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Log of S/V High Drama
Acapulco to El Salvador

This log of S/V High Drama describes events along the coast from Acapulco, Mexico to Bahia de Jiquilisco, El Salvador including side trips inland. Highlights include more history, negotiations with a nine year old street vendor, observations about sailing at night, and our delightful "discovery" of a beautiful secure marina up a jungle estuary in El Salvador.

Taxco, Mexico

Santa Prisca Church

Before leaving Acapulco and at Ann's urging we took a two day trip inland to Taxco, a place where Mexican artisans fabricate wonderful silver jewelry. Nestled in the mountains at about 5,000 feet, Taxco provided welcome cooling from the tropical climate we have been living in for the last several months. Cortez' troops found the silver at Taxco in 1524 while looking for tin to alloy with copper to make bronze for canons. They appropriated the land for the Crown and worked the mines with generations of Indian forced labor. In 1716 Jose Bord decided to actually pay the miners for their labor and he increased both production and profits. Bord reinvested some of the mines' profits into the community. He built streets, public arches, and a church that is still standing. Unlike previous churches, the church of Santa Prisca allowed and even encouraged the miners to worship

After the revolution in 1821 the mines ran out. In 1929 William Spratling moved from the US to Taxco and began working with local artisans to revive the jewelry fabrication. Now reproductions of the work of Spratling and his students are sought after and command handsome prices. Today Taxco exports many pieces of silver jewelry to places like Scottsdale.

Jeff & Ann

The Mayan Ball Game

The name "Taxco" is derived from the Mayan term "place of the ball game." Tlatchtli was a Mayan team game played in a sunken court shaped like an "I." The players batted a small hard rubber ball back and forth and scored by putting the ball through round disks mounted at center court. Although the players wore some protection, they were often wounded by their opponents' shots and sometimes victory went to the team left standing. While the winners could win fortunes, the losers, according to one authority, "had their hearts ripped from their chests on the centerline stone, and became food for the gods." The NBA would be quite a different league with those rules.

Street vendors. Girl in center out negotiated Jeff.

The Rules of The Game

Street vendors in Taxco appeared in all ages selling hats, weavings, beads, and items woven from straw. They have a very tough life as far as I can tell, and are very persistent. "No, Gracias." is viewed as "Yes, I definitely want to buy something." After exercising my best sales resistance all day, a young vendor nailed me having a beer in a tavern near the Church of Santa Prisca. This brazen nine year old girl approached seeking to sell a woven straw finger trap. She asked 2 pesos for the trap and would have been delighted to get even a single peso. I told her that I would not pay two pesos and that two pesos was outrageous. I looked at her sternly. Just as she was about to drop to one peso, I told her that I would, however, pay 3 pesos. She very slowly smiled and then looked down, not quite knowing how to respond. Just as she was about to accept 3 pesos, I told her that I would not pay 3 pesos because that amount was outrageous. Now she was visibly confused; she didn't quite know what to say. I told her that I would pay 4 pesos and that was my last offer. She smiled again, looked down, and paused. I sensed that she was weakening. I then said that 4 pesos was too high, but that I would pay 5 pesos, and I really meant it, that this was absolutely my last offer. She grinned from ear to ear, grabbed the 5 pesos in my outstretched hand, handed me the finger trap. She skipped away, no longer confused, content that she had just met the dumbest gringo in all of North America. And perhaps she had.

While we visited Taxco the entire fleet of WV taxis paraded by the church. Each taxi driver decorated his cab and then piled as many of his family members as he could into the taxi. Then the priest in the church came out and blessed the cab, driver, family and all. This once a year activity should be extended to other forms of transportation in all parts of the hemisphere!

Blessed Taxi