Back on the boat after a few days away, it definitely feels like coming home. We spent a couple of nights up in Mexico City – wow, what a crazy busy place. We’d been before, a few years ago, but I still wasn’t prepared for the incredible mass of humanity. The first of the two days wasn’t so busy – a Saturday – we took a bus through the never-ending suburbs to the ruins of Teotihuacan and spent a leisurely day wandering around the ancient pyramids and temple structures. But on Sunday we headed into the old central district of the city. It looked like the other gazillion residents had the same idea. Every street was packed with Mexicans. Big streets, and lots of them. And fairly big people. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people in one day! A fun couple of days though, definitely getting a feel for a different side of Mexico. Exhausted, we made our way back to the bus station for our overnight bus.
Arriving in Puerto Vallarta fairly rested, we picked up some bags from the boat and then took a water taxi 25km across the bay to Yelapa – a small town where the only access is by sea, by foot or donkey. We’d booked a beach house, a pelapa, for a few days over Christmas. Typical wood and palm construction, just like the ones we used to stay in at the coast as kids. We got dropped off by the water taxi on the local beach, dodging waves to get bags ashore without getting soaked. The village was a short walk away, along the rocky coast path.
No cars in Yelapa, just a few quad bikes and battered old motorbikes to help ferry provisions and building materials around. The odd horse wanders through with home supplies on its back, without an owner, knowing where to deliver the goods. A quiet, peaceful place – couldn’t have been more different from Mexico City. Though the waves crashing on the rocks just below the front of the house were relentless – we had to shout to be heard, whether the tide was in or out. We played games, explored the village and beach, and spent a day wandering up the valley for an hour or so to a waterfall. A chunky dog followed us all the way – perhaps 4km into the hills. When another group left the waterfall, he followed them back until we overtook them … then he was on our heels again. We finally lost him in the narrow alleyways of Yelapa.
We made a Christmas “tree” from a twiggy branch we found in the sea, and decorated it with whatever we could find. Turns out beer cans made pretty good baubles!
On the 27th, we headed back to Puerto Vallarta, where all five of us crammed into a small taxi for the 10 minute ride to the marina at the north end of town. Unloaded all the bags onto the boat and relaxed for the afternoon. Next day was a town day, back in the old town area of PV – the southern end. We’d got Sandy and Jenny a food tour for Christmas, and while they were off exploring taco stands and dulcerias, Ozzi Rose and I caught up with emails, supped coffee and watched the world go by. Lots of touristicos down this end of the town on the Malecon – the big long boardwalk that runs for kilometres along the beach front. And loads of market stands and gift shops; with stuff ranging from cheap junky tee shirts to multi-thousand dollar Mexican art; life size jaguars covered in teeny tiny beads.
On the 29th we had a leisurely morning around the marina, then set sail for Punta de Mita. Within a few hundred yards of leaving the marina entrance we found our first whale, and a lone dolphin. The wind picked up, so we managed to sail – but it was on the nose so it took a little longer than expected, tacking up to the north end of the bay only 15 miles away.
We arrived just as the sun was setting, rushing to get the anchor down so that we could enjoy a rum’n’coke surrounded by the warm colours, peace and magic that comes at the end of pretty much every day round here. Looking back at Yelapa from the other side of the bay, it seems that there’s a different weather pattern over there; cloud cover under the large mountains that make up Cabo Corrientes; the headland at the southern end of Banderas bay.
An early start to get to the Marietas Islands before the hordes of tour groups. We upped anchor at daybreak, and motored out through calm seas. Within minutes the first panga sped past at four times our speed, loaded with people in bright orange lifejackets. Arriving at the first island, we saw all the tour boats hanging around. Looked like everyone was in the water snorkelling. Later turns out that this was the “hidden beach”, and they were swimming in. We carried on past, to the western island, and picked up a mooring as another boat was leaving. Another yacht came in just behind us, and within an hour, we were surrounded by motor boats, tour boats and hundreds of tourists in the water, swimming, paddle-boarding and kayaking.
We spent the day there – great snorkelling, swimming, relaxing, people watching. Hearing that the secret beach was on the other side of the first island, we took the dinghy for a recce. Still hundreds of people swimming around late in the afternoon, so we decided to stay on the mooring ball for the night and motor round early in the morning. Had a peaceful night at anchor. Though Sandy heard a boat come alongside early in the morning, voices in the dark, and torches flashing into our boat … but neither Rose nor I heard anything, so we were a bit puzzled.
Even at 8.30 the next morning the cave entrance was full of little orange lifejackets as the first wave of explorers swum in. We picked up a mooring ball, left Rafiki to fend for herself, and jumped in to join them. Yes, it’s a pretty dramatic beach, and probably does qualify as one of the more impressive beaches in the world, but the crowds really detract from what could be a truly magical place. The first boats must have arrived soon after daybreak. We got out of there before the real carnage of mid-morning, and sailed / motored gently back to La Cruz. On the way back, we had our closest whale sighting yet; not twenty metres off the bow was a “whoosh” of breath from a big, slow moving beast, gracefully making its way across our path. Its tail came up to prepare for a deep dive, and then silently slipped below the surface without a ripple. We didn’t see it again.
We stopped in La Cruz marina only to fill up with diesel, and then dropped the anchor just outside to rest for the afternoon. Rose and Ozzi took the kayaks out. A chap motored out from the marina to take a look at the kayaks (which are for sale), but decided against it. Boo. I don’t really want them on deck if I’m going to be spending a long time at sea.
Late in the evening we hauled in the anchor and sailed south, towards the fireworks planned for midnight off the Puerto Vallarta malecon. A lovely land breeze powered us along at over six knots in perfectly flat water, and dropped off just as the fireworks begun. Being out in the bay was an amazing place to watch them from – all the different shows all the way up and down the coast were spectacular. Thousands of candle lanterns we being launched from a spot just up the beach, floating off gently into the sky like slow-motion shooting stars in reverse.
Back to the marina for the rest of the night, and then a restful morning before dropping family off at the bus station for their overnighter back up to Mexico City. A really nice couple of weeks. Now to catch up with some work, and prepare the boat.
Road and Ocean 