Moonlight kayak in Santa Cruz

My little skiing accident on Northstar caused much pain during the week. My back muscle was tense the entire week and I was walking around gingerly, trying to avoid further straining that muscle.

It was then I discovered there was going to be a moonlight kayaking at Santa Cruz. Since kayaking is mostly a upper-body sport, I debated a little, but convinced myself in the relative calm evening water, I should be able to get around:)

My friend H and I met at Fry's electronics at about 3:30pm. We carpooled to the dock at Santa Cruz Yatch club. As usual, our guide Dave Johnston, was there to greet us. Readers of this blog may know that I had done several trips with Dave and had always enjoyed paddling with him. As an added bonus, Amy, Dave's assistant on the unsuccessful whale watching trip, was with us as well.

Both my friend and I had kayaked before, so I decided I would paddle in front and be the main drive of the kayak. For most other paddlers on this trip, this is their first kayaking experience. Dave had all of us paddled around a little in the harbor to get comfortable.

At this time of the year, the sun started setting really early. We got into the water at about 4:30pm and by 4:45pm, the sun had began setting below the breakwater. The silhouettes of hikers/walkers on the breakwater slowly came into view and within the relative calm of the habor water, there was a certain sense of peace. This is the part about kayaking I enjoy the most, an almost serene moment on the water...

We decided to head outside the protective breakwater into the open sea. It was a peaceful night and there was no strong current. Dave ordered the group to head north towards the wharf. Along the way, we saw a sea lion sticking its head out of the water, playfully observing us:)

I did not track time, but it must had took us a good hour to paddle from the Yatch club harbor to the wharf. Under the wharf, we could see harbor seals resting on the wharf structure and barking loudly. Dave had us go around the wharf, then paddled under the wharf to get a closer look.

At this time, it was completely dark and the moon was already up in the sky. Unlike my previous moonlight paddling trip, I did not see the moon climb slowly into the sky. My friend explained based on the lunar calendar, my previous trip was on the 16th, which was why I had gotten to see the slow moon rise. Tonight was the 12th.

As we slowly make our way back to the Santa Cruz Yatch Club habor, I observed the reflection of the moon in the sea water, broken by the gentle waves. I was reminded of Xu Zhimuo(徐志摩)'s poem about Farewell to Cambridge(再别康桥). In the poem, he coyed:

那榆荫下的一潭，不是清泉，是天上虹；揉碎在浮藻间，沉淀着彩虹似的梦。

Translation:
That pool under the shade of elm trees
Holds not water but the rainbow from the sky;
Shattered to pieces among the duckweeds
Is the sediment of a rainbow-like dream?

The statement about rainbow from the sky, shattered ito pieces somehow felt appropriate to what I was watching.

H sang Su Dongpuo(苏东坡) poem of the Water Song(水调歌头) on our way back. The wave was pushing us in the right direction and we did not had to paddle too hard.

We were on the water for a total of about 2 and a half hours, but it certainly felt too short. One draw back was the Santa Cruz coastline was not well lit and unlike the Oakland skyline, did not had much to see.

I had still not gotten my transparent dry bag for digital camera. I used my old analog camera instead on this trip. Pictures will be posted once the films are being developed.

A co-worker had recommended Saturn Cafe for dinner. I ordered the Spartacus Salad, and was rewarded with a big plate of organic greens, with bits of feta cheese, diced pita break, crispy faux meat patty, tossed in a creamy, slightly tart, dressing. Quite good!

The restaurant had a 60's Art Deco vibe. While Santa Cruz is located no more than 30mins from west San Jose, it felt like a much different world. The cafe culture seems stronger than San Jose and the neighborhood felt more lifely than San Jose. I come to Santa Cruz mostly for paddling, but felt that I should explore it further.