Adventure #2

Lisa woke just a little too queasy to make the trip to the beach at Huatabampito, so I joined our friends Marins and Francine from Montreal alone. It is an hour and half to the beach from Alamos. Huatabampito is a pretty remote outpost…a few local small sea food restaurants and a long long stretch of beautiful sand on the Sea of Cortez. We found a spot on the sand and sat down. It was clear as a bell and 85 degrees but with a good breeze so it felt fantastic!

I decided to try a short swim. I waded out into the cool aqua water…mild waves lapping at my legs. I could feel the sun cooking me reflecting off the water…I thought briefly of the cold damp melting snow, the freezing rain, drizzle and what you all are calling a warm spell at 42 degrees…smiled to myself, and prepared to dive in the sparkling waters of Mexico.

Suddenly…WAM!! Something quick, hard, and searing ripped at my foot…it felt like a razor ripping open my little toe!! I completely freaked out, with images of piranahs, sharks, or sea creatures chewing on me! I turned and ran and galloped as fast I could the 40 yards back to the beach…the hair on my neck standing up and my heart pounding….what had happened!? I got to the sand and lifted the side of my foot and saw a trickle of blood…oh no…now what? I hopped up the sand to pull out my towel, and said to Marins, “I think something bit me!”…he turned and asked if was sure, just as a deep, throbbing, vise-like pain began to envelop my foot….it was like a combination of a vise crushing my toes while at the same time, my foot and toes began to swell and felt like they were going to burst open.

I dropped on my towel and lifted my foot…it was then I saw the bottom of my foot, crimson and dripping like a stuck pig. Oh crap…I thought…what the hell happened? Marins and Francine were sort of shaken up…as was I…and kept asking if I wanted to go to the hospital. I don’t even know if there is a hospital…we are out on a long stretch of remote Mexican beach, for crying out loud! A couple of kids saw me run from the water, and drop and holding my foot…wincing and moaning now from a crushing, aching pain…they ran over, and said quite a bit that I did not understand, and they ran to the restaurant. I few seconds later the owner came out with a glass of water with some alcohol in it and lifted my foot…watching him wince too…and pour the warer over my foot, made me queasy…damn it hurt like mad!! “Manta Reya….”, he said. I got hit by a manta ray!!

He whistled over the beach patrol…two Policia on motorcycles cruising the beach…they exchanged words quickly and one helped me to my feet, and lifted me onto the back of the motocycle…and we tore off down the beach. There were no foot pedals for my feet, so I had to hold onto his shoulders, and hold my feet out. My own leaking blood down the sand as we raced along. I asked..”Esta cerca de aqui?!” …Is it close by? He said yes, and we raced along about a ¼ mile, and he pulled up off the beach, and there sitting pretty as you please is a paramedic truck, and 4 Paramedics just waiting for something to do! Oh my lucky day…

They pulled me off and I could tell they were all talking about what had happened, they had me sit on the back of the truck in the sun…I was panting from nervousness, pain, and dying of thirst. I asked for water, as a few started grabbing supplies, and bottles of liquid, gauze, and syringes…no, not syringes!!

Well, they got my name and address here in Alamos, asked if I was allergic to anything, diabetic, and all that…and then said yes, you got stung/bit/hit by a Manta Reya….and they had to clean it and give me a shot. The pain was numbing…my foot was visibly swelling, and I just wanted to get on with what ever it takes to end it…they were very good, quick, and professional. He held up a couple of bottles that I thought said Lidocaine…but I was not sure. Once they cleaned it up, he took a long syringe, and asked if I was “ready”?....I held my breath….and I swear to God, he must have stuck me 4 or 5 times with that thing in 4 or 5 places around, in, and under my little toe….I nearly passed out.

They gave me a pill, I assume was for pain, and some more water. They taped and bandaged my toe and edge of my foot, and said everything will be “OK”, and they smiled…..one asked if had been drinking Tequila…I said no, but I am going to now!!!

Just then, Marins drove up after driving around trying to find where they took me…and we thanked them, and I asked what I owe them…nothing Senor…Bienvenidos a Mexico! Welcome to Mexico! We drove back where my stuff was, and hung around a little….they packed stuff up on the beach while I sat in the shade under the restaurant palapa and had a cold Negra Modelo beer. We chatted a while and they asked if I wanted to go back to Alamos…I had no reason to go back, I just could not walk around the sand anymore. So we drove down the beach and had an awesome fresh shrimp dinner…a couple of ice cold Mexican beers…and then drove home. That’s my day on the beach……