Location: Jocotepec, Jalisco, Mexico
Since the last blog, we have been busy. Early July, we hauled out the boat to have the bottom painted and to do some other boat projects including repair of the main engine cooling water discharge piping, rust removal from the swim deck and installation of a new swim ladder, touch-up of the topsides paint, and installation of a rack for future solar panels. After the boat was splashed and back snug in her slip at Paradise Village, we headed for the mountains and cooler weather. We have a lot of pictures to share, so we'll keep the words to a minimum and let the pictures do the talking.
First, a few "nature" pictures:
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On the voyage from Paradise
Village to the La Cruz shipyard
(about 1 hour) we were followed
by brown boobies. |
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Picture of a brown boobie
diving for fish. |
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After it rained, hundreds to these
tiny frogs could be found
crossing the road. |
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| At the fish market: 50 -80 kg tuna, freshly caught. |
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| Tiger at Paradise Village, napping in his pond. |
The shipyard: We hauled out at the La Cruz shipyard in La Cruz de Huancaxtle.
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| Coming up out of the water |
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| Moving to the work area |
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| Bottom being prepared for paint |
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| Minor hull paint repairs in progress |
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| Bow repair in progress |
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| Bottom paint, almost complete |
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| Main propeller with new prop speed |
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Removing rust from the swim platform.
Preparing to paint and install
new swim ladder |
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Swim platform complete
with new swim ladder installed |
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Main engine cooling water
discharge piping removed
for repair |
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Main engine cooling water discharge
with piping removed |
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Main engine cooling
water piping removed for repair |
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While Dave monitored the
shipyard workers, B went
to town every day to get cash.
This is the church in
Old Town Puerto Vallarta. |
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A statue along the melancon (walkway
along the beach), Old Town,
Puerto Vallarta.
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The entrance to the apartment
we rented while the boat
was out of the water |
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| Doofus enjoying the green space. |
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| Puddy enjoying the green space |
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The small dipping pool that was oh so
refreshing after the end of a hot day
in the shipyard. |
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| A view of the back of the apartment |
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| The boat ready for re-launch. |
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| Moving towards the water. |
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New rack for solar panels
to be installed above the poop deck |
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| Getting ready to splash. |
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| Solar rack, view from the stern |
In order to escape the summer heat in Puerto Vallarto, we headed east up into the mountains and to Guadalajara, Mexico's 2nd largest city. For pictures of the apartment we rented in Guadalajara, Casa Rayon, check out their website,
www.casarayon.com
We have been doing lots of touristy things, including taking the double-decker Tapatio bus tour, going to the shopping towns of Tlaquepaque and Tonala - where they actually make many of the crafts found at other marketplaces, going to see the Guachimontones archaeological site near Teuchitlan, going to the theater to hear the symphony and to watch folk dancing and hiking in the forest.
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| Guadalajara cathedral |
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| Entry door at Guadalajara cathedral |
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| Inside the Guadalajara cathedral |
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The rotunda. This is surrounded by
statues of famous Mexicans |
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| Waiting to board the Tapatio bus tour |
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The Glorieta Minerva in Guadalajara
A huge traffic circle with a statue of
the Roman goddess Minerva in the center |
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| Statue of horses in another traffic circle |
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| Another cathedral |
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| Statue of a dog on a rooftop |
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| A park near the cathedral |
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| Taking a break after the bus ride |
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| Inside the Degollado Theather |
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| Inside the Degollado Theater |
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Tickets and program from the
Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra
Friday night performance featuring
music of Richard Strauss |
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Tickets and program from the Ballet
Folklorico, Sunday morning performance |
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| Folk dancing |
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Children playing in a sidewalk
fountain, Guadalajara Centro |
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Ceiling murals at the Hospicio
Cabanas. It used to be an orphanage
and is now a world heritage site
displaying art by local artists. |
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| A picture of a picture of the orphans |
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| The courtyard |
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| Overlooking the lake near Teuchitlan |
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The ball court at the Guachimontones
pyramid site |
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Looking down at one of the
Guachimontones pyramids |
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Ready for lunch after hiking around
the pyramid site |
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| Tree down during a huge rainstorm |
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| Another tree down |
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Dave ankle deep in water
as the rain runs down the street
in front of our apartment |
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| Vegetable stand at the local market |
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| Popsicle man with fruit popsicles |
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| Pottery at Tonala market |
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| Coffee mugs at Tonala market |
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A much needed beer break after
walking through the market |
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Another boat project, getting
a sheet of HDPE (poly-ethylene)
cut for a fish cutting board which
we'll mount on the stern |
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Every Sunday in Guadalajara, they
block off one of the main streets so
that people can bicycle, skateboard,
walk, etc. They also have outdoor
activities in the park for families, including
jumping rope, hopscotch and dancing. |
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Children in the park on Sunday
doing acrobatics using cloth
hung over tree branches. |
We're now in Jocotepec, a small town south of Guadalajara, on the north shore of Lake Chapala. The climate here is very pleasant. We've rented a house with beautiful grounds within walking distance of the center of town. More on our time here the next blog...
