We arrived to the Banderas Bay area on December 30, finally catching up with our friends from the Brisbane Marina – Ted and Brenda on our sistership Firefly who we had not seen since mid-November on the Baja peninsula.
For New Years Eve about 12 boats had a roving dock party with hot and cold hors d’oeuvres (I think the winner was the baked bacon-wrapped jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese) and cocktails (of course!) …temp in the low 70s. There were fireworks on the bay at midnight but we were in the sack by 11! (What party animals we are, but we usually don’t make it up that late where ever we are.) The cruising life often revolves around getting up (early) at first light, and winding down when it gets dark.
During a 10-day stay at Marina Riviera Nayarit at La Cruz de Huanacaxtle we met a nice young man Luis who runs a successful boat-care business. He invited the crews of Voyager, Firefly and Sandpiper (Ed & Annette) to a New Year’s Day family celebration.
We took the bus northwest about six miles to Punta de Mita, which is known for its lovely beaches, surfing, and a very large Four Seasons resort with oceanfront golf course. The party was held at the home of Luis’ wife’s grandparents. Probably the last “locals” to hang on to their oceanfront home in this area, their property is situated between a luxury condominium and a new upscale shopping plaza. They lease out a small portion of their beach to a surfboard rental company.
This was a very simple and modest home but the family was enjoying the day, the environment, and each other just like all families everywhere. The weather was marvelous for being outdoors and the view was spectacular. An entertaining feature with us cruisers was the large tree in the yard and its ladder to allow the resident chickens to comfortably climb the tree at night for roosting. To supplement some cold cervezas and some tasty cocktails, there were some incredible home-made tamales including sweet varieties of pineapple and strawberry.
