Lucky for us, Chacala is one of our favourite anchorages since it looks like we'll be staying for awhile.
The transmission is indeed leaking and we've made plans to haul out Pacific Jade in Puerto Vallarta and have the problem taken care of properly before we carry on.
Of course none of this can be done 'til after Christmas. We arrange to haul the boat at Opequimar on the 27th of December, 11 days away.
Bill and JoAnne have decided to spend Christmas here with us. This year brunch will be aboard "Pacific Jade" and Christmas dinner will be aboard "Tica".
The wind plans to pick up this afternoon for a few days so we hop on an early taxi to Las Varas. There we can pick up victuals for our Christmas meals and explore the little town. Our new friends Ken and Paula join us and the 6 of us meet on the beach. The taxi is a ford van and is there when we arrive. Gratefully we each find a seat and two more customers get on so that the taxi is comfortably full. Looks like it's time to go but this is Mexico.
The driver creeps around town blowing his horn to let everyone know that the morning taxi is leaving. women and children appear on the corner hefting large bowls and crocks of prepared food ready to go to market at Las Varas. Far from being the beginning of their workday it's taken hours to prepare the contents of their containers (ceviche, flan etc.) which they'll sell in the streets and restaurants of Las Varas.
The hot air in the van is stifling as more passengers board. Our companions struggle to open a window and the feeble breeze almost reaches us in the back . When there are 14 people in the van we head toward town. Our progress halted only once due to cows on the road . Wide eyed at our zooming passage Ken keeps his eyes on the road saying "I haven't traveled faster than 7 knots for months". The Mexicans chat and laugh as we hurtle down the road with the beat of the Mexican music thrumming through the van.
I can't help but think of scenes of people heading to work in Canada, driving on the icy or slushy roads adding more to the tired they acquired yesterday. How singing and laughing rarely have a speaking role in the daily workday beginning. This is the life toward which most of the Mexican population rushes. They, like many of us, won't miss the simple life 'til it's long gone and irretrievable.
Christmas Day dawns sunny and bright. Last evening we enjoyed a Mexican Christmas Eve at our favourite local restaurant on the beach. Many of you will be happy to know that we were uncomfortably chilly during the celebration.
Bony M sings Feliz Navidad out of the cockpit speakers as Bill and JoAnne row their dinghy over for brunch. We exchange small gifts and enjoy each others company then we go to town to phone our loved ones.
On this day we miss our families, especially our grandsons, Ryder and Kohen, and wish we could spirit ourselves to their living room. Being mere muggles a phone call is as close as we're going to get.
After a delicious roasted chicken dinner with all the trimmings that JoAnne had brought from home and hoarded especially for this day we say our farewells and paddle home.
We'll all head for Punta de Mita tomorrow then part ways for a time while "Pacific Jade" has her prop shaft and transmission issues dealt with and "Tica" heads south to Barra de Navidad.
The transmission is indeed leaking and we've made plans to haul out Pacific Jade in Puerto Vallarta and have the problem taken care of properly before we carry on.
Of course none of this can be done 'til after Christmas. We arrange to haul the boat at Opequimar on the 27th of December, 11 days away.
Bill and JoAnne have decided to spend Christmas here with us. This year brunch will be aboard "Pacific Jade" and Christmas dinner will be aboard "Tica".
The wind plans to pick up this afternoon for a few days so we hop on an early taxi to Las Varas. There we can pick up victuals for our Christmas meals and explore the little town. Our new friends Ken and Paula join us and the 6 of us meet on the beach. The taxi is a ford van and is there when we arrive. Gratefully we each find a seat and two more customers get on so that the taxi is comfortably full. Looks like it's time to go but this is Mexico.
The driver creeps around town blowing his horn to let everyone know that the morning taxi is leaving. women and children appear on the corner hefting large bowls and crocks of prepared food ready to go to market at Las Varas. Far from being the beginning of their workday it's taken hours to prepare the contents of their containers (ceviche, flan etc.) which they'll sell in the streets and restaurants of Las Varas.
The hot air in the van is stifling as more passengers board. Our companions struggle to open a window and the feeble breeze almost reaches us in the back . When there are 14 people in the van we head toward town. Our progress halted only once due to cows on the road . Wide eyed at our zooming passage Ken keeps his eyes on the road saying "I haven't traveled faster than 7 knots for months". The Mexicans chat and laugh as we hurtle down the road with the beat of the Mexican music thrumming through the van.
I can't help but think of scenes of people heading to work in Canada, driving on the icy or slushy roads adding more to the tired they acquired yesterday. How singing and laughing rarely have a speaking role in the daily workday beginning. This is the life toward which most of the Mexican population rushes. They, like many of us, won't miss the simple life 'til it's long gone and irretrievable.
Christmas Day dawns sunny and bright. Last evening we enjoyed a Mexican Christmas Eve at our favourite local restaurant on the beach. Many of you will be happy to know that we were uncomfortably chilly during the celebration.
Bony M sings Feliz Navidad out of the cockpit speakers as Bill and JoAnne row their dinghy over for brunch. We exchange small gifts and enjoy each others company then we go to town to phone our loved ones.
On this day we miss our families, especially our grandsons, Ryder and Kohen, and wish we could spirit ourselves to their living room. Being mere muggles a phone call is as close as we're going to get.
After a delicious roasted chicken dinner with all the trimmings that JoAnne had brought from home and hoarded especially for this day we say our farewells and paddle home.
We'll all head for Punta de Mita tomorrow then part ways for a time while "Pacific Jade" has her prop shaft and transmission issues dealt with and "Tica" heads south to Barra de Navidad.
posted by Debra Anderson | 10:56 AM
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