Mexico by Boat

Okay we didn’t even last 6 months before we decided we need to go on another cruise.  It helped that we found a steal of a deal and so again with only a weeks notice we were off sailing!

This time we sailed out of  Los Angeles so we were able to fly in a day early and spend some time with my brother, Spencer and his family.  We went to one of Summer’s soccer games and then spent time playing the the other kids.  It was great getting to see Spencer and Sher again.  Thanks for letting us drop in on you last minute!

Off to the Mexican Riviera…

First stop, Cabo San Lucas.  We had signed up for a kayaking and snorkeling excursion.  We kayaked through the bay to the point where the pacific ocean meets up with Gulf of California.  There was a  beautiful sandy beach and amazing rock formations.

Jared paddling in the kayak
Some of the rock formations in Cabo
Erika & Jared Kayaking in Cabo
Some of the rock formation we kayaked around (photo taken from the ship).

After kayaking and snorkeling we walked into park of Cabo.  It is always interesting seeing the similarities and the differences of the different tourist towns that I have visited.  We really enjoyed Cabo.   It was quaint and I would love to return sometime soon.

Next  stop, Mazatlan:  We did not take an official excursion in Mazatlan.  We ended up walking from the Pier to downtown and then wandering around downtown.  I love looking at the architecture and Jared was having fun teasing me for all the pictures I was taking.  After walking to a cathedral we were getting quite warm.  We decided to catch a taxi to go to the beach.  (We had probably walked for close to 5 miles already).

The beach we went to was not the pristine white sand and crystal clear water, but it was nice to get into the water and cool off.

After we were done swimming, we walked around the tourist shops near the beach.  It was here that I found my souvenir, a beautiful coral pendant.  When we finished shopping we caught another taxi back to the ship.

Final stop, Puerto Vallarta: Here we took another excursion, an hour boat ride to Marietas Island where we snorkeled and kayaked in pristine waters.  We spent a good portion of the day playing in the water off of Marientas Island.  The boat ride back had an open bar and food.  I enjoyed my fair share of virgin pina colatas.  YUMM!  The people we were sitting by were enjoying all the alcohol they wanted.  One of them (who was definitely inebriated) spilled their drink on me.  Fortunately, I was able to take a quick dip into the water off the boat to rinse off.   Just one of the memorable experiences…

When we returned to Dock, we decided to pass on the taxi to downtown Puerto Vallarta and we walked across the street and explored the Walmart.  It was huge and it was interesting to see the similarities and differences between Walmart here.  We picked up souvenirs and then took a walk and explored on foot some of the non-touristy areas of the city.  The poverty was stunning.  It started getting dark so we returned to the ship, weary from our adventures.

The Ship: Jared and I learned quickly that it is important to select a ship that has enough to keep us entertained.  Compared to our last cruise there were very few things to do on the ship.  I finished the books that I had brought and we still had a day and a half to go.  Next time we go on a smaller boat I will make sure to have a few more books.  Other than that we had a fabulous time!