The Sea

I like the term the "Sea." It has a more romantic, Hemingway-esque quality to it. It's more mysterious than the ocean. The ocean is National Geographic and scientific seeming to me. The Sea makes me think of tall sailing ships and bucaneers.

At the Terrenea resort there is a cliff overlooking the sea. It's a 70 foot drop to the rocky surf below. In the dark, before and after work the other day, I stood in the bracing wind looking out over the flat, endless dark water. And I had to wonder what it would have been like to cross the Atlantic 200 - 300 years ago in small (by todays standards) wind powered ships. The conditions would have been rudimentary; small cramped cabins, bad food, and miles and miles of vast water. No one showering. Navigation by the sun and stars? At the mercy of the weather and whatever Mother Nature throws at you. That's fucking nuts in my book.

Looking out over the Sea, not being able to discern anything, brought a fear of the unknown to me. It's a different kind of exploration. I don't fear things normal people do; heights, dying, etc. But getting into a wooden ship and circumnavigating the world? No thanks. I'm not necessarily a stay at home kind of guy, but I'd rather explore land. Less chance of drowning.

But with the Sea comes swashbuckling heroes. Errol Flynn characters. And inversely, Captains Bly and Ahab. Hmmm... It's hard to buckle a swash on land, though.

Pacific Islanders crossed, um, the Pacific in large canoes carved from big ass trees, powered by themselves. From Tonga to New Zealand or Hawaii. That strikes me as really crazy. How did they know which way to go? How did they know any land was out there at all? That is a huge risk to go look for an island which may or may not be out there. New Zealand was found because of clouds. If I recall correctly the Maori called New Zealand "Land of Clouds" in their native tongue. Being the natives that they are.

I've been on ferries. From Oslo to Copenhagen and Italy to Greece, but never a cruise ship. Ships now have GPS, computer navigation, things that make getting lost virtually impossible. Weather is not a mystery anymore. Hurricanes can be forecast a week in advance. So misadventure is very rare. Pirates do exist; stay away from the Somali coast and you'll probably be ok.

Normally I try to craft a good tag line at the end of these entries, but I never came up with one for this bit of blog. Sorry.