Gone Fishin'

Take one fishing boat; add brilliant sunshine and calm waters; throw in some friends and good food and you've got yourself a great day.  Land 14 fighting Dorado and see dolphins swimming by the boat, spot a pilot whale, seals, turtles and marlin -- well, you've got yourself an over the top, flat out, fantastic day.

Roger's gone deep sea fishing four times before but has never had much luck. The night before we went he joked that having women on board is bad luck.  By the end of the day, he was eating his words.

Roger was the first one to land a Dorado (mahi mahi).  The smile on his face was great to see and it set the tone for the rest of the day. The first mate, Joel, (below) was constantly adjusting the lines and was very handy with the grappling hook to bring the fighting fish on board.  He gladly accepted the cold beer that Roger served him, and by the time we headed back to San Carlos, Joel had cranked up the music and the Captain just laughed and said that Joel was a happy man.

All of us had a chance to fish and I now understand the rush that fisherman get when they land a fish that put up a good fight. 

We saw lots of marlin, but none of them were hungry.  A school of dolphins stayed with us for awhile and it was fun watching them at the bow of the boat and occasionally jump up and spin around.  Seals, a shark, a pilot whale (below) and some sea turtles rounded out our sea adventure.

When we returned to the San Carlos marina, Joel and some helpers helped to clean our bountiful catch. Within an hour we had a cooler full of fillets and between the two families, we've shared with several friends and co-workers.  We've made fish tacos, grilled, and fried them -- all incredibly delicious.

As always, we had a great time with Tracey and her husband Matt and daughter, Matti-Lyn. Our captain, Arturo, and first mate, Joel, were really knowledgeable and we learned a lot from them.

We chalked up another terrific experience - but then again -- how could we go wrong with all the right ingredients?


"I love fishing.  You put that line in the water and you don't know what's on the other end. Your imagination is under there."                                                                                        Robert Altman

Children, fishing, and a bump in the night....

Roger flew to the east coast of Mexico, to the city of Veracruz, for a mining conference last week.  There were 6,000 people in attendance and he made good contacts with suppliers and potential clients so it was a successful trip.  The fishing tournament he participated in turned out to be a great day on the water versus a great day of fishing --- but for Roger --- it's all about being on a boat so he was happy.

On the day he was leaving, he woke up at 5 a.m. to loud noises --- at first thinking it was someone banging on the door.  Turns out it was the toilet banging against the tile wall during a 2 minute, 5.4 earthquake!  He checked outside to make sure a tsunami wasn't forming as the hotel was right on the beach....fortunately no damage was done.

While he was gone, I was invited to a 4 year old's birthday party.  Camilla is the daughter of Edwin (our lawyer) and Julia and they have been very good to us.   

The pinata was taller than me, and according to everyone there the pinata was merely a "medium" sized one!

Camilla loves everything girly --- and specifically --- princessy -- so I bought her a glittery tiara, "glass slippers", a wand and some princess games and puzzles --- she squealed with delight and promptly donned her regalia.

Hallowe'en was the next festivity we experienced.  Our little community has several children, so we were told to expect around 50 children.  No one seemed to have carved pumpkins in their windows, and I bought a Hallowe'en wreath to hopefully let the kids know they could come to our house.

We started hearing children sing as they went door to door --- not sure what the words meant, but it was neat listening to them. 

It was a beautiful, balmy night so their costumes weren't encumbered by clothes to keep them warm.

November 1st is an important holiday in Latin American culture -- El Dia de los Muertos --- is translated to Day of the Dead.  This is when friends and family go to cemetaries with food and drinks and remember their loved ones.  I like this custom much more than the one in Madagascar, Famadihona which means Turning of the Dead.  This is when families exhume the bodies, re-wrap them in new shrouds, carry them around the village, party for awhile, then rebury them....

We took a Sunday drive to San Carlos --- a seaside village about 110 kms south of Hermosillo.  Where Kino Bay is a sleepy little fishing village, San Carlos is the partying counterpart with huge and glitsy condos and hotels and a big, well protected marina.

Lunch time for the pelicans....

Anyone looking for a job?

We stopped at a neat restaurant overlooking the water. 

I took this picture because I thought it was a beautiful scene.  Today, while cruising the internet for more info on the area, I discovered the mountain has several names including Tetas de Cabra......

...which means Goat's Tits.....yes......go ahead...have another look!

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.”           Jawaharial Nehru

Hasta luego.