#3 Lunch in San Blas, Aticama, Crocs and Food

Ok all of you San Blas people, have you been to the San Blas Social Club yet to pick up your pickles??? And why not??? This for a terrific cause - the spay and  neuter clinics that are being held once a month here in SB. If you were here 15 or 20 years ago, you will remember all of the stray dogs limping around town with ribs showing and mange. These spay and neuter clinics have gone a long way to solving that town problem. Now, I've heard a rumour that Billie maybe cooking up some dill pickles this week so get on over there and check it out. Bring your friends and neighbours too!!!

Lunch on the square with the tables that resemble my kitchen at home and purple chairs. My kind of colour scheme. This is the spot right beside the ice cream place on the corner. They have great shrimp burritos. 

This is not an uncommon sight in SB. 4 on a bike. There are so many more motor bikes and scooters here than there were three years ago. Hopefully it is a sign that the town is getting more prosperous. 

Obviously the restaurant needed a new gas tank and how else to get it there other than on a motor bike? He hauled this one off, took it inside, hauled the old one out and off he went again.

And I hate bent forks!!! 

Right next door to us this place. Early in the morning the owner starts boiling pig fat. Oh it is such an interesting smell/odour!!! As it cooks it becomes these hard curly pig fat chunks. He also chops up some of the meat and puts it on tortillas. He has a table and four chairs out on the street. Now, I want to take a picture of the large vat he uses to cook this in but as of yet, I can't hold my breath that long!!!

Two towns south of us is Aticama. It is quite a viable community with the library and cultural center as one of its focuses. Three years ago there were these little tables beside the ocean where they shucked oysters and then you could sit somewhere to eat them if you could find a place. During the pandemic these tiny businesses were told to close and they banded together and refused. As a result they got tons of money to develop the ocean front into many cute little restaurants. Don't ask me for the logic there as I'm not going to be able to help you.

I love how they have decorated the street with ribbons and god's eyes.

This was a part of our restaurant. 

My very first dozen oysters which are going to be followed by many more I'm sure!!!

Part of the local colour was a family of chicks and their Mom walking around keeping the floor clean.

This guy is carrying a bag of oysters up from the beach to the restaurant. I took one look at his stance and thought, "Yeah. I know exactly how you are feeling right now!"

On the way back from Aticama we stopped to check out the local crocs. You can get really close to them. Too bad some of the guys racing on our road with the loud music and mufflers don't stop off here to show their machismo by wrestling these fellows like you see in Florida. Just a suggestion.

Sometimes it is hard to tell the logs from the crocs. In the background you can see the mango swamps and the Sierra Madre Mountains. 

Right across from our room is an apartment with a young man, a mother cat and three kittens. See the grey and white kitten? Two seconds before it was in the green bucket. All of the kittens take turns going in the bucket and it is so cute and every time Ray sees one or I do and I grab my camera and get it focused the kitten is out of the bucket so this is for your imaginary skills. Get the kitten to walk backwards, jump into the bucket and look cute. Thank you.

The other day, a friend drew my attention to the fact that we had a place selling crepes near us. I had walked past this place so many times and hadn't noticed the huge word crepes on the building. I like crepes. I've had them in France. They are delicate and light and quite refreshing as a dessert. Following yet another amazing dinner at the San Blas Social Club cooked by Sandra. If you haven't been there for dinner lately, you must go. Every meal we have had this year has been a delight. But I digress. Back to crepes. They came in the shape of a piece of pizza. I needed a knife to cut it. All of the stuff we had asked for was pooled and puddled on the top. It was a massive sugar overload. 

I had also ordered a frape. I did not expect it to come with a chocolate ice cream treat sticking out of the top which .........was delicious. How could it not be? It was chocolate. If you are feeling like you need a sugar fix, I would highly recommend you go here. 

This is our street heading to the beach. It is the main street to the beach. The blue awning was put up for some woman to sell clothes under every so often. The blue pillars place turns into a restaurant at night and by day maybe a day care centre. I'm not certain about that. The other day a five year old was being unmercifully bullied by a 7 year old girl and about an 8 year old boy. I was on the balcony so ready to start yelling. It is hard not to get involved when you are in a foreign country and don't have enough of the language to yell everything that needs to be yelled. Anyway, the schizophrenic one legged man who lives just to the left of the blue awning started yelling at the house where the kids had come from and finally the Mother came out and yelled at the kids. They wouldn't go any where near her. They knew they were in for the beats. They went to the house. They just wouldn't go in the door. I hear this little girl crying way too much but at least now I know that wheelchair man will be look after her back. 

Next is the pharmacy. The first week I was here, I was having quite the time with swollen feet and legs. I asked Martha if she could let me know the next time the doctor was coming as he makes house calls as I needed a diuretic. "Oh, you don't need a doctor for that. Ady will go and get you some at the pharmacy." And that is what happened. I checked out the med that I would need a script for at home on the Mayo Clinic site and I've been taking it ever since with some adjustment to dose. Medicine in Mexico. Easy breezy. 

This is our street in the other direction going towards the square and market. The construction on the right is the result of them tearing down one half of the school just before we arrived. See the construction? See the kids out at recess at the upper right hand corner. Hilarious!!! This would so not happen at home.

A couple of days ago we went for oysters with Pepe to a place in SB. Yeah, I know, never eat oysters in SB but hey!!! We are still alive days later!!!

I can not believe I am actually going to say this but these were the biggest oysters I have ever eaten and I'm not sure that made them the best. I think smaller can definitely be better!!!

These are pearls that the proprietor had taken out of one oyster shell. There were 7. Kind of yucky looking things!!!

This is our local half a block down the road chicken guy.

Saturday morning at 6 there was lots of truck backing up beeping sound going on. I had to really convince Ray to get out of bed to check and was surprised to learn it was a pump create truck. It took up so much room that the road was closed for hours. This construction is moving so fast compared to other projects we have seen going on here. 

Our pool has been tiled since we were last here and it is lovely. We swim most days later in the afternoon. Ady, my English student comes Mon., Wed. and Friday from 3-4. An amazing student who has applied to get a travel visa to the states and is therefore very motivated to learn English. 

We were at the beach yesterday, Sunday, being family day every week. I asked this guy if I could take his picture as I always do and then asked if he was putting eggs on the fish but it turned out that yellow stuff was margarine!!!

Last week at the beach this guy had brought a sample of his drink to our table and given us each one and not one of us tried it. Yesterday I tried it and WOW it was amazing. Note, he only left one sample yesterday noting we didn't try it last week probably. It was some kind of coconut milk concoction. He sold two glasses at our table and I'll get it for sure next week. This was a great find.

Should you ever see these small golf balls in your home, please take note. You have an iguana living with you. The other night we heard this wild cat fight going on on our porch at some time during the night. In the morning, I discovered that that was not two cats. That was one cat and one iguana. No blood so hopefully it was a draw.....

Saturday took us on a road trip with Martha. We went to Miramar for lunch and then on the way back detoured into La Palma and then onto the tiny town of La Bajada. Now, I've been on these kind of excursions with Martha before. I should have know better. We drove across this road (?) on the left and then headed up onto roads goats would have had trouble with. My door was locked. My window wouldn't come down. I was hot and I was getting cranky!!! "Yes, it's a lovely town. Not let's get out of here!!!!!"

Here's Martha and her Mom enjoying seafood soup. I still have half of my lunch in the fridge.

This is our lunch from Berrago Beach yesterday. OMG what a fantastic delight!!! Ray and I shared it after I drew a line of demarcation down the middle. Pineapple stuffed with seafood and cheese. I bet they serve this in heaven....

And that is it for another week. Thank you so much for your read. Please pass it along. Have a great week. Be blessed!!!