While we were at the coast, we took a couple drives to neighboring towns. We have enjoyed watching the fishermen come in with their catches in the past.  We got started a bit late this time, and most of the fishermen had already sold their catch. This gave us the chance to see how they stored their boats and nets. A few years ago, we saw men putting their boats on logs and then pulling the boats up onto the beach for overnight.  Now they use a tractor (lower-right) that hauls the boats well out of reach of high tide.

We did not get any photos of birds robbing fish from the runners carrying bins from the boats to the waiting trucks this time. The runners have gotten smarter, and now cover their bins with a tarp, putting the fish out of reach of the birds.  That doesn’t mean there were no birds though. There were hundreds of pelicans, frigates and seagulls swarming and swimming.  They would grab fish from the boats themselves (lower-left and lower-right), or from fishermen sorting their catch to take home (middle-left).  When a fisherman would walk into the surf to clean out a bag or bucket, the birds swarmed for any remnants too (upper-right).

There were dozens of small fishing boats lined up on the beach (upper image, shot from a drone, and bottom image shot from ground).  Though all the boats were actively used, many looked to be pretty battered (middle).

After the boats have been safely hauled up onto the beach, the fishermen tend to their nets. We walked along the coast in San Pedro to watch them straighten out the nets (upper-left and lower-left), and repair them (middle-left).  The fishermen were all very friendly towards us, though most just went along with their daily work.

At one point, we decided to take a detour into Ayanguero for lunch.  We found our way blocked by a tiny parade, so parked and went to watch.  We found ourselves next to the reviewing stand, where the speaker loved to talk on and on… and on…  It turned out this was a children’s costume contest for 1st grade girls.  Kids that age are always fun to watch, but in this case it was pretty clear they were all pretty bored by the whole scene.  The parents seemed excited to show off their daughters (middle), but the kids just wanted to get it over with.