I was supposed to be at Nobuko's place at 9:00 this morning. MLK day. It was really hard to get out of bed, probably because of football. I got there late. I figured we wouldn't be ready to go at 9:00 sharp. We weren't.
Shortly after I got to Nobuko's, Ansje called to say she was on her way to pick us up. Then we were on our way to Monterey Bay for whale-watching. Another bright, sunny, warm day. It couldn't have been more perfect to go out into the ocean on a boat.
It was several hours away by car. We made one stop after I made a comment that my brain wasn't functioning because I hadn't had coffee. The roads weren't particularly scenic; Rte 101 most of the way. Rte 1 is the supposedly the scenic one. Someday.
A strip of shops and restaurants crowded with tourists and visitors led to the dock where the boats left. Nobuko had the foresight to reserve tickets before we left. We picked them up at a place called "Sam's" and bummed around until our boat came in.
From the boat, we could see starfish because the water was so clear. Sea-lions swam and floated about, co- habitation with humans being a natural order for their lives. I let myself get mesmerized by the water and just stared at it. I continued to stare at the water when the boat headed out. I get these meditative fixations when confronted by things that overwhelm me beyond comprehension.
Endless sea, endless sky, clear horizons, moving fast and not seeming to get anywhere. I don't think I would like being on the sea, the distances would baffle me so. I couldn't adjust quickly enough, to maintain my sanity, between dealing with the far away things, like land in the distance, the horizon and the water stretching out, and simultaneously dealing with being on a boat with people right there.
We did see whales. During the drive home I kept wondering where the whales were and where they went after our encounter with them.
