Roman and Carlos, our guides, set up breakfast and briefed us on the day's events. We did introductions and talked about our individual goals for the trip. As I looked around the room I wondered which of these new faces would become new friends.
Afterwards we packed our gear in two bags each; one day bag containing snorkel gear, towels, water bottle and everything else we'd need for the day, and the other containing gear that would be transported to the campsite. This routine would be repeated each day we changed camp sites during the trip. Mom and I felt we had over packed until we saw some of the gear others were bringing along! Now we didn't feel so bad.
After picking up a few rental gear items (mom and I rented sleeping pads) and a fishing license, we all loaded our second bags into one of the smaller boats (on a trailer in the courtyard of the hotel), then paraded the two block to the marina led by Carlos. There we boarded the larger skiff.The trip to Espiritu Santo Island (ES) took about 1:20. The weather was warm and comfortable with a cool ocean breeze. Our boat captain Chuy (short for Jesus) sang all the way there.
(below: Chuy - photo by Linda)
I got to know Chuy well during the trip and came to learn he loves driving the boat. He grew up in a family of local fishermen and he knows the waters of the Sea of Cortez like you or I know our neighborhood streets. He reads the winds, weather and currents with an expert eye, and it was his job to keep us all safe and as comfortable as possible. There was only one day that Chuy didn't sing; the day he navigated us safely through 8' - 10' seas about 25 miles from San Jose Island to Puerto Gato, but that story will come later!Upon arrive at ES we unloaded gear and received a lesson from Carlos and Roman on how to set up our tents and secure them with sand stakes. It wasn't difficult and mom and I had our tent set up on no time. Then we had some time to relax before a lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches, salad, and fruit.
Carlos also briefed us on our beer rations: one beer per person per day - honor system. We were allowed to share or forego our ration on any given day, and roll over rations from one day to the next. The only "catch" was on the 3rd day your ration reset to 1 beer. Of course the beers were in 750 ml bottles, so 1 beer was really the equivalent of two beers per person. Also, not everyone drank beer which meant more beer for those that did. Thus, there was always more beer than we could drink. In addition, each evening they made a big pot of margaritas or pina coladas for happy hour which substantially reduced the beer consumption! For people who choose not to drink beer or margaritas there was always a cooler stocked full of sodas, club soda, and bottled water. There was also juice with every breakfast, and large coolers of purified water on the boats and at the camp site. On about the 4th day Carlos told us we were behind our beer quota and rationing was therefore relaxed.
After lunch Ramon gave a kayaking lesson for beginners (there were several of us on the trip). He covered things like how to get in and out of the kayak, how to get escape if your kayak capsizes, how to paddle, and how to do a deep water rescue. After that we went out for our first trip via kayak in the Sea of Cortez. It was incredibly beautiful and tons of fun! I made a mental note to work on my paddling technique because my arms eventually got tired and that is not supposed to happen with proper technique (according to Roman).We were back at camp in time for a wonderful evening swim before a dinner of tamales they had brought from La Paz. They were the best tamales I have ever had! They were served with a fresh garden salad, refried beans, and a giant pot of margaritas.
As the sun set and the 3/4 waxing moon rose, the night surrounded the camp site. Most people headed off to their tents. A few of us hung out by the kitchen tent. Katie (from Alaska) played guitar and sang until she was relived by Roman.
It was a great first night camping in baja!
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