For the second time in a month I’ve had an amazing molé (last time in Cabo, this time in an authentic Oaxacan eatery) ... this is something I definitely need to learn how to make ;-) you could douse an old shoe with a good molé and it would be a gastronomic sensation ...
Marina Chahue is new, remote, and – for a marina – fairly clean. Thousands of silvery baitfish reside in the channel, drawing throngs of frigate birds (“friggin’ birds” we call them) that swirl overhead like vultures, hunting the fish ...
There’s a Capri (reminds me of fun times on Sue & Barry’s first boat) on the hard in the adjacent yard, named “Plum Crazy” - love it ;-)
A new condo-hotel opened just yesterday across the highway: I implore them to let me use the pool ... ahhhhh! It’s cool and refreshing and all-to-myself ;-)
We’re holed up in Marina Chahue (pron: Cha-way) waiting for the Tehuanapeccers* to relax a bit. (*these are the prevailing winds that blow this time of year - being ‘Gale Season’ while the rest of you are enjoying ‘Holiday Season’) across the Gulfo Tehuantepec** (**I think the loose translation of ‘Tehuantepec’ from the ancient Mayan term = wind-that-blows-balls-off-of-bulls ). Winds here originate from a high-pressure system over Texas, and whip down and across the Gulf of Mexico through the narrow isthmus – just 125m across – where a tmesis in the Sierra Madre provides a gap (the Chivela Pass) for the winds to whistle through. The venturi effect boosts the breeze to an average of Force 4: right now the forecasts are 30-35k ... we were hoping for something a tad lighter so our ears don’t get wet, but we will probably leave Friday at dawn ‘come hell or high water’ (in this case, the cliché being literal, not figurative) as we have a canal to cross (Panama) before Christmas!
Other fun facts: the average temp. is 95F, the annual rainfall is 156”. This is one steamy place (malaria is rampant on the opposite / wetter coast) occupied predominantly by the indigenous Zapotecs: a matriarchal society.
We learn that from here – Huatulco – the wind is expected to be on the nose ‘til Salina Cruz; then we crack off for a hearty beam reach (30-50k) across Bahia Ventuosa (Windy Bay). The situation and place names are making me think of a new country western song: High Pressure Over Texas, Windy Bay, Solo Dios (One God); ‘Pomperos & Papagallos & Tehuantepeccers – Oh My!’ (sung to the tune of ‘Lions & Tigers & Bears – Oh My!’) ...
Much of what we do in port is prep for the next leg, and (among other things) that means re-provisioning! I love the local markets, where you buy whatever looks good - including sometimes strange foods :-? Yesterday’s shopping trip reaped tomatoes, onions, lettuce, green beans; zucchini, eggplant and peppers for ratatouille; we have a load of avocados, chayote, oranges, papaya, and ‘granadillas’ (I can’t remember the Castellano name ...) These tart wrinkly fruits remind me of the do-it-yourself-safari in South Africa with Scolby, KTB & JennJenn, when monkeys broke into our rondavel and zocked* our granadillas (*stole - in a very messy sort of way) – so of course I buy a sack of them, to rekindle that delightful memory :-D
Dec 2
The latest (8AM Thursday) passageweather.com forecast confirms our departure tomorrow morning Dec 3 at the high tide, and when there's enough daylight to see the rocks sprinkled throughout the harbor entrance. Winds are forecast to be in the 20-25 range so that is tolerable, and will get us on our way! We have nearly 900 miles to cover before we get to our next destination – Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua – which will take approx. four to five days: with much of that aft of the beam ;-) But the days are getting shorter, and the moon will be slight; so please keep us in your prayers for a smooth passage (and lots of fish)!! XO
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