2 AM Playa de Coyote’
Bahai de Concepcion
Mulege, Mexico
Snug in my sleeping bag, I lie here resisting the thought of getting out of the tent and walking to a place to pee. It takes a herculean effort of will to project myself out of this safe little tent though I suppose it is irrational to think of a tent as a safe space. There is that fear of being by myself in the dark, but waking David wouldn’t be fair. Finally I can’t ignore it any longer. I skooch across the airbed and unzip the tent stepping into the night.
We are camping on Bahia Concepcion about an hour south of Mulege, Mexico, and two hours north of Loreto in Baja.
Once I resolve my problem, I grab my sweat shirt and beach chair to savor the moment. A full moon overhead casts a pearl like glow to the beach. The sound of sand on sand is mesmerizing as the water gently laps against the shore. Occasionally some silly fish jumps , and I can see his silhouette. It’s peaceful but definitely not soundless. Huge semis along Baja’s Continental Highway cruise along the side of the mountain, gears grinding as they attempt the next hill. Their headlights send mini searchlights across the bay. Judging by his screech and white underbelly reflected in the moonlight, I think a night heron flew over my head. In my beach chair, toes snuggled into cool sand, I feel like a witness to a great mystery.
Travelling is a little like reading my writing out loud. I can hear the imperfections in the cadences, phrases that work and those that beg to be shortened.
It takes being outside my own culture to get an overview of where I come from. I feel a certain sadness at our utter slavery to consumer driven lifestyles. Why is it that we never sit outside under the stars anymore? Our busy modern lives are crammed with obligations and constant distractions that block us from the time and presence of mind to enjoy the simplicity of nature. So rarely do I (or anyone I know) sit quietly and savor the beauty of the natural world.
Around the world, it is assumed that we in the U.S. are blessed to be so materially well off. In many ways we are lucky, but we don’t see how it strangles our deeper selves.