After recovering from the local plague, from which many here in the Rio have succumbed, Mark and I were once again ready for re-immersion in the surrounding community. This is place is a bustling hub and exchange center for regional tradespeople. Rural women wear traditional skirts and shawls, often with a baby on her back, while the men wear cowboy hats and boots, often sporting gold outlined teeth.
The town of Fronteras is a little over a mile dinghy ride and has just about everything you might need to buy.
The streets are crowded, narrow and dynamic ~ and you'd better watch out for the cattle trucks rattling by.
Tiendas sell interesting combinations of wares, along with the fruit & veggie markets, such as rope with beans/herbs or garlic on a rope.
With several marinas lining the Rio, there are often social events. A big 4th of July celebration took place at our marina and they roasted a pig in an underground pit for a party of ~100 people.
I was able to get a sneak peak of Carmen preparing the pig before and after. The meat had a subtle, smokey flavor and it was quite an event complete with fireworks.
A few days late, we were able to get together with Judy (Quest) to celebrate her & Mark's July birthdays over a special chili relleno lunch.
The poblanos came straight from Mexico and were stuffed with ground meat with chopped nuts and topped with a pecan puree and strawberries - muy rico!
We had celebrated Mark & Judy's birthdays together a year ago in the San Blas and were inspired to have a repeat when finding ourselves in the same port of call. Okay guys, where to next year?!
