Johnny's Boat Trip into Baru

It was back to Baru today, this time with a local called Johnny. He took Peter and me, with Edie & Michael from a neighbouring boat, Panda, in his pirogue. This time traveling 3 miles by water through the mangroves was much, much easier than yesterday's walk in the 89 degree heat. Today's mission was to buy some chicken and pork and check out the town with a local guide. There's not much in Baru, but today we got a different perspective. He took us to the store that sold pork. The store, a wooden shack open to the dusty street was busy with a half dozen locals. All of the products, 3 or 4 open shelves, are behind a counter and the service was somewhat slow and methodical. The four of us ordered un poco of pork which was finally presented to us in two small plastic bags. The "butcher's" supply was somewhere out back stored in a manner which we probably don't want to see. We paid & were on our way to the chicken place. It was little more upscale but the demonstration of killing the cockroaches under the fruit box using a match with bug spray like a blow torch kind a told us their standards are different from home. But this time at least the food was pulled out of a freezer. (On yesterday's walk, we politely turned down an hombre who wanted to sell us fresh chicken from his yard..boy the choice one has). Johnny took us to his home & it is of very "modest" means. He has 3 kids (una hija, tres año, un hijo diez año y una hija, doce), his esposa, Mom, Dad, plus about six others - I would assume, relatives of some sort...all in this one bedroom, 2 room house! They were very welcoming & I gave his little niña some paper & crayons which I had brought along. Anyway, we spent a very nice morning in Baru.
Back at the boat, dealing with the pork was a little disconcerting. There was still hair on the skin!!! Yuk!! And the "butcher's" style of using a machete left tiny shards of bone throughout. The smell was very rich and we are hoping a marinade will deal with that; guess what's for dinner tonight! Come to think of it, we never did see that pig that I took the picture of 2 days ago.(see photos below) Lo siento, Porky.