Caring Locals
During on of our earlier trips to San Felipe, Baja California, we encountered a group of local residents, spending a family day at the beach. Their day camp was about 100ft away from our campsite, near the Sea of Cortez. They had arrived a few hours earlier, and sat around, talked and fished in the Sea.
In the meantime, we needed to make a store run to grab ice and some small groceries in town. ( Airstream fridge on the blinks) I figured I would go and tell them we're going to town, if they need anything, and also build rapport in fear of being stolen from while we're gone. They spoke no English, and even less German, but still got across that they needed a Knife to cut papaya for snacks. OK. Got the knife for them from the trailer. Locked up, and left, feeling slightly apprehensive..... I did notice that before we left that they were getting ready to barbeque the fish the men had caught in the sea. They said something in Spanish, and we were off on our way to get ice etc.
So, we took our time, feeling more comfortable with our new temporary neighbors than before we met them. Shopping, noodling around town, then making our way back to camp, only to find a large group of grim looking Mexicans looking our way. One of the men that was fishing when we left did speak some english: "Hey man, where you been, man, we been waiting with dinner for you!"
A rustic feast was prepared, with grilled fish, papaya, beans, rice and tortillas. We were made to sit and share their meal. The men shyly accepted a beer each from us. We did not know these people, never saw them before, and might never see them again. But it definitely warms my heart every time I am reminded of that evening.
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