You know how when you go to some places, people like to tell you “don’t drink the water”? Well nobody ever advised me not to drink the mescal with scorpions floating at the bottom. So I did. On a recent trip to Oaxaca, Mexico – along with my tag team partner “El Gran Queso” – the Gringo With A Green Bag had a no-holds-barred experience in the excitingly cultured city of Oaxaca! Once the mask comes out, it’s game ON! Check out how it all went down right here…
I got pretty sick once while I was in Bocas Del Toro, Panama. An “ill”-advised bit of teeth cleaning at the border with some tap water was most likely the culprit. I took one bite of my chicken and rice dish at a local food joint and I had to throw in the towel, as my stomach was the first organ to checkout on whatever schedule I had planned for my weakening body that day. I noticed this little boy who was standing there looking at me with a curious and innocent grin, so I invited him to join me and help me finish my plate (when I say “help me finish”, I really meant “please get this greasy pile of Caribbean grindage away from my face before the waitress is gonna have to call for a mop and some sanitizer at table #12”). Bad shape. This kid eagerly accepted my invitation and kept me great company while I battled fatigue, nausea and frustration with the fact that the only “tropical paradise” I would see for the next 24 hours was a fading logo on his soiled t-shirt. Nonetheless, I made a local friend that day and he got treated to a great meal. That’s all you need sometimes to make your day. 
Happy first “Foto Friday” of Lent folks! I’m not Catholic, so therefore I normally don’t feel a need to sacrifice anything over these 40 days, but in many countries that the Gringo has traveled to, it is a common practice. I tried giving up beer once, but baseball season always spoils that effort. (Who do you know on this Earth that can sit through a week of Brewers baseball without downing a few Miller Lites?) Instead of sacrificing something for 40 days, this year I’m going to just step up my exercise routine (bought a bike today) and get a bit more strict with my diet (now that Girl Scout Cookie season is winding down). That means eating a lot more fish, which most Lent observers will be doing on this day. This reminded me of one of the best meals I’ve ever had…anywhere, any place, anytime. I was in Isla Mujeres, Mexico a few years back and I stumbled upon this beach restaurant called La Casa Del TikinXic. (I literally did stumble upon it, after a few late a.m. tequilas and an exhausting bike ride across the island.) The specialty here: Tikin-Xic (pronounced “teekeen sheek”). This is a type of fish dish specific to the Yucatec Maya region of Mexico. Prepared whole using a seasonal white fish (typically Grouper or Drum), the fish is marinated in the traditional Yucatán mixture of achiote paste, sour orange and a toss of regional chiles, then wrapped in a banana leaf and baked in an earth oven beneath a wood fire. The result: the most satisfyingly delicious fish plate I have ever had the pleasure to sink my saliva-coated chompers into! I had a little bone stuck in my tooth, but I just left it there so I could savor the flavor a bit longer. Throw in a cold cerveza, some steaming corn tortillas and a tasty medley of Mexican rice and fresh salsa and you’re getting treated to the perfect meal in a perfect location! Oh yeah, for some reason things always seem to taste even better with your feet in the sand. 😉
Tikin-Xic (Isla Mujeres, Mexico)
Gringo With A Green Bag 