Easter Island Kayaking

As it was time to give my feet a few days to callous over those blisters I developed yesterday I decided to go kayaking, you probably guessed that already. I walked to the spot down near the police station where the water taxis dock. You can never get very near if you give any indication that you are actually going to be looking for a water taxi before you are jumped upon by some guy that trains the people who work in used car lots.

I asked the price of a ride to the Cosmic Crab, on the nearby island of Carenero and was told it was a buck and a half. I shouldn't have asked. I know the price; it's a buck. But it is Easter Sunday. The captain led me down the dock to a boat that couldn't have been more than 10 feet long. He insisted I put on a life jacket. I can float for hours in salt water with no exertion. Maybe after a good two or three months of exercise it might require minimal exertion, but as for now I am not at fighting weight. I picked up a life jacket he indicated I should use the other, mas grande. Yeah, it's much bigger, still it's only fit for an Indian that would come up to my sternum.

Forty seconds later I got off at the Cosmic Crab and recognized a few people, the wife of the couple that owns the place, their two kids and a couple of locals. They tried to show me the buffet, all I could eat for $17. Looking at the food, there was not much I would eat, at any price, but it was late in the day and the pickings were slim. "I want to rent a kayak." This threw the guy for a loop. "We don't rent kayaks." "Yes, you do, they are over there, they rent for $10 a day." He pulled out a cell phone, made a call and indicated that, they do in fact rent kayaks for $10 a day. I gave him ten dollars. He wanted to write up a ticket. "Name?" "Isaac Jones." "Where hotel are you staying at?" "I live here." "Ok, have a nice day."

I walked over to the kayaks, looked for and found a paddle underneath the stairs of the house, grabbed a kayak carried it over to the sea walk and trod through the exposed low tide muck, continually retrieving my crocs, which sunk in the muck and didn't come back up with my feet.
A few minutes later I threw my boat bag into the kayak and headed off back in the direction from which I came and followed the shore line around the south of the island, past the ferry, Stephen's house, Casa Verde, Ola's hotel and further into territory I had not previously explored.

Mangroves lined the shore amid shacks. Outhouses that had never seen maintenance in years sat over the water. I proceeded further, I was going to follow the cove around but the foul smell of the fetid, stinking water was more than I could bear and I cut a chord over to the Marina and headed out to Bastimentos. I looked for my water bottle and remembered I left it on the water taxi. I drink a lot of water, ten to fourteen liters a day, when out in the sun and exerting myself.

I spotted an ice cream parlor and headed over, "Vende agua?" Why was I talking to a black man in Spanish? For 90% of them here, English is their first language. "Yes, do you want a big one, 1500?" Yeah, a liter and half sounds about right. I paddled over he gave me the improbable price of $2.75. Hell, you can by five liters for $1.75 half a mile from here. I have him $2.50 rather than break a twenty and headed back out.

A lovely stretch of white sand beckoned me. A couple reclined on deck chairs on the beach. I pulled up the kayak and the woman asked, "What are you doing on our beach?" "Your beach? This isn't your beach." "Yes it is." "I have news for you, there are no private beaches in the whole country, it's illegal." After a brief swim, I got back in the kayak, got a dirty look from the woman which I returned with, "Have a great day."

Bastimentos didn't seem very appealing at this point. I paddled around the island and returned to the Cosmic Crab, returned the Kayak and walked over to the restaurant. "Need a drink?" "No, I'm good, thanks," was followed by another couple of big swigs on the water. I asked the bartender to get me a water taxi and a couple of minutes later one appeared. A minute later I was back in town, gave the guy a buck without asking him the price, he didn't squawk.

Then,the usual, home, shower, wash clothes, head out, grab notebook computer and headed down to Casa Verde to do some more research with plenty of eye candy running around. Now let's hope the usb wifi adapter I ordered works on linux. I also ordered a replacement keyboard for my notebook.

Dinner on a dock at a hotel with a bud, long conversations on boats and motors. Thanks, that seems like the place to get the outboard, gotta have the four stroke if 2 stroke oil is fifty bucks a gallon and mixed in a 20:1 ratio. I don't mind the extra weight of a four stroke and I like their quietness. Now to find a 22' panga, probably have to get one delivered out of Panama City, but Costa Rica is an option.