April 2004
The night before we arrived in Acapulco we lost a belt on the main engine and had to shut it down.  We  ghosted along in light airs for most of the night and some of the morning while we waited for the engine to cool enough to change the belt.  That day we saw lots of turtles and most of them had a small tern standing on their back (but they were too far to photograph).
	Our first night in  Acapulco we had drinks on board Amorita, a lovely Kettenberg 50 (Joel, Rochelle, Kimberly and Nathaniel aboard).  We first met this family in the south anchorage at Turtle Bay.  We didn't have time to stop and talk that time, as we were trying to leave Turtle Bay.
In Acapulco we met cruisers who were to become friends all the way down the coast:  Mary, Lou, Emily, Martin on Ace and  Noel and Cloudagh on Chipita.
	Here are the boys holding up the walls at the Acapulco Anthropological Museum
On Easter, we went to Mass. As we came out of the church and started walking down the street, we were approached by several men bearing brochures.  They said they would pay us $200 to attend a sales pitch on time-shares (NO, not Time-shares, they insisted) at the Mayan Palace.  As Luc was lusting after a surf board, I said, 'hey, there's your money, Luc!'  So we agreed to come and listen to their sales pitch.  What an experience!  Each time we listened and then said, 'No, thanks', they transferred us to a different sales person. We went through at least 4 different sales routines before we finally got our money and left.  One of the sales reps was just incensed at us, 'You're just here for the money, you don't really want to buy anything!'  Well, duh...
	Betsey:  The day we left Acapulco was a day so sublime its hard for me to believe this is my life.  I woke to George and Lucas stowing for sail, laughing and goofing as they do every morning.  We planned to leave Acapulco, bound for Huatulco, within the hour.
I put on a pareo, and moved into leisurely stow mode.  We left about 9:30 am and had a glorious sail, full main, big genoa, self-steering all day long.  George took his shower on the aft deck, and he is so lean and strong and gorgeous, I can’t even tell you.
	We ate wonderful cold potato/onion/ham/ sweet pepper frittatas with sour cream for lunch and Acapulco take-out meatball sandwiches for dinner. More wonderful sailing, quiet, we saw 3 tropicbirds, with their trailing tail feathers, many blue-footed boobies. Several Brown boobies tried to land on the bowsprit, and some even made it.
We reefed the main before dark, rolled the genny and started the motor as seas were confused.  It was black dark, no moon, lots of stars.  And then, wonder of wonders!  The dolphins!  Lots of bioluminescence in the water, so we can see them clearly, long comet tails as they flash by, green light outlining torpedo bodies as they cross and leap and dance, beautifully designed, a work of art.   15 or 20 dolphins played with us for about 45 minutes, and dolphins appeared every hour or so all night long.  What a fabulous life!  I hung over the rail with Lucas laughing at the sheer beauty and grace of dolphins.  I can hear their whistle/squeak from inside the boat as they call out to each other.
	Later I saw this great circle of bioluminescence in the water,  it looked like a swimming pool lit from beneath.  I think a whale footprint…