Sky of Blue and Sea of Green

"Here, it seemed to me, where the rocks and white stone buildings were the only solid things in a limitless bubble of blue water and blue air, one might be able to live at peace again, to recover a true vision long lost by now in the lives of other humans and in the strifes  of far off countries; here one might set back the clock and re-enter Eden."
- Gavin Maxwell, Raven Seek Thy Brother


Everyone should experience a place like that once in their lives. Whether it is for an hour, a day, a month, or a year.


I could write pages of adventures and lessons learned in San Miguel over the past month or so, but instead I will keep it brief and hit a few of the highlights. I am currently in Georgia renewing my visa and clearing my illegal immigrant status. So far it has been a wonderful and unexpected trip home.

The past month in Cabo Blanco was the hottest yet, and also one of the busiest. We had several student groups come through the station, and Lane and Brad came for a visit where we drank coco loco and lounged at the beach. I also survived my first tsunami evacuation, recovered a lost student, and stood watching 3 tornados less than a mile away from my house. A day in the life. I did spend a week or so of alone time in paradise where I managed to avoid all of the ghosts and superstitions that the staff warned me about, including the black dog with red eyes and chains that attacks lonely travelers at night. What a relief.

I have had some pretty awesome wildlife sightings recently. I got up close and personal with an Olive Ridley sea turtle while snorkeling one day. I spotted him grazing on algae at the bottom of lagoon with a school of wrasses standing by to gobble up anything he stirred up with his beak. I floated above him watching for several minutes before he started swimming to the surface. To my surprise he swam right up to me and stopped just before breaking the surface. He stared right at me, and we both floated for a few moments without breaking eye contact. Then he swam slowly away, and I followed him. We swam side by side around most of the lagoon. He would swim on my right then go underneath me and come back up on my left. It was honestly one of the strangest moments I have ever experienced. After a few minutes of this he casually swam away towards the mouth of the lagoon.

Then there was the bare-throated tiger heron vs. the octopus. While snorkeling I came across a bare-throated tiger heron perched on a rock a few yards away from me. This was unusual because they normally fly away before you get this close. I was curious, so I lifted my head out of the water to investigate. What I saw was headless bird, or so I thought. I removed my mask for a closer look and realized that what I had initially thought was flesh flapping in the wind was actually an octopus leg, and that the birds head was attached and momentarily engulfed by an octopus. Literally the entire head was covered. I couldn't even see its eye. The heron was violently shaking its head in an attempt to rid itself of the octopus. After several tries the octopus was still attached. Finally, in a desperate attempt, the bird managed to shake the octopus. I saw the octopus fly in one direction and splash into the water while one octopus leg flew in the other. The bird stood dazed for a moment before crouching and flying to shore. Not to sound cheesy, but I'm pretty sure our poor little tiger heron bit off more than he could chew. Octopus : -1 leg  Bare-throated tiger heron: 0. This is by far my favorite sighting.

We also had a juvenile delinquent conch. Every time I take groups snorkeling I find a live conch to show them. For anyone who doesn't know what a conch is, it is the snail that makes the large shell you can "hear the ocean" in when held to your ear. Being in a protected area allows conchs to large and numerous. I usually let the conch come out of the shell, show everyone how to sex it, and pass it around. This group had been tidepooling with Diana just before snorkeling and Charlotte, one woman's 12 year old daughter, proudly stated that Diana had just shown them a male juvenile delinquent conch in the tide pools. It took everything I had not to burst out laughing, and I couldn't correct her. Kids say the darndest things. You really have to watch out for those delinquent conchs, you never know what they'll do next.
Everyday in San Miguel is interesting and different which is why I love this job, this place, and everything it entails. Being shut off from society has its pros and its cons, but overall I think it has served me well and been a great learning experience. I can't wait to see what comes next, but while I'm in Georgia I will be enjoying good BBQ, beer, and baseball.

Sunset in the mountains near San Luis

Montezuma