Casares Fish Market

This morning, I rose early and headed out on foot toward Casares to buy some fish. There are buses that run between Casares and La Boquita, but this morning, I had walked nearly a mile before one stopped for me. The bus terminus in Casares is at the top of a hill that leads down to the beachside market, where the pangas are lined up on the sand after a night of fishing.

The precious motors are always detached and hauled up the hill for safekeeping. That's what those guys at the left are doing. The folks heading down the hill carry sacks and buckets and coolers for the fish they will buy.

It had been a good night. There was pargo for sale --that's red snapper-- for a pricey 60 cordobas per pound, or $2.25. I bought two fish, or three pounds' worth. Also sardines. I have seen tempting recipes for fresh sardines, so I bought a half-dozen for 60 cordobas. There was a good haul of my favorite, corvina --sea bass. It looks nothing like any bass I've ever seen, but it is delicious. My 2.5-pounder cost $3.75.

Before I started up the hill to the bus, I decided to stop at a comedor for a breakfast of gallo pinto, huevos rancheros, and fried plantains. Gallo pinto means "painted rooster," and is the national rice and beans staple of Nicaragua.

And just outside the door? One of Casares' dozens of free-range piggies, looking for her own breakfast!

It took me about a half-hour to scale and behead my fish for the freezer. And about an hour to clean the scales from every single surface in my little kitchen! From now on, scaling is an outside job.


8 Aug. postscript: Grilled the sardines, after scaling, beheading, butterflying, and de-boning. Still too many bones to eat comfortably. Sardines=delicious. Worth the trouble? I'll stick to canned in future.