Pilgrimage

We have wanted to see more of the interior of Mexico and decided to take a road trip with our friends, Tom and Mary Ellen. We picked up a rental car in Puerto Vallarta and drove upcountry to San Sebastian del Oeste, arriving around eleven. Founded in 1605, San Sebastian was the center of mining for many years and in its heyday boasted a population of over 20,000 people, with 30 or so working silver and gold mines in the vicinity. It was the need for salt, which was used to extract silver from the ore that led to the founding of Las Penas, which later became Puerto Vallarta. The good times lasted until the early 1900’s when the city entered a steep decline. By then the mines were giving out and then the Mexican Revolution in 1910 finished the job. For the next 90 years the town slumbered and its population dwindled to only about 600 souls, with farming and cattle ranching as their primary means of sustenance. Today the town  is reawakening, with tourism as its economic engine. Its a beautiful place with an interesting history. Some of the buildings in town are over 200 years old. The church next to the town square dates from 1870 and is a splendid example of the architecture of that period, with its stone buttresses and magnificent bell tower.

Church in San Sebastian del Oest

We wandered around the square, checked out the church and soaked up the warm, dry air, which was a nice change from the humidity of La Cruz. San Sebastian sits in a small valley in the Sierra Madre at an elevation of about 4,500 feet above sea level.  The problem with San Sebastian is that it’s been discovered by tourists and, while there were only a few in town while we were there, there were busloads on the outskirts of town, and they filled the only good restaurant that we could find.

We left San Sebastian in the afternoon, driving up the winding road to the highway which took us south through the farming town of Mascota and on to Talpa de Allende, where we spent the night. Mascota is not a tourist destination, but it is a wonderful example of a working agricultural and ranching town. It was fascinating to see the local campesinos in their pickups and caballeros astride their fairly small horses riding around town. It reminded me of scenes in the movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. You could almost visualize the soldados opening fire as Butch and Sundance sat at an outdoor café eating their huevos rancheros.

Mascota Rooster

We didn’t stop in Mascota because we wanted to get to Talpa before sunset. About a mile out of Talpa we came to a roadblock manned by Policia Federales carrying M-16’s and sidearms directing us to turn right onto a dirt road. We bumped along for another couple of miles on dirt and cobblestones, taking a circuitous route into downtown Talpa.

There were thousands of Mexicans on foot converging on Calle Independencia, the main street leading into town and to the Catholic Church. Another squad of armed policias blocked the road at the entrance to the town, so I turned left and we found ourselves on a  narrow cobblestone street not much wider than a cow path, with not enough room to turn around so we continued on. The road got narrower, rougher and steeper, until we were driving uphill between two stone walls.  Luckily there was no oncoming traffic.  We drove around for half an hour and finally found a place to park and set out on foot to find a place to stay. There are plenty of hotels along Calle Independencia and it didn’t take long to find one with clean rooms and hot showers just a few blocks from the main attraction in town, the basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Talpa, which houses the Shrine of the Virgin Rosario of Talpa. The Virgin is believed to have healing powers and is the object of the Peregrinos (pilgrims) who come from all over Mexico to seek solace from her.

Church in Talpa

We happened to arrive in town a week before St. Joseph’s day, which is the culmination of the pilgrimage, but already there were thousands of peregrinos in town. It was quite a spectacle as an endless stream of worshipers, some carrying banners, bouquets and other gifts for the Virgin marched past our hotel. Many carried walking sticks which are a symbol of the pilgrimage.  Some came individually and some as families. Still others came in organized groups wearing identical shirts and carrying banners announcing their home towns. Interspersed among them all were numerous mariachi bands. This procession started before dawn and lasted long into the night. To me, the town was bursting at the seams with people, but some locals told us this was nothing compared to the crowds that would be in town on St. Josephs day. Talpa was fascinating but it was difficult to see much of the city because of the crowds everywhere. As far as we could tell, we were the only gringos in town.

Peregrinos marching past our hotel

The next day we got back on the road toward our next destination. It too houses a shrine of sorts, and many people around the world have been known to make sacrifices of all kinds before its best known icon, Jose Cuervo. Our route took us through miles of farm and ranch country and all along the highway we saw people walking toward Talpa. Fifty miles away we could still see people walking along the road toward the shrine. Apparently its a sign of devotion to walk all the way to the shrine from home, no matter where that is. Some of the people walk the last mile or so barefoot and some even do the last few yards on their knees.

We arrived in the city of Tequila in the afternoon and found a hotel next to the central plaza and within walking distance of the Jose Cuervo distillery, where we took a tour and learned all about tequila. For me the situation was curiously reversed. I had expected peace and tranquility in the sleepy little town of Talpa and crowds at the other shrine, the Cuervo factory. But the town of Tequila was as quiet and peaceful as Talpa was crowded and boisterous. We were met by a young guide who showed us around the factory and explained the process of converting the thorny agave plant into tequila. We learned the different types of tequila and how to tell them apart. At the end of the tour she gave us a tasting, which was much like a wine tasting. It was a most interesting tour.

Sculpture Garden at the Cuervo Distillery

After a restful night in the elegant Plaza Jardin hotel, we got on the road back to Puerto Vallarta and made our own pilgrimage… to Costco.  For some reason Costco has many American goods that just can’t be found in other stores in Mexico, such as solid white albacore packed in water. In my opinion Mexican canned tuna is roughly equivalent to cat food. We loaded up on supplies and headed back to La Cruz where we found our boats safe and sound. 

Barra de Navidad to Ixtapa

We spent three days anchored in the lagoon at beautiful Barra de Navidad, but the days were slipping by and soon it was time to move on, as the Honcho needed to be in Ixtapa no later than February 12th. So we upped the anchor and headed south once again toward Las Hadas, in Bahia Manzanillo, about 25 miles down the coast. The sailing was excellent, with bright sunshine, following seas and a pleasant 15 knot breeze. Alas, the fishing was not as good as the sailing. Trolling the trusty cedar plug, we caught nothing except a 10 pound cavally, which is not good eating, so we released it and sailed on, still hungry for some fresh dorado.

We anchored in a lovely spot at Las Hadas, across the bay from the city of Manzanillo. Manzanillo is an old city, having been a stopover for Spanish galleons en route from Manila to Panama in the 16th century. Today it is Mexicos busiest commercial port, handling over 22 million tons of cargo in 2008. Part of the reason for this commercial success is that it is a convenient alternative to the congested ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in California. Manzanillo is  located in a beautiful bay with lots of beaches and excellent fishing so its also a popular vacation destination and served about 30 cruise ships in 2008.

Aside from relaxing around the pool at the Las Hadas resort, we made a couple of sorties to the local supermarket and Walmart for some much needed provisons, then sailed for Ixtapa, about 180 miles south. Our course took the Honcho southwest across Bahia Manzanillo and out past Roca Vela (Sail Rock). From there we turned south, then southeast for the long run down the coast. Leaving at 1600, we had a fresh breeze and great sailing until dark when the wind fell light and we were obliged to start the motor. By 1000 the next morning the wind came up again and we hoisted the jib and doused the engine, sailing close inshore so we could enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Mexican coast. By nightfall we were approaching the busy commercial port of Lazaro Cardenas. For several hours we dodged between fast moving freighters as we motored past the harbor. Hurrying to get past Lazaro Cardenas, we crossed Bahia de Peticalco then had to slow down as we approached Isla Grande, also called Isla Ixtapa, to wait for sunrise so we could pick our way through the many rocks around the entrance to Marina Ixtapa, where we planned to stay for a few days. By mid morning the Honcho was tied up in the marina and the crew was enjoying a meal at one of the nearby waterside restaurants.

Punta de Mita to Isla Isabel

We were up well before dawn on Saturday, March 26th, the day the Honcho made its final departure from Punta de Mita. We got underway just in time to see one last spectacular sunrise over the bay, before we headed north to another storied bay, Bahia Mantanchen. Sailing conditions were excellent and we made good time, getting the anchor down in Mantanchen Bay in mid afternoon. This bay is famous for its great surf and its Jejenes, otherwise known as noseeums, nonos,  or sand fleas. All of those appellations are often preceded by a rather forceful adjective because of their ability to inflict an itching, bleeding, scratching kind of misery on everyone they come in contact with. We were well prepared, with fine mesh bug screens on the hatches, DEET laced sunscreen and bug repellent, and a take-no-prisoners attitude. We passed a peaceful and bug free night and got the anchor up early to head for our next destination, Isla Isabel.

Punta de Mita Sunrise

Isla Isabel has been described as the Galapagos of Mexico because of its remoteness and isolation. Consequently it is the nesting and breeding ground for vast numbers of sea birds, particularly blue-footed boobies and the magnificent frigate birds. The island is a Mexican National Park and a World Heritage Site, so its unique flora and fauna are well protected. It was truly a spectacular place to visit.

We anchored on the east side of the island, just south of Isleo Mona Menor, about a hundred yards off the beach. Eager to explore the place, we pumped up the inflatable kayak and paddled ashore. There we were confronted by a couple of Mexican naturalists who informed us that it was illegal to land there and advised us to go around to the south side of the island and land at the fish camp that was located there. It was too far for our flimsy kayak so we went back to the boat and launched the dinghy and motored around to the spot we were supposed to land. Our entire experience there was fascinating, but instead of trying to put it all in words, Ill let the photos do most of the talking.

The Honcho at Anchor, Isleo Mona Menor in the background

Fish camp on the south side of the island, our dinghy is at left. Notice the hundreds of birds above the hill.

Booby chick on the beach. There were thousands of these babies on the beaches of Isla Isabel. Below, an adult blue footed booby

These birds will grow up to be incredible flyers and fishermen. The boobies appeared to nest mostly on the beaches and rocks, while the frigates built their nests in the trees or grassy areas inland.

Frigate nest in a tree. Notice the chick. These birds showed no fear of humans, we were literally within an arms length of this mother and chick. Below, a frigate chick stares back at the camera

Isla Isabel is an extinct volcano and therefore has a crater lake in the middle of it.  With very little impact from man, it looks wild and primitive, and beautiful in an eerie way,

The following day we got the anchor up and, punching into a 15 knot headwind, the Honcho began the long beat to Mazatlan, 85 miles distant.

Ixtapa

Zihuatanejo

The days flew past while we were in Ixtapa. We had not planned to go there but Im really glad we did. While there we toured both Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo, visited Isla Grande, Playa Linda and the Cocodrilario, and perhaps most fun of all, celebrated our friend, Judys 50th birthday. We stayed at the Marina Ixtapa Nautica, a fairly luxurious marina in Ixtapa. We had been at anchor in more remote places for three weeks prior, so it was nice to get into a marina where we could give the Honcho a good freshwater scrub, sleep all night without an anchor watch, and take easy advantage of the great restaurants and stores nearby. I also wanted to get the hull bottom scrubbed, but laughed when I was told that no one is allowed to swim or perform underwater services in the marina because of the crocodile threat. We kept a sharp lookout but saw no crocs.

Hobie Cat

Judys birthday was much more than a simple party, it was an Event, with guests flying in from various points in the States, and as far away as Denmark for five days of festivities. We arrived on Feb. 12th and participated in a day long outing to Isla Grande, then a day of Hobie Cat racing and the grand finale party on the 15th. We met a lot of great people and had a wonderful time at the party, the highlight of which was Torben, Judys husband, shedding his conservative Danish demeanor to grab the mike and belt out an excellent rendition of Blue Suede Shoes. He truly rocked the place. After three days of partying, we spent the next day taking care of boat chores and relaxing. The following day we took some friends out to Isla Grande where we swam and relaxed and I had an opportunity to scrub the bottom of the boat myself. Im glad to report that it was surprisingly clean, with only some serious growth on the speed and depth sensor thru-hulls. I checked the rudder, prop shaft, strut and prop as well as the zincs, all in good shape.

Pina Colada Isla Grande Style

On our last day in Ixtapa we decided to visit the Cocodrilario (Crocodile preserve) in Playa Linda, since we had yet to see any crocs in the wild, except for one poor little duffer in a flood control canal in Puerto Vallarta. Taking the bus, which is our usual mode of land transportation in Mexico, is always interesting. Local  buses charge between 5 and 12 Pesos and if they dont have a music system, a local musician often climbs aboard and serenades the riders with a guitar and song. The cocodrilario is located at the bus stop in Playa Linda so we got to see the crocs, iguanas, turtles and other wildlife up close. I like that theres nothing but a chain link fence between the spectators and the animals, you can get within a few feet of them, so we got lots of up close and personal photos. Playa Linda is a beautiful beach with dozens of vendor stalls selling everything from toy crocs to clothing, along with delicious food and Mexican beer. Isla Grande lies less than a mile off the coast and tourists arrive by the busload to take pangas out to the island for a day of snorkeling, sipping and sun. We wandered around the place for a while, but quickly tired of the tourist crowds and grabbed a bus back to the marina, where we began preparations to leave Ixtapa. Lisa went up to the office to check us out while I loaded the boat with diesel...a few minutes later she came running back, telling me that finally there was a crocodile swimming through the marina, which she got photos of. Frankly, Im a bit crocd out and didnt need to see it myself.

Croc

We cleared the breakwater around 1630, and set a course that would take us out around Punta Ixtapa and northwest, back toward Manzanillo.  I must say I felt a twinge of regret as we rounded the point. Ixtapa marks the furthest south we will go on this voyage, and every mile we travel from now on will be homeward bound. Id rather be headed for the other horizon.