For the longest time it felt like the summer would never end. Day after day temperatures would soar, bright sunshine and dry air, better for Egyptians mummies than humans and Siberian husky.
We'd do our best to go out early in the morning, and then after sunset, spending the rest of the day in the cool AC inside the boat, concentrating on internal boat tasks rather than outdoor ones.
The ACs kept up with the desert heat and managed to keep the boat cool, though I had to clean their strainers very regularly.
Our slip being in a shallow canal end, the strainers would suck in more mud than if we'd been in the main marina, so I also spent time installing permanent AC flushing connections. That way I can easily flush the cabin and pilothouse AC units to make sure their tubing remains clean with maximum flow and efficiency.
Most "gringos" and foreigners had left for the summer and it felt as if Di and I had the marina all to ourselves. Our favorite part had to be at night: To save a little money the marina didn't light the main avenue to our little corner, so we got to see incredible night skies. Walking back from the shop or restaurant in the deep dark night, we'd often see the Milky Way. With not a cloud in the sky and very dry air, it was an unforgettable spectacle we felt very lucky to witness so often.
We made friends with many of the local workers, and they all told us summer would end on the 01st of November. For us, day after day, November felt so far away, the next day being as hot and dry as the day before. And how could summer just end on a set day?
They were right though, and that day, abruptly, the endless summer was no more.
The weather forecast had also warned us: The 01st November would be the first cool day in over 6 months.
Waking up for Princess' morning walk that day, we felt the difference immediately. Gone was the stifling dry air, replaced with a cool breeze. Soon gringos and tourists started reappearing, bringing more life back to the marina. It was as if someone had switched the summer setting off, and suddenly the temperatures started being very temperate.
Looking back, we had a good time in Puerto Escondido. We had chosen it as our hurricane safe stop for the season. The only storm to make it even close to us ended up being of no consequence or danger.
Being there off season also meant we had some incredible spots and anchorages all to ourselves when we'd go spend a few days out. The place is beautiful, surrounded by tall mountains.
We felt ultra safe at all times. Loreto is a little far away but going for a grocery run once in a while is not that difficult, and the town is very pleasant.
With the colder weather we started working on Enfin more, and decided to go for a shake down cruise. It might sound weird to do a test cruise on a boat we've been living on for years now, but before leaving for an extended time, it makes sense to check one last time that everything is working as intended.
I'll take any excuse to go out and play on the boat anyway!
The boat passed its shake down test with flying colors. Now we needed to get the crew ready.
First me: I went for my semi-annual cancer checkup blood test. My French Doctor confirmed that I am "in good shape" and more importantly that my remission is continuing to hold, at 3.5 years now. Let's keep at it!
After a number of years in remission, my cancer can be declared "cured", so that's my next objective. US doctors use 5 years as their target, while Canadians use 7 and French 10. Since I was treated in France, I'll rely on the French approach, so I still have a long way to go.
Next I went for a quick visa run to extend my visa for another 180 days. A quick flight to San Diego via the CBX Tijuana connection. A really simple and easy way to get into San Diego from here for a reasonable price. While in San Diego for the evening, I treated myself to some delicious Buffalo Wings, and treated Enfin to a brand new gaming laptop computer to run our charting and navigation software.
Then Di: She went for her own annual blood test and will go on her visa run in a few days.
On her return we'll set off to explore the north end of the Sea of California before heading back down South heading towards Puerto Vallarta.
The endless summer is finally over. Boat and crew are ready for our next adventures around the Sea of California.
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