Rope Burn, Blisters, and 10 Friends Later

The Boat

 The other day as I was jogging along the beach as I noticed a handful of fishermen dragging in a huge net from the middle of the ocean.  So I obviously stopped and in my best La Boquilla accent offered my help.  In a matter of seconds I found myself wading in the ocean with 10 other men walking a thick weathered rope to the shore line and then going back into the water and starting the process over again.  After an hour we finally pulled the net to shore, but not before the rope got the best of my hands, wrists, and shoulders.  In pretty severe pain I stare down and see my shoulders and wrists rope burned and my hands badly blistered, but I knew the job was not done. 

Trying my best to continue and grab the rope/net and give any living sea life to the man standing next to me, I couldn’t help but think how hard this must be to do everyday!  We finally finished the job and sorted the catch (fish, crabs, and prawn) into separate buckets and they then unexpectedly offered me a ride back to my part of the beach in their boat.  I gratefully accepted and on the ride back found out a lot of them have children that I will be teaching in La Boquilla.  After we pushed the boat back onto the sand, I was given nine prawns and a unidentified fish as a gift for the hard work I put in and invited back anytime I desire.  So all in all I did get rope burn and blisters, but I also met 10 badass local fishermen and am sure I will be seeing them plenty over the next two years.  

The gift