Hola Amigos! We’re currently anchored in a bay that has internet so now it is time to get all caught up! Our sail from Candeleros to Ballandra was mostly a motor due to fluctuating winds but we made the best of it and made water along the way. We typically make 30-36 gallons an hour depending on the water temperature. The warmer the water, the higher the output. As we headed north the water temps were creeping up into the 80’s!
Puerto Ballandra is located on the northern end of Isla Carmen, basically parallel to Loreto.
Once we arrived we were taken back by the views. The water was very clear and full of life. We watched a ball of fish move throughout the anchorage for the entire stay. If the water is clear, one of the first things we do is lower the dinghy and jump in the water. It’s a refreshing way to get settled in to the new neighborhood.
We spent a couple nights in Ballandra and experienced our first encounter with bugs. In the evenings the wind would die down, and the bugs would come out. It was here that we discovered Brad is a much tastier specimen than me. He woke up to around 100 small bites covering his body, I didn’t have a single one! But as luck would have it, I wound up cutting my foot on a rock that same morning. We were taking Sydney to shore and I hopped out of the dinghy barefoot and stepped sideways on a rock. I looked down, saw blood and wanted to cry. It wasn’t the pain, but disappointment of having to miss out on our upcoming snorkel. Brad doctored me up and I was only out of commission for the day. Thankfully it was just a scratch and not a deep cut! 
The next morning we pulled anchor and headed across to Loreto. We would be meeting up with our friends on Magic Dragon. They had been there 2 nights already and were enchanted with the town. Once we arrived they met us at the dinghy dock and led us to the best markets in town. With their help we shopped til we dropped, filled the scuba tanks, had our laundry done and stocked up on pesos at the local bank. It was time well spent and we appreciated their company and knowledge of Loreto! 
What we didn’t expect to find in Loreto was our first cockroach. Jamyne, Dave, Brad and I all loaded into the dinghy after sharing a wonderful breakfast on shore. Jamyne discovered a large moth and was holding it as we motored away. Suddenly I felt something crawl across my foot and I kicked at it. Shamefully I admitted to possibly murdering the moth only to find out it was still in Jamyne’s hand. Uh oh, so what the heck ran across my foot?! It wasn’t long before the offender ran across Brad’s foot too. From there it was chaos and I believe I mentioned we should set the dinghy on fire! We watched helplessly as the offender snuck between the pontoon and the anchor locker. Feeling deflated about the whole situation, and assuming this cockroach was laying 1 billion eggs, we thought we were doomed. Luckily we spotted her when we opened the anchor locker and were quick to dispose of her once and for all! Cockroaches are not allowed as crew on Perspective!
With a fully loaded boat, sans a cockroach, we made plans to head to San Juanico the next morning. Magic Dragon and Perspective would be reuniting with Tabula Rasa at the new anchorage. I’ll tell you all about that in our next post. Until then I hope this post finds you happy and healthy. Cheers!