As we get into the routine of 4 hour watches we have some time to remember our time in Mexico. Boaters say it's a good transition country, meaning we don't really have to do without most of our favorite things from our affluent 1st world lifestyle. Indeed Mexico is a fairly wealthy country with a multi-class economic system. While her people mostly seem truly happy and ready for any excuse to have a fiesta, there are the economically poor folks who have some sadness in their eyes. Loud, very loud, music is standard protocol here and at least one shop on every block has huge speakers on the sidewalk hawling people in with the latest salsa tunes. They also have one vehicle in every town that drives through the streets "blues brothers' style with speakers atop shouting the paid message of the day.

Religion is a mainstay and our Lady of Guadalupe, the blessed virgin Mary, the country's patron saint. On hillsides, street corners, restaurant entries, boat yard walls, storefronts; just about anywhere they can are built shrines to her. Then there are the churches, in a country where 99% of the people are Catholic and most not very rich, the largest, nicest building in town is always the church.......with lives revolving around activities there and of course the family. I noticed early on how the whole family; mothers, fathers, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins.....all take care of the smaller children. If it "takes a village" they have indeed grasped that concept here.

Arts and crafts abound everywhere, there is a malecon or waterfront walk in almost every larger city. Here they have wonderful scupltures, performing arts stages and craft sales with of course food on a regular basis always well attended. Let's talk food, yes it can be spicy but not necessarily so. Corn is a dietary main component along with tomatoes and limes. The meat is actually very good with beef from Sonora, marigold fed chicken and tender roast pork. Of course there are the bacon wrapped, deep fried hotdogs on a sweet bakery bun with mayonaise and roasted hot peppers that are to die for. Instead of rolls you are brought homemade salsa and fresh made tortilla chips when you are seated at ANY restaurant.

Besides her people, arts and food Mexico has some uniquely beautiful land and sea scape. High humidity desert seems to be contradictory but that's what it is and the color is breath taking. Thousands of miles of pristine sea shore with abundant sea life makes this place truly a naturist's playground.Can you telL....WE LOVED MEXICO!!!

Crossed into Guatemalen waters mid morning while I was sleeping, the captain reported our first rain shower in 15 months.....guess we really have left the desert of Mexico. Have a little wind finally to push the boat, not that I'm complaining but the ride across the Tpeck was indeed a bath tub.

We have now been motoring for two days straight. I take that back, we turned the motors off for about an hour yesterday, then the wind died. The other two boats near us have had much better luck with wind. Right now, we have a really good following current, hopefully it will stay and not turn around on us. About a one knot boost.

We got rain this morning for about an hour - all the dirt on the mast and sail washed down into the cockpit and made MUD, then flushed right out. I think one or two more rainstorms and we will get the rest of Mexico off of our boat. Sharon slept through it - how, I don't know, I had to climb over her to close up a couple of windows. Sat in the pilot house, actually turned on the windshield wiper for a little bit (more out of boredom than need).

Saw a couple of whales up close yesterday, two sailfish, one big tuna, and a shark - first shark (other than whale sharks) we have seen in a long time. Sharon said there was a big bunch of porpoise around the boat last night while I was asleep, with luminescent water wakes. No other excitement to report

I know, its tuesday, but just got around to this. We went out Saturday night in Las Crucesitas, had a real nice dinner in a restaurant with fancy linen tableclothes, etc for $35 US including drinks and wine, then off to the Zocalo (everywhere else in Spanish this word means baseboard, but in Mexico it means town square, which every where else is pronounced Plaza Mayor - no wonder I cannot figure out how to talk). Watched a mime perform for a while, then saw what appeared to be a nice quite bar on the second floor of an adjacent building called La Crema. Found the door into it (not an easy trick) and ordered a beer. It looked like it was empty from the street, but we found there was only one table left when we got inside. The table next to us had the only other gringos in the place, a couple from Wisconson who had a cab driver tell them this was THE local hanghout. The band started about an hour later, normal (for mexico) ear splitting volume, but very good, playing older rock and roll. Turned out they were celebrating 16 years of playing together, in honor there of the waitress kept bringing out baby (6 ounces) Sol Beers, which the couple next table did not want, so we got - new ones every 15 to 20 minutes. Mr. Saturday Night soon made an appearance (kind of like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde) and was eventually dragged back to the boat by Sharon, who somehow managed to keep her wits about her. She was the designated "cab finder" No worries about drunk driving when you don't have a car. I am told that I had a great time!!

After recovering all day sunday, we got going yesterday morning about 7 am and have been motoring across the gulf of tehuatepec in flat seas ever since. Only three more days to go until El Salvador!! YEAH

Left the dock at 7 am sharp with a heading set straight across the bay to the tip of Guatemala. Next stop Bahia del Sol, El Salvador approximately 450 NM (nautical miles). We've set-up a call schedule with our two buddy boats to check in on the SSB (single side band) short wave radio at noon and midnight.