A super fast trimaran stopped by...

 This is Mighty Merloe.  I saw it coming into the marina and I skiffed over to say hi and they invited me aboard.
It is a beautiful boat, 60 ft by 60 ft, a true square trimaran.

Travels to Ticla

 Ticla is pronounced TEA-CLAW.  Imagine a capitol letter T, then imagine that a river is flowing down the upright portion, and a large crashing wave is clawing down the outer corners of the top of the T.  It is a wonderful place to find yourself.  My friend Wes (pictured with the yellow board) and I drove down for a short trip of four days to visit this place and surf it up during the last swell.  We got up early and took off away from Puerto Vallarta, up into the mountains of the Sierra Madre Occidental.  This is the mountain range that protects Puerto Vallarta from the hurricanes from the south, and as we climbed up the windy road, we found forests of pine trees growing near the top.  A very different view than the sweaty jungles down near the water.  I took the GPS out and got a height of 2900 ft at one point.  Then we descended back down to the water, working our way near places that I had been before when I sailed down in 2011.  As we got near Chemela we found the evidence of Hurricane Patricia, the strongest of storms EVER, and lots of broken brances and torn roofs, even 6 months later.  We kept on driving, until we got past Manzanillo, which is the furthest south I had been before on the coast, and then got to a place where the mountains come to the sea, just like in Big Sur or in Chuckanut drive.  It was really beautiful, with some views down to the water and not much traffic.  Shortly after that we arrived at a river and followed it down to the town of Ticla.  It is mostly white people, tourists who come to surf, living in Cabanas and camping out.
The river is full of birds and fish and an Otter, I wasn't sure the species and didn't get a picture.  I saw a new duck for me, the Blue winged Teal.  I think I want to go back.  The wave is a better wave than pretty much any wave in Bandaras bay, and I felt way safer, despite the large size, because the bottom is all cobbles and no urchins.  In Bandaras Bay (puerto Vallarta) the bay doesn't get big waves all the time, so things grow on the rocks and those things hurt the feet.  Surfing in larger waves is really good for building confidence, because there is so much power available to make speed with, and also because the water is deeper.  I hurt my rib everytime I went out, but it heals very quickly, or I can recover at least.  I intend to rest for the next week, now.  

A Crested Caracara...

 Some Black Legged Stilts...

 Surf-side view from the river...

 The Blue-Winged Teal...

 And a new bird, not sure the species, a Chachara or something....

 And a few shots of me surfing...

 And from the kite in the morning offshore breeze

Surf Observer

 I've been trying to be a surf observer.  To watch and document, but not participate.  It is very hard.  Sometimes I feel like this iguana, all old and broken down with a bunch of spikes all over my head, and a saggy neck and scales.  And the inability to surf.  (see note on last post about ribs)
Here are some of my photos...