Sea snakes and Dengue Fever

Beautiful caves at Los Arcos in Puerto Vallarta

Our friends on s/v LiaHona invited us to sail from La Cruz, across Banderas Bay, to the beautiful Los Arcos snorkel site near Puerto Vallarta.

Another view of beautiful Los Arcos

The water looked inviting at first. We couldn't wait to dive in and start snorkeling!

As we motored closer to the reef, though, we could see that it was dangerously surgy. This sailboat in the photo was not anchored and had no business motoring so close to the rocks in these conditions

Then a gigantic cattle boat arrived, dumping what felt like 

hundreds of hapless tourists into the surgy water

We snorkeled for a few minutes in the low visibility conditions before climbing aboard LiaHona for the sail back to La Cruz. Ah, well. You get what you get on any given day, right?

Bret and Chris trim the sails

Espiritu crew enjoying the sail aboard LiaHona 

Our new cruising BFF's Bret and Marne of LiaHona 

While the boys had fun sailing the rig, Marne and I sat on the deck enjoying the sail. I told her this amusing story:

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I swim every afternoon in the La Cruz anchorage, despite the knowledge that there are poisonous sea snakes in Banderas Bay.  I'm unconcerned because they are usually out in deep water. Noone I know has ever been bitten or even seen one in the anchorage, so I don't worry about it. 

2 weeks ago friends of ours from the marina came out to visit us aboard Espiritu and have a nice swim in the bay. They were not in the water more than 2 minutes when I casually said to them:

"You know, Charlie's Charts says there are poisonous snakes in the bay, but I've never seen one. And the rare times someone sees one, they are usually very far out to sea..."

Before I could finish my sentence, in a panic they climbed onto their dinghy and out of the water!

"Wait, guys..." I cried, "...you only swam for 2 minutes! Forget what I said about the poisonous sea snakes! Seriously, noone has ever seen one or been bitten here! Please! Go back in the water!"

"Oh, no, we're done. It was a great swim," they said, drying themselves off.

I felt terrible. But there was nothing I could say to get them to jump back in. 

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Sailing aboard LiaHona, after telling her the story Marne and I had a good laugh thinking about the shortest swim ever by my snake-skittish friends.

Not 30 second later, what should come swimming past our sailboat?

You guessed it. A yellow-bellied sea snake!

Marne and I looked at each other in shock and laughed heartily.

Well! Despite this amazing wildlife sighting, I'm still swimming in the anchorage. We saw this little fellow 5 miles out in the bay, away from the shore, just like Charlie's Charts says. 

But the timing of the snake was pretty amusing, though...

In other news, we bought a used watermaker which Chris has been working very hard installing.

Captain Chris hard at work installing our watermaker

Obiously, not having a watermaker was our one big question mark regarding spending the summer in the ultra-hot, ultra-deserty Sea of Cortez as we plan to do. Now we're out of excuses: Summer in the Sea, here we come!

Other images from the last two weeks:

Swallows rest on Espiritu's flopper stopper line

This kid sat on the dashboard of his dad's bus without a concern as the bus careened down the highway at 60 MPH. File this under "Things you won't see in the USA." 

Quiz: How many regulations would he be violating if he was in the states? 

Answer: Too many to count.

Along with buses there are countless old minivans that are sort of a combination of a bus and a taxi that drive all over Mexico. For 9 pesos you are crammed into the back of the van.

Note: There is no "maximum occupancy" sign in the van. The van is never officially full. No matter how many people are crammed inside, there is always room for one more.

Chris sits crammed up close and personal with a mom and her two kids

If you sold your minivan in 2008 and are wondering where it ended up, I can guarantee you that it's down here in Mexico. 

Mexico: the place American minivans go to die.

It's exciting to know that we could be riding in Chili Palmer's minivan from Get Shorty! 

        (Don't mock me! I hear you. But listen -- it's POSSIBLE. Maybe not

 probable, but don't rain on my active fantasy life!)

I spied this plaque for sale at the cruiser's swap meet here in La Cruz:

It says: "This is a swell ship for the skipper, but a hell ship for the crew." I considered buying it for Chris for Valentine's Day but reconsidered. (ha) I bought him some fresh strawberries instead.

La Cruz skyline

Chickens and an AA meeting in Bucerias

Oh. By the way -- there's no easy way to say this. About a week ago I finally went to the local doctor after having fevers, gentle malaise and severe muscle and joint pains.

I thought I had Chickungunya, but the doctor disagreed, and diagnosed me with Dengue Fever.

Now, before you panic, it's a mild case. We caught it early, he put me on antivirals and I lost 5 pounds on the de-riguer "Muscle wasting tropical disease diet." The worst is over and I'm already feeling much better. 

Yee-haw! Welcome to Mexico! 

Also, please note it is not contagious. Humans can only get the disease from a mosquito bite.

Bucerias sunset

Speaking of sunsets, settling in aboard Espiritu in the evening after swimming, bathing and cooking dinner is a daily treat. 

Last evening, as we were watching the sunset, I heard the lilting notes of a solo saxaphone on one of the other sailboats around us playing (ironically) "Sounds of Silence" waft across the anchorage. 

A moment later, he moved into "Scarborough Fair." 

Well.

Looks like I can cross "Listen to the solo saxaphone versions of Simon and Garfunkel songs" off of my lifetime bucket list. 

See? Every day is a new and exciting surprise. You just need to look -- and listen -- for it.

They always come. 

:-)  

La Cruz, Mexico -- new photo round-up

Marina Nayarit at La Cruz, Mexico

Yellow crowned night heron and seagull coexisting comfortably on the dock

Dinghy splash

Typical early evening family scene in La Cruz. Everyone's outside, the TV is on in the background, the little table is set up selling snacks, the kids are playing happily. 

The bull outside the Green Tomato is the new La Cruz mascot

We attended the event "Cruising Kids Serve Dinner" at a La Cruz restaurant. The kids did the cooking and acted as waitresses for us grown-ups. They did the work for free, but got the tips -- which I'm sure were substantial.  :-) 

The wait staff: Left to right: Presley of s/v Yolo, Neli of s/v Riki Tiki Tavi, and Emma of s/v Alert 

Could they be any cuter?

Little 5 year old Neli showed us her waitress pad, complete with drawings of fish

 and shrimp -- much easier than writing out the long words. Too cute.   :-) 

Happily, there are dozens of cruising kids here in Mexico this year.

Cruising pre-teens having a meeting -- what could they be talking about? 

Overheard conversation amongst two pre-teen cruising boys (age 10) passing by on skateboards:

CRUISING BOY ONE:

"How old is the oldest car?"

CRUISING BOY TWO:

"Um...1960?"

CRUISING BOY ONE:

"Nope. The first car was made in 1952!"

CRUISING BOY TWO:

"Wow! That's old!"

:-) 

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Chris and I strongly believe in the adage that playing games really does help keep you sane while cruising. So, we take game playing (and good-spirited competition) very seriously aboard Espiritu.  Every time one of us is victorious in either Crazy Rummy, Bananagrams or Mexican Train Dominoes, we shake hands. They whomever is the loser says: "Congratulations, Champ!" and I proclaim loudly:

"To the BIG BOARD!"

I then walk up to the BIG BOARD on the wall above the nav station and, quite ceremoniously, update the running tally of victories.

The BIG BOARD!

The big change to La Cruz since we were last here four years ago is the number of gringo snowbirds. There are thousands and thousands of them, taking over the area.

This nice old guy is from North Dakota. North Dakota! Most northern plains folk (my relatives, by the way -- my dad was born there) would consider a few months in distant Arizona a grand, grand adventure.  But North Dakotans in Mexico?!?!? I think it's pretty much unheard of -- until now!

A snowbird rocks the knee socks while gettin' 

down on the dance floor at Philos in La Cruz 

Speaking of Philos, as everyone knows, restaurant owner and musician Philo Hayward passed away suddenly several weeks ago here in La Cruz. I was fortunate to get to sing and perform with him at Philos when we passed through last time. He was pretty much the heart and soul of La Cruz.

Philo may be gone, but Leon is still here, going strong at 82

Only Leon really has the style to rock the knee socks -- and the washboard! 

Leon was extremely close to Philo. When I talked to him about his death, he just shrugged his shoulders and said "Everyone here knows we just need to carry on..." He then said whistfully: "Actually, the truth is, we never talk about it..." His voice trailed off as his gaze fell to the ground and then up to the distant horizon. He turned away.

Feeling bad that I brought up the topic, I then said cheerfully: "Well, of course we know that Philo's one big wish would be to keep the music going!" 

And so we are. Chris and I have played in several open mic night events here. It's still an open question whether Irish/American Old Timey music will catch on here in La Cruz. ;-) 

That's it for now. Hasta luego!  

Puerto Vallarta and Chicken Goonie

A pretty little Puerto Vallarta beach

Puerto Vallarta is the place in Mexico every American has 

heard of, but practically noone has ever visited

When I was a kid,  we never missed The Love Boat every saturday night. Their ports of call every week were Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. 

And in the 60's, Liz Taylor and Richard Burton bought a vacation home here

Dick and Liz aboard Taffy off of Puerto Vallarta 

They were the toast of the town for awhile down here. It was truly the glory days for 'ol PV.

But sadly, once Dick and Liz broke up for good, you know what that means -- all of the houses get liquidated, they both go their separate ways, and the PV dream was no more.

I was surprised to see this souvenir "Liz and Dick

 in Puerto Vallarta" pillow for sale in a gift shop. I wondered if it had been 

sitting in that same shop for 50 years...

And then there was this "Liz and Dick" tribute 

statue standing in the corner of a restaurant

Since the glory days of Liz and Dick,  PV has fallen out of favor with American tourists who fear Mexico's water and tropical diseases.

But just because middle American has stopped visiting, that isn't stopping rich celebs from firing up the Lear Jet and zipping down PV way.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West walking north on a PV beach with their 

baby South (or is it "walking South with their baby North?")

Justin Bieber, Sophia Vegara and Lada Gaga have all been spotted on PV beaches in the last couple of years. I'm not so sure this actually means Vallarta is becoming more popular with average Americans, though. I suspect the more likely explanation is that constantly jetting off to the Turks and Cacos, the  French Riviera and Monaco over and over again gets rather tiresome. So the ultra-privileged elite probably take out the globe every once in awhile, spin it, cover their eyes and blindly point to their next exciting destination. 

Actual conversation overheard at Justin Bieber's house:

 JUSTIN BIEBER'S BUTLER JEEVES: 

 OK. Close your eyes and spin the globe, sir.

JUSTIN BIEBER: 

OK, alright. Let's do this. (Excitedly rubs his hands together, spins the globe, covers his eyes and stops the globe with his index finger)

JEEVES THE BUTLER: (puts on bifocals and peers close to the globe) You've chosen Puerto Vallarta.

JUSTIN BIEBER: (confused face) Never heard of it. Where is it?

JEEVES THE BUTLER: It's in Mexico.

JUSTIN BIEBER:  (crickets, crickets)

JEEVES THE BUTLER (mildly exasperated): Um, well...do you remember The Love Boat?

JUSTIN BIEBER: What's that? Is it something cool that I should buy?

JEEVES THE BUTLER: How about Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Have you heard of them?

JUSTIN BIEBER: (now terribly bored with the tedious conversation) No, no. Never mind. Just book the trip. Wherever it is, I'm sure I've got countless fans there!

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Chris and I recently hopped on the bus in La Cruz for the hour 

long ride to downtown Puerto Vallarta. Both Chris and I had been feeling slightly ill 

and feverish for a day or two, but we bravely soldiered on to explore the city.

This is our view of Puerto Vallarta from the deck of Espiritu on the other side of the gigantic Banderas Bay in the La Cruz anchorage

Bogenvilla, VW bugs and cobblestones -- things you see all over PV

We had lunch at a cute place which featured old 

boat sails as sun covers over the terrace (look at the top of the photo)

A river slices right through the middle of the city, and on it's shores 

is much of the old world charm of Puerto Vallarta 

Adorable little street market along the shores of the river

Of course, Mexican artist Frieda Kahlo is much beloved, and her image is everywhere in Mexico.

Anime style Frieda t-shirt

Hipster-nerd Frieda

Taking a quick break from walking with Mark and Laurie of Trovita

Roadside produce and pinata

Mexican boy on horse

Communal water fountain for anyone's use in the central market

Giant bamboo grows all along the river. I loved these handmade bamboo NFL beer steins. Very original! (For that certain someone who has everything)

We picked up this giant mutant avocado, and suddenly this tall blonde American woman came out of nowhere and (unsolicited) told us all about this variety, basically saying "Don't eat them, they taste bad." Okee dokee. She then said really loudly and excitedly: "I'm a shaman, and my office is right across the street!" She then tried to hand us her card but we turned and ran so fast I think we left a 5 knot breeze of wind wake behind us.

"I'm a shaman! My office is right across the street!"

Maybe this is wrong, but if I were looking for a shaman in Latin America, most certainly I would look for one of Mayan or Incan descent. I mean, a blonde American expat shaman? No, thanks.

Jane Lynch? No. Leonard the Shaman? Yes.

Leonard the Shaman from TV's Northern Exposure

There have been a serious uptick in hurricanes here in recent years. As PV is built 

up into the hills, the water has got to go somewhere.

Mark and Laurie stand on the sidewalk above the double-decker curb, ready to drain the deluge of water down to the sea after hurricanes and tropical storms

Look! They have bike lanes in PV!

Guess where Woolworth's went to die in the early 70's? PV!

Talk about nostalgia. Chris and I both have fond memories of hanging out at soda fountain at the South Coast Plaza Woolworths when we were kids. 

No soda fountain. But we did nostalgically partake of the Woolworth's popcorn and candy! 

The next day we caught up with some recently arrived cruising friends we had originally met in Honduras. As we caught up and swapped stories, "John" (name changed) told us the following strange tale:

While at a marina in El Salvador, he began feeling quite ill, feverish and faint, with diarrhea and vomiting. He went to a local village doctor (an actual Shaman, perhaps?) who said his diagnosis was something called "Chicken Gooonie" (What? We all broke into unintentional giggling when we heard him say it. What kind of crazy tropical illness was this? Do you get it from being pecked by wild chickens? We had so many questions...) and that he needed to get right to the hospital. He found a local Salvadorian friend who volunteered to drive him into the capital, San Salvador.

He lay down in the back seat of the car, counting the moments until arriving at the hospital in San Salvador. But halfway through the drive through the jungle his driver pulled off the road, popped his head back between the seats and said he had some quick "business" to take care of and would be back in a few minutes.

John lay there sweating and feeling quite ill.  (NOTE: When you're in the tropics, you're so hot 24/7 that it is literally impossible to know or even notice that you have a fever at all.) A half hour went by and his driver was still not back. Popping the car door open, he looked up at the sign of the establishment his driver (and supposed friend) had entered now almost an hour before.

It was a bordello. Or whatever they call "bordellos" in El Salvador.

Ha! Some friend, huh? 

Well, the friend finally "completed his business," came out and drove John to San Salvador, where he was officially diagnosed with an especially severe case of "Chicken Goonie" (snicker, snicker) and was admitted to the hospital with dehydration.

Well. And we were already worried about the Zika virus, which is mild in adults and older children but is causing severe birth defects to the children of pregnant women all around the world.

As soon as I got back to La Cruz I looked up "Chicken Goony" on the CDC website.  The correct spelling is:

Chikengunya

Turns out it is spreading rapidly through many countries, including Mexico. The primary symptoms are malaise, fever and sudden onset of severe joint pain, often in the extremities. 

I woke up 2 nights ago with severe joint pain in my right thumb, my right shoulder, several ribs and my right clavicle -- the last being extremely painful to touch. I had no history of injury. As an RN I feel I have the credentials to diagnose myself: 

I've got Chikengunya.

But, don't panic. The worst is over. As it's a virus, there is no treatment. It's self-limiting. I've made it through the acute phase. And it's not transmitted human to human, so I'm not contagious. It is spread via mosquitos.

I never got dehydrated because as anyone who knows me can attest, I drink what seems like a few gallons of water a day, which appears to have served me well this time.

But don't worry. If I get worse I'll head to the local doctor here in La Cruz. Who knows, maybe HE'S a shaman too. No worries. As long as he/she doesn't look like Jane Lynch, I'll listen to what he has to say.

And how was YOUR week?