The last day of June is upon me. My favorite month of the year, Julio, on its way! Ayer por la noche we went into Caleta de Campos for a cool experience. There were rumors of a little shindig going down that evening, so we hitchhiked into this little town fifteen minutes north of Rio Nexpa. What an interesting place. Earlier in the trip I had visited Caleta during the day to check my email. At first glance it appears to be an ordinary Mexican coastal town. The main road has small markets with products extending out into the street for extra lure. Carnicerias with sides of meat hanging in the open air like bats on a cave. Heladerias selling ice cream out of big barrels.
But on closer inspection you begin to notice that there are immaculate four wheel drive SUV's and supped-up trucks rolling through with woofer-powered sound systems pouring out mariachi music. Huh? Then you notice the clothing. Usually you would see recycled US T-shirts and rustic garments. In Caleta some of the vaqueros were wearing very nice shirts with a clean jeans and brand new wide brim cowboy hats. Some of the women were dressed so nice you could pick them up and place them in the heart of a shopping district in Greenwich Village. Why is there so much affluence prevalent here? Then the wheels in my head start to turn . . . there is a crop grown in the mountains surrounding this town that is worth more than its weight in gold. It appears that the power of illegal economics has trickled down to the general townspeople.
Finally a swell is rolling in! The first few days of July are going to be filled with lots of curling blue walls. I have settled into "The Nexpa Lifestyle". Everything seems to happen at a leisurely pace. Even going to the store to get a bottle of water seems to be an endless experience. Each sunset you can watch Mario walk determinedly towards the northern beaches, and come back with a huge fish. Evidently he has some nets attached to the seafloor a mile or so north of the cabanas where he swims out each evening to check his trap. When he returns hauling a fish that is half the length of his body, that's when I have made my mental reservation at Chicho's restaurant for the evening. He sells his fish to Chicho, and then Chicho's wife makes magical filets for dinner. Empanizado is my favorite way to eat this fresh fare, but that means breaded and fried -- not the best for the healthy conscious, but hey, if you surf five hours plus per day, you can afford to have a little extra grease in your meal.
Surf gods shine upon us!
ER Harris
