As we had hoped, the bees that were pestering us at our the anchorage at Puerto Ballandra (26 01.112'N, 111 09.880'w) on Isla Carmen did indeed return to their hive at sunset. However, they were back bright and early the next morning, Sunday, April 24, so we retreated to Honeymoon Cove (25 48.380'N, 111 15.390'W) on Isla Danzante. There was another boat anchored in the next cove to the south, about a mile away, so we paddled the kayak over to check it out. The boat, Moshulu, turned out to be from Gig Harbor, Washington. Jerry, a retired Tacoma fire fighter is the owner, and Gail is his crew. They had just completed a circumnavigation of Isla Carmen, so we asked if they too had been plagued by bees. Jerry said at some anchorages they had seen a few but not enough to be a problem. Then he mentioned that he had been a bee-keeper for 20 years and that his tolerance for bees might be greater than ours. He explained that the bees here are after fresh water. If a scout finds salt-free water on your boat, it returns to the hive and signals to others the location of this treasure. That is what had happened to us. A bee found fresh water around our sink, and soon there was a swarm of them lapping it up. He suggested that one way to get rid of them might be to take a cup of fresh water to shore and leave it for them to drink, and maybe they would leave the boat alone. In any case, that would be the humane thing to do, because these bees are really suffering now, at the end of the dry season in Baja.
Although we felt the absence of Jules and Janet this time at Honeymoon Cove, we enjoyed swimming in the warm aquarium-like waters. We were glad to have the respite of the peaceful anchorage before heading back to Puerto Escondido in anticipation of the Loreto Fest. We returned to the port on Monday, April 25, knowing there would be lots of boats coming in for the festival at the end of the week. We had decided we wanted to anchor close to the port offices where the dinghy dock, showers, the Hidden Port Yacht Club, small grocery store and restaurant were located, rather than avail ourselves of the mooring ball which had been assigned to us, at the other of the bay, almost a mile from these facilities.
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| Some of our Neighbors in Puerto Escondido |
We dropped our anchor in a prime spot none too soon. Shortly after we arrived, boats began streaming into the harbor and continued nonstop for the next few days. At the dinghy dock, there was much contention for space, with moored dinghies jostling and bobbing three and four deep. Twice when we were ready to return to NS, we discovered our painter completely untied. Luckily the sheer number of boats and a wind blowing into the dock had kept our dinghy from escaping.
Loreto Fest was held on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, April 29 - May 1. Although there were many cruisers and boats there for just a few days, the stalwarts of the fest were the American and Canadian "locals" with homes or trailers in the nearby beach communities. They organized the money-making events, such as the food and drink concessions, the auction, and the raffle. Monies raised each year go to local charities and to scholarships for local youth. The evening of the spaghetti feed we spent quite a long time talking with Dick and Marcia, two "old-timers" from Santa Barbara who used to be cruisers and are now retired part of the year in Tripui, a small community a mile down the road from Puerto Escondido. Having been present every year since the inception of Loreto Fest 15 years ago, they were a font of information about everything from medical care, to places to cruise, where to shop, and what sights to see. Great people.
Cruisers seemed to be responsible for the music (two nights of good rock and and roll and blues -- we danced the night away) and the games, such as horseshoes and bocce ball. Even though our experience at the latter is practically non-existent, the Norwegian Steam team managed to make it to the semi-finals of the bocce ball tournament, mainly by virtue of showing up when other boats didn't, thus winning several games by default. We found we liked playing the game of bocce ball (petanque, boules, whatever you like to call it) and might continue in Seattle if we can find like-minded players.
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| Strong Winds in a Safe Harbor |
The first day of the Fest turned out to be the hottest day they've ever had, and the last day turned into the windiest. In fact, on Sunday, May 1, the festivities and and awards ceremonies were cut short as the awnings started blowing down and people rushed to their boats, particularly when it was announced that several boats were dragging their anchors. Each trip of the water taxi was full, as many left their dinghies at the dock. Several who did use dinghies ended up flipping them in the strong winds and waves. With our Honda outboard detached and stored safely with the resident diver on shore, we joined the water taxi passenger contingent. We and many others spent the next two days boat-bound, keeping anchor watch as the winds gusted to 25 knots.
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| Short Lecture about a Fig Tree |
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| Rock Paintings by an Extinct People on the Way to San Xavier |
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| The San Xavier Mission |
When the winds died on Wednesday, May 4, we went on a great tour to the San Javier Mission. Our conveyance was a military IMOG, one of the vehicles you normally see manned by soldiers in fatigues with machine guns strapped across their chests. The vehicle drove us right through a hot dusty bumpy arroyo (dry river bed) with no problem, and no seat belts. We bounced through quite a bit of this desert country, saw some indigenous rock paintings and a wild fig tree that grows right out of a sheer rock wall, with roots that extend thirty feet below it, burrowing through tiny crevices in the rock. In the past, the bark of these trees was used to make both paper and glue. We then went to a farm where we made our own flour tortillas and then on to the mission itself, located in an oasis created when the missionaries built a damn in the small river that flows seasonally down the arroyo. The mission is still a pilgrimage destination. Early in December of each year, thousands of the faithful who have prayed for and been granted favors in the preceding months arrive at the gates to the mission, fall to their knees, then crawl the last quarter mile up to the church doors.
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| Detailing |
We left Puerto Escondido on Friday, May 6, and headed back to our favorite spot at Honeymoon Cove on Isla Danzante. Finding that anchorage already occupied, we settled for the small bay (25 47.693'N, 111 15.422'W) about a mile south where we had met Jerry and Gail on Moshulu. There the waters are equally azure and we could see the bottom even at depths of 20 feet. We kayaked around to the other boats in the area, and met some people from "outside Missoula." (Sally thinks all roads ultimately lead back to Montana.) Carol Evans and Bill Wall are biologists from Seeley Lake who chartered a 22-foot sailboat out of Puerto Escondido for a week to escape the Montana weather, which is apparently still winter-like. They said it had been snowing in western Montana as recently as last week.
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| Good Restaurant and Excellent WIFI at Candeleros |
From Isla Danzante we went to Bahia Candeleros (25 43.390'N, 111 14.200W) and anchored in a bay in front of a big resort hotel, where we were able to pick up their excellent wifi signal. We ate in the hotel restaurant, and managed to procure some ice as well. Ice has become our most desired commodity, since our fridge quit working a few weeks ago.
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| Sally Visits Yellowstone |
From Bahia Candeleros we tried some light-air sailing for the few miles to Yellowstone Beach (25 42.529'N, 111 03.117'W) on the Isla Montserrat. The yellow sandstone cliffs of the big open bay are different from anything we've yet encountered. Our mile-long beach walk at sunset took us through acres of shells and a dried seaweed that ultimately hardens to form a thick carpet on the yellow sandstone cliffs. We were the only boat anchored in the bay. No light except for a lighthouse in the distance.
Last night, Monday, May 9, we anchored once again in the beautiful green waters of Aqua Verde (25 31.330'N, 111 04.444'W). We will be here several days, as we continue our leisurely trip back to La Paz. Today it was warm and sunny again, so we jumped off the deck and snorkeled in the nearby rocks, and it truly was like swimming in an aquarium.
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