Fun with the Felt Family

Bill, Alice, Stephanie, Brea, Jensen, Tom, and Analisse

Mary, their cook, makes fresh tortillas for each dinner!

The second Sunday Alice attended church in Puerto Vallarta she met the Felt Family of Bucerias.  Their Utah home is in Alpine, but they are living in their vacation home in Mexico this year so the children can attend school to acquire Spanish language skills.  Tom offered to pick Alice up for church each week, cutting her travel time in half!  They have visited us on Grey Wolf and we have enjoyed a lovely dinner at their beautiful Spanish style home on the beach within view of our anchorage.  We appreciate their generous hearts and sweet spirits.  We hope to visit them again, perhaps in Utah!

Christmas Message from the Captain

Well, it's that time of the year again. I remember when I was a kid that the last two weeks before Christmas seemed like five years. Now it seems like the last five years only took two weeks!
It is at this time of the year when people turn their attention to Christmas that Satan gets busy using people who are afraid of Christmas or anything to do with God to try to persuade people that there is no God. I remember when there was a push to tell everyone that God had died; now they run ads that say "There is no God'. Psalms 14:1: The fool says in his heart 'there is no God'. So this foolishness has been going on for much longer than most might think.
I have oftime wondered what a great faith these people must have to convince themselves that all we see- Sun, Moon, Stars and this beautiful Earth and all life that is on it just happened by accident... If I tried to tell those same people that the automobile came into being by a Big Bang that happened some time ago, they would think me crazy and they would be right, if I really believed that. When you think about it, isn't a car much simpler than mankind and the animals? We all know that the car was created by a higher being than the car. Does it not stand to reason, then, that everything was created by a being much higher than the thing created and that something so complex as the animal and man had to be created by a much higher being? Genesis says 'In the beginning God created...'. Simple faith and logic tells you this must be true. I have always wondered why anyone would spend so much time and energy fighting something they 'don't believe in', or do they? I have a theory that they fight God so hard because they don't want Him to be there, because if He does exist then all that goes with Him is true also. Down deep they worry about the judgment day that is coming and they well should. Numbers 32 tells us that God punishes His people when they ignore Him and seek their own glory. Remember, God is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever!
Now as we look to Christmas, and reflect on the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we see the great LOVE that God has for His creation. In Philippians 2: 5-8, (read please), we are told that Christ, in His great love, came to provide the only way back to our Father in Heaven.
We can all retell the Christmas story of Jesus' birth in a stable with people and animals at His side, the wise men coming from afar bringing gifts, but what we so often miss is the great love God has for us. He has provided everything we need to be close to Him. Some complain about how commercial Christmas has become, but it has long been that way. When I consider God's great gift of love for us in the coming of Christ, is it wrong for us to show our love to others by giving gifts as well? I think it is the thing to do, and I think it pleases God that we show our love. But don't forget to give a return gift back to God to show our love for Him. He is what it is all about, after all.
I am so thankful that we can look back and remember that Christ has already come. Before that time God's people looked forward to His coming with the same faith we use to look back to that wonderful day~ Christmas!!!
My hope and prayer is that you will celebrate Christmas by praising, singing, and giving a gift to God. Also, show your love with gifts to your family and loved ones.
Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year!
With love to all from Bill and Alice

El Dia de los Muertos

The Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 2. It is a really major holiday here in Mexico, complete with decorations, as shown above. Graves are decorated and some families bring food to the cemetery to share a meal with deceased family members, as in Costa Rica where all burial plots are above ground. The cemetery shown above was in readiness for El Dia de los Muertos when we left. In El Salvador, Alice found special bread in the bakery to commemorate the day (see El Salvador 2 slideshow). One government office we were in had a display of photos of dead relatives, flowers, food, and candles. Roadside memorials were decked out with orange and black Halloween decorations, too!

Guatemala did not want to be forgotten!

We had spent time in Guatemala in January and about went broke in the process, so we knew we had no plans to stop in transit unless we had an emergency, just thought we would enjoy the volcano landscape as we cruised by. However, the Guatemalan Navy decided they would stop us! We left El Salvador at 1 PM on October 31. The next morning we noticed a fair-sized Navy ship approaching from the west. They moved past us and then launched a small craft replete with men in full combat gear and black masks, toting automatic weapons, which pulled up beside us. Bill stepped out and spoke to them in English. It was apparent they wanted to board us, so we waited while they manuevered to allow one man to jump onto our swim step (above). Lt. Cordoba, a handsome young man who was fluent in English, examined our papers and spoke to us briefly about the reason why they stop boats- drugs, of course. He did not really inspect the boat, our honest faces allaying any fears that we were drugrunners!! Just another one of those 'interesting experiences' that have contributed to our adventure...

Back to Bahia del Sol~ One Last Visit in El Salvador

As it turned out, the hardest place to enter was the one place we wanted to revisit! The breaking bar outside of the estuary where Marina Bahia del Sol is located was calm the morning we were escorted safely in (above). Our number one priority was to pick up some tourist brochures and other supplies for our friends Bill and Jean who are busy promoting tourism to El Salvador. They will be coordinating a boat rally south from Puerto Vallarta next spring. Two big boxes later we had accomplished that task. We enjoyed visiting with local gringos we had met in January, among them Jan Turner, a Canadian who has built her home on Isla Cordoncillo, near the marina. Alice brought her a shoebox of school supplies for her English/Computer classes she teaches the island youngsters. She also hustled and made three new baby quilts for Jan to give to families in need (above).

We also contacted Elizabeth Scoville (sister-in-law to a friend of Alice's in Indio) and her family in the capital city. We enjoyed getting to know them in January and wanted to invite them to the boat. Her husband was working in the U.S., but she came with her mother, son and daughter. Bill took them out for a cool dinghy ride- above. After dinner, Alice rode back to San Salvador with them. We went shopping the next day and ate a delicious lunch mom Dora had prepared. Then we all rode the 1 1/2 hours back to the boat, after which they went to the beach. They even came down one more time before we left~ dear, dear people!

The day of our departure the bar was NOT nice to us, greeting us with a few 6-8 foot waves that made it feel like we were 'surfing the big ones'. Just one week after we left a terrible Pacific storm inundated tiny El Salvador, causing massive mudslides and flooding which took the lives of some 200 people...

Out and About in Costa Rica

Two day trips took Alice and Paddy two different directions: the first across Golfo Dulce by ferry to Puerto Jimenez, where we searched for the scarlet macaws famous in that area. We saw bright red dragonflies, birds and a crocodile in a mangrove swamp, and lots of butterflies- too fast to photograph. Another day we rode a bus into the interior in search of new sights. We were in Rio Claro, Palma Norte, Palma Sur, and Sierpe, where we ate lunch on the edge of the Rio Sierpe. By the time we got to the restaurant it was pouring rain- see it running off the tin roof, above. We visited with two American women who had just returned from a three hour river trip, where they saw crocs, and THREE species of monkeys- howler, white-face, and squirrel. In all the time we have been here we have never seen a monkey!!

Pavones, Costa Rica ~ a Neat Getaway

Paddy Landrum, one of our friends in Golfito, and Alice took off early one morning for a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to Pavones, world-known by surfers. This is NOT the high season, but we just wanted to get away. A city-type bus took us TO the river, shown above. We then rode a ferry to the other side and boarded a big old school bus for the rest of the trip! We even got to ride with the school children as they headed home- very early. Schools run double sessions so students either attend in the morning or the afternoon. Upon arriving, we looked around for a cabina, not wanting to spend the cost of a hotel. Many homes either have cabins for rent or, in this case, rooms had been added to the family home: check out all the surf decals on the fridge for patron use that was right outside our room ($30 a night). Although the town was very quiet and so was the sea, it was a very relaxing and enjoyable break.

WAHOO!

We'd been told that wahoo was a great catch, but we had never caught one. We lost three lures in Panama to unknown critters and we were suspicious they were wahoo strikes, so when we put out our lines the last time Bill made sure he used steel leaders. A while later, this fellow struck. Unable to bite through the leader, Bill reeled him in. But he got his revenge, biting a nice hole in our net as we hauled him aboard! You can see his head protuding in the above photo. Then we could see the rows of sharp, triangular teeth... later the same day Bill went to check the lines and found one with the lure AND the steel leader gone... somewhere there is a huge fish swimming about with a hook and leader in his mouth! Alice broiled a nice pan of wahoo steaks to share with our friends here. (FYI Wahoo is ONO in Hawaii.)

Up close with a Humpback!

Much of this latest trip found us on long rolling seas, with swells up to five or six feet- easily enough to 'hide' a small fishing boat from our view. We had seen so many logs amongst the ever-present flotsam and jetsam that Alice didn't think too much of it when she thought she saw a huge log off in the distance, appearing and disappearing... by the time she pointed it out to Bill the log had become a whale! She grabbed her camera, but never saw that one again. A couple of hours later, however, a whale surfaced just off our port bow and only a couple of hundred feet ahead of us~ it seemed to be having a feeding feast as it repeatedly dove straight down in the water. Bill stopped the boat, afraid of hitting it, and we then watched as it surfaced and glided across our bow, diving one last time and disappearing. As usual, the best shot is the mental photo we have when we first saw the big boy rolling in the water. By the time you pick up a camera, even though it is sitting right next to you, the moment is often gone!

One Scary Night...

Bill says he wasn't scared, and Alice wasn't ringing her hands, but the prospects of being adrift in open water for four hours (2 AM to 6 AM) without our engine was no fun. We had planned an overnighter from Islas Las Perlas to Bahia Honda in Western Panama. Rounding the point on the western edge of the Azuero Peninsula, Bill made sure he had the autopilot set and then turned the watch time over to Alice so he could get some sleep. At about 2 AM, she caught an odd odor and began to scan the helm controls, soon spotting the engine totally overheated! So she ran to wake up Bill, who upon opening the engine room hatch was met with billowing steam: turn off the engine! It turned out to be the culprit above: the belt for the raw water pump (a good one is on the left). Nearly all the salt water that normally cools the engine was gone, so it took about 20 gallons to get that refilled; then Bill put a fan in the engine room, gathered his tools, and went to work in a small, awkward, steamy space to take off the shredded belt and put a new one on. Meanwhile, Alice sat at the helm watching the GPS, depth finder, and radar to make sure that we were not drifting into shallow water. We did drift 3-4 miles BACKWARDS but remained in 220 feet of water, thankfully. Time for lots of prayers... we are so grateful for our Father in Heaven's constant care over us as we travel!

Panama's Beautiful Islands

When we left Panama City we headed 30 miles south to Islas Las Perlas, a 200 island archipelago. We stayed first at Isla Contadora where we had anchored before. Then we toured the eastern edge of the islands, ending at Isla San Jose for anchoring. The bay was large and a bit rolly, but okay for one night. Bill pulled out before light, and headed west on an overnighter. Upon our arrival at Bahia Honda the next afternoon, we were tickled with a super calm anchorage and lovely surroundings. This is where we were visited by not just one, but two small boats with family members onboard as it was Sunday. They were hawking their produce for either gasoline, money, or food items. So we wound up with bananas, oranges, a gigantic papaya, spinach, and peppers; they with money, cookies, boxed milk and canned goods, with some pens and pencils thrown in! Bill's brother Barry had enountered frequent opportunities to barter with locals in the early 1990's, but this was a rare occasion for us. The next day found us on our way to Isla Parida, high in the Gulf of Chiriqui in western Panama. This last anchorage was fairly calm and treated us to a beautiful sunset as we spent our last night in Panama on anchor. After four months there, it was bittersweet to know we would never see these gorgeous tropical anchorages again.

MILDEW- With apologies to Dr. Seuss

Mildew, mildew everywhere!
Is that mildew in my hair?
Mildew growing on my suitcase,
Mildew growing on my shoes -
Mildew growing on Bill's hat:
Now that is some bad news!
Mildew on the ceiling,
Mildew on the walls -
Mildew on the cupboards,
Mildew down the halls...
Go away gray mildew.
Don't ever come ye back!
Our lives are best without you -
And that is just a fact!

The latest in the long collection of poems Alice has written since leaving San Diego on 2 November 2005. We will be SO glad when we return to a drier climate!

The Panama City Temple ~ Dedicated in 2008

One can see the Panama Canal from the temple grounds.

Miraflores Locks ~ Pacific Panama Canal

Bill and Alice toured the facility at the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal, arriving just in time to see the last vessel of the morning transit from the lower lock to the higher lock and then out into the open channel leading to Gatun Lake. Bill took video and Alice took still photos of the amazing process!

Then we enjoyed a stroll through the museum and watched a movie presentation regarding the current expansion project which will allow the world's supertankers to transit the Panama Canal. Currently, the locks will not accommodate the largest tankers.

Following our visit to the Canal we drove to the Panama City Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which sits on a hill above the right bank of the canal. It is a beautiful building in a beautiful setting. Corozal American Cemetery lies at the base of the temple site and is the resting place for American military and their dependents, one of 24 American cemeteries on foreign soil around the world.

The Panama City Skyline from Grey Wolf

We have moved a little closer to the city and have actually had clearer days lately for picture-taking. She is still "The Gray Lady" most days, with the steady stream of storms that pass through here in the summertime. There are more skyscrapers to the east, but these two shots show the bulk of the skyline of this city of 2 million!

Alice Visits Atlanta!

On her way from Indio to Panama City Alice deliberately picked an 11 hour layover in Atlanta so she could visit with her sister's family who live there. Sister Ann and her husband and granddaughter also drove down from Chattanooga so they had a grand day together. The family continues to grow, mainly in girls, as shown in the photo above. Left to right- Ann's daughter Darla, her great granddaughter Anna beside her mother Carissa who is expecting another daughter Ella, Ann's granddaughter Kayla, and Ann, Alice's older sister.

Fresno Update~

Now that it is time for Alice to return to Panama City, Panama she finally got in to see an orthopedic specialist! He diagnosed her shoulder problem as a bruised and possibly slightly torn rotator cuff, but with no time to obtain an MRI he simply gave her a cortisone shot- oh, and another in her arthritic knee, then told her not to strain the arm at all for a week... hmm, a fifty lb. duffle bag of boating supplies to take with her... well, all ablebodied men will be recruited to help out.

Alice spent last week in Clovis, CA, a suburb of Fresno, with daughter Alison and son-in-law Rod and the eight children at home. It was a busy but happy time. She got to take Jacqueline and Andrea to gymnastics and FIVE of them to piano lessons. She also helped with a bridal shower for Rod's cousin and tried to keep the kids on track with their jobs around the yard, as the wedding reception was held at their home last Saturday! The shots above show 17 year old Blake and Grant, 10 with John, 2.

And now she bids adieu to all the challenges she has had with house and car repairs and the concerns for her brood, even though they are all grown. A mother's heart is always tender when it comes to her children and grandchildren. There will be lots of prayers for their welfare while she enjoys being back on Grey Wolf with her Honey!

A Sailboat on the Rocks...

On Friday August 7, 2009 a terrible storm hit Panama City. Bill was alone on Grey Wolf and had to battle the wind and the waves for quite a while, trying to raise the anchor that had begun to slip. When he finally got it up it was tangled in a cable, a fish net, and a flotation device!! The next time Bill was on shore he spotted the remnants of a sailboat someone had left on a mooring. The above photo shows what happened to it when it slipped in the storm and blew onto the rocks... devastation like we have never seen before. We have seen boats beached, but never destroyed like this one...SCARY!

Happy Birthday, Justin!

Since Alice was home in July, she decided to have a little birthday party for Justin, who turned 28 on July 11. Owen and Melinda came to the desert for the weekend and Eric and daughter Kaeli came over to help celebrate. Arlene had to work, unfortunately. Justin's friend Sandy Montez joined us, too! Football season is gearing up at Palm Desert High where Justin will again be one of the coaches, keeping a hectic schedule between there and Big Horn Country Club where he now works.

Panama - Part Two

After we left Costa Rica we took our time going to Panama the second time. Alice misunderstood the writeup on Coiba National Park, located on and around Isla Coiba. She thought the place we anchored was free- NOT. We had pulled in and dropped anchor at 3 AM, only to wake up and find a patrol boat bearing down on us, informing us that we must go to park headquarters and pay! (See photo above.) So Bill put the dinghy in the water and we took off to pay up- only to learn they wanted $60 a day for the boat, PLUS $20 a person! We didn't even have that much money on us, so we paid them what we had and promised to leave immediately~ We made sure the next anchorage was free!

An overnighter then took us on to Panama City, where we decided to anchor on the city side of Isla Flamenco rather than the canal side. It is calmer there, even if it is dirtier. We hooked back up with our faithful cabbie, Roosevelt, and managed to get checked in and do some provisioning before it was time for Alice to fly home, as she had fallen on the pilot house steps and wrenched her right shoulder. Poor Bill~ alone for two whole months.

Just before Alice left, we went to Punta Culebra, a lovely nature park within walking distance of our anchorage. It is run by the Smithsonian and was loaded with interesting flora and fauna, as well as educational displays. As we were viewing the shark exhibit the skies opened up and it POURED rain for about 40 minutes. We got to know the sharks and the park guide really well while waiting for the rain to stop! The starfish shown above was one of many breathtaking displays we saw there.

Costa Rica: Part Three

We arrived back in Costa Rica after a five day adventure traveling westward and stopping three places to anchor and rest along the Panamanian coast. We were able to visit with our friends Ray and Paddy before she flew to England for three weeks. In the time we spent here at their dock we were keeping a watchful eye on Ray and their place. Bill assembled and tried out our new, lightweight dinghy complete with beach wheels. He also painted the top of the boat and all the decks, so Grey Wolf looks mighty spiffy again! The salt air is a killer on anything on the boat's exterior, including paint. Rain is now a daily event here, if not two or three times in one day! The air temperature is rather moderate now and life would be wonderful here if not for the humidity. It could be worse, though!

Before Paddy left, she and Alice had the opportunity of visiting Bob Beatham's Finca (farm) in the highlands about an hour from Golfito. What a beautiful collection of plants he has and what a delight to listen to him describe their uses, both culinary and medicinal! The pink torch ginger shown above was photographed there. The birds turned out nicely and provided a marvelous opportunity for photos, too. One of the workers tried to direct our eyes to a long-tailed fowl in the top of the trees, but we missed it. Another day Alice saw a red-beaked toucan but she was without camera- darn...

By the time we were ready to head back to Panama Alice had developed some strange malady that affected her joints, especially in her shoulders and hands. In spite of the fact that she really did not want to leave Bill alone again, Bill insisted she book a flight home to get medical care. She will fly home from Panama City on June 24 and will be home two months. Bill will get to enjoy Islas Las Perlas without her, unfortunately. He will have to take lots of cool photos~

Between the Americas ~ Panama Pt One

We left Golfito the end of May, headed for Panama City non-stop. Fifty-one hours later we dropped anchor at La Playita, the bay in front of Isla Flamenco where the Flamenco Signal Station is located. ALL vessels approaching from the south or west must check in with the Signal Station to let them know they are coming into the Panama Canal Zone. Dozens of commercial ships lay on anchor west and east of the lighted buoys which lead a constant parade of vessels to the beginning of the Pacific canal entrance at the Miraflores Locks, past the Bridge of the Americas, shown above. For the next ten days we watched the comings and goings of freighters, tankers, cruise ships, and the occasional pleasure craft, dwarfed by the huge vessels! Years ago we really wanted to traverse the canal, but at this point we are happy just to observe.

We had been told that the port authority would contact us regarding checking in, but after two days of listening to the radio Bill took off in our dinghy, determined to get the skinny on what we were supposed to do. We were supposed to take our documents and go into the city to get checked in! Okay, we can do that, so after friends on a sailboat recommended an Engish speaking cabbie we called him and did the paperwork Cha Cha, as it is called... five stops later we were checked in!

There is a marina not far from our anchorage, so we were able to take the dinghy ashore and walk to where there were marine stores, restaurants, and an ATM. By Wednesday, May 6, we had checked it all out in preparation for meeting up with our daughter Margaret's in-laws, Rob and Mary Robinson. They were arriving on the Coral Princess cruise ship for the day! What a small world~ we scurried over to the terminal that morning and contacted an officer who confirmed they were still onboard. We visited and ate lunch. We pointed out Grey Wolf on anchor but did not have time to take them out as they had a city tour to take. Alice wound up going with them on the city tour, which was very enjoyable and went places most tourists would never go, even into the heart of the slums! Although Alice had purchased several molas earlier, she found some real steals on this trip and now she has a LOT to play with... these colorful fabric and thread pictures were originally made for clothing by the San Blas Indians but today are used to decorate many items. See above photo.

We are now anchored near an island in Islas Las Perlas, 30 miles south of the canal. We will spend about a week here before returning to Costa Rica for a month. Stay tuned for more from Panama in the summertime!

Golfito, Costa Rica~ Part Two

Bill had moved the boat to Golfito the week Alice flew home in March. Finally, on April 7, she returned via a rental car and three flights! Needless to say, she was dog-tired and slept a LOT the first few days. Needless to say, Bill was just happy to have her home! The area here truly is rainforest and there has been enough rain to prove it~ it is still the dry season, they say... We have met many nice people, mostly landlubbers and mostly Americans. Our friends Paddy and Ray have lived here since 1994, so they know a LOT of people. We have been to a party on the Isla de Golfito across from their home, and to several homes on the mainland where we have seen everything from toucans to crocodiles to orchids and waterfalls. We had hoped to meet a troop of 50 monkeys one afternoon, but they stood us up! The fruit is ripe in the forest, so they don't need the human handouts right now... We have been shopping more than once and Alice's feet are tired from the cobblestone sidewalks. A new pair of sandals is in order. We will make a short day trip to the Panama border this week and then will decide when we pull out for Panama on Grey Wolf. The above photos show our afternoon on the island at Larry's lovely palapa home!

Alice's Busyness!

While home, Alice took advantage of the opportunity to have Kaeli over each week while her mom and dad were at work. Grandma Rowland usually watches her, but she and Grandma Johnson had fun and she became very comfortable being there. The above photo shows Kaeli helping Grandma wash dishes. Her little blue apron from Costa Rica is barely visible. She became so used to wearing it that she reminded Alice one day that she did NOT have hers on!

Since the long arm quilting machine was just sitting there, waiting for use, Margaret called to ask her mom if she would be able to finish a quilt top and two pillow shams that she had just finished in Ohio. No promises were made, but when the box arrived and Alice saw the size of the quilt top, she despaired of ever getting done with it! The machine did not cooperate, the batting did not cooperate, but after an entire week of struggling with it, the project was done... not perfectly, mind you, but done nonetheless. Alice does not want to ever do a top that big again- 100 inches square! Not a great photo of Kaeli, but the Pioneer Braid pattern shows up well.

Little Miss Kaeli grows UP

Alice has had several opportunities to watch Kaeli while her parents had to work or run errands. At 28 months, she is very talkative and very mature. She is not at all shy and will strike up a conversation with a stranger, not unlike her Aunt Melinda. She does an amazing job of entertaining herself, playing with dolls or toys for extended periods of time. She and Grandma Johnson had fun in the kitchen, too! We colored and crafted and read and cooked and played and napped- whew! She made her first big car trip, going to Clovis for two of her cousins' birthdays. Dad Eric went along, too, and enjoyed seeing sister Alison and her family. He and Arlene will have to run FAST to catch up with this kid!! Family photo above.

Alice Takes Care of Busyness at Home!

Alice has been VERY busy this past month. She flew home from Costa Rica on March 4 and will return on April 7. Between doing taxes, seeing doctors, family and friends, as well as opening a zillion pieces of mail and processing the important ones, she is closing in on being ready to catch up with Capt. Bill in Golfito, C.R., were he took the boat shortly after she left. We have friends there and it will be nice to get together with them, as well as take in some more of the land before we head on to Panama in May.

Above you will see a couple of interesting family photos. Margaret and Jeff flew from Ohio to Fresno for her birthday. Alice drove up and brought Jeff's parents, too. We all met at Alison and Rod's home. We had a whirlwind weekend, but a fun one as well. Son-in-law Rod had just had double knee surgery, so he was NOT having fun. The above picture shows Jeff, Margaret, Rob and Mary. The other unusual photo is at the Shoot-out in Indio Hills! Melinda and Owen (center) came to the desert one weekend with friends of theirs. It worked out for them to go shooting with both of Alice's sons, Justin and Eric, on left. They were surprised that Alice went along, doing most of her shooting with her camera, but they insisted she take a turn with the guns, too. She shot a round with a pistol and one shot with the SKS! Why not??? That is her mantra these days~

Tourist Heaven~ Costa Rica Part One

After a week in Nicaragua and making all the needed repairs, we headed for Costa Rica. Two sailboats we knew had taken off the day before, so we were not surprised to find them on anchor in Bahia Santa Elena when we pulled in from a 24 hour overnighter. The weather looked pretty good the next morning so we took off ahead of them to travel to Playa del Coco- our point of entry for Costa Rica. We did encounter our share of wind and waves, but nothing compared to what we have been in. We arrived mid-afternoon and anchored in the large bay where at least fifty other boats were anchored, some sailboats, some power boats, many fishing boats and ONE gigantic commercial sailboat, complete with shore tenders and four huge sails- See above. She is a unique version of a cruise ship!

The next day found us ashore and working to get all the needed paperwork filled out with the port captain, immigration and customs. It took most of the day, since customs is NOT located in Coco, but rather at the airport in Liberia, some 20 miles inland. Bill made the trip there while Alice kept an eye on our dinghy, ate lunch, and did some gawking and shopping. This town is VERY touristy, with more tourists on the streets than locals! Most prices in stores were in U.S. dollars, not colones.

We then headed south around the Nicoyan Peninsula and into the Gulf of Nicoya. There were good anchorages on both the east and west coasts, and we decided to head to the eastern anchorage of Bahia Herredura where Los Suenos Marina is located. We knew from reading that it was pricey, but nearly fell over when we called to see how much it would be to take our dinghy to the dock there: $40 U.S. dollars per day!!! The next day we pulled anchor and left.

Traveling north to Puntarenas, we experienced the shallow water that surrounds this peninsula. The "Backside" is where the marina is and our guide book indicated very shallow water there at low tide. By the time we were into 13 feet of water and still quite a distance from shore Bill thought better of it and hung a U and headed south again, skirting the numerous islands in this gulf. See above photo Alice took when she flew to the capital.

We wound up anchoring in Bahia Ballena, on the west coast, for a week, going ashore numerous times and locating a place to buy a puddlejumper ticket so Alice could travel to San Jose and on home on March 4. We met an expat New Yorker who runs a small restaurant. He was very helpful and even took us to the airstrip (no airport) when March 4 rolled around. While in Bahia Ballena we had the pleasure of visiting with people on three sailboats we had met earlier. We also got to know a couple from Vancouver, B.C. who have been circum- navigating the world for the past six years. They expect to be home again in 2010! Amazing~ After Alice left, Bill got word that our friends Ray and Paddy were home from the U.S., so he did an overnighter, arriving in Golfito on March 7. He reports it is beautiful there~ Alice will return April 7.

Nicaragua ~ A Hidden Paradise

We are usually anxious to relax after a trip on the water, but this time there was no rest. On top of the water in bilges, two of the three pumps were not working, so that required bailing and hand pumping LOTS of water. Bill also discovered a drain hole that was clogged... and later the cause of the pump failures- burned out wires! Electricity and water REALLY do not go together. After two days of hard, hard work on Bill's part and Alice doing wet bedding and clothes from a porthole leak and helping Bill as she could, we finally began to have time to relax and enjoy our beautfiul surroundings! The marina is adjacent to a lovely hotel (above) and has a spectacular view of Volcan Viejo, still active (top). We visited some with the boaters we had followed in and wound up making a day trip together to Chinandega, the nearest city 20 miles away, half on dirt road that is full of detours as the road will soon be paved. The marina has a once a week van trip, not free, to help boaters get provisions. Of course, Bill was looking for repair items for his list of problems! Although the countryside seems a bit greener and the animals a bit fatter, some of the homes are the poorest we have seen, including a cardboard 'city' just off the main road. We are told some workers only earn a dollar or two a day.
Alice had envisioned us being able to go on an inland road trip, but the repair situation and upcoming windy weather shelved that idea for this time. February is one of the windiest months, so we will have to plan our transit to Costa Rica around the upcoming weather window.