Fishing Woes

Water terrifies me.

As I write this blog my husband Beto has gone fishing in San Blas and I am always worried something will happen to him, especially because his Nextel phone does not get coverage out there.  So I go all day worrying until he calls me to let me know he is home and everything is ok. 

I have always been nervous when around large bodies of water.  When I was a little girl my dad tried to teach me how to do the back stroke and all I remember is the water continuously running up my nose.  I couldn't breathe and even though my dad was holding me I was still scared to death. 

Ever since that time I have stayed out of the water as much as possible.  I can barely tread water much less swim.  Holding my breath underwater is very hard for me because I don't know how to not let the water seep into my nose without actually holding my nose with my fingers.  Pathetic right?  My husband on the other hand is a fish.

Beto is a very active guy.  Aside from baseball, volleyball and hunting, he loves to go fishing.  Right now, and most of the year for that matter, fishing is at the top of his list of things to do. 

B's way of fishing is a little different because there is no fishing pole involved.  He likes to go underwater wearing goggles and look for the fish with a spear gun.  Talk about ancient methods.  The spear gun aspect of fishing also frightens me because I always think it might go off by accident and hit somebody. Despite this fishing underwater seems more exciting then using a fishing pole.

Still water worries me.

When I was visiting in September of last year, one of B's nephews drowned in a nearby arroyo, he was 13.  He took a dive and never came back up. 

One of the girls that was with B's nephew came running back to her house to let somebody know what had happened.  That day they announced that a young boy had gone missing in the arroyo and they needed all of the help they could get in locating him.  At the time several men from Chiapas had come to work at the ranch and it was one of them that pulled him out from the bottom of the arroyo.  It was awful.

I have never accompanied B on his fishing trips.  However one time my sister-in-law, her kids, B and myself all decided to go to a small watering hole near the ranch called El Palillo.  It must have been the place to be back in the day because remnants of an old restaurant and swimming pool can be seen.

I wasn't too happy about it once we arrived because the water had little things swimming in it.  I like to feel sand beneath my feet not dirt.  I vowed to never go back for a swim and thought to myself next time lets make the effort to get to the beach, which is only 15-30 minutes away depending on where we go. The kids didn't seem to mind and made the best of it which made me kick myself for being to delicate. 

Beto put on his googles and started looking for fish.  I was beside myself with laughter because he looked so funny. He was really focused.

  

Aside from feeling worried about Beto's fishing trips I get a little jealous too.  I have to admit being here in the states with all of the rain as apposed to over there with the bright sun is no icing on my cake.

It continues to rain non-stop here in Northern California and I am starting to miss the sun or at least a dry day.  I live close to a shopping center and I will often walk to the store instead of driving just to get outdoors.  I seldom venture out during the week because I work 8 hours a day in a six story building. I have a really bad habit of staying up late watching movies, courtesy of Netflix, so when I get home I just want to relax. 

Summer is just around the corner and I am certain that once I am down in Nayarit for good in July/August I'll want to crawl back to California for a more agreeable climate.  I will have to get used to the humidity and battle it out.  It's going to be hard but I'll manage somehow.

For now I try to stay distracted with work and wait for B to give me a call so that I know all is well.

Mexcaltitan - A Seldom Visited Jewel

Located in the state of Nayarit, Mexcaltitan is a small island (less than a mile in circumfrence) reachable only by navigating swampy channels that surround the island.  Along the way you will see waters thick with mangroves, exotic birds, alligators and turtles. 

Mexcaltitan is towards the top of the picture. 

Mexcaltitan is said to be long lost Aztlán, the mythical place of origin of the Aztec or Mexíca people.  Before settling in Tenochititlan, present day Mexico City, the Aztec people embarked on a quest to find their new home, a place where they would see an eagle perched on a branch with a snake in its tallans.  The fabled Aztlán has  been compared to Atlantis in that it's true location has never been discovered.  Although this may be quick to change because just the other day I heared that historians believe to have found the latter.
 
Despite it's nickname of the Venice of Mexico, many tourists do not know of Mexcaltitan's existence.  This may be because it is not a picturesque sight of a city.  During the rainy season, the streets will flood and the residents must use a boat to get from place to place.  Restaurants do not have names or telephones.  Cars are non-existent as the streets of the island are wide enough for about 4 people.  The local museum lacks in awe and leaves the visitor wanting more.



"Driving" around

The Church

La Plaza



One of the exhibits in the Museum.  I was excited about this one because armadillo is a favorite dish in 5 de Mayo and I couldn't remember what one looked like until I saw this exhibit. 

 
However if you are like me and enjoy the less touristy areas every once in a while, this is definitely a place to visit.  The boat ride through the swamps alone will leave you a little scared but happy.   

Nayarit is rich with potential undiscovered historical sites.  For me she is what I like to call the virgin state of Mexico because there is so much that has gone untouched. I like to think that someday my childhood dream of being an archeologist might come true at least in the form of a hobby.  

To say the least Nayarit continues to facinate me and I think that is one of the things that helps to ease the painful hot days, humidity and mosquitos.

Rain, Rain, Books?

Wow, since I've returned to the Bay Area from my stay in Nayarit, it has been raining non-stop. 

It's good weather for crawling up with a good book, a blanket, and a big cup of coffee.  All you hear outside is the sound of rain dripping from the rooftop.  No kids playing outside, no screaming, or yelling.

Only there is a problem or maybe two, I took all of my books to Mexico.  I've read only two of the books in the picture below.  I can't seem to get into the mood for reading here in the states.  TV and the internet have tempted me and succeeded in grabbing my attention.  I guess It's expected after being without either for a whole month. 


When I am at the ranch I feel isolated from the rest of the world.  I never put the TV on because we don't have cable (just bunny ears), there is no internet and no newspapers.  If I'd been in Mexico at the time Japan was hit with the Tsunami, I probably wouldn't even have known about it unless I'd heard of it by way of mouth. 

When I am at the ranch days of the week hold no meaning for me. Afternoon's roll by one after another and before I know it we are in another month.  I recall days by what was on the menu, who stopped by or if I washed that day or not. 

Despite all of this, I already miss it.  On this last visit, I was surprised when B joined me on the maka for an afternoon reading session.  He grabbed a gossip magazine, hey its a start right? 

After I sat and read for awhile, I got up to finish up some afternoon chores and Muñeca took my place keeping B company.  I've never had a dog and have grown to love her very much, she's a doll.  He kept on reading even after I left and it felt good to have that kind of affect on him especially since he is not a reader.

Well, I received a coupon in the mail for a book store near my house.  I think I'll take advantage of it and see if I can find anything good to read.  Then I'll work on getting in the mood.  What usually works for you?

Bancomer, Banorte or Banamex?

Bancomer, Banorte or Banamex...that is the question.

These giants in Mexico are what Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Chase are to the USA.  The important question of the day is who has your loyalty?

While in Mexico last month, I got my fair share of banking horror stories which is what inspired this post.  My husband is client to both Bancomer and Banorte.  When you read this post please keep in mind that I am only sharing my experiences so far and that it all may or may not be as bad as it seems.

BANCOMER:

I would call this bank a good middle man meaning they don't rank too bad and not too good either.  My experience with sending money to a Bancomer account has been limited to one method, XOOM.com.  This method of sending money does so directly to our bank account so we have not had to worry about receiving money by using a pin.  I don't have too many bad things to say about Bancomer other than a lot of people bank with them and so the banks are always full of people.

In our visits to Bancomer, we have been very well attended to and when making changes to your account, you will have minimal problems.  The plus to banking at bancomer are the prizes they offer as incentives.  For example I have received a dish set for depositing a certain cash amount of money to my account. And more recently I recevied a 3pc set of pots/pans for keeping a specific amount of money in my account for a period of time.  If you've pissed me off in the past this is a good way to try and make it up to me...FREE STUFF for being your client and putting up with you.

BANORTE:

After Don Humberto passed away, the family had to address his estate in regard to his bank accounts.  In tackling this task at Banorte we found that trying to close out an account and change the primary account holder was no easy task.  We kept being sent over to a branch where the general account was initally opened and then to another branch where a CD account was opened.  We were unable to handle any changes to these accounts at one single branch. 

You can imagine that this was most inconvenient.  As most of you may know, when traveling to the centro of any major city, using a car is not the best way to go.  I compare it to being in San Francisco in that parking is very limited and in most cases non-existent.  So to get between the two Banorte branches we did alot of walking and taxis. 

Aside from being sent back and forth between the branches we had to wait up to 3 days of which we had to return to the bank in order to move funds or because a certain employee was not readily available.  This was particularly frustrating because we had to take my suegra (she was listed as beneficiary) and she was not feeling all that great considering the circumstances.  Also, that meant paying to use the autopista (nice freeway) to go and come from Tepic which is $47 pesos each way which totals to about $8 USD each trip. 
When I suggested someone from the bank give us a call in order to confirm that we were going to be able to get things done on a particular day, they said no you give us a call.  I was so frustrated. 

Most likely you may never have to do any of these major movements to your bank accounts but to sum up my ranting, in my opinion, Banorte is not properly linked to its other branches.  I am certain minor transactions are safe but anything beyond that you may have to visit a specific branch which can be very inconvenient.

The whole reason we started banking at Banorte is because my bank has a program called Safe Send for sending money to Mexico and Banorte is one of the banks listed in the program.  The guidelines for Safe Send are as follows:

- It's FREE
- You can send only $3,000/mo.
- Up to 3 transactions per mo.
- You can send up to 1,500 per transaction
- You can send money directly to a Banorte bank account or to a person and they'll use a pin to receive the money.
- If you send directly to the account it takes up to 2 days. Using a pin it takes 2 hours.

When receiving money at Banorte without banking at Banorte, you must provide a copy of your ID (they will not make a copy of it for you).  You can only receive money 2-3 times a month otherwise you must open an account.

When changing Dollars into Pesos, you must do the transaction as a deposit to your account and then pull the money from your account. 

BANAMEX:

Despite not being a client with Banamex, I still have an experience or two to share with you.  One day we had a check to cash that was issued by Banamex.  So, off we go to take care of business. 

Upon walking into the bank, a woman greeted us and asked what we wanted to handle that day.  She provided us with a number and directed us to where we were supposed to get in line.  I have to admit, that I do not understand why we still had to get in line if we were given a number but I guess it is to avoid any confusion as to who is next?  The seating area was large and thus there was plenty of seating for waiting for the tellers and for personal bankers (there was a separate seating area).  Also, there was a neat display of art to pass your wait time. 

I liked that there was plenty of space for seating and that we were given a number because my experience in other banks has been that people cut in front of you when waiting for personal bankers and they hover.  Two things that really piss me off especially if you've been waiting for what seems like forever.  And when I say hover I mean no privacy.  You can be with a banker and the next person knows where you live, what you have in your bank account and who is going to get the money when you die. 

I always thought that perhaps it was the character of Mexican people to be all up in your bank business but no, correction, it's the way banks handle business.  It's like they need one of those signs from Kaiser that say stand behind the yellow line to respect patient privacy.  After being cut in front of at Banorte, I can understand whey everybody hovers, it's to make sure they get attended to next.  I don't blame them.  However, Banamex seemed to me to be a little more keen on this than other banks.

Perhaps because the Banamex branch that I visited was large that is why I had such a good experience but regardless, it made me want to bank with them.  When I get all of my papers situated/ID's (that is another post entirely) I plan on becoming one of their clients then perhaps I'll be able to share the good with the bad. 

Perhaps you have a bank horror/good story of you own to share?

Maybe you can set me straight about Banorte and tell me it isn't all that bad or that Banamex isn't as great as I think. 

La Tovara

If you go to the San Blas Area you have to take a trip to La Tovara.  If you ever wondered where the picture came from at the top of my blog, it is from a trip I took to La Tovara in '08.  Supposedly a movie was filmed at the location of those huts some time ago. What they were used for I have no idea but it made for a good picture.

As you journey through the mongroves in a small boat you see all kinds of equastrian life.  I filmed alot of the way through the boat trip so I have limited fotos of the animals we saw.  The boat ride cost about $10 USD per person, not too bad.

At the end of the boat ride, you get to a little cove and this where you get off for a little while and have a couple of drinks and take a swim. You may be wondering about alligators, rightfully so, the area where you can take a swim is gated off for your protection.

In this picture you can see everybody in the water, I really wanted to take a dip but wasn't prepared and sat instead and enjoyed my beer and had a nice lunch.

The building behind us is a little shop where you can buy trinkets and souvenirs.  You also have a chance to buy items before going on the boat trip at the dock.  I purchased a beautiful plate that my mom now has on display in her kitchen. 

I would put La Tovara at the top of a sight seeing list because it has so much to offer.

In my neck of the woods...El Cocodrilario

El Cocodrilario is situated before the town of San Blas.  I think it has a way to go before it can be classified as family friendly as I don't recall there being a place to get a bite to eat. I guess what I'm trying to say is that estetically it is not pleasing.  However, you will not be disappointed with the animals...



Jabalin



Baby Crocs



These guys were showing off

 

Parrots







 I forget what the fish were called but I had to restrain my husband from grabbing a few for our lunch later that day, sheesh.  This was an interesting little trip and these were just a few of the animals at the cocodrilario.  Tomorrow we are off to LA TOVARA!





If you are ever in my neck of the woods....SAN BLAS

....There are so many things to do and places to see!!!

San Blas, El Cocodrilario, fishing, hunting, Miramar, La Tovara, Mexcaltitan, Las Islitas, Platanitos, Tepic, Beaches, beaches and more beaches.

For now let's take a look at San Blas, a small beachfront town about 10-15 minutes from my house.  San Blas is a growing town that has little tourism.  I think the main reason the town has never really brought in tourists is because of those nasty little jejenes (I think they are called sand flies in english). You will be sitting on the beach minding your own business and those things eat you alive.  You can feel them bite into you, it feels like a hot needle pricking your skin.  It is not pleasant.  Nonetheless, San Blas is a place to visit if you are ever in the area.

STOP#1 - ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE "LA CONTADURIA"/FORT

In the late 1700's the town of San Blas was an important gateway port for the Spanish.  Built in the late 1700's by the Spanish, La Contaduria or "The Counting House" was eventually captured by Mexican revolutionaries in 1810, and fell into ruins by the end of the 19th century. 

Today, the site is used to hold events and people are able to visit for a small fee. It is said that the fort was built right atop a hill which butted up against the ocean.  Take a look now how far away the ocean is from the fort...

There is nothing but palm trees hitting the hill now...

There is also an old church at the site worth taking a look at.  The floor is what caught my eye.  If I ever do a church wedding, I would like to have my ceremony at an old world place like this.  You can feel the history oozing out.

Inside of Church

Loved the floor

And the windows!



My last visit to San Blas was strictly business and so I was able to see more of the town center.  The pictures above were taken on my 2008 visit when my husband took me on a coastal tour of Nayarit. 

STOP#2 - LA PLAZA/MERCADITO

On this trip, we went really early in the morning and stopped at the mercado for a liquado (shake) at Jugos Mimi.  The fruit looked appealing but I like my shakes a little thicker and with ice. 

Right next to the mercado is the old church (on the left in pix below), and next to the old church is the new chruch. I liked the old church better.  What can I say I really like old things.

If it weren't for being located right next to the new church the old church would have been left forgotten and abandoned :



Love this chair



Inside the new church:



All of the following are located right in front of the churches: 

The Kiosko

Street Vendors

La Presidencia de San Blas

It looked kind of bare because it was really early in the morning and everybody was probably still snoozing, in school or off to work.  There were several restaurants that I didn't take pictures of that looked very interesting and when I walked by the food smelled great.  Also, along the plaza are great little cafes just waiting for somebody to stroll along and sit down at one of their umbrella tables.  

STOP#3 - LA PLAYA

I think the Playa speaks for itself.  This was just a little rundown of San Blas.  If you ever know anybody who would like to see a less touristy part of Mexico, tell them to go to Nayarit. 

I know they'll love it!....just tell them not to go between May and October or they'll melt like a popsicle.

Playa San Blas, Nayarit

'lil emma

Okay so maybe not so little.  Right after I wrote my last post, I did another search on craiglist and found this truck.  I was ecstatic! I love chevy's/GMC's and it was about 10 minutes from where I worked.  So off I went to see this truck first before I set off for my hour long drive to see the other little emma. 

The GMC was waaayyy better than the ford ranger, new ball joints, new ac unit, new brakes, new serpentine belt, new everything and it was 4x4.  The truck is in emaculate condition and I fell in love immediately.  So, this beauty is mine and now I just have to plan what to take and most importantly getting it legalized.

I feel like I have recuperated my identity....

She's done In...

So I've been racking my brain these past two days in search of a small truck to replace Big Bertha in Mexico.  She is about done in.  While I was in Mexico she left me and my husband in the mango orchards quite a few times and we were not happy campers.  Especially since you don't get good cell phone reception when you are in the middle of nowhere (see picture below).

It looks like we will be getting another oldie '92ish, but in much better condition, less mileage, 4x4 to get over those nasty rocks and mud when it rains.  I'm on my way to Cupertino, CA tonight to perhaps seal the deal on this baby....

My husband wanted a more compact truck because manuvering around those mango trees is difficult, even walking you can run right smack into one...a mango that is.  The dirt roads can be awful... especially when it rains.

Aside from replacing Big Bertha, I can take all of my stuff with me when I move down for good.  Whoo Hooo! I'm so happy, hopefully this truck I'm going to see works out.  Don't worry I have a brother-in-law (mechanic) who has my back. 

Well wish me luck, I'll let you know tomorrow if little Emma is mine.

Me killing time 'till the help arrived ha ha