If the last two months are any indicator for the year to come, we are in for one wild ride. I always considered myself a traditional person, especially, like most people, around the Christmas season. I used to decorate the house, trimmed the tree, carefully selected the presents for friends and family, planned the feast, and all of that with a childish joy that was contagious and couldn’t be ignored, not even by my Grinch husband.
There was nothing traditional about last year’s end, other than a beautiful turkey dinner with new friends and the realization of the true meaning of Christmas: love.
Jacques Cousteau statue, La Paz
Bahia Salinas, Isla Carmen
Playa Santispac, Posada Conception
We traveled extensively in December, knowing that we would be spending a fair amount of time in Mazatlán during the first month of the year. We explored new bays and destinations, met incredible people along the way and reconnected with cruising friends who treated us like family.
Watching the Christmas parade and indulging in what must be the best Chateaubriand on the Baja California were just some of the bonuses in our re-provisioning visit in La Paz. We left the town on Christmas Eve to join our buddy boats Arvonna and Salish Dragon to hang out in Caleta el Candelero.
Christmas Parade, La Paz
Exploring the Malecon in La Paz
Dinner at El Mesquite Grill, La Paz
Christmas at the Beach, Isla Espiritu Santo
We played Boccia ball on the beach and enjoyed in a sumptuous celebration dinner on board Salish Dragon. Boxing Day started with a lavish brunch on Fortitude X, followed by a snorkeling excursion in the bay. We connected with our families in Germany and Thailand, and while it’s not the same to be apart, we shared messages of love; words we too often forget to say.
We bid our friends farewell and sailed back to La Paz. There was still one thing on our to-do list for 2023: swimming with the whale sharks. These slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet sharks are the largest known extant fish species. They feed on plankton and travel large distances. The maximum size of whale sharks is not known but according to WWF (World Wildlife Fund) could be as large as 20 meters. We arrived at their feeding grounds after an hour ride in a high-speed dinghy, jumped overboard with our masks and flippers on, just to realize that “slow-moving” doesn’t really mean slow moving – at least in my books. These magnificent creatures are fast for their size and I found myself struggling to take pictures while trying to keep up without drowning. Lucky enough one of them turned around, it must have heard my silent prayers, and swam towards me, which resulted in the only decent photo shot in the murky waters.
What a splendid way to conclude the year.
Swimming with the Whale Sharks, New Yer’s Eve 2023, La Paz
Close Encounter
We left the Baja in the wee hours of New Year’s Day for a two-day crossing to Mainland Mexico. We made Marina Mazatlán our base camp for the weeks to follow as we were planning on some boat maintenance – and more importantly reconnecting with friends from our “old” home town, Edmonton.
You know you have friends for life when you just continue where you left off months – or years back. It’s also a proven fact that you cheer to the nights we’ll never remember with the friends we’ll never forget. Enough said.
Dinner at Plazuela Machado, Mazatlan
Private Chef Dinner Party with Edmonton Cooking Club at The Sandcastle, Mazatlan
Even the best of times come to an end and we left Mazatlán to continue our voyage south. We caught fish – and long lines – along the way and arrived to the sight of breaching humpbacks in Banderas Bay, grateful!
Sunset at Anchor, Sea of Cortez
2 Comments
Duncan and Maggie
Wonderful times with good friends, nothing better, so now the big question from Banderas do you go south, north or west?
Torsten Schulz
Thank you, glad you are enjoying the read. We’ll be spending two more months in Mexico before aiming for El Salvador, eventually Nicaragua and Costa Rica, aiming for Panama Canal later this year.