapes that were carved in the desert floor 3000 years ago and can only be fully seen from the air. We had a few hours to kill so we took a little tour of some excavated Peruvian tombs. It was a long ride out into the desert to the tomb site. There are hundreds of tombs but only a handful have been excavated. The burial site is Pre-Incan and so many people were buried here that the desert is littered with pieces of human bone! <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz3qGLKOVI/AAAAAAAAAJU/t5WrF7kOR0c/s1600-h/100_3608.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254847167818512722" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz3qGLKOVI/AAAAAAAAAJU/t5WrF7kOR0c/s200/100_3608.JPG" border="0" /></a>The mummies are very well preserved due to the dry climate. Our guide said it rains only 5 minutes per year in this area! From the tombs we went directly to the airport and boarded our six-passenger plane for an exciting flight over the Nazca lines. Not wanting to spend the night in Nazca we had booked another luxury bus trip to the mountain city of Arequipa located at 7,600 feet. Because the trip was 12 hours we were served two meals, the normal dry sandwich for lunch and for dinner, a nice change, lukewarm, deep-fried smelts on a heap of rice. We arrived in Arequipa around two in the morning.<br /></div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz4FqpmSFI/AAAAAAAAAJc/5siw2s8TPxQ/s1600-h/100_3664.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254847641466325074" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz4FqpmSFI/AAAAAAAAAJc/5siw2s8TPxQ/s200/100_3664.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Arequipa has a population of 750,000 and lies in a high-mountain valley. The central city is well preserved in the colonial style. We visited the 400 year old Monastery of Santa Catalina. The entrance fee was only $4 and we had an English speaking guide. Later we ate in some nice <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz5U4tBhSI/AAAAAAAAAJk/2_j7RvYCCV8/s1600-h/100_3726.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254849002448454946" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz5U4tBhSI/AAAAAAAAAJk/2_j7RvYCCV8/s200/100_3726.JPG" border="0" /></a>upscale restaurants. Through our hotel we booked an overnight tour to Chivay to take a tour of Colca Canyon where the attraction is the canyon itself which rivals the American Grand Canyon, sighting the Peruvian Condor and seeing the colorful locals.<br /></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br />The altitude at Chivay is 12,000 feet and most people get altitude sickness which consists mainly of a headache. Our tour took most of the day to drive to Chivay. Along the way we made a lot of stops to view the scenery and take pictures of Llamas and Vicunas a sort<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz6BS-E9zI/AAAAAAAAAJs/HbIbLpE_JME/s1600-h/100_3831.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254849765413549874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz6BS-E9zI/AAAAAAAAAJs/HbIbLpE_JME/s200/100_3831.JPG" border="0" /></a> of miniature llama. In Chivay we stayed overnight in a room without heat (and, of course, little toilet paper). The bed was stacked with six-inches of Alpaca blankets but did have hot water. Early the next morning we traveled along the canyon to our ultimate destination of Pinchollo to observe Condors flying along the high cliffs along with a hundred or so other tourists. We were fortunate to see and photograph three Condors. From Pinchollo we drove all the way back to Arequipa. Back in town we had our hotel buy our bus <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz7BHDIcZI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/wZorLIixUnc/s1600-h/100_3820.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254850861725151634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz7BHDIcZI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/wZorLIixUnc/s200/100_3820.JPG" border="0" /></a>tickets for the trip to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca, some 10 hours away. Yes, dry sandwich again!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz7fTVjy-I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/ebAVfSVuSZc/s1600-h/100_3752.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254851380419742690" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz7fTVjy-I/AAAAAAAAAJ8/ebAVfSVuSZc/s200/100_3752.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO0DeZYWYzI/AAAAAAAAAKk/fio3hctvC7U/s1600-h/TITIKAKA-PAN.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254860160955212594" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO0DeZYWYzI/AAAAAAAAAKk/fio3hctvC7U/s200/TITIKAKA-PAN.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><div>Lake Titicaca ….. always heard of it, now we’re there! It is South America’s largest lake and the world’s highest navigable lake. Sitting at around 13,000 feet the air is brilliant blue and the water a comfortable 42 degrees! A tour to the famous floating reed islands starts early in the morning. We boarded small covered boats that hold about 30 persons for the one hour trip to the islands. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz86dbp8VI/AAAAAAAAAKE/YD1ehqZHYU8/s1600-h/100_3949.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254852946497761618" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz86dbp8VI/AAAAAAAAAKE/YD1ehqZHYU8/s200/100_3949.JPG" border="0" /></a>We were one of the first tour boats to leave but we were quickly passed by 25 or so faster boats. The island residents are totally dependent on tourism. They give demonstrations on how they live and sell hand-made crafts. We took a fun ride aboard a reed boat and purchased a few items. After a couple of hours we boarded our boat and motored two more hours to another regular island where we had lunch. We walked around the entire island which isn’t that easy at that altitude. We departed in the late afternoon and our boat was the slowest in the fleet so our return trip ended after dark. Early the next morning (geez, I’m getting tired of getting up early) we <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz93pYskHI/AAAAAAAAAKM/FTeaXZwXReQ/s1600-h/100_3959.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254853997678596210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz93pYskHI/AAAAAAAAAKM/FTeaXZwXReQ/s200/100_3959.JPG" border="0" /></a>had booked a first class train trip to Cusco aboard the Andean Explorer. The last time I took a train trip was in 1964. So, we get up and go down to the street and hail a pedi-cab for the 3 or 4 block trip to the train station. Well the driver thinks we want the train which <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz-Sq1qJcI/AAAAAAAAAKU/qOeMCU9C5Mg/s1600-h/100_3977.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254854461924976066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz-Sq1qJcI/AAAAAAAAAKU/qOeMCU9C5Mg/s200/100_3977.JPG" border="0" /></a>is located next to the lake (which we don’t). When it becomes obvious that he is going to the wrong place we have only 20 minutes to catch our train! We tell him we want the other train. “Mas rapido” we tell him because we are going to be late but, he doesn’t know where the other station is located so he takes us to the bus station where we grab the first moto-cab we see and tell him “mas rapido”. Well, we go flying in this contraption through, thankfully, the semi-deserted streets of Puno and after a couple of wrong turns, make it to the station with 10 minutes to spare.</div></div><div><div> </div><div> </div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz_LVxJECI/AAAAAAAAAKc/LAt9NXg2rUY/s1600-h/100_4044.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254855435521429538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SOz_LVxJECI/AAAAAAAAAKc/LAt9NXg2rUY/s200/100_4044.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div><br /> </div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div>First class aboard the Andean Explorer is very first class. We sat in nice living room chairs at a big table across from a young British couple. We were served a fancy lunch and some drinks and later, we were entertained by two different Peruvian folk song groups and a fashion show.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO0HmfbasLI/AAAAAAAAAK0/X4WL9TfLLFs/s1600-h/100_4132.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254864698064154802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO0HmfbasLI/AAAAAAAAAK0/X4WL9TfLLFs/s200/100_4132.jpg" border="0" /></a> The thought of traveling by train across the Andes was exciting. Our highest point was at La Raya at an altitude of 14,000 feet. It was never-to-be-forgot experience. We arrived in Cusco in the early evening. Jean had booked an expensive hotel room ($35/night) because she wanted hot water, heat, a nice bed and toilet paper. Our room was complete with a fireplace and satellite TV (CNN in English!). </div><div> </div><div><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO0FBPGglcI/AAAAAAAAAKs/GdMKZpfRyVg/s1600-h/100_4195.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254861859003078082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SO0FBPGglcI/AAAAAAAAAKs/GdMKZpfRyVg/s200/100_4195.jpg" border="0" /></a>Cusco is a nice city of 300,000 people and steeped in rich Peruvian history. Much of the town is lined with ancient Inca-built massive stone walls. Jean planned on four nights here. We spent time walking up and down the narrow streets taking lots of pictures. We stopped at a local guitar maker and I played a few of his instruments. We also walked through plenty of artesian markets to purchase our last-chance items. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>OK .... That's most of our trip. I'll upload the remainder this weekend. Whew! </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-85715604882624003772008-09-03T14:42:00.000-07:002008-09-03T15:59:44.475-07:00BACK FROM OUR INLAND TOUR<div><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SL8Q2f7YEuI/AAAAAAAAAG4/rH0HbNC9IrQ/s1600-h/guay-pan.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241927019752067810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SL8Q2f7YEuI/AAAAAAAAAG4/rH0HbNC9IrQ/s200/guay-pan.jpg" border="0" /></a> Well we just returned from a two-plus weeks tour of Ecuador. We began by meeting our oldest daughter, Kirsten, her boyfriend, Fred and our oldest granddaughter, Courtney in Guayaquil, a sea port city in southern Ecuador. All three flew to the Galapagos for four days while Jean and I explored Guayaquil. After they returned we all boarded a bus for Riobamba, located in central Ecuador, wanting to see the open market. Here we saw our first mountain people. They are all very short and all the men wear either one of those small felt hats and the women wear either the same type of hat or a pretty straw hat with a thin brim. We stayed overnight in Riobamba and then took the down bus to Alausi where we wanted to ride the famous mountain train. This is where things started to get adventuresome.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SL8RaAvNGRI/AAAAAAAAAHA/6PGQRGGv9HY/s1600-h/100_3021.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241927629854808338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SL8RaAvNGRI/AAAAAAAAAHA/6PGQRGGv9HY/s200/100_3021.jpg" border="0" /></a> We were delayed in getting to Alausi because we had to wait in Riobamba for our laundry to get finished. It wasn’t done by 3:30 because the dryers weren’t working at the laundry shop so, after paying $10, we took our wet laundry with us. We arrived late in Alausi and the hotel we stayed in had the thinnest mattresses I’ve ever seen. The manager said to knock on her door in the morning and she would turn on the hot water. Next morning…. No manager in her room, i.e no hot water. So we go at 6:30 AM down to the train station to buy our tickets so we can take the early train because we have to catch the 2:30 PM bus to Quito, a six hour trip. Well crap!! The early tickets are sold out and the earliest train is, yep, 2:30 PM ! <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SL8SYDOypcI/AAAAAAAAAHI/z-G6sERIOm8/s1600-h/100_3035.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241928695676052930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SL8SYDOypcI/AAAAAAAAAHI/z-G6sERIOm8/s200/100_3035.jpg" border="0" /></a>So, we really want to go so we wait. In the meantime we have to check out of our hotel room however, the manager (who now appears) says we can keep our luggage in her room until we return from the train ride. Two-thirty arrives and they have sold more tickets than seats available on the train! We are at the back of the line so….. no train ride and we’ve missed the bus. We go back to the hotel to get our luggage and ….. no manager! We wait for an hour and she shows up. She tells us we can catch the bus coming up from Guayaquil if we go up to the highway so here we are on the side of the road waiting for the busses to come by. Don’t get ahead of me now…. Every bus headed to Quito is full so we decide to catch a local bus to Riobamba then catch a bus at the terminal to Quito. Every bus is full going to<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SL8TIdBJfYI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/mg1M_PAqkAU/s1600-h/100_3053.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241929527231872386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SL8TIdBJfYI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/mg1M_PAqkAU/s200/100_3053.jpg" border="0" /></a> Riobamba and it is going to be dark pretty soon. Kirsten happened to flag down a guy in an SUV coming out of a gas station and talked him into giving us a ride to Riobamba for 20 bucks. We finally get to Riobamba and catch the bus to Quito where we arrive at the hotel at 11:00 PM. Now we have to be up early to catch our shuttle to Amazonia and Fred has to catch his flight back to California. So, the next morning Jean, Kirsten, Courtney and I meet our driver and head for a nice 4 days exploring the headwaters of the Amazon, in an area known as Amazonia. Two hours out of Quito we are almost at the top of the Andes, ready to cross over to the jungle when the road is closed by SNOW! Our driver said it is the first time he has ever driven in snow and the first time this road was ever closed due to snow. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SL8Vjr5_G1I/AAAAAAAAAHo/uUgzc55mskI/s1600-h/100_3179.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241932194108087122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SL8Vjr5_G1I/AAAAAAAAAHo/uUgzc55mskI/s200/100_3179.jpg" border="0" /></a>Darn global warming! So we have to back track two hours and take a southern route which ends up taking three extra hours. We had reservations at a jungle resort named Casa Suizo located on the Napo river and we had to be met by a river panga so they could transport us to the resort and the last one runs at 5PM. We arrived at our pick up point at 5 PM and just made it. We spent four very nice and interesting days at the resort. We took guided tours of the jungle every day with two guides, one who spoke your language and one who was indigenous. We trekked through the jungle, saw lots of wildlife and exotic plants. We were shown how the <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SL8UHiNx6ZI/AAAAAAAAAHY/RihHB59dJ_E/s1600-h/Amazonia-balcony+view.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241930610958789010" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SL8UHiNx6ZI/AAAAAAAAAHY/RihHB59dJ_E/s200/Amazonia-balcony+view.jpg" border="0" /></a>locals trap animals for food and how they use plants for medicine. The resort was all inclusive so we always returned for 3 meals a day served in a pool-side setting. I normally don’t go for organized setting such as this but I was quite impressed. You would be hard pressed to see and do what we did on your own. After four days we returned to Quito where Kirsten and Courtney caught their flight back to California. Quito is the capital of Ecuador and located right on the equator. We visited Mitad del Mundo which is “ the middle of the world”<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SL8U_ufxevI/AAAAAAAAAHg/J1rH3mJg2vQ/s1600-h/100_3309.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241931576328157938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SL8U_ufxevI/AAAAAAAAAHg/J1rH3mJg2vQ/s200/100_3309.jpg" border="0" /></a>, an area set aside to celebrate the line going around the middle of the world. The next few days were spent exploring Quito and bussing back home to the boat. We had a great time but, I’m still recovering from “bus butt”.</div><div> </div><div>Pics: Guayaquil, old woman in Riobamba, hats in Riobamba, woman in Riobamba,jungle monkey, view from our jungle resort, self explanitory</div></div></div></div></div></div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-1068913816831268112008-06-15T15:57:00.000-07:002008-06-22T08:50:09.813-07:00WE'RE "SOUTH OF THE EQUATOR, DOWN ECUADOR WAY<div><div><div><div><div> </div><div>Well, we tried to update our Blog via email and, of course, we had the wrong email address so it didn't happen but, here we are, past the equator and laying comfortably in Bahia Caraquez, Ecuador. Our passage over the equator was interesting. First, the line which marks the equator is a lot wider than we thought, maybe 50 to 75 feet wide and second the color was mostly black and it was kind of wavy rather than a true straight line. We stopped right on the equator and performed a few experiments. When we flushed the toilet we noticed that the water did not swirl clockwise or counter-clock wise and the same with the water in the sink. Our GPS showed 00.00.00 but did not indicate South or North. The most interesting thing was that our compass spun in a circle until we passed over the equator! It was a 12 day sail from El Salvador and all of it hard on the wind<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SF5sjxYTTxI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/0OKTuhkEEeA/s1600-h/100_2717.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214724780348100370" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SF5sjxYTTxI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/0OKTuhkEEeA/s320/100_2717.jpg" border="0" /></a>. We spent half the time passing through the ITCZ where the wind changed strength often and it rained most of the time. We had one night where it rained hard for 6 hours non-stop. On our fifth day we got our butts kicked and ducked into Isla Cocos. Cocos is 300 miles west of Costa Rica and is a Costa Rican National Park. It usually costs $75/day to stay there but we were exempted because we stopped due to bad weather. The island is a lush green with lots of waterfalls. The park extends twelve miles around the island and is patrolled for illegal fishing. There is a small conservation core that live on the island and they sell polo shirts, jewelry, and other items to raise funds to help support the island. One interesting item we purchased was a necklass made from the hooks of seized long liners caught fishing in the park waters.</div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div>We had to motor the last 80 miles directly into 20 knots of wind with six to eight foot seas. It was very slow and uncomfortable. Our friends directed us to a secure anchorage 15 miles north of our destination to wait for the next mornings' tide. Jean and I finally had a chance to toast our crossing of the equator (now we are officially known as "shelbacks") with a bottle of champagne followed by potato soup. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SF5uMLn59qI/AAAAAAAAAGY/B87_j0w8t7Q/s1600-h/100_2820.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214726574099265186" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SF5uMLn59qI/AAAAAAAAAGY/B87_j0w8t7Q/s320/100_2820.jpg" border="0" /></a>Our bar crossing the next morning was smooth and easy, nothing like Bahia del Sol. Our anchorage is located right on the edge of the town of Bahia Caraquez in front of the restaurant Puerto Amistad. The restaurant operates the moorings and dinghy dock plus, the offer a wide variety of cruiser services from water delivery to laundry. And boy, is it cheap here! Diesel fuel is an unbeleiveable $1.03/gallon and a large lunch can be had for $1.50. Puerto Amistad takes care of some of the check-in into the country but, everyone has to go to the coastal city of Manta to check-in with the National Police. It is a 3 hour bus ride or, for $40, you can rent a taxi for all day. We shared a taxi with another couple. Manta has a very large tuna cannery operation, in fact, Ecuador has the largest tuna canning operation in the world. We went down to the beach and purchased a large tuna for $6 and paid another $1 to have it cleaned<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SF5xORSassI/AAAAAAAAAGg/dbOKTVDUCiQ/s1600-h/100_2827.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214729908514370242" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SF5xORSassI/AAAAAAAAAGg/dbOKTVDUCiQ/s320/100_2827.jpg" border="0" /></a>. Manta also boasts a fairly large tuna boat building industry. They are built right on the beach and most are fabricated from wood. On our return trip we stopped in the town of Monte Cristi to purchase a real hand made, Panama hat. We expect that we will really enjoy Ecuador and, as like most of the places we visit, will have a hard time leaving.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br /> </div><div></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SF5zFT9rGlI/AAAAAAAAAGo/IH9w1zaIRs8/s1600-h/100_2837.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214731953637104210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SF5zFT9rGlI/AAAAAAAAAGo/IH9w1zaIRs8/s200/100_2837.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SF5zsdXr6EI/AAAAAAAAAGw/Lxp53rzOXWE/s1600-h/100_2841.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214732626177026114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SF5zsdXr6EI/AAAAAAAAAGw/Lxp53rzOXWE/s200/100_2841.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>Boats on the Beach in Manta</div><div>"Panama" hats in Monte Cristi<br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div></div></div></div></div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-23852325633132997992008-05-30T18:00:00.000-07:002008-05-30T18:14:34.134-07:00WE'RE OUTA' HERE!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SECk68WKPrI/AAAAAAAAAGA/ovSQbVP_6o8/s1600-h/Picture+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206342501778734770" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SECk68WKPrI/AAAAAAAAAGA/ovSQbVP_6o8/s200/Picture+002.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SECkncWKPqI/AAAAAAAAAF4/pAoamGmSwKU/s1600-h/100_2649.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206342166771285666" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SECkncWKPqI/AAAAAAAAAF4/pAoamGmSwKU/s200/100_2649.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SECkeMWKPpI/AAAAAAAAAFw/4UJ5_CR9-kQ/s1600-h/100_2644.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206342007857495698" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SECkeMWKPpI/AAAAAAAAAFw/4UJ5_CR9-kQ/s200/100_2644.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SECkTMWKPoI/AAAAAAAAAFo/Mcrg4A5-d0I/s1600-h/100_2628.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206341818878934658" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SECkTMWKPoI/AAAAAAAAAFo/Mcrg4A5-d0I/s200/100_2628.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SECkF8WKPnI/AAAAAAAAAFg/AHmNqhzPsaw/s1600-h/100_2624.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206341591245667954" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SECkF8WKPnI/AAAAAAAAAFg/AHmNqhzPsaw/s200/100_2624.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SECjzMWKPmI/AAAAAAAAAFY/NaGsyJ6oZd4/s1600-h/BAR+AWARD.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206341269123120738" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SECjzMWKPmI/AAAAAAAAAFY/NaGsyJ6oZd4/s200/BAR+AWARD.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br />Yes, it's time to leave for Ecuador but, as always, we hate to leave all our friends. We expected to stay 3 weeks and now it is almost nine weeks. We were delayed 2 days due to tropical storm Alma (the first of the season). Our trip to Ecuador should take around 10 - 12 days so we will be updating our blog via email. As we always say " The best time to leave is when you don't want to go."<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SECjl8WKPlI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/CtLS848fczY/s1600-h/BAR+AWARD.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-85910234874983525672008-05-25T15:25:00.000-07:002008-05-25T16:21:52.897-07:00PERSONAL SECURITY IN EL SALVADOR<div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SDnoGcWKPfI/AAAAAAAAAEk/QyeqWO-1JMs/s1600-h/San+Salvador+with+Mita+kuluu+Mike%27s+016.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204446041789316594" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SDnoGcWKPfI/AAAAAAAAAEk/QyeqWO-1JMs/s320/San+Salvador+with+Mita+kuluu+Mike%27s+016.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>For all of you who are considering traveling down here to Salvador: There is no need to bring your own security guard!! Well, that's a statement that we thought we'd never make. All of the well-to-do people here have their own personal security guards and most business establishments have at least one armed security guard. Not that it's dangerous here but, people with money are occasionally kidnapped and a guard costs about $10 per day. Jean and I took an overnight trip to San Salvador with our friends Mike & Mary to celebrate our Jean's birthday. One morning we took a taxi down to the central open-air market located right in the center of San Salvador (hence the name). We were stopped by these two city policemen who told us that we should be careful of pick-pockets and that we should be careful where we go. We thanked them and continued to stroll the markets. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SDnry8WKPgI/AAAAAAAAAEs/LwGgHjCgeNk/s1600-h/San+Salvador+with+Mita+kuluu+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204450104828378626" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SDnry8WKPgI/AAAAAAAAAEs/LwGgHjCgeNk/s320/San+Salvador+with+Mita+kuluu+008.jpg" border="0" /></a>A little later we met up with the same officers. They called two of their officers over and assigned them to watch over us while we shopped! They also told them to follow us at a discrete distance and not be obvious. There you go...when did that happen last in San Francisco? Anyway, the open market is quite an experience. Jean and I have been down there twice and always enjoyed the sights and sound of the vendors. Name a vegetable and you can find it somewhere in the market. Fresh vegies, housewares, box California wine ($10 for 5 liters of Franzia Burgundy), hardware items, you name it. Of course, there are many places and many kinds of food from which to choose. This fella here, in the video, managed to miss his fingers while frantically chopping his cabbage. He does, however, look pretty nonchalant about it.</div><div></div><div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx12W7jb9gCCpjsc33cMeqLv8Y_BySfQjElMYCBN2DxTtSb7BG8NHqOXN_TiPRWSry5iF28MBrCJV8p2hjI' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>We had an interesting bus trip from Bahi del Sol to San Salvador. Here in Salvador, when it's time for the bus driver to get a drug and alcohol test they just pull the bus over to the side of the road and perform a breath and <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SDnwpsWKPhI/AAAAAAAAAE0/B1Qe1hVMJzc/s1600-h/100_2634.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204455443472727570" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SDnwpsWKPhI/AAAAAAAAAE0/B1Qe1hVMJzc/s320/100_2634.jpg" border="0" /></a>urine test right there! Our bus was pulled over right at the entrance to the bus terminal. The poor driver was given a little cup and he stood behind a bush and peed right there! Apparently, bus costumers are used to this as they just got off the bus and walked to the terminal from there.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>We all stayed at a nice hotel near one of the large European-style malls and went to a nice steak house for Jean's birthday dinner. Four of us, four steaks, two bottles of wine, four top-of-the-line after-dinner drinks, and desert (plus included tip) $105. Ya gotta love it in El Salvador! No wonder we can't seem to get away from here.</div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SDnzwcWKPiI/AAAAAAAAAE8/B4WAltnRgUI/s1600-h/100_2637.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204458857971727906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SDnzwcWKPiI/AAAAAAAAAE8/B4WAltnRgUI/s320/100_2637.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-10621555253794994542008-05-18T14:32:00.000-07:002008-05-18T15:12:14.846-07:00SURFING INTO EL SALVADOR<div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SDCmTU33rZI/AAAAAAAAAEE/YknMzFp6jxg/s1600-h/bahia+1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201840420563692946" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SDCmTU33rZI/AAAAAAAAAEE/YknMzFp6jxg/s400/bahia+1.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div>So far twenty-eight boats have come into Bahia Del Sol this season. The other day six boats wanted to come in but the surf across the bar was too large and the wave period was too short so the boats had to anchor out for the night. The next morning we saw that the surf was a little smaller and occassionaly there were some long periods (relatively speaking) so the pilot decided that we could bring the boats over the bar. Sail boats are slow so the technique is to bring them close to the bar behind the breaking waves then, when the set passes, the sailboat goes full speed over the bar before the next wave set comes in. It works most of the time but, as you can see from this sequence of pictures, the 45-foot catamaran, Yachtman's Dream, had an extra exciting entrance.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SDCmlU33rbI/AAAAAAAAAEU/8_w7NrWGQ28/s1600-h/bahia+3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201840729801338290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 398px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" height="400" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SDCmlU33rbI/AAAAAAAAAEU/8_w7NrWGQ28/s400/bahia+3.jpg" width="394" border="0" /></a> The first picture is from the pilot boat and the remaining were taken by Paradise Bound who was waiting outside to cross the bar. The surf was at least six-feet and moving quickly. It took us 1 1/2 hours to get all six boats safely over the bar. The pilot and I got pretty beat up in the rough surf but we still had a good time.</div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SDCmcE33raI/AAAAAAAAAEM/0Qf5W5MqMQY/s1600-h/bahia+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201840570887548322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SDCmcE33raI/AAAAAAAAAEM/0Qf5W5MqMQY/s400/bahia+2.jpg" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SDCmsk33rcI/AAAAAAAAAEc/grNs2r2E0I0/s1600-h/bahia+4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201840854355389890" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="400" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SDCmsk33rcI/AAAAAAAAAEc/grNs2r2E0I0/s400/bahia+4.jpg" width="398" border="0" /></a>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-16895037129524629212008-05-10T15:50:00.000-07:002008-05-18T15:33:01.139-07:00TESTING OUR EMAIL UPDATE SYSTEMWe just set up our email update system so we can update our blog while we're underway or away from a wireless station.Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-47017559930402868872008-05-08T11:26:00.001-07:002008-05-08T13:45:40.650-07:00GREAT TIMES IN EL SALVADOR<div><div><div><br /><div>The owner of Hotel Bahia del Sol asked us to help him with a print <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SCNQmt71fEI/AAAAAAAAAD8/UED1YgaCxvw/s1600-h/bahia_draft.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198087021011500098" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SCNQmt71fEI/AAAAAAAAAD8/UED1YgaCxvw/s400/bahia_draft.jpg" border="0" /></a>ad so Jean pulled me to the top of the mast and I took a few pictures then, a friend of ours created this ad for the hotel. We all hope this ad will help attract more cruisers to the area. I'm still volunteering to help bring the boats across the bar with the pilot boat. We go out and the pilot decides when we head in and I talk the boat through the maneuvers. It's great fun and so far 23 boats have come across the bar this season. We brought one boat in that had a nine-foot draft with no problems. The local fifty-foot sport fishers go in and out the bar all the time without a pilot but, sail boats have to wait for high tide to ensure that there is plenty of water and they need help locating the channel. We expect 3 to 5 more cruisers to arrive next week.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SCNLjN71fAI/AAAAAAAAADc/Z7DqqAaI2vE/s1600-h/100_2386.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198081463323819010" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SCNLjN71fAI/AAAAAAAAADc/Z7DqqAaI2vE/s400/100_2386.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><br /><br /><div>Eleven of us rented a panga for a day and took a tour of the mangrove estuary. We each paid $6 for the all-day trip. We first visited a small island in the middle of the mangroves that had mango trees all over. We all picked all we could hold. We then took a long site seeing trip in and out of the mangroves. At lunch time we stopped at a shore side palapa restaurant. As you can see from the picture it was very rustic and very Salvadorian. We all ordered the fish lunch. Five dollars for a medium fish and six dollars for a large one.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SCNM1N71fBI/AAAAAAAAADk/mmSbs1dLOMw/s1600-h/100_2419.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198082872073092114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SCNM1N71fBI/AAAAAAAAADk/mmSbs1dLOMw/s400/100_2419.jpg" border="0" /></a> Everything was freshly caught and cleaned then fried in a large pan over an open fire. The fish was served with ice-cold beers, deep-fried shrimps and cooked rice. We had a great view of the estuary and watched the weekend panga traffic cruise by. We saw a funeral procession consisting of 3 panga loads of people and one casket. We were told that they were giving the recently passed his final tour of the estuary.</div><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198084684549291042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SCNOet71fCI/AAAAAAAAADs/TWjAtojaCmg/s400/100_2407.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div><br />After lunch we continued on to the Rio Lempa, the longest river in El Salvador. We beached at the mouth of the river and all took a cool, freshwater swim then scavenged the beach for any washed-up treasures.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SCNQJd71fDI/AAAAAAAAAD0/EbDrXVtV80c/s1600-h/100_2412.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5198086518500326450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SCNQJd71fDI/AAAAAAAAAD0/EbDrXVtV80c/s400/100_2412.jpg" border="0" /></a> So, for the all-day trip, local guide, panga, and lunch it cost us $26 per couple.<br /><br />We hadn't planned on staying in El Salvador this long but, it is so pleasant and beautiful we have a hard time pulling ourselves away, however, Ecuador is calling and we can't wait too long to leave due to the weather. Probably and week or two more here then off for a 10 or 12 day sail south of the Equator.Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-70722602478559682252008-04-18T13:54:00.000-07:002008-04-18T14:43:49.421-07:00ALWAYS LIKE COMING HOME<div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /></div><br /><div>One nice thing about cruising is that when you return to a place where you've spent some time and made some friends it's like coming home all over again. We no longer have one place that we call home. If home is<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SAkM7midwxI/AAAAAAAAAC0/eYjT8s-vEtQ/s1600-h/100_2123.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190694263618126610" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SAkM7midwxI/AAAAAAAAAC0/eYjT8s-vEtQ/s320/100_2123.jpg" border="0" /></a> where the heart is then our hearts are spread along the Pacific. We just returned to Bahia Del Sol, El Salvador for the second time. We were previously here in 2005 when we spent six months hear. We gently surfed over the bar guarding the entrance guided by the hotel pilot, Roger. Since arriving I have accompanied the pilot for 10 bar crossings, talking the boats over the bar and taking pictures. This is a picture of the Canadian boat, Rogla, surfing smoothly over the bar. There have been rumors of this bar being dangerous but, they are grossly overstated. We've witnessed over 30 bar crossings all without incident. The anchorage here is free and for about $60/month you can use the hotels' pools (2), bar, restaurant, dinghy dock,and other facilities plus a 30% discount on your food and bar tab! We call it cruisers vacation.</div><br /><div>While here in BDS we had our bottom repainted in the same yard we used in 2005. We paid $7/ft for haul-out, $20/day for each laborer, and $120 for a gallon of local paint (60% - 68% copper <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SAkO9WidwyI/AAAAAAAAAC8/quCk2JxNots/s1600-h/100_2192.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190696492706153250" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SAkO9WidwyI/AAAAAAAAAC8/quCk2JxNots/s320/100_2192.jpg" border="0" /></a>depending on color). We had the same paint applied in 2005 and it was still in good shape. We also replaced our cutlass bearing along with having the engine re-aligned. We had a good experience with the yard folks just as in 2005. There are some minor downsides to this yard: they are limited as to draft, 6 -7 feet is the maximum and the haul-out is tidal dependent with haul-out during the 7 or 8 spring tides per month. While staying aboard during the haul-out we were allowed all the free mangos and coconuts we could eat! A bathroom and shower is avaliable to those staying aboard.</div><div> </div><div>We held off doing any inland travel until we finished the bottom. A few days ago we took the bus to the capitol city of San Salvador and stayed overnight. We got hopelessly lost in the central market area, got an American food fix at Tony Roma's (of course RIBS!) and watched too much CNN in the hotel room. Room prices<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SAkU5WidwzI/AAAAAAAAADE/8pj6MaA6eVA/s1600-h/100_2261.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190703021056443186" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/SAkU5WidwzI/AAAAAAAAADE/8pj6MaA6eVA/s320/100_2261.jpg" border="0" /></a> have risen since 2005 by $10 - $15/ night. We also visited the Guzman archeological muesum . We were going to only stay one night but decided to take the next day's bus to the little town of Suchitoto. The morning bus cost 80 cents and took a little over an hour. Our main reason for going there was to visit the French restaurant that we discovered in 2005. It was still open and the owner remembered us. We had a very memorable meal and lots of great wine. Our return trip to BDS took 5 hours by bus and taxi. <br /></div><br /><div></div></div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-74699096836453543512008-01-29T09:43:00.000-08:002008-03-24T11:37:47.742-07:00BEEN IN LA CRUZ SINCE NOVEMBER<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/R59mjxk1lhI/AAAAAAAAACs/nUHYuiURIys/s1600-h/022.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160956462779176466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/R59mjxk1lhI/AAAAAAAAACs/nUHYuiURIys/s320/022.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Well, it's been a long time since our last update. I played music four night a week in the area, two nights blues guitar and two nights blues harp so it's been like a job for 5 months. We finally departed La Cruz and sailed almost directly to Hualtaco, in southern Mexico. We are spending a few days here waiting for the weather before crossing over to El Salvador where we spent 6 months in 2005. We'll get our bottom painted there and then sail directly to Ecuador where we will spend 6 months. After that, who knows? Internet access has been spotty so it's difficult updating our blog. Hopefully, we can do another, longer update when we reach El Salvador. </div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-6095741527595483362007-11-29T15:09:00.001-08:002007-11-29T16:07:29.466-08:00IF YOU AIN'T BEEN AGROUND, YOU AIN'T BEEN AROUND<div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/R09NauN0QcI/AAAAAAAAACc/TGIOQ2A5WsM/s1600-h/100_1442.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138410821330944450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/R09NauN0QcI/AAAAAAAAACc/TGIOQ2A5WsM/s320/100_1442.jpg" border="0" /></a> So.....we motored all but 15 of the 400 miles from Santa Rosalia to Mazatlan. That's the way it is here in Mexico. We took a slip at the old Marina Mazatlan so we could visit friends and do some serious provisioning. We ran across quite a few boaters we hadn't seen since 2005. Anyway, our friend, Lynn on Wildfire, took us to Sam's club where we were giddy with all that Sam had to offer! Like kids in the candy store, we over bought on all our favorite items. We stayed for a week before heading out for an overnighter to La Cruz but, we needed fuel after that 400 mile trip so Jean called the local fuel dock to make sure they were open. The fuel dock has only been open 2 weeks but they said that they "were ready for us and that, don't worry, we have 10 feet of water along side the fuel dock." That much was true however, the channel to the dock had much less than that. We ran aground in the mud 100 feet from the dock. So, Jean called them and they sent a boat over to sound the channel and sure enough, there wasn't enough water! They were very apologetic (even brought out a few cold colas for us) and offered us a free night at their docks. We had to wait 3 hours for the tide to change and we easily backed off the mud bar and waited until there was enough water to get to the dock. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/R09Rd-N0QdI/AAAAAAAAACk/Zb_ga6zYDks/s1600-h/002.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138415275212030418" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/R09Rd-N0QdI/AAAAAAAAACk/Zb_ga6zYDks/s320/002.JPG" border="0" /></a>By that time it was too late to head out so we took them up on the free night. A couple of days later we arrived at a much changed La Cruz. Our little town now has a 300-plus, slip marina under serious construction (offering slips at a bargain rate of $1000/month) and many, many condos being built. The beach palapa where we play music, (as seen here), is no longer on the beach. The little row houses outside of town that were selling for $25,000 USD in 2005 are now going for $80,000 USD! So many changes that we think this may be the last time we will stay here for any length of time. But, this time we are staying until late February. Jean is showing her beaded jewlery twice a month at a local artwalk and I play classical guitar next to her stand to attract customers. Geez, the Baja was so low key compared to this...<br /><br /><div></div></div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-25442449248566493712007-10-26T15:19:00.000-07:002007-10-26T16:27:07.412-07:00OUR EIGHT YEAR ANNIVERSARY CRUISING<div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyJrQLtfwtI/AAAAAAAAAB8/l6NKeBFiBLY/s1600-h/Giant+lobster,+la+paz.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125777251666739922" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyJrQLtfwtI/AAAAAAAAAB8/l6NKeBFiBLY/s320/Giant+lobster,+la+paz.JPG" border="0" /></a> Today marks our eighth year of cruising. We can still remember like it was yesterday all the people waving us a good-bye from our dock in Richmond, California, 1999. Our granddaughter was only two weeks old and our friends thought we were nuts. We'd planned, worked and saved for 10 years to realize our goal. We said we were not going to squander our youth on saving money. I was just short of 53, had a great job that I loved and Jean was 55 and also had a great job. We sold our comfortable home, gave a bunch of useless materialistic things away, kissed our family and friends good-bye and sailed off into the proverbial sunset. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyJvUbtfwuI/AAAAAAAAACE/k5dSLdlex10/s1600-h/CENTRAL+AM+TRIP+(40).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125781722727695074" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyJvUbtfwuI/AAAAAAAAACE/k5dSLdlex10/s320/CENTRAL+AM+TRIP+(40).JPG" border="0" /></a> One of our most memorable moments was crossing the breaking bar at Bahia Del Sol in El Salvador. We anchored outside the bar entrance for three days waiting for the surf to subside along with 3 other boats. You have to have a pilot guide you over the bar and through the surf so when our turn came they called us on the radio and talked us through the whole process. We were picked up by I don't know how big surf, three times. Let me tell you that it is very exciting to surf a 23,000 pound, 37-foot boat for the first time. It was over so quick we never had a chance to be scared.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyJyKrtfwvI/AAAAAAAAACM/F44WNKD-xbs/s1600-h/DSCF0047.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125784853758853874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyJyKrtfwvI/AAAAAAAAACM/F44WNKD-xbs/s320/DSCF0047.JPG" border="0" /></a> We've had so many unforgettable experiences that it is hard to decide which ones to highlight. We've made the passage from Hawaii to the mainland three times. We always spent at least few days totally becalmed. The sea is like Saran wrap and the sun is brilliant in the sky. One time we watched a Mahi swim circles around the boat for a whole day while we just drifted with the current. Another time we jumped off the boat and went for a swim, and once we caught a 20-foot, 4-inch diameter line in the prop and spent an hour cutting it away. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyJ1I7tfwwI/AAAAAAAAACU/QbrUD0lGFoU/s1600-h/DSCF0004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125788122228966146" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyJ1I7tfwwI/AAAAAAAAACU/QbrUD0lGFoU/s320/DSCF0004.JPG" border="0" /></a>Of course, we made a lot of friends and especially enjoyed all the children we've met. Kids are the same everywhere, fun loving and curious. Not only the local children but, also the kids aboard cruising boats. We tend to make all the kids our temporary grandkids. So, do we regret anything? Only that we should have done this 5 years earlier. We have yet to met anyone who said that they wished they would have worked a little longer before setting out cruising. So, after eight years, tens of thousands of miles sailing, uncountable anchorages and having more friends than any normal person is allowed, we are happy and have never given a thought as to how long we will be doing this. We hope all of you take this as some inspiration to get out and enjoy life now because, life is truely.....<span style="font-size:78%;">SHORT.</span></div></div></div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-84704117149488822872007-10-25T16:10:00.000-07:002007-10-25T18:03:30.461-07:00YES, WE HAVE SEAFOOD!<div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyEkpbtfwoI/AAAAAAAAABU/YlwXuaiZL2A/s1600-h/100_0718.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125418145156153986" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyEkpbtfwoI/AAAAAAAAABU/YlwXuaiZL2A/s320/100_0718.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="color:#999999;">Oh yes! We've caught a lot of seafood in what will be our eight years of cruising on October 26. There is nothing like eating minutes-from-the-ocean fresh tuna or mahi-mahi. On one of our five trips down the Baja we hooked a 50 pound albacore tuna on our boat pole. It took and hour and a half to land it on the side deck. The girth was 26 inches. Boy, we had enough tuna to last for months however, we only have a two cubic foot refrigerator. Luckily, that day we arrived in Bahia Santa Maria and there were 4 power boats anchored there. These guys always have big freezers so we distributed most of the fish to these folks.</span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyE7QrtfwsI/AAAAAAAAAB0/tULvfTqawhM/s1600-h/100_0722.jpg"><span style="color:#999999;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125443008721830594" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyE7QrtfwsI/AAAAAAAAAB0/tULvfTqawhM/s320/100_0722.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#999999;"> We usually eat our tuna sashami style and the flavor cannot be met by even the best sushi restaurant. We will also quickly sear a nice chunk in a super hot pan so it remains raw in the middle then, slice it and serve it on a bed of cabbage (which all cruisers have) and top it with onions and sesame seeds followed by a drizzle of sesame oil and soy sauce. Man, I'm getting hungry now!! </span></div><div>We always catch Mahi-Mahi, (called Dorado in Mexico) on our crossings. We caught a four-footer along the inside of the Baja one time and it feed ten people some pretty hefty portions with plenty left over. When we catch fish I fillet them right away on the side deck then Jean washes the fillets in fresh water, dries them with paper towels and leaves them out on the counter to air dry. Then, she puts them in a ziploc bag with more paper towels and into the refrigerator they go. It's important to keep the fish dry because moisture will accelerate deterioration.<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyEv77tfwqI/AAAAAAAAABk/II417cjE-oA/s1600-h/100_1223.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125430557611639458" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 295px" height="281" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyEv77tfwqI/AAAAAAAAABk/II417cjE-oA/s320/100_1223.jpg" width="237" border="0" /></a> </div><div></div><div>We've had Mahi many different ways, fried, bbq'ed, chowder, raw, steamed, you name it. One thing that adds a small measure of taste is we catch all of our fish on home-made lures. For Mahi I take a 3/4 inch diameter wood dowel about 5 inches long and drill a hole through the center. Then I taper the ends and paint it blue and yellow, the color of a Mahi. The I put a good size double hook on a strong leader and thread it through the hole in the center of the painted dowel. Costs about 75 cents and catches a fortune in Mahi. For tuna I take a couple of 2 inch squid skirts that you can buy at any Kmart, shove one inside the other and just run a line through them with a hook attached. We caught our 50 pound tuna on just such a lure. There is no need for one of those expensive squid skirt/lead head combinations or any need for anything larger than say, 4 inches.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyEzUrtfwrI/AAAAAAAAABs/VDB5Wngu84U/s1600-h/100_1136.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125434281348285106" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyEzUrtfwrI/AAAAAAAAABs/VDB5Wngu84U/s320/100_1136.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>By far, the best of the seafood are the lobsters along the Baja. You can usually buy them pretty cheap from the local trappers or trade something for them. We once traded 2 gallons of diesel fuel for 4 lobsters and one other time we gave a fisherman a couple dozen fishing hooks and he returned later with 6 lobsters! We've searched for lobster now and then but, they are hard to find and it's really hard to judge their size under water. My first lobster was like, 6 inches long! So, it's easier to just trade for them. We've also purchased large shrimp from fishermen for $12 a kilo and many cruisers tell stories about getting buckets full of shrimp for next to nothing. Yes, there is a lot of seafood in the Pacific and we've had a lot of it and looking forward to catching much more. I hope my brother Richard, whom I've fished with most of my life, is just a little bit jealous.</div></div></div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-48727455588922467272007-10-20T14:41:00.000-07:002007-10-25T16:08:04.687-07:00ONE OF OUR FAVORITE ANCHORAGES<div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyEgELtfwmI/AAAAAAAAABE/KSe9XgjPSWc/s1600-h/100_1366.jpg"></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Rxp2hAyUtfI/AAAAAAAAAA0/6FhWo7nHTH0/s1600-h/REFUGIO,BCN.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5123537835606193650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/Rxp2hAyUtfI/AAAAAAAAAA0/6FhWo7nHTH0/s320/REFUGIO,BCN.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Last month we sailed north out of Santa Rosalia with an ultimate destination of Gonzaga Bay. We managed to harbor-hop with long day sails and enjoyed a lot of private anchorages. Private because the "fleet" of cruising boats were two to three weeks ahead of us so we never saw any other boats until we arrived in Bahia Los Angeles, commonly referred to as "BLA". BLA is a little dusty town that has a few small stores and minimal services. The town caters to trailer-boating sport fishermen. We spent a few days there visiting our friends on other boats and doing a little provisioning. We did manage to get our laundry done for $12. From BLA we day sailed the 80 or so miles to the north end of of the uninhabited Isla Angel de la Guarda where the pictured anchorage of Refuigo lies. If you look real close at the picture you will see two blue dots near left of center. We anchored for a week on the lower dot. The reef fishing was fantastic! We caught all the Trigger fish we could eat and dived for rock scallops. This is the first time I've seen rock scallops. They look just like <em>rocks</em> stuck on the side of larger rocks and they are most tasty! You dive down 15 to 20 feet and stick a knife blade into the opening and cut the abductor muscle(the part that you eat) from the lower shell then, you bring up the top half with everything and clean it in the dinghy. </div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyEdBrtfwlI/AAAAAAAAAA8/TJoq7LR0my8/s1600-h/100_1341.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125409765674959442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyEdBrtfwlI/AAAAAAAAAA8/TJoq7LR0my8/s320/100_1341.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>The island in the upper middle of the photo is Isla Granita which is home to a sea lion colony. We motored the two miles over and anchored there for the day. We launched the dinghy and as we motored around a group of the sea lions followed us jumping and barking. We spent the whole day fishing and watching the antics of the sea lions. Refugio is one of those anchorages that typifies the perfect Baja anchorage. We could easily spend a month there and eat fresh seafood the entire time. We met some other cruising folks one the boat Lightheart who invited us ashore for a game of Bacchi ball. We played amongst the sand dunes so it was like motocross Bacchi ball! Anyway, we had a great time and played until sunset.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyEg0btfwnI/AAAAAAAAABM/vAXKa08gXrY/s1600-h/100_1368.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5125413936088203890" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RyEg0btfwnI/AAAAAAAAABM/vAXKa08gXrY/s320/100_1368.jpg" border="0" /></a> We had forgotten about the 12 foot tides there and had to carry our dinghy a long way back to the water. We spent a lovely eight days in the area before departing for Gonzaga Bay, 50 miles farther north and our northern most destination.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2445332154773050999.post-44629586688004869582007-10-15T16:37:00.000-07:002007-10-15T18:12:56.395-07:00FRONT ROW SEAT FOR EXCITEMENT<div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RxP65gyUtdI/AAAAAAAAAAk/uaJxwikW9JQ/s1600-h/100_1209.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5121713067210880466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RxP65gyUtdI/AAAAAAAAAAk/uaJxwikW9JQ/s320/100_1209.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>A few months ago we were at the new Singlar Marina in Santa Rosalia. Santa Rosalia is home to hundreds of squid fishing boats and one Mexican Navy boat. Moored at the ferry dock about 100 feet behind where we were docked sat a big old Navy launch which the pelicans used as a roosting place. It was obvious that the launch hadn't been used in a long time however, it had three 225 horsepower Yamaha outboards attached to the back that looked fairly new. One day we saw a few navy folks cleaning the launch and working on the engines. After a couple of days they had it pretty well cleaned up and they got the motors running. One fine morning the navy folks came down to take the launch on a little run around the harbor. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RxQPawyUteI/AAAAAAAAAAs/PubGECg698E/s1600-h/100_1189.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5121735628674086370" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A4lP4GDNVPY/RxQPawyUteI/AAAAAAAAAAs/PubGECg698E/s320/100_1189.jpg" border="0" /></a>I was down below and Jean was in the cockpit reading. Jean yelled "fire!!" and I jumped up into the cockpit and saw smoke and orange flames leaping out of the launch. A bunch of folks came running down with those little red fire extinguishers, you know like the ones we all have on our boats. They were pretty much useless. A few buckets of water were tossed with no affect. Finally, a guy wheeled down what looked like a 25 gallon dry fire extinguisher and that did the trick. There was this big WOOSH and the fire went out. Surprisingly, the engines were not harmed and they had them running the next day however, the burned portions of the boat haven't been fixed since so the launch still sits there with the pelicans very happy to have their roost back.</div></div>Mita Kuuluuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05613741547715565014noreply@blogger.com0