MAZATLAN 2008/2009

We are now in Mazatlan......again!!!! We do love this place. We arrived Wednesday morning December 3, 2008 just as the cruise ships were coming in. The rule of tonnage applies so we allowed them to go in first! Charlie and Sharon on CaST Away were just behind us and took this awesome picture. As you can see it is sunrise. We left the anchorage near La Paz on Monday at 1130 and traveled straight thru to Mazatlan. It was a long and mostly uneventful trip. We motored all the way. We were able to put up the jib when we first left as we had a little wind but not enough to sail without motoring too. It took us 45 hours. My preference is 36 hours or less as it gets a little boring (or terrifying depending on the weather!).  We have done a little wandering around since being here, mostly a little shopping and showing Charlie and Sharon around.

Cruising into the old harbor anchorage.

Settled at last..........for a while!

We have been in Mazatlan a week now. We spent a few days going around shopping and reacquainting ourselves with the area. We also went over the Marina Mazatlan for a night to get a letter from the office that we needed to renew our FM3 visas. Then we spent two days getting the necessary copies and making the payment to the bank. The only reason it took two days is that the immigrations office closes at 2pm and we missed them the first day bay about 5 minutes! Oh well, that's life in Mexico!! We have all the papers in for the renewal and we will pick them up on Jan. 8 2009. The reason it will take that long is that the office closes for two whole weeks for Christmas!! I think I need to send a suggestion to my old office!! These guys really know how to run an office! So, for the next month we will try and find places we did not see last time and check them out. There are worse places to spend Christmas!!

So, I am going to try and catch up. I have not updated since we arrived in Mazatlan. We spent Christmas through Carnival in here. We had intended to go further south but circumstance prevented. Christmas Eve we invited Doc over for shrimp bisque. He is a single hander and wasn't doing anything for Christmas. Christmas day we had dinner with Charlie and Sharon at a sea food place near the old harbor. I think it was called La Punta. You can watch the cruise ships leaving the dock from there. At night all lit up it is an amazing sight.  Charlie and Sharon left for points south shortly after Christmas while we waited for our FM3's. We didn't get them back until Jan. 8th, 2009. We had intended to head straight south but my mother started going in and out of the hospital about that time se we thought it better to stay near an airport in case I had to fly home quickly. The rest of January we idled away, wandering around Mazatlan and visiting with other cruisers.

February brought Carnival and Chris and Eric and Josiah!  We took a slip at Singlar marina near Marina Mazatlan for the month of February. I needed a week before and after their visit to get the boat in shape for the next adventure. They stayed on the boat with us and we had a blast.

Rick and Eric did get in a little sailing..............

Even if only on Charlie's tinker!!!

They got in a little play time on the beach boggy boarding at Playa Bruja but I did not get any pictures of that.  We took a land trip to Concordia and Copala. Our friend Corina took us in her van and acted as our tour guide. She would like to do tours as a profession some day so we had her practice on us! Charlie and Sharon (and the pugs!) went with us. Before we got to Concordia we saw a very old cemetery and everyone wanted to stop and get pictures.

I opted to hold Josiah and stay with the van! I mean, after all, it's no contest which I would rather do!!

                                                                            Their grave sites can be very elaborate.      

                          And Old. Both Concordia and Copala were founded in

                           something like 1586 or 1587.

The church bell in Concordia was brought over from Italy in the mid 1800's.

After touring Concordia we had lunch at a place Corina's brother recommended. He is a policeman in Concordia.

Josiah was of course the center of attention everywhere we went!

And he is dressed for the occasion..............

Cool hat huh!!!! Dad ain't so bad looking either!

These are some of the sites we saw in Concordia.

From Concordia we went on to Copala. It also was founded in the mid 1500's and the church was built in the mid 1800's. It is on a very long crooked road. Corina had only gotten her drivers license 6-8 months before (at the age of 31) so she asked Rick to drive from Concordia to Copala. Copala is a very small place but very popular and has several artist places. We arrived late afternoon so most of the places were closed but the up side is we were also the only ones there.

Interesting guy hanging out the side of the church in Copala!

           Hanging out in the town square with a couple of locals.

Corina Loved Josiah!

            Pretty wiped out after a long long day!

Good bye to Copala!                                                 

Well, as they say, all good things must come to an end.  We had a great time and we miss Corina and her girls a lot. Chris and Eric and Josiah had to go home and Rick and I headed out to La Paz. We will return to Mazatlan but probably not spend as much time. Next year we want to get to Banderas Bay and Puerto Vallarta. So for now we say goodbye to Corina and her girls and to Mazatlan, till next year!!

             Corina, America (5), Rachel (13) and me (no way!)

The whole gang

Chris, Eric, Me, Corina with Josiah, and Rick

Before I go, a big thank you to Charlie and Sharon. We would have never gotten pictures of all of us without them or had as much fun!!

We are looking forward to when They come back to the sea for a lot more fun and adventure.  And now, on to the Sea of Cortez.