Odyssey is back in the water

So, we are back in the water and getting set to leave the marina at San Carlos, Sonora. It has been a wonderful summer, visiting friends and family in San Francisco, San Diego, Wisconsin, and Portland. And, of course, Beijing for the Olympics with Philip. Malcolm, Liz, Miles, Marv and Ardy all joined him for the fun.

The staff at Marina Seca San Carlos is efficient, careful, and considerate. Like large beetles, the equipment scurries around the yard from 8:00 AM until 4:00 PM, moving small boats and large; into the work-yard, out to the highway and into the water; out of the water, dripping wet they negotiate the rig with its load down the kilometer or so to dry storage. It is a fascinating operation to watch, especially as the mast cants and sways with the movement.

There is not much to provision with here in San Carlos, so we have gone into Guaymas and shopped at Soriana’s. Still, we will have to wait until we go back to Portland to stock up on walnuts, almonds, and cashews. Fresh fruits and vegetables are hard to find, too, in a desert environment they are largely imported. So we cherish the fresh tomatoes and rich avocadoes.

The Great Wall

Beijing is an amazing, huge, busy, active, changing, evolving maze of people, places, history and growing future. The Olympics were hosted with energy and success. We were lucky to be guests of Liz's friends...comfortable and relaxed...and had a chance to travel to Samatai to walk the Great Wall. Our taxi driver took us to his brother's home nearby where we shared several cups of tea and were given some of the largess from their garden...like people everywhere, the Chinese we met are open and generous, friendly and welcoming. I think having the cutest baby in the world along does help break a great deal of ice!

Beijing

Across the sea

It has been a long time since we "blogged." And we apologize for not keeping things up-to-date.

We are currently in Beijing, China, having arrived on the 13th of August, to watch the Olympic Games...especially our son, Philip, in the 50 kilometer racewalk. For some very interesting reading check out his blogspot: Olympicwalk.blogspot.com


Philip walked yesterday morning (the 22nd) and did very well...he finished 39th out of a field of 62 starters, in a time of 4:08:32. It wasn't his best time ever, but about what he expected and hoped to do. And he impressed everyone with his consistent consistency! His 2 kilometer laps were 9:54, 9:56, 9:58, 9:54, 9:54, 10:00, 10:02, 9:55...etc. It was a hot morning, temperatures in the high 80's-low 90's, but it had rained well the day before and the humidity was relatively low (30%) and there was a slight breeze, so the heat did not do him in. Pollution was also not a factor, since it had rained and cleared the air well. In fact, we have had almost all "blue sky days" since we arrived in Beijing.

We can only hope that the Chinese will insist on keeping the air this clean after the Olympics are over. There is likely to be pressure to that effect, but how to do so is another question...so many cars! And Beijing is an IMMENSE city! We are overwhelmed by its size and all the development that is going on here.

We have been doing some touristy things...our other son, Malcolm, and I went to the Badaling Great Wall this week. This is a close-to-Beijing tourist site, and it was crowded with (mostly) Chinese tourists, but still an incredible experience. We hiked a couple of kilometers, climbing stairs that were >60 degrees incline. I still have sore quadriceps as testament to my efforts. Later this week, Philip, Liz (Philip's wife), Miles (number 1 grandson), Marv, and I plan to go to another Great Wall area and hike about 10 kilometers.

Our time here has gone by fast. Having a baby in the group changes the dynamics a lot. We get late starts. Miles is usually up by 6:00AM, then ready for a nap about 8:30, so we often don't get out of the house until 10:30 or so...if we have an event we want to go to earlier, he comes along, toted in the back-pack...sometimes he falls asleep, sometimes not. Even though seriously sleep-deprived, he has been an incredible traveler, though last night he truly "lost it." A melt-down of major proportions, he cried and howled and berated us in true baby-fashion...why wouldn't we let him sleep???!!! Malcolm, Philip, Marv, and I left Liz with him and went off to the New Balance Hospitality House. Liz says he fell asleep 5 minutes after we left...and slept for 12 hours. Good little boy!

Another dynamic is that he is a blonde, grey-eyed, American infant. Can you image what the Chinese think of him? One of the hundreds of people who went "ga-ga" over him, said "He draws the wind to him"...meaning that he attracts much attention. Chinese, though a difficult language to master and somewhat "harsh" sounding in its articulation, has a poetic quality in its meaning. We are pleased that Liz speaks it well, since it would be so hard to get around without it. And her being able to communicate with others makes our encounters much more meaningful. Otherwise we feel like idiots.

Truly.

Well...it is getting late. We are at the Hometown Hopefuls Hospitality House, using their computers and enjoying their wine...but it is time to head home. Malcolm left today (he starts work on Monday) and Philip will move out of the Olympic Village and in with us on Monday. We are staying in an apartment that belongs to a friend/former coworker of Liz's...

Life is good.

Take care everyone...our love to all of you. We will write more when we get back to the States later in the month.

On the hard

Nearly seven months and 3500 sea miles after leaving San Francisco Bay, we put Odyssey in dry storage for the summer. Our insurance requires us to have the boat above 37 degrees latitude and in dry dock for several months during hurricane season. The past few weeks in Mexico have given us a little taste of the hot weather to come, and we gladly set our sights on cooler climates of Wisconsin, California, and Oregon for a short time.

Marina Seca San Carlos, Sonora, has an elaborate system of removing craft from the water without a hoist, transporting it to the dry storage area, and positioning it for stability and safety.

Boat owners have the job of prepping the boat...washing and stowing canvas, lines and sails, plugging through-hulls to keep insects and spiders out, cleaning out food, cupboards and refrigerators, securing halyards and protecting hardware from the wind, rain and dust. It's an extensive process and wears you out! It took us three days, working pretty much non-stop to finish.

Sitting in the shade of a solar panel on the aft deck, our last gesture was to finish off the open bottle of wine, along with some cheese and bread, as a toast to our trip so far.

Boat chores

A Peterson 44 has lots of brightwork.



Marv has gained a reputation on the docks as being someone who "works all the time," and the quality and beauty of the teak on our topsides is a tribute to his efforts. These kind of boat chores help with his tan, too.

Cruisers

There is a complicated interface between local residents and cruisers. John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts (The Sea of Cortez [1941]; The Log From the Sea of Cortez, [1951]) spoke of it from their experiences during their six-week journey collecting invertebrate marine life in the Sea. They reflected on how different the reality of life was for each party, but how, for all people, “it is through struggle and sorrow that [they] are able to participate in one another—the heartlessness of the healthy, well-fed, and unsorrowful person has in it an infinite smugness.”

We have found our interactions to be many things—pleasant, informative, gratifying, confusing, disconcerting, uncomfortable, and curious. Our Spanish improves, poco a poco. In some anchorages, local residents come asking for water, offer to take your garbage for a small fee, or provide fresh fish for “whatever you want to give me.” Everyone is polite, business-like, and straightforward.

Even so, at times, there is an undercurrent of discomfort on both sides…unspoken feelings: "What is a 'fair price'?” “I hate to ask like this...it is beneath me to do it, but you have so much, what can you give me?”

There is much we can give…but the relationship where that which is given and received strengthens all involved is elusive.

We talk with shopkeepers, fishermen, marina staff, and others about their work and lives, listening to their stories, finding out who they are. We answer their questions about what it is like to live at sea, from details of daily life (“Tiene una estufa abordo? Un ventilador? Hace fria afuera?” “Do you have a stove to cook with? A fan? Is it cold?”), to feelings (“No le da miedo estar afuera por la noche?!” “Doesn’t it scare you to be out on the ocean at night?!”).

This sharing of stories of our lives, the very mundane as well as struggles and sorrows, is a first step in participating together.