I realize I've left a lot of gaps in my itinerary over the last couple of weeks, so hopefully this will rectify that. After Barra de Navidad I headed farther south towards Bahia Santiago, which is one of the sub-bays of the larger Manzanillo Bay area. Before getting there, however, I joined Shiloh and Sailfisher for a night at an amazing place called Ensenada Carrizal. I think I've mentioned it elsewhere. Anyway, after some snorkeling the next morning, everyone left for Bahia Santiago. Lou and Lydia (Shiloh) had rented a house on the beach because their kids and some neighbors from home (Steamboat Springs, Colorado) were coming into town for a visit and to help celebrate Lou's 60th birthday.The house turned out to be the social center of the universe for the next week, as Lou's birthday on the 11th was followed two days later by Al and Yvette's wedding ceremony on the 13th. Lou's party was great, and there were plenty of great people to talk to. Lou and Lydia each had kids before they got married. Lou's son Dusty is an engineer at Boeing. He lives in Lynnwood and works in Everett. Lou's daughter Kari is engaged to Spencer, and they live in New Orleans where he's a chef in one of the most competitive chefing places in the world, I imagine. Lydia's daughter Cara and her husband Lee live in Steamboat Springs, too. Lee's a diver, and we had a good adventure taking my dinghy down the beach closer to a dive shop where I could get a fill and he could rent a couple of tanks for the week. We landed and then launched from that beach in 4-5 foot surf. The landing was as good as it gets, riding the shoulder of a breaker right to the beach where we jumped off in unison and dragged the dinghy up, barely getting wet. Launching was just as fun, and we got good air and nearly vertical on a 5-footer that was almost ready to break.Everyone went to Carrizal again on the 12th. I shuttled Sterling and Parker (the neighbors) on Chemistry, and Shiloh took everyone else, and we spent a long day diving and lounging around on our boats. I'd thought about staying that night in Carrizal, diving at night and trying to get some lobsters for the wedding, but ended up deciding I needed to work, so I headed back to Santiago where there was a good open wifi connection accessible to me on the bay.I spent most of the 13th shopping in downtown Santiago with my bike and backpack (again, sober this time and carrying fewer cans of corn than the San Diego drunk over-loaded bike crash). After I returned to the boat I had only a bit of time to get ready for the wedding, which was very informal, but still... I stunk.
The wedding was great, with tons of great food prepared by the housekeeper, and tons of tequila for sampling and taste-testing. The ceremony was very simple, with an officiant who kept it short. I had a few words to say that I'd written after Lou's birthday party after a good conversation with Yvette. And the vows were sincere and excellent and generated some tears, though Al hid his behind his sunglasses. I even had a date, sort of. Yvette had been talking about her friend, Trish, who she really wanted me to meet. And she was great, and I'm sure we would have had a good time talking, getting to know each other... if she hadn't brought a date - a date who was staying with her at the hotel, no less. :-/So the 14th was recovery day, with a fuel stop at Las Hadas resort (where they filmed the movie "10") and then over to Carrizal again. After I said goodbye (again) to Lou & Lydia and they and their clan motored back to Santiago, I stayed and had the greatest dive of my life. Amazing visibility and sea-life in 30 feet of water, with pinnacles rising 20 feet from the sea floor. It was about an hour-long dive, and I'd only worn the top of my 7mm semi-dry suit, and by the end I was absolutely freezing (the water is exceptionally cold this year - La Nina, they're saying). I took about a 15-gallon shower to warm up. Had a good night alone in the anchorage, and then left yesterday late-morning for here, Melaque.There, all caught up, I think.
