San Blas

One of the delights of Mexico is the fresh fruit! Here in San Blas they push something called yaca (pronounced jahka) and proudly advertise it in English as "jackfruit." I've never heard of jackfruit and I wonder how many gringos have. However it makes a WONDERFUL juice and just as great ice cream. Today I splurged and bought a 2 scoop cup of yaca ice cream and the more pedestrian pistachio. I would have picked some other interesting fruit but the pistachio was too tempting. Yummy!
It was about 4 o'clock in the afternoon and everyone was slowly waking up from their siesta and re-opening shop shutters, etc. The churro maker was squeezing his dough into the vat of boiling oil (you not only do not want to question from what source the oil comes, you don't want to even think about it). I'm sure they're delicious. I didn't have the necessary courage to try.
San Blas has its token share of gringo tourists. This sleepy town seems to cater to the off-beat Canadian couple, in their truck with British Columbia license plates and their dog, and the equally off-beat American, usually guys, traveling alone, surprisingly close to my age (!) who are willing to face the threat of no-see-ums. The locals, as seems to be true everywhere in Nayarit, are overwhelmingly friendly, grateful no doubt for the few tourist pesos that come their way. My waiter at lunch said San Blas has suffered from a decline in tourism. He says Puerto Vallarta has been relatively unaffected. Again, I think this reflects the fact that P.V. attracts the well-to-do who are not as much affected by financial misgiving in the states as the rest of the traveling gringos some of whom worry they may not have a job next month.
My room rents for $15 a night which is an indication that this is not Puerto Vallarta. However, as the guide book said it would be, it's clean, has a good shower, and even boasts an overhead fan. What the guidebook didn't say is that the hotel is right next door to the local high school which boasts a marching band. They've been practicing all afternoon for the big fiesta tonight in the town square. It sounds like what they lack in ability they make up for in enthusiasm and volume.
Most hotels here don't have to advertise "hot water." All water is hot. Water pressure everywhere in Mexico is questionable. So everybody has a black (why black?) plastic water tank on the roof of their house. This means that by 11 a.m., the water coming out of the cold water tap is sometimes scalding hot.
One Mexican paradox I can't resolve is the response to dirt or dirtiness. They won't hesitate to litter, blatantly and outrageously, despite untold numbers of signs urging them not to do it. When they go picnicking, they will set up a table and chairs right next to garbage strewn all over the ground and are apparently oblivious to it. And then, one walks by houses where twice a day, the lady of the house is sweeping the sidewalk in front of her house with gusto, throwing pails of water into the dirt street to keep the dust down, etc. Go figure.
San Blas is sleepy, laid-back colorful. They have an 8 day long fiesta to celebrate migratory birds! That is quickly followed by the fiesta to celebrate the founding of San Blas. I asked several people when San Blas was founded. No one knew. 1768 says the guidebook. So it's been around awhile. It was "discovered" by the Spanish conquistador Nuno de Guzman in 1530. What's kind of cool is that it probably hasn't changed a whole heck of a lot since 1768! The fortress on top of the hill is still there. The old church, looking like it could fall down any minute, is still there on the town square, with the new one right next to it. There are buildings for about 5 to 10 blocks in all directions away from the main square, but that's about it.
One of the highlights of San Blas is the "Tovara Jungle Trip". Picture the jungle ride in Disneyland, minus the hippopotamus, but with real animals. Cool! We were the first boat of the morning and came across numerous birds, a couple of turtles, several crocodiles, and lots and lots of fish visible in the clear water. It was great. If you ever get there, I wholeheartedly recommend it! By 11 o'clock, it was blazing hot and time to either go to the beach or head to some other place. I chose to get into an air-conditioned bus.
To be continued!