Misplaced Adventure?

I took a surprising amount of joy in filming the Atargatis as we waited our turn to board; she was such an incredible piece of nautical art.

Look at me, already thinking like a sailor and calling the boat a “she”… I really have watched too many movies.

Still, it was amazing how the dread I’d been feeling earlier seemed to melt away as I captured every detail I could on camera, replaced with an eagerness that would befit a child let loose in an amusement park.

Perhaps it was the rising adrenaline of adventure now that we were here in this momentous occasion, I didn’t really care. All I knew was I didn’t feel sick anymore and I was going to make the most of it.

Aaron just stood in line guarding our suitcases, watching me go back and forth along the dock angling my camera up and down. I could tell from the humored expression on his face that he found my enthusiasm amusing but he didn’t say anything, just let the natural ambiance of the people and the waves around us speak for themselves.

It’s great that he really let me fully indulge in my art, in ways the teachers we had back in college never did. I really appreciated him letting me have free creative control over the filming aspect of this trip rather than try to take a directive approach. He trusted me to know what I was doing since I had more than proven myself up to now in our short history online.

I got my fill of footage and went back to stand with Aaron, having just enough time to safely tuck away my camera before it was our turn to board. I was really excited to see what the rest of the boat looked like since it looked incredible from the exterior.

We walked up the slip-resistant ramp, struggling to avoid bumping each other with our stuff because of how narrow it was. We could hear classic rock music playing at a low volume over the speakers, which suited me just fine even though I’m typically more of a metal guy.

We were guided by crew to a set of stairs that went down to the lower deck where the cabins resided, and I was surprised that it felt bigger on the inside than it appeared from the outside.

In total there were twelve guest cabins that could house people overnight, and when we opened the door to ours… Well it was pretty lackluster in comparison to the rest I’d seen, since it was very cramped and bleak.

Thank goodness we were only going to be on here for a couple hours, even with a TV the idea of sleeping in here had me feeling like I was at a nautical summer camp.

The two of us just left our luggage on the raised beds and made sure the cabin was locked up before we made our way topside, armed with nothing but my camera at my side.

“Dude, this is so bitchin’.” Aaron commented with a grin as we explored around aimlessly, casually avoiding the other people doing the same.

It was quite impressive how spacious the indoor lounge was with more than enough seating for everyone aboard, consisting of several bolted-down couches and loveseats with aqua blue cushions that stood out beautifully against the stained wood furniture. We passed a snazzy dining area and even a 50” screen TV that was currently broadcasting an international soccer game.

Through the wide windows we saw there was also a polished outdoor bar, which several people were already partaking in. This one pair of guys at the end was knocking back amber shots like they were glasses of water, making me cringe at the sight. I’m not much of a drinker, but even I know they’re gonna be trashed by the time we get to the island.

And it was only a little past 2PM.

When we stepped outside my eyes immediately drifted upwards and my mouth dropped open slightly at the stunning sight of the deep blue sails fully unfurled and billowing in the natural sea winds. They would make for a perfect starting position before revealing the island to the audience…

“I gotta hand it to you, Aaron; you did a real good job with booking this one.” I complimented with a small clap of my hands.

“Damn right. I made sure it was both comfortable and affordable.” He boasted proudly, puffing out his chest. I made an exaggerated show of bowing down to him at the waist.

“All hail Lord Aaron: Shining hero to frugal men everywhere!”

Aaron playfully shoved at me to get me to stop. “Shut up!”

We moseyed ourselves over to the outdoor patio situated at the stern next to another set of stairs that leads to the sun deck above. There was a nice awning above to protect us from the afternoon sun while we rest on a sofa and watched the open view of the ocean for a while.

“You’re still feeling okay?” Aaron asked me while glancing my way.

I nodded. “Yeah, still good.”

The refreshing breeze was definitely helping to keep me calm even as the boat started to pick up speed, increasing the momentum of the rocking under our feet. It took a while to really get used to the sensations, but it seemed like my taking some motion sickness meds ahead of time was a brilliant idea.

That or I had nothing to worry about to begin with. Who knows at this point? I’m just grateful I’m not subjected to being miserable while curled up in the bed of that tiny cabin.

“You know,” Aaron started, breaking the comfortable silence we’d been sitting in. “It sucks that there doesn’t seem to be any single ladies on board. Just a bunch of dudes and couples here.”

“Maybe that’s for the best.” I said. “Less distractions, you know.”

“Fair point, but we are going to a place that is supposed to be sickeningly romantic, so… How about we make a deal on this right now before we get there: No matter what happens, we put this film before anything and anyone else.” Aaron said with seriousness, holding out his hand.

I raised a blatant eyebrow to him.

“I think you and I both know that pertains more to you than it does to me. But sure - you have my word.” I shrugged before grabbing his hand in both of mine and shaking in an excessive fashion.

Aaron made a face as he yanked his hand from my grip.

“Come on, Ryan… You know you have just as much of a chance to meet someone there as any other person does. You’ve had it everywhere we go.”

I let out a sigh. This topic has always been a point of contention between us; dating.

While I appreciate his efforts to try and be a wingman and help me find someone I knew deep down this was a struggle I was going to have to deal with on my own. He may be okay with casual dating here and there but it just wasn’t for me, and I learned that from experience.

There was the time when we were filming in Miami and we interviewed a girl who was admittedly pretty darn cute. Aaron was asking her multiple questions but she hardly seemed to be focusing on him when she was answering them.

Instead, she kept sending flirtatious glances at me. I’ll admit that I got flustered by it, since I wasn’t used to that kind of attention.

She asked to meet up a couple times, and yeah I allowed myself to be lured in by her dimpled smile… and the fact that she wore a lot of midriff shirts…

But it quickly turned out that she was an “up and coming freelance model” that was much more attracted to my camera than she was to me.

I learned quickly that I have absolutely no idea what a woman’s true intentions are when we first meet, so I’d simply rather take the time to get to know them. Even if it means facing months to years of mixed signals and awkward moments, I’d rather wait until I know for sure that the girl herself is serious.

Of course this whole traveling gig makes that somewhat harder, I’ll concede.

"But say a girl does approach you while we’re there..."

"Cower out." I responded instantly, not even letting Aaron finish the would-be scenario.

"Seriously, dude?" He groaned.

"Yup." I said, purposely popping the ‘p’ with my lips just to further annoy him.

"You're hopeless..."

“I wouldn’t say that so much as I’m just practical.”

My eyes wandered to an almost invisible couple that were standing at the very back of the boat, overlooking the view together with their heads pressed close to one another.

“I’d rather look for something lasting. That’s all.”

“Whatever you say, Ry… Anyway, let’s go see if we can interview the Captain. We’ll be there before we know it.”

“You got it, Partner.” I said in a cowboy accent that would make my Texan heritage proud. Aaron just rolled his eyes.

“Smartass…”

The Captain turned out to be a very kind elderly man decked out in full Navy apparel with several decorated pins on his chest. He was very forthcoming about telling us the history of the Atargatis and how she had been built from the very resources found on Cyrenádos.

Honestly, I had way more fun just filming an idle boat than I did listening to the man with a heavy Greek accent that steered it. As interesting as some of the details were I felt like I was sitting in at another lecture from college.

That is… until he said something that caught me off guard.

“I’ve seen plenty of evidence in my many trips to believe that there is something about the island that brings people together – a certain mystical charm, you’d say. However, I must confess that I have held certain reservations about lingering there for long periods whenever I visit.”

“Why is that?” Aaron asked, genuinely intrigued.

The grey bearded man glanced down at his wrinkled hands at the helm, as if considering his next words carefully.

“It’s just that I sense something… off about it. Something unnatural that I simply can never quite put my finger on, but I feel it.”

There was a tense pause among us as his words settled over, before he seemed to quickly shake himself out of his sudden melancholic stupor.

“But I think it’s just the cautious old codger in me from serving.” He said, giving us a gentle smile to try and ease the atmosphere once more. “In any case, no matter what you’re looking for during your time there; don’t forget to watch each other’s backs.”

“Oh no worries there, sir. Right, Ryan?”

I really wanted to say something extra cheesy right here but I resisted the urge to preserve some decorum. This was supposed to be a professional documentary after all.

“Oh and look there…” The Captain said as he peered into the horizon before turning to us with a grin.

“If you boys wanted to capture Cyrenádos on the way in, you better get out there right now. We’re here.”