Spring Break

On Tuesday night Marc and I returned from an idyllic week with Suzi and David in which we all ate tons of wonderful seafood, drank enough beer and tequila to float Sidewinder, surfed on some pretty serious waves (see Dave's epic wave above), strolled on the sand, and talked to our hearts' content. Suzi procured the most luxurious accommodations imaginable at Troncones Beach, a testament to the Kindness of Strangers: Suzi's cousin Billy met a guy named Jim who told Billy that he could stay at Jim's house if he ever needed lodging in the future. Billy tranferred the invitation to Suzi and David, who added us to the package, so we spent five nights in a villa on a nearly deserted stretch of beach where the only sound was the surf pounding the sand. (See photos 3 & 4.)

The opportunity to sleep long hours in a real bed and take daily showers had a notable rejuvenating effect on both of the Sobolewskis. David's knee grew stronger each day despite the fact that he surfed like a madman and played a drunken game of volleyball on our last night. A highlight of our trip was meeting delightful Richard and Virginia, whose boat Mandy has accompanied Sidewinder on much of the journey thus far. We had dinner and drank home-brewed mescal at the Santa Prisca Pozoleria (photos 5, 6, & 7), frequented by locals and featuring exquisite pozole and fabulous musicians; Richard and Virgina departed for Huatulco the following day, to everyone's dismay.

What next for the Sobos? That remains to be seen. David is deciding whether to turn north or south when they exit Zihuatanejo Bay, probably tomorrow. Primary factors that will influence his decision include his knee and the weather in the months to come; each direction poses its own set of challenges. I don't envy him the burden of that choice, but I know they will make the best of the situation, no matter which direction they choose. I will let you know that decision in my next post. Meanwhile, enjoy a handful of the 260 pictures I took last week; if you click on them, they will get huge. -Kris

P.S. Here's a bit of info. from Suzi today:

We caught the little bus back into town (from the airport) for 7 pesos each and went back to Sidewinder to unwind. We put lots of stuff away and made her feel like home once again. Finally, as the sun went down, we settled into the cockpit pillows and enjoyed each other and the tranquil peace of alone time. It had been a very long time since we had no one around. Since Tenacatita we have been with people nonstop. Our vacation with you started the process of unwinding from everything that has happened this month, and our down time gave us a chance to look at the big picture and to get away and relax. I smile now and that is good.

We spent the morning cleaning the hull, quite a major task, and now David is at the Sunset Internet cafe eating a hamburger, and I am in the internet place just down from Hotel Susy. We will spend one more day here, check out tomorrow, and go up to Ixtapa to deisel up, perhaps anchoring off of Isla Grande. I will go to the mercado this afternoon and get fresh stuff for whichever way we decide to go. I kind of think that David´s knee is still not right and that limping around from now on might send us north for some eventual help. It is all good, and I am ready to enjoy whatever comes next. The positive of coming your way is that I know you will come visit again sooner than later, and I look forward to another good hug. I have many more reflective thoughts but will stop for now. Give my love to all and let them know you were able to shake me up enough so I, again, can practice Being. How good it feels again. YIPPEE!
Love you, Suzi