Friday 30 August 2013

Lotions, potions or just oceans



Our Morar campspot
Next morning when we keeked out of the tent, it was back to the usual greyish morning. We had had enough of dampness so donned our dry trousers, even though it was a nice short trip today. We picked our way back out through the surf and headed south, still in a strong headwind, towards Back of Keppoch, Arisaig.
Bumpy waters
Our plans hadn't exactly gone the way we wanted them to in more ways than one. Our first day paddling long into the evening in tshirt sleeves had me thinking I was going to eventually tone down the silly tan lines - you know the ones, neck up and wrist to knuckles!, but no, I think I just strengthened them. My solution might be to just go sunbathing wearing cycling gloves and a back to front balaclava! I can almost hear the neighbours complaining already, I guess I'll have to open a bottle of fake tan! At least I don't have to open other bottles to get that stunning beach babe look. You can buy bottles of
1; salt spray to "give your hair beachy texture"! my hair now has plenty of that!
2; bedhead spray to "give your hair that tousled straight out of bed look"! After a few nights camping I certainly have that look!!
3; salt exfoliation stuff " to buff your skin to a beautiful finish"! After the wind and spray we had come through I reckon I was buffed to within an inch of my life!!!
We landed at Gorten Sands, dragged ourselves up to the beach and went in search of a camping spot. A quick nip to the loos and a mirror revealed that the beauty treatment certainly hadn't worked, however after a hot shower normality resumed.
We walked into Arisaig to collect the car.
Next morning with the tent tidied away and all the kit in the car, we launched very light boats.
Beautiful clear waters

Typical, this was the day we were heading home and the weather was eventually settling. We were having a short paddle out through the skerries.
Accompanied by the locals

 
 
About time we got some calm waters
 
 It wasn't long before we were being accompanied by the local seals. We had a bit of a breather on one of the lovely little sandy islands where there were masses of baby flounders, this was also where I met a snapping scallop. A bit further round and we saw an otter, then another, then more. We eventually saw 5 that morning - that's a lotter otter!