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Griffin and her crew left her home port of Port Aransas,
Texas in 2001.
People
often ask me what place I like best in our travels.
The usual answer is “Where I am right now!” But if I
judge
it by how much time I spent, Isla Mujeres, Mexico would have
to top the list…for right now!
Isla is a crossroads for cruisers heading both north and south, a
respite before or after making a Gulf of Mexico crossing. I have spent more than 6 months
there over 3 stops. It lies a few miles across the bay from Cancun,
but seems like light-years away. The proud Islenos love the
tranquility of the island and we do, too. Everyone is friendly and
helpful, the food is wonderful and the surrounding water is beyond
description for its turquoise hues…it even colors the bottom of the
white clouds.
Unfortunately,
Hurricane Wilma has taken her toll on Isla, and they are just
beginning to find out the extent of the damage. I had planned
on flying there for Christmas, but it looks like that will have to
wait for another year. I know the strength
and faith of the Islenos, and I am sure there will be a full
recovery. Don’t miss this treasure, either by boat or by air.
Of course I also enjoyed much of the Yucatan
Peninsula, particularly Merida. I look forward to my return.
Mexico info on saltysailors.com
“You Better Belize It” is a
popular phrase for t-shirts in this small country south of
Mexico, the second stop on my way south. It is a
48-hour sail if you don’t tuck into some bays in Mexico.
It is mostly English-speaking, and after having worked so
hard on my Spanish in Isla I sometimes slipped back into it
and slightly offended the locals. Favorite
places include Caye Caulker, a very laid-back place where I
now have lots of friends. After CC, Griffin visited many small reef cayes
on the way to Placencia. OK, now here is another of my favorite places…how could it not be
what with a Lobster Fest, and ice plant AND a real Italian gelato
shop…all on a single dirt road! Lobster is great in Belize, but
I sure do like the stew
chicken, beans and rice!
Belize info on saltysailors.com |
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The hurricane season,
officially June 1-Nov. 30, drives a lot of cruisers into the
protective Rio Dulce
of Guatemala. The marinas are situated about 15 miles
inland and this becomes the center of activity. While
here I try to make
any flying trips home, but the real fun is visiting the interior,
getting to know the culture and people and working in the free
clinic in the village of Esmerelda. The highlands offer a cool
change from the hot, humid climate on the river. Volcanoes and
crystal blue lakes provide the setting for the most incredible
display of colors you can imagine…locals dressed in regional
fabrics, flowers, vegetables and fruits, gaily decorated U.S. school
buses known as “chicken buses” because your seat mate very well
might have one tucked under her arm. The names are almost
magical…Chichicastenango, Lago Atitlan, Antigua, Panajachel…and the
actual places are, too. The dialects spoken by the Mayan
descendants mesmerize you, and it is fun to see the smiles on their
faces when you greet them in their native tongue.
Guatemala info on saltysailors.com
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