1/5/2011 - Savannah on the hard...again.

Things are turning good for us here…no more whining.  We’ve been talking with the boat yard here in La Cruz and after a little haggling, we finally got to a reasonable price to haul us out and paint our bottom.  Apparently, they really want to show that they’re willing to work with cruisers and we’re the test case.

Waiting for Savannah...

We pulled in at 9:00 this morning and they were all ready for us (very unexpected by us, but very appreciated).  We pulled into the lift, threw some lines around and up we went.  We were able to get off the boat before they pulled us totally up, but the whole process didn’t take more than 20 minutes.  They immediately started hydro-blasting the bottom and so the day began.

We’re expected to be back in the water by Friday. 

In the meantime, we’re in no rush.  I’ll explain.  We looked and looked yesterday for a place to stay for a few days.  Finding a room here isn’t like finding a hotel online.  I can’t get on the internet and Google it.  No, we have to do it the old fashioned way…walk around and ask. 

Our first option was a room behind a bar here, Philo’s.  Literally, behind the bar.  It was $400 pesos/night (roughly $38) but we would have to put up with the noise until who knows what time at night.

Our second option was a bungalow on the beach.  It had a kitchen, pool, patio, courtyard, the works…but it was $130/night + tax  +$15 for the kid.  As tempting as that sounded, we vowed to keep looking.

I walked a little out of town where all of the nice condos are.  I looked and looked, walked and walked.  I was about to give up when I saw a gringo lady standing on her balcony. 

“You don’t rent rooms, do you?”

“No, sorry.”

A man was standing beside her and hollered down…”How long?”

After a quick exchange, he gave me directions and sent me up the street to find Bub and Ladonna at Casa Cardinal.  “Tell them Sandy sent you!”

“Thank you!”

I rang the bell and a nice looking older gentleman came out.  I told him my “friend” Sandy said he might have a room to rent.  15 minutes and a big hug later I was walking back to the boat with two sets of keys. 

Casa Cardinal is very nice.  It’s owned by a nice couple from Kansas.  They live on the bottom and they have two one bedroom apartments for rent on the second floor.  They’re fully furnished and have air conditioning and a small kitchen.  In the back there is a heated pool we can use anytime we like!  They even have a washer and dryer we can use.  All for how much?  Hold your seats….$30/night.  I KNOW!!!  That’s what I said.  So, we’re all tucked into Casa Cardinal and have already used the pool.  I’m sure we’ll end up paying them more than that as I just feel like I should.  If Philo can get almost $40/night for one room, these folks can surely get at least that.  Not to knock Philo’s…it’s a nice room, but, really…

When we’re back in the water, we’ll have one big check mark on our list of things to do before heading south.  What a relief...