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Inventions of Yesteryear

Indeed necessity is the mother of inventions as I commented last week. Did you know that back in the 1950’s we could catch radio stations as far as Harlingen, Texas? And how did we do that? Simply by using two very tall bamboo poles and setting up a very high antenna connected to the radio, […]

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

This weekend I had a craving to drink something we used to drink plenty in San Pedro twenty five years ago, that is red Fanta or the Strawberry pop mixed with pet milk and sugar corn with lots of ice. Boy is that delicious! Anyway, I opened the tin can with an electric opener and […]

Baking Corn Tortillas

There is a new corn tortilla factory in town, in the San Pablo area, and I am going to write about it not because it is a convenient store in my area, but because it reminds me of baking tortillas 25 years ago. It is mostly done by hand. The first thing involved in this […]

The San Pedro Police Station

Visiting San Pedro over the week end was a good friend Mr. Alpuche, who used to be the police officer in the 1950’s. His daughter, Anne Alpuche, attended primary school here along with me and many other peers of the time. Mr. Alpuche commented that his house, the police station did no longer exist, so […]

Our Beloved R.C. Primary School

I can talk about my primary school in the forties and which I attended in the 1950’s. I am told that it might have been a two-story building, but the one I knew was a single floor. First of all my, primary school was located right in front of the police station and the central […]

Beloved Policemen of the Past

Have you ever wondered how people will remember you when you are gone? Your actions today and the way you touch people’s lives will determine how they will remember you many years later. People might say, “You see that man there, he used to be a great Karaoke singer.” Or others might say, “There goes […]

The Great Sail Makers

Making things was no problem in San Pedro 25 years ago. We made our own candy – casham, tableta, coco brut, and piñon. We made our own kites with fine sticks and paper. We made our own corn dough for our corn tortillas. And do you know what? We made our own sails for our […]

Our World Famous Skindivers

Last week I touched on some of the tough aspects of the life of a skin diver like the absence of having a fresh water bath or sleeping on the deck of the boat wrapped up in the sail. Adventurous you might say, but that is tough living. Today I have a few more thoughts […]

Thoughts of a Fisherman

Have you ever wondered what thoughts go through the mind of a baby? What are the thoughts of a housewife as she lays her head on the pillow? And what does a thief think about when he finally goes to bed at four or five in the morning? What are the thoughts of a business […]

When Ice was Scarce

The other day my daughter, who got her ingenuity from her dad, who got his ingenuity from his dad, was making flavored syrup to enjoy some “raspado” or” fresco” right at home. We got this electric ice shaver that can make some fine shaved ice in no time, and she treated us to some fine […]

Forget the Tablita!

First of all a “tablita” is a little piece of stick and you will now find out why guys used to say, “To hell with the “tablita” or the little piece of stick.” At a recent gathering with some old friends, some of whom were old time fishermen, the topic came out as to why […]

Dancing. A Very Special Event

Dancing is a lively activity today and very much liked by most people, but it is not a very special event like it used to be in the past. Dancing was a really very, very special event. Back in the 1930’s, a young lady accepted way in advance of the day of the fiesta the […]

Boarding up the Glass Windows for Hurricanes

Which glass windows? There were no glass windows on houses twenty five years ago. When we were growing up in old San Pedro, there were hardly any windows in the small thatch houses, and only one wooden door. So how were the hurricane preparations back in the 50’s and 60’s? First dad had to protect […]

Celebrating Birthday Parties

My little grandson’s birthday party is right upon us and someone asked the question, “Will there be rum punch and beer at the party?” Someone else quickly added, “Why should there be? Of course not, because this is a children’s party, not an adult’s party.” I was very happy for this and this led me […]

Late Comers to San Pedro

The following are definitely late comers to San Pedro. And I am not talking about people who came late to San Pedro, but about things. People cannot come late to San Pedro. Some people just came earlier but nobody is late. However there are things that came late when compared to the rest of the […]

157 Years Ago?

157 Years Ago? 1

Can Twenty Five Years Ago go 157 years ago this time? That is how far back we would need to go if we would like to have a chronological look at the development of San Pedro since it was founded in1848. That was the time of the Caste War in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico, […]

Wise Saying Part 3

I hope nobody is calling you a “pendejo” after last week’s article on that topic. Remember the saying: “ Amores de lejos, amores de pendejos”. EL QUE ANDA EN LA MIEL ALGO SE LE PEGA: (He who walks into honey becomes quite sticky) This was used in two distinct ways. First in a negative way […]

Wise Old Sayings. Proverbs of San Pedro

You will find proverbs wherever you go and they are usually some wise saying that locks up a lot of truth. Whoever made them up was wise and at the same time quite witty because instead of saying it directly, he disguised it in the form of a saying. Those proverbs or wise saying of […]

Because You Asked for it. Final Home Remedies

Lots of young people have expressed interest in some remedies of 25 years ago. Some seem funny and some seem unbelievable, thought some methods seem to have logical explanations. Whether you try them or not, I do want to assure you that most of them work, if not all. Still some people might also have […]

Real Home Remedies, Not Superstitions

If you have not yet tried any of the home remedies discussed so far, chances are you never get sick or you like to run to the doctor as your first recourse. You never try anything at home as a first attempt to alleviate the ailment or perhaps cure what would have proven a simple […]

More Home Remedies

Well, no lawsuit yet, and still not in jail for malpractice. So I have a few more home remedies (medicinas caseras) that were popular 25 years ago. It is not suppose to discourage you from going to the doctor, but to give you an alternative in case no doctor is available or your pocket is […]

Good Old Home Remedies

There is this fear for sickness, and for every little thing some people rush to the doctor. Today there is a fine clinic, good doctors and fine drug stores, but with all that I want to assure you that there is nothing wrong with trying some home remedies before you get to the doctor, or […]

Some Dying Arts for Ladies

What are the favorite pastimes for young ladies today? I don’t know any better than you, but I believe it is listening to music, using the play station, chatting over the computer, making cellular phone calls all about, loafing or walking about. Sounds like fun and even educational. There might be some young ladies who […]