Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Bahia Ecuador in the Morning

Bahia Ecuador certainly does maintain the simple life. When many American's come to this sleepy little town in South America, they immediate want to make changes. The fact is, Bahia doesn't need change, it's the rest of the world which should sit up and take note.

Come with us as we reveal this wonderful town and stress free culture to you. Remember that Bahia is on Ecuador time, not U. S. time. That my friends means, "Slow down, you move too fast".

Snapshot:

As the morning sky begins to wake up and the haze begins to lift, the sound of tiny motors can be heard in the distance. Then the wave's crash against the malecon-wall and it's difficult to hear the direction of the little fishing boats.

Twelve of them, more or less, take to the sea each morning while twelve others head for home and my focus is squarely on them as I gaze out my window.

The sea breeze has begun to wake me as I think about the lives of those fishermen. It's normally a two man (Panga) boat with a little seventy-five horse Yamaha motor breaking the morning silence and heading for the sea.

Many days they travel twenty to fifty miles from the safety of land, in those little boats, searching for the very thing which has maintained their lives, all of their lives.

Each morning, the waves are high and the currents are strong as the little boats make their way out to sea. The boats are tossed around and slammed against the ocean waters but the fishermen's only thoughts are to have a good catch on this day and to make their families proud.

They will sell their catch to the market when they return, but of course, they will keep a few for their families dinner on this day. The crowned jewel for these fishermen are called Corvina. These will fetch the highest price and they are masters at finding them beneath the sea.

No GPS or tracking devices are used here; only knowledge of the sea, the area and the experience of years gone by can guide these warriors to victory. It's their natural instincts which they received from their fathers that lead them on this daily journey.

All the fishing here is done with line and a hook. No pole or no reel, that American's just cannot live without, only sixty pound test line and their bare hands. There are many things of this lifestyle which I do not understand, but maybe that is the charm of the place.

By : Tom_Bradburn

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