Barra to Las Hadas

Las Hadas Hotel and Resort in Manzanillo

We left Barra on the 22^nd of February around noon. Before we left we had our last meal in the hotel dining room, got the boat all tucked away and ready to sail to Las Hadas.

Just off the balcony of the restaurant in the Grand Isle Hotel/Marina

Four little birds on our Jibsheet coming along for a ride

Shipwreck just outside of Barra

Piedra Blanca (this rock reminds me of Harley when she's lying down, head on the ground)

The winds were blowing about 15kts max so we were able to sail with our Genoa, which worked out perfectly! We arrived in Las Hadas in the late afternoon. As we pulled into the anchorage just in front of the Las Hadas resort hotel (where the movie “10” was filmed) we saw our friend Jeff’s boat, Amante, anchored. When Jeff saw us, he jumped in his dinghy and zipped right over to greet us with open arms! Such a nice welcome!

Rounding the point into Las Hadas

Jeff's boat, Amante

Here comes Jeff!

Our open armed greeting!

After we anchored, Jeff invited us to have dinner with him at the restaurant just up off the beach from where we were. We had a great meal there and had fun catching up! Jeff had just spent a lot of time in Zihuatenejo and he is now heading back to Puerto Vallarta with his crewmate, Jeanne (sounds like John).

The next couple of days, we just swam a lot and relaxed. I took Harley every morning to the shore on the SUP board. The anchorage was calm and the water very clear and warm.

Morning ritual with Harley

During our stay, our friends on Ka’sala arrived and stayed for one night. We visited with them while we all treaded water on a late afternoon swim.  Salt water makes you very buoyant!

Ka'sala - Doug and Lyneita's boat

Wednesday, Jeff, Jeanne, Rick and I went by bus to downtown Manzanillo, which was on the other side of the bay from where we were.  We walked around, ate lunch and went to a big market place with lots of fresh fruits, veggies, fish and so on.

Streets of Manzanillo

Watching how they build roofs out of palm leaves

Rick checking out the goods

Adorable little girl!

Big Sailfish in downtown Manzanillo. The Port is in the background.
 

Me and Jeanne

Jeff, Rick and Jeanne

Waiting for the number 1 bus

The next morning, Jeff and Jeanne on SV Amante and Doug and Lyneita on SV Ka’sala were all planning on leaving the anchorage and going over to Santiago and anchor there, which is just around the corner.  So we did the same. I was really enjoying Las Hadas anchorage but we have to keep moving. 

On our way to Santiago

We arrived in Santiago and anchored (which took us two attempts…my fault) between Jeff’s boat and the shore. Jeff buzzed over in his dinghy to let us know that we were invited to go to lunch with him, Jeanne and a few other boaters.  We accepted the offer and dinghy’d to shore. The place where we landed was NOT a good spot. The bottom was solid rocks with very little sand. And, I don’t mean pebbles…these were big rocks/boulders! Rick and I did not wear our sandals because we thought we’d be landing on sand. We thought we were anchored in sand so the beach where we would land would be sand as well. Not the case!

Sunset in Santiago 

After pulling the dinghy to shore and meeting up with the other boaters, we stopped and got a table at the closest restaurant to where we landed. We all had something to drink. Limonada’s were the most popular. One couple ordered Coke Light and the waiter came back to the table with two Coconuts with straws in them.  I guess he didn’t really understand what they were talking about. 

After Limonada’s, Guacamole and chips, Rick and I took off walking into town to get a few items at the grocery store. It was only a 20-minute walk there.

When we got back to the shore where we parked our dinghy, we put our groceries inside and wheeled the dinghy to the water. The waves were getting a little bigger than when we left and so we had to hurry to get the dinghy through the other side of the surf. The hard thing was walking on top of these rocks at the same time! Some rocks were slippery and others were sharp and jagged. Rick and I were both having a difficult time walking on the rocks barefooted.  Harley was swimming behind so she was fine. As we were rushing to get the dinghy in deeper water, I stepped on a very sharp rock that forced me to fall backwards in the water. Rick instructed me to hurry and get into the boat. That was not easy because I was hurt! (Rick did not realize I was hurt…maybe he thought I was practicing the backstroke or something and not happy about my timing)!  As I swung my leg over into the boat, the underside of my big toe was bleeding pretty heavily and dripped onto the floor of the dinghy. I knew I’d hurt my toe, but had no idea I had cut it so badly.  Luckily there was a towel inside the dinghy that I could wrap around my toe and hold it. I pulled back the towel to see the damage the rock had done and it had left a pretty deep gash! It’s probably the worst cut I’ve ever had. Rick took a look and he agreed it was a pretty bad cut. He then told me to hang my foot overboard into the water to flush out any dirt or sand that might have gotten in. (I think he is trying to kill me at this point…aren’t Sharks attracted to blood??) I did not do as he suggested, instead, I covered my toe back up right away and held on to it tightly. I was more afraid of having to have stitches than I was having any pain (it mostly stung).  The reason stitches seem so frightening to me is because I am severely allergic to all local anesthetics.  How would they numb my toe before stitching it up?

As we got back to the boat and onboard, Rick got some Hydrogen Peroxide, paper towels and Band-Aids and fixed me up. He bandaged my toe pretty tightly so that the wound will heal shut (either that or he’s hoping it will fall off).

Since the big toe drama I’ve been hobbling around the boat. I cannot go to shore, because I don’t want any sand or dirt getting inside my wound. So I’m not sure what we will do here except for me to get caught up on the blog, which I am doing now.

Ok guys…I'm ready for you to take me to shore!

Rick rowing Harley to shore

Rick had to take Harley to shore in the dinghy this morning since I was unable to take her on the SUP. Unfortunately, Rick and Harley had a little mishap when they got to shore, the dinghy flipped! Somehow Rick got sideways in a wave and it rolled the dinghy. Rick, Harley and two bags of garbage went overboard. Rick gracefully up righted the dinghy, grabbed the garbage and made it to shore. Harley was already onshore running around. What lengths we go through so Harley can empty her bladder!

Rowing back…both soaking wet! 

Later this afternoon, after Rick goes snorkeling over to a nearby Shipwreck, we will probably motor around the corner to Carrazel, which is supposed to be a gorgeous anchorage.

I'll keep you posted!

Sunrise in Santiago