Point Broken

The sun and heat and peaceful beach life were more enticing than any fear of mugging. We stayed in Mancora for our planned week of chill time. Even though the Panamerican Highway runs right through the few block strip called a city, Mancora had good food and fun to offer. Being there was certainly better than any bus ride out of there.

For a week we awoke early and lounged at the beach for hours enjoying long reads and even longer naps. Surfer watching took up huge chunks of our afternoons. The breaks were full of experienced locals sharing their playground with abled kids and awkward beginners.

Catherine watched diligently determined to sidestep a necessary first lesson (and $15). She took mental notes of the constant visuals provided by instructors to the legion of first time foreigners hoping to catch waves. One morning in bed she startled me as she lept in one quick motion from her belly to her feet.

"That´s how you stand on a board," she claimed.

"So today you´ll finally take a lesson?"

A dismissive grin was her response.

After days of prodding, Catherine finally rented a huge red board and set off with a savings of $10 and sans official lesson. Fear cadenced her slow trot to the water.

Once in the water, her long board overwhelmed her approach to the waves as kids and locals quickly paddled their boards past her. She underestimated the arm strength necessary for the approach and within minutes she was no longer attempting to reach the waves breaking towards the south end but instead she helplessly drifted towards the north end where bathers frolicked in calm waters.

In the distance the only identifier that remained was the huge red board. Close to reaching the shore one final wave bid her farewell. Bikini bottoms flew off and the board jerked her like a big dog walking an old lady. A few gulps of water later she safely emerged with local kids surrounding her asking for a "ride" on her board. Indecent and frustrated she struggled to fend the kids off while pulling up her bottoms.

Twenty minutes after her initial foray into the water my sexy surfer returned without a board or any desire to surf while in Mancora.