ahh, good to be back in the big bad apple in some regards. hopping back into the g was a treat. did some backup vocals for Will James' record, was peachy except for a few computer glitches (damn you, DAE -9161!)

also, listening tons to lots of relatively new music. in central america, didn't really listen to my ipod much, because a) if people saw my ipod, it would probably get jacked and b) i needed to tune into my environment and in some regards, preferred it that way in that context. sang out loud walking the beach, playing guitar in bars, etc., so that was good.

but here, in this space, in the cold weather and crowds, one needs to carve out a niche and put sounds in it. so i've been staying at my friend's apt. listening non-stop to different mixes, radio podcasts and records.

the only side effect of this and a dedicated wireless connection is that i find myself sitting still for hours at a time. bleary eyed, fascinated, passively taking in all this visual and sonic information, i have to tear myself away from the computer and throw snowballs at somebody.

c'mon, snow, hurry up.

Back in civilization. Having a hard time adjusting to the bitter cold and sheer population density. But the encroachment of development/real estate is this amoeba that is gobbling up coastlines everywhere.

I arrived to find hawaii a-buzzing with hotel construction, impending tourism/charter buses and many loud drunk people from the city. but also a cluster of curious, concerned, well-off people who have chosen to make their second homes here. to counterpoint the community of open-hearted, sanguine people who have grown up here for generations and realise that the check is in the mail, and it's not addressed to them.

the project itself was utter chaos when i got there, but after some weeks of damage control and an effective plan for next year, it could really be something. so i am at a crossroads with my hope to put in some real time doing marine conservation and community development but would remove me from the city and friends and cafes and communications. but given the sorry state of affairs in the world and in this country, perhaps ignorance is bliss.

more to come...

here i am in antigua, waiting for intermittent breaks in the rain and for my formerly iron stomach to heal. have passed time in peru and guatemala without incident, but eventually you let something slip. i left honduras happy as a clam until, as one pal says, i got the "boom boom" which entails desperately seeking bano every hour. first consulted pharmacist and took some lo-dose drugs. down to one boom but still not feeling food and fever, so i go to hospital and take some tests.

i started thinking back to several people in utila i chatted with, all of whom had complaints ranging from proactively taking pills to stomach not right to total gut-and-butt syndrome. theorizing that heavy rain and runoff somehow affected the groundwater and local food handling. confirmed that it wasn't giardia but instead salmonella h, which is from poor food handling and animals (yes, turtles).

the things you learn from web md.

well, have been a week here in utila, ostensibly diving and re-upping my certs.  schedge's been pretty intense, actually.  early morning boat departure for couple dives, lunch break, afternoon departure for another dive, with possible night dives some days of the week.  it kinda reminds me of daysails, go out, turnaround, go out, grab a bite, go out, etc.

started with some pretty intense dives.  first open water in ages was a night dive, then a deep one.  everything else was easier.  met lots of cool folks, some passing thru, some here to stay for awhile.  expats with businesses, or bit by the bug (not sandflies) and dive instructing, as that's the big business here.

it's also party central, with some bars hopping with backpackers, who then go diving hungover the next morning.  needless to say, some of them get decompression sickness, unnecessarily.  it's a crazy cocktail, but a popular one.

this place is reminiscent of a rundown key west, but with a cool mix of grungy expats, hondurenos and garifunas (afro caribbeans).  people are friendly, and the town only takes up the southern edge of the island.  there are some posher resorts on the north coast, but the middle is pretty untouched. 

there are keys offshore, some with houses for rent (imagine your own private idaho).  my fave spot on the island so far is the jade seahorse - the genius work of one guy who owns a lodge/restaurant/bar and decided to cover the whole thing in blown glass/found objects/mosaics.  it's the wildest thing, kind of like if gaudi met willy wonka.  there's a treehouse bar and the place keeps extending all the way back with bridges and pagodas and such (pic of just a patch).

weather's been hot, with heavy downpours and swarms of no-see-ums.  apparently, something's brewing overhead that may turn into a tropical depression, so that should dump some more rain on us.  glad i'm staying in a house on stilts...

after a too-short stint in new york, i headed south again. it was good catching up with old friends, but time galloped away, and i was scrambling for the airport (as my reso showed one day earlier than planned).

once in antigua, started getting my druthers (cellphone, bus tickets) whilst fighting a bug. got a case of the earlies (3:30am wakeups for 4:00am buses, etc.) to catch long-ass bus rides. from antigua to copan ruinas. crash at ruinas. early morning bus to san pedro sula. sula to la ceiba. and finally, a no-holds barred, bumpity bump ferry ride to the island of utila.

things here are like that. buses break down and then coast in reverse till they reach a gas station. inexplicably you will board a bus and then be asked to change it. people greet you straight off the bus with offers of lodging and then proceed to peddle everything possible that could come with it (cab rides, horseback trips). prices and exchange rates vary from person to person and hour to hour. welcome to the gringo trail...

there are moments of quiet and beauty, and they come from nature and people. i got to sit for an hour in silence at the mayan ruins in copan and watch it go from rain to sun. my guide had two teeth but told me much about its history. the duena at my hostal puzzled over the fact that people would get up so early to travel if they're sposed to be on vacation, while her toddler son wandered around holding spanners. and finally, i got to hear some ripping stories about the utila of old from a third-g patois old salt who drives our dive boat. more on the island next time...

well, we are gearing up for the monaco boat show at the end of the month, and i am counting down to the end of med season.  am done with europe for now, possibly because france is not really my style or because we have sojourned here during peak tourist season.  most likely because yachts don't attract the most diverse crowd, and are set up to be directly on the beaten path.

that being said, i've no regrets for this season and am looking forward to new adventures.  and here are the top ten things i will miss about the riviera:

1.  sunny hot (but not humid) days

2.  my daily dip in the sea after work

3.  rose wine (has grown on me)

4.  socca (see previous post)

5.  gelato (handmade flavors such as smurf)

6.  outdoor markets (food and goods)

7.  music (open mics and jazz wine bars)

8.  medieval towns (windy and easy to get lost in)

9.  train system (easy and the only way to get around efficiently)

10.  the smell of wild lavender that permeates every other town

that is all for now.  more soon...

well, all of europe is CRAZY in august. imagine if everyone in the states got a month of vacation all at the same time. yeah, i really have no need to go anywhere this month unless absolutely necessary. pretty much explored the coast from st. tropez to genoa, so am waiting for things to slow down and the euro to dip to see if i visit a new spot.

have been researching into the classic racing circuit. apparently it is coming this way in sept. from italy down to st. tropez. we are going to the monaco yacht show which is at season's end, and after which many boats start crossing.

ok, rant: unprofessionalism. this happens in every boat in every realm. why are people so stupid?? ranging from histrionic whining to onboard hookups to jumping ship at the last minute. i guess it's because idiot retards will always get billets because more boats are being built and more licenses are needed, it's a worker's market and more people are changing boats like every three weeks. so much for background checks. they can't tell you if someone's a wanker...

raves: things i am really digging now. socca is the local snack on the riviera. chickpea flour, olive oil, water and salt cooked in a woodfire oven. i go to the market every weekend to get my socca fix. nice is socca city, and there's a very cool wine/jazz bar i'm beginning to frequent.

i also am really loving trad folk and bluegrass, probably because it's something you don't hear in this area. eliza carthy has come from a line of troubadours, but she writes songs on her terms, often fusing blues and world music with trad folk. plus she plays a mean accordion...

also, caught a podcast of nickel creek's farewell concert and they blew me away. not only because they dance between bluegrass, trad and jazz, but they write actual songs that are really good and can sing their asses off. plus no drummer and they still groove...

lastly, hooked on hbo's the wire. shows baltimore as a case study of what's wrong with america. tears up every stereotype and challenges the viewer to think without being preachy or boring. best show ever.

that is all. most prob heading back at season's end, but to be continued.

got my first wknd off since may and a 3 day one at that. so hopped a train to cinque terre, italy. hiked the cliffs and swam every chance i got (some spots were proper beaches, others isolated wave-smashed rocks).

ate focaccia, gelato and apricots. and fish. got even darker and more sunburnt than i am - my deckie tan is pretty ridiculous now.

genoa is home to pesto. and a million immigrants. i saw asians, africans and latinos transform this medieval port into a bustling metropolis. and got to undust my spanish for a minute to get around...

cinque terre is five seaside villages connected by a hiking trail. unesco world heritage site, they live off fishing, olives and winery.

got back and saw solomon burke and sharon jones & the dap kings at juan-les-pins jazz fest. best live show in a while. my new fave word is dap-tastic. that band is mad-ass tight. makes me want to do music again...

that's all for now. i'll slam a picture on this one when i get a chance.

audi.

...and winding down a weeklong charter. got to visit st. tropez and monaco, did pitstops in san remo and villefranche outside nice.

working 18 hour days on average, which is average. weather has been beautiful hot and sunny. no mistrals as of yet. am learning what makes a boat work and what doesn't thru trial and example. am discovering that our boat isn't the rara avis she was in the states. perinis are in every port, and the megayachts we've seen dwarf us easily.

am a bit bleary eyed but sad to see this group leave. it takes about 7 days for people to become settled and comfortable as a group (i've learned from ed boats), and at that point they go.

we're just becoming social and relaxed although the lack of sleep is finally getting to us so that part will gladly end. we're looking at a kamikaze charter at anchor and perhaps a couple of showings. after that, no idea.

check out this story about one of my first boats, the lettie. she's a very special girl.

heya - just left gibraltar after fuel stop, supper, and a run to the grocery store.

there is a transit strike because of the fuel hikes so there is no milk.

after the azores, we got wind on the nose and those famous swells. relatively mild, not quite the 5-6m rollies we were expecting. still a bit uncomfortable for about 3 days. am also learning about motorsailing. firstly, keel is optional. lots of boats prefer to leave the centerboard up or cross without keel because it cuts your speed down and although you get some funky currents around seamounts, set and drift is less critical with d-sails running. secondly, sail config is quite a bit different. it's all about riding swells and stabilizing, and less about trim. most of the time we were oversheeted or just had staysail up to push us thru head seas.

here are two pics from the azores. one is from pete's cafe which is a popular stop for crossers, as they have internet, cheap beer, and scrimshaw.

the other is my tatt, which i had to ask around for. apparently, no one knows his name, but a local walked me to his house on the outskirts of horta. a really intense kid, he's faialense and inks all the islanders, speaks no english, but has talent. i got my 1st-atlantic-crossing-anchor. great success, as we have just officially entered the med.

more to follow.