Pelican on the Prowl

Sunday morning started with the sudden stopover of this fine fellow on our bow. Maybe he came to check out the new bowsprit. Maybe he was new to the neighborhood and just wanted to be friendly. Maybe he knew Ron cooks the best meals in the marina and it was time to eat. Who knows why the unexpected visit but I was outside in a heartbeat, camera in hand, to welcome him to our home. Ron just wanted him off the boat before he fouled ( pun intended ) the floor, but I am always eager to make the acquaintance of these magnificent creatures.

Upclose and personal with a neighborhood pelican. We had quite a one sided discussion on a variety of topics during his time aboard Argo's bow. He showed no fear of me though I was only about 3 feet from him a goodly share of our time. I couldn't talk him into leaving so Ron finally made a short appearance and convinced him to quietly move along, unfortunately not before he left us a parting gift.

Discussing his impending departure. Adios. Hasta luego.

Slowly sauntering off the port side.

And with a splash he was off.

Claudio and his Catch!

Claudio was fishing in San Francisquito with a speargun when he caught this beauty! Approximately 80 pounds of grouper!! Congratulations Claudio!!

San Bartolo Bovine

Thursday Ron and I headed to San Bartolo with George and Anne to see a special local attraction. In this dry barren desert a natural aquifer drains clear, pure water through the walls of a nearby cave. A small beginner creek, from the same source, also flows from this cave. A natural phenomenon from ages past. Water, cascading from the walls, pools together with the water from the small creek and flows downstream maybe 100 feet to a concrete swimming 'pool'. A kid's delight! The creek keeps the 'pool' filled and then spills over the far side and tumbles gently down a short hillside where it is soon around a corner and out of sight.
This attraction is located just on the other side of an arroyo from the small dusty town of San Bartolo. Upon arriving at the local hangout to visit the cave and hopefully enjoy a dip in the 'pool' we were confronted by another group on its way to this water. Uncorralled cows. The usual kind of cow in Mexico. They were heading for the lower portion of the creek, though, not the 'pool', which was quite occupied by another set of local residents. Kids. Noisy happy kids.
The cows were headed down the arroyo probably as they did every day of their lives.

Here she is - - the undisputed leader of this gang of rib-revealing local cows heading for a refreshing libation at the nearby aquifer generated cooling creek. Just one obstacle at this point. A gringa who does not realize she is in the DIRECT path leading to said libation. Believe me, this gringa, (me) did not hesitate to give up the territory this cow was unhesitatingly going to traverse.

These young heifers kept their distance even after seeing the success the boss cow had in making me back out of her way on her trek to the welcoming creek.

Decisions, Decisions!

Decisions, Decisions! Can I fit through or do I need to stomp around these parked vehicles? This cow is obviously nutritionally challenged but far better than lots of cows in Mexico.

Guess it pays to be an emaciated desicated desert bovine who is fearless where barbed wire is concerned. This was undoubtedly the shortest route between where she was and where she was used to going. Not withstanding George's vehicle parked not a foot from the fence.

And GOAL . . . wet and cool and just what this bovine had set her mind to find.

Water in the Desert

San Bartole is a small town on Mexico's Highway 1. What is special to San Bartole is the presence of an aquifer just outside of town. The equisitely cool, refreshing water drains from a small cave above this concrete 'pool' area, creating the perfect respite from the 100 plus degree temperatures of this area.

Here George is examining the sheets of clean, clear, pure water that is flowing down the sides and along the bottom of the cave.

Annie is sitting in the cave whose walls are draped with the steady flow of water draining down its sides and out to the swim area, and on to the creek.

Young Machos and Juan, with the Pretty Eyes

These young mancho men were plotting and executing their performances for the maximum effect of show.

This is Juan, with the Pretty Eyes, as Anne and I referred to him. He is undoubtedly the one responsible for the cannonball/tsunami that caught me unaware and drenched the back of me just as I turned away from the pool. Talking with Juan later, he seemed like an intelligent good kid.

San Bartole Aquifer

Ron and George enjoying the shade and cool of the surroundings.

The local kids enjoying the water. The more macho divers lined up on the far bank to get the lay of the land --- or water.

Pretty Poison

This is the infamous 'malo' plant. We found this on a sandy hillside among the cactus and other desert flora. George says that brushing up against one of these stinging nettles is incredibly painful and we kept our distance from the many plants we observed.

This plant I observed upon leaving the swimming/aquafer site at San Bartole. This is the castor plant,with its accompanying seeds. It grows 6-15 feet tall. This speciman was a good 10-12 feet tall. The seeds or beans are used in quite a number of everyday items, but it is also quite poisonous. It is the source of the deadly ricin poison. Gram for gram it is 6000 times as poisonour as cyanide and 12,ooo times as poisonous as rattlesnake venom. The 'beans' though not true beans, look much like pinto beans, or at one stage, look remarkable like ticks engorged on blood. The plants like sandy, well drained, but moist soil such as is near the aquifer. Children beware.

Signs to Heed

Seen on the road to San Bartole

Pay special attention. Mexican cattle, cows, horses, goats, whatever, don't seem to know to watch out for vehicles on the road. I blame it on poor nutrition. Honestly.

Falling rocks is a real hazard in this country. Beware.

Tope!! Meaning a roadwidth bump a foot wide and maybe 6 inches tall. Can send one into orbit, or cause bottoming out, if not heeded.

No passing zone. Seems to be for the gringos. Mexican drivers don't pay it a lot of attention. Maybe that's why there is an inordinate amount of roadside shrines to commemorate traffic accidents here.

Parrot on a Post Perch

One day last week this handsome parrot was seen clinging securely to the post outside the office at Marina de La Paz. Maybe he is the new parking lot monitor--one is surely needed. He is good natured, quiet, and so far does not seem to eat much. There are benches nearby for those wishing to chat or commiserate between journeying here and there. Not a fly on the wall, but the parrot on the post perch, WATCH WHAT YOU SAY!

Mullets and More

We watch at dusk for low clouds on the horizon. The makings for some great sunsets, some of which get radioed to the fleet as 'Sunset alert's. They can be quite spectacular but difficult to capture.

These little fellers are known as 'mullets'. We see them by the dozens here in the Bay. They are usually up to 2 feet long, or the ones I have seen are that size. They feed on the algae attached to the sides of the docks and the hulls of the boats. Apparently they have crow-bar shaped teeth and I am frequently awakened when one of these suckers seems to hit the v-berth hull like a charging mountain goat! BAM! BAM! As we have a Mexican marina policy that does not rely on holding tanks for waste water, and toilets are emptied directly where these guys live, I wouldn't touch one with a ten foot pole.

The Blessing

Another new experience here in Mexico. A 'blessing'. Manuel and Lupita have run a language school here in La Paz for several years. Ron and numerous other cruisers have taken Spanish lessons at their school as have many others. The school has been recently moved to a site about a block from where it has operated in the past. In moving the size of the school has doubled.

Before opening the new site a priest/minister was brought in and a 'blessing' of the new site was performed. The officiant used baby yellow roses, dipped in the holy water, to sprinkle around the school.

Manuel, who is originally from Nigeria, and his wife, Lupita, originally from Mexico City, hosted refreshments after the short but significant ceremony.

Sunset Alert

Another beautiful sunset here in La Paz tonight. Too bad it's not from Santa Rosalia or Puerto Escondido or other parts in the Sea of Cortez north of La Paz. Maybe later this summer we will be taking a few short hops to the islands near La Paz. There is still a lot of work to do to get the engine, transmission, etc. in shape to go out again. Spraying salt water can take a nasty toll on mechanical systems. But nothing that can't be fixed. With time. And in Mexico that time may take a little longer. "Manana doesn't mean 'tomorrow' here in Mexico. It just means 'not today'!" as the saying goes.

Slowly but surely things are coming together. We have now entered the hottest two months of the La Paz calendar--July and August. June is hot, but July and August are hotter, and humid on top of that. Thank goodness for the AC in our saloon hatch!!

It rarely rains in La Paz but we were awakened about 12:30 AM with a rain shower!! Ron was up closing his hatch and the back door and I raced to get the hatch in the forward stateroom closed as well as the two main doors in the saloon. We keep all of them open all night in warm weather. We can still turn the AC off at night and leave everything else open and be comfortable. That won't last much longer and we will have the AC on 24 hours a day. Thankfully La Paz does not have the flies, mosquitoes, no-see-ums and other flying creatures that can make after hours difficult as in a lot of places. But then we are in the desert here, even if we are on the Sea. Figure that out!

Oh, and the rain early this AM---3 millimeters, or approximately 1/10th of an inch!! ??Whoopee!! Even a little lightning to go along with it!

By the time it was yoga time, 8:30 AM it was getting hot and humid. But we don't move too fast; it is yoga after all! A shower afterward rejuvenated me until I could make it down the dock to Argo and the AC!

The photo is off the stern about an hour ago.

Day 1 Off to another Grand Adventure

As we cruised along enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery we happened upon a fellow traveler. This sea lion was quick to give us a cheery wave as we sailed on and allowed him to sunbathe in peace.

Day 1, June 18, 2009. Off to a wonderful start on our Grand Adventure in the Sea of Cortez.

Day 2 of our 2009 Sea of Cortez adventure

It was a gorgeous morning as we awoke and got going in Caleta Partida. This anchorage separates the two islands, Espiritu Santo and Isla Partida. The water was such a stunning turquoise that was unfortunately unable to be replicated with a digital camera.

This is the coastline of Baja as we made our way north.

Ready Just In Case

I forgot to put this into the next post but didn't want to leave it out entirely.

This is Argo's dinghy with all the 'necessities' we didn't want to abandon ship without.

The dinghy sits on the back cabin on Argo.

Day 3 Controlled Disaster at Sea

Saturday, the 20th of June, 2009. Another day I will long, long remember. We were cruising along the coastline of Baja California when we had major problems develop with hose lines erupting and spraying gallons and gallons of sea water throughout our engine room. Not only did the approximately 1500 gallons of water, weighing approximately 6 tons, cause our bow to sink, but effectively caused us to lose ALL power to Argo. No power, no way to make the emergency bilge pump work to pump all that excess water overboard. No alternator, no engine, no transmission, and no radio to call for assistance. I was at the helm and Ron told me to steer for the dark reddish rocks in this photo in case we had to 'beach' Argo. We were SINKING.

Ron out by the dinghy which has been loaded with our most precious possessions, official papers, and survival equipment. With our 2 onboard radios requiring power and thus not working, we were left with the portable radio which was found not to be working either. Thank God Ron had hailed Sea-tacean when alerted to the problems down below. ---Before we lost our power systems.

This is a wonderful sight to my distressed eyes! Sea-tacean, with Archie and Bev aboard, coming to our rescue. Not only did they have a portable generator to use with our emergency bilge pump but they had a radio. When Bev spotted a power boat off in the far distance she was able to hail it and more help was soon in sight.

This is the sport fishing boat "Catchin' Memories" who came to help with the rescue of Argo. They had an extra pump for the overflowing bilges below, and were also gracious, and powerful, enough to tow us the 80 nautical miles back to La Paz.

This is yet another sight of the rugged, barren, yet beautiful landscrape we were cruising alongside. Beautiful, yes, but nowhere to be stranded.

Many, many, thanks, muchas, muchas gracias to Bev and Archie on Sea-Tacean and Kevin, his wife and 3 daughters on Catchin' Memories for saving our day . . . and so much more. I'd say we were all 'catchin' a few memories' that day.

Tulips in Dorothy Bell's Fairfield backyard

A day or so before I left Fairfield at the end of April, I tried my luck at memorializing the incredible tulip display in Dorothy Bell's back yard. What color!

"Pelicanos" by Lila Magallon

Anyone who has read much of this blog at all has surely realized that I have a 'thing' for pelicans, or pelicanos as they are called here. I find they are the most fascinating creatures! And I found, and met, an artist who shares that fascination. Her name is Lila Magallon and she co-owns the lovely Galleria Gato Negro next to the Bistrot Francais in La Paz. Yesterday after having a delightful meal at the Bistrot I wandered into Lila's galleria. I gazed approvingly over the 10 or so other major pieces of artwork displayed. But my heart had already been captured, in an instant, by the colors and the movement and, of course, the subject of this most wonderful piece. Having no place for such a beauty on Argo, I was resigned to taking a photograph. Lila generously consented to my desire to photograph that which I could not possess. Thank you so much, Lila.

In all fairness I must mention that the photograph is but a poor reproduction of the real artwork. Very poor reproduction, but it is certainly better than relying on my memory. I can also share, though poorly, the beauty of this work through this posting.

Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe

Around the back corner of the lot where the new cathedral is being raised I found this shrine to the Lady in whose honor the new cathedral is being built.

Catedral in the Making

I was on a Friday 'walkabout' when I decided to check out the progress of the building of the new Cathedral here in La Paz. I knew that some services were already being held here, but, of course, no work was being done during the services. But I was quite surprised to find that even while work is being done, visitors are not restricted from viewing. At their own risk, to be sure. In the States casual 'looky lous' would have been restricted to being kept behind a fence a quarter mile away from the work I was watching. But no one paid me any attention as I wandered all over the cleared sanctuary where an enormous crane was lifting the sections of the dome high over my head. As the sections were being welded in place by the safety belted welders, I was free to watch and photograph even as balls of welding sparks fell silently to my feet. It was my decision to be there and quite understood that I took the risks and responsibilities for my safety totally upon myself.

Individual beams for the dome were probably 10 feet long. I watched as the beam was tied onto the lifting wire. Approximating midway. It was a bit off so a rope was attached at one end to help with balance. Ten feet off the ground and it was obvious that it was still off balance by too much. The beam was lowered and the rope moved a bit. Another moment and it was ascending past the figure of Jesus on the cross.

Before visiting Florence and Rome 3 years ago, I read the incredible stories of Brunelleschi and Michelangelo and their frustrations and triumphs in building the wondrous domes on the Cathedrals of those respective Renaissance cities. I had been overwhelmed by the sites in person. On a smaller scale, in a different century, yet another miracle of dome construction is underway.

From a Distance

Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe has been underway for more than 10 years now. A great deal remains to be done as is evidenced by the photos.

It was so incredible to me to view this Cathedral in the making. I have walked through many cathedrals in Europe. Many of them took hundreds of years to build. Modern engineering methods have greatly reduced the time to raise these wondrous structures, but it is inspiring to note the work of the individual men who scamper among the beams on the unfinished dome.

This is a mock up of the finished Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe. ( Catedral de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe ) She is off to a grand start. It will be a continually rewarding experience to watch as this great structure and this project comes to fruition.

Charming Pelican Charm

Wednesday afternoon I spent along the San Diego Embarcadero and that led, naturally, to Seaport Village. Seaport Village is a congregation of several dozen delightful little specialty shops, all geared toward the discrimating tourist. Or anyone willing to part with extra bills cluttering their wallets.

Almost done in after a whirlwind spree through this tract of boutiques I headed toward home -- or the motel as it happened to be. A jewelry store caught my eye. Not usually one to cross the threshold of such establishments, I never-the-less found myself heading in just that direction. A 'sale' sign beckoned me further.

Once inside I quickly browsed the displayed merchandise. Fine jewelry, and the prices for the same, do not lend me to squandering much time or energy to close observation -- usually. Then I was astounded when I caught sight of this wondrous pelican, or pelicano, as I have come to call them. ( My Spanish vocabulary at work. ) For the last two years I have been on the lookout for a replica of my favorite marine bird, in sterling silver, preferably, in such a size to find a comfortable home on my Tilley hat. Or neck - hung on an appropriate chain. All for a price I was quite comfortable with as well. SOLD

The main portion of the pelican is sterling silver and the blue is Australian opal. So I was informed by the most helpful sales person.