Taking the Kids: Off the tourist track in Mexico
A few minutes' drive from town, we are in a boat, mangroves on either side in La Tovara National Park where we see Tropical Kingbird, magnificent Frigate Birds, White Ibis, Cattle Egret, Green Heron, the Rufous-bellied Chachalaca, hummingbirds, the Great Kiskadee ... the list goes on and on.
But how do you keep kids interested? The crocs popping up in the water certainly will help, so will the giant termite nest. Francisco Nombre, the father of two young kids himself, says it always helps if you have some fun facts about the birds. Did you know the white-tipped dove care for the baby birds together as a community? Did you know the Boat Billed Heron is so named because his beak looks like an upside down boat?
And then there are spur-of-the-moment contests. Who sees the croc first? How many colors do you see? How many birds with red beaks do you see?
"Kids use technology so much," says Nombre. "Activities here -- at the beach, birding, it gets them away from the screens."
That's not difficult here where everything is different and new. There is an old fort to explore (San Blas was founded in the 17th century and was the most important shipyard on the Pacific Coast). There is a crumbling church and ruins of an old custom house. Read Henry Longfellow's poem "The Bells of St. Blas" to the kids -- it talked about the famous bronze bells here.
Go fishing. Locals say there is terrific deep-sea fishing here. Cariluz Aguilera and her husband, Giovanni Arredondo, have been running Garza Bianca for the past 17 years on Las Islitas. He holds up two huge Pargos -- a kind of snapper -- and we watch as he cleans the fish, seasons it and sets it over a hot mangrove wood fire.
We adjourn to a table in the shade watching the beach scene. There's the "mango man" sculpting mangos into fruit flowers and serving them up on a stick. Another man is selling all kinds of beach toys, another sells candy. A trio comes and sings local tunes, accompanied by their instruments.
Our feast is one for the memory books -- the fish served up on a huge pan with shrimp and mango to be scooped up and eaten on fresh corn tortillas. The cost is roughly $10 a person.
We seem to be the only Americans here. I know getting off the tourist track can be a risk, especially with kids, but, boy, can it be worth it.
I'll have some more fish!
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