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 Vallarta Living | August 2005 
What a Way to Spend the Day!
 Erich Haubrich - PVNN
At 7:00 am on Sunday morning my alarm went off and I rose out of bed, surprised, quite frankly to be up that early. I cannot remember the last time I saw 7:00 am, but I know it's been quite a while. The weather was beautiful and the streets empty as I hailed a taxi to the marina, excited, as always to spend the day sailing and snorkeling in Banderas Bay.
I boarded Isis - named after the Egyptian Goddess of Love, which is the flagship of Pegaso Tours' fleet. I have passed the boat lots of times taking other boats out of the marina and was thrilled to finally be aboard this maritime masterpiece. It's a gorgeous boat, built in 1938 for regattas and hidden underwater for four years to prevent being seized by the nazis.
The crew welcomed me aboard and had a nice breakfast of fruit, pastries and fresh juice prepared for everyone. In a few minutes we were on our way. We journeyed up to the Marina in Nuevo Vallarta to pick up some additional passengers, but due to the size of the boat there was plenty of room to get comfortable for the trip to the Marietas Islands at the end of the bay.
The weather and water were clear and beautiful, the kind of summer day that you hope for a day of sailing. We motored out to the islands in about an hour, the attentive crew catering to our needs quite well. They played gentle music and told us about the history and geography of Banderas Bay. Even as a resident of Vallarta I was able to learn new things about the place I call home.
When we reached the Islands we were fitted with snorkeling equipment and entered the water in a great spot. I was glad they provided good quality snorkels, mask and fins, some companies provide pretty low-grade equipment, which makes snorkeling into a bit of a task. Will, the main crew member led the group to various areas of the reefs and showed us starfish, squid, puffer fish and other sea life, explaining the ecology of the island as we went. We were in the water for quite a while, and it's about the most fun I've had snorkeling since I've lived here.
After snorkeling we made our way to a small, natural beach on the other island, along the way the crew steered close to the island and we got an opportunity to see the birds that nest on the island up close, there were many beautiful species represented. Practically everyone took there cameras out and snapped a bunch of shots. When we reached the beach everyone had fun swimming, relaxing and drinking a couple of beers for about an hour or so. We then returned to the boat for the journey home.
A nice made-to-order lunch was served as we cruised back to Vallarta along with tropical drinks and Coronas, with plenty of juice and soft drinks for the kids. The various guests all became acquainted and had a lot of fun talking, taking pictures, listening to music, and just relaxing in the sun. We hoisted the sail a little while after lunch and cruised back under canvas as the wind kicked up. The ride was smooth and relaxing, just what the doctor ordered to unwind and watch the stress disappear.
When we reached the marina the crew said their goodbyes and you could tell that everyone was in no hurry to get off the boat, the boat is beautiful, the crew very courteous and professional, the day was perfect and everyone was quite pleased. If I could take that trip every week I would, I had fun, relaxed, saw beautiful flora and fauna, cruised through the bay on a gorgeous boat, and made some new friends. Good work Pegaso, you really do it right. And thanks to the crew of Isis, you guys are great. |
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