Carol Gets the Tour

Despite Carol's limited ability to walk, she had a good time and was able to see a bit of Melaque and La Manzanilla as well as the area around Barra de Navidad.   She got to meet a new bunch of my cruising friends and tried most of the good restaurants around.  Taxis and Ubercitos helped a lot.

Carol, Vicky, Mike, Rich and Mary at Simona''s in Barra

Visible:  Patrice, Lou, Maureen, Bob and Carol at

Manglito's in Barra

Yours truly and Carol at Isadora's in Barra

Carol at Papa Gallo's in Melaque

Taking an Ubercito through Melaque to the bank.

Enjoying fresh coconut on the beach in

Cuastacomates

 Braving the waterslide at the Grand Isla Hotel

Making new palapas on the malecon in Barra

We spent a quiet couple of days anchored in

the Barra lagoon.

Watching the sunset from the malecon

By taking a taxi, Carol was able to make it to

the Crocodile Preserve in La Manzanilla.

The sign emphasizes that swimming is

prohibited.

Looking out over the preserve from a rickety observation

tower.

Big mouth, big teeth, big crocodile!

The babies are a bit less scary.

There are also many birds around the preserve.

This is a green night heron.

This is just a fraction of the scores of white collared

seed-eaters roosting together for the night in downtown

Barra de Navidad.

An equally large flock of pigeons had gathered to

take advantage of the corn fed to them by an old lady.

Getting the propane tank filled outside of neighboring

Cihuatlan

Local color

Heard on the street

Melaque, Barra de Navidad

Strong winds kept us in the marina for several days and the delayed departure made trying to make Zihuatenajo and back in the remaining time too risky.  Rather than make a shorter cruise, Jim decided to head home early.  So, we played around in Barra and Melaque.  We did an interesting little excursion to see the shipwreck just outside Barra Bay and had some good times with friends old and new.  A 125-foot yacht hit a catamaran a few boats down from me and came within two feet of hitting me.  Scary!  My friends Jay and Terri left for Puerto Vallarta this morning.  I hope I make it back there for the summer before they leave for Martha's Vineyard.

Barra de Navidad

Barra beach

Panga pier

Wall mural in a restaurant

Beach at the Grand Bay Hotel

The lagoon from a restaurant in Colimilla (outside Barra)

Sunrise in the marina

The famous "Christ of the Cyclone" in the

church.  When hurricane Lily struck in 1971,

a piece of the ceiling fell and knocked the 

arms down.  The hurricane subsided and

the townspeople saw it as a miracle.

"Our Savior Jesus Christ, you extended your

hands and calmed the stormy seas that

frightened your followers and put their boats in

danger, and lowering your arms from the

cross calmed the fury of Hurricane

Lily that terrorized the people of

Barra de Navidad and the coastal

region. We ask your mercy so

that along with our own efforts

and sacrifices, we can overcome

the tempestuous passions that

have been generated in our lives."

Happy hour on "Single D"

Happy hour on "Silver Wings"

Jim at Mary's Restaurant

 Melaque

Looking toward the Melaque anchorage

Enjoying a pineapple

Mending fishing nets

Looking across Barra Bay toward Barra de Navidad

La Catrinas for Day of the Dead

A Panga Trip to the Wreck of the Los Llanitos

Jay

Our skipper, Ruben

Nice guy and knows his stuff

When you go close to the rocks you have to known them

well.  Some are named.  This is the bull.

The turtle

The gorilla

See it now?

The ship came into view as we rounded the point.

It was a fun and interesting trip.

  

Arturo and Armando survey the damage to this cat's bow spirit.

The BIG yacht behind it hit it.

Jay and Terri on "Cadenza" departing for Chamela.