The Dragon!
I had been in this area just once before but not looking back as I was in that moment. What I saw was a small tide pool with a rock formation hanging over the pool that literally looked like the head of a dragon. He cast his spell over me in that split second. I was so excited about this discovery... believing no one else in this world had ever seen this before and he belonged to me. He became my very own "Puff The Magic Dragon" like the song that became a hit when I was 10 years old.
In the years since I have taken dozens of people to see, explore and sit in "The Dragon Pool". After several of these "tours" someone actually named it "Pat's Punta Mala (the name of the reef which means Bad Point) Magical Mystery Tour". I have been on this reef with many friends, in this pool more times than I can count, each one special and unforgettable.
While the Cassan family was recently here, the Dragon Pool was high on their list of places they wanted to visit. When Paul had been here in early November... he, Dylan and I made the trek to the reef one afternoon - but by the time we got there, the tide was high and coming in fast. In the hopes of just showing the pool to the guys, I waded out to see how deep the water was. I couldn't find the Dragon Pool but at the time believed there was just too much water on the reef. This time, with Paul, Theresa and the kids, we were out their earlier but again a little too late - however - still had enough time to see it. Once again I went ahead of the group, walked far enough that I was sure I had just missed it. As I turned around, standing right in front of the pool I have sat in numerous times - it hit me.....The Dragon was gone!
Punta Mala is a reef that extends a very long ways out into the ocean. When it is high tide - most of this reef is under water. In 2012, several times we had tides so high, water was coming over the beach road, into houses. In June with Summer Solstice, a full moon and a huge swell, the ocean was at its' extreme.
If you check out the photos you can see the head of the dragon was larger than the neck. What I am certain happened is a huge wave took the head off. As I stood there in shock realizing he was gone, I could see it was a clean cut in the rock - there were no barnacles, no sea life attached. It felt like I had been hit in the stomach!!!
In the few weeks and days since this discovery, out of the blue I will think about the dragon.
The pool is still there and I will probably take others to sit and enjoy it, but there is no way it can ever be the same.
My house is currently up for sale. The day will come when I leave Esterillos. I will come back and visit but of course that is different. It is hard to explain the loss of something that was not alive, but it closed a door of sorts on something that was truly special to me, and for that......I am sad.
Pura Vida :(
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