June 1, 2006
Heading Home...
After my encounter with the unfriendly stingray in San Juanico and a few days of taking it easy to facilitate recovery, we headed south to Isla Carmen on May 15th. Along with Godspeed and Eagle Dancer, we anchored at La Lancha Cove at the north end of the island. The next morning we explored the northeast part of the island by dinghy and found some of Isla Carmen's famed caves. The coolest one was at tiny but beautiful V-Neck Cove and was large enough for at least three dinghies. We were joined in the anchorage later that day by Kasey from Amalfi, and we all ended up having dinner together that night on Godspeed. Kasey had been absent from the group for a few days, so it felt good to have our flotilla of friends back together again.
The view from outside Inside the biggest of the caves
May 17th found us at Bahia Salinas on the east side of Isla Carmen. Traveling with Godspeed and Amalfi, we chose to spend one night here so we could explore the 200 year old ruins at the Salinas ghost town, a former sea salt operation. The ghost town isn't very large- we walked the whole thing in under an hour- but it was interesting to see the old offices (which still had files in the filing cabinet!), the church, school, Pharmacia, etc.
A safe and filing cabinet (far right of photo) inside the abandoned office; Bryan & Carrie in front of the school; a railroad car still sits on what is left of the pier.
By May 18th, we started our journey south and "home" to La Paz. We took ten leisurely days to do so, with stops in Puerto Escondido, Agua Verde, Los Gatos, Evaristo, and Isla Partida, arriving back in La Paz on May 28th. It is good to be back and see friends we had missed. However, now we have to begin the process of getting the boat ready to leave it here for the summer and hurricane season. This involves many tasks, not the least of which are removing all the sails and canvas, as well as cleaning everything inside and out. The hot, hot temperatures make getting work done uncomfortable, and we're thankful we can go to the marina pool in the afternoons to cool off.
In the process of all this prep work, Bryan and I have found ourselves reflecting on the highlights of our trip. It's interesting that while we came up with these thoughts separately, they are surprisingly similar. Hands down, the most memorable aspect of our eight months in Mexico has been the incredible people we have met and the lifelong friendships that have been made. Additionally, we have relished our days unencumbered by alarm clocks and schedules, being free to play when we want to, rest when we need it, and spend quality time with each other, our dogs, and our friends. Exploring Mexico and building our skills as sailors has been great, but the benefits of those things are outweighed by the health, happiness, and rejuvenation that our cruising life has given us. We're now trying to prepare ourselves emotionally for our return to the States and the "rat race" that may once again surround us. We've been warned by veteran cruisers to expect a bit of culture shock when we get home.
While it is weird to think about leaving all this, even just temporarily, we are anxious to head home. We have missed our families and friends in California very much and can't wait to be with them (all of you reading this!) again. For us, people and relationships are what life is all about, and it makes us happy to know we'll be around for the births, family events, birthdays, and good times that will happen this summer.
To all of you who have kept up with our website, we hope you've enjoyed our stories and photos. And for any of you thinking you may want to do something like this some day, we say "GO FOR IT!" Don't wait, because the chance may pass you by. And heck, maybe we'll see you out there!
Wishing you happiness-
Bryan, Carrie, Fletcher & Sadie
s/v Salty Dog
