The Taco Traveler

I can't believe I didn't blog in two weeks. My days in Florida had two very different looks the last two weeks. The first week was a regular week with the nanny, so I'd take G to school at 8 and then have all day to work in a coffeeshop. I'd go to either Trigo downtown Panama City, or I'd drive out to the beach area and go to Joey's Java Juice. Joey's is better because it was more relaxing - they don't get the huge lunchtime rush that makes me feel guilty for taking up a table by myself. He also makes killer Reubens. This past week was Spring Break for Grady, and the nanny had the week off, too. So I'd work a lot of the night after the boys fell asleep, just like the old days. But our days consisted of waking up at 7:30 (no matter how late I stayed up), playing XBox, swimming, playing putt-putt golf, playing wiffle-ball and/or t-ball, going to birthday parties, etc.... One thing about the smalll, tight-knit school is a very large number of kids' birthday parties.

Today is Ty's birthday. He's five. This past Wednesday we went to get his birthday present at Toys-R-Us because I had nobody to look after the boys so I could go alone.

So Friday morning I got up at 4am, got showered, dressed, tucked in and cuddled the boys one more time, then hopped into a cab and headed for the airport. The flights are so easy now. After 6 or 7 trips the past 9 months, I'm becoming a good traveler. There's nothing like being super-early for a flight and being able to just relax. Especially when you can go into the airline's lounge for free drinks and a comfortable chair. Flying into Puerto Vallarta solo feels odd, though, with all the families and newlyweds and older ladies in pants-suits on the plane, all heading down for a vacation. "How long are you staying?" they ask each other. "Oh, just the weekend. My son has a condo and invited me down. You?" "We've here for ten days! The kids have already researched the entire resort and have planned out every single day." Me? They didn't ask. But the Immigration folks did. On that form I said, under "number of days": 45, to allow till June 1 to get to San Diego, just in case weather or work keeps me in a marina. And under "address you will visit (hotel, etc...)" I put, simply, "mi barco." They don't read them.

When I got back to Chemistry yesterday, I was blown away by how grimy she was. All the new construction on and around the marina had piled up massive amounts of dust all over the place. I spent almost two hours rinsing everything I could, including the shrouds as high as the water would shoot. And of course some of that dust got inside, too. After rinsing her down, we motored out of the slip to the anchorage just outside the marina, where I still have Internet but don't have to pay for the slip, and where there will be much less dust. It's pretty rolly out here, and if it were less crowded I'd put out a stern anchor to keep my bow to the swells, but I'm leaving soon and I sort of like the wave motion. I've missed it. I've got a request into Paradise Village Marina for a slip, where I've been wanting to stay for a while now for some golf/spa/resort stuff. Their prices are the same as La Cruz but with actual amenities and no dust. I also have some significant work that still needs to be done, so I need to have Internet for a few more days before heading farther north.

What's next? My plan is up in the air, as always, but when I leave Banderas Bay I'll make a couple stops (Jaltemba, Chacala, San Blas, Isla Isabel) and then I'll see what the wind is like. If it's favorable for a crossing to Cabo, then I'll do that. Otherwise I'll head into the Sea of Cortez a little bit and stop into Mazatlan and then cross to La Paz. An easier, shorter Sea crossing anyway. The hard part (especially single-handed) is going to be Cabo to San Diego. There aren't many places to stop, and it's a bash against the wind, swells and current, generally.

TT