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I really, really want one of these!
Doesn't it just look wonderful, take it anywhere and rustle up the most amazing food on the hoof. I was surfing this morning and found this lovely website for artisan food producers, wish I was in a place they could deliver to...

We went to the potluck at Mario's last night. A small crowd but yet again food to inspire. I love potlucks, seeing the different interpretations of food from across the world. Ok in this case it was pretty much USA only but us Brits put on a good show, cannelloni (Italian) from us and curried potatoes from Androsian (Indian) who said the Brits aren't cosmopolitan??

I think appreciation of good food must run in the genes. My Gran and Mother were both great cooks, well Mum still is, and all three of my kids are great chefs. Lucy is a partner in a new Thai restaurant/cocktail bar in Bournemouth, England. She cooks a mean ramen dish. Charlotte bakes heavenly cakes and James would knock the other backpackers for six in his traveling days when he would create a mean chicken puttanesca from local ingredients.

My dear late husband always said;' the two best things in life are food and sex, neither of which should be hurried.'

How very true!

Who says it's over?

We are anchored very close to the huge bridge that crosses the Rio Dulce here in Fronteras. Usually the sound of the big lorries coming down the hill is overwhelming, they have something called 'jake' brakes that sound like a hydraulic drill at full throttle. Well there seem to be far fewer lorries around and I was wondering if that's a sign of the economic downturn.

Laying in bed( I do a lot of random thinking in bed) last night I also recalled that when we first arrived here the local supermarket was full of people shopping, in fact it was hard work shouldering your way past men with guns, women with babies strapped to their backs, yet our recent visits have been to a place with clear and usually unpopulated aisles...

A number of the marina's are not full, unusual for this time of year and Mario's where we spent two seasons is like a morgue. Last time we visited, a week ago, only four boats were occupied, the restaurant has shortened its hours and it's menu.

I read that as far as 'our leaders' are concerned financial disastar has been averted. The bankers are claiming victory and everything is well. It sure doesn't feel like it from where I am sitting. Our disposable income has dropped by 25% due to the exchange rate difference. Unemployment is up in both the UK and USA and the President of Guatemala has announced a state of emergency where the drought in the East of the country is causing widespread famine.

Does that sound like a world in command of itself?

Odds and Sods and Panacotta.

Loads of rain, so lots of washing being done! The boat looks a bit like 'Widow Twankey's Laundry' these days. Still it's good to get everything clean and fresh and still have water in the tanks!

The Navy patrol has been in evidence for the last few days. They have a big boat that you can hear coming for miles by the throbbing of it's engines, not much opportunity for a stealth operation there I think. The crew are all very friendly and gave us a cheery wave every time they cruised past, which was about five times yesterday. Must have been keen that the U.S. Embassy officials who were down got a good look at them!

We are enjoying the current crop of oranges that the Mayan's are selling along the roadside in Fronteras. For 5Q, around half a euro you get a bag of 8-10 juicy fruit. perfect for that freshly squeezed juice to start the day. I juice up a couple of bags and keep them in the fridge, it's TBH's favourite accompaniment to his breakfast pancakes.

Cleaning out the fridge the other day I was faced with a number of half empty containers that needed using up so scouring my cookbooks I made this delicious yogurt pannacotta. It was so easy I am wondering why I haven't made it before...

Yoghurt Panacotta.

2tbsp cold water
1.5tsp gelatine
1/2 cup plain yoghurt
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup sour cream
1tsp vanilla essence

Put the water in a bowl, sprinkle on the gelatine, stir until dissolved and set aside for a minute.

Whisk milk and sugar in a pan over medium heat. When it's hot but NOT boiling whisk the mixture into the gelatine.

Whisk that mixture with the sour crean, yoghurt and vanilla essence until smooth.

Cover and chill for at least 3 hours.

I made a strawberry coulis to go with it and we ate the lot! It was so good I have just made it again.

Enron-the play.

The play is taking London by storm, running until 7th November it's sold out and receiving tremendous reviews, 'an allegory for our times'.



Wish I was there to see it, hope one of my kids will have a look and give me a full report.

Paedophile Cleanup among U.S. nationals on the Rio Dulce.

Looking at the Rio Dulce Chisme website this morning I was delighted to read this article:

U.S. Embassy officials here Thursday, Sept. 24 A complaint is expected to be presented by local Guatemalan law enforcement officers (PNC and Navy) to the visiting delegation of U.S. Embassy consular and embassy officers when they meet here in the Rio Dulce Thursday, Sept. 24 at 10 a.m. at Hotel Catamaran. The complaint is directed at those U.S. citizens in the Rio Dulce who engage in sexual activities with underage Guatemalan girls. The police and the Guatemalan Navy have been reported to have observed this kind of activity for quite a while and have issued a reminder that this activity is now illegal in Guatemala. Officers indicated they want to give fair warning to those concerned that they plan to firmly enforce laws prohibiting solicitation of underage children for sex. An informed source told the Chisme-Vindicator that the police and Navy have been observing late night activities at local marinas and are taking note of those who engage in these practices. There is an additional reminder to visitors from the United States that U.S. law now forbids this kind of behavior from U.S. citizens even when in foreign countries. U.S. law was changed specifically to crack down on U.S. citizens who travel to foreign countries looking for sex with underaged girls. Complaints concerning this would also fall under the jurisdiction of the F.B.I. Consular and Embassy Officers, including the new American Citizens Services Unit Chief, David Chang, will present information of interest to American Citizens in Guatemala and will be available to answer questions. Embassy officials will be in Livingston on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 12 p.m. at Hotel Villa Caribe then in Rio Dulce on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 10 a.m. at Hotel Catamaran. On Monday, Sept. 28, they’ll be at the American Club (3a. Calle 14-00, Zona 15 Colonia Tecun Uman) in Guatemala City at 6 p.m.

About time too.

Regular readers of my blog may recall that I wrote about this issue and was mightily abused for my view. Well all those who lyrically supported their 'May to September' relationships, their 'help' for impoverished locals, I bloody hope you are quaking in your boots now.

Good on the Guatemalan authorities for finally tackling this disgusting, immoral criminal activity.

Strangely I was commenting to TBH last night that the old men with young girls didn't seem to be so obvious in Bruno's Marina these days. Now I know why!!!

This is one of my posts from October 4th 2007:

Sordid Lives Contd.....

Don't tell Mommy.
The caption and photograph come from the Rio Dulce Chisme website.

Well I seem to have stirred up a bit of a hornets nest here!
I posted my blog on the YBW forums website.

A most interesting set of responses! Sadly most people seem to disagree with my view, or maybe, hopefully, the silent majority is staying silent.

Sunday amble along the Golfete.

Sunday morning was cool and bright after the rainstorm of the previous evening, and we prepared to travel back upstream across the Golfete.
This guy was out early tending his fish traps in the reeds just by our anchorage.
The steam was rising from the jungle as the sun rose.

The anchor is away and off we go...
TBH tidy's the deck, removing the raincatcher that did so well in filling our tanks last night!



This really is a lovely spot, we'll be back...Look at that moisture, like something out of The Lost World!



Just as we reached the end of the Golfete we were passed by this tug with a merry toot of greeting.
...and to finish the perfect day, a glass of red wine with a roast chicken supper. Lovely!

Rubbish.

Garbage, basura, call it what you will but it's a never ending problem on board a sailing boat.

Over the years we've had our fair share of learning experiences! Worst has to be the hordes of squirming white maggots that proved impossible to eradicate. We carried the little buggers for a couple of weeks before we were able to jettison them in a proper refuse area. Yuck.

I wouldn't say that I am a rampant ecologically driven human being but I do have respect for my planet and in particular the oceans that we live on. The sight of otherwise pristine islands desecrated by floating plastic bags and those immortal water bottles is a sad sight.

I learnt the hard way that refuse stowage on the boat is a serious issue. Apart from smell, health hazard there is also the space issue to be addressed!

So when we go shopping now I remove all extraneous packaging right there at the checkout, makes eyebrows raise I can tell you. Let them have the disposal problem, after all there is far too much packaging on most products anyway. I buy refills of things like washing up liquid, our current squeezy bottle at the sink has been with us since Trinidad. Refills of fabric conditioner, liquid soap etc.

If we are offshore, in deep water, cans are jettisoned overboard along with all bio-degradable crap. We open the ends fully to ensure they will sink. The very few bottles, we don't drink alcohol on passages, are carefully filled with seawater and also go overboard.

All plastic wrappings are carefully washed, prevents maggots developing, compacted and stored until landfall where we make sure they are dumped in a 'proper' refuse facility. Beware the lads who for five bucks take away the trash only to dump it over the nearest hedge.

I never resent the charges that countries make for this service.

It's much harder when you are cruising as we are at the moment, inshore. NOTHING, apart from food scraps goes over the side.Mind you it pays to be careful on this one too. We were in Panama when after an excellent Sunday lunch shared with friends the hostess threw the remains of the leg of lamb overboard. A mighty splash and snapping of jaws left her shaking from a rather too close call with a large crocodile!

Cans are washed and crushed to save space and we store the trash in a cold box below decks. Liberally sprayed every few days with Lysol we can usually keep going for 2-3 weeks until it is full.

One of the items on my wanted list is a can-crusher. I reckon it will cut our volume by half. Another thing for the next child to bring out with them!