Advertisement
Published: April 6th 2011
Edit Blog Post
24 33.99N
112 08.00W
Motoring in glassy seas
Wind: 13.1 303 degrees
(not quite enough wind to hold a sail)
Crew: Jonny at helm, Cyrus checking engine, Colby making work list, Brett writing in journal.. and yes, I am here writing to you.
Comments:
After giving my latest post about the fancy dressed cactus in the desolate land, I realized that though I was humored at the amazing resilience of anything that can live here.. I didn't give the landscape or creatures in it enough credit or enough notice in my depiction of Punta Hughes. Though, yes, at first glimpse one may think the landscape is dead and all are struggling for survival, but to be honest, while walking through this dusty landscape, it is a landscape alive with determined beauty. The varieties of cactus are amazing and as we hiked to the top of the mountain, we could see that the clouds whisking over the rocky ledges or the morning fogs, allow other small plants to burst into color.. red and purple flowers cluster among fluttering tiny green leaves. Moss grips the cold rocks in the wind, absorbing moisture from the cold air. Lizards scuttle about
looking suspiciously at us and a giant jack rabbit bounds away into the distance. I am always amazed at the size of these fellas! This rabbits ears almost reached chest height on me.. we watched it bound up the side of the mountain. The views from the mountaintop allowed us to see the wind creating sweeping designs on the vast Pacific to the North. Like an invisible paint brush, creating the most elaborate designs, the waves would peak into white gusts of smoke ion the most beautiful canvas you can imagine. The water turns a bright emerald green, foaming and boiling into white crashing waves along the shoreline. As we looked South we could see the Bay in it's entirety. The bay is glassy as it hides behind the hulking mass of the mountain we are standing on. The waves curl into the bay like emerald fabric rippling along the coast. This got the boys talking excitedly about surf and their next session which a few minutes later, they were running down the side of the mountain to begin. At the most interior portion of the bay is a green estuary where the lobster-men can bring their fishing pangas in
Brooke & Cyrus
Enjoying the view at high tide. The river snakes next to the fishing shacks that are painted lilac among all of the brown. In the distance we can see sand dunes swept into golden waves. It is quite the view. One that has been burned into all of our minds and imaginations.
This bay is known to be a good place for a quick stop when going up or down the coast. In all of the guidebooks, that is simply all that it says. A few sailing vessels and a hand full of fishing vessels have moved through. Every one of them only dropped anchor long enough to sleep, then they were off again. If only they knew the rugged beauty that this bay has to offer... if only they knew the incredible surf that it has to offer. All we can say, is that we are glad they do not know. And it remains a hidden jewel among one of the most striking coastlines in the world. We are thankful we take time to explore on our own and took the time to know this place. We hope we will return.
This morning we readied the boat for sea again.
Brett & Colby
Pointing out the amazing surf at Punta Hughes. This is a montage of storing, securing & tidying until we pulled up the anchor and we are now motoring South to turn the corner near Cabo San Lucas and we will continue North to La Paz. This should take us about 48 hours. We are fishing. I was entertained earlier as Jonny had a new scheme and said he had a lure in his pocket he wanted to try. I could only raise my eyebrows, as this is the first time I have ever heard this sentence expressed before. Sure enough, he pulled out a silver shiny disk that has no hook (well, that made more sense) and decided to troll it behind us as some irresistible bling for the hip fish that might be looking for well, shiny Jonny-pants bling.., then Jonny tells me the fish would zip up, see our other lure and wham! Dinner! (this is his plan anyway). He is laughing in only the way Jonny can laugh.. a mix between a 9 year olds giggle and an evil snicker, as he is so sure his plan will work. Cyrus notices strange shapes forming in the air. It is the strangest looking thing. Dusty Grey shapes coming together, breaking into bits, re-forming. I tell him that it must be hundreds or thousands of birds flocking together... we turn to get closer. We never did get to see what was making those shapes, but as they disappeared, I saw splashing and we head near what I was sure was dolphins driving fish. I was wrong.. we found a large group of sea lions looking like a rock stars... confident and busy, they cruised past us with purpose.. a few were rolling and jumping after an invisible tasty something, showing off, while the others moved coolly ahead, very confident in their rock star status... Pelicans are diving, flying and cheering them along like groupies heading to the next concert.
Jonny screams. We turn and see him wildly reeling in his "flashy pants lure" while screaming "OH NO! NO NO NO! YOU CAN'T HAVE IT!" Pelicans are diving after his lure fiercely. hmmm... now this wasn't expected. I didn't think a hook-less lure could hurt much, but a pelicans mouth could easily get around this flashy bit of metal and man, if it does, that would be quite the shock. We were afraid it could tear it's pouch or rip the beak off!
For the next 30 minutes I am at the helm. Every 10 minutes or so I see a battalion of pelicans cruising by... "Incoming" I would calmly say, then turn to watch Jonny's panic stricken face while the pelicans take notice, turn and head for his lure. He is wildly screaming, reeling and laughing. Now this is good entertainment. Then it is quiet for too long.. I turn and see Jonny standing sadly on the back deck, holding a limp piece of fishing line.. with no lure. "Awwweeee Jonny.. what happened?" I ask. "I don't know. But it's gone." He looks like a 7 year old who just lost his baseball. We are not sure if the swivel failed, the line broke or if it simply untied itself. But Jonny was quiet for some time then slumped past me walking to-wards the forward cockpit muttering "It was fun." Poor Jonny.
A ham sandwich cheered him up and it was time for him to take the helm, so I think he will be ok, and I am sure he will find some other way to entertain himself.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.163s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 3; qc: 48; dbt: 0.0712s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb