San Clemente, Ecuador

In the daily morning ritual, the fishermen begin pulling in the nets.  There is another line of people just like the one above about 500 yards or so to the right.  Each group pulls in their respective line creating an ever-decreasing arc formed by the net.  After an hour or two of pulling, the net reaches the beach with the catch.

 In anticipation of the food to come, the flocks of great frigate birds and pelicans swarm nearby waiting to dive on the small fish left by the fishermen.

 They are big birds and they are not bashful. (Note to self: don't wear a black t-shirt next time in order to avoid  lots of white spots on it again.)

 The nets are emptied into bags, carried to the truck, and then off to market and restaurants. A perk of the occupation was evidenced by many of the men as they tucked a particularly nice fish into their pocket to take home for lunch or dinner - all you see is the tail sticking out the top of the pants pocket.

But work is not done for the fishermen - they must then spend time repairing the nets and getting ready for the next outing.

Here's where a picture would go of a beautiful fish lunch but, since we're vegans in a fishing village we make do otherwise - here's a typical lunch for Amy and me: rice, lentils and potatoes, salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, broccoli in a lime juice dressing, and grilled plantains. It's a meal that tastes as good as any food on the planet.  Most of the cooks at these hole-in-the-wall restaurants are happy to oblige once they get over the oddness of gringos that don't eat fish, chicken, or any other animals.  Total lunch: $3.

And after lunch - rest time at  Palmazul.