CATEMACO, VERACRUZ, MX: MONKEYS, MALECÓN, AND MANGO SMOOTHIES

CATEMACO'S MONKEYS, THE MALECON, AND MANGOS

HEALTHY ACTIVITY IN CATEMACO: WALKING THE MALECON AND A BOAT RIDE TO SEE THE MONOS (MONKEYS)  
     The Malecón (boardwalk) along Lake Catemaco was the center of activity. We walked it for miles each day, to walk to dinner at one of the many restaurants overlooking the lake, to watch birds and people, to go to Zumba class, to watch the traditional dancing at the El Brujo Fesival, and just for the exercise of walking. The Malecón was well lit and nicely paved, so we walked it most evenings to go to dinner, and then home again after dark. There were joggers passing us, families strolling, and sweethearts enjoying the benches near the lake. 

     The Malecón is where we purchased our Launcha ticket to ride the boat that tours Lake Catemaco. We rode out to the Mono (Monkey) Islands to see the two types of monkeys that live in these preserves. The monkeys are a protected species after years of being hunted for their meat. They put on a show for us, as monkeys will do, and we really enjoyed them. 

    While on the boat tour, we saw many types of birds, water lilies, and tropical vegetation. We also passed by two jungle ecological reserves, "La Jungla" and "Nanciyaga", which can be toured for an additional fee. There are also cabins and campsites for overnight stays, though they were too small for our 32 foot motorhome.

      HEALTHY EATING IN CATEMACO: FRESH MANGOES 

     We returned to Catemaco in late March, traveling the coastal highway from Isla Aguada. In one area along Hwy 180, south of Catemaco, there were numerous stands selling boxes of fresh mangoes. We were able to park the motorhome near the last stand, so we got out thinking we could purchase a few ripe mangoes. We found out we had to buy a whole crate of 24 medium sized mangoes, but it was only 85 pesos (about $6.50 U.S.). How could we pass this up! Since all of the mangoes in our box were ripe, I had to freeze most of them. I peeled them, cut the fruit from the pit, and bagged them for the freezer with 2 mangoes per bag. These have been great to have, ready to go for Mango Smoothies in the morning. I have tried many variations, but this is my favorite recipe, using the runny yoghurt available in Mexican stores.

        MANGO BANANA SMOOTHIES FOR TWO

INGREDIENTS

     Two Fresh Bananas, peeled

     2 Medium Frozen Mangoes, peeled, pit removed, sliced

     12 Small Frozen Cubes of Jugo de Mango (Mango Juice)

     1 Cup of Yoghurt Natural (plain yogurt without sugar)

     Mango Juice, as needed

DIRECTIONS:

     Put bananas and frozen mangoes, cubes of frozen mango juice and yoghurt in blender. Run blender on high for 3 minutes to liquefy and to whip air into it. If consistency is too

thick, add sufficient mango juice to thin to desired consistency and blend again. Enjoy!
VARIATIONS:
     Fresh pineapple, cut into cubes or two oranges, seeds removed, can be substituted for the mango. Pineapple skin carries a lot of bacteria which I find is deposited on the fruit when slicing away the skin. To prevent upset stomach, I peel the pineapple, and then soak it in a Microdyn solution (a disinfectant for food that can be purchased in Mexican grocery stores) of 8 drops per quart for 10 minutes before cutting into cubes to use in Smoothies or freezing.

COPYRIGHT © 2014 by Terry L Turrell

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