DECIDED TO GO OUT OF LA PAZ WITH CAPT. JUAN FOR DA @2. HE HAD HAD A COUPLE OF GOOD DAYS LAST WEEK END, WITH SEVERAL YELLOW TAIL IN THE 30'S AND SOME NICE CABRILLA. WE LOOKED AT THE WIND AND WEATHER, THE MOON, THE OLD COFFEE IN THE BOTTOM OF MY GLASS, AND DECIDED THAT WE COULDN'T LOSE. SO MUCH FOR SCIENCE. I'M GONNA GET THE BAD NEWS OUTTA THE WAY AND TELL YOU THAT THE FISHING STUNK. SMALL PARGO, TRIGGER FISH, AND NADA MAS. BUT THAT WAS NOT THE DAY THAT I REMEMBER.
AFTER GATHERING SOME BAIT IN THE HARBOR WE HEADED OUT OF LA PAZ, GOING NORTH, WITH PUNTA COYOTE AS OUR PLANNED GOAL. A REALLY NICE DAY WITH TEMPS IN THE 70'S AND A VERY SLIGHT SW WIND FOLLOWING US. THE SMOKE FROM THE ELECTRICAL GENERATING PLANT STACKS HEADED STRAIGHT UP TO 1000 FT. OR SO AND THEN SPREAD OUT INTO A HORIZONTAL SMUDGE ON OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY. AS WE REACHED THE SPIT OF LAND THAT DEFINES THE FERRY TERMINAL WE WERE SUDDENLY JOINED BY A POD OF DOLPHINS, 15 OR SO. I'M NOT GOOD AT DOLPHIN IDENTIFICATION BUT THEY WERE THE FLIPPER TYPES, ROUND, SHINY TUBES OF MUSCLE, WITH THAT PERPETUAL GRIN, PLAYING AROUND THE BOAT AND LAZILY SWIMMING IN CIRCLES, FEEDING ON SOME POOR VICTIMS THAT NO DOUBT SAW THOSE SMILES DIFFERENTLY THAN WE DID. I DEVOURED A COUPLE OF BURRITOS AS JUAN HUMMED CONTENTEDLY TO HIMSELF. IF EVER THERE WAS A PERSON BORN TO THE WATER IT IS JUAN ANTONIO ROMERO ARCE. THE SOMEWHAT NERVOUS AND MANIC ENERGY THAT SEEMS TO POSSESS HIM ON THE LAND WAS SHED LIKE AN ILL FITTING COAT, AND HE WAS AT PEACE. I "DECIDED" TO LIE DOWN ON THE SEAT OF HIS BOAT, PURELY TO BALANCE THE LOAD IN THE BOAT MIND YOU, AND JUAN CONTINUED NORTH.
COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE THAN 25 MINUTES OR SO WHEN I REJOINED THE SHOW IN PROGRESS. LYING THERE IS SEEMED A LITTLE OUT OF KILTER. THE MOTOR DROWNED ON, AND THERE WAS WATER SLAPPING THE SIDE OF THE HULL, BUT THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO VERTICAL DISPLACEMENT. THE HULL WAS AS CALM AS THOUGH IT WERE ON A TRAILER. I SAT UP, TO INVESTIGATE THIS SEEMING ANOMALY AND WAS GREETED BY A SCENE THAT I HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN PRIVILEGED TO WITNESS.
THE WATER WAS FLAT. I DON'T MEAN CALM, I MEAN FLAT, WITHOUT ANY MOVEMENT OTHER THAN OURS. THE SKY WAS A LIGHT GREY BLUE WITH A VERY THIN CLOUD COVER BARELY INTERFERING WITH THE PHOTON FLOW. THE SKY AND SEA WERE EXACTLY THE SAME COLOR, AS ONE WAS A REFLECTION OF THE OTHER, AND THE SEAS SO CALM THAT YOU COULD NOT DISCERN THE HORIZON LINE. IT WAS AS THOUGH THE WATER CONTINUED UP IN FRONT OF US, A TUBE, OR PERHAPS IS WAS AS THOUGH THE SKY CONTINUED UNDERNEATH THE PANGA. LOOKING AT CERRALVO ISLAND IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL WHERE THE REAL ISLAND AND REFLECTED ISLAND WERE JOINED, AND WITH THE SKY AND SEA SEAMLESSLY JOINED IT WAS A 2X REALITY FLOATING MASS. A GIANT BATTLE CRUISER FLOATING IN THE SKY. LOOKING BACK AT ISLA ESPIRITU SANTO IT WAS APPARENT THAT A SQUADRON OF AERIAL BEHEMOTHS HAD SURROUNDED US. OTHER THAN JUAN AND HIS TRUSTY PANGA, OUR WAKE BEING THE ONLY RIPPLES, THERE WAS NO APPARENT REFERENCE SOURCE AS TO OUR RELATIVE LOCATION TO TERRA FIRMA. THE ILLUSION WAS SO PERFECTLY CAST AS TO BE DISORIENTING. OTHER THAN A FEW ARTIFICIALLY INDUCED MOMENTS YEARS AGO, I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS, AND I'M AFRAID THAT MY MERE WORDS CANNOT SATISFACTORILY DESCRIBE THAT WHICH MY EYES TOOK IN AND MY BRAIN LABORED TO ORIENT.
THESE CONDITIONED CONTINUED FOR SEVERAL HOURS, AND AS THE BRAIN DOES, IT BECAME ACCUSTOMED TO THE NEW "NORMAL", LESSENING THE INITIAL WONDER OF THE EFFECT. EVEN THOUGH THE FISHING SUCKED, ON THIS DAY I'M GLAD THAT I WENT FISHING. ON THE WAY HOME WE PASSED NO LESS THAN 6 HUMPBACK WHALES, 4 ADULTS AND 2 YOUNG'UNS, ALL WITHIN 90 YARDS OF THE SHORE. A DAY WHEN NATURE DEMANDED TO BE WITNESSED, NOT TO BE EXPLOITED.
DAVID
