The Taco Traveler

I'm at anchor in deep water again, with lots of wind, so the anchoring thing could be better. I think this must also be the small black biting bug capital of Sonora. I keep telling 'em if they mess with me one more time, they're gonna pay, and they keep paying. Silly bugs.

Went to a good cafe yesterday and got caught up on all the work email I've missed in the last week and a half since my comp died. I'm sort of excited by the prospect of being so in-touch again, like the isolation of only random Internet - and even fewer friends - is getting to me. I've been frustrated lately with the class of cruiser around here and it only goes to show how truly lucky I was to run into my friends Shiloh and Sailfisher. After the dorado, I made a morning VHF announcement in the Agua Verde anchorage "to the fleet" offering fresh-caught dorado to anyone who would like any. No responses; not even a "thanks for asking." Same thing last night in the San Carlos anchorage. I suppose they don't know me, and don't know that I've taken good care of the fish since I filleted it, but still.... And this morning, after tying up my dinghy I was walking up the dock and saw a couple tying their boat to the dock near the boat ramp. I asked, "Are you going to Marina Seca?" They said yes. I said, "Oh, so this is where you haul out." I'd been looking for the ramp, expecting something bigger; this is just a standard ramp like you'd see in the States for launching your ski boat. Thirty minutes later, after getting a coffee and checking some mail, I went back out to watch the process, to make sure I knew what I'd need to do. I'm ten feet behind this lady, and I hear her say to a friend: "And he walks up the dock and says, 'Oh, this is where you haul out for Marina Seca. I'm hauling out later today.'" And she had this exasperated look on her face. I can't even imagine what I said that so bothered her. Maybe she was amazed that I was hauling out today but hadn't already researched the haul-out location. I don't know. She's one of the cruiser-types I hate around here. The traditional "Ugly American" in a cruiser outfit: floral print cheap tank-top blouse thing, khakis, Tevas. Overweight. I said to them, still standing ten feet behind: "That was me." She turned, half-shocked, embarrased, wondering what I heard and if I saw her expression, I'm sure. I just smiled.

A few minutes later she came over and started explaining all the very obvious things they were doing, just making small-talk to make up for her faux-pas. I played along, but I won't be inviting her over to my boat when we drop them back in the water next season.

So, teleconference in 30 mins, then back to the boat for more prep. I got the sails down in this morning's calm, but will need to find some water to give everything a good rinse before the haul to the storage yard, which is a mile inland. I'll get on a bus to Phoenix Thursday night to arrive Friday early morning, then to the airport where I'll wait for several hours for a plane to Seattle.

Two weeks in Seattle, and then to Florida with the boys for three weeks, then to a friend's wedding in Colorado, then to Seattle again till mid-August. The boys will be flying up to be with me in Seattle for the last couple weeks of July and the first week of August, then I'll fly back with them to Florida and then who knows.... In short, I'll still be The Taco Traveler. Just fewer tacos for a while. Well, fewer cheap, authentic tacos. To be honest, I like Rubios and Tacos Del Mar better than anything I've had in Mexico, anyway.

TT

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