Charles left out few things. On the way to Merida we stopped for the night in a small town, then drove through clouds of butterflies to two Mayan ruins 20 minutes away. The Mayans numbered as many as ten thousand in the city of one of the ruins. They relied on collected rain water since they were up in the hills and had no wells. They also cut down all of the trees in the area to manufacture cement from the wood ash. Partially as a result of the deforestation they suffered a sustained drought that led them to abandon the city. They did use slaves in building the shrines but only for the production of lime. It was too unhealthy for them to do. The stone work was done by skilled mayan craftsmen and not by slaves. The pyramids and palaces were so cleverly constructed that if you face the pyramid behind us in the picture and clap your hands, the sound is changed and comes back at you as the call of a quetzal, a sacred bird to the mayans.  The king's palace was built so that Venus rose above one end or the other at the Summer and Winter Equinox when viewed from a statue of one of the gods.

Many masks and depictions of gods as well as swastikas in the stonework.

We arrived at Merida and were warmly welcomed by Carol to her home/art space. She has not had much time to get around but took us to several nice restaurants and with The Beast we were able to visit places she had not yet gotten to see without a car. We went to Walmart and Home Depot to get stuff that would be hard in an Uber. A lovely house with pool and guest house behind the pool. 

We went to the Cenotes by moto taxi.  Not a comfortable ride.After four of them people were tired.  While Carol slept in business class (back seat) Charles was able to demonstrate his laid back style of navigating.   After several days we hit the road to Villa Hermosa on the way back home. We had been putting air in one tire every few days and stopped to have it repaired. 

 Not quite off the four lane highway but the guy said it was fine. $2.50 to remove the rim and tire, patch it and reinstall. Charles had a soda while we waited and about an hour and half later after being mildly hassled at a police checkpoint, announced that he couldn't find his wallet containing little cash, but his drivers license, debit and credit cards. After a brief search of the car and his luggage he was sure it had fallen out at the tire place. When we got back no one had seen it and they even questioned their kids who had been sitting there doing their homework. Then we were back in the saddle. Crossing the state line into Tabasco we were extorted by three state cops with automatic weapons. Little damage but still jangling. I read about it online but that was very brazen. I can still use my debit card to get cash for Charles but it's a pain in both of our posteriors. So despite a delay of several hours we got to our hotel at a little after dark. Today we made a much shorter drive and are staying in one the nicer hotels we've been in albeit more expensive ($40.00 a night)! It overlooks a lovely river in the city of Tuxpam. Tomorrow One more night then a run for Texas to avoid the border area other than at mid-day. Oh, and Charles does still have his passport. We're Golden, don't worry about a thing.

July 27:  It has been a few days since we posted, but we are well after a few delightful days in Merida, Yucutan with our wonderful host Carol.  We managed to accomplish a couple of repairs to her Architectural Digest home -- brave girl, to pick up her life and move to Mexico.  

First, there were the cenotes, freshwater sinkholes all over the Yucutan which supplied Mayan civilization with precious water.  Many are open for swimming and diving, and we visited four cenotes, and a wonderful beach at Sisal.

Carol asked bill to go back to the square so she could capture these kindly men doing coke.

Ah, the beach.  Mexico has miles of unexplored beaches, and this one at Sisal was classic white sand and clear warm water.

We are on our way back now to border at McAllen, Texas, passing through Cardel, Tuxpam and Ciudad Victoria.  I expect to be back in DC by July 4, but lots of driving ahead.  Maybe it is time to go; we finally had to pay a bribe (which Bill negotiated down from 3800 pesos to 620) for the made-up crime of smoking in our personal vehicle -- other police confirmed that no such law has ever existed.  We will try to post again before departing.

We made a short fishing trip on Lago Gatun, the lake that feeds the canal. Peacock bass are all over in the lake but it was afternoon and they were not biting. 

I was not able to get the whole tanker in the photo but I think it was Panamax. 

The next day we flew back to Guat City and took off about 2:00 pm. Driving through terrible traffic then a torrential downpour we got to see the actual famous “falling rock” referred to on so many highway signs in the U.S. as something to watch for. Cantaloupe sized rocks tumbling across two lanes of traffic. We had a goal in mind and were about an hour away from it when we came across a car-carrier semi jack-knifed across the highway.

It seemed apparent that it was not going to be open soon and after a long day nightfall was closing in. We decided to drive back until the closest hotel to sleep and hit the road early in the morning. We found the Antony Auto Hotel. It was a no-tell motel the likes of which I had never seen. A line of garages that you pull into and call on a wall mounted phone to the manager, who comes down takes the money through a small slot in the wall, opens the room and closes the door he came in through, all without seeing you. He then closes the garage door from outside so that no one can see your car. I asked to see the room when I called and he seemed startled that I was willing to be seen by him. There was no room with two beds but he said we could set up our cot and he would remove what appeared to be a piece of furniture designed to make certain positions of congress easier. We were both exhausted and agreed. I asked him a lot of questions and was very amused by his very forthcoming answers. The room had a t.v., a.c., a large tub for two and was startlingly clean. He asked when we would be leaving and when I said early, he quoted a price and we agreed. It turns out that a typical rental is for 4 hours. A cabinet on the wall, he explained, was for ordering food which was delivered into the compartment from the hall and you opened your side to retrieve it. Again, with no face to face contact. There was a dish by the bed with a cough drop and a colored condom. Also there was a bathroom style paper towel dispenser on the wall by the bed. Very homey. We flipped a coin for the bed and I think I won because I got the cot.

When we woke the next morning there was a power outage, and the phone didn't work, meaning we could not escape as the garage door was electric and we had no way to get him to open it.

We reorganized the beast and I climbed up on the bumper to disengage the door closer and we made a break for it. I felt like we had been in one of those escape room adventures or something.  The highway was constantly changing from paved to unpaved and potholed like crazy.  This is "highway" 13 through Rio Dulce Guatemala.  A beautiful place. 

 Another long travel day and we are near the Mexican border in Belize, and should make Merida tomorrow after some much needed sleep.

A few shots of Bastimentos.  Roots restaurant (note the sign says open, until you leave. 

our place 

We drove to Pedasi you can't quite see the breakers out there.

and found our place on the beach around 9:00 pm.

A little late again. The next day we found a laundry and drove to Arenal to arrange a fishing trip. Met some nice Panamanians while waiting for our captain Cafeto to arrive.

We got to the boat about 7:00 and the weather looked iffy. After a ride in the boat we saw dolphins and got our lines in. In the first hour we had both boated a tuna. about 15-16 pounders.

Then it started raining hard and nothing was biting. We did see at least one whale, maybe two. Had a few hard strikes but no more fish on.

I brought a bottle of soy sauce so we had a bunch of sashimi on the boat.  Can't get much fresher.   We ended up with about 15 pounds of tuna fillets.  Way more than we could eat. So we fed a bunch of people back at the hostel. I ate at least a pound of seared tuna steak and Charles had his a little more well done. Probably going to the canal today and Gatun lake at Gamboa. We fly back tomorrow and hit the road hard for the Yucatan.  Guess who I saw at the diner last night trying to blend in?  Yupp, Obama.

May 12  Bastimento was authentically undeveloped, with no cars or franchises.  The beaches are not very accessible, but I slipped around in the jungle for a couple hours. 

This one had great abs.

This insect eating plant is a battlestar

We spent a lot of time in the company of our gracious host Simon, and his friend Dan, old rockers who found a home at the end of the last stop.  Snorkling was not as kind, but I enjoyed kayaking in the bay, looking forward to the day I could return to Bastimente and say, "they've ruined it with tourism now."

The spotted red frog survives, but only in the immediate areas.

The beach here in Playa Venao is a five minute walk and the surf is loud.  The Tipi Hostel is a surfer hangout, but we are seeing little tourism during this rainy low season.  A monsoon in Bestimente was an epic event, according to Simon, who knows the island well after 14 years on Beverly's Hill.

The beach beckons.

We are off this morning, and also we are going.  Seven hour drive to Pedasi where we might arrange a fishing charter.  Photos and updates to follow.  We are well and only the slightest injuries.  (Charles slipped on a moldy wet step and slid through the rungs bruising his shin and drawing a little blood.)

June 7  I went in search of hot springs and a lost waterfall that shall remain lost.  I did manage to find this one, a consolation prize after hacking through a cane field in search of the one with cliffs to dive from and vines to swing from. I was not tempted to dive.

But I did locate the hot springs, a place where they no longer run tours to because it is 'not so nice.  I thought it was fine.  And finally, after five weeks on the road, a hot bath!

On the way home, I had a flat tire, first road casualty.  By unbelievable luck, I pulled over in front of a tire repair shop, and a helpful Panamanian changed and repaired the tire (yes, I do know how to change a tire).  He asked for $10.  I gave him $20.

After three nights in Chichimey we came back to Panama City with a stop at Burbayar to drop off a cooler and change clothes.  The boat ride in was very wet.  The Panamanian soldier at the border between Kuna territory and Panama told me to put on a shirt.  Sheesh! While on the island I found a Kuna fisherman who was willing to take us to Nalunega island where I used to stay.  We found Griselda the Albino lesbian Kuna woman friend of mine and the son of a dear friend who died 18 years ago and some others.  A 21 year old called out my name from across the basketball court and remembered me from when he was a toddler.  Very heart-warming.   
After arriving in Panama City we ate and slept like logs before leaving this morning for a 6 hour drive to Boquete a village once named by AARP as the best place in the world to retire.   We have a private room withw shared bath.  Breakfast included (they put out pancake batter and you cook as many as you like).  There are several tours that Charles is hyped for and he's already talking about staying on a little extra. The climate is very mild and they grow  world class coffee around here.

 A bee killing on our car at Burbayar.

 Crossing the "border" into Kuna Yala.

 Chichimey.

  .Charles enjoying his lobster.

 Nalunega, Ricardito and Griselda.

 A nice woman I knew but who's name escapes me.