Mike Humfreville
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Dolphins Dancing
Dolphins Dancing
We arrived at the Pyramid hotel Friday afternoon for a Baja author?s booksigning. A number of others had already arrived or would arrive that
afternoon. We settled into our rooms and then visited, shared the evening meal at a local restaurant, went back to our rooms and visited some more
until way late. It was great seeing old friends we had spent times with in Baja.
The book signing was a swirl of activity, buying new books and visiting with the authors and more friends, some of which we had made previously, and
some new. It?s an interesting thought, to me anyway, why friendships formed around Baja California seem to have a special meaning, deeper somehow
than what we normally think of as ?friendships.? Maybe it?s because Baja folks tend to be outside any ?envelope.? Perhaps we?re ?explorers,? in the
old sense of the word.
During mid afternoon I broke from the activities to watch the ground swells of the great Pacific. The hotel sits high on a bluff overlooking the
water. I?m used to the Sea of Cortez side where we?re both on the same level. It?s always interesting to see things from another angle. Also, the
Pacific side, ignoring its name, is a lot more rambunctious than the gulf side.
As I?m watching the waves working I see many dolphins amidst them. They?ve been there all day, but I?ve been too busy to pay attention. But now, in
the afternoon, the dreary clouds of morning have parted; the sun is shining through in bursts upon the water. The dolphins are surfing the waves.
Miguelito joins me and tells how he was just watching them and, with the sun behind the waves working toward the beach, could see them silhouetted in
the water, golden in the afternoon light of early spring. It was magical.
Soon others spot the dolphins and join us. The dolphins were catching the waves, working toward the beach and then turning back into deeper waters,
breaching the surface in small groups. A few were doing continuing 360-degree flips above the water. We all stood on the bluff above, laughing and
clapping. The beasts below must have heard us because the performance continued for most of the afternoon.
I once read that animals have no sense of humor. I?ve wondered about that for so many years. Could it be true? I don?t think so. While I can joke
about the dolphins purposely entertaining us (while they are completely unaware of our existence, in our current environment), I couldn?t imagine what
they were doing other than having a great time, that small pod, together and working the surf.
There were many activities scheduled for the book signing weekend, but other than the dolphins and the friends and the authors, nothing stood more
seriously out. It was another great event, as always. There are too many to count. I must somehow be undeservingly blessed.
On Sunday, we were headed for the border at Tijuana, but were diverted to Otay Mesa.
It is our habit, when we are crawling forward in the long wait, to find our loose change and put it on the dash and look for an impoverished Indian in
obvious need and drop a few coins in her cup. Without harboring any prejudice or a need to find superiority, I just can't sit and ignore their
suffering without remembering that we all have suffered and empathizing with them. Yesterday's wait in line offered up yet another touching moment.
We dropped coins in the cups of several young and aged mothers with children. I had to keep my sunglasses on because my eyes were wet from trying to
put my head into the heads of the people asking for money and their lifestyle, if I can call it that.
Then we came upon a man and child. They were standing on the highway divider near the border. I was in the left land and saw him playing a violin.
They were a hundred feet in front of my slowly advancing position. When I saw the instrument I turned the radio off and rolled the window down to
hear him playing. As we crawled forward the sweet strains of music drifted into my window and heart and I watched the man and his child and thought
about how they lived and I tried not to cry noticeably. By the time we came upon them the truck was filled with his music, warm music, and I could
see the man was blind.
Sometimes I am consumed with the tragedy of life. A man, blinded, standing along a border crossing, playing a violin, while his child holds a cup for
donations. Not for charity. For donations. Favors for a favor, and that it was. The line was slow and we were pleased to hear his music for a few
minutes before we moved out of range. But my heart has a greater range than my ears and I can keep the man and his child in it forever.
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woody with a view
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Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Favors for a favor, and that it was.
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good on ya, mike!
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DanO
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Location: Not far from the Pacific
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Dolphins
My guess is they're aware of us but they just find us primitive and destructive. I mean, we can't swim fast or even very well, we can't hold our
breath for long, we can't catch a fish in our mouth from behind and at full speed, we can't jump out of the water and do a flip (front or back or
sideways) without a big sail or a kite to help us, we can't communicate underwater and we can't dance on our tails. Hell, we don't even have tails.
We spend hardly any time in the water, we use long nets to scoop up all of the fish we can get and then we throw a bunch of dead animals back into the
water -- along with our plastic trash bags, oil cans and all kinds of other nasty crap -- and our rudimentary means of communicating with each other
above water consists of spastic grunts that may or may not represent rational thought.
Maybe we think they're entertaining us, when in fact we're entertaining them: "Hey, look at the human clapping its flippers like a seal! What'll it
do next, eat a live fish? Yeah, right! BWAHAHAHahahaha!! Wait, let's see if we can make it bark! Everbody do a flip at the same time!"
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Mike Humfreville
Super Nomad
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I'm sure they don't like us putting all our sewage in their swimming pool either!
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David K
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Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Mike, I think I captured you (and Matt & Doug) during the time you write so well about...
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Paulina
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In your new casa Mike, you and M.A. will also be able to tune into what we call the "Dolphin Channel" every morning. Each morning we open our door to
watch the parade go by. It's better than any early morning show that comes on t.v. Cody has been lucky enough to get up and dressed and run down the
beach by the rocks a bit south of our spot to get an upclose visit.
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Gypsy Jan
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Mood: Depends on which way the wind is blowing
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Dolphins Dancing? Damn
...I'm jealous!
I'm a few miles or so from the Pyramid Resort and I look out at the ocean everyday, searching for our fine finned friends.
I can say absolutely that they surf, but don't do 360's when I'm watching, mostly they follow the pelican boils.
What a magical experience, I envy you, Mike.
[Edited on 4-27-2005 by Gypsy Jan]
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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Mike Humfreville
Super Nomad
Posts: 1148
Registered: 8-26-2003
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David: that's what we were doing. What a great time.
Paulina: Cody is getting taller in a hurry. I guess it's been a while since we've seen her.
Gypsy Jan: There were no birds working and the water was rough on Saturday. The dolphins were spotted by many throughout the morning and afternoon,
always in the same area, so there must have been some feeding activity that kept them there. Sorry we didn't see you at the book signing. We had an
opportunity to visit the home of friends in the area just north of the hotel; what a special tiny community, nestled on the bluffs just above the
water. Made us wish we could afford two places, the Bahia de Los Angeles and somewhere around La Fonda. Alas...
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Eli
Super Nomad
Posts: 1471
Registered: 8-26-2003
Location: L.B. Baja Sur
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Mood: Some times Observing, sometimes Oblivious.
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Mike, what a great tread you have started here. So glad that I had the good scence to take the time to read it, thank you, thank you, for the whole
round of thought you sent out from the sea to the boarder, what a full trip of experinces you had, happy trails...........simpre, Sara
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Mike Humfreville
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Thanks Sara
TAG, you're turn!
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