Start the week.

Its been a busy weekend. We are staying in a marina at the moment.www.mariosmarina.com TBH needs power and internet for his business venture so here we are! Its interesting how those of us who live onboard and still have some kind of employment/business have quite a different lifestyle to the retired/part-timers.
The activity in the Marina can be pretty relentless. Pot-luck suppers, BBQ"s, Karaoke nights, Film nights etc.........sometimes it seems more like one of those retirement homes..........scary thought.
We join in from time to time but our day revolves more around working, both for financial gain and on the boat jobs that continue to demand our attention.
We have a to do list that seems to grow ever longer at the moment.....I am sure that once we pull up the anchor and get out the docklines the boat breathes a sigh or relief, relaxes and everything goes to pot! I also believe that its a strong case of 'use it or lose it'!

So the weekend, well Friday we got out the dinghy to head to the town upstream from here to do the weekly shop. Its a good 40 minute ride with our 4hp outboard but we get a sense of inverted superiority as we are overtaken by countless other rubber ducks with much more powerful engines, at least we are doing our bit for the environment(well it sounds good). A visit to the ATM machine to collect some cash, polite greeting to the gun toting guard who watches the door for us.........dash round the Supermarket and then a leisurely stroll back through the street vendors to top up with veggies, fruit and spices.

Its at this point that a very patient TBH starts muttering about breakfast. The dock where we leave the dinghy whilst we shop has a great little restaurant and offers a good breakfast, usually very slow but tasty. Pancakes with a pile of papaya,melon and banana and a cup of coffee. A strawberry batista (milkshake) for me comes to 34Q, thats about 2 pounds 20p, good value to create such a happy bunny.

The place is usually full of backpackers waiting to pick up a boat to take them down river. Boy am I glad not to be young and traveling like that. Their pale skin and angry looking insect bites combined with a massive rucksack, these days one on the front too(rucksack I mean).They mostly look weighed down with the worries of the world. I wonder what they do all day.....wait for boats and buses I guess!

Saturday evening one of the cruisers organized a TEXMEX BBQ up by the pool. Oh yes its a pretty posh marina! I made marinated shrimp that I had bought the previous day from a fisherman who came by the boat. Huge and still wriggling as he transferred them to my bowl they certainly tasted exquisite after marinading in a honey and lime concoction. We grilled them on the BBQ and served them with an avocado salsa.........worked perfectly.

Sunday TBH was busy working on his computer, some problem with compiling part of his code so I indulged in an orgy of laundry. My least favourite job on the boat. There are some washing machines and dryers here but the electricity becomes temperamental when you try and run them all at the same time??? So its a slow process. I spent time sat in the palm thatched palapa by the pool, watching the insects-there was a great stream of leafcutter ants marching back and forth. Got bitten by a nasty red bottomed fly that really hurts but, fortunately, seems to do no lasting damage. Its a tough life just relaxing here..........you even check under the seat cushions for concealed snakes before sitting down!