Word Pictures

We visited Bara De Navidad and actually took a whole day walking around the town. The town is divided into three distinct areas, or so it seems to me, a day pass visitor. First, it is GREEN. Yikes is it green. I practically went bonkers just looking at all the trees plants and flowers. The distinct areas are the tourist area (not my favorite, the actual working part of the small town with little tiendas (stores of all kinds) and the residential district. Traded some of our "been read" books for "new to us" books at Beer Bob's take one leave one. Found a fantastic one by Linda Lay Shuler. She is the author of "She who Remembers". This book, Voice of the Eagle, is a continuation of the story with the same characters. I am almost done with it, sigh.

Ok. Why the title "word pictures"? On the day prior to our walking around town day I did not have the camera. Wished I had and found myself thinking back to the photos I would have taken. Here are the descriptions.

First: A young mother holding a little (a girl somewhere in the walking but very small range) and grandmother are standing under a flowering tree's gentle shade talking and whistling to a large green and red parrot. The parrot chimes in every few notes with an imitation of the sounds and the little laughs and claps her hands. Her mother and grandmother share a smile and continue with the parrot serenade.

Second: A young father comes around the corner of the block riding a bicycle, holding a very small little - no larger than 6 months old, with one arm, guiding the bike confidently with his other. Both are smiling as the father proudly cycles the little, making a small breeze to cool them both as the bicycle passes us along the street.

Third: A young man and woman (late teens?) pass us on a motor scooter. She is riding pillion behind the man, holding onto his waist with casual companionship. She is very pretty, dressed in tight slacks and top with her mid drift showing. A second young man walks out of a store and turns to watch as she passes with a look of ? in his eyes. Humm. I could make up so many stories for this word picture.

So the day in Bara De Navidad was ever so enjoyable. I did go back and get some actual photos and will post them when we arrive in Zihuatanejo and have access to an internet cafe again. Actually, there was a rumor that Zihua harbor might actually have a wireless internet connection? I'll know tomorrow. We are well into the second day of the journey between Manzanillo and Zihua and will arrive sometime tomorrow (Sat) afternoon. It has been a restful and quiet passage. Could wish for a bit more wind so we could turn off the engine. No wind above 6 knots. Did sail makeing 2 and 3 knots of speed for a while yesterday but it is a lot of work to keep forward momentum at that rate. One very interesting occurrence, however. About an hour ago I was in the cockpit keeping watch and reading while Rich wrote emails below. I suddenly felt liquid spray of some sort on my arm and jumped up to find out what was going on. We are motor sailing with flat calm seas so it couldn't be waves splashing. Hummm. Next thought was birds and their kindly offerings from the sky. Checked for that in the cockpit and saw nothing so I started up towards the bow for further investigation. Just as I reached the bow a LARGE whale surfaced just off the front of Ceilidh and blew again. I jumped and yelled and had to wait for a more reasonable heart beat before calling Rich to come and see. That is indeed the closest encounter I have ever had with a whale. It was a small (for a fin back) whale - probably just a bit longer than Ceilidh at 40+ feet. It stayed around us for another 15 min or so, diving under the sea and surfacing again and again, but never as close as the first time. Rich did get to see it, for which I am happy.

I'll sign off for now with more stories later. Love to all from the yin side