Getting Spoiled

Cruising is not all sunshine and roses… but that’s hard to remember right now. We pulled into Barra de Navidad about a week ago, and I think we’re in love.

Let me back up. As we looked at route planning before leaving Seattle, our attention was drawn over and over again to southern Mexico and Central America. While we absolutely loved our time in BC, while Baja is a unique and exceptional place, and while the coast of the states is… well, that part kind of sucks – it’s the hillsides tangled in jungle, it’s the rainbow of fish hiding in reefs under warm clear water, it’s the tropics that enchants us.

I did a little jig when we crossed the Tropic of Cancer. I jumped in immediately the first time the water was clear enough to watch the anchor hit the bottom (that was actually in California, and it was still way too cold). We began a new phase of our cruising when we left Banderas Bay. These are the waters we dreamed about. These are the anchorages I pictured when I tried to visualize this life. So while we’ve talked about slowing down for a few months, now it’s really gonna happen.

Everybody raves about Barra de Navidad, and I can understand why. The town is quaint but close to a big airport. The anchorage is in a lagoon with absolutely no swell. The weather is perfect. The French Baker delivers fresh baked pastries to your boat every morning. The marina is attached to a resort, and that’s where our sunshine and roses is currently coming from.

Our days here are spent taking advantage of free yoga classes, cooling off in one of several pools, hydrating at the swim-up bar, luxuriating in unlimited hot showers, playing beach volleyball and taking the water taxi to town for first class dinners, tequila tastings, art walks and ice cream. Maria delivers propane, water jugs or cases of beer right to the boat. There are hikes and beaches, surfing and kayaking, and sunshine every day.

So yeah, it’s pretty much all sunshine and roses. I think we’ll stick around a while.