On Monday, November 21, the crescent moon was still visible well into the fiery red sunrise.

The kids from Oceananigans came over to play first thing in the morning. They were leaving in the mid-morning, so they maximized their playtime. While the kids played, Eric fixed exhaust leak. This time he used a fiber glass wrap that was soaked in sealant. We’re hoping this fix lasts longer.

Eric took the kids back to Oceananigans when they were ready to depart. On his way back, he stopped and chatted with one of the other neighbors in the anchorage, who invited us to come to his boat for lunch. Then he went over to visit his former colleague, and Eric invited them over to Kosmos in the evening.  

The lunch was fancy. The owner of the boat had three of his siblings aboard, in celebration of an important family event. All four were passionate about cooking. The food was amazing; better than a gourmet restaurant. As an appetizer, he served chocolate clams (called this because the shells are brown), which are a local delicacy. The clams were far and away the best clams we’ve eaten in our lives.

For dessert, Christi tried corn ice cream, which tasted like frozen sweet creamed corn. Being as she was a creamed corn fan, she loved it. Eric had flan for dessert, which was custard topped with a caramel sauce. The texture of flan was usually less firm than a creme brûlée and more firm than a pudding, but this flan was closer in texture to a cheesecake. They were a nice family and we had a lovely visit.

In the evening, we had another lovely visit with Eric’s friends, getting caught up on all that has happened in the years since they’ve seen one another. The sunset was also red, though not nearly as vibrant as the sunrise had been.

The sunrise on Tuesday was much less dramatic than Monday’s. The boat in this photo was a Northern Marine.

We spent the morning getting Kosmos ready for sea. Before we left, our new friends came by for a quick visit. Here is a short video of the water.

We set off at 1000. There was a small swell and small wind chop. Overall, they were good sea conditions, but it wasn’t flat as a pancake like some of the other transits that we’ve done here in the Sea of Cortez. It was a mostly sunny day with a few scattered clouds. 

We arrived at Isla San Francisco to Playa Pichilingue at about 1600 (4:00 pm). Here is a shot of the bay from the distance. The piece of land that was white was actually a separate, but close, island that helps protect the bay from swells from the northwest.

The south side of Playa Pichilingue was also the northern part an industrial port located in the next bay over. We knew the ferry to the mainland was based there.

The middle of the bay had three structures that looked like restaurants. The northeast corner had some campers in recreational vehicles.

We had coordinated to meet Oceananigans there, and they were waiting for us when we arrived. Keith was disappointed to find out that grandma had already picked up the kids and only the adults were onboard. 

We went to shore for dinner. Up close, it looked like there were two restaurants, and we weren’t sure what the third structure was. We ate at the smaller restaurant, called Luna Bruja (pictured below).

Here is another shot looking north. You can see the campers in this one.

Waiting for our food.

We’ve forgotten to write about ceviche, which is another staple Mexican food. Ceviche is raw seafood marinated in lime juice. The lime juice cooks the seafood. There are generally vegetables, such as tomatoes and onions, in the marinade, along with seasonings like cilantro and chili peppers.

Christi ordered a mixed ceviche, which had fish, octopus, and shrimp. This ceviche also had avocado and smoky, hot chipotle chili peppers. The ceviche was almost too spicy for Christi to eat. This was surprising; most of the food that we’ve had in Baja has been bland, though food was usually served with spicy chilis and hot sauces to spice it up to your liking.

Sunset from the restaurant.

A few minutes after the above photo was taken, as we were getting ready to leave the restaurant, Keith noticed that the dinghy was floating away! We couldn’t believe that the tide had risen so much, so fast! Christi was able to wade out and save her without having to go for a full swim.

On the way back to Kosmos, we remembered it was the new moon, which would account for the drastic tide shift.