Sharing our experience with others increases our enjoyment and deep sense of gratitude. Jefferson visited for a few days and got to spend time with his dad Scott, plus Herman and me. The boat was still “on the hard” at the marina without power or water, so Herman and I rented a room with Scott’s friends Pancho and Laura Muro.

Scott, Jefferson and I hired a boat and two guides to take us ocean fishing for the day while Herman worked on the boat. I’ve wanted to learn more about ocean fishing techniques from a professional so that I can provide more food for us. We had a delightful day at sea and caught (and released) several Crevalle Jack, which are not great table fare. We saw many turtles, some of whom had birds riding on their backs! Who knew?

We spent several hours moving from one group of fishing birds to another. Finally, on our return, Captain Ricardo spotted a Dorado, which we hooked and Jefferson hauled in! Jefferson’s smile says it all.

Our guide filleted the Dorado, much to the delight of some dock cats. We took the Dorado back to our rental and Laura offered to cook for us the next day, plus allow me to cook the fish and empanadas with her! For me, cooking with Laura was one of my favorite experiences of San Blas and the results were delicious. The following day, I got a tortilla press for Tieton and it has been used three times this week, Recipes for Laura’s “Wallpaper Fish” and empanadas are included at the end of this post.

We toured the San Blas’s historical fort and counting house, La Contaduría, which was constructed in 1770. The fort protected the critical access to Mexico City and the surrounding wood-rich forests, and the counting house kept track of trade between Mexico and East Asia. In 1810 the San Blas fort was captured during the Spanish-Mexican independence war and San Blas lost its criticality and has shrunk significantly since.

Herman and I spent two weeks primarily working on the boat, interspersed with fun stuff. We cleaned and re-painted the bottom, finished the extension between the dodger and bimini, re-provisioned the freezer and refrigerator, and other little chores in preparation for our upcoming crossing to French Polynesia. Daily walks back and forth to our rental, and into the town-center from the marina provided an opportunity to observe daily life of the residents, most of whom are Mexican. A few observations:

• Virtually everyone was friendly and helpful. I spoke better Spanish than most spoke English and we got by.
• They’re polite: for example, I was at a Walmart subsidiary (which I tried not to frequent) with one item and the person in front of me told me to go ahead. Then he provided change for a 500 peso note (about $25) because the cashier didn’t have it.
• Most people commute by foot, bicycle, or motorcycle. It wasn’t unusual to see four people on a motorcycle, including babes in arms, plus a toddler riding in front. Occasionally we’d see five people on a motorcycle.
• Side streets were primarily dirt or cobblestone.
• Stray cats and dogs are everywhere. Many “street dogs” provide neighborhoods an alert when strangers enter. Sometimes horses and cows also wander.
• People are generous and responsive. Just outside the marina I got into an argument with a sidewalk and face planted on my forehead (Sidewalk 1, Meredith 0). The workers came running and when I asked for ice, one worker hopped on his motorcycle and rushed to buy a bag, and another worker ran to the office and came back with a shirt full. They would only accept my thanks.
• As an aside, my iPhone didn’t recognize me when my nose and cheeks were swollen, but did recognize me when I had black eyes. Everything is better now 🙂
• Families stick together. Older kids helped to hold their younger siblings on motorcycles; they’re not looking at their cellphones or a video in the back seat. It wasn’t unusual to see two or three generations traveling together, whether it was on foot, motorcycle or car.
• Even though they may not have much, they make the most of it. A little bit of rope can make a broken plastic chair into a swing for grandpa to use for the baby outside mom’s work.
• San Blas solves its stray animals/garbage problem by hanging some garbage from poles where sanitation workers retrieve them.
• In traffic, it works best to keep moving. If we stopped to allow a bicycle or motorcycle to past in front, they’d politely stop for us. Just step out and they go behind!

Next stop is La Cruz where we’ll wait for visas, our friends/guests/crew (Jean Bowden and Chris Campbell!!), and weather window before our departure to French Polynesia.

Laura’s recipes (as transcribed by me):

• Wallpaper Fish – so named because shrimp “wallpaper” the fish, although it is delicious without shrimp. Can be done by individual or multiple servings. Butter and put a smidge of oil on a piece of tinfoil. Add raw fish fillet(s). Top with thinly sliced pepper, onion, and tomatoes. Top with raw deveined, peeled shrimp halved lengthwise. Top with shredded Gouda and a big pinch or oregano. Seal foil and barbecue or heat on stove until fish flakes. Serve with homemade tortillas and salsa (blend blanched onions, tomatoes, tomatillos, lime, peppers, and garlic).
• Empanadas: cook fish/shrimp with canned mixed vegetables and jalapeños. Make tortillas with liquid from fish/shrimp. Use cut plastic bag to prevent tortilla from sticking to press. Put a little bit of meat in tortilla. Using plastic, fold and crimp empanada. Fry in vegetable oil. YUM!!!