It finally happened. The unthinkable. The most dangerous and yet unavoidable problem in any long journey. Christmas came, and we got homesick. But this time, going home was not an option. We had to improvise.
On the morning of Christmas Eve, we were anchored in a small bay called Santa Maria in Baja California, Mexico. Inaccessible by roads, Santa Maria Bay is home to a small fishing village of just a few houses, which is why we were surprised to be woken up by a panga boat tying up to ours.
The fishermen needed four C cell batteries for their spotlights, and we just happened to have exactly four. We didn’t ask anything in return, but they quickly presented us with four large live lobsters. That’s when we had the idea to have the greatest sea feast of all time for our Christmas party.
There was one other sailboat nearby. We decided that we would provide the fish and they would do the rest. We spent the day spearfishing for both fish and lobster.
I was on a fish spree, and speared a big-eyed jack, two perch and two sand bass. Eric and Tyler went the lobster route. Between our catch and the lobster from the fishermen, we had about 10 lobster and five fish.
We packed into our newfound friends’ boat – a couple from Oregon – and they had made a spread of green bean casserole, biscuits, deviled eggs, corn, pineapple and two pies. We had found home far away from home, with the bonus of a seafood feast.
We left for Cabo San Lucas on Christmas Day and arrived a few days before New Year’s. There are always special places to be during certain times, and Cabo San Lucas during New Year’s in the early 21st century is one of them.
After spending so much time in isolated beaches, we found ourselves surrounded by jet skis, water propulsion jet packs and paragliders. The nightlife was a mix of cheap taco stands and late-night dance parties.
Cabo was packed full of people from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, all gathering with the common goal of bringing in 2014 with a bang. The fireworks were incredible, firing in unison from different locations all over the beach.
After everything that has happened to me in 2013, I can only imagine what grand adventures lie ahead this year.
Kevin Schank graduated from Durango High School in 2004 and Fort Lewis College in 2010. Follow Schank and the crew of the Emma Bell at www.MoreHandsOnDeck.com.
