Newsletter April 2002

"Where the hell did that crazy couple go? "

The crew of Pipe Dream have bid farewell to Mexico and are off on another adventure. We were holed up in Huatulco for several days waiting for a weather window to cross the Gulf of Tehuantepec. This bay, at the southern end of Mexico, is 250 miles across. The absence of a mountain range running north/south between the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico forms a venturi between both bodies of water. If there is a significant northerly wind blowing in the Gulf of Mexico, it funnels through this valley and, as we say in the sailing world, it creates a blow known as a Tehuantepecker. For you land lubbers, it blows like stink. In the Gulf of Tehuantepec, it usually blows a full gale about 150 days a year. Sudden storms can come up with winds in excess of 50 to 60 miles per hour creating huge waves. A boat can easily be blown several hundred miles out to sea. The best way to get across, is to find a good weather window. You are advised to hug the coast, or as Captain Rains puts it, “keep one foot on the beach”. If the wind picks up, you get pelted with sand from the beach but Mother Nature doesn’t have time to elevate the seas. Our crossing was perfect and we sailed in 15 knots of wind during the day and motored at night. We spent the night in Puerto Madero, the most southern port in Mexico. The next morning, we entered Guatemalan waters.
Our first port of call, don’t you just love this sailing jargon, was San Jose/Puerto Quetzal. We dropped the hook, (the anchor), and checked into the country with a crisp $100.00 American greenback for the Port Captain, and $40.00 dollars for immigration. This allowed us a 5 days’ stay in Guatemala. Jutta and I jumped on a chicken bus for a 2 ½ hour ride to Guatemala City, where we changed buses for another hour to Antigua. Oh, by the way, there were actually people holding live chickens on the bus. One guy had two chickens in a plastic shopping bag with the heads sticking out of two holes. If you ever wondered where all the old Blue Bird school buses go, they are all in Guatemala. Some of them still wear their yellow coat of paint, while most are painted in bright colors and patterns. One of the busses still sported a large sign in English above the driver reminding him to check for sleeping children on the seats before the end of the run.
Antigua, a quaint old colonial town, is nestled in a mountain valley about 5000 feet above sea level and surrounded by three smoldering volcanoes towering to 9000 feet. It is the Spanish language capital of Central America. Foreigners from all over the world come here to take full emersion Spanish lessons. Antigua is a don’t miss stop for anyone visiting Guatemala. After two nights’ stay we boarded our chicken bus and were off for Panajachel on Lake Atitlan.
Panajachel, nicknamed Gringotenango, is a small tourist community on the shores of the lake. The lake was formed from a volcanic crater and is also bordered by three active volcanoes. It is about eight miles across and 1000 feet deep. Both, Antigua and Panajachel, are relatively “new”, 400 years or so, as you can probably guess they have been destroyed several times by mud slides or earthquakes from the volcanoes.
Our last, and most interesting, stop of the trip was Chichicastenango, which is a mouthful in any language. The natives just call it Chi-chi. This town, in the dry highlands, is not very scenic but on Thursday and Sunday every week all the Indians from miles around come to Chi-chi to sell their wares. Everyone arrives in native dress, the women in woven skirts and colorfully embroidered blouses and the men wearing similar garments. The goods offered include anything from beautiful textiles to everyday staples such as beans, rice, spices, fruits and vegetables. The women balance all their goods in huge baskets wrapped in colorful cloths on their heads. We saw men carrying enormous string bags of oranges or firewood on their backs with most of the weight concentrated on the bag strap around their forehead. Bargains are plentiful after a little bit of haggling over the prices. Jutta and I spent more money shopping in Chi-chi than we have anywhere in our travels in the last two years. I even have my own purse now. If there is any question, no, I have not switched my earring to the other side!!!!
We left Chi-chi on a chicken bus that afternoon bound for Guatemala City (a very dirty, noisy, dangerous, sprawling metropolis) and on to Puerta Quetzal, and finally back to Pipe Dream. On the bus, my camera slipped off of my belt and it was gone forever. Someone picked it up and exited the bus. I wish they had left the roll of pictures. Fortunately, we also had the digital camera with us. I will need to pick up another 35MM in Panama.
On Monday, April 15, we went to the Port Captain and checked out of Guatemala bound for El Salvador. Thursday morning we sailed and after 20 hours of motoring in windless seas, we arrived in Bahia Del Sol, El Salvador. The anchorage is located inside a beautiful lagoon surrounded by jungle. To get to this paradise, one has to enter in between two shoals with breaking waves. We were advised to wait at a certain waypoint in front of the entrance and to call a local panga for guidance. For several days, boats had to anchor in front of the entrance to wait out a large Pacific swell, which made an entry too dangerous. We had timed our arrival to coincide with the peak of the high tide and it looked like the seas had calmed down some. The panga finally appeared and we followed his zig-zag course in between the breaking waves. It was quite a ride and we breathed a lot easier once we were inside the lagoon. After listening to some of the harrowing tales of other cruisers, our entrance must have been a piece of cake!
We are now anchored in a huge lagoon in front of the Bahia Del Sol Hotel. This hotel loves cruisers and gives a 30% discount on food and bar. They offer 1 free night stay including breakfast, use of all facilities (there are two large swimming pools), and every Wednesday night they have a hosted happy hour with a speaker. To top all this, there are no port entry fees! The only fee is for a 10 Dollar tourist visa. As you can probably tell, we are basking in luxury! A new adventure begins!
In reflecting back to our leaving Mexico, the one thing we will miss is the food. Mexico has the most wonderful flavors and varieties. The cuisine in Guatemala is very simple, black beans, rice, chicken, and corn tortillas. You can get rice soup and for variety they will put chicken in it, black bean soup with chicken added upon request, or each item separate. The national dish is some sort of chicken broth with a piece of chicken in it, believe it or not. It helps keep the weight off.
That’s all for now, it’s time to sign off. The crew of Pipe Dream must head to the pool.
From the decks of Pipe Dream
Ferdy and Jutta