Sort of Like Summer Camp

Evan and Maia on their way home after activities on shore

We rolled out of bed at ten to eight. By eight, I had a steaming cup of coffee in front of me and the VHF was on channel 22. After net control checked for emergency traffic, went over who had arrived in port (and who was leaving), asked who caught fish, and announced who had mail came the part I’m kind of enjoying—a listing of the day’s events.

There is something about La Paz that reminds me of summer camp—it might be the old-timers who are here year, after year and who make sure none of us newbees ever break the rules. Seriously. Want a smack down? Just try tying up your dinghy wrong, or using an incorrect channel on the VHF…But mostly I think it’s all the organized activities.

I’ve never been anywhere with such an organized agenda: today we had a choice of yoga at 8:30, coffee at 9:30, and organic market at 10:30 and a Spanish lecture at 1pm. Tomorrow is the same, with a few variations here and there.

The thing is—I was never that keen on summer camp. I hated rules. And I still like the adventure of finding my own activities. But when someone has gone to the work of planning a posada, organizing a race or running a yoga class—it’s kind of fun to be a joiner. For a while.

But I’m sure it won’t be too long before we tire of summer camp and are ready to jump back into unscripted cruising life. Not yet though…