By Angel Nuñez
SEA GRAPES
A long time ago going to pick sea grapes was a source of great enthusiasm and fun. We used to plan for the day and the village folks used to share information about the places where the grapes were plentiful and where they were the largest and even where they were the sweetest. Don’t laugh but plastic bags were not available yet, so we used to tie our T-shirts and made bags. We also used to weave baskets with the palmetto leaves. There were the purple grapes and the “uvas blancas” or white grapes which remained greenish even when ripe. We used to boast when we crashed into a tree of white grapes. TODAY some folks come to your house offering sea grapes for 10 dollars a bag, but is that fun? We USED TO enjoy them for free as I still do today.
SELLING LOBSTERS
Many years ago the big thing was not the opening of the lobster season or Lobster Fest but rather the selling of lobsters door to door. We USED TO boil whole lobsters and offered red juicy whole lobsters door to door to the village folks. Again don’t laugh but the selling price was of five cents per whole lobsters. There used to be a good market because with a population of some 10 lobster fishermen, the rest of the villagers were very willing to buy them despite the high price of them. And why do I say. High price when it was only five cents? Believe me, some people did complain that it was a bit expensive and it was because lobsters were in abundance and were dirty cheap.
COMIC BOOKS.
I remember when WE USED TO read a lot of books here in San Pedro. This is something that is almost at zero today on the Island. I recall my favorite English comic books like Archie, Donald Duck. Superman, Bat Man. Robin Hood, Hulk, Fantastic Four, Flash, Wonder Woman, and the Old West of Cowboys and Indians. And there were the Spanish favorites like Tarzan, Dracula, Memin, La Pequeña Lulu, Roy Rogers, Chanoc, Zorro, Popeye, Spiderman, Superman, Bat Man, Archi, Tawa The Indian, El Hombre invisible,
I think most of the kids in the 1950’s USED TO learn to read Spanish with these comic books. Then you have to remember that there was no television at that time, therefore reading comic books was extremely popular. We used to rent them for five cents from a lady in the village whose name was Mrs. Manny Manrique.
Remembering things you used to do is a lot of fun especially when we realize that today we don’t have them or we don’t do them anymore. It is in a sense nostalgic fun.
25 Years Ago Books Can Be Purchased At:
-Ambergris Today Online Newspaper -Jose Luis Zapata Photography –Lala’s Store -Pampered Paws -San Pedro BTB Office -S.P. Town Library -Di Bush, A & R
Contact the Author at: nunez_nest@yahoo.com
