Trip to Scorpion Island

La Isla de los Alacranes

Bill bought a "speed boat" a few months ago and has been working on the steering and controls. He actually just bought the boat and trailer and had to match it up with a motor he had. He launched it a few days ago and it's moored in the Chapala public boat harbor. So because I'm heading for the coast soon he wanted to give me a ride.

Pretty bumpy ride for a light boat over the waves. Most everything else on the lake are heavy pangas that plow thru the waves. Smoother coming back with the wind.

Every little restaurant of about 8 has their own moorage/dock. Someone comes out to help you tie up. They know you want to look around the island so they offer to take your meal order and have it ready when you get back. The island is not very long and is narrow but because of the lake level we couldn't make it to the east end. Meal was just OK but a nice setting.

A few of these signs around the island

Boat docks

Restaurant

A few of these around the island too

The ride back with sailboat and island in the distance

Guadalajara Family - 1958

Playing up modernity just like the US was in the 1950's

Photographed by Willard C. Hahn. Another Hoefler production, focusing on an upper-class family, military school, garden parties, etc. They enjoy themselves and the rustic beauty at a pristine lake nearby, where father intends to build a development.

Well - I wonder what Lake and what development

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Charales Fabrica in Chapala

I went down to my old landlord's today in Chapala to get a note about the date I moved from Melaque. I needed it for my upcoming FM3 renewal and we moved the date around to fit the 30 day requirement. 3-4 visits to Immigration to record a move and 2 months later do it again to renew did not make much sense.

His wife was home but he was around the corner doing the books for a business that cooked and sold Charales. He's an accountant known here as a Contador (Accountant/CPA). I was unsure if I'd had Charales before and certainly had not had fresh ones. His wife suggested we go meet him, look at the store and try some. It turned out they bought me a 1/2 kilo which the owner would not accept money for (from his accountant).

Charales are common in most of Mexico's highland lakes.

So anyway, they have spiced, plain and small pieces of a larger fish that looks like Chicharron when cooked. Buy in a fancy basket or by the kilo in a plastic bag. I asked if I could check out the processing plant so took the pictures below. I don't know how they fish these things in Lake Chapala but assume with a fine net similar to the bottom foto from Patzcuaro - but I've never seen anything similar here. Supposedly the fishing is done near Mezcala where the water is cleaner.

What ever you think about eating fish from the polluted lakes of Mexico ... I just thought they were the pure grease they were cooked in. Was suggested to place absorbant napkins at the bottom of a container and let them sit.

The Fancy Plate


Sorting the fish


The kitchen


What they might fish them with