s/v El Tiburon : La Manzanilla...one wet ride and tons of FUN!

Oya, Bright Angel, Mystic, Sarah Jean II, and El Tiburon join forces with Luis on his panga for a wild ride to some of the best burgers in paradise, Papa Joe's in La Manzanilla! Notice how dry we all look as we start out on our journey from Tenacatita anchorage.

Hungry cruisers waiting for Papa Joe's to open

After indulging in burgers & beers we went in search of some cocodrilos, and one big ole cocodrilo we did find. Thankfully, he, or she as the case may be, stayed safely behind a chain link fence.

Beth and Norm ham it up for the camera.

A few years ago La Manzanilla was a sleepy fishing village, but more recently it has been "discovered" by tourists looking for something off the beaten path. The homes lining the mainstreet and facing la playa are creative works of art. The local community is an interesting mix of Mexicans and Gringos - of which subgroups of retirees, snowbirds, year-round resident entrepreneurs, and young (and not so young) tattooed hippies all commingle peacefully. New shops run by gringos offer everything from objects d'art to delicious French cheeses to caviar! That tells you something about the winter clientele inhabitating this laid back village. Curiously, there were no banks or ATM's to be found and no local merchants accepted credit cards. This is a cash economy with what I assume is many Gringos living "under the radar". Despite the Gringo influence, there are still several panga fisherman earning a living in La Manzanilla.

It's hard to chose only one

Our group decided to do a bit of shopping at the outdoor market. We spotted everything from clothes to brightly painted Mexican pottery, to fresh produce. There were mounds of strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries, and slices of pineapple and watermelon. Mexico has some of the best food in the world, all made from the freshiest of ingredients. My favorite is their juicy plum tomatoes. As much as I love outdoor markets, perhaps my favorite place to visit is the local church on the plaza. The chapels always offer me cool peaceful respite, and this spot was no exception.

Early in the morning we had made arrangements with Luis our panga chauffeur to meet us at 2pm on the beach for the return trip to the anchorage. By the time we gathered ourselves together the wind and seas had picked up a bit. No matter, we trusted Luis's expertise to deliver us home safely, albeit wet. But first, the panga had to get back into the water! So, "Heave Ho"!