Posts tagged: Playa Papagayo

Monday November 17, 2014

That’s right, we’re back in Playa Papagayo. We just can’t seem to get enough of this place. When the swells at Los Lobos started to become a little too unbearable, coupled with the fact that we knew we’d need to go grocery shopping in the next few days, we couldn’t think of any place we’d rather be. Well, we would like to be on our way to Gran Canaria, but not until the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers departs, because I am not ready to deal with that kind of crazyness right now.

Unfortunately the swells we were trying to escape just five miles away aren’t a whole bunch better in this spot as the winds have been lightly blowing from the south and the west where we’re completely exposed to them. There hasn’t been any seasickness on board though, and I’m taking it as a challenge as to what’s coming in the next few weeks. I know I won’t be lucky enough to experience two completely calm crossings in a row. But if I can just get used to some light rocking back and forth then I might be ok. The funny thing is I seem to be handling them better than Matt half the time. My succubus powers must be increasing.

Most of our afternoons and evenings have been spent in the cockpit just enjoying the fresh air around us. It still doesn’t cease to amaze me how much I can not get enough of this simple act after spending three months in marinas where A.) There was nothing much to view from that spot; B.) It was too cold and/or rainy; and C.) There were so many cruise ship tourist wandering past our boat that I felt like an animal on display at a zoo if I were to venture outside the cabin where they could see me. But this….sigh…this has been heaven. And the views here are unimaginable. Especially the sunsets reflecting on the mountains and rocks.

During our al fresco wine-fest each evening, Matt would partake in his favorite act of taking out the binocs and watching ‘the show’ on shore. The show that we’ve noticed from our first time here happens every single night without fail. Some girl and her boyfriend will come to one of the coves in the mid to late afternoon and do the usual lounging and swimming activities that we did ourselves. But as the crowd begins to thin as others make their way back to their hotels to clean themselves up before going out to dinner, the girl will slowly become more confident and have her boyfriend begin photographing her in this picturesque landscape. It usually starts with her just standing on the beach or maybe wading into the water with the basic hands on the hip pose.

But, as the crowds disperse even further, the girl always gets more brazen. The poses become maybe a little silly. Cartwheels and handstands. Then once they are the only ones left in the cove they become sexy, laying and rolling in the sand as they both assume there is no one left to see them. I swear this goes on every single night and we’ve actually begun taking bets in the late afternoon of which couple will be the one performing the photo shoot in a few hours. Somehow I always seem to loose this bet. I guess Matt has a talent for seeking out hidden brazenness in girls and the boys having fun with apparently the best sex pills as everyone was having a great time afterwards.

We’ve been extremely enjoying our time here and have no reason to leave anytime soon. It is sad that we might have to miss out on a few of the far west Canary Islands since they seem to share landscapes that are closest to the Azores, but we’ve heard anchorages are almost impossible to find over there and we have a good thing going at the moment. Besides, as Matt likes to keep telling me, as soon as the new boat is up and ready to go we’ll be right back to the Azores on our way up to the Baltic Sea. I’ll let him keep dreaming just a little longer.

Tuesday November 4, 2014

As if spending three days fully relaxing at Playa Francecsa after we’d just made our way over from Madeira wasn’t enough, we’ve been doing nothing more but the same ever since we arrived here in Playa Papagayo.  Unless you count forcing yourself off the boat to lounge in sandy coves with sparkling seas in front of you hard work.  Oh, and there was that one trip into Playa Blanca for exploring, a lunch out, and internet.

Our first full day in the Peninsula it was a little overcast, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to get out to do a little exploring.  Not that there seemed to be much more than just sand and a few rocks to the untrained eye, but according to the Canaries guidebook that our dear friends on Skebenga bequeathed us, there was a very popular and eye catching cove at the southern end of the point.  It seemed as if everyone visiting this island had the same guidebook I did since even though it was a bit out of the way, the beach was crowded and the one restaurant overlooking had every table full.

The cove itself was beautiful with emerald green waters dotted with rocks and coral, sporting the random head and bum of someone snorkeling through it.  The somewhat hazy sky did dampen my perfect shots a little though, and after making Matt stand on a rock at the top for 25 minutes waiting for the sun to come back out so I could get that perfect guidebook worth shot of the cove, I relented and we walked back to the dinghy and scouted a place to head back the next day with beach supplies in tow.

Getting fully back into beach mode we spent the next few days tucked into one of three coves along the coast.  Although they seem inacessable, we’d still find small crowds of Brits and Spaniards that would either take the death defying (ok, not really) hike down from the top of the cliffs, or wait for low tide and stroll over the exposed and flattened rocks.  It was still more secluded and much cooler looking than the main beach though, so every day we’d load up the dinghy with our sport-a-seats and a cooler full of beer and snacks, and land ourselves there for a few hours of lounging.

Even though I should be promoting good skin care by Bellamianta and staying out of the sun as much as possible, I completely spent a few days drinking in as much as possible.  There are few things I love more than the feel of a warm sun on bare skin, and seeing as how we hadn’t had a beach in front of us in months and being covered in clouds for the latter part of our time in Portugal, I figured I could sacrifice a few days.  Slathered in SPF 30 from head to toe.

After the third day of doing nothing but soaking up sun and Portuguese beers, we decided to do a little wandering to the main beach to see what we could find.  Turns out, it was all people fully eligible for retirement that could not be coaxed into wearing a stitch of clothing.  Masses of them engulfed the sands as they could not be persuaded to sit still; strolling, swimming, and bending over all over the place.  It was kind of cute, really.  The way they ran into the water with all the enthusiasm of a four year old child who was just told they were allowed to have cupcakes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.   These silverhairs were camped on the beach with cups full of beer, a sun high in the sky, and good friends surrounding.  It was kind of like watching MTV Beach House: The Golden Years.

At the far end of the beach, after we’d passed the gauntlet of saggy skinemax, we were rewarded with a relatively easy climb to the tops of one of the cliffs which afforded rapturous views of the anchorage and beach below.  The wind up there was something else though, and Matt was literally worried that I’d blow away.  Trust me, it’s one place you do not want to take a spill.

I wish I could have included more photos of this area as it was so stunning, but it was also really hard to get any shots without  any T&W (ta-ta’s and wang).  So just take my word when I tell you it’s a place not to miss on your trip through the Canaries.  Unless you can’t handle ta-ta’s and wang.

 When we finally dragged ourselves back to the ‘Dip in the late afternoon we wallowed in lazy time including naps, matinees, and many snacks.  When the sun started to go down we’d take our seats in the cockpit to watch the show, all the while helping to empty the 5L box of white wine we purchased in Portugal.

I know, cry for us all you want, we lead such a ‘tough’ life, but I think our time here is exactly what we needed.  A return to our type of cruising filled with swaying on the hook, days full of sun & sand, and nights full of starry skies.