Well the chores have been going on in earnest, some hired, some by Kelly, and a couple even by me!

We had a little grunge buildup, not really a lot compared to San Diego, but still have to get it gone, and that isn’t any better way to check things out on the boat, than to inspect while cleaning- at least that’s what I told myself.

As we washed our house, we noticed the little spots of rust on the “stain less”. Now getting up and personal with the miles of stainless on this boat didn’t hold a lot of joy for either of us, even though of all the boat cleaning chores polishing is the most rewarding, so hiring it out to the local boat hustler seemed to be a prudent course.

Luis is a really good guy- indefinable in age, but early to mid 20’s? He has a wife and a couple of young ones to support and this guy knows how to work. That brings up something I’ve noticed- the work ethic here is something that is to be envied. There also seems to be a lot of pride in that work as well. Luis gave us a price of 60 usd to polish and wax every piece of stainless on the boat and that included the rub rails and the Monitor! And he did a bang-up job!

Kelly picked up a dreaded stomach bug from what we think was a bad piece of shrimp taco. We think this because we have been eating pretty much the exact things and if there was a bug out there for me, I would have been right alongside her!

There seems to be a lot of worry about the safety of Mexico from people who haven’t really experienced travel and food safety is something that gets brought up regularly. We haven’t had any serious issues and Kelly’s stomach bug was from a bad piece of shrimp as it came on quickly, not in 7-14 days like a case of the revenge would. That’s not to say that we don’t take precautions, as we do wash all veggies in a solution, and watch where and what we eat when we are out and about. Would I drink from a water fountain? Probably not, but I don’t like to drink from a fountain anywhere. I’ve picked up that same kind of bug and worse in the States, so I’m not blaming Mexico.

We did get a chance to wander about in the Centro District in Maz yesterday and it is just beautiful! The old colonial buildings, the bright colors, the narrow avenidas, all combine to drop the jaw. We were both amazed at how very quiet and calm the area seemed. We had gone down to Centro to check out the new (3 weeks old) Mercado Organico, and while it is still small, the enthusiasm behind it will hopefully continue, as this is a really good way to support the small sustainable farmers and craftspeople in the area.

Back to chores today with a cleaning and reorganization of the forepeak, and general fussing about in the main cabin.