La chica que me acompañó en enero de este año ( http://kayasper.com/los-ultimos-kilometros-de-la-costa-andaluza-y-llevar-una-novata-enero-de-2019/) cuando completamos el último tramo hasta Portugal, acaba de enviarme su relato. Creo que es interesante cómo vivió ella esos días, sus primeros días en un kayak de mar.
Ten en cuenta que yo ya había planeado ir cuando ella me contactó. No conocíamos. Ensistió acompañarme a pesar de mis avisos que sería una introducción dura al kayak de mar. De todos modos, logramos llegar al destino y pasamos el tiempo muy bien.
Ella es de Austria, no domina el castellano. Pues su estrito está en el Inglés:
“Kayaking with Jasper!
I remember the day when I got all exited about having the chance to do some ocean-kayaking before leaving the nice south. I remembered Elly telling me how Kayaking with Jasper would be supersafe cause he could get you out of any trouble…”really you can trust bis knowledge…”
So when he send me the info about his plans and the statistics about the wind I did not care much. I just thought that if he had the trust of me doing it than it will certainly work! Well well, I had no clue about ocean-kayaking or any of the dangers that could happen!
Already at the beginning when we had to hurry to get through the channel before any big boat would enter or exit the harbour I became conscious about the actual size of the waterworld I got myself into. And on top of that I had to realize how small I was once we passed the lighthouse! But the first day was really a whole lot of fun and I loved getting engaged with this marvelous world of waves, wind, salt and sun!!! Since everything was so new to me I was just to excited to feel into my own limitation… and so suddenly I realised that my wrist started feeling awkward but I did not care much…
Well I guess this first day could of gone on for ever if I wasn’t suddenly upside down! It went so fast… I just remember some weird wave formation and while I wondered what to do….schwuppdiwupp the surrounding air transformed into bubbles and water! It took me a while to accept the fact that I really tipped over and that I had to “zipp” myself out of the boat! After all it worked just like theory had promised and so I got out fine but also wet and so we had to find a campsite soon before getting to cold!
Even though I love sleeping out in nature, my psyche changed completely over night… I slept till late into the day and even though my biggest wish of WARM CAFEE waiting for me got true… I just was not up for the adventure this day… My wrist hurt like hell, so that I could not even pack away the sleeping bag without crying silently… and when I got pushed away from the beach like a princess my only thought was “NO!” This No branded my day and body sensations; as I paddled through the part of the braking waves I felt totally sick, awkward, dizzy… All positive thinking did not help…was it the pain in the wrist? fear of tipping over again? or just the movement of the water? or simply all together? …on top of all I realized a need to pee! Peeing? How the Heck do you pee here!?!
Well, this is exactly where I relied completely on Jaspers qualification to accompany someone beyond the comfort zone right through the edges!
I hoped that a break would help me to get out of the negative mindset… the whole act and challenge to pee on the wavy water definitely brought me out of my anxious thoughts, laughing out loud … but heck, after all I really felt like throwing up… there was nothing I could do anymore, like a paralyzed, num and mute zombie I followed Jaspers instructions, stranded safe…and was gone…. don’t ask where I was, … the last thing I felt was the blood in my hurting wrist moving the same way as the surrounding waves and then I was completely out of it… Gee! I just had no idea about the spheres you can be thrown into…
This was our glorious second day! That definitely screwed Jaspers plans but he always had a plan B and did not seem to be worried in any way.”
What was the Plan B?
Ha ha, good question Jack, thanks for asking! Well, the plan B was actually just what we were doing already: taking a break and later accepting the fact that this “one day trip” would turned out to take at least three days. Happily I had previously packed my kayak with food, drinks, a burner, dry clothes etc. for at least four days. So we slept in the dunes two nights, and another one at a camping.
Of course I also had a plan C in mind. Are you interested?
See you on the water my friend!