February 22
We have had a very windy night, anchored tight into shore in something like 16 to 20 feet of water. The forward stateroom was warmer than usual, and noises seemed to reverberate through it like the belly of a bass fiddle – so I wandered upstairs searching for a quieter cooler place to rest my head. Like Goldilocks, I lay down in several places before I decided that the pilot house settee was JUST RIGHT. I rummaged around and found my Mexican blanket, after going outside to gaze in awe at the full moon ( bright enough to read by!) and the stars (not so bright, the moon was upstaging them) and the moonlit rocks surrounding us (disconcertingly close but not dangerously so)… The water is calm in here, it is just the wind that swirls around us, hitting the boat from all directions and pushing us around like a rubber duck in a bathtub. (The anemometer in the pilot house reads anywhere between 6 and 16, occasionally going higher than that so I know it’s fluky but it’s not terribly hard). In the calm waters of the bay, we don’t bob at all, and when I don’t hear the wind I feel like I am planted on terra firma.
And thus, wrapped in the colours of Mexico, bathed in moonlight, I finally found the sleep that had been eluding me – although my dreams have started to be infiltrated with thoughts of what awaits me when we return home, so I wouldn’t call it exactly restful.
In the morning, I got up to watch the sun rise over the hills and hit the mountains above the town, made coffee and sat on the back deck. The wind is still blowing, as was predicted. It plays the chains of the stabilizers like a flute, going up and down the scale as we swing back and forth. It’s actually a very musical and peaceful sound… in daylight, when you can see how secure and safe you actually are!
We now await the raising of the sails, at the palapa restaurant on the shore of the town. That will signify that the restaurant is open, and purportedly it does open at 9 when .. it does open. Could be today. Could be manana. Hopefully it is today as we are all keen to try out some real mexican food! And sit on the beach! and have a cerveza… con limon…
what am I saying/??It’s not even 8 o’clock!!!!
We have been watching for the sail that indicates the restaurant is open but no luck! We have given up and I have made some breakfast, Pete is cleaning up, and we are going to get ready to dinghy to shore for a garbage run ( we think they take garbage), a walk ( to the salt mines… how cool is that???) and perhaps a little more shopping at the tienda. More limes! It is, I have heard them say on the radio Margeritaville , margerita Monday. So we have the ingredients… maybe today is the day! we have to have Lawrence’s famous margaritas ONCE on this trip!
The good thing about the wind is that it has blown away all the clouds and we are protected enough in here that I think it will get hot. So walk in the morning… and then swim in the afternoon….
It’s a rough life. I am enjoying every minute because we are coming closer to the end… waaaaahhhhhh!!!!!!!!