An Abrupt and Audacious Change in Plans

Apologies are in order. The Capt, who has been charged with felony abandonment for sailing away the day before Christmas Eve, with no hint of when he'd be back, is only guilty of misdemeanor miscommunication.

Yesterday, true to his predictable unpredictability, he called from La Cruz in Banderas Bay to ask if I was "ready to go cruising." After two weeks of singlehanding, he wants to take on crew: a first mate and two furry little swabs.


I have at most a week to get ready for a four-month voyage. Caramba!

The plan is that he will come home sometime after the weekend, and we will drive our VW Westfalia camper back down south to La Cruz where the boat's anchored, for some inland exploration. Beyond that, plans are a little sketchy, but apparently include sailing back up to Baja in late April in time to rehearse for LoretoFest. The theme for this year's Fest is The Fifties, and I'm already looking up song from that era...early Elvis, Bobby Darin, Bill Haley and the Comets, Pat Boone, Patti Page. Naaah. Peggy Lee? Yes!

A pelican's eye view of the anchorage at Escondido, site of LoretoFest, from the Baja Insider website.

He'll take a bus back down to retrieve the van after we get home. The mind boggles, but I've resolved to take it one day at a time.

Twenty-four hours ago, I was thinking I was going to be home alone for the next four months. Or accept the invitation from my sister-in-law to travel to New York, dogs and all, stay in her Greenwich Village apartment, maybe even hop the pond for a few weeks in Europe. She made it all sound so easy.

But like a loyal first mate, I've resolved to go sailing.

My only stipulation is that I won't leave before next Thursday night, when I get to perform at Bananas with Los Cuates (The Twins), the most popular Mexican band in town. Bananas has an open mic every Thursday and Los Cuates will generously back up any singer with the nerve to get up there and do a song or two with them.

From what I've been told, Los Cuates includes TWO sets of fraternal twins, and then there's another pair of twins in the family as well. Weird. The two older generations are accomplished musicians and although they speak very little English, they sing gringo as well as Spanish songs. Last night during their break I talked to Ephraim, one of the twins, mentioned some Spanish tunes I know and asked if we could do them together.

His eyes lit up. "Si, los conocemos," he said (or something to that effect.) He was ready to have a go right then, but I explained I'm getting over a cold and want to try NEXT Thursday. My guitarist friend Francisco will also do some of his songs and we will sing a couple together.

So now I'm busy memorizing lyrics and digging out summer clothes. And wondering if I can shed five pounds before I get into my bathing suit again.