Limping into San Felipe

Our day started early. I drove over to to other side of this massive RV park to pick Harry up at 5am. When we got back to my place a few minutes later Raul was there with his 24 foot Panga fishing boat in tow. Harry and I jumped in the tow vechile and behind the wheel was Johnny the Greek. We were introduced to this guy and right away I knew we would hit it off. Johnny is 65 years old and retired here several years ago. He was an aeronautical engineer that worked in Greese and in the US in LA. So away we drove heading south 78 kilometers to Puerteccitos where Raul assured us the fishing was fantastic. It is slow goingg down highway 5 so it took about an hour in a half to reach the boat launch. During this time Johnny kept us entertained with his story and his excellent jokes. He speaks several languages including spanish and english and has a very exciting accent. This man is full of the love of life and just being around him is a treat. We got launche then proceded to travel about 20 miles offshore to a group of islands where Johnny explained the fishing would be graet. He wasn't kidding. I was the first to get a bite and I brought into the boat a fish like I have never seen before. It was a belt fish. Beautiful gleaming silver thing as skinny as a belt and about 2in a half feet long. Johnny said it was the first one he had evere seen out of these waters and told me they are one of the finest tasting fish. He used to buy them at the fish markets in Greece. Soon we were all catching fish sometimes three and four at a time. Croaker fish, Corvena, Trigger fish, sand shark (which are used for fish tacko's around here) and Red Snapper. We fished all day and by the end had a cooler nearly full of fish. Raul told us he would clean and filet the fish for Harry and me. Harry said he was leaving tomorrow (i'll miis him) he had to be back to Kelowna for work by Dec 1st and had several stops he wantted to make in the US on the way home. I ended up with all the fish. Put them in my freezer to enjoy when I head south and am at places where there are not supermarkets. We got back to the boat launch about 4 o'clock and started heading home. About 40k into the trip home all of a sudden, bump,bump,bump. We had a flat tire on the boat trailer. We al piled out of the SUV and started to get busy. It was then I discoved Raul only had three lug nuts on the wheel not the five that were supposed to be on there. Plus one lug stem broke when we were trying to get it off. Now we were down to just two lug nuts. We had no choise but to put the spare on secured by only the two. I suggested we take one off he oter wheel and use it but the guys did not want to chance breaking another stem. So we limped back another 40k to San Felipe at about 20k per hour all the time hearing the thump thump of that wheel andd hoping it would not break off. I said a prayer and I think the other guys did too. We rolled into San Felipe about 8:30 all of us cheering and so happy to have made it home. Raul said he would have the trailer fixed including a new bearing installed and have the boat ready for a charter he had at 7am the next morning. He asked if I would like to come along free of charge. I told him I would take him up on it another time, gave him a thousand peso tip and thanked him for a wonderful day.

Harry, Johnny and Raul. Belt fish and Trigger fish. Thought I had some of the huge Red Snappers but guess I don't. They are such a beautiful fish and one of my favorites to dine on.