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Update 1 | Update 2
Update 3 | Update 4
Update 6 | Update 7
Update 8 | Update 9
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Update 1 - April 12th - 1999
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Hello,
I am back in Mexico City for my second and probably final visit before
heading on to Costa Rica. My apologies to some of you who are new on
the mailing list, but I just dug up a new batch of email addresses.
When I last wrote I was in Mexico City around the 6th of March
celebrating my 30th birthday. It was a fabulous time with a big group
of friends from all over the globe.
I set out from Mexico City to Zihuatanejo to spend a day with my
brother David and his new wife Stefanie. They were married in
California on the same day as my 30th B-day party. Congratulations
David and Stef! I told them that in apology for missing the wedding, I
would have my boat in Zihuatanejo for their honeymoon. The boat didn't
make it quite that far, so instead they got me, stinking from a 13 hour
bus ride to crash on the lounge chair in their honeymoon suite at La
Casa que Canta. Being family means you have to understand these
things. We had a great time, however brief.
From Zihuatanejo I bussed it back to the boat in Barra de Navidad,
where I spent the next few days studying for the Ham radio exam that
was to be given in Puerto Vallarta by a group of American volunteer
examiners. I took the bus up to PV and stayed with some of my Dutch
friends in Yelapa for two days (Yelapa is a beautiful place, reachable
only by boat). They were renting an incredible house in the jungle,
complete with two horses. Things were going great until I got
laryngitis and completely lost my voice….I mean I could not squeak out
the slightest sound. If you have never lost your voice, let me tell
you, it is a very traumatic experience, especially being the only
American in a group of bawdy Dutch.
I left Yelapa by panga (little boat) and passed the Ham test with
flying colors, even the morse code part. So I now have a Technician
Plus Ham license and can legally talk all over the world. The email
from the boat is probably still a ways down the road.
After the Ham test I bussed it back to the boat in Barra, incidentally
ending a day that began and ended with a panga ride…..such is life in
WaterWorld.
From Barra I began my first true singlehanding of the boat. I had
miles to cover and no one to cover them with me. But as it turned out,
it wasn’t too lonely.
My first day of singlehanding brought me to Manzanillo, where I hooked
up with Dr. Colin MacDonald and his wife Joyce. Colin had taken me
under his wing before I left Newport. He taught me all about Ham radio
and ended up giving me his old set, which after some inexpensive
repairs, has now communicated with other Hams in Oklahoma, North
Carolina and California. The MacDonalds treated my like royalty and I
ended up spending two days with them enjoying their condo and friends
they have made over 25 years of wintering in Manzanillo.
The next few days were uneventful. If I’d had a TV, I would have
watched it while at anchor. The first day out of Manzanillo I anchored
at Punta Cabeza Negra, the next at Maruata. Maruata, which I had heard
good things about, was sort of a disappointment. The most exiting
thing that happened there was that the local kids filled my dinghy with
sand while it was on the beach…..what amusing little children.
The next day was a real milestone. I sailed from Maruata to Rio Nexpa,
one of the best surf breaks in Mexcico. I anchored the boat about 300
yards from the grinding left point break, put on my suscreen and
rashguard, and paddled into the lineup for a fabulous surf session.
The first exchange I had was with an Australian surfer who said, “Rough
life, eh?”
After surfing a while I paddled into shore, thus ending my short stint
alone. I met up with my brother’s friend, Jeff Suel, who has a house
in Rio Nexpa, as well as my friend Jez, who I’d met in Mexico City.
Within hours I was at a pool party at a home in nearby Caleta de Campos
eating carne asado tacos and drinking margaritas. I spent six days in
Caleta and Rio Nexpa getting my surfing arms back in shape. There was
one good sized swell that brought in some solid six foot surf.
I set sail from Rio Nexpa with Jez and another friend, Tony, whom I had
met though Jeff Suel. We dropped anchor the next day at Isla Grande,
just north of Ixtapa. Isla Grande is about a quarter mile from another
great surf break, of which Jez and I partook each morning.
A few days later, Sam and Robin arrived from Mexico City with their two
friends from London, Willy and Sam Carter. Then a few days after that
we met up with Maryanne, Georgina and Dave; all from Mexico City. We
enjoyed the Semana Santa sailing the boat from Ixtapa to Zihuatanejo,
then from Zihuatanejo to Acapulco.
In Acapulco my life of decadence and opulance that I had been missing
so much since Careyes, returned. I stayed with Sam and Robin at the
Guiness estate, spending easter with the Guiness’ and going around to
some nice parties. The most amazing party was at the Baron and
Baroness Portonova’s house. Their home, Arabesque, was in the James
Bond movie, The Living Daylights, as the home of a drug baron. They
have a staff of 75 and the house has its own disco. You could
entertain 5000 people in this place without it being crowded. Tony
Curtis, Mrs. Avis, Placido Domingo and his son (supposedly a crooner on
the rise) were all milling around. I was with a big group of young
people who were getting impatient with the Cha Cha music and wanted to
go out and party, so they opened the disco for us: Two bartenders, DJ
etc. all for a group of about 30.
After a few more days lolling around the Guiness estate, Sam Robin, our
friend Will and I all drove back to Mexico City. Sam and Robin are
back to running Club Colmillo and I’m back to drinking all their
profits.
It looks like Steve, Elias and perhaps others with join me next week to
sail the boat from Acapulco to Puerto Escondidio for some more surfing.
My time is growing short for the safe season in Mexico. I need to be
in the southernmost point in Mexico, past the infamous Gulf of
Tehuantepec, no later that a month from now.
If you have not seen the website, www.condesa.org, it now has pictures
from the first legs of the trip. A very special thanks to my webmaster
extrordinaire, Matt Thoene, who designed and has been diligently
maintaining the site.
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