Dolphins Do Smile and the Agua Really is Verde

The Rocks at San Telmo, however, are Roja

We spent three nights in San Evaristo and then the Norther gave way to light winds, so we headed north. We anchored April 12, 2011 at Punta San Telmo (25 19.600'N, 110 57.250'W) and scrambled over the beautiful red rock beach in the gathering twilight. Sally and Julian (Jules) then jumped in the water to cool off.

The next morning, on the way to Bahia Agua Verde, we found ourselves

Sally and Jules Cool Off

surrounded on all sides by what seemed like hundreds of dolphins. Dozens of them took time out from their busy lives to swim and play around NS. For about ten minutes or longer in the exceptionally clear water we saw as many as ten at a time weaving in, out, and around the bow. We could see them so well that there was no doubt they were smiling at us. Gradually their numbers lessened and they receded out into the sea. As if they knew they were performing a grand finale, the last three departed with a flourish,leaping completely out of the water in unison. Jules was lucky to capture much of the action on video, and he couldn't even see the camera screen in the bright sunlight.

We anchored the afternoon of April 13 in Bahia Agua Verde (25 31.400'N, 111 04.427'W). After a respite of only one day, another Norther was predicted and we were very happy to be in a bay with good protection from north winds. When we arrived, the sky was not its usual bright blue, so consequently the water was a bit dark. The next day, however, when the sky regained its normal hue, the water was various stunning shades of green, from jade to brilliant turquoise. Our third and last day there was the same. The visibility in the water was so amazing that two of the three days we snorkeled near the rocky shore just 100 yards or so from NS. (Good thing Julian and Janet had purchased snorkel gear before we left La Paz.)

 A Tienda in Agua Verde

Janet, Alan, Jules and Sally Relax at the  Restaurant

The village on Bahia Agua Verde has a church, two small tiendas (stores) and a restaurant. The village also has has a number of houses with beautifully kept flower gardens, a real feat in the desert climate. We were able to buy ice, milk, and a few other provisions at the stores, but not beer. We were told that in Agua Verde only the restaurant sells beer. Since we were almost out of that quintessential beverage of Mexican cruising, we went to the ordinary house to which we were directed, identifiable only by the wooden "restaurant" sign on the fence. On the front porch was a table with one chair. We decided to drink some beer right there, and then to buy an extra eight-pack to take back to the boat. The proprietor, who betrayed no emotion of any kind, went in search of three more chairs to accommodate us. We drank the only beer available, Tecate Light, served straight from the cans pulled from a nearby cooler. For a cold drink on a hot day it was not bad.

A Unique Life Style

Old Friends, Janet and Sally, Together in Agua Verde

In Agua Verde we encountered one of the most unusual characters we have met while cruising in Mexico. As we sat sunning ourselves on the deck after a swim, a middle aged man with a kerchief tied around his head and crammed into a tiny blue river-stunt kayak paddled up and began a conversation. Originally from Czechoslovakia, he has a sailboat in a nearby bay. A year or two ago he discovered Agua Verde and thought it was the most wonderful, peaceful, idyllic place in the world. So this year, he and his girlfriend have left their boat and are camping for six months in their small trailer on the beach in Agua Verde. He spends his entire day alternately paddling around furiously in the little blue kayak or staying still and fishing from it at the northeast end of the bay. His girlfriend "likes to walk," so as he is paddling she is hiking all the trails in the area. He told us of a hike that goes to a cave with indigenous rock paintings, hundreds of years old. We did attempt the hike, but decided after a mere quarter mile or so that it was just too hot to continue. We went down to the rock beach and explored the tide pools instead. We did see the girlfriend walking on the ridge up above us -- the heat apparently doesn't stop her!

Jules is Training to be a Torch Bearer in the London Olympics

Jules Takes a Rest from his Arduous Training

The Norther was a "non-event" in Agua Verde, although we heard later from the crew of another boat that it blew very hard in Puerto Escondido, 22 nautical miles to the north. When we headed north again we anchored in Honeymoon Cove (25 48.380'N, 111 15.390'W)on Isla Danzante, a lovely bay that has three small anchorages, two of which have room for only one boat apiece. We chose the southern one. When Sally backed the boat down and towards the land to set the anchor, we were no more than 30 feet from the beach and had only four feet of water under our keel. We just fit. This beautiful cove has iridescent green water that is so completely clear visibility goes all the way to the bottom, at least 25 feet down. Looking down, we could see that NS was resting in an aquarium -- we didn't even need the snorkel gear. We saw tropical fish, including many sergeant majors and king angel fish. At twilight, there were a number of round sting rays gliding over the bottom. When the nearly full moon rose, we could even see the marine life by moonlight. After our stays in these amazing bays, we're having a hard time deciding whether Honeymoon Cove or Agua Verde is our favorite Baja anchorage.

Sally, Janet and Julian went swimming in the cove. (Well, Sally swam and swam. The other two just dove in briefly!) Jules rowed to shore, climbed a rock, and scaled a small ridge, within sight and earshot of NS all the while. He came back to report that Isla Danzante is very narrow where we were, and that there is a cliff just over the ridge on the other side of the island, and a view to the east.

Alan Explores Isla Danzante while Jules Rests

With great regret, we left Honeymoon cove late Sunday afternoon, April 17. In the process of hauling up the anchor, I dropped a boat hook into the water. The wind was rather brisk and as the boat hook drifted rapidly towards shore, Julian and I quickly launched the inflatable dinghy. Jules leaped in and started rowing furiously in hot pursuit of the wayward hook. He retrieved it in water that was still deep enough for NS, we motored in and picked him and the dinghy up, and headed out towards Puerto Escondido, only four miles away. For the penultimate day of his vacation, Jules had an adventure as well as saving the day for NS.

Puerto Escondido is one of the marvels of the cruising world. A completely enclosed natural harbor, with the Sierra de la Giganta towering to the West, this has been used for centuries as a harbor of refuge and a "hurricane hole". Now under the management of two Mexican government entities, Fonatur and Singlar, Puerto Escondido offers cruisers a choice of either a mooring buoy or one's own anchor, with showers and WIFI thrown in, at a fraction of the cost of a slip in a marina. It is not difficult to see why some cruisers who arrive here never leave.

The Sun Sets on Agua Verde

We anchored about a quarter mile from the fuel dock, port offices, store and restaurant (25 49.068'N, 111 18.854'W). Being "on the hook" is not as convenient as a slip on a dock, but we are starting to get used to going back and forth in the dinghy and using the dinghy dock. The VIP Porto Bello restaurant which serves tasty, well-prepared fresh seafood is owned by a fascinating man named Pedro Lopez Lopez. He also owns the small port grocery store, as well as a snack shop and a VIP Porto Bello restaurant at the airport. The whole family keeps these places going, earning enough money to send three children through university at the same time. Before starting his business here, Pedro worked for 25 years as a chef in 15 different countries. Being more than just the boss of the food establishments, Pedro is exceedingly kind, helpful, and friendly. He looks like he could be Garrison Keillor's handsome younger brother.

The next great regret is that we put the Galpins on a plane for home on Tuesday. Sharing the NS space with Jules and Janet for two weeks was a treat for all of us, and we would sail with them again any time they want to come aboard.

Puerto Escondido is the home of the Hidden Port Yacht Club, a cruisers' club with a yearly membership fee of $20, which hosts an annual bash called the Loreto Fest. The Fest runs from April 28 through May 1. Today we left Puerto Escondido and are currently anchored (26 01.112'N, 111 09.880'w) in Puerto Ballandra on Isla Carmen. This seems to be a good anchorage except for the fact that there are a lot of inquisitive bees that are continually investigating the boat. We hope they will go back home when the sun sets. We will return to Puerto Escondido in a few days to attend the Loreto Fest.
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British Invasion

Ricardo Amador, Co-Owner of Posada Luna Sol, Greets Janet and Sally

Jules is Training to be a Torch Bearer in the London Olympics

Our dear friends Janet and Julian Galpin arrived in La Paz from London a week ago. They had booked into the Posada Luna Sol, our favorite little La Paz hotel, for a couple of nights and Sally and I did too. It felt good to sleep on land for a change. We introduced Jules and Janet to the pleasures of walking the malecon (the seaside promenade running 7 kilometers along the town), real Mexican food, and the joys of provisioning a boat. The latter included a circuitous tour searching for perfect bananas. These are generally plentiful in this land of banana plantations, but Sally and Janet had only found green ones available in their three-hour foray for provisions into Chedraui (our favorite La Paz large supermarket).

Ensenada Grande

We got an early start on Thursday and headed for Ensenada Grande (24 33.500'N,110 23.868'W) on Isla Partida. As we motor-sailed along, we saw a whale, many sea turtles, dolhins, seals and leaping sting rays. We anchored with several hours of light left, It happened to be Julian's birthday that day, so we celebrated with a spaghetti dinner (sauce made from scratch by Sally) and a cake baked in our a small convection oven (made by Omnia) that can be used on top of our Origo alcohol stove. Lighted wooden matches served as the candles, which Jules blew out quickly to avoid burning the hand holding them. Lots of good cheer, followed by a quiet night at anchor.

In the morning as we sat in the cockpit having breakfast and watching the water, we saw what appeared to be a shoal. Then we were surprised to notice that the shoal seemed to be moving. When it got close enough, we could see numerous yellow fins just breaking the surface of the water. We were being circled by a school of yellow fin tuna. Oh for a long-handled dip net! In the afternoon we went ashore and attempted a hike that would have taken us to the other side of Isla Partida. The path was not much of a path, however, it was exceedingly hot, and we would have had to climb 400 feet. So we cut the hike short after half an hour and just enjoyed the view and the photographic opportunities. This was our first exposure to the waters of the Sea of Cortez in the springtime. The colors were extraordinary, from blue to turquoise to green. Immediately upon our return to NS Sally jumped into the cold clear water with Julian following soon after. Jules tested out his newly-acquired snorkeling gear, while Sally swam to a neighboring boat that had just come in. The boat was a 37 foot C&C named LIberty, manned by Russ from San Francisco. Russ recognized NS and said we had also been anchored near each other in Chacala, some weeks ago.

Sally and Jules Swim in Ensenada Grande

After a day of sea and sunshine, topped off by a solar shower, we retired expecting another quiet night at anchor. This was not to be, however. Perhaps it was the revenge of the ghosts of all of those Spanish victims of English pirates, but El Coromuel struck about midnight. The same local wind, named after Oliver Cromwell or a pirate named Cromwell, which had pinned the Spanish galleons into the coves of Espiritu Santo and made them easy prey for pirates, was blowing down on us, making the bay a lee shore. Sally was so disturbed by the pitching about of the boat and all the clanking and groaning noises generated by the anchor chain and deck equipment that I went on deck to check it out, and at one o'clock it was rough enough that I decided to spend the rest of the night on anchor watch. The winds sometimes got as high as 25 knots, but small waves were breaking all night, causing NS to pitch uncomfortably.

The next morning we raised anchor early and left for San Evaristo, 29 miles to the north, which the cruisers' guide said was well protected from both north and south winds. With a following wind and a beam wind, we made good time to San Evaristo, and again anchored with several hours of daylight left. Having recently discovered that our refrigeration has failed, Sally, Jules and Janet went ashore and managed to get some ice to hopefully hold us until we get through all the cold foods. When we went to bed the winds were light, but by morning a strong Norther was blowing.

The Beach at San Evaristo

Around noon on Sunday, a panga pulled alongside NS. It was Carlos and his two young daughters, Viviana, age 10 and Lluvia, age 8. Carlos had fish and lobster for sale. We decided to buy a red snapper, but no one felt like cleaning it, so Carlos was kind enough to take the fish to shore, filet it, and bring it back. We paid him the amount we had agreed upon, but then he asked for a beer. Luckily we had a couple of beers on ice, so we gave him one of those, plus a couple of cups of some Tang for the girls. They were all very pleased. Carlos was so intrigued by Julian's video camera that he sang a song about the wind for us to record. Very appropriate, because by then the wind was howling. Carlos said that he did not live in San Evaristo but rather in the next village to the north, called Nopolo which is only accessible by boat. He said it took his boat only 10 minutes to get there, but for NS it would take a year. He thought that was very amusing.

Still Training to be a Torch Bearer

After putting the fish on ice, we went ashore and walked up the road to the south. At the top of a hill, we looked back to an impressive panorama. Again that turquoise water and arid land. Everything in breathtakingly sharp detail in the dry air.

Approaching the Salt Ponds near San Evaristo

For dinner we topped the red snapper, grilled in the howling wind, with an onion-red pepper coulis prepared by Sally. With broccoli and wine to round out the meal, it was excellent. The Norther blew all night and continues today. San Evaristo is indeed a fine anchorage, because there is almost no swell rounding the point. We went ashore again today and this time walked north, past the little local elementary school, horses, donkeys, cows, and then some impressive-looking salt ponds with bright green water behind.

The Norther is weakening a bit now in the late afternoon, and is expected to be over by morning. Our current position in GoogleEarth format is 24 54.572'N, 110 42.318'W .
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