Around The World In 80 Waves

I have a simply appalling night’s sleep waking every couple of hours in pain, cold or both at once, so it is no surprise that I am awake before dawn. It is too early to bother anybody else with my troubles so I spend an hour using a plastic plate to at least dig my car out of most of the sand it is bogged down in and lay a path of stones towards the harder sand. By 7am the sun has come up and I think I will have done enough that a tow out should be easy enough, (of course assuming I can find one) so decide to put the kettle on and have some breakfast.

I bought some camping gear in the US and it is the first time I have utilised it, but it works well and I have a great cup of tea with a couple of hob-nobs. Whilst noticing the fishing boats are heading out to sea from Santa Rosalito I spot dolphins fishing in the waist deep water of the shoreline, which is just about the most unique breakfast experience of my life.

After the brew I wander the 2km around the headland looking for help. It is still only 8am so the first people I meet are two yummy mummies called Margaritta and Berneditto, who are still in the pyjamas talking over the garden fence. I can’t say what they made of Stig of the Dump who has appeared from around the corner, armed only with the Spanish words for car, sand and beach which he has read in his phrasebook. With mime, some guess work and lots of furrowed brows all round we establish that all the men of the town have gone out fishing, however these two game birds decide they can help me themselves because my car is only a little ‘Vocho’.

Still in her PJs Margaritta goes and gets their pick-up truck, they both grab their kids and I am told to climb in the back. We drive back around the headland where my prep work pays off and we have the car out and off the beach in under 5 minutes. They don’t want anything for their help which is so kind, but I insist that they take some of the fruit pastilles from my stash for their kids. No pictures I’m afraid because I didn’t want to weird them out at any point by asking for a photo of them in their pyjamas, when they were only interested in helping me.

Note to Self – your car is a road car, not a Baja Buggy and should not be attempting beach crossings.