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From: Rafael Mier Maza <sildriel_at_ciateq.net.mx> subject: [Paddlewise] Trip Report. Two cultures, different views, one goal. Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2003 19:58:58 -0500 · This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:33 PDT

It was Wednesday April 10. To be patient was the word. The ^ÓRegatas Corona 

Club^Ô, ½ mile inside the Panuco River in Tampico was ready to receive its 

distinguished guests, Arthur Hebert and Larry Koenig, the two kayakers 

circumnavigating la Costa del Golfo.

www.lacostadelgolfo.com

The tail of a cold front with strong winds and 6-8 foot waves marked the 

scenario. Young Olympic style  paddlers with parents, brothers and sisters 

showed up. News reporters, Club Directors and TV cameras were ready.

Four youngsters climbed on tandems that we brought to this town for the 

purpose. Juan Luis and I completed the welcome crew. The boys were very 

excited to  paddle towards the harbor entrance and feel the 4 - 5 feet 

incoming swell. They were having a ball, without PFD^Òs and no experience on 

waves. We furnished them with lifejackets (unheard of by Olympic trainees).

18:10. A satellite phone call. ^ÓHi Rafael, we have arrived, we are on the 

south side of the jetty. I climbed up and saw some tandems in the 

river.^Ô  That was Larry.

^ÓWelcome to Tampico^Ô I said.  -^ÓYou have to enter the river^Ô.

Sponsored satellite phone does not allow for long calls. After hanging I 

realized that they had to climb in their kayaks again and enter the already 

left behind rough waters.

^ÓOK guys. Let´s go and receive them^Ô The three tandems rushed to the 

jetty´s end, where waves were about 5 feet. We told the boys to wait at 

safe distance and Juan Luis and I reached open waters and saw the two fully 

equipped Nigel Denis kayaks climbing and descending close to the wave 

dampened rocky walls, in between spurs of white splashes. Came close, said 

hi    and started surfing in.

The two anxious tandems surrounded them and started talking to Larry. They 

were trying their best English and Larry practicing his recent but rapidly 

growing Spanish. The half a mile entrance was very joyful. The adventurers 

happy with the welcome after two weeks of loneliness. The boys having an 

unexpected treat: new experience, paddle on waves, paddle with the masters.

At the pier, interviews, hugs, pictures, women cheerleading the visitors, 

demos, rolls. The State Canoe Association President Gonzalo Hernández 

greeted them.

Shown to their rooms they took a bath and came down to have grilled meet, 

beans and cheese tostadas, beer and soft drinks, all prepared by parents.

On the following two days we had to do some repairs, visited a school, 

Arthur and Juan Luis did a great demo with sculling rolls, offside rolls, 

and visited the city. There were some funny details worth mentioning.

1.- Shopping for parts.- They needed a piece of aluminum tube to fix their 

camping tent poles. One broke during a ^ÓNorte^Ô.  In the USA you pick up the 

phone, look in the yellow pages, call, ask for the price and address and 

go. Here we went to a hardware store and following references from store to 

store, found one in downtown who had the tubing. Tampico downtown is called 

the Mexican New Orleans because balconies and buildings built at the turn 

of 20th Century follow the same architectural  influence.

2.- Crossing Streets.- I feared for the guys. They seemed used to the 

loneliness of open waters and are used to crossing streets in cities where 

drivers consider pedestrians as potential suers, to say the 

least.  Unconsciously Larry and Arthur expected cars to stop in crossings, 

while cars expected them to move away. I suggested them that they were 

safer in the 6 - 8 foot waves.

3.- Fresh fruits.- Arthur, Larry and Reynaldo (the Olympic kayak coach) 

crossed the street to the ^ÓSchool of the Sea^Ô, to drill some holes. Coming 

back, each had a plastic cup with pieces of fruits like mango, water melon, 

cantaloupes, papaya and jicama, well spread with hot red peppers powder and 

lime. Reynaldo treated them to it in the street vendor portable cart. 

There, the same hands peel the fruits, collect the money, etc,  The same 

bucket is used to soak the fruits, wash his hands, etc.

I saw Moctezumas´s ghost wondering around. I told them ^ÓYou should not eat 

that^Ô, but they were not going to be impolite, and could not resist, as 

good  bayou men, to try that delicious hot pepper.

I have been wondering if their fast progress these last days has been due 

to some type of propulsion system.

That same evening we were out for dinner and there was this taco place with 

servings of  Greek style tacos, beef tacos, cecina tacos and they tried 

them all with fresh onions and sauce and green ^Ócilantro^Ô. They didn´t want 

to miss a thing. They were eager to taste, to learn, to compare, to 

communicate. They will have lots  to share when they are through.

Fortunately nothing happened but^Å I kept laughing to myself.. ^Óthey were 

safer in rough waters.^Ô

4.- Walking with Celebrities.- While in Tampico, people who read the papers 

or watched TV would recognize Arthur and Larry everywhere we went. In a 

school they even signed some autographs.

On Saturday 13 they  parted south following the river into Laguna de 

Tamiahua, that will take them all the way into Tuxpam.

The goal was met. They promoted the sport, learned a lot, developed a 

feeling fro the importance of achievement among youngsters and many of us. 

The Club hosts were credited in the papers and we all had a good time.

We wish them a good trip and will meet them again in Veracruz .

Best Regards

Rafael el cayucochief

Pictures at http://community.webshots.com/user/cayucochief.
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