On Wednesday (November 23), Christi was awoken at 0400 to the noise of big rig trucks, ships and pangas. We realized that in addition to the ferries, container ships and cruise ships also utilized this terminal. Here is a photo of the terminal in the early light of dawn.
Sunrise over the campsite
Oceananigans had rented a car yesterday. They called us in the morning and invited us to go into La Paz with them. We each tied up our dinghies to the end of the dock in front of the big restaurant. In this photo, Eric was throwing out a stern anchor to keep the dinghy from crashing into the dock.
On Monday, November 21, the crescent moon was still visible well into the fiery red sunrise.
The kids from Oceananigans came over to play first thing in the morning. They were leaving in the mid-morning, so they maximized their playtime. While the kids played, Eric fixed exhaust leak. This time he used a fiber glass wrap that was soaked in sealant. We’re hoping this fix lasts longer.
Eric took the kids back to Oceananigans when they were ready to depart. On his way back, he stopped and chatted with one of the other neighbors in the anchorage, who invited us to come to his boat for lunch. Then he went over to visit his former colleague, and Eric invited them over to Kosmos in the evening.
The lunch was fancy. The owner of the boat had three of his siblings aboard, in celebration of an important family event. All four were passionate about cooking. The food was amazing; better than a gourmet restaurant. As an appetizer, he served chocolate clams (called this because the shells are brown), which are a local delicacy. The clams were far and away the best clams we’ve eaten in our lives.
For dessert, Christi tried corn ice cream, which tasted like frozen sweet creamed corn. Being as she was a creamed corn fan, she loved it. Eric had flan for dessert, which was custard topped with a caramel sauce. The texture of flan was usually less firm than a creme brûlée and more firm than a pudding, but this flan was closer in texture to a cheesecake. They were a nice family and we had a lovely visit.
We left at 0800 for Ensenada Candelero on Isla Espiritu Santo. We were frustrated to find that the exhaust leak is back. 🙁 The sea conditions were smooth overall, though there were enough small waves that we ran stabilizers. It was a 5.25 hour trip. To give you a sense of distance between the islands, here are two photos that we took shortly after leaving San Evaristo. They could almost be knit together into a panorama. The first photo is of the southern tip of Isla San Jose on the left and Isla San Francisco to the right (the rocks in the middle are the hazard we mentioned that Eric had manually entered into the chart). The second photo is Isla San Francisco on the left and Isla Partida in the back, middle. Isla Partida is so close to Isla Espiritu Santo that they almost touch.
The anchorage was stunning, with beautiful aquamarine water contrasting dramatically with the rugged hills and rocks.
We were the second boat in anchorage, but a steady stream of boats came in behind us. By sunset there were at least eight more boats in the anchorage with us. Shortly after we anchored, the wind did dramatic change and we instantly turned 180 degrees. It may be the most dramatic wind change we’ve ever seen.
Sunrise on Sunday November 13. Another overcast morning.
Here is a fish swimming around the boat. Eric thinks they are called eel fish, Christi thinks they are called trumpet fish. If anyone knows, please clarify.
Our plan was to do our chores, go snorkeling, and then go to shore for dinner. Somehow, the day disappeared. By the time we were ready to go snorkeling, it was so late in the day that it was already time to go to shore! The wind was still strong, and it It was chilly enough that we needed long pants and long sleeves for warmth (as opposed to bug protection, which is why we’d sometimes worn long sleeve or pants on warm/hot days). Here was the sunset, taken from the beach in front of the restaurant.
