Mexico's Sea of Cortés Small Ship Sailing!

Hi Everyone,

I received this press release from American Safari Cruises and thought
it would be of interest. If you have missed any of my news' postings,
they are available on my web site.

Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com


American Safari Cruises Explores People as well as Places in
Mexico's Sea of Cortés

SEATTLE, WA – Travelers who want to meet the people in the places they
visit have unique opportunities on American Safari Cruises’ sailings
in Mexico’s Sea of Cortés. Against the rugged backdrop of the
Biosphere Reserve and its protected islands, guests aboard the
company’s 22-guest, 120-foot yacht Safari Quest interact with island
families, mainland ranchers, fishermen and small-town residents.

The yacht is the only vessel to bring guests to the tiny rock island
of Isla Coyote, the single permanent settlement in the biosphere.
Inhabited by several fishing families for more than 100 years, the
island has no water; residents must fetch water in La Paz,
transporting it in multi-gallon plastic containers in small, open
fishing boats, a four-hour ride each way.

But when the Safari Quest is in the Sea of Cortés November through
March, all that changes: The yacht fills the containers right there,
sharing up to 2,000 gallons of fresh water from its desalinization
plant. In return, yacht guests are invited to explore the tiny
village, meet the handful of residents, watch the fishermen clean and
preserve their catch, and see the hundreds of pelicans that call Isla
Coyote home.

On this same itinerary, guests meet Alejo, an inland rancher who
travels on horseback for half a day to meet the yacht in a secluded
bay. He brings his family – grown children, grandchildren and the
women who fashion jewelry from native stones, shells and silver. He
also brings a string of mules, saddled and ready to take guests on a
trail ride through the arroyos to a sugar-sand beach.

Safari Quest guests get close to gray whales and meet the locals in
Bahia Magdalena when they ride with fishermen in small boats called
“pangas.” In addition, they meet residents of colonial Loreto, a small
town on the verge of being discovered, and learn the art of tortilla
making firsthand from a renowned restaurateur.

The Safari Quest is in the Sea of Cortés until April 8, then will
return for Nov. 13, 2008 through April 7, 2009. For information,
please contact your travel professional.

About American Safari Cruises: Now in its 11th year, the company
offers luxury yacht cruises in Alaska’s Inside Passage, Mexico’s Sea
of Cortés, Hawaii, the Columbia and Snake rivers, and the Pacific
Northwest. The company has four yachts: 145-foot, 36-guest Safari
Explorer; 120-foot, 22-guest Safari Quest; 112-foot, 12-guest Safari
Escape; and105-foot, 12-guest Safari Spirit. ASC was named one of the
world’s top 5 luxury small ship/specialty cruise lines of 2007 by
Virtuoso, luxury-travel agent consortium.