Zabels At Sea

Larry went with Cecile and Leo of Chat de Mer to Mazatlan where they joined and watched the celebration of Carnaval.  You can see Chat de Mer in this picture, but I won’t trouble you with the how-to-find-it details.

They were joined much of the time by fun-loving fellow cruisers, Doug and Linda of Aquadesiac:

 

Doug and Linda went in search of a taco stand, and they met a guy named Ernesto who reassured them that it was OK to eat at a particular place – the food was very good.  So Doug and Linda struck up a conversation and friendship with this guy instantly (that’s how it works down here), and the next thing you know, they’ve been invited to Ernesto’s home for his wife’s birthday party.  Doug asked Larry to tag along, so off he went, never one to turn down an invitation to a party!

Here is Ernesto’s wife (Larry can’t remember her name) beginning the pinata pounding that is required at all birthday parties.

At Ernesto’s home, they all met a man named John who invited them to his home for a small gathering.  Ernesto did the cooking at John’s condo where Larry ate four helpings of shrimp ceviche!!  That’s Larry Zabel, non-fish eating person!  Also at John’s home, they met a neighbor and guest of John’s named Bob St. Claire.  Bob played for the SF 49er’s in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s and is in the Hall of Fame!  He signed his ‘49ers player’s card for Larry and several other guests.Left to right:  John, Bob, and Ernesto.

View from John’s condo.

The view from his condo at sunset.

Then our boy was off to enjoy a big-time street party.

Street gate.

The Tecate girls.

Linda and friend Pat with a real party animal!

Leo and Doug with the Bud Light girls!

Our very own party animal in a special disguise!

They paid for a buffet and bleacher-style seating for the parade.  Here are the desserts.  Droollll!

Colorful (if commercial) parade floats.  The parade went on for a while, past sunset:

 

The nighttime floats were not commercial.  There were a lot of religious themes.

Finally, it was all over.  Leo and Cecile were going on south, so Larry hopped on a ferry for the overnight return to La Paz:

  Leaving Mazatlan, Larry took a few pictures of the passing sights from his on-board suite.

 

A final shot of the anchorage he had stayed in during his stay.  The sailboat on the right is Doug and Linda’s Aquadesiac.

Upon his return to La Paz, Larry realized that Carnaval wasn’t over yet!  So, of course, he had to join the festivities here in La Paz:

This was more of a family affair, both in subject and execution:

But it was not without beauty and beast:

Larry says that the public threw “eggs” at the police car which were actually emptied shells filled with confetti!

   One of our fellow cruisers was in the parade with her hula hoop.  She and her husband are cruising around the world with the plan of visiting and participating in all of the world’s major fiestas and celebrations!

 

Above, a cock fight and warriors from centuries past.

Muggs’s trip home was much less exciting, but not without its moments.  One Friday night, she went with Larry’s mom, Elizabeth, E’s mom, Brady and Russell to her first-ever live ice hockey game in Stockton.  She snapped these phone-pics of Brady in a foam ice-hockey mask and #1 finger:

Brady practiced basketball at the house across the street:

Then she watched him play goalie for his soccer team at a very nice, indoor soccer field:

Brady is right in front of the goal, in yellow shoes.

There was a birthday celebration for Elizabeth’s mum:

Otherwise, I ran around taking care of various bits of personal business and spending money at West Marine like a wild thing.

We are both back in La Paz now with crazy plans of maybe going sailing some day soon.  We shall see what we shall see!  First, we have some dental work to attend to.  We have found a great dentist down here – a woman whose physician-father sent her to high school in the Bay Area so that she would learn perfect English.  Last night, we went to a local place where a gringo band played great blues and classic rock.  Larry got himself a job helping with the sound at their next gig.  Right now, we are going to take the bikes and ride down the malecon to the ice cream parlor.  Adios!