Puerto Ballandra to Puerto Escondido, Dec. 19
We awoke to calm winds and surprisingly calm seas. The winds overnight must have allowed the seas to lay down sooner than expected. Encore had already left, and we soon heard the ketch raising its anchor and setting off to La Paz.
Chris wanted to do the hike one more time and see for sure what the waves looked like. I made sure the boat was ready for passage, and worked on the website pictures. At one point Chris called down to the boat and I saw not far above him a 4 spire saguaro cactus with a vulture on each spire. Three of them looked optimistically expectant towards Chris as he climbed along the ridge. I called him on the VHF and told him to take a picture. About an hour later he returned to the boat and we said goodbye to Puerto Ballandra heading south to Escondido for ice, hot showers and laundry.
Chris wanted to do the hike one more time and see for sure what the waves looked like. I made sure the boat was ready for passage, and worked on the website pictures. At one point Chris called down to the boat and I saw not far above him a 4 spire saguaro cactus with a vulture on each spire. Three of them looked optimistically expectant towards Chris as he climbed along the ridge. I called him on the VHF and told him to take a picture. About an hour later he returned to the boat and we said goodbye to Puerto Ballandra heading south to Escondido for ice, hot showers and laundry.
Its either feast or famine as far as the winds were concerned. Yesterday they were way too strong, (Click here for video) today there wasn’t even enough to ghost sail. Chris decided to try to catch a fish and put out his salmon rig from Canada. Before long a mother and baby dolphin came very close to the boat. We turned off the depth sounder so as not to annoy them and soon we had a small school around us. We hoped they wouldn’t get caught in the in the salmon rigging. Thankfully they didn’t, they are too smart.
After a while Chris decided to pull in the empty fishing rig, and squealed like a girl when a fish popped up. There was a small 8” Spanish mackerel attached. Too small for us, Chris put it back in the sea, but at least he had caught a fish! We continued to motor into Puerto Escondido arriving around 3:00 pm.
After a while Chris decided to pull in the empty fishing rig, and squealed like a girl when a fish popped up. There was a small 8” Spanish mackerel attached. Too small for us, Chris put it back in the sea, but at least he had caught a fish! We continued to motor into Puerto Escondido arriving around 3:00 pm.
This harbor offers all around protection, and is much improved since our visit 9 years ago. It still has the air of an abandoned project that overreached the demand. Someday it may fulfill its potential. It has the infrastructure to be a really busy, well-provisioned resort and harbor.
We treated ourselves to a delicious dinner at the 4-star Porto Bello restaurant in the marina. It was a white table cloth service with beautiful décor. Chris had shrimp on a bed of pasta prepared with basil, smoked oregano and olive oil with fresh tomato reduction. I had scallops on a bend of sweet potato puree with cream sauce and balsamic reduction. Everything tasted wonderfully. Chris had a date mousse for dessert that was very tasty and not too sweet. The margarita I had was killer and Chris enjoyed his beer. It was a delicious treat. It was a bit expensive, but well worth it.
We treated ourselves to a delicious dinner at the 4-star Porto Bello restaurant in the marina. It was a white table cloth service with beautiful décor. Chris had shrimp on a bed of pasta prepared with basil, smoked oregano and olive oil with fresh tomato reduction. I had scallops on a bend of sweet potato puree with cream sauce and balsamic reduction. Everything tasted wonderfully. Chris had a date mousse for dessert that was very tasty and not too sweet. The margarita I had was killer and Chris enjoyed his beer. It was a delicious treat. It was a bit expensive, but well worth it.