Lighthearted Travel

Sailing on a 75-foot catamaran with an open bar and ultra-loud music isn’t my usual preference for viewing the sunset, but this was different. Yes, the beer and other drinks were flowing (“more tequila, anyone?”) and the music was earsplitting, but we oldsters, drinking lightly at a distance from the loudspeakers, enjoyed it as much as the young crowd. For many reasons.

The Picante Cruises catamaran sails out of Zihuatanejo Bay and up the rugged west Mexico coast past Ixtapa, turns around and sails back. It’s a 2-1/2 hour ride over blue waters, and the scenery is spectacular. Cactus grows on cave-pocked cliffs above the pounding waves, seabirds nest on arching offshore rocks, puffy clouds float overhead.  One beach is crammed with resorts, another is nothing but sand and a few palm trees.

On our cruise, Cap’n Tony pointed out, in his New York accent, various sites of interest–homes of the wealthy, yacht marinas, the foothills of the Sierra Madre Sur mountain range. The good-natured crew showed off their sailing skills, refreshed drinks, served chicken and potato salad, and joked and flirted with everyone on board. They even posed in sombreros and serapes for pictures. Nobody got out of hand and everyone, including me, had a fine time.  Best, though, was the sunset, gold turning a glorious crimson against the darkening western sky.