Post

Monday January 18, 20010

Well off to meet Bella Donna in Puerto Vallarta. As usual I awake five minutes before my iphone alarm is set to go off at 3:30 AM, a habit I learned at the university in response to my traditional alarm clock with the two bells on top with the clanger in between. The human mind can do anything when pain is inflicted on a daily basis.

Days of packing for a 2 to 3 month sailing trip rapidly ends when the lid closes on the last bag. Things will be left behind that are needed, but isn't this always the case. You would think 3:30 AM leaves plenty of time to make a 6:10 AM but event roll downhill rather fast and suddenly you are folded into a seat in the back of a full airplane headed to Phoenix. Phoenix airport is packed. I guess all the snow birds are flocking to warmer climbs. Arriving at the end of one airport concourse and out departure is at the end of another concourse with barely enough time to make it. We walk straight on to the plane.

Puerto Vallarta is not far. Exiting the plane it is suddenly apparent you are over dressed. The weather is very close to Hawaii. Immigration and customs goes fast except when I press the entry button and get a red, not green, light. The agent questions about the large amount of drugs in my baggage. I have to admit all the prescriptions and vitamins do make an impressive pile; the agent goes over each package and make comments about how this can't be for one person. I think they wanted to charge for importing drugs, but finally they give the green light.

The trip from the airport to the Paradise Resort could have taken place in a city in the USA except for the names on the places passed. Many of the names were the same as those seen in La Pas or Cabo. Once in Paradise Resort where Bella Donna is docked the world is like a nice resort in the USA. In fact the many pools and restaurants look similar to the Waikaloa Resort on the Kona coast in Hawaii.

The air conditioning on Bella Donna is turned off and a lovely dinner in the cockpit is enjoyed by all with discussions of the voyage to come. We are going to make decisions tomorrow given the huge winter storm coming into the west coast of the US. This storm will only mean more wind and much larger swell for us.

God Bless Bella Donna

--
Tom Johnson
5925 Lake Geneva Court
Reno, Nevada 89511
775-772-7006

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