Close to Tampico |
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Close to Tampico |
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La Laguna Tamiahua
Since last fall I have been working in Tampico, and one of the guys at work has a small place to go on the weekends to relax with some friends. It´s on the Laguna Tamiahua. And it´s the kind of place where you remember the song, "The Rivers of Babylon". The Laguna is that kind of place. |
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The Smell of Salt Water
As soon as you get there, you notice the smell of salt water and can feel the humidity in the air . Overhead a line of pelicans slowly glide by, and you want to head straight to the beach and look at the boats. The pace of life here on the Laguna is slower, and you begin to get into the rhythm of the little waves that gently roll onto the beach. Soon, the city is left behind, and those things become less important. |
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A Line of Pelicans
Just being close to the water, watching the pelicans gliding by feels good. Over by the mangroves, a couple of iguanas rustle through the leaves looking for a place to hide. There were lots of little places to explore. And, it seems like palm trees with real coconuts are everywhere. |
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Time to Get Ready for the Picnic
Today, we´d planned a picnic for some friends at the office in Tampico, and I´d almost forgotten why we were here. Now, it was time to unload the jeep because they would be arriving soon. It felt so different just being here. There was so much to look at that I´d almost forgotten about getting things set up for the picnic. |
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No Tourists Around
A couple of the guys from the neighborhood were heading for one of the boats. One of them told me they were going out to check the crab traps. "Want to come along?" There was room for one more, so I hopped in for a short boat ride around the Laguna to check the crab traps. It seemed like we were the only ones out that day and it was nice. |
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Real Coconuts
When we got back from checking the empty traps, some of the people were starting to arrive for the picnic. Most of us are city people and only see coconuts in the supermarket. Over next to one of the palm trees were some coconuts. One the guys grabbed a nearby machete and said, "Here, let me show you what´s on the inside." |
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The Fresh Coconut Emerges
He skillfully chopped away at the outside of the coconut and slowly the form of a supermarket coconut emerged. "A fresh coconut like this is sweeter," he told us. "Try one." He handed the fresh coconut to one of the kids. She took one sip, and smiled. "This is good!", she said. |
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Cooking the Food
It seems like in every group there´s a good cook or two, and a couple of experts on how to get the charcoal fire started without lighter fluid. We´d forgotten that, and used some old newspapers to get the fire going. Once the fire was started, we just kind of relaxed. Then we realized we´d forgotten to bring enough chairs. But, nobody seemed to mind. To be on the Laguna with friends was good enough. |
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The Leftovers were Gone
The carne asada, tortillas, and frijoles a la charra were good, and the afternoon passed quickly The neighborhood dogs had finished off the leftovers, and were resting in the shade. We had explored the beach and the nearby mangroves where the iguanas rustled through the leaves, but we knew that sooner or later we would have to pack up and leave. But nobody seemed to want to leave. The Laguna Tamiahua is like that. |
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Time to Go Back
Everybody packed up and left one by one. As I pulled back on the main highway to Tampico, it felt like I was bracing myself to go back to a civilization of noise and traffic. Tomorrow we would all be back at the office, and our lives would return to normal. Later the next day I was looking at the map on how to get to the Laguna Tamiagua again, perhaps dreaming about going back next weekend. It´s a place where you feel alive, and even the food tastes better. And every time I hear the "Rivers of Babylon", I remember the Laguna Tamiahua, Maybe next weekend, I´ll go back and we can check the crab traps again, or just do not much of anything. |