| Playing Chicken with Pacific Ocean Waves | | | | high-stepped like a football tight end through a sea of |
| For awhile I watched from the beach as Doris played | | | | opposing team tacklers to get speed through the |
| "chicken" with the waves. When there was a lull in the | | | | waist-deep swell. It was a race to beat the slam of |
| heavy waves, I slipped out of my cap, shoes and | | | | that monstrous wave and its terrible undertow. |
| T-shirt to slip into the water myself. It was surprising | | | | I lost. |
| how warm the water was. I have taken many baths in | | | | A Mack truck slammed into my body from behind to |
| water that was a lot cooler than this and I don't take | | | | send me tumbling helter-skelter in the bubbling brown |
| cold water baths by a long shot. | | | | sea soup. Emerging from the froth to the sounds of |
| "The water is really warm", I said to Doris. | | | | Doris' laughter, I struggled to get upright. But before I |
| "Yeah, isn't it great?" | | | | could regain my feet, the dreaded undertow began |
| I couldn't believe how warm two sunny days had | | | | dragging me seaward like a limp rag doll. Doris |
| made the surf. | | | | splashed over grabbing my arm to try to prevent me |
| Heavier Pacific Ocean Waves Begin Rolling in | | | | being swept out further. The undertow started taking |
| Higher, heavier waves now began to roll in. We played | | | | both of us. Fighting to break free, we pushed against |
| chicken with them, running to the water's edge when | | | | the receding sands finally getting a foot hold. The sea |
| the waves crested more than about six feet in height. | | | | lost this battle. We dried off deciding to take another |
| "Don't go out too far", my wife warned. | | | | dip the next day in calmer waters. Still, it was amazing |
| The undertow from the breaking waves told of an | | | | how warm the Pacific Ocean was with two |
| outgoing tide. With higher waves, it could easily carry a | | | | consecutive sunny days to warm Jurubida's Bay. |
| person out past the breaking point with potentially | | | | This is but one of the many ways to pass vacation |
| disastrous results. | | | | leisure time when teaching English as a foreign |
| A Nearly Fatal Case in Point | | | | language in Colombia. I hope it's still that warm |
| Minutes later, barely 20 feet from the waters edge, | | | | tomorrow. Unfortunately, the unpredictable sea had yet |
| we turned to see a towering wave of turgid water | | | | another surprise waiting for us all the next day. And |
| bearing down on us. In unison, we bolted for the | | | | this time it was much more serious than we could |
| shallows with Doris a couple of steps ahead of me. I | | | | have imagined. But that's another story. |