Will and I had warmed up a few days earlier by swimming to the distant buoy and back. He has this high tech waterproof watch that measures distances and confirmed that the buoy trip is the same length as Playa Chahue, about 800 meters return trip.
Will had the plan. Several people had agreed to go as a group for safety. None of us were triathlon type swimmers so a bunch of swimming buddies would allow us to stay in a comfort zone when we were way out there. Will had even planned for a paddle board as a safety net for anyone who got too tired but when he went to pick it up, the young guy at the surf shop doubled the price he had quoted the week before. So much for that. Maybe they have different weekend rates.
We waited around for an hour for people who never showed up. It was seriously early for the first Saturday morning after exams.
Our first resting point is the buoy. At this point, I hadn't realized that two of our party of five had changed their minds. I thought they had already left us behind.
Jasmine and Will explain how to find the upcoming video in Spanish to a man who joined us as far as the buoy. Pen and paper are things no one thinks to bring for a big swim so hopefully he remembered. I think he would have liked to join us for the whole trip but he had a job to do somewhere.
This is where Will and Jasmine turned back. Jasmine had foot cramps and Will wanted to see her safely back to shore. That's what sensible people do.
I experienced 4 foot cramps myself before I reached Entrega but they didn't impede my swimming.
They hurt as my big toe and its nearest neighbor twisted together but I could still kick and they disappeared after a few strokes anyway.
There is nothing like being alone in open water to make you feel small.
None of the passing boaters returned my wave, which doesn't make them snobs. They just didn't see me and that's something to keep in mind when you're out in their playground. It also means they are watching straight ahead as they should so it isn't too bad.
A lot of this traffic can be completely avoided if you leave early enough. Later in the day, jet-skiers
will be out and, fueled with beer and adrenaline, they might not be as sharp-eyed as professional tour boat operators.
That's Entrega, closer now than Santa Cruz.
At this point, I wasn't suffering muscle fatigue but I felt depleted. That peanut butter sandwich at 530 in the morning was only a memory. I didn't like the idea of swimming back in a weakened state. I'd anticipated we'd probably want snacks at Entrega so I had packed some pesos in a plastic bag with a rock to keep it from floating away. I had cab fare. Otherwise, the only other alternative to swimming would have been walking 40 minutes along the hot road without a shirt in bare feet.
Whoo-ee! Playa Entrega!
It's still early in the morning. I don't think Entrega restaurants open for breakfast. But wait. Who's that. Will and Jasmine came around by land to make sure I arrived. With water!
It's nice to know people who would actually call the coast guard instead of just wondering "Whatever happened...?"
That's the whole adventure. Back to Santa Cruz the easy way. The return trip can wait for another day.
Finally, the video shot with the Sony Action Cam. I recommend full screen on Youtube.
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