Cruising with Barry and Stacey: March 2006

The Journey from Bahia Huatulco, MX to El Salvador

We were at sea for four days and four nights traveling about five-hundred miles from Marina Chahue in Bahia Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico. We crossed the dreaded Gulf of Tuhuantepec without incident. It is known to be treacherous with gale-force winds and up to twenty- foot seas during almost two-hundred days each year. Windows of fair conditions are tracked very closely for this reason. Fortunately, the fair weather predicted for the window we took was accurate. It takes a sailboat at least three days to cross the gulf into "safe" waters, so these forecasts are extremely important. The only unusual incident occurred on the second morning while still in Mexican waters. I was below and Barry was relaxing in the cockpit with his eyes closed (yes, that is allowed when "auto" is piloting the boat, as long as you check out the surroundings every couple of minutes). Anyway, he heard voices and opened his eyes to find a Mexican panga fisherman on-board Blew Moon! Boy, was he startled! As it turned out, this nice older man was one of three fishermen who were just hoping for something cold to drink. Well, once we realized they intended no harm we relaxed and enjoyed a brief chat with the one who was hanging on to Blew Moon. We gave him three sodas, he thanked us and they were off again. He boarded our boat when the panga came alongside Blew Moon. He only had to step up onto our teak rub-rail and hang onto the lifeline. He never actually stepped on deck, but as far as we’re concerned he boarded our boat uninvited which is a major no-no. Later that same day we had another panga come alongside us waving an empty gallon water jug. We filled it with water for them and they shot off like a bullet without uttering much other than a feeble "gracias". They probably did not speak a word of English, whereas the other guy spoke fairly well. These fishermen spend hours in the intense sun with little or no protection from it and little to keep them hydrated. It seems like a grueling occupation with the long hours and extreme weather conditions, but the ones we see seem happy.

By day three we were across the Gulf of Tuhuantepec and in Guatemalan waters. We traveled the whole Pacific coast of Guatemala without stopping. It is expensive to go into port in that country and we plan to explore the country in another year from the Caribbean side anyway. Off the coast of Guatemala we had to dodge a multitude of panga fishermen in the darkness. They don’t show up on radar, so all you have to detect them is the annoying strobe lights they flash to alert you of their whereabouts. They drag fishing lines and nets so you have to give them a wide berth, lest your prop get tangled in their gear. At night it’s impossible to judge their distance, so we headed fifteen miles offshore to get around them. This made our night passage much more relaxing because there were few of them that far out.

This passage was our longest yet and I’m happy to report that we managed very well. I had lots of food prepared ahead of time so that we always had something healthy to eat without much preparation. Along the way we saw lots of sea turtles, a few dolphins, a couple of manta rays jump out of the water and do a summersault, and a weird glowing dragonfly-like flying insect. In the dim night light it looked like Tinkerbell! We had six hours hours of eight to ten foot seas that were at intervals of about three to four seconds which results in a thrilling roller-coaster ride! It was kind of fun for about the first hour and then it got old. Fortunately, we withstood that brief discomfort pretty effortlessly.

Since there was no wind at all the first two days, we motor-sailed. After that the wind came and went. We could have sailed part of the last two days, but we were anxious to get to our destination in El Salvador. It is tricky getting into Bahia del Sol because there is a sandbar you must cross to get in and that can only be done at high tide in daylight. Marina Bahia del Sol is one mile up an estuary that you enter from an opening between the shoreline and where the surf breaks. There is an American couple who have lived here for four years and are unofficial ambassadors of the marina. They guide the boats into the estuary from their panga, talking you through the process on their VHF radio. Many cruisers bypass this anchorage because of the hazards of crossing the bar. The estuary spills out into the Pacific adjacent to the popular La Playa del Sol (the beach). To get in and out of the estuary you have to carefully take your boat through shallow waters within the surf-line of the beach and go over a sandbar near the entrance. Fortunately, our experience went without mishap. There were three other boats that came across the bar successfully right after us. Marina Bahia del Sol is actually just a hotel with a dock and a small pier, but no slips. You can either anchor for free anywhere in the estuary or tie up to one of their mooring balls for $5 USD/day. For $10 USD/week you can use the hotel’s pool, showers, restaurant, bar, and one computer with slow inter-net access. Also, they just installed wireless inter-net that can be accessed from the pool and bar areas. During the week, cruisers are almost the only patrons of the hotel so it is quiet and very relaxing.

The narrow point that consists of La Playa del Sol (the beach) on the ocean and the estuary on opposite side of the point is called Costa del Sol. The waterfront of Costa del Sol is a popular weekend and vacation destination for the more affluent Salvadorans. The wealthy have weekend homes here with full-time caretakers. There are luxury homes and single story hotels lining both the beach and the estuary. The homes on the estuary all have private docks, and a couple even have landing pads for their private helicopters. In contrast, just a short distance up the road away from the point you’ll find very poor villages. Across the estuary from the nice homes is a small island with very modest structures on it. The island has no running water or electricity. One part of the island is occupied by Murray and Collette, the American couple who guide sailboats into the estuary, another by a single Canadian woman, and another by a couple who operate The Galley Restaurant which caters to cruisers. The rest of the island is inhabited by poor Salvadorans. The Canadian woman came here on her boat to lay over for a few days. That was six years ago. She now lives aboard a huge sailboat and has property on the island. Every Thursday evening she hosts a "Survivor-style" cookout on her private beach complete with tiki torches, tables and chairs made from coconut palms and lots of hammocks. She serves a delicious meal for $5 and can accommodate up to twenty-four cruisers. She said when she bought the property the vegetation was so dense you couldn’t get ashore. She hired six locals to clear the property and it took them two months! Richard and Carla built what they call a tropical igloo. They have a restaurant next to their home where they serve dinner a few nights per week to cruisers. They also have one computer with inter-net access which cruisers can use for free. Richard is from England (hence, the presence of a dart board!) and Carla is a Salvadoran. They are a lovely couple.

Our time in El Salvador has been delightful. We have met some wonderful people here. The cruisers tend to gather in and around the pool in the late afternoon. This is a time to share cruising stories, future plans, information for inland travel, cool off and just enjoy the company of others.

We’ve had the pleasure of two car trips with Carla from the Galley Restaurant. She took us and three other boaters to the capitol of San Salvador to do provisioning. The center of the city is very modern city and has the largest shopping center in all of Central America with everything that is available in the states (thanks to NAFTA). The outskirts of the city are inhabited by many of the poorest people who fled to the city during and after the war. Driving around you can see many foreign owned factories with cheap housing on the property for the workers. It takes $500/year for a family of five to survive and these factories pay about half that amount. Very sad! And guess who one of the largest factories is; Disney! In San Salvador we also went to their open-air market, their version of Costco (called Price Smart) and several other places while in the city. Armed guards with shotguns slung over their shoulders are everywhere. Check out our photo of the guard tower in the Price Smart parking lot!

Another fun trip with Carla was to the world famous surf spot of La Libertad about thirty miles away. Two guys on the sailing vessel Float On surfed while the rest of us walked out on the pier where the fish market is. It was fascinating! The end of this long pier has a pulley system that hoists the pangas with the fishermen and their catch of the day right out of the water and onto the pier. The pangas are lowered onto a rudimentary cradle with wooden wheels that allows the fishermen to push their panga the length of the pier to a "parking area" of sorts. Locals gather around the pangas to see what the freshest catch of the day is. The end of the pier closest to the street is covered for shade and vendors line both sides displaying their catch of the day. I have never seen so many types of seafood in one place. Some of the more surprising things we saw were the carts full of eels that were four to six feet long, hammerhead sharks, and even manta rays. Garrett and Steve joined us for lunch after a few hours of surfing. We had a nice seafood lunch overlooking the spot they were surfing. They said there were about twenty surfers out there. Garrett looks just like a young Chuck Norris and our waiter was convinced that’s who he was. It was really funny because the waiter didn’t take his eyes off Garrett and even gave him a big hug when we left!

Here are some of the unique things we’re discovering about El Salvador- 1) Every place we go has American music playing. They obviously love our music! I find this interesting since I have yet to encounter anyone other than Carla who speaks fluent English. 2) They converted from the Colone to the dollar in 2001. One of the reasons is that, besides coffee, sugar and tobacco, people are one of their largest exports. There is more money coming in-country from Salvadorans working in the U.S. and Canada than from any other export. This is why they changed their currency! 3) Sugar cane is being harvested right now and the roads are filled with huge trucks bursting at the seams. Smoke and ash are constant irritants in the air because they burn the fields just before harvesting. 4) Although Spanish is the primary language, many of the Spanish words here have different meanings than in Mexico. We are learning new customs and traditions. Pupusas are the taco of El Salvador. Not that they are like a taco, but they are by far the most commonly enjoyed food item. They are very good, but I’m sure that is because of the high fat content! A pupusa looks a lot like a pancake, but it is made from cornmeal and is stuffed with some combination of frijoles, cheese and pork fat (yum!). They are served with a salad topping of pickled cabbage, carrots and beets. Breakfast and lunch are their main meals of the day and the hours of four to nine are known as pupusa time. 5) Although the country is quite lush, only a small portion of the vegetation is indigenous because of all the crops that were introduced centuries ago. Everywhere you drive there are crops of some type. Mangos, bananas, sugar cane, coffee and cashews are only a few of the things that abound in this country. 6) There are armed guards toting shotguns everywhere you go. Even the more modern public places like shopping centers have signs posted prohibiting guns inside. Guns are legal here and it is not unusual to see people carrying them, although most of these people are guards. However, in La Libertad there was a nice elderly gentleman sitting on a bench outside the inter-net café who had a gun in a holster. That was a first! This is a hold-over from the civil war that ended only twelve years ago. Also, gang violence is prevalent in San Salvador. Apparently, some Salvadorans get involved in gangs in the U.S.. When they are extradited to El Salvador they resume their gang activity here. Even Marina Bahia del Sol has shotgun-toting guards on duty twenty-four hours a day. 7) El Salvador is the smallest of the Central American countries (it’s about the size of Massachusetts), yet it has one of the largest populations! 8) The local buses cram people on-board and even allow overflow to hang onto the outside of the bus. This is not a good experience for someone who doesn’t like others to invade their space or for the closterphobic! They are fondly referred to as "chicken buses" because the locals do board with chickens, pigs and other interesting things in tow.

There is much more I could share, but I’ll save it for another time. We hope you are well. Till next time . . . Stacey

On the Road to San Salvador

Unloading Passengers from a "Chicken" Bus

Pig, Chicken and Laundry in Los Blancos

Los Blancos near Costa del Sol

Guard Tower in Price Smart Parking Lot

Provisioning in San Salvador

Checking Out Another Surf Spot

Lunch at La Libertad

Hauling a Panga Onto the Pier

Lots of Shrimp

Carla with a Load of Eels

A Thirsty Fisherman Off the Coast of Mexico

Sunset from the Galley on the Island

The Island with Inactive Volcano in Background

Part of the Island

Marina Bahia del Sol

Our 1st El Salvador Sunrise

Traveling Inland to Oaxaca City in Southern Mexico

In early February we took an 8 ½ hour first-class bus ride from the Huatulco area in the state of Oaxaca in Mexico to the capital city which is also called Oaxaca. Our visit to this fabulous city was very enjoyable. It is interesting to travel inland because the interior of Mexico is quite different than the coastal areas. The city is in the mountains at about 5,000 feet so we actually wore long pants and long-sleeved shirts at night. The mornings were also quite chilly until about eleven. This cooler climate was a nice change from the hot coastal temperatures.

The history of Oaxaca is fascinating. There are fifteen different indigenous people in the state of Oaxaca. One of them is called Zapoteca. From about 300 B.C. to 700 A.D. these people occupied Monte Alban just outside Oaxaca city. The ruins of this hilltop pyramid civilization are one of the most popular attractions around Oaxaca city. Monte Alban is said to be the hub of the birth of Mesoamerica. We spent a couple of hours walking around the ruins of Monte Alban and reading about the history. There is still excavation going on at some of the structures. One of the structures was a tomb where the remains of eight people and lots of jewels were discovered only about fifty years ago. The valuable treasures buried with the departed are on display in the cultural museum in Oaxaca city. This museum occupies what was once a monastary. We spent a good part of another day going through this very impressive museum. We had the benefit of an English language self-guided tour. It was a wonderful way to get a quick education on prehispanic Mexico. It highlighted each of the fifteen indigenous people of the state and explained a lot about their culture and religions. It also addressed the impact the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors had upon these people. Not a pretty picture. Evidently, the people were crafty enough to submit, on the surface, to the rule of their foreign invaders by accepting Christianity, adopting the Spanish language and submitting to the awful oppression imposed upon them. Secretly, however, they continued to speak in their native tongue and worship their gods among each other. I find it very sad that the Christianity modeled by these Spanish invaders seems to bear no resemblance to the Christianity I know. These people could have been introduced to the all-loving God of the bible who created all things and all people for the purpose of carrying out His divine and eternal plans. Instead they were tainted with an oppressive belief system that was cruel and self-serving in the name of Christianity. No wonder so many people have a negative view of Christians and Christianity! This, of course, is my personal perspective. The result of this early influence seems to be the incorporation of these people’s original forms of worship into the Catholic Church in Mexico today. They now practice an eclectic belief system under the name of Catholicism that is deeply rooted in indigenous tradition and devoid of much biblical truth. It is tainted with the idol worship, superstition, witchcraft and more that is so deeply rooted in their pre-hispanic traditions and rituals.

Right now, there is a social revolution taking place in the southern interior of Mexico. It is being spear-headed by a mysterious (his identity is unknown because he always covers his face) man from the state of Chiapas, named Marcos. From what I understand, he is taking up the cause of the indigenous people in a movement to gain equality for them. Evidently, in Mexico they are looked upon as the lowest class of people and thus do not enjoy the same social privileges of others. Mexico has a deeply rooted class system. Well, Marcos was in the town-square rallying the people of Oaxaca city to join the cause on our first evening in town. It was a peaceful rally, but there were police surrounding the Zocalo to keep it that way. I met two American women on the street that night who both asked me if I knew that Marcos was speaking that evening. Well, at that point I had no idea who this Marcos character was. One of these women struck up a conversation with me in an English language bookstore that was swarming with people from the U.S., Canada and Europe. She showed me a book on colors that Marcos did and told me I had to buy it for our grandkids. She added, with disgust, that the book had been banned in the U.S. because it was said to be communistic. It didn’t take long to see that Oaxaca city was filled with gringos from various countries; many who looked like they were throw-backs from the 1960’s. Many of the foreigners I spoke with were artists of one type or another. The city is a blending of various nationalities and it seems heavily influenced by the arts and liberal political beliefs. We heard people speaking German, French and other languages.

Another very interesting experience in Oaxaca city was our visit to the Sunday market (mercado). It is by far the most expansive mercado we have experienced to date. It seemed to go on and on forever. Many of the locals were wearing their respective indigenous clothing. The women wear their hair long, and usually braided down their backs. Their features are definitely "Indian". Some of the women walk around with huge baskets on their heads filled with whatever they are selling. They balance them with ease. Also, this was the first market where we saw live turkeys and chickens. People would buy one or two and walk through the market holding it upside down by it’s feet. What a sight! This market also had more fresh herbs and fresh flowers than any we’ve seen so far. Another first, were the women walking around selling fried grasshoppers in bulk! It was so amazing that I walked through the market with our video camera. So, stay tuned for some live footage this summer!

While in Oaxaca city we bought tickets to a classical guitar recital by a famous Japanese artist. He must have been in his eighties and was probably incredible in his younger, and more nimble, years. The recital was good, but just being the inside of the beautiful theater was worth the price of admission ($100 pesos/ea. Or $10 USD/ea.). This building and most of the others in the city were built in the 15th and 16th centuries. The architecture is very impressive.

On our last night in Oaxaca city we enjoyed hearing a very talented marimba band in the town square. Local couples of every age we dancing to the lively music. A very friendly older gentleman sitting beside Barry struck up a conversation with us while we enjoyed the music and dancing. He spoke quite good English and we found out that his ancestory is Zapoteca. He speaks the indigenous language and Spanish, plus is teaching himself English. He was a delightful man who said that he was a local elementary school teacher. He shared that he wants to retire in a few years and move to America, although he has never been there. Boy, he’ll be in for a culture shock if he ever gets there! Our brief encounter with this friendly Oaxacan was a great end to our visit to this fascinating city.