(Because there was apparently a little confusion, I--Kristen--thought I ought to preface this first kid posting. Hopefully, the older two will start to have their own posts from time to time. Not only is it a good chance for them to practice their typing, but it also gives them an opportunity to voice their opinions on this crazy life we have embarked on, even if said opinion differs from Mom's or Dad's! Because I like alliteration and because apparently I had time to think about things like these, each kid's post will have a title like this. Levi's posts will be "Levi's Loquaciousness, Vol. X," depending whatever number of post he is on. Rachael's will be "Rachael's Ramblings" and perhaps someday, we will all be treated to "Megan's Musings." Hopefully this clears up any and all confusion, and hopefully this is just the beginning of the kids' contributions to this blog! Without further ado, I give you volume one of Levi's Loquaciousness.)
Man! I love this life, all the things you get to see, the places you get to go. For instance, an anchorage we went to a few months ago is called Caleta Partida and is by far, my favorite anchorage--so far. I have to admit, I was quite nervous about this when we started this life and still am a bit, but going down the west coast and, spending a lot of time in Mexico, especially in Mexico, has helped with that. I mean, hello! We get to swim in the ocean--and you can't do that up in Alaska, eat REAL Mexican food, heck, I got to eat a smoked marlin burrito not a week ago, and even got to see some Mexican folk dancing. This was the real thing with a Mariachi band, the ladies had enormous skirts and the men were dressed in traditional clothing.
You wouldn't believe all the kid boats we've met so far, I mean, we're only nine months into our adventure and I think we've met over 30 kid boats. Though some of them were seniors in high school they still count as kid boats don't they? I still miss my friends back up north, but we keep in touch by video chat when we have internet, and E-mail by our single side-band when we don't.
We've been stuck in San Blas for about two weeks now, things have been pretty slow because of the corona virus and we've been trying to keep our distance from people to keep from getting sick, though I've already gotten sick once and my Dad is sick- I think it was the corona I got if it was it's no big deal-. I personally don't like getting cooped up in the boat all the time, but hey! What can we do? At least there is another kid boat here to hang out with. Please pray that we get a weather window to head back up to the sea before the government seals the port. Hasta manana amigos!
Saturday, March 28, 2020
Before the crazy set in...
I've been silent too long, obviously. This will require a couple of posts to catch up--one to share the cool sights the Kyrie crew has seen in the last month; and one to share our thoughts and frustrations about the current state of the world, and how that state is affecting us.
The last time I posted, Kyrie was out of the water, getting her repaired out drive back on at last. Since that time, she returned to the water, we left the marina to anchor out at long last, and then finally departed Banderas Bay. While it was difficult to leave such a lovely place, the crew's desire to return to our nomadic life had returned. We had been in one place for far too long!
We made our plans. Kyrie had, by necessity of that darn busted out drive, blasted across to the mainland, never stopping anywhere along the way to check out the sights. This time would be different. We were going to stop and play along our way back to the Sea of Cortez. You know something? We actually have. The stop at Punta Mita was a wonderful bit of unwinding. A long afternoon and evening at anchor, a chance to paddleboard for me and play in the water for the kids, a cocktail in the cockpit in the evening... It was lovely. On to Chacala the next day, which, in spite of being a rather rolly anchorage, we enjoyed. Joe managed, after several tries, to get our stern anchor set satisfactorily and we gently bobbed as the waves rolled in. Our friends on Tulum V showed up to our great surprise and delight, although we didn't get to visit with them until much later. After a discussion over the radios, both crews decided one night in Chacala was enough, and a move to Matanchen Bay was determined upon.
Matanchen Bay, in spite of being extremely buggy, is gorgeous! The first afternoon there, the Kyrie crew dinghied ashore and enjoyed dinner in one of the palapa restaurants. The bugs were awful, but thankfully, one of the staff brought a huge metal bucket full of smouldering coconut husks. The bugs soon departed, much to our relief. The jejenes--what I've always known as noseeums--are the worst. They can get in the smallest bug screens and cracks and of course, you don't know they are on you until they bite! Apparently, their favorite part of me is my feet...
The highlight of the stop in Matanchen Bay, bar none, was the jungle tour to La Tovara. The crews of three boats--Kyrie, Tulum V, and SaareLill, which meant six adults and seven kids--packed into a panga and let our guide drive us off into the jungle. What a day! At first, the mangroves created a tunnel over the river. We spotted multiple crocodiles--small ones, thank goodness!--and huge termite nests off in the trees. Once the mangroves retreated and the river widened, the birds came out. One tree held about twenty snowy egrets! Our guide spotted numerous birds hidden in the trees and slowed down so we could see them, patiently pointing them out, despite his limited English and our limited Spanish! One of the stops on the tour was the crocodile refuge, which is a place I have mixed feelings about. On the one hand, it was rather sad to see the jaguars and lynx in small cages. On the other, I felt rather glad there was a large fence between me and some of those enormous crocodiles! A coatimundi escaped from its pen while we were there and played with our friend Chad's shoes and two of the big crocodiles were observed engaged in rather, um, amorous activities. A short stop, but I'm glad we had that opportunity. The better stop, however, was next. Up a side stream is La Tovara itself. There is a restaurant and a freshwater spring, complete with a metal fence, hopefully barricading any intruders to the pool. We had all come prepared with swimsuits, so everyone had a chance to take a dip in the springs. It was heavenly! The kids all flung themselves off the trapeze multiple times, lunch was delicious, and when it was time to leave, everyone agreed it had been a great, memorable day.
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| The crews of Kyrie, SaareLill, and Tulum V--ready to explore the jungle! |
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| This was the first wild crocodile we saw on our trip. It wouldn't be the last! |
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| Turtles were everywhere, sunning themselves on logs along the side of the river. One even had a scar from a crocodile bite! |
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| Yes, there really was just that distance between me and this enormous crocodile! |
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| Here's the cluster of snowy egrets. Most of them flew off right after I got this photo. |
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| Anyone know what kind of bird this is? |
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| Just like on George Island near Elfin Cove, we had to get a "family on the cannon" shot! |
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| Levi seemed to enjoy reading the markers on the graves. |
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| By my best translation, this reads, "She did not die. She lives in our hearts and in our daily prayers." A beautiful remembrance! |
We wanted to spend some more exploring San Blas, but the world got crazy rather quickly. We're still here, but not going anywhere right now. Reports on how we're handling this time of self-quarantine in our next post.
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