"Everybody Eating Turtles"

We took the 7:15 a.m. bus down to Manzanillo yesterday. We sat down at the place in the photo where the two of us had gallo pinto, huevos fritos, jamon y cafe (black beans & rice, fried eggs, ham & coffee) for 3400 colones (about $6.60). We walked into the Gandoca Reserve to our favorite little cove & sat until it started to sprinkle lightlly. We caught the 12:45 p.m. bus back to P.V. Later we took a swim off the point in PV. There was a guy on the beach selling huevos tortuga (turtle eggs) 5 for 2000 colones (less than 4 bucks) out of a cooler. Late in the afternoon I went to Lenny's to play music on his porch. He told me, "Now it turtle season, everybody eating turtle." I told him about the guy with the eggs on the beach. I asked if catching turtles was legal. He said, "No mon, dey catch you, you go to jail mon!" He said it was the same for selling eggs. (The guy selling turtle eggs on the beach was about 100 ft. from the police station.) He said turtle meat was very good, "It make you strong! You eat it an' you jus' feel de' power come on you! You never eat turtle?" I told him no. He said, "It de' best thing to eat. Dis' marning dey' bring in two turtles." He pointed to the place next to his neighbor's, about 25 ft. from where we sat. "Dey kill de turtles right dare."

I spoke with Rolfe today about the turtle season. He scoffed, "They don't put people in jail for killing people here--I doubt if anyone goes to jail for killing turtles!"