Mexico Revisited: 2013-2014

Feb 19-21 2014

There were pelicans, terns, seagulls and frigate birds circling above the waves. One after the other they kamikazed into the sea, the pelicans coming up to float on the sea, tipping their heads back to gulp down their snack. The terns flew off with a sardine in their beak, followed by harassing gulls. It was a virtual buffet for the birds and the local fishermen were in on the action. We asked two men returning after their morning fishing session what they were catching. They told us that if we were out on the beach at about 7AM we would see all the locals catching tuna. The winds had brought stronger currents and the surf was up. Schools of sardines were swept close to shore and the tunas were chasing them. Stingrays were in pursuit as well. The men had caught about 15 stingrays between them but had released them all.

We had arrived the evening before after a long day in the buses, a 1 ½ hour trip in a first class bus from Zihuatanejo to Lazaro Cardenas, the biggest port on the west coast, and then an eight hour ride on a second class bus the rest of the way to Manzanillo. Second class means it makes several stops along the way, which slows down the trip but the trip was even longer that advertised. Part way through the trip the motor conked out. The driver had to coast back down a hill to a lone house beside the road. The radiator had lost all its water. The driver managed to truck multiple pails of water from a well and filled the radiator. We were off again, arriving an hour later that expected, but we did make it without further incident.

We had reserved a room for two nights at a beach side hotel on Playa Azul, a long stretch of sand outside of Manzanillo. That gave us a day to enjoy the hotel pool and beach before setting off for our original destination, Melaque. It was a good decision. We had a nice room on the main floor and the beach was perfect for walking. We even got up early the last morning and walked the beach to watch the fishermen at work. It wasn’t a commercial operation, just men, and maybe one woman, casting their lines into the sea with the hope of hooking a tuna big enough for dinner. Some were successful, hooking a fish about two feet long, others stood in the surf casting a net to gather in sardines. They all looked pleased with their catch. We just enjoyed the walk.