Puerto Chino

This weekend I got to spend some time away from the town of Puerto Baquerezo and explore more of San Cristobal. Instead of spending Saturday night in town, we headed to Puerto Chino, a beach on the northeastern edge of the island.  After meeting up in the afternoon, we hired a bus to drive us the 30 minutes up the backbone of the island- through the highlands and past several small farms and the three massive wind turbines that generate 50% of the islands electricity.  After the turbines, we started back downhill unit the road literally ended.  It wasn’t a parking lot- just the end of the road, with a trail leading from there and the couple hundred yards down to the beach.  We arrived at high tide, and the beach was almost non-existent, with the waves reaching almost to the narrow strip of grass that ran between the sand and the scrappy trees that cover most of the island.  I’m glad the grass was 6 inches higher than it’s surroundings- at the far end of the beach, between the two sections of grass where we erected tents, was a narrow sand channel which we considered as our first tent spot- before the waves filled it with water and our guide helped us construct a make-shift sand dam to keep the next high tide (which would come while we were sleeping ) from filling the area again.  Because we were in a group of 14 people, we had to have a guide from the park come with us.  Thankfully though, someone’s host-brother was a guide, and he volunteered his services. 

The beach itself was gorgeous- it wasn’t terrible big, but the sand ran from maybe 100 yards between black volcanic rock.  On the left, where we entered, the rocks were a low shoreline, but on the right end, where we set up camp, the sand was bordered by a rock outcropping.  At the end of the outcrop, a couple sea lions were lounging, and a group of 4 blue-footed boobies where positioned on the rocks.  The boobies are a lot bigger than I thought they would be- their goofiness makes them seem smaller, but their bodies are almost as big as a pelican or goose.  Their beady little eyes are blue, so the pupils make the eyes seem way too small for their body.   And of course they have sky blue feet.  So yeah, they’re a little hard to take seriously.  But it’s neat to watch them fish- they fly over shallow water til they see a fish silhouetted against the sand, then fold their wings up and dive into the water.  Bobbing to the surface a few seconds later.

another shot of Leon Dormido

the other group's boat

setting up camp at puerto chino

That night, after finally getting around to erecting the tents, we had a nice bondfire we set up with driftwood, and spent a while around it after cooking on a grill in the woods, the sound of waves in the background and the smoke keeping the mosquitos to a minimum.  Until the moon came out, we had great views of the stars and the Milky Way, and once it did appear, we were treated by the illumination of a full moon.

The next morning was spent on the beach, swimming and surfing…until 2 of the 3 boards brought to Puerto Chino became casualties.  Alas, one was mine.   While breaking the board my host brother was letting me borrow was definitely not a good thing, it was his old board that he doesn’t use anymore, so he wasn’t upset, but that also now leaves me without a board.  It broke when I had just caught a wave (laying on the board of course- standing is still beyond me), and the wave broke and foamed, pushing the back of my board up and driving the nose into the sand.  But at least now Ivan can turn it into cool wall-art for Café del Mar!

the other side of the rocky outcrop

swimmin'