San Blas - Birds and Estuary

San Blas is an ideal stop for cruisers because it is one of the only anchorages on the Gold Coast/Riviera that has not been overdeveloped with condos, hotels, and California style beach mansions. The historic, rustic ambiance that emanates from San Blas leaves one feeling like they just had a real taste of Old Mexico... not tourist hungry Mexico. Albeit, the narrow cobblestone streets are slowly being replaced by stamped cemented ones, but you can't expect progress to come to a screeching halt altogether.

This is where the jejenes come in. Those pesky little biting bugs have, I think, kept San Blas from becoming a cosmopolitan developer's dream. Staying almost two weeks in San Blas has left Jim, the kids, and I with small, itchy welts on our arms and legs... living proof that the little blood suckers are more than just an annoyance. They seemed to be at their worst in the early morning and then again beginning around 4:30pm. We burned bug coils and slathered ourselves in bug cremes. The homemade no-see-um screens in the hatches were a blessing. And all these proactive precautions may have helped, but there were still a few that snacked on our bodies as we slumbered.

However, the estuary (mating sanctuary and home to the jejenes) is so calm and serene. The birds that live in the maze of mangroves are stunning. Jim and I took a dinghy ride up the estuary and the photos we took don't do justice to the delicate ecosystem that supports the amazing wildlife. Sandbars are alive and moving in San Blas as the river empties out. A bird standing up in the middle of the water is a good indication that it is really shallow!