Bucket of Beer

Another day on the beach began as we walked the long beach to our left as we look out over the bay. Just past Rossy's, we encountered four or five men hogtieing a rather large salt water crocodile (cocodila) that they had lured from the adjacent estuary to measure and catalogue. His snout was tied with a rope around a tree, and one gentlemen who probably weighed 200 lbs. was standing on his snout to force his mouth closed so it could be more firmly secured. A cloth was placed over the croc's eyes which appeared to quiet him and soon all four legs were tied as well. He was over 11'6"!!

Then we walked to the end of the beach and onto the rocks to make our way over to Playa los Gatas named for the whiskered sharks that populate the reef just off shore. After ten or fifteen minutes of scrambling over rocks, we entered the playa and row after row of beachside restaurants and beach chairs.

Every twenty paces another call would come for us to share in their spot on the beach (no charge for the chairs!), but we continued on towards the end until we met Franco. Another North American couple (actually from our club) enthusiastically endorsed the food so we laid down our towels and I ordered a Pacifico while Carolyn ordered a pina colada with rum.

Carolyn's drink came in a full pineapple decorated with other fruit and flowers while I was given an iced bucket of four beers! I felt like I was in one of those Corona ads. Then we ordered lunch which consisted of seven tacos, both red snapper and shrimp, with salsa, great guacamole, rice and chips. It was so much food that we didn't even finish it all.

Over several hours, we were able to finish off the bucket and start on a second while enjoying a conversation with Franco whose family grows tobacco locally and makes hand rolled cigars. So I had to have one, and actually bought another four to take back as a gift to a cigar aficionado friend of mine.

The water behind the reef was warm, probably in the 80s, and great for several swims we took. Around four, Franco helped us negotiate with one of his friends to take us directly back to the club by boat so we had a quick excursion across the bay.

I was a little short of funds, however, to pay for both the cigars and the boat ride, so the skipper waited patiently as made a dash up to the room and back to pay both him and Franco.

Then, it was back to the pool where we talked with Rob and Carol about other vacations and we got some sweet recommendations about villas in St. Maarten in the Caribbean. We have a new place on our list of future vacations.

Tonight, we're going to kick back (could we kick back anymore?) and enjoy the lingering sunset from our deck and perhaps a bottle of wine. Salud!