Just a beach of a day in Arroyo Seco and Tenacatita

TENACATITA, Jalisco, Mexico - It's not often you get a chance to write a headline like Just a beach of a day in Arroyo Seco and Tenacatita, so when you do, you run with it.

But in truth, it was a beach day, starting with a walk this morning to Playa Chica, a quad ride from Arroyo Seco to Tenacatita along the sand, then followed with lunch on the beach with California amigos Paul Cahill and Tamar Lowell. Paul and Tamar are anchored near the Blue Bay Resort aboard their cruising sailboat, Xanadu. They have plans to head to Central America this year, though we are encouraging them to stick around Costalegre for the rest of the season and head south next year.


Paul, Tamar and the Admiral in front of Admiral's Rock

After lunch at Fiesta Mexicana, we drove the quad over to our Tenacatita property to show Paul and Tamar the piece of land that launched our entire life here in Mexico. Paul, with his ever-present video camera, filmed everything and no doubt some parts of our lunch, the trip on the quad (with four of us and gear) and the beach walk will appear in one of his videos down the line.

Earlier in the day, the Admiral and I wandered out to Playa Chica, part of my 'get exercise' program so I can get some lung power back after the weeks and weeks of bronchitis. Out there, I saw a crab that had gotten separated from his hole in the sand. He was not happy as I followed him around with my camera and he finally retreated into the rocks where he made threatening crab noises.


Getting crabby on the beach

The day before, I rode out to see if I could go boogie-boarding, only to be greeted by a foul smell from the end of the beach that forced me to put my bandana over my nose when I went to investigate. It turned out to be a dead pelican, who had become dinner - or perhaps tapas - for a large flock of buzzards. The buzzards barely moved when I rode up on the quad and at point, encircled me.

I decided to flap my arms a lot to let them know that despite the bronchitis, I was fine.

I left them behind in a cloud of flying sand.


A brace of buzzards at Playa Chica


Pickin' on a pelican

Talking with Paul and Tamar about their adventures - and planned adventures - reminded the Admiral of all of our fun times aboard Sabbatical, cruising these very waters. We laughed about Center Rock in Tenacatita Bay, which is anywhere but center in the bay, and how the cruising guides talk about the crystal clear water in La Veina, the river that runs from Tenacatita out to the bay where the sailboats are anchored. Crystal clear water indeed.

Paul said the water in the mangrove swamp and river looked, well, like you would expect in a mangrove swamp.

Oh, and he also saw a crocodile sunning itself on the little beach where boats pull up in Tenacatita. So much for conventional wisdom that none are in that river.


A cousin to the Tenacatita crocs

Paul and Tamar headed back to Xanadu and are getting ready to pull anchor Saturday for a voyage to Barra de Navidad and a day or two at the Grand Bay Hotel Marina. I think I will put my drink order right now for another 'ballena' from the swim-up bar there when we go visit.

Now that I think about it, I hope they stay a week at the marina.