Feliz Navidad

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas
 from La Paz, Mexico

Christmas is the biggest holiday of the year in Mexico and is rich in traditions. It is celebrated in a variety of ways, starting in early December when homes and businesses are decorated with poinsettias, which are called “noche buenas” from the Spanish phrase “good night” (Mexico is the origin of the poinsettia). From December 16 to 24 there are a series of procession called Las Posadas (from the Spanish word “inn”). The posada is a recreation of Mary and Josephs' searching for a "room at the inn." Two children are selected to play the rolls of each Mary and Joseph, accompanying them in their travels is a choir of small children who knock on three or more doors asking for lodging for the weary couple. By previous arrangement, there are no takers. At the last house the procession is invited in. There all the children enjoy a festive pinata party.

Christmas Pinata

The Mexican interpretation of the pinata rests on the tradition of man's struggle against temptation. The seven points on the pinata represent the seven deadly sins. The pot represents evil and temptations. The person with the stick is blindfolded to represent faith. The turning, the singing and the shouting represent the disorientation that temptation creates. As the participant beats the pinata, it is supposed to represent the struggle against temptation and evil. When the pinata breaks, the treats inside represents the rewards of keeping the faith.

Rosca de Reyes

Many Mexicans open their Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve (“Noche Buena”) as well as have a large family dinner that may last all night. There are some families, however, that prefer to wait and open their Christmas gifts on January 6^th, “Día de los Reyes” (Day of the Kings). It is on this day many believe the wise men arrived in Bethlehem bearing gifts for the Christ Child. Dia del los Reyes includes eating of the “Rosca de Reyes”, a ring shaped sweetbread, similar to a bunt cake containing small bits of fruit and candy. One of the special traditions in eating this cake is a small plastic doll representing the baby Jesus hidden inside. The one receiving the doll is responsible for hosting a party on and making the tamales for the “Fiesta de la Candelaria” (Day of the Candles), which is held on February 2nd.

Santa's Workshop where the elves
are counting down the days 

Fiesta de la Candelaria falls forty days after Christmas, and is celebrated as the feast of the “Purification of the Virgin” or as the “Presentation of the Lord”. According to Jewish law a woman was considered unclean for 40 days after giving birth so it was customary to bring the new born baby to the temple after that period of time had passed. Thus, Mexicans believe Jesus would have been taken to the temple on this day to be blessed. It is called Day of the Candles because Mexicans take candles to the church on this day to be blessed. Tamales are the preferred food of the day. It should be noted that February 2nd also marks the mid-way point between the winter solstice and spring equinox. This may be a vestige of an old pagan tradition given that this day has long been thought of as predictor of the future weather conditions. In the United States, for example, February 2nd is celebrated as “Groundhog Day”.

In keeping with Mexican tradition we will spend Christmas with family. Thus, Monday, December

22^nd we will travel to Utah by plane to be with our children. It is interesting to note that it took us 2 ½ months to travel the 1,607 miles to La Paz. It will takes us 3 hours to fly from Mexico to Salt Lake City. After the holidays we will return to La Paz to travel further north to explore the islands in the Sea of Cortez. Until then, we on “Little Lara” are wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  We pray for the Lord's continued blessing on each of you this coming year.

Remember, Jesus is the gift of Christmas!

City of Peace

Old Man and the Sea

Jay's Post: After motoring up the inside of the Sea of Cortez  we finally arrived in La Paz (Peace) Friday, December 5, 2014. Along the way we stopped to anchor at Bahia Los Frailes (The Friars) and Ensenada de Los Muertos (Bay of the Dead). Frailes lies 59 miles north Cabo San Lucas with scrub-covered sand dunes that lie behind a white sandy beach. RVs and campers line the shoreline. We did not go ashore here, but we did enjoyed the beauty of the surroundings. We do not know where Muertos got its name, but the locals do not like it, as they have tried to change it to Ensenada Los Suenos (Bay of Dreams) with little success. I think the name “Muertos” adds a certain charm, if not mystery, to the area. Perhaps the name comes from the fact that there is not much here at this small pebbly cove, which lies 47 miles north of Frailes. This was once a thriving port for the silver and salt mines in the area. Now all that is left is the remains of an old stone warehouse and stone pier.

La Paz is 55 miles north of Muertos. We were excited to arrive here, as we intend on spending

Ruins at Muertos

several weeks here. There is a Stake and five Wards in this city that boasts a population of 250,000. La Paz has a fascinating history. It was first inhabited by Neolithic hunter-gatherers at least 10,000 years ago who left traces of their existence in the form of rock paintings near the city and throughout the Baja California peninsula. On May 3, 1535, Hernán Cortés arrived in the nearby bay naming it Santa Cruz. He attempted to start a colony here but abandoned his efforts after several years due to difficulties obtaining supplies. In 1596, Sebastián Vizcaíno arrived, giving the area its modern name, La Paz. Other explorers came however, since Baja California Sur is one of the most isolated parts of Mexico, there were no serious efforts at colonization until the late 17th century. Until then, English and Dutch pirates in the Sea of Cortez, plundered Spanish galleons, while the local Indians remained unfriendly towards settlers.

Little Lara with the big boats in La Paz

At the conclusion of the Mexican-American War in 1847, the United States withdrew its troops that had occupied the area during the war. The following year the two countries signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, in which Mexico agreed to sell to the United States the land that now comprises the modern states of California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah. In return, the United States acknowledged Mexico’s ownership of the Baja Peninsula. Despite the treaty, in 1853 a journalist named William Walker, who was dissatisfied with the treaty and hoping to add another slave-holding state to the United States, led a group of 45 Americans to capture the city of La Paz. From January 10, 1854 to May 8, 1854 La Paz served as the capital of “Republic of Sonora” after he proclaimed himself as president. Because the expedition did not have the official support of the United States government, the Mexican Army quickly drove out these Americans. Walker fled back to the United States where he was tried for violation of neutrality laws and fined. Two years later he was executed by the Nicaraguan government for attempting a similar takeover there. La Paz is featured in John Steinbeck's novel The Pearl and is mentioned extensively in his travelogue The Log from the Sea of Cortez. Today, there are many foreign visitors to the town, but La Paz is primarily known as a Mexican vacation area.

At the Plaza

Peggy's Post: I am in a celebratory mood! It's hard to believe we are really here! After traveling for 2 ½ months we are finally in the Sea of Cortez (or Gulf of California as it is also known). It feels so good to be staying put for a few weeks and not to have to worry about storms, anchors dragging, submerged rocks and ships in the night! Our leisurely travels had the benefit of being able to stop along the way and enjoy many towns and picturesque anchorages, but also allowed us to time our arrival in southern Baja AFTER hurricane season was over. We have seen the effects of hurricane Odile in Cabo Sa Lucas and in La Paz, and though services are back to normal here, they are still cleaning up and repairing the damage.

One of the things I really enjoy about La Paz is the Malecon which is a 3 ½ miles long paved walkway that runs in front our Marina all the way along the city's waterfront. There are statues and

Yahoo, Santa says
Jay has been good this year

palm trees and little parks along the way while

Peggy rides in Santa's Train

across the street are shops and restaurants. The city is all dressed up for Christmas with decorations on the lamp poles and in these little parks. There is an area near our marina that has a little Christmas village, a train, Santa's house and workshop with elves, reindeer with sleigh, and a nativity. At night it is lit with thousands of lights... looks just like some of the fancy neighborhoods back in the states. La Paz is much different than Cabo San Lucas. It is more laid back, less touristy, and no in-your-face hucksters. And the people have been very helpful and friendly. We will enjoy exploring this area and seeing all the historical buildings while we are here, so stay tuned for more on La Paz.

Below is a video of us leaving Cabo San Lucas

Red sky at night, sailors delight:

Mountains and Waves

Jay catches a "Big Eye Tuna"

Jay's Post: Mountains and valleys everywhere. The peninsular mountain ranges of Baja California run down the geographic center of the state. The most notable ranges of these mountains are the Sierra de Juarez and the Sierra de San Pedro Martir.  These mineral-rich mountain ranges extend southwards to the Gulf of California, where the western slope becomes wider, forming the Llanos del Berrendo in the border with Baja California Sur. Many of these mountains can be seen from far out at sea.  The mountain ranges located in the center and southern part of the state include the Sierra de La Asamblea, Sierra de Calamajué, Sierra de San Luis and the Sierra de San Borja.  Picacho del Diablo, at 10,175 feet, is the highest peak on the entire peninsula. The valleys between these mountain ranges are located within a climate zone that are suitable for agriculture. These valleys included the Valle de Guadalupe and the Valle de Ojos Negros, areas that produce citrus fruits and grapes that are shipped to consumers in the United States. However, these are not the mountains and valleys of which I speak. The ones I am writing about are found in the ocean, swells that reach 10-15 feet as we travel down the Pacific coast. In a 24 foot sailboat, they look huge as they approach us from behind. As they near, “Little Lara” slowly rises to meet them. And then, if by magic, we find ourselves on top of these mountains of seawater looking down into the valleys far below. Then “Little Lara” begins to slide down the backside of these waves only to reach the valley floor as the next wave approaches. The process then repeats itself over and over again. These mountains and valleys, unlike the ones found on the peninsula do not have names, but they are just as impressive. Thankfully, “Little Lara” was designed to handle them as we slowly sail down the coast.

Peggy's Post: Reflections on Waves

I have decide that waves are a lot like people. A few are angry, mean and spiteful. They get right in our faces and cause fear to surge in our hearts. Some are strong and powerful, intimidating us with their size. Others are headed in the wrong direction, getting in our way, causing us to have to fight our way forward. And then, there are the happy, bubbling and singing wave that we pray for. They keep our spirits up and keep us company along our journey. They help us by moving along with us, pushing us forward on the right course. These are the waves we love!

Marina Cabo San Lucas

Presently we are in Cabo San Lucas. Here we will re-provision “Little Lara, perform some routine maintenance and enjoy being in a marina after anchoring out for the past three weeks. It will be a blessing to be able to attend church again. Next week we will head north, up the Sea of Cortez, to La Paz. Finally, let us express how much we look forward to and enjoy reading all the comments from family and friends. Keep them coming and should you have any questions, please ask.

Hurricane Odile damage to Cabo San Lucas

Who would have thought? --
Swarms of butterflies in the middle of the ocean

Bahia Tortuga

Sightseeing at  "La Bufadora", The Blow Hole

Jay's Post: Typically, our offshore passages have been day hops of forty to sixty miles. This takes us approximately nine to thirteen hours to complete. There have been exceptions, like when we rounded Point Conception, California, which took us twenty-two hours and the sail from Bahia San Carlos to Bahia Tortugas, which took us twenty-nine hours. These long overnight passages tend to wear us out, as one of us is on watch at all times to ensure we remain on coarse, and more importantly we run into nothing and nothing runs into us. Our routine is to spend three hours on watch and three hours off watch. While off watch we read, relax or sleep. For meals we try to eat food that is easy to prepare, like sandwiches, burritos, peanut butter crackers, etc. These offshore meals are eaten when we get hungry, with no fixed schedule. Most of our energy goes into sailing “Little Lara”. As Peggy says, “sailing is hard work, very hard work”. It also can be very tiring.

Sunset at Santo Tomas

All of this changes, however, when we are at anchorage. Then we get a full nights sleep and eat regularly prepared meals. We also enjoy going ashore and seeing the sights and meeting people. With the onset of winter, the days are growing shorter and the nights are growing longer. Once our evening meal is over and the dishes are washed and put away, Peggy frequently asks if it is time for bed. I have to inform her it is only 6:30 PM. If we go to bed to early, then we tend to wake up well before sunrise. Plus, in almost every Mexican town we have visited, there seems to be a band that starts playing music from 7:00 until 10:00 PM. With these bands there is much pounding of drums and blowing of trumpets. This is followed by all kinds of shouting. A lively party of some kind? All this noise makes it difficult to sleep, but it does peaks our curiosity as to what possibly could be going on.

Fish On

Amongst cruisers 9:00 PM is frequently referred to as “Cruiser's Midnight” while at anchor. That is because most cruisers go to bed then. Perhaps it is because they, like us, are tired after the day's activities, or because after sundown there is not much to do on a sailboat, or because you are trying to conserve electricity. Perhaps it is all the hard work that goes into sailing the boat, shopping for provisions, or obtaining fuel. Whatever the reason, not even the Mexican bands prevent sailors from hitting their bunks at “Cruiser's Midnight”.

Barbecued Clams "La Bufadora" 

Peggy's Post: Jay continues to win the fishing contest! After he lost my favorite squid lure (on purpose?), he put a cedar plug lure on the line and almost immediately caught a blue fin tuna. We had a struggle getting the 24” fish into the boat as it didn't fit into our net. But we did enjoy three meals of tuna steaks and fish tacos.

"Turtle Bay"

We are currently anchored in Turtle Bay waiting for some forecasted weather to pass. We have been disappointed the past couple of anchorages to learn that we were unable to attend church because they were several hours away. But we appreciate being able to hold church on the boat. We have scriptures, church manuals and the Ensign on our tablet so we have 'talks' and lessons... but you should hear us singing the hymns! No, you probably should be glad you can't.

When we take the dinghy ashore into little fishing villages, we meet wonderful people who are so happy to help in any way they can. Yesterday, for example, we asked a young man if he knew if there was a church here (we heard that there might be a small branch). He excitedly told us he knew where it was and had seen the missionaries. He gave us a ride to see the church, but we had to disappoint him by letting him know that it was another church.

Dodging rocks, ships and crab pots

The 'gringos' on other boats have been very friendly as well. We just met a family today who have a 2 ½ year old on their boat. They rigged up a 'captain's' seat (looks like a toddler swing) for her hanging in the cockpit. They plan to sail to the South Pacific after they spend some time in Mexico. No, we don't plan on joining them! We still plan to be back home for the summer and after that... maybe a mission.

Ensenada, Mexico Adventures

Welcome to  Mexico

Peggy working on our Blog

Peggy's post: Our adventures in Ensenada included:

* Clearing customs, immigration, import paperwork for the boat and dinghy and getting fishing licenses – a four hour ordeal.

* Finding a Mexican bank that would exchange money – there were none close to our marina and when we did find one we found we needed our passport which was back on the boat!

* Getting our cell phone to work properly in Mexico (TEXT MESSAGES ONLY please).

* Sampling squid, octopus, mussels, etc (fish tacos and churros are the best!)

* Finding our way round town while riding the city buses.

* Going to local tourist attractions and museums.

Hotel Riviera Del Pacifico & Museum

* Being in Mexico during Halloween and participating in Dia de Muertos.

* Finding diesel – there were no Pemex stations close to our marina, but we met a wonderful local family who gave us a ride because they felt sorry for us having to carry heavy jerry cans back to the marina!

* Enjoying church meetings in Spanish and we were so warmly welcomed.

* Part of our continuing adventure is learning how to obtain weather forecasts as we travel down the coast where the towns near our anchorages are few and far between.

Add caption

Jay's post: This week we find ourselves in Mexico in time for Halloween, except here the Mexican people do not celebrate Halloween, they celebrate Dia de Muertos: “Day of the Dead”. Day of the Dead focuses on remembering and celebrating family members and friends who have passed on. Celebrants believe the gates of heaven open at midnight on October 31^st and the spirits of departed children are allowed to join their families for 24 hours. Then, the following night, November 1^st, the spirits of deceased adults reunite with their families. The belief of an afterlife is said to have originated with the Mayan, Aztecs and Olmecs. For them, people did not cease to exist with death, but their spirits continued to exist in an after life. Death, they believed, was merely a continuation of a pre-mortal life and this mortal life. After the Spanish invasion of 1521, the Catholic Church tried, but was unable to banish these beliefs among the natives. The Aztecs, for example, believed the goddess Mictecacihuatl, or queen of the underworld, ruled with her husband over the bones of the dead. Her role was to watch over these bones and preside over the ancient Aztec festivals honoring the dead. These festivals evolved over time from the Aztec traditions into the modern day celebration Day of the Dead. Mictecacihuatl was originally depicted with a defleshed body and an agaped jaw.

La Catrina

 Today she is similarly portrayed, except she is depicted as a female skeleton dressed in a large hat and long elegant gown befitting the upper class of 16^th century Europe, and she is known as “La Calvera Catrina”.  As such, La Catrina is the icon for Dia de Muertos. The skeleton motif goes very well with the holiday and it is common to see women and young girls dressed to look like her this time of year.

Altar honoring a loved one

Another common symbol of the Day of the Dead is the calavers – the sugar skulls. These skulls are placed upon alters or grave sites, and are exchanged as gifts with loved ones during the holiday. Another custom of the holiday are altars constructed in homes and elsewhere to honor deceased loved ones. On the evening of November 2 ^nd the celebration moves to the graves of these loved ones. Here the graves are cleaned, the markers are polished, and the site is decorated with flowers, photos, food and candles. Family members spend the entire night socializing and sharing favorite stories about the deceased. On this night, it is said that the dead return to life to briefly join their loved ones. So, from Mexico, here is wishing you a happy Dia de Muertos – hooohaaa!

San Diego 'Summer'

Jay's post: We have traveled 526 miles down the California coast and now find ourselves in San Diego. The longest leg of our journey was 104 miles, when we sailed off shore, overnight from Morro Bay to Santa Rosa Island. It was this leg of our trip that took us around Point Conception. Our most enjoyable anchorage, thus far, has been Mariner's Basin here in San Diego, where the waters were “bathtub smooth” regardless of how hard the winds were blowing. Our worst anchorage (see the “rock in and roll in” post) was in Pfieffer Cove. Sailing down the California coast, our most enjoyable marinas include Monterey and San Diego. Along the way we have met many wonderful people. It is amazing, regardless of where we go, we meet someone we know or someone who knows someone we know.  Tomorrow we cross into Mexico and head for Ensenada! We are anxious to see what this next leg of our journey brings, as we struggle with the lack of internet, cell phone service and marinas.

Balloons 30 mile offshore

As we travel, people ask us what we do all day as we sail. Obviously there are routine daily tasks like driving the boat, which entails trimming sails, navigating and steering. These tasks can be more time consuming than one might think, depending on the winds and seas. Throughout the day, the wind tends to shifts from east, to south, to west. There is also a surprising amount of trash, crab pots and kelp we have to steer around to avoid wrapping it around the propeller or having it tangle in the rudder.

There is also the task of planning meals. It is amazing how much time goes into meal planning. It is not because there is a shortage of food on “Little Lara”. Quite the contrary, ever drawer, every locker, and every cabinet is jammed full of food: everything from cereals, to pastas, to soups, to cookies, to candies. The problem is we spend a lot of time planning and cooking these meals. Not your typical boat food (i.e. spam, corn hash, or beanie weenies), but pork chops with salad, potatoes and green vegetables, or spaghetti with clam sauce, tossed green salad and fruit. After dinner there are also desserts of cookies, cinnamon rolls or muffins.

There is also a great deal of time spent watching and identifying birds, dolphins and whales. It is always fun when a bird lands on “Little Lara”. Sometimes they stay for a short while, as if catching their breath before they fly off. Other times they will stay the night. Dolphins never cease to amaze us. When they see us coming they race toward “Little Lara” to ride our bow wave. Sometimes they even put on a personal private performance, jumping clear out of the waves, turning somersaults, and swimming upside down – a “Sea World” kind of entertainment. Whales, on the other hand, we enjoy watching only from a distance as they breach, blow, then sound. As they sound they often throw their flukes high out of the water. Once, on one of our offshore legs, Peggy was fortunate enough to be at the helm when we came upon a Sunfish sunning itself on the surface of the water. It was a spectacular sight.

Peggy's revenge fishing lures

We are often asked if we fish while under way. The answer is yes. We have a fishing real attached on the stern pulpit, which allows us to drag a line behind “Little Lara”. We also have a fishing pole that we use while at anchor. So far, I have caught a Sea Bass and a Rockfish. When we were sailing between Santa Catalina and Oceanside, I caught a Sooty Shearwater. These birds are very abundant along the California coast and migrate in a great circular pattern around the Pacific Ocean. Fortunately, we were able to untangle the bird before any real harm came to it.  I also threw both fish back arguing they were to small to keep. So, the score is Jay – 2 fish + 1 bird, Peggy – 0. To even the odds, Peggy went shopping this past week for fishing lures (giving credence to the adage that fishing lures catch more fishermen than fish). She also asks advice of every fisherman she meets. Time will tell whether her strategy pays off.

Peggy's post: We have truly enjoyed our stay in the San Diego area. My sisters, brother and sister-in-law met us in Oceanside and I was able to spend a few days in a hotel with them. A real bed, bathroom and shower! Also a real breakfast buffet as well as eating out in restaurants. What a nice treat! And it was especially nice being together around the time of our mother's birthday. We played "Zilch" (a dice game) one night in honor of her ... it was one of her favorite games. I think they let me win!

One day we toured Old Town San Diego where we were fascinated by the Mormon Battalion

historical site. The multimedia presentation is truly amazing. If you ever have the opportunity to travel to San Diego, I would definitely recommend it. As Jay mentioned we sailed down from Oceanside to Mariner's Bay, which was one of our favorite days of sailing and the anchorage here rates as my favorite. The bay is encircled by beaches and we were entertained by multitudes of stand-up paddle boarders, kayakers and swimmers. One day we swam to shore (too lazy to inflate the dinghy!) and walked the perimeter of the bay. Then as we were checking out all the cute vacation rentals homes, we discovered that the real “ocean pounding surf” beach was just two blocks away, so we enjoyed wading in the surf. On the beach I saw something tumbling in the waves, someone's swim fin. We continued walking further down the beach, and I was able to do my good deed for the day ... I found the owner and presented him with his lost fin.

Mariners Bay Anchorage

Yesterday we rented a car and we were grateful to be able to attend the San Diego Temple. It is very beautiful and peaceful place. How ironic it was to go to the shopping center across the freeway and see the Temple from the view of the 'World'. On Sunday we attended San Diego 6^th Ward as recommended by the senior missionaries we asked to take our picture at the temple. We saw them at Sacrament meeting, before they left to go work at the Mormon Battalion site (where I plan to take Jay this afternoon). And as usual we meet someone we knew at church. It took me a few minutes to figure out why one of the men looked familiar. Don and Karen lived in Redding for a few months while he was working there, and we had invited them over to our house for dinner. He is now working in San Diego and has returned the favor by invited us over to his house for a home cooked Mexican dinner. Unfortunately, his wife was out of town. It shouldn't surprise me, but it always takes me by surprise at how small the world is. Thanks Don! Another sister approached us to tell us she was from Redding and her parents still live there, attending one of the other Wards. I feel next week when we go to church in Ensenada this trend will probably end, but the members in any Ward feel like family.

San Diego Temple

We send our love to family and friends. We plan to work hard to stay in touch!