Thanks for the reminders of San Blas. My first trip, at 17, was in March 1968; my buddy Thad and I travelled from North Beach, San Francisco via train in Calexico/Mexicali to Tepic, after which we took a hair-raising taxi ride to the coast. I have many wonderful memories of surfing Mantenchen/Stoners and hanging out in the Plaza at night. There have been many trips back over the years, mostly staying at the Hotel Los Flamingos. My friend Jimmy De la Garza ran the hotel and it’s sad that he died a few years ago; the larger than life character will be missed. Jimmy had an uncanny ability to win at poker while we consumed tequila. On thinking about it, I and others were the ones who drank most of the tequila, and the 38 he kept in his waistband was most probably an additional distraction to the loosers.