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Posts Tagged ‘Mexican lifestyle’

“Leaving Something On The Playing Field”

Posted in Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Baja Rockfish, Cabo San Lucas, cabrilla, cerralvo, charters, dorado, espirito santo, fish, Fishing, fishing packages, fishing reports, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tips, fishing tournaments, fishing trips, fishing videos, flyfishing, giant squid, holidays in mexico, humboldt squid, inshore fishing, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, jack crevalle, Jonathan Roldan, kids, kids fishing, La Paz, La Paz Fishing, la ventana, las arenas, Leisure, Living in Mexico, marlin, Mexican, Mexican business, Mexican culture, Mexican Independence Day, Mexico, Mexico economy, Mexico life, Mexico neighborhood, outfitters, panga, Panga Fishing, pargo, pompano, roosterfish, Salt Water Fishing, Sea of Cortez, sierra, sportfishing, squid fishing, Tailhunter International, techniques, tourism, tours, Travel, trolling tips, tuna, Tuna jackpot, tuna tournament, Uncategorized, vacations, wahoo, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, women fishing, yellowtail, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 7, 2013| 1 Comment »

hogar-de-ancianos-santa-marta

LEAVING SOMETHING ON THE PLAYING FIELD

Originally Published the Week of July 9, 2013 in Western Outdoor News

In all the years down here in Baja, one of the funnest things I ever did had nothing to do with being on the water.  It had a lot to do with being on this planet.

But there we were…us and a handful of fishermen running up and down the aisles of the local La Paz grocery store tossing handfuls of everything in the basket.  Money and cost be damned!

It was like turning kids loose in a candy store!

Remember those old TV shows where the winner got 10 minutes to put as much of anything the could find into the shopping cart before the buzzer rang?  That’s what it was like.   Gleeful fun.  Giddy fun.

Store attendants looked on in horror!

Jimmy was putting bags of rice and beans in his cart and piling that-up with cartons of eggs.

Mike was literally doing a balancing act by pulling cans of soup or vegetables into his cart and making a mess dumping boxes of cereal and soap and juice into his overflowing cart.

Terry had parked in the produce section.  He was busy bagging tomatoes and apples, onions and oranges and trying to squeeze watermelon underneath near the wheels.

On the other end of the store, Larry already had some huge frozen hams in his cart.  He had just laid wasted to the bacon, poultry and hot dogs and was now assaulting the dairy section for milk, yogurt and butter.  See, Larry run!

Laughing like a little kid, I found Mario in the liquor aisle putting jugs of wine on top of boxes of cookies…donuts… and potato chips!

I looked at him puzzled…”Not exactly healthy stuff there, Mario!”

“Hey…they’re OLD…they’re not DEAD! They should have some fun!” he yelled back.

I had to laugh.  All of this “largesse” was headed to one of the old-folks home here in La Paz.  Yes…”old but not dead and certainly entitled to fun!”

As soon as all of this was loaded into the van, we were headed there to the senior home to play summer-time Santa Clause…a total surprise!

Every year this group pulls this crazy stunt.  Their last day in town is a “run through the market” followed by a visit to the senior home to big smiles, hugs, and grateful handshakes from a group so often forgotten.

The seniors are so often forgotten.  They’re not cute.  Many can’t speak.  They sit for hours just staring.     One of the gents gets a special smile as he pulls the bottle of tequila from the boxes of groceries and flashes a toothless grin!  I  would have bet the barn that he squirrels it under his shirt and sneaks back to his room!

But they aren’t the only ones.  We have another group of anglers that takes all the fish from their last day of fishing. They donate it to whatever cause seems to be the most needy.  Sometimes, it’s the seniors.  Sometimes it’s the kids.

It doesn’t matter.  It seems that they fish especially hard that  last day because they know that even “junk fish” like bonito will be more than welcomed.  Jack crevalle and triggerfish all go into the ice chests ready to fillet!

Again, the smiles are priceless.

I have another group of good-Joes.  They fish with us and eat at our restaurant.  They automatically put up $50 bucks a head.  They order and eat off the $50.

They order a 10-dollar burger or plate of tacos and nachos.  The remainder is a donation to charity.   If they have 10 or 20 guys…that can be a nice sum that buys a lot of dry goods,  toiletries, rice, beans and yes…pampers and toothpaste.

Others aren’t so grand, but bring whatever they can.

A dentist brings cases of the extra sample toothbrushes  sent to his office. He has us give it to an elementary school near Las Arenas.  A doctor gets boxes bandages.

A guy who sells paper products brings note pads and colored-pencils.  Kids who treasure each piece of paper act like gold,  bust out huge smiles.

Another group collects old sporting goods cast-off by their own kids who have outgrown them. They come down with baseball gloves,  a catchers mask,  some old rubber bases and deflated soccer balls and basketballs that can be inflated again.  Old sweaty baseball hats with MLB logos are treated like winning lottery tickets.

Eyes glow.  Handshakes exchanged.  No words necessary.   It’s universal.  Win-win.  Priceless friendship and gratitude.

Things that we so often take for granted like toothpaste and soap and shampoo are a luxury.   We go through sports gear as fast as we visit our sporting goods store and see a new model that promises to make us stronger, faster, or better.

We don’t give 2nd thoughts about how important something like pampers or socks or clean t-shirts might be.  Or just what a treat a cheap sip of wine might be  even if served in a Dixie cup.

You always hear athletes talking about “going all out” and “leaving it all out there on the court or field.”  Give it your all.  Regret nothing.

Here in Mexico, leaving even a little something behind on the playing field is makes everyone a winner.

That’s my story!

Jonathan

_______________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico  www.tailhunter-international.com.  They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront.  If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com  or drop by the restaurant to say hi!

______________

Jonathan Roldan’s

Tailhunter International

 

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor

 

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO

 

Website: www.tailhunter-international.com

U.S. Office: Box 1149, Alpine CA  91903-1149

Mexico Office: 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico

Phones:

from USA : 626-638-3383

from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

.

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:

http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

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“What I See Is What You Get!”

Posted in Baja, Baja Fishing, Baja Life, Baja Mexico Fishing, Cabo San Lucas, Fishing, Fishing Tackle and Techniques, Fishing techniques, fishing tournaments, holidays in mexico, inshore fishing in Baja Mexico, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Living in Mexico, Mexican, Mexican culture, Mexico, Mexico life, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Sea of Cortez, Tailhunter International, Uncategorized, Western Outdoor News, Western Outdoor Publications, yellowtail, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 8, 2012| Leave a Comment »

It is sometimes a narrow view from the beach and under the palapa fronds, but it’s amazing what you sometimes see and pick up!

WHAT I SEE IS WHAT YOU GET!

Originally Published the Week of July 11, 2012 in Western Outdoor News

I recently came under some criticism by a reader for what I write in my columns and how I write them.  It’s not the first and surely not the last time I got in someone’s crosshairs about it.  Oh well.

Fortunately, it’s few and far between.  I can’t please everyone and everytime someone jumps on my head it’s far outweighed by so many of you who ride in like the cavalry to offer support.  Much appreciated, amigos!  It’s gratifying to know so many of you enjoy my columns and have my back!

When I started writing this column for WON (Western Outdoor News)  in 2004 on a lark.  WON editor, Pat McDonnell  asked me to fill in “for a few weeks” until he found someone else to replace me. He knew that I was busy with my own fishing operation down here in La Paz.  No brainer.

Pat and WON have been friends and supporters for many years.  I was happy and honored to fill in although somewhat awed at filling the sandy sandals of the likes of Gene Kira, Fred Hoctor and Ray Cannon.

But, I figured for a couple of weeks, how much damage could I do? La-la-la-la-la…

Two weeks turned into eight years almost 400 columns. I jokingly tell Pat to let me know when he finds my “replacement.”

Those first two years, I wrote the column every week.  That’s 800-1000 words and, as I do now, I write the column about midnight after a full day running our La Paz operations. That’s 52 columns, plus other articles for WON as well as the Baja Beat pages in the former Western Outdoor News Magazine. Those were another 3000 or so words.

Try to come up with something new and fresh every time! Then try writing at midnight after a 20-hour-work-day and knowing that you only have a few hours to get it done with a brain that’s screaming for a pillow and a blanket!  Pat and the other great writers at WON have incredibly been doing it for years.

I have a small brain. I have limited time. I gotta get up to put out the boats in 2 hours.  I wanna go to bed!

And, as I’m sure all writers do, sometimes deadlines would loom and my brain just wouldn’t work.  Credit Pat McDonnel, Rich Holland, and Gene Kira who told me, “Just write what you know.”

I can surely write about dorado and tuna fishing and how to catch marlin.  And I do.  To a degree.

But, so does everyone else.  And they are better fishermen than me and can certainly write about it better than I can.  And honestly, how many different ways are there to catch a dorado or a billfish?  Open any fishing magazine on the rack and there’s probably half-a-dozen articles about “how-to-catch a….(fill in the blank)”

I know that’s almost heresy to even mention that, but where we are here in La Paz, we take a hook.  We put a bait on it. We put the bait in the water.  We’re now fishing!   It’s hard to fill 52 columns a year with that. I’m just not good enough for that.

And I’m not as good of a reporter as so many other writers either.  I don’t travel.  I don’t get out and about. Gary Graham does such a great job of it.  Me? I’m kinda tied to one spot. We live here in La Paz.

My view of Baja can be pretty myopic.  It’s the view through the window of the palapa.  It’s the view of walking around in the streets doing what people do here on a day-to-day basis. We shop.  We fill gas.  It’s life.

It’s the joking at the taco stand.  It’s the funny things that happen in the grocery store or the sometimes comical adventures of tourists and amigos.  It’s about running a business here in an adopted country.

It’s the interaction with visitors and friends and all of YOU who come to wet a line or put your toes in the sand.  It’s what I see on the beach or on the water. I keep a keen ear out for what I hear and what all of you say.  I’m simply an observer and your humble conduit of those experiences.

So, ultimately, yes.  I write about what I know.  And I also write for my own enjoyment.  When, I’m writing at midnight and running on fumes, it’s pretty hard to find my writing muse if the subject bores me to death!

So, I write about the whole “Baja experience.”  Because to me, a visit here is more than just fishing or diving.  That’s merely the vehicle that gets you down here.

Beyond that, it’s the sunrises and the great food. It’s that great beach you found and watching your kids light up seeing the dolphins. It’s the dusty road to the hidden cove.  It’s the little hotel you chanced upon or finding that perfect surf break or fishing or diving hole.

It’s the culture and most of all, it’s the people. The little old man who sold you the necklace.  The captain who chatted about how much he liked the Yankees.  The family who served you at the little beachside palapa and cooked your fresh fish and shared a recipe.

It’s the  smiles you bring and the smiles you take home!

That’s my story!

Jonathan

________________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife, Jill, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico  www.tailhunter-international.com.  They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront.  If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com  or drop by the restaurant to say hi!

___________

Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International

 

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor

 

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO


 
Website: www.tailhunter-international.com
U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Drive, Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745
Mexico Office: 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

.
Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report:
http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate


“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

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EASY TO TAKE FOR GRANTED!

Posted in Baja Fishing, Baja Mexico Fishing, Fishing, Jonathan Roldan, La Paz Fishing, Panga Fishing, Salt Water Fishing, Tailhunter International, Uncategorized, Western Outdoor News, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 27, 2012| 3 Comments »

Mexic is a wonderful country, but many differences in Mexico suggest you just go with the flow and slow down a bit.

EASY TO TAKE FOR GRANTED

Originally Published the Week of June 2, 2012 in Western Outdoor News Publications

Over the many years of watching gringos come and go down here in Baja, both tourists and ex-pats alike,  I think the biggest issue I see is how much is taken for granted. We assume so much.  And often are so surprised. 

 

I faced it myself when I first moved down here.  I continue to run into things that make me scratch my head or cock an eyebrow.  Coming from the U.S. or other countries, we just assume certain things are “a given.”

 

Like water. . .

 

You turn on the tap and water comes out.  Usually, as much as you want.  Here in Mexico, that’s not always so.  If you ever see the big plastic black tanks on top of people’s homes and businesses, those are water storage units.  Water only comes several times a week.  At a trickle.  Only at certain times of the day. 

 

If you run out, you run out until they turn on the main source again.  Sometimes they don’t have enough water to send.  Sometimes, the water doesn’t get turned on.  You have to deal with it.  Sometimes you have to hire a truck to bring you water, like our restaurant, if there’s no water, it’s hard to run a restaurant.

 

At hotels you just use as much water as you want, but most tourists don’t realize that the water is actually coming many times for a storage tank at the  hotel that has to be filled by a truck almost daily.

 

Like mail. . .

 

How often do you see a Mexican mail box?  Yes, there’s a post office, but most folks don’t know where it is.  You never see anyone delivering mail.  When you have a bill, often the company hires a guy on a bike to drive around and toss the mail at your house or business.

 

If it lands under the car or in a bush, too bad.  You’re still responsible for paying the bill.  Also, most folks will line up for hours at the cable, phone or electric company to pay their bills. They don’t send them in the mail.  (But then again..most folks don’t have checking accounts either!)

 

If you do send by mail, it can take days or weeks for arrival!

 

Like phones. . .

 

Simple.  You get a phone.  You pay the bill.  You should have phone service, right?   NOT.  Many parts of Baja and Mexico are still pretty remote.  Phone service is spotty or non-existent. Even in major metro areas, it doesn’t mean that you’ll get a signal. 

 

Correspondingly, we are used to pretty much being able to resolve anything with a phone call.  If you pick up the phone to call for help, a service, information, or any of the myriad things, it doesn’t mean anything.  It just means your phone works.  It doesn’t mean you are any closer to resolving your issue. Prepare to be put on hold…forever! Or the department you want is not available. Or no longer exists. Or the line simply goes dead!

 

Like Service. . .

 

We often make jokes about the cable guy or the washing machine guy taking all day to make a home visit back in the U.S.  10 a.m. could mean 3 p.m.

 

That would be “express” service in Mexico. They’ll get there when they get there. It’s just the way it is.  Best thing is to get used to it!

 

There’s a general rule that if you’re told “manana”  (tomorrow) three times, it’s best to find someone else.

 

Also, don’t assume they’ll have the part either…(see the next section).  Usually it means, checking out the problem and then coming back…”manana!”

 

 

Like Repairs. . .

 

North of the border, something is busted…your car…a light switch…the air-conditioner…a TV…something in the garden…the sink or toilet…

 

You call someone or run to Home Depot or Walmart.  Another wrong assumption.  In the Mexican version of Murphy’s law, the more you need the thing (like a stopped up toilet or your car) the greater the likelihood, no one will have your part or it has to be ordered from someplace else.  Which is further complicated because remember…no mail service!

 

Like Traffic. . .

 

We make fun of drivers in Mexico.  But, you do NOT need to take a driving test to get a license in Mexico.  You need to take a blood test!  Yes, that’s right.  You take a blood test and you then take the results to the Mexican DMV.  Vampires or people with strange driving diseases are not allowed to get a license.  Whether you know the rules of the road are irrelevant.  If your blood is red and you can touch the peddles and brakes, you’re good to go.

 

And speaking of good-to-go…don’t assume anyone stops at stop signs…signals when they turn…stays in their lanes…has headlights or break lights…knows how to read…or can see above the dashboard!  Things that we normally assume are a given when we drive elsewhere!

 

That being said, there seems to be fewer traffic accidents because people drive defensively and everyone drives the same! 

 

 

Like Food…

 

How often I get asked, “Where do we go for real Mexican food? We want to eat where the locals eat!”  The assumption is that they want the authentic version of a Mexican chain restaurant like we see in the state.  Enchiladas…Tacos…Margaritas…chips and salsa.  Surely, there must be one on every street corner!

 

Actually, places that have that kind of fare are “Americanized” Mexican restaurants.  And, usually if you find a restaurant like that, you’ll usually find tourists and gringos there also thinking they’re eating “real Mexican food.”

 

Go where you see the locals eat and you’ll find seafood places…beef places…tacos stands…hot dog carts (yes hot dog carts unlike any you have ever experienced!)…You won’t be disappointed!

 

Just remember…the overall rule in Mexico…if you want it fast, it probably won’t happen.  Lower your expectations.  It’s really part of the lifestyle.  So, just go with the flow!

 

 

 

 _______________

Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004.  Along with his wife, Jill, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico  www.tailhunter-international.com.  They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront.  If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com  or drop by the restaurant to say hi!           

 ____________________

 

 

 

 

Jonathan Roldan’s Tailhunter International

 

TAILHUNTER FISHING FLEET #1 Rated on Trip Advisor

TAILHUNTER RESTAURANT BAR #1 Rated in La Paz on Trip Advisor

 

Now follow us on FACEBOOK TOO


 

Website: www.tailhunter-international.com U.S. Office: 3319 White Cloud Drive, Suite A, Hacienda Hts. CA 91745 Mexico Office: 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico Phones: from USA : 626-638-3383 from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863

.

Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report: http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/

Tailhunter YouTube Videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/pangapirate

“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”

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