We returned home from Mexico just in time to spend Thanksgiving with family. The holidays were just ahead, and the piled up workload from being gone from the office for 7 weeks kept us incredibly busy until after the first of the year. Jellybean was enjoying her stay at a luxurious marina in the height of the cruising season, while we were working long hours. In late January we flew to Puerto Vallarta, bought some groceries, hopped aboard Jellybean and headed south, planning to reach Zihuataneo in time for the annual Z-fest, but had such a nice time at anchorages that we got only as far as Barra de Navidad.

Along the way we stopped at Ipala and Chemela. Here's a shot of the beautiful Chemela beach, Roy relaxing at a palapa, and finally, the corner grocery where we bought several vegetables, including a fresh bunch of incredibly aromatic cilantro.

Our next destination was Tenacatita Bay. Upon our arrival we noticed Raptor Dance anchored a short distance from us. We inflated the dinghy and went over to say hello to Bill and Mary. Roger and Mona from Cherokee Eagle and Barb and Craig from Capella were enjoying happy hour with Bill and Mary. We joined in and enjoyed the first of several wonderful gatherings at Tenacatita.

A few days after we arrived, Erik and Katriana arrived on Seayanika. We buddy-dinghyed up the river, through the mangroves, tropical birds, under the canopy, and ultimately reached the beautiful beach at Tenacatita.

On Friday evenings, the "mayor" organizes a dinghy raft-up at Good Dog Beach. Everyone brings food, books, tapes and stories to share.

In anticipation of our departure, we arranged to rent a slip at nearby Barra de Navidad. Many of our cruising friends had recommended a lengthy stay at Barra; we soon found out why. We had excellent provisions, good restaurants, and as we had learned to expect, wonderful gatherings with other cruisers. The highlight of our brief stay in Barra was a dock party that included a concert performed by Doug (on drums) and Kumi (on piano) of Kanaloa, with a grand finale by 6-year old Marc (on piano). The crowd was spellbound.