Sarah Anne and I put the mud cookies away and turn the kayaking playlist back on, bracing ourselves for the four mile trek ahead of us.
The whole scene had a very spooky feel to it. Yes, it was breathtakingly beautiful, but it was also very frightening. The neighboring houses had no members sitting on their porches, there were no birds serenading us with their song, the lawns had no lawnmowers erupting over them. The only sound was the occasional mullet that would hurl itself out of the water and flop back into again. The water was the stillest I've ever seen it and the air was crisp with warmth. Just sitting there, I could almost see my previous worries evaporating up into the empty air. I sort of didn't want to move. It felt like time was frozen and I had found myself in an Edward Hopper painting, but if I moved, reality would strike and the waves would assume their place. That's what it felt like anyway.
I took a deep breath and began to gently pull my way forward. Sarah Anne followed as we traveled along the shore, under and around piers that had been destroyed by past hurricanes and abandoned by their previous caretakers. Leaving them alone in the water, each post jaggedly poking out covered in barnacles and slimy moss. We passed an eerie post that hung horizontally, and atop it sat about a dozen pelicans, eyeing us. Some would fly away and head for further ground when we passed by and others would remain, their eyes sitting in their fowl head following our every movement. Sarah Anne and I quietly came to a stop in an attempt to snap some pictures of the flock. The sun was blinding causing my phone's screen to appear black, but I went on capturing the moment anyway.
We drifted on by silently and once we passed the herd of birds, Sarah Anne asked if I would play some of the Pocahontas soundtrack. I don't think there is any music more appropriate for a kayaking excursion.
We make it to the Bay bridge and rest in its shade. I pull out my phone and tell Sae that we should make a fun video. We film each other paddling around, trying to be sneaky, and when we're finished I put the footage to the Pink Panther theme song. Just something fun for the Instagram followers..
Mallini's other opening was right next to the bridge, so we knew we were over half way there. We paddled on, we were both beginning to feel the strain in our shoulders, but as Sarah Anne put it, "The faster we go, the sooner we get home." Wise words.
This side of the loop was far more livelier than the other side had been. Fishermen lined the docks, they tipped their hats when we passed by and we veered to one side or the other to not get caught in their fishing line. One even suggested that we do circles around the fish and herd them towards the men. Sarah Anne and I would just laugh and continue on our way.
We passed the small harbor where Trea and I had seen the boat from New Jersey and then we passed Alligator Alley and I told Sae that we were getting closer. She sighed a sigh of relief as the house got more and more in our reach. To continue with the Pocahontas theme, I said, "The house is just around the river bend."
Arms burning, water bottles empty, collars drenched with sweat, we landed. My foot thudded against the ground and I wobbled when I stood. I checked the RunKeeper app to see how far we had gone.. 4.93 miles.
Sarah Anne hung her head when I told her. "We could just go right back out and do a few spins to put us at 5," I suggested.
She got out of her kayak, "If anyone asks, we did 5."
Distance ≈ 5 miles
Time 2:06:08
Min/Mile 25:38
Calories 485
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