Wednesday, February 01, 2012

death on the beach


Nope.  Not mine.

In fact, I am doing quite well, thank you.  My throat does not ache.  The sneezing has stopped.  My sinuses are clear.  A dry cough intrudes now and then.  But I feel almost normal.

And my doctor agrees.  My blood pressure and heart rate are back within the acceptable range.  If a bit high.  However, it was good enough for her to wish me a great trip to China.

But not before I took my house guest to one of Melaque’s beach restaurants.  I confess that I am rather tired of beach restaurant food.  This one was not a terrible experience.

The real reason for the outing, though, was to see what I have been reading about on our local message board.  For the past week or so, large numbers of fish have been washing up on the Melaque beach.  It is as if an eleventh plague was being served up on Egypt, and the target went a bit astray.

And fish there were.  Of several varieties.  Most of them small.

There are probably as many theories as there are inactive minds around here.  I would not have been surprised if the Knights Templar (the imaginary ones in Europe, not the rather nasty real ones in these parts) had been blamed for the kill.

The more rational theories are red tide, temperature changes in the ocean, or simply the residue of garbage fish discarded from a trawler’s nets.

I am rather partial to it being another of the Maya 2012 end of the world omens.  Not as dramatic as Exodus quail falling from the sky.  At least, it would be good for tourism.  For a few more months.

But the solution will require the services of another Hercule Poirot.  Because this particular one has a bit of trip preparation to complete before Friday.



12 comments:

John Calypso said...

Working without a net! Beach Kill I suppose.

Glad you are feeling better ;-)

Tancho said...

If you were a gardener you could gather up the fish and use them for fertilizer, which would work great. Or, attract cats from miles around....
Glad you are feeling better, I have about two more days before I will start seeing people again.
You don't want to bug will on the road......

Andean said...

The number of dead fish are surprising, to my eye anyway. The last news  article I read was a red tide causing water temperature change in parts of the ocean being the culprit.

Steve Cotton said...

Strangely, the beach cats are leaving them alone. As are the sea birds. But, as we were walking along the beach, some Mexican families with buckets were picking up the fish. I hope for fertilizer.

Steve Cotton said...

Of course, the local news blamed global warning for the pelican die off three years ago until it turned out a snow storm in Oregon was the culprit. The ocean is made up of many pinches of salt.

Steve Cotton said...

I may even go snorkeling today.

al said...

Eating at a beachfront restaurant in view of a bunch of dead fish doesn't sound good. Or do the restaurateurs clean them up early in the morning?

al 

Steve Cotton said...

 The only people cleaning them up appear to be Mexican families.  Wat happens with those buckets of fish, I have no idea.

Mcotton said...

I am so pleased you are feeling better.  Take it easy for awhile.

We await the answer to the dead fish.

Steve Cotton said...

 New theory on the dead fish: a die off from last week's earthquake (while I was at Copper Canyon).  I am not certain I buy that one.  But it has supporters.

Kim G said...

There are probably as many theories as there are inactive minds around here.

I love the occasional acid remark.  LOL

Kim G
Boston, MA
Where we're glad you're feeling better and have not yet been electrocuted in the comfort of your own home.

Steve Cotton said...

approved