We have arrived!
Got in yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon. Phew.
As is our practice, we were up early and arriving at the border just after 0600 hrs. Yes, that is early... but, yet again, it proved very worth while. Some say my copious amount of 'paper' and three ring binders would put anyone off lingering over the details... But I persist in believing that when it's early, and it's cold (by Mexican standards), and the task of unpacking and inspecting a load that is, by anyone's standards, formidable... well, that's enough to put anyone off.
Yesterday morning we were met by two very official border officers; one apparently senior to the other. And, along with the aforementioned circumstances, we also had a well translated (thank you Maritza) explanation as to why we were carrying so much stuff back into MX. Fortunately everything transpired as it should. The officers saw the wisdom of allowing us to proceed (it was early, cold, and there would be many more 'less loaded down' vehicles to stop and physically inspect) and allowed us to proceed... Even with our very conspicuous dinghy lashed on top.
Our drive south to San Carlos was equally without excitement. The stories of horrendous lineups and non-stop road construction and reconstruction ... well, we were lucky. The roads were under construction but the traffic wasn't too bad and the weather was fine. We actually arrived earlier than expected.
In the last 24 hours we have, moved into our 'digs' at the Adelaide Apartments, had SSpirit moved over from the storage yard to the work yard, discovered a few disappointments (very nearly dead batteries, seriously damaged SSB antenna, pretty much all 'messenger lines' for the halyards severed) and/but, quite frankly, SSpirit has faired very well considering what could have happened. She's dirty and needs a good bath...but we're not standing here wringing our hands.
What needs repairing will be repaired... and we'll keep busy over the next several weeks with the upgrades we came prepared to do.
While we feel quite lucky that SSpirit was not seriously damaged like some of the other boats, we must also acknowledge our Talismen, Saints, and Angels that have obviously been watching over our little ship and kept her from further harm. I'm not saying we're superstitious but, hey, we are Irish and, well, our special protectors have been with us since we left Maple Bay on SV Shannon in 2011.
Our Talisman: This Polynesian sea turtle bone carving was given to us by Marg & Rob Elvidge, in the summer of 2011, before we left B.C. on Shannon. They bought this from the its carver, on one of their many adventures. Turtles are one of the oldest creatures on earth. The Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle, known as “Honu,” symbolizes good luck, endurance and long life. Turtles can show up as a person’s guardian spirit, known as “Aumakua.” When lost, turtles are excellent navigators and often find their way home. Legend states that a green sea turtle guided the first Polynesian settlers to the islands. (ref):
Our Saint: Saint Christopher, the Patron Saint of Travelers. Thank you Mom, he's kept us safe!
Our Angel: Her crystal reflects sparkling rainbow colours throughout the cabin. Who doesn't need an angel looking over them? A thoughtful gift from our friend Carol.
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| And we cannot forget our Mascot: Wallace the Easter pig... he's been sailing with us since 2000 when we crossed the Strait to Conover Cove on Wallace Island to meet up with Kathy's Mom & Dad on their boat, the "Hull Island". He's looking forward to getting to "manana" when we will be released from his dust cover! |
