After Doug and Sharron left we had one week to get a few boat projects done and get ready for two of our children to visit. We set to work in between taco and story breaks. Being on the end tie there was a lot of foot traffic from our neighbors. Lots of stories and laughs were shared here. Not wanting to destroy the boat right before the kids came we started with a few of the sewing projects we needed to get done. We sewed a sail bag for our staysail and a bug screen for a companion way. Reorganized our provisions and provisioned some more. Then rearraigned so that we could fit two more humans in our tiny space. The excitement was increasing as the arrival date got closer.
Finally the night before they were to fly out we staid up late unable to sleep. Which of course turned out to be for the best because around 10 pm we got an email from the airline that there flight from Salt Lake to Dallas had been cancelled. Not delayed but cancelled. We spent 45 minutes on with customer service to find that there were no other flights into Dallas that day that would make their only flight to La Paz. Failed attempts to get them on a flight we ended up settling for getting them to Cabo then they would have to take the last shuttle up to La Paz. They would have to not have any delays and make their very short connection. Can they do it?
Well they rushed and ran and rushed some more trying to make their connection and they did! they made the connection to Cabo and was on their way. Now they just have to make the shuttle. It was too good to be true…they ended up missing the last shuttle and instead of trying to deal with a taxi or driving in the dark we had them stay in a hotel for the night. We rented a car the next morning and set off the pick them up. It is a 2 hour drive on a 2 lane highway to et to Cabo San Jose. We took the Pacific side and planned to bring the kids up through the mountains and the east side. It was a moment of complete relief and complete joy when we finally walked into their hugs.
Loaded them in the car and set off. First…food. They were starving after their day of travel and rushing. So we drove out of town and found a small restaurant and sat for lunch. It was a beautiful little spot and the drive was filled with laughs and conversation. We stopped in historical mining town of El Triunfo to take pictures and stretch our legs. The cobble stone roads and low hanging eves gives the town a quaint feel. After checking out the town and the mine grounds we finish up our drive and land in La Paz with enough time to find more tacos and walk up and down the Malecon.
We spend the next day exploring La Paz, it’s art, ice cream, and more food. We check the weather and it looks like we have a few good days for winds to get out and then back in the marina so we set sail. We witness them experience a bunch of firsts. First time sailing in salt water. First time snorkeling. First time seeing bioluminescence.
We anchor in a small cove on Isla Espirito Santos where the kids enjoy snorkeling. McKenzie sees an octopus. They see countless numbers of fish. Wished it would have been more colorful. The water is still a little chilly but warmer than home. They spend hours in the water or on the paddle boards. We mark off all the fish they saw in our fish book. As the night falls we watch the stars come out and then watch as the bioluminescence begins glowing. Cory and I take the dingy out and paddle through it. Watching our path light up. Trying to reach the darker areas to see if it would be brighter. Returning to the boat we try every camera we have in every mode we could try hoping to record some of it. But alas…we end up with memories only. Which are perfect.
Returning back to La Paz Cory was able to see a turtle which was on his list of must sees. We took time to walk the Malecon and shop, walk the town to see the murals, talk and laugh. It was so good to see these kids…I mean adults. We didn’t want to let them go. But they needed to get back to their lives and our whirl wind week came to an end. So we reluctantly sent them home.
With the kids on their way home we had one more week to finish up our work and get back out. So Hiraya became a mess again. The exhaust needed repaired. While Sam pulled the parts and searched for a mechanic that could weld I went on countless trips with our neighbor Sheri to Home Depot, Wal Mart, and the Markets finding all the provisions we needed to spend the next couple months out and away from civilization. Sheri had a car and made this process so much easier. But what made it fun is that Sheri and Steve had decided to come out to the Island for a week. We were so excited to share this time with them. As much as we like our time alone having company makes for special times.
There were several boats all trying to head out with in a few days of each other. The dock was alive with people running back and forth getting their business done. Finally, with the exhaust fixed and Hiraya stocked to the gunnels we head out. The magical webs of La Paz couldn’t keep us any longer. The weather looks good for our first stop to be Bonanza Bay!