Admiral discovers 'her beach' north of Tenacatita

Admiralty Beach in Tenacatita
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

TENACATITA, Jalisco, Mexico - Admiral Fox says she has found 'her' beach just north of the tiny town of Tenacatita, where new, relatively modest homes are being built on fairly large lots with ocean access.

Ocean access.

Ocean access.

The land in the area recently changed legal status for ownership due to some changes in Mexican law and suddenly is available to gringos.

Madre mia!

Ocean access.

The beach and waves in this photo are waaaaay more dramatico than the photo suggests and probably isn't a place I'll be boogie-boarding (excuse me, body boarding) but less than 200 yards south is a famous snorkeling and boogie-boarding (oops, sorry) spot with enough great restaurants along the shore to make the place a great destination for lunch or whatever...


The anchorage at Tenacatita, where snorkeling is great

The beach area - shown in this photo - is just over a spit of land from the beach that Admiral Fox has claimed as hers and is protected by the large hills in the background. I believe we are naming the exposed beach, Admiralty Beach. And tomorrow, in company with the Tucker family from Arizona, we hope to make a pilgrimage to the more protected side to check on the beach, snorkel, have a 'rollo de mar' (fish roll) and perhaps reconnect with amigos Dan and Lorraine Olsen who are sailing their boat from Puerto Vallarta to Tenacatita.

If we catch them coming in tomorrow morning, we will try to divert them to the area in front of these palapas where some sailboats now anchor - the access to the fish rolls and snorkeling is almost irresistible.

More on that adventure tomorrow.


Walkin' the beach

When you need to get around, hail a pickup truck

When you need to get around
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

LA MANZANILLA, Jalisco, Mexico - This small town is experiencing an incredible building boom. Tons of gringos (ok, like me) are buying property and then needing local talent to do the construction.

Most houses in Mexico are built almost entirely of cement and these guys are artists with rebar and concrete. When you build countertops in kitchens, you do it with concrete, not wood. And when they are finished off with tile, well, they're beautiful. Floors, walls, ceilings, roofs - all concrete. Yup, eat your heart out lumber companies.

In our travels today in the company of a different realtor - looking at city houses - we saw the gamut of fixer uppers and newly finished spec homes.

But one constant is the workers riding through town in trucks like these on their way to work to build, or back home at the end of the day.

The group in this truck starting shouting "Whiskey, Whiskey!" when I went to snap their photo. When I shouted back, "No, No! Tequila, Tequila!" they all cheered. I toasted their well-being this evening with some of that tequila.


Admiral Fox jams
with the Canadians

In the area of artistry, Admiral Fox spent some time early this evening jamming with a group of folks from Vancouver who are visiting La Manzanilla and staying in the downstairs apartment from where we all are.

Several play the guitar and tonight they were joined by a fellow from Canada who has been traveling through Central America for years with his wife, playing music and enjoying life.

How he affords it, I don't know, but he is damned good on his viola, though I don't know if it pays for his groceries and his rent.

Most of the Canadian entourage are leaving tomorrow, heading back to the Great White North and not too pleased about it. But they are all a golden brown color and praying for an early spring.


Reading on the beach

A La Manzanilla croc says helloooooooooo

Croc says helloooooo
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

LA MANZANILLA, Jalisco, Mexico - I neglected to put this croc shot in yesterday's missive, though how I overlooked his toothy grin, I can't tell you. A minute after this was snapped, he opened his jaws fully to catch a fish thrown from shore.

The snapping sound when his jaws closed was more than a little unsettling.

We spent most of the day driving around with the owner of our little palapa, getting a look at the countryside and perhaps some places to someday buy a lot and build a nice Mexican casita.

The city were are in is nearly built out - by Mexican standards - and the new hot spot is just up the road, he said, the town of Tenacatita near where the sailboats actually anchor and where we visited several times on Sabbatical.

It was in that bay four years ago that when I arrived I declared that I was home.

Maybe I will be again.


View of the ocean from one homesite


A view of Tenacatita Beach

After a long sweaty car ride up some hills that I think would challenge a mountain goat, we spent the rest of the day at our La Manzanilla palapa, lounging in the chairs out front and braving the surf.

Braving?

Yes, because it was confirmed that there are sting rays in the water here, so when I swam, I wore by water shoes and did the Jersey shuffle as I walked out to deep enough water to get a few strokes in.

No incidents and my shoulder felt OK while swimming. OK, it felt almost OK... But that's progress, amigos, progress.


Our seaside villa in La Manzanilla


Today's beach shot

Crocodiles at La Manzanilla are even bigger

Crocodile at La Manzanilla
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.

LA MANZANILLA, Mexico - We took a sojourn to the crocodile swamp at the edge of town (about a quarter mile from our beachside palapa) and found that the crocodiles look even bigger this year than last.

Several sat right at the edge where there's a little landing and ate the fish - and damn near anything else - tossed to them by the tourists.

Admiral Fox shudders every time someone feeds them. She says that in Florida years ago, people did the same thing with alligators which convinced many gators to equate people with food. In other words, if you don't toss them some overripe chicken, well, how about your leg?

We were able to get within a few feet of these guys, behind a pretty flimsy wire fence. The signs say there are nearly 200 in the small area, though we only counted about 25.

That was enough.

And given the number of holes in the fence that the crocs obviously could walk through anytime they want, 25 seemed a fair number to have wandering the dirt streets of this pueblo after dark.

(NOTE TO CAPTAIN: Carry a flashlight tonight when out walking and watch where you step.)


Check out the choppers

Most the day was spent on the beach, with a little time swimming in the water. And yes, I spotted another ray, but couldn't tell for sure if it was a sting ray or not. I didn't step on it to check, and my surfboard was too buoyant to put underneath the critter to flip it out of the water to check him.

Probably just as good.


Beach vendors looking for customers

Our neighbors in the palapa (living in the downstairs part of the house) hail from Victoria, British Columbia and have invited the Admiral to play her violin with them this evening when they get out their assorted guitars, mandolins and other stringed instruments.

I'll see if I can record a sound file for tomorrow's missive.


Today's gratuitious bikini shot
from La Manzanilla