el pajaro - the bird

EL PAJARO
La mañana estaba siendo una autentica delicia, la mar me estaba regalando su transpariencia mas clara, las algas , las rocas y los pececillos jugetones se vislumbraban a mi alrededor como en un documenta enriquecido, es decir, con olores al vientol; las suaves ondulaciones producidas por los lejanos vientos del este mecian mi tabla conforme avanzaba por la costa, a mi derecha iba dejando atras la antigua torre del patio romano, en otros tiempos utilizada para el avistamiento de barcos piratas, ahora convertiva en punto turistico...donde antiguamente se fraguaron batallas a vida a muerte, ahora se servian helados y granizados bajo los rapidos pasos de los camareros.
Poco a poco la tabla avanzaba impulsada por el remo de carbono, entrando suavemente en el agua sin ningun ruido de resistencia, sin salpicar a penas el remo ejercia a modo de palanca, una vez dentro del agua mi cuerpo y la tabla se deslizaban hacia delante, como flotando, andando sobre las aguas con una posicion erguida que me permitia disfrutrar de todo el paisaje desde la azotea de mis ojos, unas vistas perfectas y sin parangon, sin interferencias, la linea sin fin del mar parecia invitar a un viaje hacia lo desconocido, hacia otro mundo, a una nueva aventura...
Lo vi entrar en el agua un par de veces...y desaparecer, caia como una pequeña piedra arrojada con fuerza sobre la superficie del mar, entraba a modo de flecha, sin hacer ruido y plegada en su propio cuerpo, como un cohete espacial que recorta la capa de la atmosfera adentrandose en el oscuro espacio; de repente, y despues de verlo desaparecer en la superficie con el rabillo de mi ojo izquierdo, gire mi tabla en esa direccion con un energico golpe de remo para comprobar por donde volvia a salir de nuevo, expectante mis ojos escudriñaron la lisa superficie del agua en busca de una señal que me diera una pista sobre su paradero....y nada, a pesar de la transparencia del agua, aquel pajaro se habia zambullido a unos 30 metros de donde yo estaba y no era capaz de verlo, espere unos segundos que se me hicieron eternos y , al no verlo salir conclui que aquel pequeño animal tenia una adaptacion al medio marino de lo mas sorprendente...su aguante bajo el agua era realmente considerable; de repente lo vi salir, a la misma distancia pero mas a la derecha..emergio como si de un rebote se tratara y se quedo flotanto tranquilamente en el agua, parecia engullir algun pequeño pescado ya que hacia ostensibles movimientos con el cuello, era pequeño, unos 15 o 20 cms de largo, moteado negro y blanco en las partes inferiores del cuello y pecho, fino como una grulla, cuello alargado y fibroso, tenia un pico largo y afilado, sin duda una gran herramienta de caza era aquel pequeño animal, todo su cuerpo parecia encajar perfectamente en la ejecucion de una meta, era perfectamente imperfecto, bajo aquel aspecto ligeramete fragil se escondia una criatura que, ya desde hacia mucho tiempo habia alcanzado un zenit de adaptacion insuperable a aquel momento y circunstancia.
El pajaro se giraba y me miraba, moviendo sus patas bajo el agua se colocaba de tal manera que aquellos ojos saltones median la distancia y el nivel de peligro de aquel visitante insospechado, parecia mirarme como aquella cabra que, apostada el lo alto de la montaña observa como un esforzado alpinista, botella de oxigeno incluida, intenta accder a lo alto de un gran pico, su mirada albergaba indiferencia pero tambien curiosidad.
Tan pronto como empece a moverme en la direccion que se encontraba, levantaba el vuelo, se desplazaba unos metros y volvia a posarse en el agua para, girandose de nuevo, comprobar si le seguia o proseguia mi camino...yo sentia curiosidad por observar algo mas de cerca a aquel pequeño habitante del aire y el mar, aquel pequeño pajaro semi-prehistorico que cazaba con la seguridad y la experiencia que solo aportan miles y miles de generaciones de ancestros ejercitandose en la misma practica..de la experiencia individual y genetica que movian sus pequeñas alas y su cuerpo entero en aquella actividad...naturalmente yo seguia hacercandome suavemente a si que, el, con parsimonia volvia a levantar el vuelo y se alejaba unos metros mas para volver a posarse y repetir el mismo gesto...me sigue?
Aquello ocurrio 3 o 4 veces hasta que me di cuenta de que no me permitiria hacercarme mas de lo que le creyera oportuno, de tal manera que desisti y segui mi camino, paralelo a la costa, pasando siempre pegado a las grandes boyas amarillas que flotan a unos cien metros de distancia de la arena y que marcan la distancia de seguridad de las embarcaciones.
Continue con mi pequeño viaje manital inmerso en los pensamientos sobre aquel esforzado huesped natural, alabando sus virtudes en mi pensamiento, reconociendo que el, pequeño y fragil, estaba en aquel medio por si mismo, gracias a sus plumas, su pico, su esmerado diseño de adaptabilidad y pequliar especializacion...reconociendo que yo, alli plantado con mi tabla y mi remo era un participe y un agraciado espectador de aquella espectacular vida misma, que aquel pequeño pajaro, con su habilidad me hacia sentir mucho mas pequeño y humilde de lo que normalmente solemos ser, dilapidando asi todo asomo de orgullo existencial de superioridad humana sobre cualquier otra especie.......y en esas estaba yo cuando de repente.........zas!, senti que mi amigo entraba de nuevo en el agua, pero esta vez justo a mi lado, a la izquierda, a 3 escasos metros, gracias a la transparencia del agua pude apreciar como, al pasar justo por debajo de mis pies, sus alas se movian con una rapidez increible, curiosamiente me hizo recordad la velocidad y el movimiento de un pequeño pinguino, pude verle bucear y salir por el lado derecho de mi tabla, le vi girar sobre si mismo 360 grados en una espectacular actuacion en directo y , justo despues de clavar sus ojos en los mios...ñam! trincar un pequeño y medio transparente pececillo y sacarlo a la superficie, justo a mi lado engulliendolo con rapidez! ; mi boca entreabierta denotaba mi estado, atonito, aquel pequeño cazador me hizo una demostracion in situ de su arte de caza, me regalo aquella vision que yo habia estado buscando, quiza fue que reconocio mi respeto hacia el, reconocio que no habia querido incordiarle, solamente mirarle y disfrutar del espectaculo de su presencia...se quedo alli flotando mirandome, se hermano comigo en aquel acto de confianza y despues de observarme unos instantes mas me se dirigio a mi diciendo:
Como estas hermano?, has visto eso?, me encanta entrar en el agua a toda velocidad, hacer un par de tirabuzones y trincar la comida, eso pececillos son de lo mas sabroso? te apetece uno?


THE BIRD
The morning was still a real delight, the sea was giving me his transpariency clearer, algae, rocks, and the fry friskys loomed around me like a rich documents,wind scents, the soft ripples produced by the distant easterly winds rocked my table as he advanced along the coast , to my right was leaving behind the old Roman tower courtyard, at one time used for watching pirate ships, now a tourist spot where formerly ... battles forged life to death, now served ice cream and slush under the quick steps of the waiters.
Gradually moving board driven by carbon paddle, going gently into the water without any noise of resistance, without splashing the paddle barely exercised as a lever, once in the water my body and the board slid forward , floating, walking on the water with an upright position to allow me enjoy across the landscape from the roof of my eyes, a perfect and unparalleled views, without interference, the line seemed endless sea invite a journey into the unknown, into another world, a new adventure ...
I saw him enter the water a couple of times ... and go, fell like a pebble thrown hard on the surface of the sea, went like an arrow, and folded quietly in her own body, like a rocket that cuts the layer of the atmosphere and into the dark room, suddenly, and after seeing it disappear into the surface with the corner of my left eye, turn my board in that direction with an energetic rowed to check on where he again out again, waiting my eyes searched the flat surface of the water in search of a signal to give me a clue to his whereabouts .... and nothing, despite the transparency of water bird that had plunged about 30 meters where I was and was not able to see it, wait a few seconds it took me forever and, unable to see him go I concluded that the little animal had an adaptation to the marine environment of the most amazing ... his endurance under water was really considerable, and suddenly I saw him leave at the same distance but more to the right .. emerged as if it were a rebound and calmly floats in the water, seemed to gobble up some small fish as overt movement to the neck, was small, about 15 or 20 cm long, mottled black and white in the lower parts of the neck and chest, slim as a crane, and fibrous long neck, had a long sharp beak, probably a great tool that hunting was small animal, whole body seemed to fit perfectly in the execution of a goal, it was quite flawed, in this respect Gently lay a fragile creature, and had long since reached a zenith of adaptation insurmountable time and circumstance.
The bird turned and looked at me, his legs are placed under water so that those bulging eyes measured the distance and level of risk that unexpected visitor, seemed to look at me like that goat, bet on the top of the mountain seen as a brave mountaineer, including oxygen bottle, try accder to the top of a large beak, his eyes harbored indifference but also curiosity.
As soon as I started to move in the direction he was, took flight, moved a few feet and returned to settle in the water, turning again, see if followed him or went my way ... I felt curious to see something more about that little inhabitant of the air and sea, the small semi-prehistoric bird that hunted with security and experience that only provide thousands of generations of ancestors exercising at the same practice .. of individual experience and genetics that moved their little wings and his whole body in that activity ... of course I was still gently JOINING if that on, he raised sparingly flight and walked a few meters more to return to rest and repeat the same gesture. .. still following me?
That occurred three or four times until I realized that I would allow JOINING more than he thought appropriate, so I gave up and went my way, parallel to the coast, passing always stuck to the big yellow buoys floating a few hundred meters away from the sand and mark the distance of vessel safety.
Continue with my little trip manital immersed in the thoughts that strived natural host, praising its virtues in my mind, acknowledging that the small and fragile, was in that environment by itself, with its feathers, its beak, its careful design pequliar adaptability and specialization ... recognizing that I planted there with my board and my paddle was an involved and a spectator of that spectacular graceful life itself, that this little bird, with its ability made me feel much smaller and humble which usually we tend to be squandered so all trace of pride existential human superiority over all other species in these ....... and suddenly I was when ......... flush!, I felt that my friend came back into the water, but this time right next to me on the left, a 3 few meters, due to water clarity as I could see, passing just below my feet, its wings were moving with a incredible speed, curiosamiente made me remember the speed and movement of a small penguin, I could see him dive in and out through the right side of my table, I saw him turn in place 360 degrees in a spectacular live performance and, just after nailing his eyes on mine ... yum! lashing a small fry and remove transparent medium to the surface, engulfing right next to me quickly! And my mouth open, my state denoted, astonished, that made me a little hunter in situ demonstration of their art of hunting, I just got this vision that I had been looking for, maybe it was acknowledged that my respect for him, acknowledged that he had not wanted to pester , just look and enjoy the spectacle of her presence ... was left floating there looking at me, the brother with me in that act of trust and then to observe a moment more I turned to my saying:
How are you brother?, You see that?, I love entering the water at full speed, make a couple of twists and lashings of food, that minnows are the most tasty? you like one?