What a difference two months makes
Well here we are again, happy hour at the Marina Cantina in sunny San Carlos. This time we're not skulking in the parking lot stealing the wireless signal, rather sitting in a booth enjoying a couple of margaritas and some appetizers - a quesadilla and a hollowed out loaf of french bread filled with artichoke dip. My Lovely Wife is scanning the joint and I am relating to you.
The trip down just gets easier and easier. Five minutes tops at the visa station and then the long haul across the desert. We made it in before sunset, unpacked and surveyed the place. And this is where the title comment comes in - recall last time and the hordes of Americans enjoying the Columbus Day break. This time - 4 condos with 10 or so people and nearly complete isolation. The perfect vacation conditions. Enjoying the 70 something air, the sea breeze and the QUIET, we headed out to our traditional dinner at Rosa's. Our friend Martin was there behind the counter and we had a nice chat in broken Spanish about the place, our kids (he said we must have had them young), carne machaca and life in brief. We ended the evening with our traditional walk around Pilar (in honor of Ted) and a sit on the seawall. I'd had this feeling that I was seeing things in the sky and it dawned on me that we might be in the middle of a meteor shower. So we switched positions and looked to the east and no sooner had we done so than we were treated to a big, bright, yellow trail that broke up into many smaller pieces as it entered the atmosphere. What better omen for a splendid time on the beach?
The surf was pretty rough which is unusual for this particular strand. What was unique about the breakers was the angle at which they were hitting the beach. Coming in obliquely, they would break at the closest point and then rocket along the shore. For lack of a better metaphor, they reminded me of the effect you get when you snap a long hose and the wave pattern starts at your hand and travels to the end.
Today was pretty much vacation standard. Breakfast of bolillos, some time sitting on the seawall looking at Loons, a nap and a walk down the beach, which has changed quite a bit from our last visit. Now the point has moved to the north and the channel to the west, quite a different conformation than October. Makes me wish I had been taking a picture of the same spot for the last 14 years. Birds all over the place which bodes well for our annual count.
Tomorrow we start in earnest - exploring the place, riding my bike, looking for birds and generally trying to get into the relaxed groove. Which is never too hard given what this place presents - balmy breezes and a low key vibe.
More later, and maybe some pictures
The trip down just gets easier and easier. Five minutes tops at the visa station and then the long haul across the desert. We made it in before sunset, unpacked and surveyed the place. And this is where the title comment comes in - recall last time and the hordes of Americans enjoying the Columbus Day break. This time - 4 condos with 10 or so people and nearly complete isolation. The perfect vacation conditions. Enjoying the 70 something air, the sea breeze and the QUIET, we headed out to our traditional dinner at Rosa's. Our friend Martin was there behind the counter and we had a nice chat in broken Spanish about the place, our kids (he said we must have had them young), carne machaca and life in brief. We ended the evening with our traditional walk around Pilar (in honor of Ted) and a sit on the seawall. I'd had this feeling that I was seeing things in the sky and it dawned on me that we might be in the middle of a meteor shower. So we switched positions and looked to the east and no sooner had we done so than we were treated to a big, bright, yellow trail that broke up into many smaller pieces as it entered the atmosphere. What better omen for a splendid time on the beach?
The surf was pretty rough which is unusual for this particular strand. What was unique about the breakers was the angle at which they were hitting the beach. Coming in obliquely, they would break at the closest point and then rocket along the shore. For lack of a better metaphor, they reminded me of the effect you get when you snap a long hose and the wave pattern starts at your hand and travels to the end.
Today was pretty much vacation standard. Breakfast of bolillos, some time sitting on the seawall looking at Loons, a nap and a walk down the beach, which has changed quite a bit from our last visit. Now the point has moved to the north and the channel to the west, quite a different conformation than October. Makes me wish I had been taking a picture of the same spot for the last 14 years. Birds all over the place which bodes well for our annual count.
Tomorrow we start in earnest - exploring the place, riding my bike, looking for birds and generally trying to get into the relaxed groove. Which is never too hard given what this place presents - balmy breezes and a low key vibe.
More later, and maybe some pictures
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