Sunday,Sailing,and,Snorkeling, travel,insurance Sunday Sailing and Snorkeling off the Coco Luna Catamaran
Like any American, traveling occasionally is just what I love doing and I bet you share the same stuff with me. But traveling does not mean that you would be safe. Escaping from our job and other stressful activities is just something that w Torres del Paine is among the biggest of Chiles national parks, occupying almost 600,000 acres (242,000 ha) of land in the south on the border with Argentina. It is also among the most important, receiving a significant proportion of domes
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin:0in;mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-ansi-language:#0400;mso-fareast-language:#0400;mso-bidi-language:#0400;}Sunday we spent an exquisite day sailing andsnorkeling off the Coco Luna Catamaran. Owned by our great friend,Scottie, and named after her condo at The Elements, it was one of the most fundays we have spent in Playa del Carmen. I think you'll see us doing a lot more ocean activities over the next fewmonths.A few months ago when Scottie started mentioned to me about possibly purchasinga used boat, I skeptically went along with the idea. How often would sheuse it? Was it a good use of money? Perhaps she was better offrenting one. However, since hearing the stories of how much fun she ishaving on the boat, I have completely changed my mind. Scottie's purchaseof the catamaran is quite possibly the best thing that has happened to humanssince the advent of chocolate mousse. When Scottie asked us to join her for asail on Friday, Allan and I made sure to first say "yes", then tokeep our schedules clear and lastly to show up on time (a chronic problem for us)so we would not miss a single second.We arrived at The Elements Beach Club on Sunday at 1pm (on time) to meetScottie and her squeeze Jim. For me it was just one of those perfect dayswith clear blue skies, shimmering turquoise seas and calm waters. Sailorswould wish for more waves and wind, but not me. I get sea sick quiteeasily. Regardless I was not going to let that stop me or anyone elsefrom having a ball.Scottie and Jim were already sailing when we arrived, taking a lesson from alocal named Emilio whom everyone says is a complete hunk. I will leavethat judgment up to you. (Photo is below.) The free moment gaveAllan and me time to relax a while - Allan chatted with our client, Carla, acondo owner who is down for the month, while I took a dip in the water to cooloff. In no time the Coco Luna pulled up to shore, and it was time forAllan and me to board.The sail was an absolute joy - very relaxing. We lazily chatted andsoaked up the sun's warm rays as Emilio expertly guided us to the reef just offCoco Beach. I marveled at the water'svarying shades of blue - from the traditional turquoise color near shore to analmost glacial blue color in deeper waters.The reef rests just below the water's surface in about 12 feet of water, 1000feet out from shore. It starts out where we were and then parallels thebeach, stretching about 1/2 mile, reaching closer to the coast at its farpoint. Donning our snorkeling gear, we splashed in for our underwateradventure and were amazed at how warm the water was. We could have stayedin all day.We gracefully glided through the water, past large brain coral, colorful fishand creative coral formations, trying not to trample on and damage thereef. Fish darted in and out of view, acting as if we were predatorssearching for a meal. Admittedly I did want to consume their aura inphotos and videos, but I'll leave eating raw fish to sushi bars.We stayed in the water for about an hour, then boarded the boat (somegracefully, others less so) and began our zip-zag sailing pattern back to TheElements, completely dependent on the wind. On the way as we reachedreally deep water, the ocean turned a marine navy color. Emilio pointedout this is where the ocean drops to past 300 feet. It's a scary feelingto think about just how profound deep water really is. Anchored close bya 83 yacht emitted cool electronic music as on board passengers waived to us asthey jumped up and down to the beat. Allan and I immediately fell in lovewith the streamlined structure, wishing we too could voyage on the open seas insuch a posh vessel, even if I do get sea sick. It would be worth it.Our sailing adventure ended after roughly 2 hours of sheer joy. We helpedto pull the ship on shore, and then headed back to the Elements Beach Clubwhere our friend Marilou met us. Lounging around on the beach for anotherhour or so we read, enjoyed Scottie's salsa and chips and made plans withMarilou later that evening for dinner.We've found the longer we stay in Playa, the more friends we make and thedeeper our existing friendships have become. Each week offers a newadventure whether it be sailing, snorkeling, a cenote or a surprise. Contently we approach each day, happy with our lives and excited for what newencounters we'll experience in this sunny enclave called Playa del Carmen
Sunday,Sailing,and,Snorkeling,