Ahoy! Welcome to Marina Arroyo Seco... really

ARROYO SECO, Jalisco, Mexico - A few weeks ago, graders, tractors, dump trucks and pieces of huge earthmoving equipment descended on the dirt and gravel road leading into the village.

After years of government promises, the 3-kilometer road from Highway 200 into beautiful downtown Arroyo Seco is being paved.

If I didn't see it happening, I wouldn't believe it, either.

But this week I received some other news either much more exciting or quite depressing, depending on your perspective.

It appears a master plan for El Tecuan, just south of Arroyo Seco, is about to be implemented, a plan that will include construction of a marina at the extreme south end of Arroyo Seco's Playa Grande in what is now a natural lagoon filled with birds and fish.

Playa Grande is the Arroyo Seco beach dotted with about a dozen and a half houses and now home to three excellent seafood restaurants, by the way.



PLAYA GRANDE, FACING NORTH.

About a quarter mile past the last house there is a huge land outcropping which provides a great natural breakwater. And apparently that will be where the plans show the entrance to the marina will be. The marina will be built specifically to allow for ocean-going yachts to berth there, using the lagoon behind it as the actual place to moor vessels.

I use the word 'apparently' because this all comes third hand. A village amigo talked with an Arroyo Seco resident who attended a meeting in the Chamela area about a week ago at which state and local government officials announced a plan for a major development in the area of the old Tecuan Hotel and along the beach. Part of that meeting was to get the various stakeholders: ejido members, fishing cooperativa people, and everybody else, to sign documents assigning a variety of rights to the developers and the development so that things could get rolling.

Some folks apparently declined, because they didn't agree and/or the formula for sharing the benefits of such a project wasn't favorable enough.

Note the 'apparently' there. How that will shake out is way beyond my pay grade to analyze.



LIKELY PLACE TO DREDGE A CHANNEL THROUGH TO THE OCEAN
Besides the resort or hotel or whatever development - and the marina - the plan calls for opening up and deepening the lagoon and waterway that runs from Arroyo Seco to Tenacatita. According to the person at the meeting, La Veina (the river flowing into the anchorage where many yachts hang out) will be dredged, too, to allow for people to boat along an inside passage from Arroyo Seco to Tenacatita Bay.

The Mexican environmental agencies might have something to say about that.

Might.



LAGOON ENTRANCE AT SOUTH END OF PLAYA GRANDE



VIEW OF THE LAGOON BEHIND EL TECUAN

And how this relates to Tenacatita is anybody's guess. The beach and much of the land formerly occupied by Mexicans and gringos (many with federal titles) is still in the grip of the Guadalajara developer who seized the area at gunpoint and still holds it hostage like East Germany before the Berlin Wall fell.

I haven't seen the actual plans for the development and marina, though they have been described to me in great detail and are the talk of the town. It could be that when we return in November of this year, not only will we speeding in on a new paved road, we will head out to the beach and perhaps see even more earthmoving equipment dredging the lagoon, building breakwaters and perhaps putting a light atop the land outcropping as a navigational beacon.

And down the El Tecuan beach, some big hotel/resort/development will be going in.


ATOP THE PROMONTORY, EL TECUAN BEACH BEHIND ME

The irony is great for Admiral Fox and I.

We sold our 48-foot sailboat Sabbatical six years ago and decided to stay on shore, choosing this small, agricultural village as our home. We have a four-wheel Honda quad (with a trailer for beach toys or cargo), a motorcycle, two bicycles and a palapa/hacienda-style house right in el centro.

And inspired by Rick, June and Lyle of La Manzanilla, we have even been considering putting in a small garden next fall.

In the terminology of people who travel the world aboard sailboats, we 'swallowed the hook (anchor)' when we moved to land.

Now there might be a harbor with space for boats the size of Sabbatical within walking distance of my house.

If they build the marina quick enough, I might just buy another boat. Though this time, I think a panga would make more sense. Or at least as much sense as buying any boat that will spend its life in saltwater does.

Or, perhaps it's time to launch the Arroyo Seco Yacht Club.

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Getting in a last few beach days in Arroyo Seco

ARROYO SECO, Jalisco, Mexico - With most projects (except for packing) all done, Adm. Fox and I have been getting in several days of beach time. Of course, when we get to Nuevo Vallarta, we will be living in a condo on the beach.

So what's your question?

Monday morning we headed out to Playa Grande shortly after first light to check on things, then in the evening, Playa Chica for the sunset.

Both were fabulous.

At Playa Grande, the owner of the building we call the 'hotel' was there and we had a nice conversation with him about his plans for the place.

Among other things is installing a new fence in the front of the building and possibly upgrading the swimming pool. He might also visit us in New York when he heads to the U.S. this summer while he is working.









THIS WEEKEND we also took delivery on a new table for the Pink Flamingo - and what a table it is!

The unit is 3 meters long by 1 meter wide and is constructed of solid wood.

I suspect I am butchering the spelling here, but the lumber to make it came from a local tree called a mojote. A local carpenter made the table from a huge mojote that was felled by Hurricane Jova last fall.

He has more raw materials to work with this year than in the last 10, he says.

The table seats 10 comfortably and can squeeze 12 around it I am sure. It was so heavy (because the wood is still wet) that it took four of us to lift it out of the truck. And it was still a strain on our backs.



The Admiral is calling - we are off to Playa Chica to catch another sunset.

Hasta pasta.



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Countdown to Puerto Vallarta - and California and NY - begins

ARROYO SECO, Jalisco, Mexico - We leave in about a week for Puerto Vallarta for a two-week stay in some nice digs alongside Banderas Bay and where we will also probably spend more than a few days with granddaughter Sasha Fox.

I am taking several boogie boards with us so that Sasha and I and her grandmother can challenge the surf there while we wait for the start of the Banderas Bay regatta. I am not sure if Sasha has taken up boogie boarding yet. But she is three years old. Time is wasting.

Besides packing up the Pink Flamingo for the season, Adm. Fox and I have continued our Arroyo Seco adventures and explorations. Friday we went to visit the private school at Cuitzmala, just north of us, where we met with amiga Sandrine who teaches French and art there.

She will be going back to France for two months this summer, then back to Mexico sometime in August. Presently, the school has about 15 students - and five teachers.

Yes, five teachers. I like the odds.



We also stopped by at Sandrine's house, where her amigo Julian is busy retrofitting the Grey Goose Express.

We sold him the trailer earlier this spring which he hauled to Cuitzmala to work on. He started with little projects, tinkering around the edges to fix things. Then he took out the table and bed.

By the time we saw it Friday, well, the photos say how much work he has ahead of him.












When the trailer is finished, it will be moved to Julian and Sandrine's property about a block from us here in Arroyo Seco. Julian is already building a workshop and bodega - and eventually a ramada.

Today (Sunday) looks like another day on the beach, but only if the cool offshore wind stops blowing. It is overcast and if I was in New York, I would be pulling things under cover in anticipation of a rainstorm.

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Cows on the road, sailboats racing on the water

AGUA CALIENTE, Jalisco, Mexico - Admiral Fox and I ran (actually drove) into La Manzanilla Wednesday for the annual La Manzanilla Cup sailboat race, an annual affair of local sailors that has caught the local imagination and draws a fair crowd to cheer the half-dozen or so vessels participating.

Getting into La Manzanilla proved interesting.

Just as we were coming through Agua Caliente, a little hamlet six or seven kilometers south of us, a cowboy was wildly waving an orange flag as we rounded a corner.

We were greeted with a herd of cattle heading south, with the herd stretched out across half a kilometer.

They weren't going to the La Manzanilla Cup, or if they were, they got there too late.



I've driven in many traffic-congested cities. But weaving in and out of a herd of cattle on Mexico Highway 200 seemed almost as challenging as the cows and bulls changed lanes more often than Los Angeles commuters.

Still, it was fun and we didn't run over a single cow pie passing the herd.

WHILE ADMIRAL FOX taught Zumba in La Manzanilla, I ran (actually drove) to Melaque to the Intercam office. Intercam cashes American checks and is infinitely easier than using a Mexican bank. Easier if your account is active, I discovered.

While I waited alone in the outside lobby for the paperwork to be processed, the Cihuatlan Police pulled up, and with their guns drawn came into the office. It seems the silent alarm had been triggered and they thought there was a robbery in progress.

I must have looked pretty harmless because they just asked me if I had seen any robbers. They did look pretty curiously at my iPad.



THEN IT WAS ON TO THE REGATTA in La Manzanila.

The race had been planned for Monday, but a lack of wind forced postponement. But Wednesday the captains met, plotted a race course and then took to the water while members of the press retired to Cato's beachside restaurant for lunch and libations.

Before Wednesday's race, the new La Manzanilla Cup was unveiled at the press table, a very fancy trophy which perhaps is why the racing was so fierce that afternoon.





THE RACE WAS A FAST ONE, with good winds all around the course.

But in a grand finale that had everyone on their feet, one boat had an unintentional grounding after it had finished the race.

A swell caught the boat right at the surf line, pushing it into shallow water where it bobbed for about 15 minutes until a local restaurateur went out in a panga and pulled it free of the sand.

No one was hurt, thought the collective adrenaline level spiked for the two-man sailboat crew, the people helping rescue the boat, and the people on the beach.

The first two photos are the boat aground, the third just after it was freed with the panga nearby.









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On the racing deck for the La Manzanilla cup

Wind starting to fill in... Racing ahead!



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La Manzanilla Cup on for Wednesday, wind permitting

LA MANZANILLA, Jalisco, Mexico - The annual La Manzanilla Cup sailboat race was canceled Monday for a lack of wind, but is supposed to take place Wednesday.

Monday there was a decided lack of wind and so the race's sponsors opted to move the race.

The captain's meeting is sometime around 11 a.m. near Lora Loka's with the actual course to be decided at that time.

The group will also decide then what time to start - provided there is wind, of course.

While I flirted with the idea of dragging the Captain's Gig down for the race (our 10-foot Gig Harbor sailing dinghy), it seemed like it would be more fun to watch the race from the press table with La Manzanilla's own Lois Lane.

A full report with photos will be posted Thursday, depending on the strength of the post-race margaritas...



Scene from last weekend's regatta in La Manzanilla

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La Manzanilla sailboat race over - Di's Dream takes first place

LA MANZANILLA, Jalisco, Mexico - The race wasn't the fastest. The wind was light and at times, almost non-existent all across Tenacatita Bay.

But the dozen boats in the race/regatta had a good time, got around the course in a relatively timely fashion and finished up in time for margarita's on the beach at Cato's Restaurant, one of several restaurants relocated in La Manz that had to flee Tenacatita Beach when it was taken over by thugs in August 2010.

Cato's also provided the panga taxi service for the shorebound who needed to get aboard their boats for the race.

Admiral Fox came in from the race after crewing on Di's Dream but caught her heel on the seat as she exited through the surf.

Ouch.

A few margaritas later at Joe and Barb's house on the beach - plus a fish sandwich at Palapa Joe's - and she was much improved. Good thing. She teaches Zumba early Monday morning in La Manzanila. Zumba doesn't have a limping step in any routines I know of.



I watched the sailing from the race deck at the restaurant Fiesta Mexicana, situated right at the start and finish lines to the north of downtown La Manz.

A large contingent of La Manzanilla residents were there, too, cheering on their local favorites.

As it was, Di's Dream took first place in its division, crossing the line smartly before putting the Admiral into the panga.



The race Saturday was sponsored by the Vallarta Yacht Club, kind of a warm-up for a few boats for the much larger Banderas Bay Regatta that starts March 20. Adm. Fox and I will be aboard the sailing vessel Lotus for that race, our third appearance. I have been training by lifting heavy bottles of Pacifico daily.

But Monday a famous local race - the La Manzanilla Cup - will be held, a very laid-back affair that will no doubt call for more margaritas, more fish sandwiches, but no panga rides for the Admiral.

Joe and Grant will be in this race, too, hoping for low surf to get out to their boat, I'll bet.



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La Manzanilla sailing race underway across Tenacatita Bay

LA MANZANILLA, Jalisco, Mexico - This year's La Manzanilla race was minus the white tents, free food and free tequila, but it got going almost on time with about a dozen boats Saturday.

Oh, and the Corona girls in the hot pants were missing, too...

Admiral Fox jumped aboard the sailing vessel Di's Dream, after hiring a panga to take her and a bunch of other crew members out to the race course. When I last saw her heading offshore, she was perched in the stern of the boat.



Getting off the beach in the panga was not problem, but the big surf proved challenging to other small boats, including the rowboat with Joe and Grant.

Grant pulled his hardest and managed after several close calls to make his way out to Joe's boat to join the race.



In the meantime, I stayed on shore to chat with the rest of the racing peanut gallery. The boats got off to a great start, but the winds were very light at first. As I write this, the sailboats are about halfway around the course, heading across the best of the race at the westerly edge of Tenacatita Bay.






As soon as my Palapa Joe's fishburger arrives, I will chow down and head out to catch the photo finish.

Or is it, photo the finish?

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Sayulita, Sasha and life in el rancho Arroyo Seco

ARROYO SECO, Jalisco, Mexico - We spent three fun days in Sayulita with amigos Michael and Karen Schamel of Hector NY before waving goodbye to them Tuesday.

They came south to escape the cold winter of upstate NY, but the last week here, it was not exactly a tropical paradise. We had high winds, two solid days of rain, and much cooler than normal temperatures.

Still, we all had a great time. The scale in the palapa confirmed it when I weighed myself earlier.

In Sayulita, a very cool surfing town 45 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta, we were lucky enough to get Sasha Fox to visit for an afternoon. She played on the beach, walked about town, and had lunch with us at a small restaurant that caters to all ages.



Sasha got to spend a short time with a four-year-old amiga in Sayulita - Sofia - whom she will likely see more of in a couple of weeks when we head north to Nuevo Vallarta to spend two weeks in a beachside condo, three days of which will also involve racing in the Banderas Bay Regatta about amigo Clarence Harvey's yacht 'Lotus.'

This will be the third race for us aboard Lotus and this year, we hope, we will take honors.

Clarence hopes so, too, I bet.

THE Schamels had barely left Mexico when the weather did improve some with temperatures back up to near 80 and the winds seem to have dropped to a steady 5-10 knots.

This morning Admiral Fox and I took only the second walk to the beach of the entire season, walking down to Playa Chica to check on the lagoon, birds and surf.

I also did a mosquito check. And yes, there were plenty around the lagoon.









ON THE WAY back, my stomach started to do the 'I-just-exercised' rumble and so Admiral Fox quickly made some salsa for my refried-bean molletes. I added some tomatoes, cucumbers and assorted nuts for great breakfast - without a single animal protein in the mix.


Now if I can just get the internet to cooperate to send this...

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Leaving Sayulita for a day in San Pancho

SAN FRANCISCO, Nayarit, Mexico - The surf village of Sayulita was having its annual Sayulita Days this weekend - something we didn't know when we decided that we would spend three days here.

And today, while a parade marched through town and the music roared, we roared ourselves, up the highway to the nearby Pueblo of San Pancho, which by comparison was deserted.

Before we left though, we went to the beach to check out the paddle board surfers who were enjoying the waves and hundreds of tourists who all seemed to be enjoying the colder weather.






In San Pancho, parking was easy and for some reason, it seemed actually a little warmer than it was in Sayulita.

Go figure that one.

There was tourist activity and the beach merchants - including a fellow who offers horseback riding - were doing a good business.






We hope that tomorrow we might have granddaughter Sasha Fox with us here in Sayulita, or back up in San Pancho.

She would have loved all the kids running around the beach today.

Perhaps manana...

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A four-wheeling adventure across the El Tecuan beach

EL TECUAN, Jalisco, Mexico - While Karen and Sylvia went shopping in La Manzanilla Friday, Mike Schamel and I (with her highness la perra Mia) took off on the quad to seek out some beach restaurants down near a residence known as Shang-ri-la.

We left hotel on the beach in Arroyo Seco and immediately discovered that the easy-access road to get to the El Tecuan side of the beach had dissolved into mostly rubble and looked almost impassable.

And so we took the scenic tour around a small lake and up through the now falling down Hotel Tecuan.

At one time, it was the place to visit. Now it's a hulk in need of serious help.

We arrived at the other end of the laguna and beach only to find that on that end, we were blocked by a river of water pouring out. It looked like it was about three feet deep and given how fast it was going, it was beyond the quad's ability to ford.

And on reflection, we decided even walking through it might be risky business.

We could clearly see the restaurants and perhaps in a week or so the ocean will reclaim the beach and close the notch the way it was last year.



The river, a little too deep to ford


Captain Mike Schamel taking some photos


Restaurants across the laguna


Princessa Mia, very happy to be out on the beach

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Stray dogs making their way into Arroyo Seco

ARROYO SECO, Jalisco, Mexico - Just a couple of days ahead we will leave for Sayulita to the north. But in the meantime, we have seen a number of pooches dumped here near the village - perhaps because the owners know what a soft touch Admiral Fox is.

A few minutes ago, she put out water and food for a female dog that has moved onto the porch of our neighbor Chon's house.

The dog has wanted to simply move into the Pink Flamingo but so far I have been able to keep that from happening.

Earlier today, we did see a pooch on the highway on the way into town who, for two days, has been stalking the truck whenever I have seen him. Today I gave up and invited him to jump into the back of the truck, but he declined.

Below are two photos: the first of the Admiral trying to entice him to follow us, the second of him following her down the road.

When we got close to town, however, he turned around and headed back out to the highway.






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A day at a resort hotel with California and NY amigos

BARRA DE NAVIDAD, Jalisco, Mexico - We caught up with amigos Roger and Di Frizzelle of the sailing vessel Di's Dream Wednesday at a fabulous marina/hotel, just across the channel from Barra de Navidad.

When cruising Sabbatical, the Grand Bay Hotel was one of our favorite stops, particularly because of the great pools, food, and service.

It hasn't changed all that much, though I did not have my favorite drink, a cocktail called a 'ballena.'

Karen and Mike Schamel went with us and the six of us had a great lunch, followed by hot tub time. And then there was some slide action and a visit to the famous swim-up bar, too.






Roger and Di will be sailing back up to Tenacatita Bay in a week or so for a sailing regatta and in the course of conversation, we were invited to tag along as crew!

It will be a great warmup for the Banderas Bay Regatta which runs at the end of March. It's entirely possible that Lotus - with Captain Clarence - will be around, too, so perhaps we will be able to get in some practice for the BBR.

The weather cooperated nicely, too, with some overcast. That meant my slightly sunburned skin won't be getting any redder - at least not until we go to Sayulita in a few days for some surfing, swimming, and shopping.

OH-MY-GOD! I forgot to mention the big news!

Big news! Notices grandes!

The ribbon cutting (or whatever it is called here) was held Wednesday for the paving of the 1.6 km. road from Highway 200 to el centro of Arroyo Seco. And the surveyors have actually started putting in stakes.

It could be our little town is about to change - very fast.






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