03-21 to 04-02, La Cruz

03-21, Wed – 04-02, Mon. – So, what have we been doing for the last two weeks? Let’s see… Cynthia was with us for another week, until 3-27. We did not end up going into PV. As Cynthia put it “Why go into PV to be around people you don’t know and spend all kinds of money when you can have fun here with all the nice people you do know”. Amen!

So, we enjoyed some of the town events and people, more food and more music. The marina hosted a HUGE event for tourist promotion. Government tourism agencies spent $1.5 Million dollars for a one-day event. It was amazing to watch them put this thing together. (And then tear it all down in two days –D) They also had a big fireworks show at nearly midnight. We were all woken up by it of course and got up to watch it.

We spent a lot of time with our friends from “ShantiAna”, including a day-sail on Journey in the Bay and a farewell dinner for Cynthia.

Our friends on “Nirvana”, Bob & Sherry, raced in the Banderas Bay Regatta and came in 3rd out of six boats in their class, so they were very excited! We celebrated with them, of course, with a brunch at the Octopuses Garden restaurant. Our friends John & Gilly on “Destiny” tied for 1st place in their division.

(Tami doesn’t mention the music events of the past two weeks but last Tuesday was a watershed day. A week earlier she had sung “Stormy Monday” at the Britannia Pub again but this time with the band made up of different musicians than she had sang with in the past, more the “A” team. The lead guitarist and singer, Freddie, a local, had not previously heard her. Though the band had trouble with the music, he was impressed with Tami’s voice and energy. Without letting Tami know, he and the rest of his band rehearsed the song through the next week until they had it cold – with instrumental solos and all. When we showed up this last Tuesday, the band was playing and they announced we have a “special guest singer” tonight. They called Tami up and proceeded – to her great surprise and pleasure - to nail the song giving Tami the opportunity to really belt it out. Applause and cheers all around. The bands are starting to ask her what song she would like them to learn. – D)

We saw Cynthia off at the airport after a wonderful two weeks and began to prepare to go back out to the anchorage for a couple of weeks.

About 10 of us got together for a farewell dinner for “ShantiAna”. We are watching a lot of folks leave for their various destinations as the season here is grinding to an end. (The season here in La Cruz is winding down and people and boats are scattering. Several of our new friends have already left on the Puddle Jump to the Marquesas and points west. Some are headed further south - C. America, S. America, the Panama Canal and the Caribbean. Others have started the process of moving north to the Sea (of Cortez) for the summer as is our plan. A few are bashing back to California and north, The rest - are putting their boat on the hard or tucking them away in marinas and flying home for the summer. It’s hard saying good bye to friends that we have shared so much with over the last 5 months– D )

We also attended a birthday party for Oliver at the Huanacaxtle Café. He is the son of the owner there and requested we attend his party.

I was fortunate to have met a gal in town who has a car, so she took me to Walmart so I could provision! What a treat!

We went back out to the anchorage and rested up for a couple of days and I began cleaning the boat inside. With all the dust that has been kicking up around here, it needed it.

The locals put on a Charro dancing horse performance in the dirt lot by the Huanacaxtle Café to raise money for one of the girls that is competing to be the Queen of La Cruz. It was a lovely show of horsemanship and roping tricks. I didn’t have the camera (head smack) but I have posted some pictures from the rodeo we went to a while back for some flavor. I didn’t have the rodeo pictures until recently when Brenda sent hers to me. Our batteries went dead at that event, but now we have her pictures.

We had a little dinner party on Journey last night with Bob & Sherry and Bill & Brenda (from Tahnoo). I made an arrachera (marinated beef) taco buffet and it turned out fantastic. Of course it took me all day to prepare it, but it was worth it in the end. We had a lovely time with our friends.

Stay tuned…..