BajaNomad - Dia de Los Innocentes

Dia de Los Innocentes

bajadock - 12-28-2006 at 12:13 PM

Greetings, first post from this new nomad,

Any of you veteran nomads aware of today's Mexican holiday, "Dia de Los Innocentes"? From my brief searches, it has become Mexican version of April Fools. Hoping to hear of local pranksters, above/beyond the usual entertaining & fun posts throughout Baja Nomad.

Thanks for the forum, the information and all of my new neighbors!

BajaGeoff - 12-28-2006 at 02:04 PM

Welcome to the forums bajadock!

I asked my sister if she knew about it, as her husband is Mexican, but it was new to her. I told her it was an even better opportunity to pull a prank...since he will not be expecting it!

Osprey - 12-28-2006 at 02:21 PM

A Fib, a fabication is not a lie.

El Hablador

There is a club for liars. I think the official name is the International Liars Club. I do not know the requirements for membership. From time to time, on a slow news day, perhaps you can recall, like me, reading or hearing about their annual meeting/contest and the announcement of the winner of the year. The winner, that is, of the biggest lie contest. I can't guess at what other things could jam the busy schedule of this once-a-year gala but the lie-off, I'm sure, is the big thing for these folks. The liar who won in l989, took the honors with "I once met an honest fisherman".

I have been a fisherman all my life and, like most fishermen, everywhere, I can take good-natured kidding. This Liars Club thing just went too far. It is a sad commentary on the media people when they publish hurtful things just for the sake of profit. I suppose, in this case, they felt comfortable publishing such slanderous stuff because "fishermen" are such a large and diverse group. They believed that if they offended everyone who fished, the insult would be diluted by the number of people they slammed.

Who are these "fishermen"? The term almost defies definition -- I will give you my idea of the kind of people who are not in the group. A true fisherman is not a person, age 71, who for the first, last and only time was invited to go fishing, in a boat, on a lake. We are talking about a group of people, who, once hooked, cannot NOT GO FISHING. These are not people with a hobby or a passion, they are analogous to groups called "people who eat food" and "people who breath air".

Where the rumor started, that fishermen lie, I do not know. If I were pressed I would have to say it had something to do with the description of the fish they didn’t land; those wily creatures that evaded capture. The ones that got off the hook right at the boat, shore, ledge, bow, log, ice, etc. The fish are gone and can't set these stories straight but I can tell you there is a big, big gap between an out and out lie and a little exaggeration. Even in the Mexican culture here in my little fishing village in Baja California Sur, the distinction is very clear. A liar is a "mentiroso", one who tells untruths but an "hablador" is a storyteller, a teller of tales.

If I'm right, it's this occasional exaggeration about a lost fish that keeps the fire burning. Is it impossible that out there, in every fishable body of water, are fish that are unusually large and strong and aggressive? Is it so hard to believe that these anomalies of the fish world exist? If they are bigger and stronger and fight harder, does it not follow that they are the very ones most likely to escape?

Where are these wondrous fish? Did they all die? Are they still out there waiting to be caught? I've been pondering this for a long time. I dreamed of fishing the waters of the Sea of Cortez when I was just a kid. My dream began to come true 30 years ago--I have been able to fish this wonderful sea on vacation outings almost every year while I worked in the U.S. and now that I am retired here I can jump into my little "panga" fishing boat anytime the urge strikes me.

There are grumblers complaining that the Sea of Cortez is "fished out". "It's not like it used to be", "the long-liners have got em all", "the shrimp boats have ruined everything", "the hotel boats and commercial fishermen have damn near wiped them out", etc.,etc. These comments, and worse, mostly from fishermen who lack skill or luck. Lately I have heard happier banter right here in my village. The fishermen here, "pangueros", are talking about the "pez de historia", the "story fish" that still abound. Some say they sometimes school up and they have been seen around Cerralvo Island, north of here and as far south as Punta Frailes. I believe them.

Exactly 12 days ago Julio and I were trolling slowly with dead macerela at the nine mile mark -- west to east, looking for scum lines or signs of surface action. At 10:20 my big Penn reel went off, singing a loud, sweet song of disappearing 80 pound mono. We could not believe our eyes when a huge Dorado, estimated at 150 pounds, almost seven foot of fish, went thrashing at the end of my line. Since the largest Dorado caught in this area, in all of known fishing records, was 90 pounds you know our hearts were at full throttle and all the juices were flowing. My 55 HP Johnson outboard motor thrust the small craft forward to set the hook deep in the mouth of the monster. He was hooked good, took two more beautiful leaps, took another 150 yards of line in what seemed like parts of a second. Julio took the helm and was after him, I reeled as fast as the brute would allow and just as we both felt good about the control, the line went slack.

I did not hang my head about the loss of this great fish -- I finally got my chance at a "pez de historia" and now have a genuine fish tale to tell my kids and grandkids (and anyone else who will listen). I’m just glad it happened now, before all the big ones disappear.

fdt - 12-28-2006 at 02:23 PM

Hi and welcome sa a Baja Nomad

Quote:

Originally posted by bajadock
From my brief searches, it has become Mexican version of April Fools.

Dia de los Inocentes remotes back to the days of King Herod and the massacre of incocent children when the Reyes Magos told him that they were taking gifts to the new king, and fearful that someone would take his title ordered all children under 5 killed. In México it has become a tradition for hundreds of years. I'ts day of inocent saints. It is all leading to Dia de Reyes. In any case today no one should lend money, books, tools, etc, because they will not return, the person that receives the items or money has to say INOCENTE PALOMITA QUE TE DEJASTE ENGAÑAR, SABIENDO QUE EN ESTE DÍA NADA SE DEBE PRESTAR.

Now, if the person is to return the money or items it has to be in a basquet with candy or/and toys with the saying HERODES, CRUEL E INCLEMENTE, NOS DICE DESDE LA FOSA, QUE CONSIDERA INOCENTE AL QUE PRESTA ALGUNA COSA.
You can also have some fun with this day making up stories of catastrophes or just about anything and have some fun but at the end you must confess and give the basket.

David K - 12-28-2006 at 07:57 PM

Unless one reads all the posts on Nomad, one may not have realized Ferna's post claiming U.S. custom's agents walked off the job today leaving the border wide open at San Ysidro and Otay was a Dia de los Inocentes joke... This thread was the only warning I am aware of... :bounce:

fdt - 12-29-2006 at 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Unless one reads all the posts on Nomad, one may not have realized Ferna's post claiming U.S. custom's agents walked off the job today leaving the border wide open at San Ysidro and Otay was a Dia de los Inocentes joke... This thread was the only warning I am aware of... :bounce:

Ok everyone, as well traveled Baja people, now you can be prepared for next year. There showld be no warning

FARASHA - 12-29-2006 at 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by fdt
Hi and welcome sa a Baja Nomad

Quote:

Originally posted by bajadock
From my brief searches, it has become Mexican version of April Fools.

SO NOW -WHAT ABOUT THE BASKET?? fdt!!!WHO from the Forum will get it? :lol:

fdt - 12-29-2006 at 11:25 AM

All Inocentes palomitas get one :yes:

The only difficult part is getting the Inocentes to confess that they fell for it :lol:

FARASHA - 12-29-2006 at 11:34 AM

I DID - although I KNEW about Dia de los Inocentes, was aware of it on ALL posts, but then this one caught me absolutely off guard. - Still chuckling - :lol:

fdt - 12-29-2006 at 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by FARASHA
I DID - although I KNEW about Dia de los Inocentes, was aware of it on ALL posts, but then this one caught me absolutely off guard. - Still chuckling - :lol:

Wow, It's been hard for me to find time to go to Yuma and pay Oso a bottle of Cazadores I owe him, don't realy know when I'll be in Austria, but austriatogetarroundtoit :lol:

FARASHA - 12-29-2006 at 11:56 AM

NO Problem - will claim it when next time around - be sure.Will let you know early enough - start saving!!!!
Got a friend in Ensenada,I want to visit anyway, so will be closer there.
But you are welcome to deliver it - bring Family with you - we have lots of space, and will have fun here.Austria does have GOOD WINE and BEER - beside great Food. :biggrin:

DianaT - 12-29-2006 at 11:58 AM

I first read about this day in one of Shari's post, and after I was ready to hop in my car to drive the couple of miles to the border to see what was happening, I thought about that earlier post. :spingrin:

I think what made the open border report so good was it was so outrageous that it sounded plausible. :yes:

Diane

Basket #2

fdt - 12-29-2006 at 12:03 PM

Jack Swords - 12-29-2006 at 12:22 PM

Down here in La Paz the paper said Korea was picking up all the strays in BCS in a contract with the gov't. They are to be shipped over to Asia for pets, I assume. Must be a real shortage over there. Had a few people upset. Then again, some lauded the effort. Last year the paper posted that one of the big developers who is not popular was jailed for damaging the environment. Our cheers quickly quieted when we found about the Day of the Innocents.