We didn't expect to be here this long .... we're sure that must be the name of a cruiser's song! This is a lively, colorful place. A downtown area that bustles with locals and tourists in all attire, even in bathing suits. Whatever you want is here and the merchants are anxious to point that out - pottery, t-shirts, Cuban cigars, jewelry, dollar beers and 2x1 happy hour all the time. Our first full day in town was Saturday, Jan 12. We had lunch AND dinner at local restaurants; Maggie had too many margaritas, and Bob had local food with a few dollar beers to wash it down. Both of us were under the weather on Sunday, although Bob was much worse with what he calls Montezuma's revenge. We experienced the check-in process described my many cruisers visiting Mexico - it took 2+ days! We went off with Jan and Rich on Slip Away, and benefitted from their vast Spanish vocabulary. First it was to Health, but the man we needed to see was out. Coming in the door just as we were getting this information were Jon and Heather on Evergreen, and Billy and Laurie on Sunrise, all arriving here from Florida the same time as we did. So, we hung out together and shared stories while we waited to go back to Health. After many rubber stamps and swearing that we had no infected rats on board (regular rats are OK), we were done with this step. From there, it was to Immigration, more forms and stamps. We were told we needed to pay the fee at a bank, but the line was too long, so we went on to the Port Captain. Oh, we were so very grateful to have Jan and Rich with us! We would not have understood a bit. Again, more forms and more stamps, and we were told to pay their fee at a marina up the street. Well, we walked off ... and walked, and walked, and walked some more. Finally found out that we had walked too far, so started our trek back ... we were just too busy getting to know each other. After payment, we trotted back to the Port Captain, who blessed us. We could now take down our yellow Quarantine flag. Oh, but wait, we still had to import the boat, which needs to be done in Cancun, reached by ferry. So far, the process was just for the people, and the rats. Bob had to list every piece of electronics we have on the boat, including all serial numbers. Do you know how many electronics are on this boat? A Norther was coming - winds of 25 from the north, with some squalls. The moment we got back to the boat, the rain came. We weighed anchor and went into Lagoon Makax; the rest of the boats followed. We stayed onboard Tuesday while the rain and wind pounded. Unfortunately, we had not closed a port securely, and rain came down on our navigation computer, shorting it out. Bob dried it out and it seemed to be ok. We were visited by Tom and Lyette on MesquaUkee - close buddies with Bonnie and Bob Auwood on Spray - Bob and Bob are longtime friends and is on his way here. MesquaUkee and Spray were together for a long time in the San Blas Islands, Panama. With all our papers in hand on Wednesday, off we went to Cancun. We will save you from the fiasco experienced there ... ok ... we took the wrong ferry, walked a mile and thought we were going in the wrong direction, got a cab, went to downtown only to find out we had to go back to the ferry landing. And, just a few feet from where we turned around was the building. We didn't know we needed a copy of the captain's tourist card, so Maggie went off to find a copy machine. Not easy when you don't speak the language. Trying, and a smile, does wonders, though! Twenty minutes and two "copias" later, we were done. Now ... off to WalMart. Can you believe it - Cancun has WalMart, Sam's Club, Office Max AND Office Depot, Costco, and oh so many more.... After this day, we were ready to go back to the quiet of our official boat. But, one more problem was facing us. Bob could not free the stern anchor on the dinghy. He ended up taking off his clothes down to his underwear, and jumping in to free the anchor which was caught in a wire. Maggie decided it was best not to photograph that experience (thank you Maggie). On Thursday, we realized the computer was really broken. At anchor in the lagoon, we had wi-fi, so Bob found a place to get it repaired, and made arrangements -- off to Cancun by ferry again on Friday. We missed the social life of beach parties in the Bahamas, so on Friday's cruisers net, we  announced a happy hour at CockTeleria's, the restaurant/bar at the end of the dinghy dock. About twenty cruisers showed up. Saturday was girls's day at the market - again grateful for Jan's Spanish, Maggie was able to buy some vegetables and read labels to avoid things that Bob can't have. In the afternoon, we went to North Beach, where the hotels and chaise lounges/cabanas are. It was too windy - another front was on its way. On the way out, our dinghy motor quit working. What is it with these gremlins?! Fortunately, another dinghy was in the same place, leaving at the same time. Jim and Debbie from More Fun towed us the 1.5 miles back to the boat, through 2-3' waves and dark clouds overhead. We immediately brought the motor on deck, where Bob had it running in no time (he is learning how to make quick fixes to the motor). We had two more days of rain and wind and being on the boat, and the opportunity to fix more of the gremlins - the generator had a problem starting, the window that leaked, the jib's roller furling line was frayed. Finally calm.... Once we were able to get off the boat, we brought our laundry in to be done - a luxury here. No laundromats to do it yourself. So many think cruising life is glamorous, well, we have to trudge and schlepp. Here's Bob carting our dirty laundry through town. We lost our wi-fi connection in the lagoon, so off to town to an internet cafe; they are plentiful here. Maggie took advantage of the visit, and had fun talking to her sisters on Skype. We said this is a lively place - well, it's even more so now - it's election time. Cars and golf carts are sporting loud speakers on their roofs, blaring music and speeches. Posters are everywhere. And it's also Carnival - five days of music, dancing in the streets, parades, fireworks. We didn't seem to have our camera handy for any of these sights. On Friday, Angelina and Slip Away stopped by on their way to town to check out - the weather looked good to head south this weekend. Our computer is still being repaired, otherwise, we'd be going with them. But... we also wanted to stay to see Bonnie and Bob on Spray enter the harbor. Bob and Bob have known each other for more than 20 years; Bob has sailed in the Western Caribbean for many years and we were looking forward to seeing them. On one of our visits to town and lunch at a waterfront restaurant (fajitas and tacos, what else!), we captured this photo of the crowd - how many? (Only in Mexico do they make you wear life vest to snokel but will put 70 people on a boat built for 25). Several other tour boats came in, equally loaded, that afternoon. We organized another happy hour for Friday night, and spent Saturday afternoon exploring the island and visiting new friends Maarten and Yvonne on Sea of Time   and learning much about Guatemala, and sharing our knowledge of the Bahamas. We had drinks at the Cuban bar below with pictures of Castro and Che all over the place. Another day of 20+ winds on Sunday kept us on the boat - both of us hooked on new books we're reading. We've been here so long, that Maggie has done the cruiser's net and reports the weather each day, Rosie (now called Rosita) is finally relaxed, and Bob has caught up on all the gremlins. On Monday, Bob and Bonnie arrived aboard Spray ... and we found out there is another problem with the computer that will take a month or more to fix. We're not staying here that long (although we're both loving it and it would be easy to do so!) We went back to Cancun on Tuesday, got an external keyboard for the computer (to fix the new problem), picked up the computer and some more provisions (cheap rum), and back to the boat to reload all the software. We now plan to leave Saturday 2/8 - after yet another happy hour we've organized for Friday. Bob was pleased to use some of his new Spanish as we checked out with the Port Captain (and Immigrations and Bank and Port Captain again....) Next stop may be another place in Mexico, or straight on to Belize. You'll have to check back to see where we end up!  Home