End of October 1990 to early January 1991.  Again, no pictures!!  We left the east coast of mainland Mexico in the middle of October 1990 and crossed the Sea of Cortez to the west coast of the Baja Penisula.  We cruised the west coast from mid-October to the beginning of January 1991, when we left Cabo San Lucas for Socorro Island.  We hopped from one small anchorage to another in between our major stops at Bahia Conception, Loreto, Puerto Escondido, La Paz, and finally Cabo San Lucas.  We met incredible people, feasted on clams, scallops, lobster, and an abundance of fish, all caught or gathered by us.  We waited out hurricane Trudi while anchored in Bahia Conception.  The visuals in that part of the Sea were vivid and breathtaking; we never tired of the "view."  If we weren't working on Bijou, we were free-diving for dinner, sharing pot lucks with friends, or visiting other boats on the move, doing the same thing we were.  The community was small, and we kept bumping into the same people as we continued to move toward Cabo San Lucas.  This situation nurtured friendship. The pictures would have been beautiful, but alas, there are none!  We have only our journals and our memory to bring us back to those treasured days in the southern part of the Sea of Cortez.    

January 1991.  Socorro Island is located 250 miles south of Cabo San Lucas and 325 miles west of Puerto Vallarta.  It took us two days, a little over 48 hours, to make the passage.  We had a brisk, fast sail with NE winds 12-15 knots, arriving in Henslow cove on Socorro Island.  The island was billiard table green which made us itchy to explore.  The rocky beach challenged us in getting Clover ashore, but we prevailed!  

​After a few days at Henslow, we moved to the military base anchorage.  Mexico had a military installation there.  On January 17th, 1991 at 3 AM, Desert Storm began with bombing Baghdad to liberate Kuwait.  The men were on heightened alert  because this probably meant they would be a part of the conflict.   

Jan 1991.  We had a pin break while anchored on Socorro.  This "C" clamp held everything together while we were anchored and then during the 325-mile, five day passage to Puerto Vallarta.  We owe a lot to that "C" clamp! ​Very rusty, and that got all over everything, but it worked!!

October 1990.  After a two-day side trip to Chihuahua by train, where we visited Poncho Villa's Place "Quinta Luz," and where we took no pictures!!!, we returned to Creel to spend several more days.  We walked every day.  The Tarahumara have trails leading from farm to farm and from farm to town that crisscross through the countryside.  We never tired of exploring the area.  Lots of fields, usually corn, and large rock formations that made for interesting landmarks.  Elephant Rock was a famous attraction, and it was a goal on one of our walks to find it.  With thunderstorms eminent all day, we finally did find it.  From a distance, it did look like an elephant was standing next to the road.

The trails took us through the countryside, past farms with their fields of corn.  Some farmhouses were more modern and made of cement cinder blocks, others were just caves in the rock formations.  

The rock formations that dotted the countryside were also used as shelters for the Tarahumara. We stopped at this one to rest, but the soot on the ceiling indicated that when they stopped, they built fires.  Could be either for warmth or cooking.  Our walks were interesting, fun, and lasted most of the day.  In other words--hours!  

​​October 5, 1990.  Another all-day, ten-mile hike, but it was worth it.  We were ecstatic that we found the lake.  We took a series of roads to get there but decided to use the trails on the way back.  We walked for over an hour before we realized we were not where we needed to be, so we kept walking until we came to the top of a hill and recognized the valley below as one we had walked before.  So relieved!  We were back on familiar ground.  Again rain threatened, but as we got closer to Creel and Margarita's, we realized the storm was passing behind us.  So we stopped, found a nice rock and had a drink, a snack, and just admired the view.

October 1990.  Walking around Creel, a common sight was the Tarahumara Indians, with their bright clothing and quiet presence.  

October 1990.  While in Creel, we experienced quite a bit of rain, which impacted our exploring the town and its environs.  One day another guest staying at Margarita's suggested a trip to Basaseachi Falls.  That sounded good to us, so we went along.  Because of the 22 hours of rain before our visit, the river was swollen and the falls magnificent!  Our guide, Davi, said he had not seen the river that high, and to cap that comment off, many local people had come out to see the Falls in all their glory.  

October 1990.  After a few days in Ceracahui and the Paraiso del Oso hotel, we re-boarded the train and headed to Creel.   One of our stops was at another point of the rim to the Copper Canyon.  Divisidero was the name of the station and the small town there.  Many Tarahumara Indians were at the stop selling their wares and food.  We only had time for a quick look at the view, which was just as spectacular as the one Doug showed us but lacked in the overall experience.  Ten minutes goes by pretty quickly, but we managed to get this picture.  Off we went again, next stop Creel.

October 1990.  At about 3 PM, we made it to Creel.  It was chilly, and I was wearing a short-sleeved pink dress!  We went straight to our hostel, Margarita's.  We had heard so many good things about it; we were looking forward to the experience.  Many international travelers stay here, and at $50 a night, including lodging and two meals a day for both of us, it's understandable.  It was great.  We took off for a walk shortly after checking in.  The smell of wood burning, the chill in the air, and many buildings either made of or trimmed with wood reminded us of mountain towns we had visited in the U.S.  

​Our initial walk was short.  Because of the lower temps, we went back to Margarita's and changed into jeans, long-sleeved shirts, and sweaters!   We went back and settled into the town square, which was next to Margarita's.  As we enjoyed people watching, classical music began to play.  We found out that a 6 PM every night, the church pipes out classical music for everyone to enjoy.  It was magical.