Bahía de los Muertos: More Oasis Adventure!

(November 21-22, 2017) We had to get through school the next morning before we could go play on the beach with London. I was hoping the beach date with the girls’ new friend would motivate them, but school that day was an unnecessarily long process – as usual. It was nearly lunchtime before the girls finished their work, and after packing a quick beach lunch, we headed for land. Rich stayed behind to work on a few boat projects.

We found London playing gleefully on the beach with her Barbies, delighted to see her new friends. Immediately, my girls got into the game, and I sat down to chat with London’s mom. She mentioned that London’s dad was going for a fishing trip that afternoon, and asked if Rich would like to come. They were headed out to the boat right then, so I radioed Rich, and he said he’d love to join them. They stopped by Mobert to pick him up, and headed off on their fishing adventure.

Meanwhile, us ladies had a few adventures of our own. After some relaxation and playing on the beach, London’s mom offered to take us a for a ride in the ATV. With all three girls buckled in back, and the moms up front, we set off down the beach.

London’s mom claimed to be driving somewhat conservatively because the girls were in the car, but for me, who’d never been in an ATV before, it was a wild and exhilarating ride. We tore down the beach, careful to avoid the well-marked turtle egg nests, and my novice self was convinced we were going to tip the vehicle on the mild beach slope at any minute. After several minutes of elated panic, we made it to the far end of the beach, and London’s mom turned up the road, back onto the old, abandoned golf course. The golf course hadn’t seen a golf cart in years, but the paths had grown over just enough to make for a great little ATV trail. We zipped up and down hills, sliding this way and that, until we neared a steep crest. We powered up toward it, and just at the top, our speed slowed – and then the wheels were simply spinning in the sand. We’d gotten high-centered, and had to have what I considered another quintessential ATV experience – digging ourselves out.

London’s mom and I got out, and started digging. (London’s mom was visibly pregnant, and it was so refreshing to be hanging out with a woman who could be pregnant and tough at the same time!) When the minimal dig didn’t free us, we dug harder and farther. I was flat on the ground, reaching underneath the ATV to pull out the small mound that trapped us. After nearly 15 minutes of digging, the mound was gone, so we decided to give it another go. London’s mom deftly worked the gas while I had my third quintessential ATV experience of the day – standing on the back, jumping up and down, trying to get traction and momentum. The wheels threw sand straight up, and it was a much sandier experience in general than I’d ever pictured, but with some smarts and some muscle, we were out! I hopped back in the front seat, and we were off again! We tore back down the golf paths toward the villas, and parked in front of the villa London’s family was staying in.

The girls and their Barbies went for a brief swim in the small private pool at the villa, and then decided they were too sandy, and it was time for a bath. So, we plopped three girls in the tub, and wow, was that a party. They played in the tub together for a solid 30 minutes before finally getting out. Since my girls only had their dirty swimsuits with them, London was nice enough to share some of her pajamas. We tried to get a movie going, but failed. Pretty soon it was dinnertime, and the girls were happily exhausted. It was getting dark, and the men had just returned from a rough, wet, and fruitless fishing adventure. He picked us up on the beach, and we headed home for dinner.

The girls were eager to see London the next day, but she and her family had some shopping to do in town. So, after finishing school, and then leaving London’s borrowed jammies at her villa, we headed over to the restaurant for another day of play. We were beyond thrilled when, after lunch, Taliesin Rose joined us! We’d barely seen them the day before, and already the Mobert girls missed the Taliesin Rose girls. So, even though they were sad to miss London, they had a whole afternoon of best friend fun.

Despite the sun, tomorrow was Thanksgiving and we were with our new cruising family, and it almost felt like a real holiday.