First I recognise something familiar deep in my subconscious, it is the sound of the cock crowing faintly, followed by the cathedral tower bell striking long slow chimes that bring you into a new day.
8.30am - (still adjusting to the time zone) Our day in Marina De La Paz officially starts when we awake to the channel #22 VHF radio. We hear the airwaves come alive with 'Goodmorrrrrnninnng Fleeeet!" And as surreal as it sounds - that's us! this daily open radio program is for us to introduce ourselves and participate where necessary or possible. So we are meant to be sitting by our radio with our 'truckie style' hand-held receiver ready. The program begins - First: the net controller asks if there are any medical emergencies or issues overnight.... Usually silence reins which we all secretly hope for….. We breathe again, when he (the controller) introduces the weather watch, reported in by someone called 'Bluey', a bay watch report and then a 'whose coming and whose going' in and out of La Paz, in case you want a ride, a lift or need to get mail out.
Next I/we hear a running report request from 3 marinas on the Baja coastline Marina De La Paz, Marina Palmira and Costabaja Marina. Tick ...Tick... and Tick! I do feel less guilty listening from the cosy Captain's quarters when one of the marinas randomly misses a reply. However they are more likely to be sorting some boating crisis, a check- in or check-out, not lying back in bed like me.
Next comes- What's on around town? This draws me in every time, imagining myself attending the R & B night on the pier, salsa in the park, darts over the road, dominoes in the cafe, or I could (should I wish) volunteer to help with the next celebration in town, all a possibility from where I lay. Then my subconscious does a reality check for me and I remember that the most urgent project is the one we are living and breathing and madly planning. However before they finish that segment!... I do see myself attending the National Geographic celestial documentary. An invitation for Friday, courtesy of the Mexican Technical College. Amazingly, they build their own telescopes here, and engineered and constructed the planetarium! How awesome....Oh now I've missed the contact boat to radio in my RSVP as they have long moved on- but there’s always tomorrow I will stay focused and catch that.
Within seconds the pace seems to have escalated and taken several twists and turns spinning my easily distracted mind into thinking about the Ice man; Goose and Ghost rider with everyone clipping in and out of the air waves.
Let me tell you, you don't often have a Christian name in these morning sessions, only a boat name, so I am 'Condesa' should I call in. There is a whole community of "Wandering Puffins", "True Companions" "Bright Angels" "Blue Wizards" "Sea Otters" and my favourite being "Black Dog". It feels kinda fun to have a stage name... well, a boat name.
Anyway my point is, many topics are covered for you within the half hour, but the one I feel we should jump out of bed and be poised for is the 'Swaps and Trades'. Every morning I hear daily of things we need eg: dingy anchor, lifting gear, inflatable canoe, as well as the many things I know we could swap. However the bit I love best is that you pay coconuts or in some cases ....peanuts! We, the cruising community like to look out for each other, so what goes around comes around. Nice!
One day, he who hums will be ready to participate 🙄 and I have scribbled my list of swaps and trades. I have left it right by the Ray-marine VHF radio, for the day he is at the desk and not beside me in bed.
Should that day come I’ll have my ears pricked waiting for the rustle at the navigation station. That day I'll have to jump on my recently purchased bike and to go get us more coconuts. Actually I do have salted peanuts down in the galley somewhere, depends what he buys me.