April 23 - May 1, 2019

The Sea of Cortez has me so absorbed in its beauty, I am speechless, wordless and thoughtless. It's been a time to just be silent... so peaceful.

Our friend and fellow sailor, Carlo, joined us for a five-day trip out to Isla Espiritu Santo and Isla Partida. One of the first things that caught our eyes were the amazing layers of rock formation on the island, defining time over millions of years. The weathered, rock walls creates little caves which make for great nests for gulls, boobies and other sea birds. Cactus thrives in these craggy rocks, slurping up any bit of water Mother Nature sends its way. The vibrant, desert colors of rocky cliffs juxtaposed with gin-clear turquoise water creates a palate of eye candy!

Isla Espiritu Santo is a protected island and National Park now. Thanks to organizations like SeaWatch, www.seawatch.org, ("Espiritu Santo is Party de ti"), it has been recognized as one of the best managed protected areas in the world by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature ICUN. As you SUP or kayak along the shore, fish of all varieties can be seen. Snorkeling in these clear waters provided us a beautiful scene of all the underwater rocky caves, rock formations, healthy coral, and colorful fish. Further offshore from the Islands, there are recorded sightings of large schools of mobula (rays)spanning 5 miles long and 40 ft deep feeding off plankton; Just last week Orcas were seen feeding off the mobula. There were also sightings of whale sharks and fin whales. On this trip, we spotted small schools of mobula jumping out of the water and doing aerobatics.

Life aboard Pinocchio with Carlo on board was a treat. Carlo loves to cook. Need I say more...We stocked our refrigerator with meats, chicken, fresh fruit and veggies, and pantry with flavorful sauces, herbs and spices. The rest was up to Carlo to create fabulous meals, which he did. Three on a 33 foot sailboat requires the "sailboat shuffle" choreography, especially early in the morning and late at night.

One day, Carlo and I decided to take the kayaks out to the other side of Isla Partida through a shallow cut through. Going there was fast and easy as the wind was behind us; After reaching the other side, we both dreaded the long return to Pinocchio. Soon enough, we spotted a dinghy motoring a full speed towards us...it was David to "save the day". We tied both kayaks to each side of the stern and off we went. Our kayaks are yellow. I'm sure it looked like David was towing two little ducks back to the "mothership".

Stand Up Paddle boarding is still challenging for me. Especially because our SUP is an inflatable. It blows easily off the wind and it's high off the water, making for a higher center of gravity. Needless to say, I took a few dunks, but I am getting better at it. David took to it like a pro. I guess his surfing days in his younger life has payed off.

On the return back to La Paz, we had our fishing line out. No bites, except for one big, I mean really BIG catch! As we headed south toward La Paz, we came upon another sailboat that we knew. SV Tenacity, sailed singlehanded by Marshall Peabody. As we neared Tenacity which was under power, we realized we still had our fishing line out. In the attempt to reel our line in fast, we snagged Tenacity's rudder and prop. Not a good thing. David has a talent of somehow getting lines into a knotted and tangled mess. I call him Charlie Brown. I think we should rename Pinocchio "Sir Knots A lot"! David dove into the deep, blue water with snorkel gear hoping to the clear the snag off the rudder. Earlier, David had mentioned he felt like going for a swim; he got his wish. After several minutes strategically manuevering Pinocchio and David's perseverance untangling the knotted mess at the prop, it was cleared. Tenacity headed north and Pinocchio headed south. Note to self: when we come close to another sailboat under power, reel in fishing line beforehand.

Once back to La Paz, we cleaned up and went for a delicious dinner at NIM, named for the fragrant Nim tree (Indian lilac) which all along we thought were pepper trees. It felt odd to be back to asphalt and sidewalks at lively and busy La Paz, after our magical time at the islands.