Dec 4, 2005: California

CALIFORNIA

Thanks friends for all your input.

Friday night was the Kids Lighted Parade (no you don't light your kids on fire to watch them go screaming down the street)... lots of cylume sticks and flashing glow balls and Santa on the Fire truck (just in case a kid did catch fire?)... very family, low key... and then after the street stayed closed for street fair (ie shortbread cookies and applecider or hot chocolate, etc) entertainment, we watched a guy juggle knives with his hands(in gloves) on fire! ...no one in the audience caught fire!


Topics of Interest, for me anyway:
welcome to the season of Christmas parties and "gee I hope my jeans still fit in January"... favorite foods include anything with Chocolate (except the fudge at last nights cocktail party), shortbread, cookies in cute shapes and iced... anyone ever have goose for Xmas dinner?

the University down the way at Santa Cruz has a strange mascot: the banana slug, I almost stepped on one while out hiking the other day... it tucked in his eye stalks and cringed in that way that slugs do!...

did I ever tell you my little sister used to pick them up like "pets" usually on a kleenex or something to avoid the slime... and one day an adult thought the curled up brown slug she offered him was a chocolate.... yuk, guess he needed glasses... wonder if her baby boy will someday have the same affection for them?!...


Checking out the Planet:
yes it a big beautiful planet, and somehow there always seems to be something horrific going on... my sincerest thanks go out to those who continue to do everything then can to help those who need it... and the rest of us I suppose any little bit helps

the earth quake in Pakistan has left a real mess: More than three million people are homeless in the region and some 800,000 are still sleeping in the open. Some 74,000 people have died as a result of the quake and the Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy warns that the approaching harsh mountain winter could bring more deaths if there are not more food, medical treatment and supplies made available. feel like being charitable for Christmas?
see U.S. Agency for International Development and the Human Development Foundation of Pakistan.

Environmental news
worried about Global warming? the Kyoto Protocal folks are meeting in Montreal this weekend:
http://indeco.com/kyoto
or there's always the peooples ratification of the treaty: www.kyotoandbeyond.org/petition.html


Sports:
The bike trail that goes from the Pillar Point marina into town is about all that I've done lately, as in ride a bike along it... easier one way than the other due to the winds...


Book reviews:
Couldn't handle the slog through Don Quixote, so got some novels from the library and have finished 2 (one each night): 5 Quarters of the Orange (Joanne Harris author of Chocolat) lovely food, mystery.... and DiscWorld's Moving Pictures (terry Pratchett), humourous a send up of Hollywood... now reading Witches of Eastwick that became the movie with Susan Sarandon, Cher, etc...


Movie Reviews/News:
okay I admit... I watched the Princess Bride again... want me to recite it for you from memory, huh huh, do ya??... "As you wish."


Quotes of the Week: "Anybody want a peanut?".... Inconcievable!"... "Dream of large women"... "Have fun storming the castle boys"... "My Wesley will come for me"..."My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die"... (add you favorites here)

Coming Events:
Christmas... I keep seeing trees tied to the tops of peoples cars... yep it's slamming into full on consumer hype now! ...

Nov 25, 2005

HALF MOON BAY, CA

Protest against Turkey Slaughter Day


…eat a parrot.

First you have to get it away from the pirate who has the stupid squawking thing s(*)itting on his shoulder. Then (if you live through that part), be humane in dispatching it. Drowning is NOT humane... May I suggest Deep Fried, just like mama does in the Deep South?... Or flambe?... anything tastes good with rum...

Seriously though…

This being American Thanksgiving, I expect you all to do the one of the seven deadly sins that suits the day: Gluttony. (What were you thinking?) To me this day just isn’t the same without Granny’s jello with vegetables. Or the deep South’s yams with mini marshmallows on top. But I’ll survive here with the 20 pounds of mashed potatoes and stuff any empty corners with stuffing.

So, eat yourself into oblivion, try not to inhale the pumpkin pie, blame the sleepies on the trypo-fan stuff, and pass out… What other country has a holiday to celebrate pig out, over-eating! (German October Fest is more a beer thing.)

To my Canadian friends my apologies for the US emphasis, but here I am down here.... there a little slow here... and I had the opportunity to do this twice (was still in Vancouver that weekend)... we had pizza...

I am still here in Half Moon Bay, California. Watching time roll by. Spend my days working to restore the deck. Been in the sun almost a week, but the weather just turned back to the cloudy grey. Suppose I should think myself lucky that it’s not snowing, but you know I’d rather a snow storm and that white blinding light than this grey funk! There would have to be a fireplace in there too.

Spend my nights wondering why I decided to come here!... I dislike bedroom communities. They seem dead.

Not a thrilling adventure. Not exciting. Not interesting. But then I guess we al need a rest sometimes. Unfortunately, sometimes that “rest” seems to drag on a bit longer than you planned.I suppose I should be stoked about having such peaceful recuperation. Maybe in hindsight I will.

Hoping to make it to Baja, and it still may happen but not until early Dec. That whole “bribe an official today” campaign, hasn’t managed to actually speed anything up in the third world. But it could be worse. Could be months and months instead of these few weeks.

Anyone ever read Don Quixote? (There's a new translation out) It really is the kind of book that requires a reading group or something. I am still slogging along. Talk about sub-plots. Maybe I should just wait for Terry Gilliam to get his movie finished. Pick up the DVD “Man of La Mancha” and see the hell that is attempting to make the film and they just can’t overcome the bad luck. They even ended up in a flash flood on a Spanish bombing range!

It seems a long way to Hollywood from here despite being in California, but I remain addicted to films. Best I’ve seen lately is called MirrorMask, a world in a dream, animated, circus cast, a dark Queen. A great tale of black and white, good and evil.

Best thing about California so far is the smell of eucalyptus trees! The bike ride into town follows a path along the shore and each ravine is filled with them. Lovely, heady smells. I have pressed the leaves into my journal hoping the smell will stay. This will be the prominent memory of being here. Silly but true. You can keep most of the rest of it: traffic, over-populated, strip malls, the Governor, smog, fog…

Did get to go to a book signing here at the little independent bookstore in the town. Very cool author. If you like epic fantasy in the style of Tolkien, read the Song of Ice and Fire series (starts with Game of Thrones). The author, George RR Martin so looked the part: rotund man with grizzled grey beard.


I hear fireworks outside? Weird, that’s not the usual American thing for this holiday but then any excuse to try to blow off one’s fingers! If you got ‘em, light ‘em up.

Very quiet here without the rest of the crew. I think I need some activity and chaos around me. Think I’ll head out, somewhere.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.

Laurel

Oct 14, 2005: California

CALIFORNIA, USA

Headline:

CALIFORNIA STILL NOT SPLIT in TWO by ANY EARTHQUAKES (knock on wood)


WHAT: Arrived at-

WHERE: Half Moon Bay, a small scoop in the coast of California that counts as a port only because it doesn't face the prevailing wind in the NW, and someone thought to put up massive breakwaters... and here I am!

WHEN: Got here Sunday, midday

HOW: flew out of the miserable rains of the Pacific NW into the sun

WHO: staying with my friends Steven and Kimberly and their son, Cullem,

WHY: because it was time to get away from the rains, and back to making a living on boats...


Travel as Education:
Loved the beautiful ornamental maple reds that were happening when I left Seattle on Sunday!... just got into California and now sitting on my friends boat in Half Moon Bay.... flew in instead of by train, it made more sense to get out of the weather sooner...

Flew into San Jose. Forgot how crowded Calif is! ...its massive sprawling cities with huge highways... and Spanish stucco and red brick... and media-brutalized Americans living in fear, and all their insanities... I now live in a State of which Arnold Swartznegger is the governor and thats about all I have to say to explain it!...

Ever been to California?... its before the winter rains here, so everything is dirty and brown... almost no green flying in over San Fran!... but the beautiful palm trees... and the light blue green of the eucalyptus... sunshine but not that warm, especially out here on the ocean side...


Job Prospects:
I don't know what I'll do here... my friends here have lots of boater connections and can get me work, and I'm also staying with them... my "rent" is doing some child care for their 9yr old while Steven goes out to Montana to see his brand new grand daughter born Monday!...

Got a book idea going that I am really excited about... (but that won't bring in cash for a while)...will need some more research in tallships and catching up with the inner workings... I hope I can get into some classes maybe at Maritime Museum in San Fran... and do some work with the them...


Community News:
Just got here to HMB... but noticed there was a Pumpkin Festival backing up traffic...

My Back-Home community was great to visit with you all!!... I admit I totally dropped the ball and didn't get out to see everyone on the list by end of summer... sorry if I missed you on this visit, forgive me ...I'll be back around to the NW coast sooner this next time I hope...


Environmental news:
the waterfront is falling into the ocean... soon the beach will be nothing but riprap, piles of massive rocks, trying to keep back the encroaching surf from the expensive waterfront houses!...


Weather:
FOG. FOG. FOG. Can't stand the grey... at this rate I won't be here long, will have to go further south...


Checking out the Planet:
Well the news only reports the destruction... sounds like water has decided to move inland, Katrina, then Rita and Stan burying villages under mud in Central America... the resort where I worked in Nicaragua did NOT slide down the hill, thank goodness... plus earthquakes shaking things down in Pakistan...

so if you're feeling flush, get out the check book and send something off to a charity that will help those in need, (or maybe to some environmental activist group trying to salw down the decline of ecosystems!)

but don't Dispair, I don't see it as "signs" of the worlds demise... there are so many good things happening... love hearing about people coming together to support each other... and if nothing else there is Chocolate, forever and always...


Sports:
surf was up the day I got here, but I was pretty tired so begged off going in... and there have been surfers there everyday since... the waves are crowded which I'm not used to... but very easy access, right down the road from this marina...


Book reviews:
Just bought How to Write a Book Proposal, which hopefully get me inline to finally get this book underway...


Movie Reviews/News:
best I've seen lately was the oh so camp, "Sky Captain and the world of Tomorrow"... only Angelina Jolie could make an eyepatch look that cool!... Saw my brather Crosby while in Vanc... he came in from Squamish, where he had been working on set for a movie being shot up there... something about some Giant Squid (way to jump on the band wagon people) sounds like a Moby
Dick kind of story...


Quote of the Week:
"To stand at the edge of the sea...is to have knowledge of things that are as eternal as any earthly life can be." --Rachel Carson


Coming Events:
Christmas?



"This is Laurel Seaborn reporting from California..."

Aug 17, 2005: Victoria BC

VICTORIA, BC CANADA

Headline: I'M 38 YEARS OLD, YIPES!...


WHO: it's all about me! hmm, that's sounds a bit "too much" ego, more like how or what I see around me if you're interested

WHAT: Latest of what's going on around here.

WHEN: now or this week or where abouts

WHERE: uh, here... Sidney and around, because that's where I am

WHY: just because, haven't kept up with y'all lately, you know

HOW: read below...


Topics of Interest, for me anyway:
Peanut butter still sticks to the roof of your mouth. No scientific break throughs to solve this, yet.

When its continually dry, people here actually like it when it rains... (I still don't like it. Yep, it's raining off and on today.)

Cuban Cab intercepted while "driving" to FL Keys, see below: http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/photos/05/0609/


Community News:
Sidney is not quite big enough (Bob Dylan played at the new arena/theatre in Victoria and I didn't hear about it until I missed it! Where were the Ads?) and not small enough. A bed room community where the ferry to Vancouver comes in. (Guess that's not really news if you're from here.)

The weekly summer market is cool. And I am addicted to all the bookstores


Environmental news"
People are tree-sitting up at Cathedral Grove, at least they were when I drove by last week. Apparently, the gov't plan is to cut some of the big trees to make a bigger parking lot.

I can't believe how many whale watching boats there are now, soon the whales will be filing harrassment suits in Court!


Checking out the Planet:
Chiang Mai, Thailand, where I spent last summer doing Thai massage, just got totally flooded. Can you say mud and mess? Found out on the Chinese news channel here, not on the regular news stations. ('Oh just another natural disaster with only 5 dead.')


Sports:
Went sailing this am. with my Dad. And as we pulled out of harbour the wind blew the fog away and the SUN came out! so we puttered about sailing and when we went in it clouded over again. Perfect timing.


Book reviews: I'm reading the last book (currently written, there are more to come) of an escapist, fantasy trilogy. This one is: Storm of Swords. Pretty good because after so many character shifts and each one about 1000 pages, I'm still reading... Shapeshifters, dragons, beheadings, krakens, walking dead; all that great stuff. Now to get on to Harry Potter latest.

Movie Reviews/News: Went out to see X-Men 3 being filmed at Royal Roads College, Colwood (0.5 hrs drive from downtown). Yep, actually saw Hugh Jackman and Anna Paquin with my own eyes (and some guy in a fat blue head!) but of course no photographic proof, someone stepped into the way just as I took it.


Quote of the Week: "Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been."-- Mark Twain


Coming Events:
I have NO idea where I'll be this Fall... My meager savings dictate "somewhere" that I can again make some cash. Let you know when I know if that's FLorida, California, Hawaii or??


This is Laurel Seaborn reporting live, from my Dad's leather couch in the front room. Later. this probably won't continue as a weekly but I'll see what I can do.

May 30, 2005: Florida

KEY WEST, FLORIDA
heading on from Key West ... it just got Damn Hot here... I think that's the scientific terminology I heard the weatherman use to mean 'really really humid and hot' so that the heat index is about 110 degrees F.... ouch...

got stupidly sunburnt yesterday watching the Minimal Regatta, where the contestants get to build a boat out of one sheet of plywood, duct tape and one pound of fasteners... very funny, lots of sinking... at one poiint the crowd was hosed down, and NOBODY complained, it evaporated almost as it touched them!!...

so next stop for me in Maine... off to visit my Mom, and see the mud that they are sliding in as it just keeps raining and raining there... should be a shock to my system after all this heat... hope the long underwear I left in storage in my car hasn't all molded....

then heading towards BC to hang out with my sisters, hopefully do some sailing as an instructor and make a little cash... don't know...

take care
Laurel

April 3, 2005: Panama

PANAMA

Okay so Ive been through locks before in Seattle and somewhere on the ICW, but somehow the concept of ocean to ocean seems just amazing... what a feat of technology, what an amazing thing... watched a freighter at the Miraflores locks (Pac side) today, I think the lift is almost 40ft in the first set!!

and Im on for Tues!!... found a boat in Colon... waht a shit hole of a city, apparently they were rioting in the streets yesterday... scary stuff...the captain on the boat seems an absolute nutcase (but in a nice way), real character... talked a blue streak, and told about having a sail dragging in the water and just leaving it because it was too much to deal with... think I would go nuts with him on long passage, but its only overnight on a push button sailboat called a Maramu (?) about 55ft...

and the other linehandlers seem okay, a Dutch guy, a sweet Brit who is here on another boat... old gaffer called the Lister Light... he was the one telling me about the riots... they actually were in a taxi accelerating thru an intersection just as the rioters were squaring off with the police in full gear... "oops, excuse us, just going to the bakery for bread..." he was nice enough to walk me back to the bus station so I could return to the hostel here in Panama city...

and as soon as I signed on one boat another is asking me to play too... now to organize getting out of here....

love and hugs
Laurel

Nov 14, 2004: Nicaragua

NICARAGUA


I'm back in the land of the living!! It may take me a few weeks to recover, but I launched today and the boat is floating (still) in the harbor...

that might be stretching the truth because I cant actually see in the dark, to where she's anchored.... but Im assuming that if it sank, the caretaker who sleeps aboard at night would have swum ashore and hiked up the hill to tell me the bad news...

So let's assume the best, that all is well...

We were hauled on Sept 27, and I'm only one week late going back in... general picture: working in a third world Machismo country is NOT fun... I say things and somehow its not important enough to be remembered, because Im just a girl... especially by

and anything said also needs to be written down, so two weeks later when none of the connections are correct (although you directly asked the mecanic to be CERTAIN that all were correct) you can point to a signature...

dailies: Crew arrives at 7am at the dock (muelle), me with the truck (if it hasnt broken down the day before) full of tools, supplies and breakfast... everything had to be kept in a locked shed off the shipyard so nothing would be stolen (of course things were taken anyway, the tool box is lighter including the missing voltmeter)...

start, with much convincing the lame ass mate gets work going... my spanish, especially knowledge of vulgar words got much better... hope that the carpenter, mechanic, electrician, whoever isnt too hungover to arrive...

and whatever supplies need buying, off I go to get them... silicone, sandpaper, paint etc... if Im lucky, one of the three hardware places in tiny San Juan del Sur has what I need,.... if not its a phone call to the buyer in Managua, who spends the day looking and then puts it in a cab to get it to me... yup, that adds to the price...

by 11am, I'm at the office organizing paperwork or talking to the accountants or calling the US, usually California to figure out where ordered parts have ended up... "And you sent it where??"... pick up lunch and return to the shipyard to give it to the sailors... its better not to allow them to leave (and get drunk) and not return for hours...

after lunch, more difficulties in kick starting the crew to work... but then considering the temperture is something over 80F usually, on a full stomach nothing happens quickly... often felt like we fed the whole dock, the extra lunchas would be consumed by anyone the crew wanted to share with... more work--painting, scraping, sanding,etc....

by 3:30pm the day is winding down, things are being cleaned up and all is away back to the shed by 4pm... I of course would then return for another few hours trying to put the electric plumbing or whatever system back in...

then I would spend last few hours before sleeping, working on the computer looking for whatever, portlights, stainless bits and pieces (I dont think stainless exists here in Nicaragua)... and get up and do it all again the next day

luckily the captain next door was invaluable helping me make things happen... he re-did the water line and spray painted the hull... and fix the few weird mistakes that happened (someone pulled up the sink and destroyed the corner metal, and he managed to bang it back into place)....


other than my frustrations with crew and contractors things are okay... launch day, my mechanic wouldnt come in because it was Sunday, and only some of the crew showed up, most of them drunk (that's just what is done on Sunday, their excuse is its a day with family, HA!)

theres still more to do, ... the trannie parts werent correct, so someone has to re-do that... I'll probably fire the regular mechanic tomorrow I'm so upset with him, so it will have to be someone else... and there's things the carpenter needs to finish...

bothers me that so many people here, smile at me and hope that's enough for me to say "yes of course I'll okay that you get paid for this"... cant pay if its not finished... no one has ever heard of an invoice... ah, all to be dealt with in a 9 - 5 sort of day... the boat is in, we sail with passengers on Wed...

so now I can have a life... and get back to reading and writing and massage practice... only practiced a few times when I got here...

write and tell me whats up...
love to you

Laurel

Aug 6, 2004: Thailand

THAILAND

Finally recovered from the nasty flu I caught and enjoying the city of Chiang Mai...

Started my Thai massage course and my muscles are aching! silly but its lots of work, and stretching into positions I'm not used to.... luckily we do yoga every morning to limber up or I'd be a complete mess...

I'm amazed at the different nationalities of students attending: Brazilian, Israeli, British and Irish, Lebanese, Americans, French, Australians.... very good school with a solid program, working through the forms and practicing them again and again and again....

Y'all will have to suffer with being practiced on when I see you... besides which I'd love to... its extremely relaxing to be on the receiving end and kind of like doing yoga to give it... still its not Swedish massage where you just lie there like a lump... more like being a pretzel, though I think when I take it away from here it will be modified slightly... did another course in Florida (that was Chiang Mai style) but they discussed how due to the sedentary nature of work in US/Canada there needs to be more of a focus on upper bady and back...

so I have the weekend off to hang out with a couple friends I made... go out to see temple on the mountain DOi Suthep, maybe go to Thai cookery school and head back to class Monday... right now heading to the night bazaar, a huge market of clothes, sculpture and kitch with food stalls besides... may even get to see a thai boxing demo match, where they beat the hell out of each other....

the guest house Im staying at now is lovely... think I was sold on it because a drag queen (hes called a lady-boy) checked me in, felt right at home after Key West... my own bathroom, hot water shower, quiet street, CLEAN all for $3/night... I paid more for a meal than an overnight (but not usually)...

the restaurant downstairs is lovely vegetarian and today found out they let us play DVDs on their TV if we want... one of the students put on the new Peter Pan... I was mesmerized... it was a favorite when I was a kid and I think I know why... I still identify with Pan, not sure I'll ever really grow up....

that said: I had a revelation the other day that the only reason I can live my life this way is because I have YOU, my wonderful friends... how many times have I been so lucky as to be able to crash at your place wherever you're living.... how many times have I been able to continue because I have a friend to encourage me.... how many times have I gone on just to be able to see one of you....

Thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!

love to you all, more soon...

Laurel

July 27, 2004: Thailand

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND

made it here fine, despite staying awake all night (my day by brain/jetlag) at the Bangkok airport, so I'd been awake over a day, before flying to Chiang Mai...

Thailand is beautiful... but rainy, a huge rain storm yesterday afternoon, woke me from my nap, after which I returned to sleep... though my hostel is next to an Irish pub, I slept until midnight when the sudden cesation of festivities woke me... everything smells green, a flower similar to jasmine overpowers the senses, wood shavings that smell of sandlewood and cinamon, pools of water,...

the temples are amazing, walked around some yesterday looking for food and just to stroll... check out a library book to see what I mean, great carvings of curliques and dragons overlaid in gold, and not museum dead, but truly alive with monks wandering about in their orange robes...

and the food is wonderful, even the soup at the crusty loaf bakery, was better than anything I've had in USA, only because all the herbs and spices and chilies are here... there is actually a little chili called mouse turd... yum... the hostel I'm at is also a cooking school... too bad the beds are so hard I wont be able to sleep unless exhausted, my hips still feel numb 3 hrs after getting out of bed...

now I remember why I loved it here... as anywhere I'm sure eventually I'll want to return to somewhere that I know people and dont have to struggle with language and cultural differences... until then, my massage course starts monday and I'm excited...

love you

Laurel

July 9, 2004: Key West

KEY WEST, FLORIDA USA

Been running around, seeing friends and talking to people about Nicaragua... and I'm totally excited... today I look for my ticket out to Thailand, and soon I drive to Maine... after a couple days of recovery and relieving cravings that had built up(like for Thai food), I'm ready to go...

been doing lots of errands to fix car, get USCG captains license renewed, waiting on results, getting stuff prepared... but it still feels like hanging out in summer, with friends going to the beach, watching the sunset and festivities at Malory square... will let you know when I know the schedule...

saw the new Michael Moore movie, gripping!... damn I hope the whole country sees it and gets a clue, but I suppose the staunch supports of Republican, and Bush govt probably will refuse to see it... some horrible footage, and interviews, his book with the same info is called Dude, wheres my country?... amazing for being a documentary, it sounds like its a blockbuster and won the palm d'or in Cannes...

love

Laurel

PS if you're in KW and I havent called yet its only because I'm a bimbo about phones...

June 18, 2004

NICARAGUA

GOT IT!! Yep, somehow managed to land a grant that will send me to Thailand to study massage in Chiang Mai!… of course the catch is I’ll HAVE to return to Nicaragua in this Fall to teach others… but what an opportunity ...

At the moment all I want to do is get out of here …. but Im going to bet that by the time I return, I’ll be looking forward to it… going to need a bit of a different set up for my return time or I’ll go nuts, like my own place so I dont have to move house every other day… Cant seem to get together a circle of friends here, … not into bonding over alcohol, so Im at a disadvantage on the regular circuit… and of course as soon as I start to get to know a gringo they leave… sigh, well maybe those who were here last year will return…??…

My planning is going to be contingent on whether my car is working when I arrive in FLorida to start it next week… if it has died, I give my poor Subaru its last rights, store my stuff that’s in the back, and fly out of Miami to SE Asia… IF its running well enough and repairs aren’t too expensive (I know theres a front end issue), I drive to Maine and fly out of the north…

Then theres the issue of how many people I can visit on the way to SE Asia… from the east coast theres flights in either direction: through Europe, or to the west coast and across the Pacific… I’ll see how the cost looks and let you know asap…

May 9, 2004

NICARAGUA

not sure who put the OM in Ometepe, but it worked... a little change of scene seems to do the mind good...

the island is two volcanoes sticking out of the lake... yep, look like slightly askew breasts... the northern is pointy and active, equivalent of a Madonna space-bra look,... the southern is flattened and extinct like Mother Teresa... first is Concepcion, fire; the second Maderas, water (there is a crater lake at the top)... the Nahuatl legend tells of a forbidden love, which of course doesnt work out and as she dies her breasts remain above the water level of the lake...

stayed at hotel Istiam the first night... only thing truly special about it is the host, Faber... more energy and wanting to please than the friendliest dog... he showed me and a couple other gringos around the petroglyphs at Finca Magdelena... check it out, look at this, wanna take my photo?... only of course all in spanish so I couldnt help but improve in mine...

and the petroglyphs are way cool... great swirls and spirals depicting what could be butterflies, the two volcanoes, a person, a boat, a spaceship... strange landscape with the scattered chunks of volcanic rock in the fields, like they landed there after the last rattling explosion, too big to be easily moved...

next couple nights I spent at Finca Magdelena, the Finca is beautiful... the coffee season if through, and the great cement sorting yards out back sit empty, but theres always work to be done, like turn the manure compost... ooo, fun... the views are out over the lake, and back behind to the volcano Maderas breezes flowing through the windows

bunked there with the crowds of backpackers... who are these people? was I that rude when I started traveling?... definitly a case for making Cultural Sensitivity and Manners 101 a course that has to be passed before one can get a passport... did meet a few nice couples, one set from Orcas Island, WA, even invited me to stay at their cabin if Im ever in the area...

as hikers returned from the lake at the top coated in mud, disappointed about not seeing anything in the clouds I became convinced that Id hike somewhere else... the waterfall

infortunetly there arent many buses on the island... so after 3 hrs of hiiking to get there, I then hiked up and back (another 2.5 hrs) to see the truly lovely Cascada san Ramon... then due to poor bus scheduling connections (ha! like theres a schedule they keep) another 1.5 hrs on the road... so after no exercise for so long, 7 hrs walking hurts me... but in true form, couldnt just quit and hope someone would come along and rescue me... arent enough cars for that...

way back again... found it strange to see that more people lived on the active volcano (last rumble in 1957)... bunch of adrenalin junkies... you could tell by the way they egged on their mules and hacked like madmen with their machetes...

okay thats enough reading for you... tell me how's life there?...

take care
love Laurel

March 16, 2004: Nicaragua

NICARAGUA

Hola! mi amigos

havent kept up lately, so thought Id bring you up to speed... reminded again today that all the stinging- biting things in Nicaragua are on the look out for ME, (guess it comes with the latest addition to my job description) I was attacked by fire ants....

dont know if Ive told you but Im now a "mum"... dont get too excited, I havent been away THAT long, Ive adopted an anteater!
(see-http://www.nps.gov/centralamerica/salvador/anteater.shtml ) we call him Tami, short for "Tamandua" the name of the species, (kind of like naming your kid Homo, short from Homo sapiens)... pretty crazy, hes a baby so he likes to hang out on my back... unfortunetly he has mites so after about a half hour cuddling as he snoozes the mites begin oh-so-helpfully to clean my skin too! yuk...

if you are easily grossed out or about to eat, skip this next bit: .... he's training me to find his food for him, we go out hiking on the property looking for ant nests... but the little fuss pot, only eats the grubs or the eggs (ie caviar) and only pf certain ants, which makes it difficult... Im sure you can see me digging in rotted logs and scratching through the grubs trying not to get bit, and the enraged soldier ants coming after me and this little foot long fur ball with a long possum tail... yipes

the sailing continues to be usually only on the weekend... the wind has been insane sometimes, like I probably wouldn't have chosen to have passengers along on that day... but they all hung on and we made it to the beach... the gusts, (known as rafagas in spanish) are fierce, funneling through the valleys off lake Nicaragua...

other than that not much new here... planning to go on canopy tour again tomorrow with the school careening on ziplines through the trees... this time I take photos and interview there guys... would like to do the other one nearby too, its more in a cloud forest near Mombacho volcano...

my spanish progresses but still not quite enough unless a person is purposely trying to comunicate with me... if its too fast I still cant understand... speaking in spanish continues to be an issue... I start with the verb and strt adding endings until they nod... A noche, nosotros camin...-aramos, -emos, -iamos, -amos... (last night,we walked)

take care, drop me a line when you can...
Laurel