"Al mirar ya por la popa ese puñado de amigos de tan querida tierra,
lloro amargamente. Necesitaba ese llanto. Por mucho tiempo lo había contenido
en mi papel de hombre inconmovible. Ahora soy nada más que un niño".
Victor Dumas
Los Cuarentas Bramadores
Estero Hueihue in the morning
0430 I opened my eyes, because I felt a strange noise and movement of the Kawéskar, I said to myself "there is nothing to worry about, get back to sleep", but then I jumped from my sleeping back, thinking that something was wrong with my anchorage, that maybe I was touching the seabed, I took my lantern, then in seconds I was outside checking my position, for one moment I thought that the others sailboat were far away that few hours before, and the shoreline was closer, but of course the current change at that precisely moment, then the Kawéskar moved as it should had moved, I checked everything and when I was convinced that everything was fine, I was able to appreciate the intensity and immensity of the night, the bright yellow of the moon in the West, the stared skies, it was a peaceful moment, a moment to think in the loves ones that are far away.
In the morning I woke up early (for second time), then I got a chat from Rodrigo telling me that he and his family were picking up some oysters and clams in the beach, he invited us to join them, then to have lunch at his house, and in the evening a barbecue at his house with the Valdes´s family, all of them old friends of mine. I know many of them since I was a teenager, it was nice to meet them again so many year after, in these hidden place. I was glad to know that the chose a place like this to built their beautiful refugees. I felt so sad for them, because I accepted all the invitations ruining their day.
Luchito In the morning at Hueihue
We left Kawéskar in the Pehel (our dinghy) (Pehel, means in Kawéskar language aihiól that means son, the son of the Kawéskar. It was my partner idea at the Kawéskar, my good friend Juan Ignacio, better know as Frito) to meet Rodrigo`s family. We met Susan his wife, and Susana his daughter, and a very good friend of Luchito, Alberto. Also was Martin and Juan Diego. They were so kind with us, they made us feel part of their family. It was a wonderful surprise, they have an amazing family, a beautiful and kind family. They taught us how to catch clams, you have to keep focus your eyes in the shore sand and when you see a water jet coming from the sand, you have to dig until you get the clams, We catch-up many oysters, clams and sea snails.
Before continuing my diary, I must come back to the nickname of my partner Juan Ignacio, we called him Frito, because he got mad easily, and now I am remembering that in my last trip in January with him and my son Luchito, Luchito was complaining all the time that Frito was "muy enojón" grumpy. I asked Luchito why he think that Frito was enojón, but now I am realising that he was right, completely right, and I was blind until now.
Well, now I am returning the diary, I decided that Rodrigo and I, we are going to his house in the dinghy, the current was strong then it was not easy to leave Estero Hueihue with the Pehel's 2,5 HP, it was like we were in the same place at full engine. His house was between Punta Conimo and Punta Concura, around 0,8 nm. The sea was with some waves, then we got completely wet, when we started our approach to the beach (it was low tide), it was full of rocks, some of them still cover for the water and the others at sight, when we were in the last approaching, the Pehel was heavy, it was half of its with water, and I felt down to the water when I tried to leave the boat, and my cellular phone was wet. I was completely wet too. However, it survived but not for too long. Also, Rodrigo was very kind to received our garbages that we accumulates during the sailing days. When you are sailing, there are usually two problems the accumulation of garbage and the running out of water. Actually, there are much more problems.
Susan and Rodrigo house, was full of kindness, bright, it was a wonderful stop over. Part of the magic that we lived in Hueihue was to met them, to felt their kind and love. The view of the house to the ocean was overwhelming, the rooms has a small wooden cross in the wall. That said to much for its simplicity and austerity, and I guess it was local wood that they were made it. When I mentioned that I liked very much, I believe that Susan told me that they were made by Rodrigo.
At lunch, we ate this amazing oysters, the best oysters that I had ever tried, before these ones I ate a very good one in Isla Chidguapi, at Juanita's house, it is a local restaurant. But these ones were terrific, and I had to recognised that Chabella, who work in Susan and Rodrigo`s house made an excellent job opened and cleaning, it show us years of expertise, I am still trying to open one with not success. I tried the best potatoes of my life "papas chancheras", from the orchard of the Bulnes and Ibañez's garden. These potatoes people used to feed the pig -chanchos-, they are very small, full of colours and they were simply delicious. Finally, against my will I tried a sea snail, I have to confess that it was nice, taste like "locos", a kind of abalone. I would try again, I think.
It was a wonderful lunch, very interesting talks, excellent food, amazing view, sunny day, that we finished floating at the cold waters of Chiloe in front of the beach of the house.
Then, I decided to come back to the boat in the Pehel with Rodrigo`s son Martin. The voyage was fantastic, the sea was like a glass of milk, very calm, and before getting into the Estero Hueihue, many toninas (dolphins), started to swimming around us, they were so close that you could touch with your hands, Martin was very impressed, well me too.
After that, Rodrigo picked me up, at the Valdes` house and we went to Bahía Linao to buy some king crabs, then back to Susan and Rodrigo's house, to make some hamburgers with other friends in a barbecue, everything was delicious. They were Pini Valdes, la Titi Valdes (an artist), http://guadalupevaldes.com, a sister of Luchito teacher (la miss Feña Valdes), everybody with their families.
Then, it was the moment to say goodbye, after this amazing day, with so many wonderful people, we left Susan and Rodrigo`s house, Pini Valdes a very old friend of mine, took us to her house, where I left the Pehel at the beach, her nephews very kind helped us to put the Pehel back into the water, in order to get into the Kawéskar. The night was amazing, very starred. The moonlight was lighting our way to the Kawéskar, it was a cold breeze. When we reach the Kawéskar an alarm was sounding, I checked and it was the battery alarm, I am not sure what happened, I left only on the anchorage light and the refrigerator. The board was showing 11,7 v and the motor 13 v.
At night I was thinking that sail it is amazing by itself, just to watch the ocean, to listen the waves and the wind, to see the sky, to be embraced by the night, but the is another part of sailing which is so amazing too, which is related to meet people through the voyage, to share stories, and to know more deeply people that you know from the past and meet new people. Then, when the time to say goodbye comes, I usually have this melancholic feeling, a mix of happiness for this amazing moments and a bit of sadness, that something so good is getting over.
Then I realised that the best music to say goodbye to our friends of Estero Hueihue was this one, "leaving Lerwick Harbour" https://youtu.be/RH3ZUd7b0Zg It is a soft music, it is a mix of adventures waiting ahead, with the sadness of what you are leaving behind. Life in so many ways is like this, it is an adventure of the future that we have ahead, but also a feeling of missing people, places, memories, and emotions that we are leaving behind in the past. This apply specially to sailors.
Data:
Board 12,8 v
Motor 12,7 v
Water 1/2
Diesel between ½ and ¾
Forecast: Bad conditions to next Thursday and Friday, winds from the North of 30 knots and 40 knots, therefore, I had decided to come back to the North and not keeping sailing to the South as I was planned on demand of Quemchi.
Forecast for tomorrow: Wind SW between 5,9 and 6,9 knots, Temperature 20º C, waves 0,7 feet a 4,76 seconds.
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