Dinnertime in the desert never comes soon enough, until you’re the one cooking. Especially when your group is inexperienced and making it up as you go. There seemed to be too many onions, not enough spices (but an accidental waterfall of salt mind you), and even less sausage. By dinnertime though, the proportions somehow evened out, and the limes saved the flavoring.
Nobody ran for seconds, but at the same time, there were no cases of diarrhea.
The day after that roller coaster of a team building experience, we had a little more excitement here in Bahía Kino. Xavier took us to meet a fisher he knows named Dani so that we could learn more about the co-op he’s a part of. A unique twist in Dani’s co-op (jóvenes ecopescadores) was that they are experimenting with pen shell aquaculture. One of the reasons that they began this project – while continuing to commercially fish for a living – was to give back to the ocean in a way.
I noticed this consciousness of the impact his actions have as a characteristic of Dani’s explanations. Another example of this, was when he was asked why the co-op wades through the difficult process of obtaining permits, he responded that it was in part because he wants his co-op to be an example of how other co-ops should be.
After talking with Dani, I was looking forward to dinner later that night because it was another team’s rodeo. The conversation that bubbled up during that dinner though was what made it so memorable. I was absentmindedly sassy at the dinner table, which began a series of energetic conversations that reverberated across the quiet desert. We deliberated over death and divulged new details of our lives. Each had their time in the telling, and it was a simple moment that strengthened the soul.
In between moments in the past few days, I was able to catch some beautifully simple memories:
Maryrose saved a washed up seahare.
I practiced my Spanish by reading El Libro de Mormon in the desert.
We discovered the unique Boojum trees at the top of our climb over Puerto Libertad.