Tornado? We're not in Kansas!

The weather in Puerto Vallarta is gradually changing. Very gradually.  It now rains every fourth day or so, as opposed to every day.  Even then when it rains, it is half hearted.  The temperature has risen, since the rain no longer comes to cool things off every night.

Last Saturday it was hot, but dry.  Mark decided to go into town to get some groceries, even though he wasn't feeling well at all.  Robert took his afternoon nap, the skies darkened, and the rain started.  Soon we heard someone on the VHF, "Attention Marina Nuevo Vallarta, look to the west.  We've got a funnel cloud."

"A funnel cloud!?  Robert, let's go up in the cockpit and see!"  We threw open the hatch, climbed up into the cockpit, and sure enough, there was a waterspout! 

Our two backdoor neighbors, Navigator and Full Circle, were both sitting on their "back porches," but they hadn't heard the announcement about the funnel cloud. I told them both to look behind them.  Full Circle had the presence of mind to take the above picture, as they went to their bow to check out the storm.

From our boat, Robert and I could see the cloud and the swirling motion.  Soon, the cloud went behind the condo building, and by the time it got to the other side of the building, it had dissipated.

Right after that, there was a VERY loud clap of thunder which made Robert cry, so we headed back down inside the boat.  When Mark came back, looking like a drowned rat from his wet bus adventure, he was very disappointed that he had missed all of the excitement.  He has lived in the mid-west for much of his life and never seen a tornado!