Let’s talk about mangos. They are everywhere. Abundant, delicious and free. Little did we know that this area of Mexico is a major producer and exporter of mangos. There are three different kinds growing in our town alone. And inasmuch as this delicious fruit fuels the formal economy of many Nayarit households, we find it equally well suited to fuel our bodies on a 7 hour hike along the coast of Punta Raza leading into Guayabitos.
Unfortunately, we never did make it to Guayabitos. As tourism has hit a record low this year, the trail was effectively eaten up by the jungle making it impossible to find our way forward. Or perhaps we just compromised our orientation with the bottle of tequila we wisely brought along. In case you're wondering - one risky encounter with the Mexican military has confirmed that no, there’s still no beer. Tequila, on the other hand, seems to evade Mexican laws in a way we neither understand nor dare to question. Frankly, we're quite thrilled about the seemingly never ending supply of juicy mangos and tequila to keep us going in this crazy adventure. I mean, let's be honest - can you have too much of either?
Strolling along the beach we find countless fragments of antique pottery from prehispanic times. As it turns out, this region is not only saturated with mangos and other delicious fruits, but also used to be one of the most densely populated regions of Mexico. You wouldn't believe it just walking through Monteón and its neighbouring villages today.
Meanwhile, back at El Pajarito, nearly all the Guanacaste wood for our platform has dried well enough for us to move onto the next step in the project. We sand all 70 planks before applying a couple of coats of oil (first coconut, then linseed) to give them a buttery smooth finish.
And then we stack them back into the shady spot - which by now is competing in value with the luxurious lumber we selected - to let it all dry. Again. Good thing we’ve grown patient during the last month of lockdown.
