MEXICO CITY, EYE SURGERY AND THE CANADIANS WIN GOLD

well! what a mix is that. that is just what happened the night of the day of the tsunami alert we get an email  from a doctor in Mexico City, just a second i should back up a bit a few days back Harvey complained of eye issues and losing sight in the right eye. kind of going black and increasing daily. so the morning before the tsunami alert day,Barb from Whatcha gonna do, emailed a friend whose brother is a eye surgeon in Mexico City and explianed his symtoms and asked if he had some advise for us. well as it turns out the email arrived that afternoon of the tsunami alert that he must be seen urgently and it most likely is a retina detachment and may need surgery to repair. SOOOO we began making plans to be seen by dr Dalma in the city and needed to travel. we decided to move the boat back into the lagoon and head for the 14 HOUR bus ride the next day. Nikita decided to stay with the boat and mind its well being and the rest would go with Harv to the city. The night of the hockey game  we boarded the bus and were off as the over time score happened and a resturant full of all Canadians were screaming with cheer Nikita amongst them. we have never been so patriotic. But i tell you it was a great feeling of being Canadians amongst Canadians. it kind of felt a kinship.

Here i must  mention this community of cruisers comes to the for front again and offers of so many from them all and wanting to help , offers to take all the kids and look after them all. being there for nikita when he needed them. i think he's been invited for dinner and activities daily. He has been so greatful for them all and has enjoyed the freedom and responsibility for minding all the boat functions.

the surgery went well and we have word we are able to head back to the coast today. we will need to return next week but i think just harv will come. This doctor is apparently the best of the best and we have whatcha gonna do to thank for that! we are so greatful for their support with this connection. not sure if this is true but we think he's the presidents eye surgeon. so there you go. it was a possitive experience. and our voyage insurance  did pay for it.

mexico City ? "the biggest city in the world" well that will take a blog of it's own -

back to GypsyWind to smell the wind, feel the water.

SECURITEH SECURITEH TUSUNAMI ALERT!!!

7:OO AM came the call over the VHF.  i elbowed Harvey "what the heck is that" oh my GOD !  what to do now , we were alone in the anchorage in Melaque. instinct says head for high ground! we are in the worst possible position for a tsunami. okay pack the bags asap and park the boat in the lagoon and get the heck as high as you can. so began the frantic pack and listening to the VHF and tons of activity on the radio between the boats in barra and tennecitita. after a while we got the just that everyone was heading out to sea , oh my god ! we are doing the wrong thing. next thing you know we were making water and planning to lift anchor and head to sea to as deep water as possible. apparently thats what you are supposed to do.  soon it was anounced that alot of boats were trying to call us and make sure we heard. and "moon tide " anounced over the VHF to all that Gypsywind was heading out to sea. what a feeling at that moment of support and a comunity we are amongst. it was a moment a bit scared and uncertain and following the ones who may know more and feeling held in it all is amazing. As it it turned out not much happened but we learnt , what to do when you get that kind of call. needless to say our fiends meshach have been living in tennicatita for over a month now and it took a Tsunami to get them out of there and we were joined by all close friends in the anchorage of melaque that evening. Whacha gonna do, meshach, black dragon,gotta go, and a few others i think it was the most this anchorage has seen since we arrived. what a nice reunion we had at the palapa that night.  

The Missing Blog ( Hockey & More friends)

Who said it was going to be quiet.Black Dragon and Gypsywind sailed back to Bara, we were in need of seeing the next Olympic mens' Hockey game, at Rommones' the athentic mexican restarunt with the wide screen tv and satallite. There we were watching Hockey and who should walk past our table, Kims business partners, Sussan, Jerry, Moss and Bonnel from the craft connection. The Craft connection crew boarded Gypsywind at 10:30 for coffee. Well more Hockey, suppers on the beach at nice visit to their hotel for a swim. A plan to sail up to Tenacatita the next day was made. We met in  Melaque  a beach pickup in surf, 8 am well same old story, only some of us got wet. The sail up was a mother sail. a few dolphins as we rounded the point a Whale off our port bow maybe a 100 ft off. We anchored amongst friends. The crew on board snorkeled and swam. the plan was made to do a shore drop and find a cab at the blue bay hotel, all went well and that was with Harvey driving the dinghy. That afternoon we connected with our friends Micheal & Barbra on Whatcha gonna do. we caught up on 7 weeks of travelling.
Black Dragon and us (Gypsywind) joined "Gotta GO", who we had not seen since Cabo,for supper aboard Gotta GO. What a nice evening, fine food, friends and the stars in Tenacatita.

Tenacatita and back again AKA (what were you thinking)

Well it been almost a week since our family left and still a emptyness remains, eight kids a mother inlaw and sister inlaw leave a very big inprint, we are adjusting with some down time. Though we did hook up with Jamie (Fat) and Angie, my first cousins daughter, did I mention how many people you meet here from home. Like walking down the street Victoria (kids and all) spot a dear friend Mark from Passcreek in Malaque, we had them all down at the Casa including Walter and Donna from back home.It is a comfort to visit with everyone from home, catch up on news, and share a cervaza or two. We all went out for the "last supper" the night before Leeza, Victoria and the kids left. Next day, with Jamie and Angie, we caught the Olympic mens hockey game at a Mexican resturant, with a wide screen TV, but had to wait till the American group watching curling were done, they left shortly after,Jamie overheard one say "Bunch of Canadians wanting to watch hockey", like curling was exiting, I think they curled. Tuesday was a sort of Matigra???, a parade in town, along with a travelling amusement park in the evening, Noah and Nikita went on the bumper cars, (the other rides, mostly kiddy ones looked sary, loose bolts, some home made stuff,rubber tire mounted to a motor, one run by an eleven year old). Next day we all agreed to sail up to Tenicateta,and that we did, Mark, Jamie & Angie along with the standard crewas tour guides, first had to pick up laundry, milk ect. could not find Walter & Donna (must have been at the market). It was a lovely sail, wind peaking at 18kts, we saw a couple of dolfins, but also a big whale in the bay. Upon anchoring Kim made dinner for all, all was great but the time flew and then we had to get them to the Hotel to catch a cab back to barra, Mark was leaving in the morning.Nikita our best dingy driver was to land the dingy in the surf, Kim came along to arrange the taxi. They did not follow the warning to land the beach over here, and walk to the hotel. I watched in binoculars as they went down the beach to where the surf is stronger, half mile, Nikita knows surf, reads surf, lands in surf. He times the waves, he has a nack of riding in on the back of a wave, he throtled up,and there they were, riding the big wave. In atisipation of a exciting landing everyone moved foreward for the bail out, some with legs out by one account, the talk would have covered this,only problem it was too soon the weight broke the wave, now instead of riding the top of it, they are biginning to surf the front of it,Nikita throws the engine in reverse,too late it is now out off the water at the crest of the wave. Doom lirking, the bow strikes the trough, bottom of the wave, filling the bow with water, the standard sequence is ussually like this, the wave lifts the back until the dingy is vertical, bow in the sand then slams the still running engine over the heads of the people now pinned under the dingy, as the poeple gather there barring the next wave finishes them off. Dont laugh its happened to our friends, Nikita and his fiends had a near miss pre Cabo come to think of it someone there on the same day got pitched, head over tea kettle. Well needless to say they were spared, everyone got wet, some scared but no one got hurt, and Nikita is still annalizing why they survived, maybe the weight of that 25 horse motor we bought. The taxi ride back to Barra must have been comforting, though a little wet on the abholstry. Kim and Nikita had thier own challanges to make it out of the surf, Nikita recalls being airborne about 4 ft, I think that is what accounts for Kims' skinned knee, the landing that is. All in the life of a sailor.
We hooked up with friends Mishack and Qual Chan and also had a nice superise , BlackDragon pulled into the anchorage, it was time for catching up and telling storys, that is what sailors do best.
Yesterday we moved Gypsywind down to Melaque, antisipating strong winds,Sunday, Monday, Tues., we may have to anchor in the Lagoon in Barra.. The girls made the most amaizing cinnomin bunns,the night was beautiful, the anchorage peaceful, all is well.
Gypsywind on the side

8 kids, 50 kts winds and a lagoon

the adventure continues
    We have been blessed to see our family,  mom and Victoria and the clan of kids (totaling 8) with the new born Nicolas of 11 weeks. our youngest crew member to date. to the total of 12 on board this was very cosy to say the least. We also were blessed with the 50 knot winds that welcomed them on board the first night, luckly we were in the Lagoon in Barra de Navidad and were pelted with heavy rain for the first 2 days of family. we were so excited to be together we didn't seem to mind as we sat under the tarp  in the cockpit. Once the rain passed we lifted anchor and sailed the 3 hours to Tennicatita for a few nights this was amazing to share with family. It really feels fullfilling to share the lifestyle and for them to see and feel our life here on the ocean, I think they finally understand. nonetheless we are now in a Casa in Melaque for the week and we our family Nikita and Kiya and Noah have been in Awe of the space, the fee water and hot and we are showering twice daily. Noah a record 45 min shower and 3 shampoosand  spreading his toes and all else you can imagine. We have not slept in beds for 3 months and feel unbeiliveable stretching. for the firstday or so the house felt like it to was moving around. could thisbe land sickness? just kidding. well we are enjoying a holiday looking through fresh and amazed eyes and seeing Mexico again with renewed excitment.