Las Hadas

OK, go rent the old 1979 film (Dudley Moore and Bo Derek) "10."

Las Hadas is the filming location. It's one of the few marinas in Mexico with a Mediterranean-tie...if you bring your boat into the marina (which we did not) you drop an anchor a ways out then back up and tie your stern end to cleats on the dock.



We spent several days anchored here, walking over the hill and through the golf course to catch a bus into Manzanillo.



Canadians abound!

Passage

The passage along the Mexican coast takes you past several large rivers. With recent heavy rainfall (you’ll remember the 15 inches or so in 24 hours when we were in Bahia Santiago), a lot of debris has washed down river and into the sea. Along the tidal currents, you encounter layers of tree branches, leaves, chunks of wood, and other detritus. Occasionally we will see a “boat” on the horizon, which, when looked at through the binoculars, turns into a house-sized clump of branches, trees, and other wash-out. It has been our good fortune not to run into one in the middle of the night...no lights, yikes!!



Striking geological formations constantly surprise us as we cruise the coast. Usually we see them only as we enter or leave an anchorage, since that puts us in closer to shore. Otherwise, we tend to sail 5 or 6 miles offshore.

Caleta de Campos

Caleta sits high on the hill, away from the surge and power of the sea, yet relies on the sea for its livelihood…fishing, tourism (many Mexicans come to the beach for vacation; cruisers stop for an overnight, sometimes coming ashore to enjoy a meal at a beachside palapa).




A lighthouse casts its beam seaward to alert and protect mariners offshore.

Wandering through the few streets of Caleta de Campos, we bought a few tortillas, remarking on the similarities and differences in small Mexican coastal towns. There are a few small hotels, so underutilized, no hustle and bustle.



Caleta is unique, yet so familiar.

Caleta de Campos

This is quickly becoming a favorite spot! We spent two nights at Caleta de Campos on our way north from Zihuatanejo. Just after breakfast, a panga circled the boat, filled with school-children and their teacher (a marine science class). We exchanged “good mornings” and, when we invited them aboard, they declined, saying they had to get back to classes. The surf was high, but it was too tantalizing to resist the draw to visit the school. So Ardy swam into shore (dry clothes in a plastic bag held high) and found her way to the school where she talked with the Administrative Assistant and later joined an English class for a few minutes, answering questions about travel on the sea, our life as sailors. The students were articulate, welcoming, and curious--had excellent questions.








One of the special gifts we received from Caleta was meeting the public health nurses. They were engaged in their regular work of mosquito control—identifying and eradicating sources of mosquito habitat that could contribute to dengue fever. As with all public health nurses we have met in Mexico, they are on a mission. Truly dedicated to their work, they go door-to-door, surveying habitat, administering “citations” to clean up areas that are potential problems, reviewing previous areas…are things improved from the last visit? These nurses are located in a large town south of Caleta, Lazaro Cardenas, and they have a “circuit,” traveling to a number of small towns along the coast, visiting each town every two or three months to assess the situation…going door-to-door. It is very labor intensive, and, for us without recourse to statistics on the incidence of dengue fever, hard to determine how effective. Their effort is admirable.

Las Gatas

Hotel California, Las Gatas, Zihuatanejo, Mexico. A beautiful spot, complete with doves that wake you with their remarkable songs.

Las Gatas

There is a fascinating spot in Zihuatanejo Bay. Just as you enter the harbor on the right a point shelters the Las Gatas beach and hosts the bungalows of Owen Lee, a former diver (with Jacques Cousteau) and a long-time resident of Mexico. He lives in an open-air palapa, this shower and bath just off the bedroom.



Owen is also a mutual friend of Scott Robinson, a professor in Mexico City, whom we had hoped to meet while in Zihuatanejo. Unfortunately, his teaching schedule forbade him from making the trip.





So, instead, we met more of Owen's friends: Memo, who is more commonly seen at Rick's Place in town, and who makes a mean guacamole.



Sarah Miller, in Zihuatanejo in preparation for her first sailing adventures, entertained us with her strong, sweet voice and skilled guitar.



Owen at work over the lunch-time stove...a gourmet cook and wonderful host! Thanks, Owen!

Ixtapa

Ixtapa is a tropical wonderland...hot, muggy, filled with flowers, scents, bird sounds, and foliage that threatens to take over any development attempted.



We visited the marina, but did not bring our boat in. People who were staying on the docks told us of their crocodile sightings, plus the legend (true story...or is that an oxymoron?) of the dog that went missing while running on the docks. No one goes swimming here. The locals will not even clean boat bottoms...they know better!