O mabelu a San Blas, pachabe mumadzutsanso zakale! Zakale sizimvanso pempho lanu, ndikusiya mithunzi yausiku dziko lapansi limayenderera kuwala: m'bandakucha umatulukira kulikonse.
"O mabelu a San Blas, pachabe mumatukitsanso zakale! Zakale zimakhalabe zogontha pamapemphero anu, ndikusiya mithunzi yausiku dziko lapansi limayenda kukuwala: m'bandakucha umatulukira kulikonse."
Henry Wadworth Longfellow, mu 1882
M'zaka makumi awiri zapitazi za 18th century, wapaulendo yemwe, wochokera likulu la New Spain, adachoka mtawuni ya Tepic kulowera kudoko la San Blas, adadziwa kuti mgawo lomaliza la ulendowu sangakhale wopanda zoopsa.
Panjira yachifumu, yodzala miyala yamitsinje ndi zipolopolo za oyster, ngoloyo idayamba kutsika kuchokera ku zigwa zachonde zofesedwa fodya, nzimbe ndi nthochi kupita kuchigwa chochepa cha m'mphepete mwa nyanja. Malo owopsa chifukwa cha zoyipa zomwe madambowo adachita paumoyo wa "anthu akumidzi."
Mseu uwu umangodutsa munthawi yachilimwe, kuyambira Novembala mpaka Marichi, chifukwa mvula yamphamvu yoyenda kwamiyala idakoka matabwa ofiira amkungudza omwe anali milatho.
Malinga ndi omwe amaphunzitsa aphunzitsiwo, nthawi yamvula, ngakhale kuyenda wapansi sikunalinso njira yowopsa.
Kuti maphunzirowa asakhale opweteka, panali malo anayi pamtunda woyenera: Trapichillo, El Portillo, Navarrete ndi El Zapotillo. Anali malo omwe mungagule madzi ndi chakudya, kukonza gudumu, kusintha mahatchi, kudziteteza ku ziwopsezo za achifwamba, kapena kugona usiku wonse mulu wa bajareque ndi mitengo ya kanjedza mpaka mbandakucha utapereka chitsogozo choti mupitilize.
Powoloka mlatho wakhumi, apaulendo adakumana ndi malo amchere a Zapotillo; zachilengedwe zomwe, kwakukulukulu, zidapangitsa kuti kuyambira panyanja kuyambe. Ngakhale kugwiritsidwa ntchito kwa mchere kudawoneka m'mipikisano ingapo yapitayo, mu Mpingo wa Huaristemba, awa anali malo olemera kwambiri, ndichifukwa chake malo osungira amfumu anali pano. Panthawi ino ya chaka, sizingakhale zachilendo kuti likhweru lalitali liziyembekezera kukumana ndi oyendetsa nyulu omwe, pa nyulu, adanyamula zoyera zawo kupita ku Tepic.
Kupezeka kwa ng'ombe zazing'ono ndi mbuzi zazing'ono, zomwe anali nazo akuluakulu ena a kampaniyo, adalengeza kuti Cerro de la Contaduría iyamba kukwera posachedwa. Pamwamba, msewu wachifumu udasinthidwa kukhala msewu wokhala ndi malo otsetsereka, ozungulira nyumba zokhala ndi makoma amiyala ndi madenga a kanjedza, omwe kumpoto kwa parishi ya Nuestra Señora del Rosario La Marinera adalowera kubwalo lalikulu.
San Blas anali "malo amphamvu" a gulu lankhondo lachifumu. Ngakhale kuti ntchito zankhondo zodzitchinjiriza zinali zochulukirapo, lidalinso likulu loyang'anira komanso mzinda wotseguka womwe munthawi zina unkachita bizinesi yovomerezeka mwalamulo kapena mwachinsinsi. Kumadzulo, bwalo lalikulu lidakonzedwa ndi likulu; kumpoto ndi kumwera ndi nyumba zomanga ndi njerwa, za akulu akulu ndi amalonda; ndi kummawa ndi mapazi a nave ya tchalitchi.
Pa esplanade, pansi pa palapas, zipewa za kanjedza, miphika yadothi, zipatso zam'munda, nsomba ndi nyama zouma zidagulitsidwa; Komabe, mzindawu udathandizanso kuwunika asitikali ndikukonzekeretsa anthu wamba pomwe owonerera, omwe amakhala m'malo okwera pagombe, azindikira kupezeka kwa matanga a adani ndipo ndi magalasi opereka chizindikiro chomwe agwirizana.
Chombocho chidapitilira, osayima konse, mpaka pomwe panali kutsogolo kwa ofesi yowerengera doko, yomwe ili kumapeto kwenikweni kwa thanthwe lomwe likuyang'anizana ndi Pacific Ocean, nyumba yamwala iyi inali likulu la asitikali ndi akuluakulu aboma omwe amayang'anira zonse Dipatimenti. Kumeneko, mkulu wa asilikali ankadziwa za alendowo; amalandira malangizo ndi makalata a viceroy; ndipo ngati anali ndi mwayi wokwanira kulipira asitikali ake.
Poyendetsa bwalo, ma costaleros amatsitsa zinthu zomwe mwayi wawo woyamba ungatumizidwe kumishoni ndi magulu am'mbali mwa nyanja ku California, ndikuwatengera, kugombe lomwe likufuna kusungidwa.
Kumpoto kwa ofesi yowerengera doko, mseu wopita ku San Blas "kuchokera pansi", m'mbali mwa chigwa cha El Pozo, pomwe akalipentala a thupi la maestranza ndi kudula mitengo, asodzi ndi mbadwa za andende omwe mu 1768 adagwira ntchito yokakamiza kukhazikika komwe kukhazikitsidwa ndi mlendo José Bernardo de Gálvez Gallardo ndi wolowa m'malo Carlos Francisco de Croix.
Cerro de la Contaduría inali malo amipingo yomwe inali ndi mphamvu ndipo madera am'mbali mwa nyanja adatsalira amuna omwe, chifukwa cha zomwe amachita, amafunika kuti azikhala pafupi ndi doko kapena asazindikiridwe ndi gulu lankhondo. Usiku, wopitilira kubwezeretsa magulu ankhondo, adatumikira, pogwiritsa ntchito nyali zamafuta, kuti azembetse anthu mwachangu ndikuyendera zodyera "pansipa".
San Blas inali doko loyenda bwino, popeza oyendetsa ndege ochokera ku Veracruz amaganiza kuti El Pozo itha kuteteza mabwato angapo, onse pamafunde am'madzi, komanso kulowererapo, chifukwa pakamwa pa bwato pamatha kutetezedwa mosavuta kuposa utali wonse wa bay. Chomwe sichikanadziwika poyang'anitsitsa chinali chakuti pansi pa ngalande yachilengedwe iyi inali itasungunuka ndipo, kwakanthawi kochepa, magombe amchenga amaimira ngozi yayikulu poyenda. Zombo zakuya panyanja sizinathe kulowa padoko, ndikukhala ndi nangula zingapo kunyanja ndikutsitsa ndikutsitsa kudzera m'mabwato ang'onoang'ono.
Mabanki amchenga omwewo anali othandiza kwambiri pakubweretsa chingalawa kapena kuyendetsa sitima yapamadzi: kugwiritsa ntchito mafunde okwera, adakocheza padoko pomwe madzi adaphwera, ndi mphamvu ya amuna ambiri, idatsamira ena ya nyumbazi kuti zidziwitse zopakidwa phula kapena phula m'matabwa akunja, komwe pambuyo pake kunayamba; Kamodzi kamodzi kamatsirizidwa kanapendekeka mbali inayo.
Sitima zapamadzi za San Blas sizinangothandiza kuti zombo za Crown zaku Spain ziziyenda, komanso zidawonjezera zombo zawo. Ma grate amtengo adamangidwa m'mbali mwa gombelo pomwe chidacho chidapangidwa, chomwe chimayenera kutsetsereka, kudutsa ngalande zokumbidwa mumchenga, kupita kumadzi omwe adayikirako. Pamtunda, pansi pa matabwa ndi mitengo ya kanjedza, ambuye osiyanasiyana amatsogolera kuyanika ndi kudula nkhuni; kuponyera nangula, mabelu ndi misomali; kukonza phula ndi mfundo zomangira chingwe. Onse omwe ali ndi cholinga chofanana: kukhazikitsa frigate yatsopano.
Pofuna kuteteza pakhomo lolowera padokolo, pa Cerro del Vigía, "nyumba yolowera" idamangidwa kuti iteteze kulowa kudzera pagombe la San Cristóbal. Pa Punta El Borrego batri linamangidwa; Gombe pakati pa madera onse awiri likadatetezedwa ndi nyumba zoyandama. Pomwe kuukira kuli pafupi, nyumba yowerengera ndalama inali, pamiyala yake, mfuti zokonzekera kuwombera. Chifukwa chake, popanda linga, unali mzinda wokhala ndi mpanda wolimba.
Osati adani onse omwe adachokera kunyanja: anthu adakumana ndi miliri yanthawi zonse ya yellow fever ndi tabardillo, kuyambitsa kuyambitsa kwa ntchentche, mkwiyo wa mphepo yamkuntho, kuyatsa moto womwe kuwalako kwa mphezi kudawakoka padenga ndi cholinga cha amalonda a "bayuquero" omwe amadziwa bwino kudalira kwambiri zopezera zakunja. Msilikali wodwala, wopanda malangizo, wopanda zida ndi yunifolomu adakhala nthawi yayitali tsiku lonse ataledzera.
Monga madoko ena ku New Spain, San Blas idakumana ndikusinthasintha kwakukulu kwa anthu: antchito ambiri adalembedwa ntchito m'malo oyendetsa sitima pomwe sitima inali kusonkhanitsidwa; "oyenda panyanja" adakumana pamalo oyenda panyanja pomwe ulendo wopita ku San Lorenzo Nootka unali pafupi kunyamuka; Magulu ankhondo popita anali ndi mfundo zolimba pakawopsedwe; ogula amabwera pomwe mchere unali kale m'malo osungira.
Ndipo achipembedzo, asitikali komanso ochita masewera olimbitsa thupi adadutsa mudzi wamapiriwo atatsala pang'ono kuchoka ku San Francisco, San Diego, Monterrey, La Paz, Guaymas kapena Mazatlán. Kusinthasintha nthawi zonse pakati pa msika wamalonda ndi chete pakusiya.
Source: Mexico mu Time # 25 Julayi / Ogasiti 1998
