The salt dunes of Las Coloradas, Yucatan with storm coming in

Long before the Spanish invaded this part of the world, the Maya were extracting salt from the lagoons of the north coast of Yucatan. A peculiar combination of natural circumstances allows the generation of high-quality salt from the natural estuaries, baked under an unrelenting sun. The water gradually evaporates, leaving salt.

This salt is distinctively different from mined salt and according to some chefs, far superior.

The ria, or river, that extends from Rio Lagartos into Las Coloradas is normally separated from the sea by a strip of land. This preserves the lagoons of the rias for making salt. On several ocassions in the last twenty years, hurricanes have eradicated the barrier between the ocean and the freshwater rias, ruining the production of salt. Now, ISYSA (Industrial Salineros de Yucatan SA de CV), the privately owned salt company, has erected plastic dividers intended to prevent this. The plastic dividers are hidden under mounds of sand.

The ria salt production ponds are a spectacular pink, due to the gradual evaporation of the water and the high concentration of salt. How often do you see a pink lake?

A pink saltpan

Foam at the edge of the pink lake is pure salt.

This all sounds dry and dull, so I will skip the more technical explanations and refer you to some good articles onine like this one from Geosynthetic Magazine that explain the process in detail.

You can find a good explanation of how the salt extraction process from the lagoons actually works in this article produced by scientists at several Merida academic institutions.

However, superficial as we try to be on this site, focussing on the picturesque and thrilling, the sight of the salt dunes and the bright pink salination ponds is nothing short of spectacular.

The process has been refined over the last century, and now the sea salt production facility on the north coast ships salt all over Mexico and Latin America. ISYSA produces about half a million tons of salt per year.

The last time I visited Las Coloradas was twenty years ago, when it was tiny and quiet. There was a short wooden pier where small freighters could tie up and carry salt to various destinations. Now there is a complex and graceful metal structure that transports the salt overland and funnels it into more than one waiting ship at a time.

To transport packaged salt to freighters

This was a commercial trip, as one of our party was collecting salt to be evaluated by experts for possible use as fancy artisanal salt from Yucatan. Since it was Sunday and the plant was closed, we drove into town to try to find a sample of salt. The villagers, who didn’t seem used to dealing with outsiders, kindly produced a plastic bag with about a pound of salt for us and wouldn’t accept any money.

We drove to the beach and saw that fishermen had just dismembered a manta ray and were carrying off the “wings.”

Dismembered manta ray and lobster tails

Making our way around the town, we followed a huge flock of circling magnificent frigate birds who were watching some of the villagers practicing the jarana (Yucatecan folk dance) for their upcoming fiesta.

Magnificent huipile

Las Coloradas is about fifteen miles east of Rio Lagartos. You get to cross a dubious looking single-lane, hand-made wooden bridge over the ria. We didn’t see any tourist accommodations or restaurants in Las Coloradas.

View from bridge

The area from well before Rio Lagartos up through Las Coloradas is a part of the Ria Lagartos Biosphere. There are many species of protected birds and animals here, including turtles, crocodiles and of course flamingos.

Personal Anecdote about Las Coloradas

About 20 years ago, I drove out there alone on a side-trip to Rio Lagartos. The town was tiny then, with a big deserted beach with many birds. I parked the car and took my old Nikon film camera out to get some good bird pics. I had walked about 200 yards, when I heard a voice yelling at me to stop. I turned around and there, in the distance, huffing and puffing after me, was a short, heavy-set man in a uniform.

I waited obediently, thinking that no one knew where I was, that there was no one else in sight, and other thoughts single women have in these kinds of situations. But when he arrived, he simply wanted to know what I was doing. He proudly explained that he was the captain of the port of Las Coloradas. The introductions over, he asked whether I’d like to see the small freighter tied up to the pier. I said yes.

We walked to the ship and climbed up a vertical rope ladder, hanging down the side. As I breached the top and struggled onto the deck, I looked up to see about a dozen very scurvy looking men, staring at me. Uh oh, I said. I’ve really gone and done it this time. They were all in their 20s and 30s, dressed in dirty rags, uncombed, and hungry looking. The boat was NOT shipshape. My friend the port captain introduced me to the ship captain, who looked no different from his crew.

The ship captain invited me to see his navigation room. What’s a girl to do, I thought. In for a penny….etc. I admired the sophisticated looking instruments in his navigation area and he invited me to the dining area for refreshments. There were only two or three of the crew following us around at this point. We all sat down at a long table and one of the men presented me with a pint bottle of home-made looking Jamaican rum (hand-drawn label). I knew it would be a very bad idea to drink with the crew, so I declined, but they insisted I take the bottle as a souvenir, which I did. They came back with a coke for me, with a lot of ice in a glass.

Somehow, I suspected the ice was not purified water. Just a hunch. I poured some coke into the glass and drank it down quickly. I had read that if you drink fast, before the ice has a chance to melt, the effects on your stomach are minimal. (And it was true.)

After the coke, I said I needed to get back, and they escorted me down the difficult ladder and to my car. They were complete gentlemen and I thanked them for the tour. Unfortunately, I neglected to take their pictures. I could kick myself.

The Katz siblings

This is a portrait of Sallie Ann and Eric Katz, our feral domestic cats. They are not boring. They have a sense of humor, are not always nice or adorable, and are strangely intelligent.

We set out looking for the town of San Diego. There’s a marker for it on the highway, but no road to turn off on. We went another mile and turned into a road labeled Hacienda Buspol. The hacienda turned out to be yet another over-the-top restoration that is soon opening as guess what, a hotel. Very pretty. Orange. The caretaker had never heard of San Diego. We tried approaching San Diego from several angles, but it remains a mystery.

Then we went to see the hacienda of BG’s old friends, Arthur and Carol Pogue (RIPx2) in Telchac Pueblo. I was glad to see the place in good shape, as last year when I’d driven by, it was overgrown with vegetation and you couldn’t get down the driveway. A young man informed us that there were several people living there. His German Shepard tried to kill me.

If you remember Art and Carol, you know that Arthur was obsessed with neem trees. He got seeds and fledgling plants into the Yucatan any way he could and gave saplings away to all his friends. He extolled the health benefits of the tree, and also loved that it was a natural mosquito repellent.

Arthur and Carol both died some years ago and they left a hole in my heart. It was good to see the place somewhat taken care of, though it isn’t what it used to be. There were still hundreds of neem trees.

I have many happy memories of this place. I don’t know how many hours I spent there, sitting on the the second floor patio, looking out at the peaceful countryside.

About 16 years ago, a friend of mine who shall remain nameless, got married there. I was one of the two bridesmaids. The bride had a gorgeous dress she had had made, but during the final preparations, she realized she’d left it in Merida.

Our friend Evelyn Serrano (RIP) was there in a gorgeous huipile. I asked her to come upstairs, telling her it was an emergency, and as soon as she entered the room, we told her we needed her dress. Without question, she took it off, and put on the clothes the bride had been wearing, which were a bit small. Evelyn hid behind a car for the duration of the ceremony, which was lovely. The place was in full bloom and Arthur had seen to it that the grounds were perfectly manicured. Hats off to Evelyn!

Arthur and Carol Pogue's hacienda near Telchac

Then we drove through Ixil, where they were recovering from their annual fiesta on April 30th. The bullring was still up, made of palm fronds and sticks.

The enormous Ixil church still has two of its six bells. There was a funeral going on inside and a woman was singing like an angel. A beautiful moment.

Ixil church

We drove past lots of healthy henequen fields. The one below is labelled strangely. My companion says it’s Japanese and I say it’s a few Japanese characters with scribble in between. Or perhaps the calligrapher had too much tequila. Any opinions?

Henequen that is supposed to be Japanese

Then we went up to the coast, to Telchac Pueblo, drove around and ate at our usual haunt, La Picuda. The fare isn’t great, but it’s your genuine, typical coastal village food. It was inexpensive and the people there are unusually nice.

Standard fried fish

The fish with garlic sauce was the standout.

Filete al mojo de ajo

A few merchants were on the pier selling things they’d made.

It was a beautiful day, with families playing on the pier and fishing boats bouncing in the choppy sea.

Ethipian woman in Seattle

Sisal

Henequen

Jeanne

A man and his dog

Celia at 13

Noemi and Salvatore

San Crisanto, Yuc.

Yucatan

International District – Thai and Vietnamese colonies in the diverse City of Seattle

There are thousands of people in Seattle from SE Asia. They have their own neighborhoods, houses of worship, societies, stores and restaurants. Sometimes I go to the ID and pretend I’m on a foreign trip.

Shopping in food stores is fun. Pomelos. Doomed crabs.

These crabs are awaiting death by boiling.

Hue Noodle Restaurant

There is always a line for this place. Everyone in there is Thai and on most of my visits, my friends/family and have been the only gringos. They make their own noodles – about six varieties.

These are their fried dumplings filled with cream cheese and crab.

Here is a combination dish with seafood, pork liver (!), greens and noodles.

Combo with noodles

The menus are in Thai and English.

Helpful illustrated menu

This place is so good, that whenever I want to go to the International District, I automatically revert to Hue and hope it isn’t too strange for my companions. So far, they’ve held up well. In fact, it was me who balked at the pig liver and gave it my brother Eric.

The restaurant is on S. Jackson, just north of 12th Ave.

Saigon Deli

Just up the street from Hue, is the very popular Saigon Deli, a Vietnamese take-out place. Always a line.

They have more varieties of spring rolls than you ever imagined, not to mention moist coconut and banana cake (in green or white), marinated pork roast salad with rice noodles and on an on. There is also a full assortment of hot food. The place is immaculate.

Chinese broccoli and tofu

We met a Haitian man in the Saigon Deli – named Pierre Louis. For $4.50, he purchased the fabulous take-out below. He says he goes to the Deli every day because the food is so healthy and delicious.

Desserts

The other weekend I went to Saigon Deli to pick up something to take home. I put a pork-noodle wrapped dinner in front of the man and he said $8.50. Then I added a big cup of rice flour custard and he said $8.50. And a small pack of shrimp spring rolls for the next day. $8.50, he said. I looked at him, he smiled and bagged everything and said, “Everything $8.50.” I should have gotten some coconut milk too.

Nordstrom Cafe redux

On the other end of the food spectrum, I can’t stay away from the Nordstrom Cafe at Northgate Mall.

This is Charlotte. She buys unadorned brim hats and makes accoutrements to sew on. She has about twenty such hats, and each goes with different outfits. Charlotte is a retired banker. The day I met her, she was lunching with a friend who had worked at the bank with her, and a younger woman who had met both of them there thirty years ago. They are still mentoring her. On this day in particular, they were giving her advice about men. What they were basically saying, was avoid them if possible.

Below is a picture of Nordstrom’s Cilantro Chicken Salad (ingredients below). I am not a salad lover, but this is magical. I always try to force myself to order something else when I’m there, but I just can’t.

This salad is much too complicated for me to make at home.

And here is my favorite lunch companion, Leah. She sang with a band for many years and has lots of stories. A beautiful woman. Leah comes from a gracious white family and her sister is a well-known TV actress. Recently she paid $400 to have her DNA analyzed and discovered she was 28% black. She is delighted.

Elsewhere in Nordstrom, we see shoes that make us glad we aren’t young.

Ingredients for Nordstrom’s Lemon-Cilantro-Chicken salad.
baby spinach
cilantro
young lettuce – the kind with the red veins
arugula
sunflower seeds
pumpkin seeds
fresh corn kernels
pieces, not chunks, of white meat chicken
diced cherry tomato
diced red pepper
kosher salt
black pepper

And a light coating of the dressing…

seasoned rice wine vinegar
fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
pureed chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (canned, in Mexican stores)
honey
kosher salt
canola oil
chopped fresh cilantro stems and leaves

For quantities and proportions, you can Google Nordstrom Chicken cilantro salad.