Waiting for a Weather Window

Tuesday, December 1. La Paz, Marina Palmira.
This morning we had sunshine and it was really chilly. It was only 61 degrees inside the boat. That is cold for here and I put a sweater on. We each had a cup of coffee and then it was time to walk up and catch the shuttle to town. There were quite a few people waiting so the shuttle driver had to make two trips. Dave and I were on the first trip and we decided to go to Marina La Paz first before going to Lopez Marine. We saw some of our cruising friends and chatted with them. Then we left and walked to Lopez. We got a couple of things and then we walked to another marine store to see if they had any long shaft snaps. But they didn’t. Dave bought a tackle box to put all his new lures in and then some. We left there and walked toward the malécon and then walked to a bank to get some money as we are driving to Bahia de los Angeles tomorrow. After we got money we walked a little while and then caught a cab back to the marina. When we got on the boat I made lunch and sanded the last two steps, and Dave sanded the other steps one more time and gave them the last coat of teak oil and set them to dry. When the bottom steps were sanded to our satisfaction, we vacuumed up the dust and wiped them down then Dave put a coat of teak oil on them. They look good already. At 2:30pm the diver came by and cleaned the bottom of the boat. Our zincs are still in good shape and he cleaned the bottom really well. It had been a while since the last cleaning so it was time. After he left, we brought in the steps to finish drying down below. All of them are still tacky. We will have to finish the job when we return from our road trip.

Dave put in two sump pumps so now I can take a shower on the boat again and have the pump work. Yeah!!!! That was all the projects we had time for today. We cleaned up and got everything put away and then started to prepare for our road trip. We ate dinner and after that I did dishes and Dave was taken to the National car rental to get the car. While he was gone, I finished washing the dishes and put them away, then made a sandwich for tomorrow and got other stuff together. When Dave returned he filled his new tackle box with the new stuff he bought when we were home, and I took a shower and now we are both enjoying a glass of wine. It is going to be a long day in the car tomorrow but we are both excited to be seeing the place we are interested in leasing.

Wednesday, December 2. La Paz to Santa Rosalia.
On the road again--------. We started our road trip to Bahia de los Angeles at 6:00am. It was still dark and we were hoping it would be easy to find our way out of town. It was a piece of cake getting onto highway 1. So all was good. I had packed water, sandwiches, chips and a couple of apples so we wouldn’t have to stop except for gas. I had made coffee and put it in a thermos and yesterday I bought a breakfast goodie to have with our coffee. We were doing really well and then we didn’t see any more buses, trucks and very few cars. This wasn’t a good sign. The road to Loreto is heavily traveled and we saw no signs to guide us to Loreto. Dave didn’t feel right about the road we were on but we both said it had to be the right one. We drove for 2 hours passing fields of hay, alfalfa, and corn. We crossed areas where the road had been washed out by the effects of hurricane Jimena. Parts of the road had bad pot holes but for the most part the road was good. Occasionally we had to stop or slow down for goats, horses, burros, and cattle that crossed the road or parked close to the highway where you didn’t know if they would walk out in front of you or not. We reached a dirt road and knew we couldn’t continue on so we turned around and asked a couple young men standing in front of a house for directions to Loreto. As Dave suspected we needed to go back to the last town we went through, called Insurgentes. Needless to say he was not a happy camper as we lost precious time. We headed back the way we came until we finally made it back to Insurgentes to fuel up and ask directions. The man said just up the street was a left turn for Loreto. So after filling up we were off. There was a sign that said oreta. Most of it had been blown away. There was nothing on the other side to let anyone know that was where you needed to turn for Loreto. No wonder !!!! All along Dave had a feeling we were on the wrong road but there was nothing to tell us that so we lost 3 hours. Now we are behind schedule and won’t get to Bahia de los Angeles until around 10:00pm. If we had found the road to turn for Loreto we would have been in Santa Rosalia around noon. Now that we were on the correct road, I hope we can make up some time. The road is very curvy and Dave was tired after driving all morning so I took over. We have a small hatch back Chevy rental car. It was sort of fun to drive but the breaks were weird but we managed to burn up the road for a few miles. We went by all the places we had anchored this summer. We saw the damage hurricane Jimena caused in Burro Cove and Mulege. It is amazing how well the town has been repaired for everyday living. When we got to Santa Rosalia we filled the gas tank and then Dave took over the driving. We stopped in at the Cingular Marina to say hi to Carlos and talk to him about bringing the boat there and also FM3 renewal. He drove us to the immigration office to talk to his good friend who happens to be the one who does the FM3’s and he said there wouldn’t be a problem. Then Carlos took us back to the marina. We asked him how long it would take for us to get to Guerro Negro and then Bahia de los Angeles. He said another 7 hours. We decided to spend the night in Santa Rosalia but we had to let Larry and Lois (owners of the house) know somehow we weren’t going to be there tonight like originally planned. We know that Alan and Barb live in La Mona, which isn’t far from Gecko Beach, where Larry and Lois live, so we thought we might be able to send an email to Alan. Alan keeps his boat at Cingular marina, and if we sent an email from Cingular, he would look at it right away. So we asked the manager if we could do that and he said we could. Then Alan could either email Larry or call him on the VHF radio. That was all we could do. We thanked the manager and Carlos for letting us send the email and then we headed for the Francis Hotel on the hill, which was built in 1886. It was about 4 or 5 o’clock by now and we were hungry and tired. All we wanted to do was get settled for the night, have a bite to eat and go to sleep to resume our trip early in the morning. We got to the Francis Hotel and checked in. It is a unique place and I am glad we had a chance to stay there. After we got our room we walked down to the town to go to dinner. The stone steps that use to be there when we were there in June were gone. A slide had wiped out the whole staircase. There was another staircase a little further up from that one which was intact so we walked down them. We went to a great chicken restaurant and had a great dinner. Then we walked to the bank to use the ATM and then back to the hotel. We settled in for the night. There were two rocking chairs on the porch just outside our room so I got a cigar and went out and sat in one and watched the moon rise and the cars come and go on the dirt road next to the hotel. The weather was perfect so I had a nice time just relaxing. Dave was inside watching T.V. or at least trying to see what was on that was worth watching. After I had sat outside for a while even after my cigar was finished, I decided it was time to go in and just get comfortable. We had to get up early in the morning so we could make it to Bahia de los Angeles in the early afternoon. I was sorry we couldn’t make it tonight because I wanted to wake to the sun coming up and shining in the bedroom of the house, but if all works out I will have many years to enjoy that scene. So I watched a little T.V. then went to bed. Dave was in bed shortly thereafter.

Thursday, December 3. Santa Rosalia to Bahia de los Angeles.
We were up at 5:15am or so, got dressed and then we waited for the sky to get lighter so we could see how to get out of town. I went downstairs to see if we could get some coffee and even though the restaurant wasn’t open, the lady at the desk filled two cups and let me doctor them as I liked and take them to our room. That was really nice. Didn’t charge me for it either. So we drank our coffee and waited for it to get lighter then we left. It was pretty painless getting out of town but we were glad we waited until we could see well. Again we were on a road that curved through the mountains and people drove like maniacs. Lots of trucks and no one obeyed the speed limit so guess what-----neither did we. It would have taken us a lot longer if we had. So we were driving anywhere from 80 to 110 km. That little Chevy did pretty good. Like I mentioned before, the brakes felt funny when you stepped on them, but they worked just fine. We had to stop at about 4 or 5 military road blocks for them to ask where we were going, where we lived and search the car for drugs and ammunition. Then we get to the boarder of Baja California and Baja California Sur, we slow down and one of the guys waved us through but just then a dog got in the way and we had to stop. Well then they decided to check us out. So one of the officials came to the window and asked where we were going and where we live. They wanted to see the papers on the car and also our FM3’s. There was a slight problem with showing our FM3’s as we forgot them on the boat. So we had to stop at the office and we told them we were driving a rental car and were going to Bahia de los Angeles to check out some property and would be returning the next day to La Paz. They let us go but the guy wasn’t sure about it. The gal in the office which was probably his boss told him it was o.k. So he said he would remember us and look for us tomorrow. So we left and traveled on. We finally made it to Bahia de los Angeles and stopped at Guillermos for brunch. We called Larry on the VHF to let him know we were finally here and he said when we arrive on the dirt road from town, just call him and he would meet us on his quad. The email we sent to Alan got to Larry, but he didn’t read it until this morning, but figured out we probably stopped for the night. So everything was good. We ate our brunch and headed off to the house. The road is paved until you get past the yellow store, the one that is really expensive, and we turned onto a dirt road. It was a slow bumpy ride and we couldn’t go even normal speed as there were big rocks in the road and parts of the road had caved in. Larry met us and showed us where the house is. We got there and Lois had been upstairs getting things ready for us. We talked to them quite a bit and they showed us all the systems, the house, guest house and more. We really liked what we saw. When we got done it was about 1:30pm so Lois and Larry went to their home and left us to walk around and check everything at the house. Larry and Lois just live about a mile up the road. They invited us to dinner at about 4:30pm so we would be able to find their house while it was still light out. Dave and I looked around some more and started talking about things we would do to it and future plans, then I took lots of pictures. Here you will see the inside of the house, the deck, view, cistern, generator, inverter, laundry/craft room, garage with the 1977 chevy 3/4 ton truck that comes with the house, the guest house inside, view and outside.





Pretty soon it was time to change for dinner and head out. We found their home and what a lovely one it is too. I told Dave it is too bad we didn’t see that one first, but Larry and Lois when they bought the house, own the property as well. We will be leasing the house with the option to buy and the land will be leased. We met the lady who takes care of leasing in that area. She is a nice lady and very concerned about leaving the area natural. She is very particular about people leasing and buying there as she doesn’t want any major development to happen. We agree with her. It would be a shame to see a resort or condos built. So anyway we get shown around Larry and Lois’ home and then we sat down and did some serious talking and asking questions. They answered all of them then we had a drink and later had dinner. They are very nice people and I am really glad they are letting us lease with the option to buy. After visiting a little after dinner we said goodbye and would see them sometime in late January or early February. That is how long it will take for us to get the boat all squared away and know if we will keep it in La Paz or Santa Rosalia. We have to figure out where we are going to put all the stuff on the boat so we can show it and have it look open and uncluttered. We will just take things one step at a time and go from there. So we left Larry and Lois’ place and found our way back to the house in the dark. We sat outside on the deck and had a cigar and some scotch to celebrate the occasion. Then it got cold because the wind was coming up so we went inside. There is no T.V. hookup yet so we talked about what colors we would paint each room as all the walls are white and we like color. Then we had to get to bed as we need to leave the house at 5:00am just so we can be on the main road at 6:00am. That is how long it takes to get from the house to town. With the jeep it will make the trip a lot faster because it has the tires to handle the rough terrain. The wind picked up and started to whistle on the bedroom side of the house which is the north side. Oh yea!!!











Friday, December 4. Gecko Beach, Bahia de los Angeles.
I woke up around 3 or so to the wind howling. It was howling pretty well. I could also hear the waves crashing on the beach. I was so tired I just wanted to sleep so I tried to get back to sleep. I dozed off and then the alarm sounded and we got up got dressed and headed out the door. As we figured it took us a long time to get to the main road. It seemed like forever but we made it and we were heading back to La Paz. It was much easier going back as we knew the road and what to expect. It was a very long ride and the curves in the mountains slowed us down as well as the topes before and after each town/village. We didn’t make it into La Paz until after dark. I think it was about 7:00pm when we finally got to the marina. I am sure glad we didn’t drive the road from Santa Rosalia to Bahia de los Angeles on Wednesday as the road was terrible and not knowing the road would have made it worse and we would have gotten there much later than 10:00pm. Just driving at night from SD Constitution to La Paz in the dark was bad enough. The drivers were terrible and passing on curves and riding our bumper and we were going 100 km. We had a lot of trucks behind us and in front of us, and the road was such that you couldn’t see over it to be able to pass anyone. One thing we did find out about the drivers here is when they know you want to pass them they turn on their turn signal when it is safe to pass. That is a little hard to trust at first because to us in America it means they are turning left. So we always looked and checked it out first and then went. Anyway we made it back all in one piece. We are really tired and Dave found out that the rental car has to be back at 8:00am tomorrow. It makes sense but we were kind of hoping we could take a run out to Walmart and get some provisions and take John and Sandy with us. Oh well.

Marti heard us come home and stuck her head out from down below her boat and invited us to bring wine and come over. She was packing and preparing her boat as she is leaving early in the morning to crew on a boat being delivered to San Felipe, and then she is going to her home in San Diego for a month or so. So we grabbed a bottle of wine, two glasses and Dave brought the camera. We told her about the house then showed her pictures and she was very happy for us. We sat and talked a little while longer and then we had to leave and let her finish packing and securing things on her boat. She will be returning in January. When we got back to our boat we sat and relaxed and then went to bed.

Saturday, December 5. Marina Palmira, La Paz.
Dave returned the rental car and then he stopped and talked to John and Sandy about when they wanted to go and provision and they said Monday. So Monday it is!

I sanded the top step and the one after the 4th step on the ladder because we forgot and stepped on those two. Once they were sanded and cleaned off I put a coat of teak oil on them. They sure look good.

Dave replaced the raw water pump on the generator. We need to get the old one pressed out and then it will be a spare. So another one of his projects is complete and checked off the list. I proofed the blog and started adding pictures so I can post it here soon. It went quickly at first and now it is slow in getting the pictures in and saving. I will just keep trying. I will have to develop a better way of getting pictures to the blog.

John and Barbara from s/v Naida, invited us over for a drink. So after dinner and dishes we went over and had a great visit. They will be leaving next week. So when we get back from our trip to San Jose Del Cabo, they will be on their way to Mazatlan. They are our buddies from when we stayed 2 weeks in Newport, Oregon due to weather and sea conditions coming down the coast. We thought of them often and wondered how they were doing and where they were. They went home for the summer and returned not long ago. It was great to see them again. They are moored just down the dock from us. Time flies when you are having fun and finally at 11:00pm we said goodnight and came back to our boat. We shortly went to bed.

Sunday, December 6.
Today is Subasta. That is an open air flea market and the proceeds go to the schools so the kids can have supplies. It is a good cause. We took the shuttle to Marina de La Paz. The gate was already open when we arrived so we went in and started looking around. There were hand painted shirts, jewelry, and piles of used clothing and miscellaneous items. You had to nudge your way into the tables to be able to see anything as the locals were in there getting what they wanted. Unfortunately Dave and I didn’t see a lot that was of real interest. I did get a dress and a swimsuit cover but that was it. There was a silent auction and then later in the afternoon they auctioned off items. Then there were the food booths. One in particular was a german sausage booth where the man made his own sausage. Mmmmm!!!! Dave and I got one for lunch and it tasted really good. We had bought raffle tickets so we stuck around for the first two drawings and then we decided it was time to go back to the boat and get some work done. We didn’t have to be present for the drawing anyway. So we left and walked part of the way on the malécon toward the marina. There were a couple of blocks blocked off as they were having some kind of celebration for kids. We walked as far as the bus station and then hailed a cab. Once back on the boat we worked on the steps and did some other boat stuff. One of the local canvas makers came by the boat after they got through with another boat and Dave told him that we wanted to replace the ties that hold our screens up. Most all of them rotted this summer due to the sun. So the gentleman gave Dave a quote and said he would make them out of the screen material that way they will last for a long time. So we went ahead and ordered them and they should be installed in a day or two. He is working on a bimini for a boat near us so that takes precedence. Now it is cocktail time and time to chill. Then came dinner, dishes, and some more relaxing until bed time. Hard life isn’t it??!!

Monday, December 7.
It is a beautiful sunny morning. I love it here!! Dave and I had our morning coffee. Then it was time to get to work. I hate cleaning the oven, but it has to be done so that is what I am tackling this morning. I figure I will just clean a little at a time. So I cleaned just the door inside. I used a spray solution called ‘Awesome’ on an area and let it set then scrubbed it with a brush but that didn’t work as well as I had thought so I used steel wool which did a great job. Of course not all of the stuff came off but it sure looks a lot better than it did. It even shines in spots. John, from Naida, had offered to go up the mast for us yesterday to replace the anchor light and the wind vane but when we got back from Subasta it was late so we postponed it until today. He came over after coffee and brought his own harness, ready to get to work. I was originally going to help with a line, but Dave said I didn’t need to do anything due to the way they rigged it so I could get some of my stuff done. Dave cranked John up the mast and John replaced the anchor light and the wind vane. The anchor light works now which is a great thing. A bird sat on the old wind vane and bent it so that had to be replaced.

After that job was done, we had made arrangements with John and Sandy to go to town and get some errands done. So we took off to get a taxi which is outside the gate of the marina. Sandy negotiated a price to have him take us to the places we needed to go in town, wait for us at each stop and then drop us off at Sam’s club. When we got to Sam’s club Dave and I did a little shopping and John and Sandy did provisioning as they are leaving next week to go to Socorro Island. We hadn’t had any breakfast and by this time we all were getting hungry. The dilemma was where to have brunch/lunch. There wasn’t a decent place nearby so we decided to wait. When we checked out of Sam’s club we wheeled our carts to Walmart which is next door, and put our carts in the package check place and went and did some more shopping. When we got out of there, we tried to find a van taxi but there was none in sight. So I walked down where I saw a couple of taxi’s waiting and asked them if they could get us a Grande taxi. The one man I talked to called a number and got a hold of one for us and said it would be here in minutes. So I walked back to where John, Sandy, and Dave were waiting and said there was one coming. About 5 minutes later it had arrived. We loaded all our stuff into it and away we went. Once back at the marina we off loaded the van, paid the driver and then took the groceries to our boats. It had been a very busy morning but fun. After we had all put our groceries away, John and Sandy mentioned they were going to walk to a restaurant up the street a little way from the marina and have a late lunch, early dinner. So we joined them. We had a wonderful meal. When we finished our meal and had paid we walked back to our boats. We were ready to just relax.

A different canvas guy showed up at John and Sandy’s boat and when he finished there he came to our boat as Dave had made arrangements with him to visit us after John. We asked him to quote us a price to replace the windshield attached to the dodger. So he took some measurements and gave us a price. He gave us a price for Ising Glass and we said we would figure out if we could afford it and get back to him. Well later on Dave did talk to him and we decided to go with the Ising Glass. So Danny will need to come back tomorrow after he finishes with John, and do what he has to do and then it will take about 2 weeks before he can install it. That will be good as we are going to our Vacation club, Royal Solaris, in San Jose del Cabo for a week. We will be able to spend time with Noreen and Ron, and their friends Larry and Connie. It should be very good and relaxing for all. This is Connie and Larry’s first time to Royal Solaris. They will love it.

Tuesday, December 8.
Well the rest of the oven needs to be cleaned so that is my number one project this morning. I am catching the 1:30pm shuttle so I can be dropped downtown in order for me to get some yarn for the hats I am making. The oven hadn’t been cleaned for 7 years so you can imagine the scrubbing I had to do. When I was done with that little chore, I cleaned up, changed clothes and went to meet the shuttle. Dave stayed on the boat to get some more of the items on his list crossed off.

The shuttle was really full and as we went along the malécon the cruisers asked to be let out in various locations. I was the last to be dropped off since where I was going was on the route he drives to get back to the marina. He let me off at the street I asked him too and I tipped him then got out and headed for ‘La Super’ yarn and craft store. It took me a while to decide what colors I needed, but when I finally decided, I got a number and waited in line until it was called. At the yarn/craft and fabric stores, you wait your turn by standing in line. Some places require you to take a number and wait until it is called and other places you just wait until it is your turn. You hand them your merchandise and they total it and give you a receipt and another receipt is stapled to the bag. Then the gal takes your bag to the front counter where you pay the cashier. I guess that is how they keep people employed. They just aren’t as advanced as we are in America.

After I left the yarn store I walked down the street and came to a fabric shop so I went in. I was looking for hot chili pepper material but couldn’t find it. I’m looking to make a new valance for the kitchen in the house. When I left there I walked toward the malécon and then walked back to the marina. It was quite a walk but it felt good to get some exercise. When I got back to the boat Dave said it had been pretty quiet. He was able to work on some things he had on his to do list. It was now about 2:30-3:00pm and I sat down and relaxed. The rest of the afternoon was pretty laid back and low key. When it got dark Dave turned on the anchor light and there it was, shining in all its glory!!! Thank you John! As far as our old wind vane goes, Dave borrowed a heat gun from John, on Masquerade, and got the old wind vane reshaped to its normal state so now there is a spare.

When I got back on the boat I started to prepare dinner. We are having rigatoni. When it was done we sat down and had a great meal. Then it was time for dishes and when that chore was over I crocheted so as to make another hat. I have 7 hats to make before we go to Royal Solaris. I think I will make it. I sure hope so.

Wednesday, December 9.
Dave tried to get a hold of La Paz Yachts and had a hard time getting them to answer. He actually has been trying to connect with them for a couple of days now. After the net, Dave called La Paz Yachts and finally got a hold of Mike and made arrangements to have him come to the marina. He said he would. I cleaned the top of the stove and made it shine. Dave talked with a man that had called yesterday about us wanting to sell our vacation club. He is the one that helps advertise and get it sold. It is a company that is reputable and not like the other people we contacted to rent our villa and it turned out to be a bogus company. This time Dave did extensive research and this company is legit. So Dave answered some questions and then the guy said he would do some research on the resort and get back to us today to tell us how much he would list it for. As it turns out we are able to list it for what we paid for it which is almost unheard of. But when he did the checking and saw what all they have to offer and also what Dave told him, it is a really good deal. We are really hoping it will sell soon and then we won’t have to worry so much of whether the boat sells right away or not. So we are selling the vacation club and the boat. WOW!! We don’t need the resort any more as we will have our own resort now. So we might as well sell it and not have to worry about it. I’m sure someone will snarf it up as it is the season where people are looking for a place to go to get out of the cold dreary weather.

Around 4:30pm Mike, from La Paz Yachts came by the boat. The first canvas guy was there installing the straps to hold the screens up. Mike came down and we talked and he is willing to list the boat for the price we want and we will be taking the boat to the marina in Santa Rosalia so it is closer to the house. When we get back from San Jose Del Cabo, we will have to have pictures taken of the inside which means we will have to off load the shelves and more to make it look like a bare boat. That is step number one. Then after the 26th of this month we will take the boat to Santa Rosalia. The dealer said it was no problem having the boat there. If someone is interested in the boat they will make the trip to see it. So no worries. Now we just have to figure out how we are going to transfer all the stuff off the boat to the house. We are just taking it all one step at a time. Everything seems to be working in our favor which is a really good thing. So we will cross the other bridge when we get there. In the meantime we have a lot of work to do. Well I do as far as cleaning and going through stuff to find out what stays on the boat and what goes and whether we need it or not. So things are chugging along. It is overwhelming but exciting. I am feeling twinges of sadness in leaving the boat, but I know it is the right time and place for us to start something new. One adventure to another. We have until the first of the year before the boat actually is advertised so it will give us a little time to get things organized. So far so good. I am just looking forward to getting away off the boat for a little bit and having fun in the sun and with good friends.

We will not oil the wood inside as there just isn’t time for that. That is o.k. Let the new owners take that on if they want. Well it is time to go to bed. I have started another hat and need to get more yarn tomorrow to finish it. I made little Davey (grandson) a couple of hats. Tomorrow I will finish the hat I started and then start on a hat for Michael so he and his son Davey will have matching hats. I did the same for Ernie, E.J. and Eian. It has been a busy day. I did laundry and will probably do a small load on Friday, so we will have clean stuff before leaving. I also defrosted the refrigerator and freezer as I couldn’t wait until Friday. I will defrost whatever has accumulated on the units on Friday so as to make sure they won’t get frozen over while we are gone. They should be great for all next week and then I will have to defrost them when I get back.

Thursday, December 10.
Dave was filling out the paperwork for the broker when I got up. We needed to take the shuttle into town so we could get our park passes which we had paid for in May but they didn’t have them then. Then we need to go to ‘Katty’s’ shop so Dave can pick up his lycra suit. After that we headed to the downtown area to get yarn, and then stop at the bus station to get our tickets to San Jose Del Cabo. Then we will catch a cab back to the marina. It was pretty cloudy all day today. That was kind of nice since we walked all over the place and I had forgotten my sunglasses.

When we returned to the marina we had breakfast at the La Panga restaurant. It was really good. We had only eaten dinners there. When we finished breakfast we went to the boat and I did more crocheting and Dave had his projects to do. We had the canvas guy stop by and let us know about the windshield. He will take the old one off while we are in Cabo and he will probably get the new one in after we get back. It will be nice to have a windshield we can see out of again.

I wrapped the gifts I made and put them in large envelopes and addressed them so I can give them to Ron and Noreen to take back with them to mail for us.

I started packing so I won’t have to rush around later. I will finish tomorrow. I still have a couple of projects to finish crocheting too. I started a scarf and ran out of yarn so I will have to go back to the yarn shop tomorrow to get another skein. We are going to Club Cruceros for coffee tomorrow to talk to the broker about the boat. So we will take the shuttle to marina La Paz and do what we have to do there then walk to the yarn store then catch a cab back to the marina.

Later this afternoon John and Sandy invited us on their boat to have a glass of wine. Sandy had her boat decorated for Christmas. It sure was pretty. I told her I would have to come to her boat to get a Christmas fix as I wasn’t decorating this year. She said any time!!! Sandy had dinner on the stove so we didn’t stay long. We wished them a Merry Christmas as they won’t be here when we get back.

We had already eaten dinner before going to John and Sandy’s so I decided to sit out in the cockpit and have a cigar. Dave joined me. The wind had died down so it was nice. After I finished the cigar I went below to do some more crocheting. Then it was bed time.

Friday, December 11.
We had a few clouds this morning and it was a little on the cool side. We took the shuttle to Marina La Paz. We decided we would tell the broker that we would have pictures taken of the boat after we are in Santa Rosalia and everything has been taken off and it has been cleaned inside and out.

We arrived at the marina and went right away to see the broker and told him our thoughts and he was just fine with it all. That was really good. So now we can relax a little and enjoy our mini vacation at Royal Solaris. We left the brokers office and went and had coffee at the club house and met some new cruisers. Then we left and walked to the yarn shop so I could get the yarn I needed. However, they didn’t have any more of the kind I wanted so I settled for a color that would compliment what I had already started. So then it was off to catch a cab and return to our marina. Once back on the boat I made lunch for us and then I defrosted the refrigerator and freezer again which didn’t take very long. I gathered dirty clothes and headed for the laundry room. I only had a load to wash and dry. I took my scarf I was crocheting with me. I almost finished it when the clothes had to come out of the dryer. So I folded the clothes and went back to the boat and finished the scarf there. I put the clothes away and started packing some more stuff. Then I wrapped some more of the gifts and packed them. All I have left to pack now are the last minute items in the morning. Tomorrow we will be on the 8:15am bus to San Jose Del Cabo. I am excited. All you can eat and drink and lying on the beach under the palapa and doing a little shopping and sightseeing. It will be a fun but fast week. While I am there I will get a massage!!!!

After returning to the boat, we will prepare the boat and move it to Santa Rosalia. Hopefully the weather will be good. Once in Santa Rosalia the real work starts on the boat. It is all good.

Dave finished packing and now is relaxing. He called Ron and Noreen to say hi and to have a safe trip and we would see them tomorrow. Can’t wait!!!

I’m going to take a shower then pour Dave and me a glass of wine and start on another hat. Here’s to a bus adventure in the morning. I wonder what movie we will see. Hope it is a good one.

Saturday, December 12. La Paz to San Jose Del Cabo, Royal Solaris.
We took the 8:15am bus to San Jose Del Cabo. We arrived around 12:00pm, and then took a cab to Royal Solaris. Noreen, Ron, Connie, and Larry will be here later in the afternoon as their flight is to land at 2:30pm.

We got checked in and then had to wait for our room to be ready. So we hung around and then at 3:00pm our room was ready so the bell boy took our luggage to the room. They didn’t have ocean front rooms available so we got one over-looking the swimming pool which was alright. We could see the ocean from the room. They said an ocean front room would be ready tomorrow and they would move us. So we didn’t unpack. After checking the room out we went to the lobby to wait for the others to arrive. Finally around 4:00pm they showed up. We greeted them then went with them as they got checked in. They got their room assignments and we told them we would meet them for dinner at 6:30pm. So we let them unpack and get settled. We met them for drinks before dinner and then went to Ponchos for a buffet dinner. There was a lot of good food and desserts. After eating we had a Mexican coffee, but they don’t prepare it at your table any more. That was a bummer because Connie and Larry never saw it prepared. Oh well. It still tasted good. After dinner we went to the lobby to check out the entertainment. They had boys vs. girls and it was fun to watch. After that it was time to retire to our rooms. We will meet for breakfast at 8:30am.

December 13-19. Royal Solaris.
The whole time we were there, we got up in the morning, had breakfast then went to the beach and stayed there drinking, swimming, relaxing, then it was time for siesta and dinner. After that we went to the lobby to check out the entertainment. Then it was off to our rooms.

We all took a safari ride in the desert on Wednesday, which was pretty cool. We went through a little village and stopped to have a look at the church and flowers and then picked up the safari trucks. It was a bouncy dusty ride but fun. Our guide was great. After that we got to sample 3 different tequilas then it was lunch time and then time to return to Royal Solaris.



Then we went to a place where kids stay during the week and go home on the weekend. This is for kids of families that are struggling to feed and keep their kids. You will see where they sleep and there is a big dining hall and learning center.



Then we climbed aboard the safari trucks, rode deep in the desert then took a hike with our guide. We saw seed pods from the trees, and trees that the roots grew over the rocks. It was amazing.


Here you see the cactus are decorated for the holidays and the tequillas we sampled.


After we got back to Royal Solaris, we relaxed then Connie, Larry, Ron, Noreen, and us went to dinner at Ponchos. They were serving a regular sit down dinner tonight. We had a great dinner and we all were stuffed.

One night the gang came to our room to play Mexican train and drink tequila. We had a fun time. After that everyone went back to their rooms, vowing to meet for breakfast.

One of the days we walked to San Jose Del Cabo to do some shopping. The girls looked at jewelry and I was trying to find something for the guys back home. I came up empty handed, but we are making a trip to Cabo San Lucas, Thursday, so I will probably find something there.

On Thursday we all went to a presentation and then we went to Cabo San Lucas. We walked through the mall then to the marina and then went to the Shrimp Factory for lunch. After that we walked down some of the streets and stopped to shop. We headed for the mall where I did the last of my Christmas shopping then we caught the bus that dropped us at the Mega store then we hailed a cab back to Royal Solaris. We had a good day. We got back just in time to get back to our rooms, change our clothes and go to dinner. After dinner we all retired to our rooms for a quiet night. It was a busy day. Tomorrow we will spend the day on the beach.

Saturday came and there were 4 long faces at breakfast. Ron, Noreen, Connie and Larry were heading back to cold rainy Seattle and we were returning to La Paz by bus. We all packed after breakfast then went to check out. After that we said goodbye to Connie, Larry, Ron, and Noreen as we had to catch a taxi to the bus station. Our bus was leaving at 11:15am. We had a great time and it sure was nice to see Ron, Noreen, Connie and Larry again. This will probably be the last time we go to Royal Solaris. Hopefully we can sell it.

Our bus ride was uneventful and we got back to the marina around 2:30-2:45pm. We unpacked our bags and then had to figure out what we were going to have for dinner. I had some tortillas, beans, shredded beef and spinach so I mixed the beans, beef and spinach together, heated it and served it inside the tortillas. It wasn’t a bad meal. The refrigerator and freezer did really well while we were gone. I will have to defrost them tomorrow though. After dinner I crocheted and Dave looked at news, weather and played some solitaire on his computer. We were both tired and Dave fell asleep on the settee. I went to bed and left him there and he came to bed later. The pillows at Royal Solaris were hard so I was really looking forward to my pillow that fits nicely between my shoulder and neck. The bed was alright but our bed is much more comfortable. I bet we sleep really well tonight.

Sunday, December 20. Marina Palmira.
We both had coffee in the cockpit. It is a sunny warm morning and we are enjoying soaking up the sun. After coffee I went below and prepared to defrost the refrigerator and to my surprise it didn’t need a lot of defrosting. I defrosted the little bit that was there and it took about 10 minutes. That was really great. The freezer was a different story. It wasn’t solid with ice, but it did need to be defrosted. When that job was done I was going to go up and do laundry but decided there wouldn’t be enough time to do it before 1:30pm as I was catching the shuttle to CCC grocery store to replenish our food supply. So I put the rest of my stuff away from the trip and straightened up the boat. Then I made a grocery list. Pretty soon it was time to meet the shuttle. I was dropped off at CCC and I did my shopping and took a taxi back to the marina. I took the groceries to the boat, loaded them on the boat, and then put all the groceries away. I marinated the steaks and then sat down to catch up the journal for the blog. Then it was time for Dave to start the BBQ and I cooked the potatoes and made a green salad. After the dishes were done, I took the dirty clothes up to the laundry room and did laundry. When they were done I put them in the laundry bag and went back to the boat. What a beautiful night it is. Several boats are decorated with Christmas lights and the 1/4 moon is shining brightly. The wind has died down and it is really nice. Tomorrow will be another busy day for me as I am going to clean the cockpit. Dave mentioned he will be changing the oil in the engine. That is always a fun job. Not!!!

Danny, the canvas man came by this morning to take the old windshield off so he could replace the glass. He didn’t have it off while we were gone because he had to wait for the Ising Glass to come in. He should be done with it on Tuesday, so we will be able to see out of the windshield again. Once the windshield is in we can decide when we will be leaving La Paz to go to Santa Rosalia. Dave has been watching the weather to know when it is good to go north. It should be nice going north as there aren’t many cruisers up there now. Weather will be the only problem.

Dave is snoozing on the settee again while I am typing. It is only 9:35pm. We both will be going to bed here pretty soon. It’s past cruisers midnight!!!! (Cruisers midnight is 9:00pm).

Monday, December 21.
Four more days until Christmas. It sure doesn’t seem like Christmas. We haven’t decorated the boat at all. Since we knew we were going to be traveling north we didn’t want to put the lights up. Next year we can celebrate in the house if all goes well.

Dave checked the weather for the next few days and it doesn’t look good for going north until Sunday or Monday of next week. So we will be here for Christmas. I bought some canned pumpkin to make a pumpkin pie since we didn’t have one at Thanksgiving. We usually have just a regular dinner for Christmas. Nothing special.

Well the work has begun. I cleaned the dodger, bimini and inside the cockpit and scrubbed all the cushions. It was so filthy!!! Dave was below changing oil in the generator and then he did the engine. Everything went great for the generator but not so with the engine. He always has a tough time getting the oil filter off and when he did finally get it off and put it in a zip lock bag, the bag had a hole in it and oil went everywhere. Thank goodness it doesn’t go into the bilge. Dave cleaned up what he could and we had one diaper left so we used it to soak up the worst of it and then he went to the store to get a couple more. While he was gone I wiped up the rest of it behind the diaper, then it was time to throw the pad away and wipe up the rest which I did. When Dave got back I told him we didn’t need them, but it is always good to have spares. So he finished putting new oil back in the engine and put everything back together again. What a mess. It has never been an easy job to do. Dave made a comment when the oil went flying and he was having such a nasty time of it that he was glad he wouldn’t be doing this again on the boat. We are both ready for a change! Our bodies are having a hard time dealing with the small spaces we have to work in and around, and be a contortionist to boot. Now the only maintenance left is changing the transmission fluid and we won’t do that until we get to Santa Rosalia. We are both beat!!!! The cockpit looks nice and clean for a little while anyway. We are supposed to get the dodger windshield tomorrow sometime. That will be nice. Now we have to wash the rest of the boat and get the dirt off. I was going to wash the back of the boat after the cockpit was done, but the hose had a blow out so I called it quits. This is the type of hose that rolls up in a case. We have another one but I was done! Tomorrow is another day.

We had cocktails after all the cleaning and then dinner. Then it was dish washing time and a shower. Now we are just relaxing doing our own thing. I am reading more of the ‘Little Women’ book I started a while back and had to stop to make Christmas gifts. It is a very good book. I’m not sure what I am doing tomorrow. Depends on how I feel. My back was pretty tender and so was my right shoulder. I need to be careful and not over do it.

Before we leave here and go to Santa Rosalia, we will do some provisioning, get the rest of the boat washed, and do some cleaning down below.

I helped Dave write up the description of each room so he can fill out the paperwork for the La Paz yacht broker and deliver it sometime this week to him. When the boat is unloaded and cleaned, we will take pictures and send them to him so he can list it.

Tuesday, December 22.
Today is cloudy with a little breeze. Dave listened to the weather reports and it is suppose to blow up north. So we will just wait for that weather window. We need to get to Santa Rosalia to get our FM3’s renewed before the 16th of January.

Danny is supposed to be here today with the windshield. It is already 1:25pm and I’m not sure he is coming. Maybe tomorrow.

I put the information about the inside of the boat on the broker’s paperwork and now all we need to do is take it down to Marina de La Paz and give it to him.

I finally put the clean clothes away from the other day when I did laundry. Then I made the bed and straightened up the cabin. I’m not doing much physical labor today as I am sore and my shoulder is still bothering me. I did polish the stainless steel chain plates inside the boat which didn’t amount to much. I will probably go for a walk soon as I have been sitting for a while, and when I get back I will probably read. All my crochet projects are done so I am giving myself a break from that.

Dave contacted the diver to come and clean the bottom of the boat tomorrow. When the boat sits for a month it gets scummy but it won’t take much for him to wipe it off. We also need to have him check the zincs and I think we will need to have him replace them.

Dave just returned from the marina office where he was talking to Adriana about how much it would cost if we had to spend another week here due to weather. He said it would cost us around $163.00. That isn’t bad. So when Saturday gets here and we look at weather and it isn’t conducive to leave, we will stay another week.

I did go for a walk and came back to the boat and read for a little bit while Dave played his sub game. I was preparing the New England clam chowder we were having for dinner when, Danny the canvas guy, showed up with the windshield for the dodger. As he and Dave were putting the windshield in Danny noticed the headliner was coming apart where the stitching was so he handed us the windshield to stow and he and Dave took the headliner off and Danny took it with him back to the shop to re-sew it and bring it back on Thursday. So after Danny left we ate dinner. After dinner I washed the dishes then Dave continued his sub game and I read my book until bed time.

Wednesday, December 23.
This morning we took the shuttle to Marina La Paz to talk to the broker. We turned in the paperwork and talked to Shelly for a while about the boat and she said she would try to stop by this afternoon to get our color brochure and look at the boat. We dealt with Mike the last time because Shelly was on vacation. Now Mike is on vacation so we now are dealing with her. Actually they both work together so it doesn’t matter. We asked Shelly where we could find pharmacies and we were told on Bravo Street. So off to find Niacin where I can. I have finally worked the dosage to 1,000 miligrams a day, but now I am almost out of pills and need to get some more. I thought it was going to be easy to find. There I go thinking again!!!!! We went to all the pharmacies that were recommended and none of them knew what I was talking about. So I figured WalMart would carry it so I told Dave I would take the bus to WalMart so he walked me to where I would catch the bus and found out it only costs 8 pesos which is really cheap. So I got on the bus and he went to the bank and back to the boat. I got to the pharmacy at WalMart and they looked in their book and couldn’t find it and sent me to Soriana’s. So I caught a bus there. They didn’t have it either. They recommended CCC so I took the bus there. They didn’t have it either. So I thought I would walk to the other CCC that is further out of downtown but I never got there. I got lost and walked further than where the store was, and when I finally got on the street I was familiar with and found out that CCC was still a few blocks away, I decided to bag it. I was too tired and sore at this point to go there so I walked back to the malécon and caught a taxi back to the marina. I was very disappointed. When I got back to the boat I told Dave my tale of woe and he searched on the net to see what was in niacin. Well we know it is Vitamin B3, but after looking it up on the internet, we found it is called by other names such as Nicotinic Acid, Niaspan, and Niacor. So now I am armed with possibilities for over-the-counter and prescription. We will go to Sam’s Club on Saturday to see if they have slo-niacin or any of the other items. I sure hope so. Wish me luck.

The canvas man is here with the headliner to the windshield. Danny was supposed to come tomorrow morning but he said he came today because tomorrow he has to go shopping for his wife. Just like Dave use to do. He’s been off the hook for a couple years now on buying gifts so he doesn’t have to worry about last minute shopping. Dave and I have what we want for Christmas so we are satisfied.

The diver didn’t come today to clean the bottom but will be here in the morning at 8:00am. So now all I have to do is provision, get my niacin and watch the weather for a good weather window to go north. Then we are outta here.

Dave is out helping Danny put the headliner in and when that is done, it is cocktail time, then dinner which is leftover clam chowder.

The dodger windshield is in and it is clear as a bell. It really looks good. We are very pleased.

Dinner is over, now we are relaxing. After all that walking today I am ready to relax. I think I will read again until bed time.

Thursday, December 24.
It is Christmas Eve and things are pretty quiet around here. There wasn’t much to do today. It was cloudy most of the day and very windy which makes it hard to wash the boat so I read most of the day, and Dave did his thing on his computer. The weather is supposed to start breaking Saturday, and be fairly decent until Wednesday of next week. So we might be leaving soon. It takes about 3 days to get to Santa Rosalia. If we leave on Sunday we could possibly get to Santa Rosalia before it starts blowing again. We will check the weather again tomorrow through Saturday and see what it says.

I cooked some chili and rice to have for dinner, and just before it was ready, our neighbor up the dock came and knocked on our boat and invited us to their boat for a cocktail. That was really nice. They invited Mike, the married single guy we invited over for Thanksgiving, as well. So we went over there and it was around 6:00pm and when we got home just before 9:00pm it was really too late to have dinner, but we did have a sampling of the chili and then I put everything away. We had a nice visit and they took pity on us and Mike being alone on Christmas Eve.

The locals here celebrate Christmas Eve with a big dinner and gifts. Tomorrow they go to church.

Well I am going to read some more of my book and then it will be bed time. Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!!!

Friday, December 25.
Feliz Navidad everyone!!!! We hope everyone was happy with what Santa brought them. Today was a laid back one. Dave looked at weather and said we may be able to leave on Sunday but we won’t know for sure until Saturday Morning. So I made a pumpkin pie, washed clothes and then read. Dave played his sub game and whatever else he wanted to. It was cloudy and cool all day. It has been cold in the morning (64) which for you would be warm. When I came back from doing laundry it was time to prepare dinner. I made couscous with chicken in tarragon cream sauce. I served it with white wine and so we had our special dinner. For dessert we had a piece of pumpkin pie. So that was our Christmas. We got to talk to the grandkids and kids which are always nice to hear their voices. We have to go to Sam’s Club tomorrow to get some provisions and also drop of the paperwork to the yacht broker so she can start the process of putting the word out our boat is for sale.

Dave and I sat and read our books until we were ready to go to bed.

Saturday, December 26.
It is a beautiful sunny day today. Dave listened to the weather report this morning and we won’t be leaving tomorrow unless something changes fast. First we heard a new northern was blowing in on Thursday and so if we left Sunday we would make it to Santa Rosalia before it started getting nasty. Well now they are saying it will arrive on Tuesday which will put us in the middle of 20-25 knot winds on the nose and seas not pleasant. So we are just waiting. What a bummer. We need to get up there. We did have thoughts of having Mike, a licensed captain, take the boat up without stopping, but he can’t do it until after the 1st. We said we would wait to see what the weather would do. It is an option. He has his wife visiting this week so we didn’t want to interrupt that. So we shall see.

We met the shuttle at 9:00am and went to Marina de La Paz to see Shelly the yacht broker. We talked to her for a short time then we were off to Sam’s club. We tried to keep the cost down so we only got things we really needed until we get to Santa Rosalia. When we finished there we rolled our cart to WalMart and they held it for us while we did the rest of our shopping. I did find the time-release niacin at WalMart. They only had one box of the niaspan, but at least they had it and I got it. So now that I have the box I can walk to the discount pharmacy, Similars, and get it. So I lucked out. They have a Similar pharmacy in Santa Rosalia, so I will be able to get more. When we finished at WalMart we picked up our other basket and caught a cab back to Marina Palmira. We took the groceries back to the boat and put them away. Then Dave went up to the office to pay for another week. We will keep an eye on the weather and at the first break in it we are gone. We will be glad when the boat is finally in Santa Rosalia. Neither one of us are looking forward to wind on our nose and sloppy seas. I will probably make a trip to the grocery store to get some last minute items before we leave, but otherwise we are ready to go.

We had a weird call over the VHF this afternoon. A lady was calling Shelly, the yacht broker and she wasn’t getting through, so as she kept calling her voice got higher and she was crying. Dave got on the radio and said we would try to get a hold of Shelly for her on the phone. While Dave was doing that I got on the radio and asked her what the problem was because she sounded so distraught and she said there was a man that followed her in a red truck for 6 blocks to the house she is house sitting and he had no pants on. I asked her if she was inside the house and she said “yes”. Then I asked her if all the windows and doors were locked and she said they were. So I told her to stay inside and someone would be there to help her. I also asked if she had anything to protect herself with, and being it isn’t her house, she was going to go through and see what she could find like a bat or something like that. She was worried the man would jump over the fence/wall and try to get into the house. Just at that time a man came on the radio and said he was on the way, and then another cruiser was just 5 minutes from the house and would be there in minutes. So I told her to stay calm and she would be alright. So everything was taken care of. We heard later that they think the guy is from the fishing village and the house will be watched. So she felt a lot better and I am glad all worked out for her. I would be freaking out too if someone like that was following me for that long!!!! All turned out great thank goodness. I don’t think she knows a lot of Spanish so that may be the reason she didn’t call the police. No worries now!!

Well it is time to read. I hope to finish ‘Little Women’ in the next day or two so I can give it away.

Sunday, December 27.
Boats are starting to leave here and head south, making the crossing over to the mainland side. It was a beautiful morning and Dave and I sat in the cockpit for a little bit and had our coffee. Then it was time to get to work. I defrosted both the refrigerator and freezer and then treated the stainless steel in the cockpit. It had a lot of rust spots on and since I had cleaned everything the other day it was a good time to do it. Dave took the fishing reel he bought from Norm in San Blas last year, up to the store to have line put on it, but the guy that knows how to do it wasn’t in today. He’ll be in tomorrow so Dave will take it back in the morning. He took one of his oldest reels, took it apart and cleaned it and re-spooled it with the line he took off it. It looks almost new. So that was our projects. I was tired so I took a nap while Dave finished cleaning up from his reel job.

It’s amazing how well the refrigerator and freezer behave when it is cooler. It loves this temperature. Everything in the freezer is frozen solid!!!!

There isn’t much else we can do on the boat to get her ready to sell until we have off loaded everything so in the meantime we are doing little jobs here and there and I’ve gone back to reading. I finished ‘Little Women’ last night and Dave finished ‘Night Probe’, a Clive Cussler book. So I will take those two books up to the laundry room and put them with the rest of the books to share with cruisers. I managed to pick up a Janet Evanovich book titled ‘Full Blast’ which should be fun to read. I will finish that before we leave here so I can put it back on the shelf in the laundry room.

Monday, December 28.
Right now it sounds like the weather window for us to go north might be Saturday. We won’t know for sure until mid week. So we wait.

Well the people in the Northwest area will be thrilled to know it is raining here. Not hard, just a steady shower. At least the boat is getting rinsed. This is the first real rainfall we have seen since last year in Mazatlan. Imagine that!!!! This system is supposed to pass through today and be nice tomorrow.

Dave got the fishing reel he went to get spooled yesterday done this morning. Then he cleaned another fishing reel. I think they are all clean now. There was a lot of salt on them and they needed cleaning badly.

I went through all the cupboards in the aft staterooms and took out stuff I wasn’t going to use or want any more. I straightened everything up so the rooms now look uncluttered.

We had lunch and Dave is reading the news on the internet and I was reading and now updating this. It’s a grey Seattle day in La Paz today. It has been pretty chilly and Dave keeps threatening to turn the heat pump on. I’m almost convinced we need it. I’ve been wearing socks and sweats!!!!! Oh my!!! It is cooler the further north you go so I know we will definitely need sweats and sweatshirts in Bahia de los Angeles. No worries as we know it starts to warm up in February.

I took the sheets off the bed and put clean ones on and turned the travasak over so the winter side is on top. It is cold enough now at night we need that extra warmth.

I read most of the afternoon. I am almost finished with ‘Full Blast’. I should be able to return it to the laundry room bookcase tomorrow.


Tuesday, December 29.
Well the dreary weather is over and the sun is back. Adriana in the marina office said she couldn’t believe it rained yesterday. It only rains in the summer time. It goes to prove that the weather is changing everywhere.

I have just a little more to read in my book so I wanted to finish it this morning. I did finish it but it was later in the morning as Mike came over to get some information from us just in case we want him to take the boat to Santa Rosalia for us. We are getting all that taken care of just in case. If we don’t get a 3 or 4 day weather window, we will have to wait and Mike said he can take the boat up on the 7th of January. That will allow us time to get to Santa Rosalia, stay in a motel and get our FM3’s renewed while Mike is bringing up the boat. It would take him probably a day and a ½ stopping only for fuel. He would have another person or two on board to share watches. Dave had talked to Mike about it and so Mike wants to get all the paperwork done just in case. When Mike left, I read my book and finished it. Dave wasn’t sure what he was going to do today, but I knew I wanted to clean the microwave. Then I thought I should start on cleaning the wood with Murphy’s oil in our stateroom to get a jump on the cleaning. This way when the boat gets to Santa Rosalia, I won’t have as much to clean. So after breakfast, Dave was outside talking to our neighbors, and I had breakfast and started to work. I got the microwave cleaned in about 15 minutes as it is small, then I proceeded to unload the bookcase headboard in our stateroom and wipe everything off and then clean the wood. Then I moved on from there until all the wood was done and I even rearranged some of the items I had setting on the shelves. It looks neater and not as cluttered. It is hard to make your cruising boat look uncluttered when you have bulk items that can’t fit in cupboards and all that is left are shelves. As we used up a lot of the provisions this summer in the Sea, I now have room in some of those cupboards to store food items so not so much will be on the shelves for all to see. So it does look better. After all that was done, I cleaned our head. Tomorrow I think I will clean the wood and shelves in the main salon. I will just keep working each room until it is done. The major wood is the forward stateroom and the main salon.

I think Thursday I will walk to the pharmacy to get more niacin and then to the CCC grocery store to get some more food, with the thought of leaving the marina on Saturday. Friday, New Year’s Day, I will do laundry and that will be it. That is the plan anyway right now. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

While I was cleaning, Dave said he was going to walk down the street to the water purifier place to get a charcoal filter for the water maker. Come to find out though, he never made it. When he left he told me he could hear and see a swarm of bees nearby. He said there were a lot of bees on the powerboat just two boats away from us. So I closed the companion way hatch and Dave left. Well he ended up watching one of the Mexican marina workers try to get rid of the bees. He sprayed them with soapy water which coats their wings and they can’t fly and eventually die. I couldn’t believe how many bees were on that boat. We haven’t seen the boat guys cleaning on that boat for a couple of months now but they will certainly have a mess to clean up when they come back to clean it. Dave finally came back to the boat while I was cleaning the head and then I started baking cookies. Dave was keeping an eye on the bees just in case they decided to visit us. I remember the last time we had a swarm of bees on the boat and it was not a pretty sight. I was almost finished baking the cookies when Dave mentioned that maybe I shouldn’t be baking. It might bring the bees. Just as he said that he saw that the bees were on the move. Luckily they didn’t come to our boat is. A small swarm attached themselves to the starboard side of the mainsail cover. They were there as the sun was setting. I sure hope they fly far away tomorrow and not come a visiting us. It is really weird to see all those bees like that and a little scary too. Well I am sure Dave will be out of the boat early tomorrow morning to check on them. They won’t be moving too quickly early as it is too cool for them.

The sunset was really beautiful with a red sky. I wish that meant it was going to be nice tomorrow. It is supposed to be sunny, but the northern starts tonight and blows through the rest of the week.

Time to relax now. I will start reading another Clive Cussler novel and then Dave will be able to play his sub game. Dave is doing his thing on his computer just passing time playing games and reading the news.

Wednesday, December 30.
As I sat drinking my coffee this morning and looking at all the wood in the main salon, I wondered if I really wanted to clean that today. Part of me wanted to and the other part didn’t. But then what would I have done all day? So I decided I would clean to the nav station and then stop. I finished my coffee and got a bowl of oatmeal and then had a banana before starting my project. Then I dove in and it actually went pretty fast. Dave decided he would walk to the purification place he never made it to yesterday when he got side tracked by a swarm of bees. The bees are still on the sailboat kiddy corner from us, but by 10:00am they were on the move and it looks like they are following the wind which is blowing away from us thank goodness. So the bees are gone. So while Dave was gone I cleaned all the wood in the main salon, then I cleaned the wood wall outside of the main head. Then I stopped. I don’t want to do any more until we have gotten stuff off the boat. So after that I put things back on the shelves and then I dusted then vacuumed. Now I feel the boat is much cleaner and it looks pretty darn good. Just after I finished vacuuming, Dave came back. He was standing outside our boat talking to our neighbor.

I made lunch for us then took a couple blankets to the laundry room to wash and dry them. Then I came back to the boat put them away and proceeded to make a cake. Yesterday I made cookies so today I wanted to make a cake. While it was baking I went out to the cockpit where it was warm and sunny and read my book. When the cake was out of the oven, Dave and I changed our clothes and walked to a Chinese restaurant about a mile from the marina. We walked along the malécon and watched the sun set. It was beautiful. There is a breeze which put a chill in the air but it was still nice. We got to the restaurant and had a really good dinner. It actually tasted like Chinese food. We have been to other Chinese restaurants in Mexico and it wasn’t much like the Chinese food we had been use to. I brought leftovers home for lunch tomorrow. After dinner we walked back to the marina along the malécon. La Paz was alive with vendors selling food and other items, people jogging, walking, riding bikes, roller blading, couples pushing kids in little play car strollers, little kids riding their bikes with training wheels, couples sitting together, kids playing on the sandy beach, chasing each other and much more. It was really nice to see all the activity. There was still a cool breeze but as long as we were moving it was o.k. It felt good to get some exercise. We had never been on the malécon at night so it was a real thrill to see it as alive as it was. When we returned to the boat it was time to just chill. Dave is doing his thing on his computer and I am writing this. I am hoping to post this on New Year’s Day.

We are still watching and listening to the weather. So far it looks like we might leave Saturday, but tomorrow will tell us a little more of what is happening on the weekend. Dave and I are taking the shuttle to Marina de La Paz and then we will walk up to a fishing store so Dave can check something out and then we will walk to the center of town to the similar pharmacy to see if they sell Niaspan so I can get some more. Then we will walk just up the street from there to the CCC store and buy a few groceries. Then we will probably catch a taxi back to the marina.

It is so hard to believe that tomorrow is the end of the year and a new one is starting on Friday. It has definitely been a busy and interesting year for us. I’m hoping next year will bring us new exciting adventures on land and we can sell the boat and our vacation club early in the year.

Thursday, December 31.
Happy New Year’s Eve!!!!! Time really does fly when you are having fun right?!!!!! Or is it when you get older? I think they are both true statements. May everyone have a safe and wonderful celebration for the New Year no matter what you do.

We couldn’t get any weather reports this morning for whatever reason. As far as we know the wind is suppose to blow today and tomorrow easing Friday night calming on Saturday. So we think we will be leaving on Sunday now. The wind has picked up and it is pretty blustery. Usually it calms down at night but it doesn’t look like it will tonight.

I caught the 9:00am shuttle and got dropped off on Bravo street so I could check prices and availability of the niaspan medication. Well only one pharmacy sold it and it wasn’t the similar one. That was a bummer. Dave and I are planning on coming back to town on Saturday so I will get it then. Then I walked a few blocks up the street to the CCC store and bought some groceries and champagne for tonight. When I had finished shopping I took a taxi back to the marina, carried the groceries to the boat and put them away. I think I am ready now to leave.
We are going to have a quiet evening on the boat tonight and drink our champagne to toast the New Year. We had dinner and then a short while after that we watched a movie and ate popcorn. Then it was time to open the champagne bottle. We went out into the cockpit just minutes before midnight so we could watch the fireworks around the city. Here’s to a great New Year!!!