The day after Valentine's day our next guests arrived. Ryan, Holly, Zane, and Anika Edwards were dropped off by taxi from the airport at about 4:30 pm. They are staying for about a week and we have prepared the bedroom and confirmed a cot and blow-up bed that the kids will use up in the palapa. We have been lucky and bugs have not been an issue, so the two teenagers will have a space of their own.
We basically played each day by ear while they were here. Only one day was scheduled and that was the day of fishing. Each morning we got up and then gathered to formulate the day's activities. Breakfasts were at home, or the group would walk down to one of the little restaurants a few blocks away. Meals cost about two-thirds less down here so the whole family could eat for about $20 a meal. Zane tended to push that cost up a bit. I have never seen anyone be able to eat so much in one sitting. Of course, we are not around a growing teenage boy regularly. It was fun seeing him eat everything in sight!
We usually did some time on the beach and followed that up with afternoon activities around the casa. The swimming pool was the center of the action, but we also played ping pong and cards when not splashing and heaving balls at each other.
Each evening we walked into the town square and chose a place to have dinner. We ate at home twice, but mostly we enjoyed street tacos. Zane could put away a ton of them.
The day we went fishing, we left the casa at 6:30 am and were on the water by 7:15 am. Gerry Kosonoy, our fishing guide, picked us up at the house and drove us to his boat located in Barra. On the water, we watched the sunrise as we drug the lures out past the shipwreck and out onto the ocean south of Melaque Bahia.
At about 9:00 am, one of the reels started spinning and we had something on. I was in the chair closest and grabbed the rod. The hook set and I brought in a nice-sized dorado. We would not be skunked. Everyone was excited.
We pulled the lures for another hour. The next person in the fighting chair was Ani. Suddenly another reel started singing. Gerry grabbed the rod, but nothing was there. A second rod sounded. Gerry took the rod and gave it a considerable pull. He handed it to Zane and said, "I think we have a big one there." Zane offered the rod to Ani, but from the strength of the fish pulling the line out, we knew Ani was not strong enough for the fight. Seconds later there was a huge splash and we got our first look at the fish. A blue marlin! The fight was on and Zane was in charge. Gerry talked him through the entire encounter giving Zane encouragement and tips on how to work the fish. He let Zane know that this could be a long battle and that he should take his time, keep the line tight, and settle in for a fun afternoon.
Zane did all the work in landing the fish. Gerry only took the rod for a couple of moments when the fish ran under the boat and jumped on the opposite side. He kept the rod tight and worked the line under the boat engine, and once the line was clear he handed it back to Zane.
The entire fight from start to finish took just over an hour. The blue marlin weighed a bit over 200 lbs and was about 6 ft. 6 inches long. It was bigger around than Zane and about a foot taller.
Once the marlin was landed Gerry turned back to Barra. We pulled bait back, but nothing hit. I think everyone was happy with our catch. Back at the dock, Gerry and Zane cleaned the fish. Ryan, Annie, and I sat at a restaurant in the shade and drank water.
Back at home, we told and re-told the story of the big fish. We kept enough fish for a meal and Ryan made arrangements with Tito's Restaurant on the beach to prepare our next supper. The next night we had a wonderful meal of fish, rice, and salad. Once again the story was told and Zane ate another amazing amount of food.
On Monday, Ryan had to fly to Texas for work. His taxi was on time and his flights back to the states went smoothly. The rest of us (Beth was working) headed into Barra for a shopping-for-souvenirs trip. We wandered down the streets, poking around in different shops looking for just the right moments. Souvenirs were purchased. We had a delicious lunch at Ramon's and then headed back to Melaque. Back at the Casa, we spent the day cleaning as our guests packed. There were more ping-pong matches and goofing around, but the three travelers were ready to go.
At 7 am the next morning we said our goodbyes and loaded Holly, Ani, and Zane into the taxi. We were sad to see them go.
As a post-script note, their return trip home did not go as well as Ryan's. They were delayed in Mexico City and missed their flight from LA to Spokane. Delta, their carrier, did nothing to help them so they had to book flights on Alaska which came through with three seats. That was a downer, but they made it home safely and that is really all that matters.
Photos From The Edward's Visit:
Photos From The Fishing Trip:
No comments:
Post a Comment