Beach bums and bonfires

By  Nicole

Our overnight stop at Isla Cocinas in Bahia Chamela was one of my favorites so far.  The anchorage was surrounded by rocky, cactus studded islands; a secluded, sandy beach; the vast Pacific Ocean and the tropical Mexican mainland.  Dozens of pelicans, boobies and Frigatebirds flocked overhead, and the water was a respectable 77 degrees.  It was a gorgeous spot, and we all jumped at the chance to spend the day being beach bums (very active beach bums).

We played Smashball.  We swam.  We snorkeled.  We saw a pelican rookery.  We had hermit crab races.  We ate a delicious potluck, picnic style.  We lit a raging bonfire.  We made S’mores.  We swam again under the full moon.  It was a good day.

 
The sublime little beach on Isla Cocinas

 
The ladies relaxing in the shade après-swim

Bahia Chamela is one of the primary  Brown Pelican rookeries on the Mexican coast.  Zack got some fantastic shots of the fuzzy pelican chicks by climbing a tree to see down into their nest; I just snapped a quick picture through the brambles…

Cactus, bushes and scrubby trees cover Isla Cocinas and make perfect nesting grounds for pelicans

 
One of those aforementioned Brown Pelicans

 
The rockstar photographer in his element (taking a [much better] picture of the very same pelican seen above)

We hadn’t really planned on having a bonfire, but when life gives you a beach full of driftwood and a full moon, it would be wrong not to, right?  So after zipping back out to the boats to whip up an impromptu picnic potluck dinner (which, for the record, was amazing and included Panache’s fresh I-just-killed-these-fish-with-my-spear-gun-like-10-minutes- ago ceviche), the fire building commenced.

 C’mon, Steve, light our fire

 Aaron is a master fire builder!  He and Steve even scrounged the bricks to make a fire pit.  Pro.

While waiting for the sun to go down, we watched as pelicans returned to their nests to feed hungry (and noisy!) chicks.  We also took turns shooting cans with Zack’s slingshot.  Apparently I use a slingshot like a lefty.  Maybe that explains my distinct lack of talent.

 Jenn showing off her best slingshot form

Frigatebirds circle high in the evening sky

Darkness finally arrived and bonfiring began…

 Coming back to a nice, hot fire after taking a midnight, moonlit swim was heavenly.  Until my towel somehow ended up in the fire.  Ahem.  (Don’t worry… it was rescued.)

 As boys like to do, they kept the fire raging all night long

We were en fuego, to be sure

Dinghying back to the boats with phosphorescent trails blazing put a cap on an awesome day.

My view of Ventured and Panache the next morning, as I sipped my coffee in the cockpit