November 27-30 Sayulito Mexico

I take notes during the day which are basically a reflection of what’s going on but they sometimes just reflect my thoughts either thinking back or forward.

Quite often they take old tires and paint them white and use them as a sign.

They also paint the bottom of their trees white - we think to keep the bugs away.

Did you know Mexican men don’t grow much facial hair.

Pemex is the only gas station down here but they know exactly how long I can travel on one tank of gas.

There are lots of Toyota’s, Nissan, and Honda’s. They also make a very small Chevy which I had yet to see in the United States. Oh surprise!

The animals are emaciated, but they all seem very mellow. Especially dogs.

Can you believe we got a ten year permit for our RV for $49.50?

There are a good number of abandoned cars here from the States with long expired license plates and thick, grimy, dust. We saw plates from 2002, 2005, etc.

Everywhere you look there is fancy iron work. They use it for safety on doors, gates, windows, flower boxes, fences, etc. It’s beautiful.

Bimbo is the name of a loaf of white bread at WalMart.....seriously!
They sell cactus in the WalMart too as a vegetable.

We saw about 10 brush fires in the past few days.

Did you know an expert climber is graded as a 5.15?

Saw my first red fire ants along with a 4“ black scorpion this week.

Rural, country folk here are dirt poor and make houses from concrete block which is quite often falling apart but there are a good many of those same homes which have a sattelite dish. Either bright red or cobalt blue.

When I stopped to let Sterling out on the side at the Tropic of Cancer, I randomly picked a spot which had a dead dog beside it exactly where Sterling had to put his feet. He was so spoked...it was quite a gory site.

I drank Hibiscus tree here. Delicious with just a little bit of sweet.

Lots of people flash you the Peace sign, especially children and Police.

My credit card was declined at a Pemex and I forgot my ATM number. Panic set in for a couple of days thinking I was down to $23 USD in a foreign country until I reached the bank and they said there was no trouble at all. It was the gas station in trouble not me for once! Thank heavens!

Our hitch-hiking friends Kevin and Dan have spent a night under the truck in a dirt field with lots of trash, a night in the truck, another night behind the truck on a concrete pad, two nights on the beach near the Grafitti House.

Glad I know what bed is mine every night.

Kevin has had insomnia and often gets up quite early. At the last Pemex he watched as a young girl got in one truck and then back out of it and into another truck right afterwards, doing her early morning rounds.

Much of Dan’s thoughts and experience has come from being in the Army so when he talks he's a reflection of a war time soldier. I loved picking his brain and he induldged me. He was a graphic artist in Germany for much of his 6 year hitch but then he also went to Afghanistan for 6 months before he was released. We all talked freely with one another about things having to do with war, our opinions, politics, etc. He told me about Jingle trucks which the US soldiers have nicknamed and are in effect decorated folk art trucks in Afghanistan. It’s been so thought provoking I wish I had taped it so I could listen to it again and again.

All three of these young men are for Ron Paul. Kevin and Dan are 28, Sterling is 23.

My son Emerson had his 22nd birthday this week. I sent him a card by email.

Drive, Drive, Drive - Had been on the Pan American Highway for a good part of the beginning which was Route 15, but we’ve now dropped down along the coast to Route 200 which goes in and out of small, tourist towns.

We have been in and out of the desert with Mountains faraway to far bigger thick, lush trees, coconut trees, giant palms.

Love this campground. There’s Paco and then there is the funny old man who owns the place. It has lots of International clientele, young, beautiful, clean cut adults many speaking Spanish, surfing, swimming, bouldering or just enjoying the incredible blue sky and endless sunshine without a cloud to be seen.

At night we fall asleep to the crashing waves on the shore while a cool breeze takes our dreams away. Worth every cent of the $20 per day it costs me to stay here.

Saw this bumper sticker today - Ever stop to think and forget to start again?...