The boat:
Five boats rest beside each other on the beachfront of Paraiso. The fishermen leave them about twenty feet beyond high tide. This morning, only one of the boats will be carried down to the ocean.
The motor:
A young man carries the motor from the road down to the seashore, managing it on his back. His friend carries a cooler plus the gasoline. Today they will fish with a small casting rod.
Safety:
The fishermen of Paraiso have yet to lose one of their members at sea. Perhaps this is due to the attitude that pervades the group: they are in no hurry to catch fish and even if they caught a huge amount, they do not have the storage capacity to keep the fish fresh. Problems with limited electrical service and small size cold storage units contribute to a reluctance to go after "bigger and better."
The coast:
Between Barahona and Pedernales there is no deep water port for large scale fishing boats. One does not witness industrial scale boats trolling off the coast in the deep waters. All in all, the environment seems to be one that leaves plenty of fish for the fishermen of tomorrow. Did Peter and his relatives have a similar "laid-back" attitude towards fishing? Was the Sea of Galilee over-crowded with small craft that fought for an ever dwindling catch? If they had been consumed with beating everyone out to the biggest and longest run of catches, would they have stopped to listen to a man from Nazareth... and discover his real identity?
Contemplative fishermen:
The geographical and economic limitations placed upon the Paraiso fishermen appear to enhance a contemplative rather than a voracious spirituality towards fishing. In an age when "small" is considered pejorative in the context of business, the Paraiso fishing methods speak about the long term wisdom of taking it easy; fishing one little boat at a time.
