After listening to every ones' concern with Aki, I promised that I would look at her and to give her a visual examination, but before I could begin I heard a chorus, "just take her to the Vet" . This outburst forced me to prove my qualification in order to continue. I produced my old military ID card which identified me as a medic . After a thorough examination I agreed to take the dog to the vet.
Never having been to a Vet before, I wasn't prepared for my first visit. I walked in and I encountered a waiting room-full, of noble pet owners with worried looks and concern in their faces. Dogs and cats with expensive collars and hair cuts wrapped in blankets, quilts and sweaters. Some owners were very perturbed to the point of distress, a couple kids sobbing, others had birds one little boy has a good size snake.
After I took a seat with Aki laying next to me, an assistant provided me a set of forms to complete; requesting a full history of the "patient" and form of payment-cash or credit card. I completed the forms, returned them and waited to be called.
After perhaps fifteen minutes Aki was called by her name and my last name. I guess this would become the day of her official baptism. She was humanized she was called girl, "what do we have here... Oh a sick girl", "how do you feel girl?", "not well hu? you poor girl" The Vet was having a conversation with the dog and answering for the dog. He examined the her, took x-rays, diagnosis?... an ear infection, perhaps something was stuck in the ear. She would have to be anaesthetised so they could dig into the ear. I was asked to return in three hours and take her home.
When, I returned to the Vet, they seemed happy to see me, "Hi... she is awake and has been asking for you" yeah, right! " How would you like to pay for this? cash or card!". Card I answered, "that will be $369.00 please"; I guess spaying will have to be postponed for now. They gave me some antibiotic and ointment, ear wash and instructions to follow up. As I left I noticed that waiting room was still full of owner with their pets, I mean, "boys" and "girls".
If my grandchildren ask me about career advice I will happily suggest, be a Veterinarian.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Niko's best friend
On a hot summer afternoon I was hard at work in my garden, when my lovely affectionate wife, our sweet daughter Sara and Niko our wonderful grandson, greeted me smiling and said, "how you doing abuelo have you had a good day?, your garden looks good"... Sara asked "how about a glass of nice cold ice tea?". Why why are they being so nice, I wondered. " I would love an ice-tea"' I replied... just as Sara returned with the tea, Mercedes said, "Niko has something to ask you"... "Can we keep her please, please" and pulled out a puppy from behind his back. I said "No way "hosay!" Remember what happened to the last dog?" Loki, a puppy Rottweiler that grew into 120 lbs. of ill-tempered muscles, fond of attacking humans including our son Alex. "But... this one is nicer I'll take good care of her" Niko implored... " "come on abuelo, I will feed her, give her water you won't have to do anything". "She won't bother you" Sara added, "I will help him". I reminded her of her aversion to picking up the dog's poop with out gagging or throwing up and who ended up doing this chore? me.
My sweet wife interjects "come on be nice, I will also help...whenever I can".
The pressure was mounting... I had to think quickly, aha! I said "look it wouldn't be fair, dogs need to be exercised, bathed, brushed, remember you quit doing these chores before and I ended up doing them. Specially walking the dog? further when she get older she will not get along with our cat" They were all silent... Niko sat quietly on the step with the puppy on his lap and a melancholy face. Sara dispiritedly looked to the ground, I felt confidant my sweet wife knew I was right, she understood the logic of my argument, surely she will support me.
Suddenly everyone grew quiet, I knew immediately she was going to speak, her lovely lips are about to announce and reaffirm my logic. She raised her right eyebrow and with a wroth tone said, "those are the most ignoble excuses, further more..." that was all she had to say, after that. We had a new dog at home, they named her hawkie. The first days, weeks and months were OK, for the most part they took care of the dog, but months turned to years 2004, . . . . . 2010, six years later, guess who is in charge of dog maintenance?
Now every one promised to keep the gate closed at all times. Well someone forgot and for two days hawkie vanished. Niko was worried sick about his dog. He had me drive him around the city and a couple of animal shelters with out much success. On the third day a friend of his brought him this picture. He quickly called the number, it was the animal shelter they had the dog."My dog is in the animal jail, we got to get her out" He hauled me to the animal shelter. Being a good abuelo we went to claim the animal. What I did no expect was the exorbitant fees just to claim a dog: lodging and care$$, "loose dog" citation$$, medical treatment $$, rabies shot because we didn't bring proof of shots $, duplicate license $, Oooh! your dog is not spayed $$$. The total was over two hundred dollars and still have to get her spayed. So I told them to keep the dog, for that amount of money I could buy ten dogs.
I started to walk out, But Niko refused to leave his dog behind, the attendant at the counter said, Ohm! look, poor little boy he wants his dog". Well Niko convinced me to pay. What could I do? The dog was licking Niko's face, Niko was kissing the dog... they had me. They both looked at me with sad eyes. I had to give in. We took the mutt home. My reward? Niko said "I love you abuelo, thank you" The dog happily waged her tail. I walked out of the shelter with two very happy friends, it was all worth it.
Once in a while my wife takes the dog walking with her, in one particular day after a walk she says something is wrong with the dog can you check her?. Nicko tells me abuelo, " hawkie looks sick can you see what's wrong ". Sara finds me in the garage as tells me something is wrong with the dog's ear. Alex, our youngest son, tells me "the dog looks messed up, she can't even walk". My wife said we need to take the dog to the Vet. By now I know that, "we" means me!
Stay tuned: a visit to the Vet.
My sweet wife interjects "come on be nice, I will also help...whenever I can".
The pressure was mounting... I had to think quickly, aha! I said "look it wouldn't be fair, dogs need to be exercised, bathed, brushed, remember you quit doing these chores before and I ended up doing them. Specially walking the dog? further when she get older she will not get along with our cat" They were all silent... Niko sat quietly on the step with the puppy on his lap and a melancholy face. Sara dispiritedly looked to the ground, I felt confidant my sweet wife knew I was right, she understood the logic of my argument, surely she will support me.
Suddenly everyone grew quiet, I knew immediately she was going to speak, her lovely lips are about to announce and reaffirm my logic. She raised her right eyebrow and with a wroth tone said, "those are the most ignoble excuses, further more..." that was all she had to say, after that. We had a new dog at home, they named her hawkie. The first days, weeks and months were OK, for the most part they took care of the dog, but months turned to years 2004, . . . . . 2010, six years later, guess who is in charge of dog maintenance?
Now every one promised to keep the gate closed at all times. Well someone forgot and for two days hawkie vanished. Niko was worried sick about his dog. He had me drive him around the city and a couple of animal shelters with out much success. On the third day a friend of his brought him this picture. He quickly called the number, it was the animal shelter they had the dog."My dog is in the animal jail, we got to get her out" He hauled me to the animal shelter. Being a good abuelo we went to claim the animal. What I did no expect was the exorbitant fees just to claim a dog: lodging and care$$, "loose dog" citation$$, medical treatment $$, rabies shot because we didn't bring proof of shots $, duplicate license $, Oooh! your dog is not spayed $$$. The total was over two hundred dollars and still have to get her spayed. So I told them to keep the dog, for that amount of money I could buy ten dogs.I started to walk out, But Niko refused to leave his dog behind, the attendant at the counter said, Ohm! look, poor little boy he wants his dog". Well Niko convinced me to pay. What could I do? The dog was licking Niko's face, Niko was kissing the dog... they had me. They both looked at me with sad eyes. I had to give in. We took the mutt home. My reward? Niko said "I love you abuelo, thank you" The dog happily waged her tail. I walked out of the shelter with two very happy friends, it was all worth it.
Once in a while my wife takes the dog walking with her, in one particular day after a walk she says something is wrong with the dog can you check her?. Nicko tells me abuelo, " hawkie looks sick can you see what's wrong ". Sara finds me in the garage as tells me something is wrong with the dog's ear. Alex, our youngest son, tells me "the dog looks messed up, she can't even walk". My wife said we need to take the dog to the Vet. By now I know that, "we" means me!
Stay tuned: a visit to the Vet.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Jenks Lake Fishing
(click on pictures for larger view)With summertime upon us my fishing buddies have been eager to begin our wanderlust fishing adventures. None more eager than my "compadre" Jorge, you may recall it was extremely difficult for him to accompany us on many of our trips last year. Bob invited us to fish his lake at the foothills of Yucaipa, some 80 miles from Los Angeles. Jorge is very eager to try-out his expensive new fishing gear, he even volunteered to drive his new Tundra.
With all of our gear, food and refreshment on board and much anticipation we headed east towards the San Bernardino mountains. According to my calculations we should be on the lake in an hour and twenty minutes. But wait, Jorge drove past the freeway entrance, bewildered I asked "What happened? you missed the on ramp", "don't worry" he said, "I know where I'm going" He drove five miles further to his favorite gas station where he proceeded to chat with the attendant and other customers, drink coffee, eat sweet rolls and finally pump the gas.
Twenty minutes later we entered the freeway. We were listening to the world cup soccer game between Mexico and France when all of the sudden he turned off the radio. "Mejor vamos a platicar", he wanted to chat; we discussed retired life, stock market, world events, home improvements etc. About this time I informed him we were driving too slow in the pool lane and every other lane was going faster than we were. He responded that they were bad drivers and he has never had a traffic citation, never-the-less he moved over to the slow lane and we returned to the world cup game. By the time we reached San Bernardino, an hour late, he needed to make another pit stop after twenty minutes we continued our trek. We finally reached Jenks lake two hour and twenty minutes after leaving LA
.Our good friend and fishing pro. Bob was waiting for us, he was very exited because he had already brought in some "lunkers", big-ones. While I prepared my gear, Bob quickly took Jorge under his tutelage, with a perfectly distilled mixture of experience, skill and swagger. He proceeded to instruct his young apprentice the finer skills of rainbow trout fishing starting with rigging the hook, line and sinker following with the difficult long casts necessary to hit the sweet spot and proper procedure on landing the fish, taking out the hook and into the cooler.
After Bob's fishing workshop we are ready to fish this beautiful lake. Everyone with due diligence finds a fishing spot. As the day goes by we notice that Jorge keeps putting fish in his cooler,a sure sign that he has his mojo working. We take a break for refreshments and lunch and again we realize Jorge's exceptionalism; Bob and I have plain sandwiches, cokes and beer. He brought ice tea, fine coffee, fruit salad, goat cheese, grapes, croissant sandwiches and white wine. He is obviously a gourmet and and aficionado of the finer things of life.
After lunch Bob and Jorge continue their sterling
performance of bringing them up while, I enjoy a a peaceful day with good friends. Bob takes the opportunity to teach us "how to read" the lake; identify deep spots, rock formations under water, the importance of water plants and weeds, wind direction, currents and water temperature at different depths. He insists that trout have very acute senses such as smell, therefore do not introduce foreign substances such as sun tanning lotion or cologne when handling your bait. sight, don't move around, trout have a close range of vision and most important sound, trout according to him pick up on voices, vibrations, water splashing so "keep noise to a minimum". He advises no radios, bells or rattles on fishing poles-if you want a good fishing day.
As we head home the natural beauty of the mountains scrolls through the windshield and we realize how peaceful it is to be away from the big urban centers; cluttered freeways, noise and hassle of the city. Something happens when you are fishing with good friends. You have an opportunity for reflection, recollection and renewal. Just about that time my "compadre" reminds us of his skill and luck he is the only one taking home a cooler full of fish. Great job Jorge.
photos: courtesy of Bob Venegas
Stay tuned: for more fish tales
Monday, September 28, 2009
Fishing Loreto Baja California
Click on pictures for larger view
My friend Bob gave me a call last week reminding me of the great fishing we enjoyed a few years ago in Loreto after hurricane Marty hit Baja. The reason for the tremendous catch, according to the locals, is the great deal of debris that washes out to the sea along with nutrients to form shade on the sea . Fish congregate under it just waiting for skillful anglers like us. Well hurricane Jimena did the same thing a week and a half ago so we gathered our gear, made flight reservations, gathered our passports and of we went. We invited our friends; Javier had a prior commitment and Jorge quietly demur, he was not allowed to go. So we had to leave them behind. Sorry boys maybe next time. Bobby sadly uttered, "que lastima". I retorted apathetically "pues, ni modo". I can still visualize the sadness on their faces as we left without them.
My friend Bob gave me a call last week reminding me of the great fishing we enjoyed a few years ago in Loreto after hurricane Marty hit Baja. The reason for the tremendous catch, according to the locals, is the great deal of debris that washes out to the sea along with nutrients to form shade on the sea . Fish congregate under it just waiting for skillful anglers like us. Well hurricane Jimena did the same thing a week and a half ago so we gathered our gear, made flight reservations, gathered our passports and of we went. We invited our friends; Javier had a prior commitment and Jorge quietly demur, he was not allowed to go. So we had to leave them behind. Sorry boys maybe next time. Bobby sadly uttered, "que lastima". I retorted apathetically "pues, ni modo". I can still visualize the sadness on their faces as we left without them.
With everything ready we left early for the airport, after boarding the plane, we had couple of thirst quencher and before we knew it we were landing, less than two hours, in Loreto International airport a tranquil, peaceful, small place with only one airplane on the ground at a time. Very relaxing after the turbulent pace at LAX.
Loreto, Baja California Sur was founded by the Jesuits around 1667. At one time it was the seat of government for all of the Californias. You can find beautiful historical building such as the mission our Lady of Loreto built in 1752. Or if you are interested in geology or anthropology take a study tour to many of the cave painting and hieroglyphic left by the early inhabitants thousandths of years ago. If marine biology or diving is your preference, you can take an Eco-tour to the Loreto Bay National Marine Park, christened by Jacques Cousteau as the aquarium of the world because of the majestic specimens of sea life, which can only be found in Loreto bay.
But we were here for fishing, upon arrival to our hotel we took inventory of all the equipment we would need for the following days. We made our arrangement through Blue Water fishing tours in Long Beach CA; bluewatertours@charter.net they took care of everything in a prompt professional manner. Once in Loreto all we had to do was to make contact with the Arturo's fishing fleet to insure everything was in order. Now it was time to relax by the pool with our margaritas until dinnertime.
(Bob making friends at Augies) (Bob and his special dinner friend)
The following morning a representative from Arturo's met us at our hotel and transported us to the marina, we purchased our fishing licence and bait. A box lunch, water ice and soft drinks were provided by Arturo's and of we went for our first day of fishing in the calm Sea of Cotez. We met a few anglers who wished to make their own bait, they thought $15.00 dollars was too much to pay, we met them again at sea a few hours later, they had no live bait, their lures and jigs were not attracting fish. They wondered if they could purchase some bait from us. Now as good sportsmen we shared our live bait with them. I would advice you purchase bait, it takes too long for you to catch bait and you are loosing the valuable time before the sun rises, you still have a boat ride of at least an hour to reach the fishing grounds. Further, you all ready paid too much money and come too far to worry about fifteen dollars for bait. Don't haggle, the price is set it's a commodity priced according to the local market.You pay much more in the states for bait.
As any experienced angler will tell you the first thing you hear from the local fishing guides that yesterday was a great fishing day or last week. As we headed our guides tells us; "ojala que tengamos suerte" let's hope for good luck. This is the usual disclaimer for all the previous boasting of past great fishing. The trepidations in our guides' voice changed as he stoically exclaims "pero le vamos hacer la lucha" this means more than just we are going to try hard, it connotes challenge between you vs the sea and the fish, we are going to have to fight for every single bite. Why? well... Loreto just completed hosting the International Dorado Fishing tournament the day we flew in and according to the reports half of the anglers failed to hook any fish and the winning fish was not a great specimen.
With all of this negative information, I must admit to you I was a little shaken. How can it be? things suddenly didn't seem very promising. What happened to the excellent conditions after the hurricane? The constant record size fish caught in past tournaments? The fishing news from last week said that fish were jumping into the boats? Yes I was a little shaken but not for long, because I brought a secret weapon with me. Any experienced angler, you must have one in order to have continuous productivity and high yield over the long run. Bob is my secret weapon, a high yielding machine! an angler with the golden touch, he can catch a fish with a rusty nail and a shoelace in the LA river. A fish catching apparatus, a man with Polaroid vision, a human depth fish finder. He can identify a fish by it's shadow, underwater and from the ripple pattern of the water. He can tell you the speed the weight and the color of their eyes fifty feet away. With bulls-eye accuracy he can cast a hooked sardine sixty yards on to the face of an incoming dorado, rooster or yellow tail. Once the fish is on it's just a matter of repetition. Our fishing guide exclaimed "que barbaro", fish have no chance. This is not a fishing tall tale. I strongly encourage you fisherman out there to get yourselves a Bob, one of those anglers who can't miss regardless of conditions or seasons, forget about the full moon, high sun or fast currents!
When the captain and I congratulated Bob on his good luck "buena suerte" he felt insulted and he pummelled, with a high pitch voice he exclaimed "this is not luck it's hard work! it's more than just throwing a line out there!... there are three ways to fish Loreto, he advised, one is casting a shiny spoon or jig, my favorite is a 7 in. chrome crocodile or light blue jig" he added, "today I prefer drifting a live bait, hook you bait on the hard part of the nose... do not" he admonished, "just cast you line out there and then sit and rest your pole on the holder, you need constant connection with
(The master angler showing his catch, top/buttom)
your pole in order to feel the fish nibbling on your bait" he demonstrated, "when you feel the strike don't rush to set the hook, let the fish enjoy the bait, let it runs a little bit, now! gently but forcefully, set the hook!!... don't jerk your pole or you will pull the bait right out of its mouth" , he warned. Well it worked for him he out fished me three-to- one. Bob favors a light casting pole about 7 ft. with a casting reel full of 17-20 lb. line, "nothing heavier than 20 lbs." he added. Well... friends
that why I like bringing "Good old Bob" fishing. At the end of the day we had a cooler full of fillets. Speaking of fillets, We would encourage you to stay with the person who fillets you catch, although the operators of the fishing fleets such as Arturo's are honest, hard working business men, we always end up with less frozen fillets than we start with. I would suggest that you count the number of bags after each day and write the number of the total of the bags and inform the owner/operator of the total number of bags you leave each day for the freezer, In reality, we really don't know how many people have access to the freezers. Make sure the hotel name and room number is also on the bags. There are a number of persons who handle the bags, from the person cleaning, filleting and bagging the fish and storing it. The bags are stored in large freezer with the catch from other "pangas" skiffs. The number of people who have access to the fish is unknown. But what we do know is that by the end of your trip there are less bags of fish to be found. We are sure that like us, you leave generous tips to everyone that provides a service to you and although we are sympathetic to the predicaments of the workers, remember we are paying good money for their services, it is very disappointing to see part of our catch disappear. This was the only discouraging part of our trip.
Would we go fishing to Loreto again? yes we have been coming here for years, it's a beautiful town. The people are warm and friendly, it's a peaceful and safe place. Would we fish with Arturo's again? yes, we fished with him many times before. Ask for Anthony he works hard for you and is not one of those "pangeros", fishing guides who is hurrying you to return to shore. If you are in a hot streak he is helpful and willing to assist you. We would also recommend Blue water fishing tours to plan your trip. For the best accommodations at reasonable prices, Hacienda Suites (866)207-8732 at the entrance of town on Salvatierra St.. For the best stakes we recommend El nido, next door to Hacienda Suites. The best nachos and coldest beer, with peaceful view of the sea, Desert Inn formerly La Pinta. The best tacos, El gran burro on Miguel Hidalgo, one block south of Salvatierra St. turn right at the only traffic light in Loreto. For those who feel they have been hanging around the locals too long, go have a drink and snack at Augie's on calle de la playa street, south of miguel Hidalgo street one block south, parallel to the malecon this is an expats. hangout. You know what anthropologist say, species of the same order like to stick with each other now and then. For the best Margaritas you'll have to go to LA or Long Beach, for the best fish tacos we recommend La bufadora in Irwindale CA. Sorry Loreto.
Loreto, Baja California Sur was founded by the Jesuits around 1667. At one time it was the seat of government for all of the Californias. You can find beautiful historical building such as the mission our Lady of Loreto built in 1752. Or if you are interested in geology or anthropology take a study tour to many of the cave painting and hieroglyphic left by the early inhabitants thousandths of years ago. If marine biology or diving is your preference, you can take an Eco-tour to the Loreto Bay National Marine Park, christened by Jacques Cousteau as the aquarium of the world because of the majestic specimens of sea life, which can only be found in Loreto bay.
But we were here for fishing, upon arrival to our hotel we took inventory of all the equipment we would need for the following days. We made our arrangement through Blue Water fishing tours in Long Beach CA; bluewatertours@charter.net they took care of everything in a prompt professional manner. Once in Loreto all we had to do was to make contact with the Arturo's fishing fleet to insure everything was in order. Now it was time to relax by the pool with our margaritas until dinnertime.
(Bob making friends at Augies) (Bob and his special dinner friend)
The following morning a representative from Arturo's met us at our hotel and transported us to the marina, we purchased our fishing licence and bait. A box lunch, water ice and soft drinks were provided by Arturo's and of we went for our first day of fishing in the calm Sea of Cotez. We met a few anglers who wished to make their own bait, they thought $15.00 dollars was too much to pay, we met them again at sea a few hours later, they had no live bait, their lures and jigs were not attracting fish. They wondered if they could purchase some bait from us. Now as good sportsmen we shared our live bait with them. I would advice you purchase bait, it takes too long for you to catch bait and you are loosing the valuable time before the sun rises, you still have a boat ride of at least an hour to reach the fishing grounds. Further, you all ready paid too much money and come too far to worry about fifteen dollars for bait. Don't haggle, the price is set it's a commodity priced according to the local market.You pay much more in the states for bait.
As any experienced angler will tell you the first thing you hear from the local fishing guides that yesterday was a great fishing day or last week. As we headed our guides tells us; "ojala que tengamos suerte" let's hope for good luck. This is the usual disclaimer for all the previous boasting of past great fishing. The trepidations in our guides' voice changed as he stoically exclaims "pero le vamos hacer la lucha" this means more than just we are going to try hard, it connotes challenge between you vs the sea and the fish, we are going to have to fight for every single bite. Why? well... Loreto just completed hosting the International Dorado Fishing tournament the day we flew in and according to the reports half of the anglers failed to hook any fish and the winning fish was not a great specimen.
With all of this negative information, I must admit to you I was a little shaken. How can it be? things suddenly didn't seem very promising. What happened to the excellent conditions after the hurricane? The constant record size fish caught in past tournaments? The fishing news from last week said that fish were jumping into the boats? Yes I was a little shaken but not for long, because I brought a secret weapon with me. Any experienced angler, you must have one in order to have continuous productivity and high yield over the long run. Bob is my secret weapon, a high yielding machine! an angler with the golden touch, he can catch a fish with a rusty nail and a shoelace in the LA river. A fish catching apparatus, a man with Polaroid vision, a human depth fish finder. He can identify a fish by it's shadow, underwater and from the ripple pattern of the water. He can tell you the speed the weight and the color of their eyes fifty feet away. With bulls-eye accuracy he can cast a hooked sardine sixty yards on to the face of an incoming dorado, rooster or yellow tail. Once the fish is on it's just a matter of repetition. Our fishing guide exclaimed "que barbaro", fish have no chance. This is not a fishing tall tale. I strongly encourage you fisherman out there to get yourselves a Bob, one of those anglers who can't miss regardless of conditions or seasons, forget about the full moon, high sun or fast currents!
When the captain and I congratulated Bob on his good luck "buena suerte" he felt insulted and he pummelled, with a high pitch voice he exclaimed "this is not luck it's hard work! it's more than just throwing a line out there!... there are three ways to fish Loreto, he advised, one is casting a shiny spoon or jig, my favorite is a 7 in. chrome crocodile or light blue jig" he added, "today I prefer drifting a live bait, hook you bait on the hard part of the nose... do not" he admonished, "just cast you line out there and then sit and rest your pole on the holder, you need constant connection with
(The master angler showing his catch, top/buttom)
your pole in order to feel the fish nibbling on your bait" he demonstrated, "when you feel the strike don't rush to set the hook, let the fish enjoy the bait, let it runs a little bit, now! gently but forcefully, set the hook!!... don't jerk your pole or you will pull the bait right out of its mouth" , he warned. Well it worked for him he out fished me three-to- one. Bob favors a light casting pole about 7 ft. with a casting reel full of 17-20 lb. line, "nothing heavier than 20 lbs." he added. Well... friends
that why I like bringing "Good old Bob" fishing. At the end of the day we had a cooler full of fillets. Speaking of fillets, We would encourage you to stay with the person who fillets you catch, although the operators of the fishing fleets such as Arturo's are honest, hard working business men, we always end up with less frozen fillets than we start with. I would suggest that you count the number of bags after each day and write the number of the total of the bags and inform the owner/operator of the total number of bags you leave each day for the freezer, In reality, we really don't know how many people have access to the freezers. Make sure the hotel name and room number is also on the bags. There are a number of persons who handle the bags, from the person cleaning, filleting and bagging the fish and storing it. The bags are stored in large freezer with the catch from other "pangas" skiffs. The number of people who have access to the fish is unknown. But what we do know is that by the end of your trip there are less bags of fish to be found. We are sure that like us, you leave generous tips to everyone that provides a service to you and although we are sympathetic to the predicaments of the workers, remember we are paying good money for their services, it is very disappointing to see part of our catch disappear. This was the only discouraging part of our trip.
Would we go fishing to Loreto again? yes we have been coming here for years, it's a beautiful town. The people are warm and friendly, it's a peaceful and safe place. Would we fish with Arturo's again? yes, we fished with him many times before. Ask for Anthony he works hard for you and is not one of those "pangeros", fishing guides who is hurrying you to return to shore. If you are in a hot streak he is helpful and willing to assist you. We would also recommend Blue water fishing tours to plan your trip. For the best accommodations at reasonable prices, Hacienda Suites (866)207-8732 at the entrance of town on Salvatierra St.. For the best stakes we recommend El nido, next door to Hacienda Suites. The best nachos and coldest beer, with peaceful view of the sea, Desert Inn formerly La Pinta. The best tacos, El gran burro on Miguel Hidalgo, one block south of Salvatierra St. turn right at the only traffic light in Loreto. For those who feel they have been hanging around the locals too long, go have a drink and snack at Augie's on calle de la playa street, south of miguel Hidalgo street one block south, parallel to the malecon this is an expats. hangout. You know what anthropologist say, species of the same order like to stick with each other now and then. For the best Margaritas you'll have to go to LA or Long Beach, for the best fish tacos we recommend La bufadora in Irwindale CA. Sorry Loreto.
Monday, April 27, 2009
El Tajin; Veracruz,Travel
As my compadre and I debriefed our stay in Tlacotalpan, we agreed we had achieved our objective; listening to some outstanding musical Jaranero groups . We learned a great deal about the music, decimas, dances and culture of this beautiful part of Mexico Lindo. We also decide to, cut our stay short. Early next morning we were on the road heading north on Mex.180. The unspoiled, natural beauty of the countryside leaves you breathless. We leisurely continued north admiring the open spaces and hills adorned with the wonderful aroma of coffee, citrus groves and vanilla plantations. Soon we were turning onto Mex 130., After a few hrs. on the road we arrived in Papantla, the magical town, also known as the city that perfumes the world, a quaint colonial town with all the comforts of home. Built on the side of a mountain slope with cool breezes that constantly sweep through the town. We found a nice quiet hotel, after checking in we strolled around the town searching for a restaurant, eager to taste the local cuisine. The reader may recall that Javier considers himself a budding poet and song writer, so when he saw the name of a restaurant he exclaimed, "aqui vamos a comer", the restaurant's name "Por si acaso me recuerdas" If by chance you remember me.
My compadre felt the name was poetry :) located in calle Juan Enriquez #102 Papantla Mex. I felt that the real poetry was the food. A very intimate place no more than six tables. The cuisine? typical home cooking from Veracruz all prepared by Doña Rufina a friendly, jovial woman.Her husband Don Roque eagerly sat us down and explained the menu. We ordered a delicacy know as nopalitos con costillitas de puerco en mole, rice and black beans with tortillas calientitas topped off with a refreshing negramodelo, it was delicious. After our delightful meal and pleasant conversation with Conchita our waitress, we strolled slowly back to our hotel.
Papantla is popular place for tourist who are interested in ancient civilizations, the two main attractions in Papantla are the archaeological site at "El Tajin" and the "Voladores". The following morning, we got an early start and headed to "El Tajin" which means the place of rain and thunder in the Totonac language.
We arrived early, the morning was cool and crisp
and we were the first visitors in the center which means we had the place all to ourselves for the least two hours or so.
It is generally believed that the Totonacan civilization is responsible for building the site.
As we walked in we were drawn to a magnificent pyramid named "Piramide de los Nichoes" It is believed that it's 365 niches represent a calendar year it is said that they would light a small fire in each niche which marked the passing of time. The pyramid is also considered as one of the finest pre-Colombian Pyramids in Mexico.
Javier welcoming us to El Tajin
El Tajin has been recognized as a world heritage site by UNESCO it is also the archaeological place which displays the highest degree of artistry in the coastal area of Mexico. It is believed that El Tajin reached its peak between AD 650-1200. During this time hundreds of of native structure were build in this region. It wasn't until 1785 when Spanish engineers happened upon the site
.
Above you can see the Pyramid "de los nichoes"
The site is meticulously kept, you can find a museum a souvenir
shop and a number of vendors and restaurants at the entrance
Throughout the day you can see the "Voladores de Papantla"
perform their dance and rituals. If you visit come early and have
a great time without the crowds.
Stay tuned:
My compadre felt the name was poetry :) located in calle Juan Enriquez #102 Papantla Mex. I felt that the real poetry was the food. A very intimate place no more than six tables. The cuisine? typical home cooking from Veracruz all prepared by Doña Rufina a friendly, jovial woman.Her husband Don Roque eagerly sat us down and explained the menu. We ordered a delicacy know as nopalitos con costillitas de puerco en mole, rice and black beans with tortillas calientitas topped off with a refreshing negramodelo, it was delicious. After our delightful meal and pleasant conversation with Conchita our waitress, we strolled slowly back to our hotel.
Papantla is popular place for tourist who are interested in ancient civilizations, the two main attractions in Papantla are the archaeological site at "El Tajin" and the "Voladores". The following morning, we got an early start and headed to "El Tajin" which means the place of rain and thunder in the Totonac language.
We arrived early, the morning was cool and crispand we were the first visitors in the center which means we had the place all to ourselves for the least two hours or so.
It is generally believed that the Totonacan civilization is responsible for building the site.
As we walked in we were drawn to a magnificent pyramid named "Piramide de los Nichoes" It is believed that it's 365 niches represent a calendar year it is said that they would light a small fire in each niche which marked the passing of time. The pyramid is also considered as one of the finest pre-Colombian Pyramids in Mexico.
Javier welcoming us to El Tajin
El Tajin has been recognized as a world heritage site by UNESCO it is also the archaeological place which displays the highest degree of artistry in the coastal area of Mexico. It is believed that El Tajin reached its peak between AD 650-1200. During this time hundreds of of native structure were build in this region. It wasn't until 1785 when Spanish engineers happened upon the site
.
Above you can see the Pyramid "de los nichoes"
The site is meticulously kept, you can find a museum a souvenir
shop and a number of vendors and restaurants at the entrance
Throughout the day you can see the "Voladores de Papantla"
perform their dance and rituals. If you visit come early and have
a great time without the crowds.
Stay tuned:
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Tlacotalpan the torturing of the bulls
We rose early and walked over to the town square for a nice breakfast before the crowds gathered. But to our surprise thousandths of people all dressed in red T-shirts were milling around, with some liter size beers, waiting for the running of the bulls. The t-shirt vendors had a real good day with their sales. The music coming out of many establishment also got an early start.
With the sun warming up the day, and the crowd growing rowdy with beer consumption. A wave of humanity moved slowly towards the shores of the river Papaloapan because for some sadistic enjoyment by the organizers of this event they bring the bulls 
from the other side of the river, some 300 yard of water torture inflicted on the bulls. When they reach the shore they are exhausted! Note the head of the bull is under water above. But the torturing and cruelty to these farm animal by the collective humanity gathered here in Tlacotalpan is shameful and just getting started.This is no running of the bulls like in Pamplona, Spain. This is the chasing of frightened farm animals, the inflicting of pain and suffering ranging from pulling their tails, kicking them, jumping on them when they are so exhausted that they just drop to the ground foaming at the mouth and letting out shrills of pain.
Would you think this is a fighting bull? of course not, it is a frightened one, quivering and frozen in place, note the bruises on its' legs from kicks it received from the courageous drunks because he would not move.
This is one of those brave drunk bull runners who felt "macho" and jump on top of an exhausted animal. It couldn't stand because they ran him down all over the village till he dropped.
This is a polluted gathering of of drunks whose only purpose, with government approval, is to buy beer and unleash random acts of cruelty on these animals. The towns' government is guilty of malicious indifference and complicity in condoning the sick behavior and atrocities committed in their " heritage to humanity town?" Give me a break!
This bull top and right is not dead he is "dead tired". They ran him all over the town, hoards of people chased him and them others on horse back chased him some more until it dropped. The fools standing around it were disappointed because he couldn't get up, so the would kick him, note the blood on the floor. Its' mouth was foaming as it let out a frightening squeal, bellowing as if it was crying out for help.
This bull was tied down to a post, I asked one of the persons, "por que lo amarras? Why do you tie him down? he replied "porque no quiere correr mas" he doen't want to run anymore. I asked him"crees que esto es un gran deporte para Tlacotalpan, mira como esta sangrado," Do you think this is a great sporting event for Tlacotalpan? look how he is bleeding" he replied, " si no tegusta pues no vengas" If you don't like it don't come back.
Well, he had a good point, I don't like this type of cruelty to farm animals used to plow their lands. I don't like the abuse tolerated by the local government, the mayor of the town was speaking that same evening on what a great event they hosted annually and she said that not one hair of any bull was hurt. Here is the proof, she lied. And I for one, will never be back to spend my tourist dollars in the sick cruel town of Tlacotalpan. I repeat, this town is not worthy of being a world heritage site.
Stay tuned... for a real world heritage site El tajin
from the other side of the river, some 300 yard of water torture inflicted on the bulls. When they reach the shore they are exhausted! Note the head of the bull is under water above. But the torturing and cruelty to these farm animal by the collective humanity gathered here in Tlacotalpan is shameful and just getting started.This is no running of the bulls like in Pamplona, Spain. This is the chasing of frightened farm animals, the inflicting of pain and suffering ranging from pulling their tails, kicking them, jumping on them when they are so exhausted that they just drop to the ground foaming at the mouth and letting out shrills of pain.
Would you think this is a fighting bull? of course not, it is a frightened one, quivering and frozen in place, note the bruises on its' legs from kicks it received from the courageous drunks because he would not move.
This is one of those brave drunk bull runners who felt "macho" and jump on top of an exhausted animal. It couldn't stand because they ran him down all over the village till he dropped.
This is a polluted gathering of of drunks whose only purpose, with government approval, is to buy beer and unleash random acts of cruelty on these animals. The towns' government is guilty of malicious indifference and complicity in condoning the sick behavior and atrocities committed in their " heritage to humanity town?" Give me a break!
This bull top and right is not dead he is "dead tired". They ran him all over the town, hoards of people chased him and them others on horse back chased him some more until it dropped. The fools standing around it were disappointed because he couldn't get up, so the would kick him, note the blood on the floor. Its' mouth was foaming as it let out a frightening squeal, bellowing as if it was crying out for help.
This bull was tied down to a post, I asked one of the persons, "por que lo amarras? Why do you tie him down? he replied "porque no quiere correr mas" he doen't want to run anymore. I asked him"crees que esto es un gran deporte para Tlacotalpan, mira como esta sangrado," Do you think this is a great sporting event for Tlacotalpan? look how he is bleeding" he replied, " si no tegusta pues no vengas" If you don't like it don't come back.
Well, he had a good point, I don't like this type of cruelty to farm animals used to plow their lands. I don't like the abuse tolerated by the local government, the mayor of the town was speaking that same evening on what a great event they hosted annually and she said that not one hair of any bull was hurt. Here is the proof, she lied. And I for one, will never be back to spend my tourist dollars in the sick cruel town of Tlacotalpan. I repeat, this town is not worthy of being a world heritage site.
Stay tuned... for a real world heritage site El tajin
Monday, April 6, 2009
Encuetro de Jaraneros at Tlacotalpan
We are arriving in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz. We are crossing the mighty river Papaloapan from the south.
We arrived in Tlacotalpan. As the readers may know this town was selected by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, to the list of of World Heritage sites. After witnessing the savage cruelty bestowed upon helpless farm animals by visitors and local alike with the approval of the local government. I would strongly suggest that UNESCO reconsider the inclusion of this town as a "world heritage site".
As I understand the reason why it is included on this coveted list, is the colonial architecture, Give me a break! a better example of this architecture can be found in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Personally I fail to see any overwhelming, distinguishing architectural differences from any other historical towns in Mexico Lindo.
Here is a sample of the kiosk in the central plaza, with it's Moorish influence and a typical home, are these really classic examples of Caribbean architecture???
We arrived on a Friday afternoon the festival would open next morning Saturday, therefore we were able to see the preparations or as a local small businessman called "le estan poniendo maquillage", they're just putting make-up on the town. We saw dozen of people painting the front of their homes with lively colors . Three churches around the plaza area, the two adjacent to the central park were being haphazardly painted by young man hanging from ropes slapping cheap paint on the walls. Scaffolding's are not known here. Preparing the walls; scrapping old paint, cleaning mildew, filling crack is an unknown practice, on the other hand, slapping paint over dirt and mildew is fine. Don't worry about the dripping gobs of paint on the floor, I asked one of the painters "why don't you put a drop cloth or newspaper at the edge of the wall to keep from dripping paint on the floor" he replied "oh... pos hay se va" oh... just let it go, it's ok.
A closer look around the main part of Tlaco failed to convince Javier or me that this town is worthy of being included in the UNESCO list, which includes places such as El Tajin, Puebla, Queretaro Mexico; The Great wall of China; Cathedral of St. James, Croatia; Old Havana, Cuba; Historic Cairo, Egypt. The Acropolis, Athens Greece; Old City Walls of Jerusalem; The Vatican, Rome to name a few. To be honest with the reader, I didn't see any magnificent building. Yes there a some nice picturesque fronts of homes brightly painted but I don't think they are worthy of being a heritage to humanity.
On our second day in Tlaco the multitudes started to arrive for the Fiesta de la Calendaria, the Patron Saint of the area. As usual my compadre had all his photographic equipment ready so we trotted down to the towns square, The statue of the patron saint was dressed in a new outfit inside a glass display case; ready to be carried throughout the town with a multitude of true believers following the procession. Javier gathered some courage and asked one of the ladies preparing the virgin, "Por que esta guera la estatua de la vigen?" Why is the statue of the virgin blond? "pues haci era; blanquita y muy bonita con ojitos azulitos" (recall the diminutive form of speech in Spanish?) well that the way she was beautiful, white, with blue eyes" I could sense that Javier was not happy with the answer, what he really wanted to ask why are all this mestizos paying homage to a white, blond, virgen. I could tell that he was remembering his chicano studies classes of his youth at east LA college.
As the story goes during the 1600s this area which which is surrounded by water was in danger of being destroyed by heavy rains, the river Papaloapan, was overflowing its' banks, it would destroy the town . The church bells rang summoning all of the citizens of the town and surrounding villages to the church to pray a few "novenas", "rosaries" and "padres nuestros" to the "Virgen de la Calendaria", after long hours of communal prayer, the rains subsided and the waters retreated there by saving Tlacotalpan. From then on they give thanks annually to the Virgin with a week long celebration.
To our surprise there are some local residents who don't think much about this festival, they feel that the their town is invaded by outsider and a multitude of vendors, most of them selling cheap Chinese made imitations of Mexican goods. A whole army of modern day hippies appear selling cheap shirts, cheap jewelery, incense and drug paraphernalia, "se hechan en el suelo y dejan su porqueria en el la calle", they sleep on the street and leave their filth behind. Some native Indians come to town also the sell flowers fruits, vegetables from their farms and others bring hand made dresses an hats. The place has the appearance of a week-end swap meet in the Los Angeles area with a serious shortage of portable toilets. I counted 12 for a few thousand people. But don't worry you can knock on any home that has a sign: escusado (toilet) $ 5.00 pesos,baños (shower)$ 10.00 pesos.
I guess the comment; they are just putting on make-up on the homes, churches and government buildings is correct. By the time the festival started they were still painting.
My compadre and I came here only to see the "Encuentro de Janareros" A gathering of some of the best jaranero musicians in all of Mexico, unfortunately this Divine and vibrant music which some say was born in this area, a mix of Spanish, Mestizo and African rhythms and instruments gets second billing from the organizer of the festival, they were relegated off to a small stage on a side street, while the large venue was reserved for raucous, stertorous, music the kind you can find in any common bar of Mexico.
The reader may recall from previous posts my compadre Javier, pictured here is an amateur musicologist of Mexican music he is presently researching indigenous music and the mixture of various ethnic cultures that are weaved throughout the "folklor Mexicano" one of his favorites is Jaraneros. He gave me a few lessons on the origins of the musical instruments which are direct descendants from the baroque guitar in colonial Mexico, now part of a living developing tradition. Jaranas come in various sizes; the smallest is called mosquito, with a shrill voice. Jarana primera has a high sharp voice; jarana segunda a tenor voice; jarana tercera or leona a deep sonorous voice. The best and most expensive jaranas are made from a solid piece of fine wood. Some groups will also include a tambourine and a jaw of a donkey others also have a sonaja and/or a wooden box use as a drum. All of these instrument keep in step with the dancers on the tarima. Javier loves the tarima. Bobby and I have witnessed Javier climb the tarima he can really "tear it up". We saw him last year in Veracruz during Carnival and we've saw him here in Tlaco. The tarima is a large acoustic box where dancers climb up and dance to the rhythms of the jaranero; much like getting into a trance in the baptist church when the sinners get up to testify. Javier can really keep up with the Afro-Caribbean beat his feet feet go one way, his body and mind go another and after a few sips of "toritos", a sweet peanut butter and milk spiked with alcohol from the sugar cane, he really "gets down" on the tarima.
This is a sample of the tarima it's a wooden raised platform with holes on the sides, the dancers wear dancing shoes with strong heels and keep rhythm to the fandango being played by Jaraneros, musicians
On the poster below displays the events of the festival, music, dancing, a horse parade, the parade of the Virgen de la Candelaria. One event which you don't see in the poster is the brutality bestowed upon the bulls.
Stay tuned...
As I understand the reason why it is included on this coveted list, is the colonial architecture, Give me a break! a better example of this architecture can be found in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Personally I fail to see any overwhelming, distinguishing architectural differences from any other historical towns in Mexico Lindo.
Here is a sample of the kiosk in the central plaza, with it's Moorish influence and a typical home, are these really classic examples of Caribbean architecture???
We arrived on a Friday afternoon the festival would open next morning Saturday, therefore we were able to see the preparations or as a local small businessman called "le estan poniendo maquillage", they're just putting make-up on the town. We saw dozen of people painting the front of their homes with lively colors . Three churches around the plaza area, the two adjacent to the central park were being haphazardly painted by young man hanging from ropes slapping cheap paint on the walls. Scaffolding's are not known here. Preparing the walls; scrapping old paint, cleaning mildew, filling crack is an unknown practice, on the other hand, slapping paint over dirt and mildew is fine. Don't worry about the dripping gobs of paint on the floor, I asked one of the painters "why don't you put a drop cloth or newspaper at the edge of the wall to keep from dripping paint on the floor" he replied "oh... pos hay se va" oh... just let it go, it's ok.
A closer look around the main part of Tlaco failed to convince Javier or me that this town is worthy of being included in the UNESCO list, which includes places such as El Tajin, Puebla, Queretaro Mexico; The Great wall of China; Cathedral of St. James, Croatia; Old Havana, Cuba; Historic Cairo, Egypt. The Acropolis, Athens Greece; Old City Walls of Jerusalem; The Vatican, Rome to name a few. To be honest with the reader, I didn't see any magnificent building. Yes there a some nice picturesque fronts of homes brightly painted but I don't think they are worthy of being a heritage to humanity.
On our second day in Tlaco the multitudes started to arrive for the Fiesta de la Calendaria, the Patron Saint of the area. As usual my compadre had all his photographic equipment ready so we trotted down to the towns square, The statue of the patron saint was dressed in a new outfit inside a glass display case; ready to be carried throughout the town with a multitude of true believers following the procession. Javier gathered some courage and asked one of the ladies preparing the virgin, "Por que esta guera la estatua de la vigen?" Why is the statue of the virgin blond? "pues haci era; blanquita y muy bonita con ojitos azulitos" (recall the diminutive form of speech in Spanish?) well that the way she was beautiful, white, with blue eyes" I could sense that Javier was not happy with the answer, what he really wanted to ask why are all this mestizos paying homage to a white, blond, virgen. I could tell that he was remembering his chicano studies classes of his youth at east LA college.
As the story goes during the 1600s this area which which is surrounded by water was in danger of being destroyed by heavy rains, the river Papaloapan, was overflowing its' banks, it would destroy the town . The church bells rang summoning all of the citizens of the town and surrounding villages to the church to pray a few "novenas", "rosaries" and "padres nuestros" to the "Virgen de la Calendaria", after long hours of communal prayer, the rains subsided and the waters retreated there by saving Tlacotalpan. From then on they give thanks annually to the Virgin with a week long celebration.
To our surprise there are some local residents who don't think much about this festival, they feel that the their town is invaded by outsider and a multitude of vendors, most of them selling cheap Chinese made imitations of Mexican goods. A whole army of modern day hippies appear selling cheap shirts, cheap jewelery, incense and drug paraphernalia, "se hechan en el suelo y dejan su porqueria en el la calle", they sleep on the street and leave their filth behind. Some native Indians come to town also the sell flowers fruits, vegetables from their farms and others bring hand made dresses an hats. The place has the appearance of a week-end swap meet in the Los Angeles area with a serious shortage of portable toilets. I counted 12 for a few thousand people. But don't worry you can knock on any home that has a sign: escusado (toilet) $ 5.00 pesos,baños (shower)$ 10.00 pesos.
I guess the comment; they are just putting on make-up on the homes, churches and government buildings is correct. By the time the festival started they were still painting.
My compadre and I came here only to see the "Encuentro de Janareros" A gathering of some of the best jaranero musicians in all of Mexico, unfortunately this Divine and vibrant music which some say was born in this area, a mix of Spanish, Mestizo and African rhythms and instruments gets second billing from the organizer of the festival, they were relegated off to a small stage on a side street, while the large venue was reserved for raucous, stertorous, music the kind you can find in any common bar of Mexico.
The reader may recall from previous posts my compadre Javier, pictured here is an amateur musicologist of Mexican music he is presently researching indigenous music and the mixture of various ethnic cultures that are weaved throughout the "folklor Mexicano" one of his favorites is Jaraneros. He gave me a few lessons on the origins of the musical instruments which are direct descendants from the baroque guitar in colonial Mexico, now part of a living developing tradition. Jaranas come in various sizes; the smallest is called mosquito, with a shrill voice. Jarana primera has a high sharp voice; jarana segunda a tenor voice; jarana tercera or leona a deep sonorous voice. The best and most expensive jaranas are made from a solid piece of fine wood. Some groups will also include a tambourine and a jaw of a donkey others also have a sonaja and/or a wooden box use as a drum. All of these instrument keep in step with the dancers on the tarima. Javier loves the tarima. Bobby and I have witnessed Javier climb the tarima he can really "tear it up". We saw him last year in Veracruz during Carnival and we've saw him here in Tlaco. The tarima is a large acoustic box where dancers climb up and dance to the rhythms of the jaranero; much like getting into a trance in the baptist church when the sinners get up to testify. Javier can really keep up with the Afro-Caribbean beat his feet feet go one way, his body and mind go another and after a few sips of "toritos", a sweet peanut butter and milk spiked with alcohol from the sugar cane, he really "gets down" on the tarima.
This is a sample of the tarima it's a wooden raised platform with holes on the sides, the dancers wear dancing shoes with strong heels and keep rhythm to the fandango being played by Jaraneros, musicians
On the poster below displays the events of the festival, music, dancing, a horse parade, the parade of the Virgen de la Candelaria. One event which you don't see in the poster is the brutality bestowed upon the bulls.
Stay tuned...
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