What can I say?

I am disgusted and saddened by the inability of the world to make a difference. For all the rhetoric condemning the Israeli's contempt for world opinion where has it got us? Fine words blow away on the wind, actions speak louder....

Reading in the rain.

Well it was inevitable I guess. We take the sun awning down to clean it and now we have had nothing but rain... So that mean's lots of leaping up in the middle of the night to close hatches etc. C'est la vie!

It really has been chucking it down here, and chilly too. Ambient temperature has been in the mid 70's, that's 15 degrees colder than usual. I have rooted out blankets for the bed and indulged in a daily baking session to warm the boat up. There's no pleasing some of us is there, it's either too hot or too cold.

The weather having put the kibosh on most boat jobs there is plenty of time to catch up with the reading. The new influx of boaters has bought a much more interesting selection of books to the shelves. I am currently reading a selection of essays by Willie Morris, a writer from the deep south of the USA. It's fascinating to hear about an insider's perspective of a part of the world that I have such a superficial knowledge of. Since we have been here the majority of the boaters we have met come from the South and Texas, Willie's writing helps me understand a little more of the customs and prejudices that mould them!

Willie was a Rhodes Scholar and attended Oxford University. His essay on life there viewed by a Southerner from the USA helps me also to understand how we, as Brits, are perceived by outsiders! Fascinating stuff.

Blue Water, a movie.

Not many films get made about sailing, let alone crossing oceans as a cruiser but here's one.

Part one is available to watch here, www.bluewaterfilm.org

Blue Water is a feature documentary about crossing oceans. One of life's great adventures.

The maker, Richard Gooderick, asks that if you enjoy the movie you make a donation to

.



Seems like a fair deal to me

Another week, another plan...

The population of the Marina has almost completely changed over the last week or so. Suddenly the bookshelf is full of interesting books and the incidence of 'Norah Roberts' novels has plummeted dramatically- hurrah!

Conversation over morning coffee now ranges from anchors to politics to cookery to movies and back again . Interspersed with some naff humour and toilet jokes. All is right with our little world again!

It's raining and there is a cold front coming. We are vacillating about our plans. Nothing new there then! I am desperate to get away from the dock but we are still busy with the early stages of launching TBH's new product. I know I must be patient but boy it is trying. I keep reminding myself that we are very fortunate to still be out here cruising after 8 years, and still wanting to do more. It is a small price to pay that we must stay put for a while. After all tropical Guatemala is a light year away from the freezing gloom of the UK.

I have found another cookery book fiend here in the form of Carol from Windquest. I am greatly enjoying exchanging cookery books with her and as a result TBH has been savouring some tasty new dishes...not doing anything for our attempt to reduce the waistlines though...

Duck's delight.

Mario's marina plays host to an eclectic bunch of characters. But none(well okay there have been a few!) are quite so strange as the latest addition to the population...Armando, the black bellied whistling duck...

I kid you not! The place has degenerated into a dating service for depressed ducks! And boy is this guy depressed. Little Armando has the misfortune to be a member of a strain of duck that doesn't really think it's a duck.

For a start they like to nest in trees, and poor old Armando has been left here with clipped wings. No tree climbing for him for a bit. Not only that, this particular breed like to mate for life and the fates have dealt this duck a dud hand. There are no other Black Bellied Whistling Ducks for miles and, as he can't fly there's no chance of meeting one. Oh and by the way they don't really like the water either, and he doesn't quack but whistles. One fucked up duck!

Poor Armando has taken up residence under the kitchen by the water's edge where he eyes up any visiting bird life. You can almost see the little guy's brain working as he tries to figure out why this feathered friend can't be his mate... well mainly 'cos they don't look anything like him duh! Poor old Armando no-mates!

There's a little heron, bit of a sort of bossy bitch bird who has taken him under her wing ( sorry couldn't resist that!) . She scolds him from her tree stump perch but also protects him from the bullying of the more aggressive native blackbird. Little Armando sports a rather neat mohican hairstyle which twitches with interest whenever the cormorant is diving close to the shore. He really does seem to be confused by the whole business of life as a duck.

Cruisers being what cruisers are, well especially one particular kind who try and adopt any small children and strays that get close enough, he has been provided with a crate for a home and sacks of corn and all sorts of unimaginable luxuries.

Cindy suggested to two of the staff, who live in the nearby village, that they take him home to find a mate. After a long and complicated conversation in Spanish she was told in no uncertain terms that this was Armando's home and we should get him a mate. Needless to say they knew just the place to buy one...Oh dear bonding has set in in a big way!

He is a cute little thing, not really big enough to warrant getting out the recipe for duck a l'orange, but you never know...

Sky blue, with sparkles!

Thank goodness the hormones are beginning to get whipped back into some sort of order! Don't you just love that girls....I know that when God created man she was just having a joke but I do wish more attention had been paid to the endocrine system of us girlies, what a f....ing cock-up she made of that little piece of design!

Still, as in all things, hard work and distraction seem to solve most problems and I have begun to take the preparation of the boat in hand. Over the weekend the 'marquee' (massive sun-awning) came down and we have sent it up to the laundry for it's annual clean up. No mean feat when it has just come through its 4th tropical rainy season.

That of course has exposed the sadly neglected decks....yuck. Still no point cleaning those up until we have finished putting all the hardware issues to rights after our time here. Yesterday out came the running backstays and TBH reattached them in their rightful place. When we put the boat 'up' for the season we take off as much line as possible to protect it from UV and make sure there is as little green growth as possible!

Now we can get at the mast again( marquee down) there is no excuse to not get up there to replace the wind instrument and check on the rigging. We had planned to go up this morning but events rather overtook us. TBH's new venture seems to be developing well and as the world returns to work after the holidays his inbox was a bit full...

With three offspring, all rabid entrepreneurs, there is a never ending demand for our opinions, help and proof reading. They all seem to have started the New Year with a bang and we are delighted to be able to be of practical help to them!

So far this morning we've read two scripts, scanned the news for relevant items of interest, checked the weather, done the banking, worked on some email responses and made breakfast.Checked the website, cubanposters.net (one offspring's venture), given opinions on 3d imaging software, looked at ideas for a new website... Oh and run the engine to cool the fridge, had coffee and watched CNN and it's only 9.30am....

Hey I'm not moaning - I'm loving it! Maybe depression is actually just another word for boredom. Without doubt the remedy lies in my own hands. Don't you just hate that!

Bring it on baby!

Blues...

Oh dear I really am having a bad couple of days...

I am feeling so depressed by the Israeli/Palestinian situation, the global economic crisis, the state of the boat, my cats health...

I need to get back out on the water, sailing the boat, swimming in the ocean, feeling the wind on my face...

I will repeat to myself at frequent intervals 'the glass is half full, NOT half empty!

Ignore me, normal service will be resumed shortly. must be the hormones playing up!