Where I am

To the right of me is a girl. About 16 in age. Approaching my terminal, I offered a friendly "good morning" and proceeded on my period of Internet use. Sometime during my e-mail catch-up, I did a most rude an inappropriate thing... I looked across and spied upon her computer screen. The images up were surprising. There weren't any cutsie images, she wasn't using IM to chat with her friends, and, she wasn't e-mailing anyone. She was, however, looking at vampire sites that described how to bite ones neck and properly extract blood.

I'm in Montana, the 4th largest state in the United States (New Mexico is 5th with twice the population at about 1.8 million). I just returned from camping in Lost Parries Airport. My sister was attending a Skydiving "Boogie" and I came out to support. It's the 40th year of this particular boogie, and as such, they decided to honor it properly by doing 40 Way formations. The event has been quite interesting.

I'm now at a hotel, in a town called Kalispell -just outside Glacier National Park. Finally, back to some form of civilization (population 17,000). Cell phone reception and computer access was non-existent at the airport, and I am once again having the privilege of "catching up".

Someone is currently waiting for the Internet, so, I am going to sign off.

Book

I'm not sure I'd mentioned in the past -I think I have- that I'm writing a book about the first 4 months of travel. At the moment, I'm working on edits, amendments, and additions- a lot of writing, that finds me at times, uninspired to write (on the book or anything else, for that matter). Since I've been negligent with this blog (I'm soudning like a broken record, aren't I) I decided to begin posting parts of stories.

To warn you, nothing has been fully edited (this will have to get checked for typos and all that other good stuff). And, the stories are not yet firm (I may go back, add more detail etc.) but here you go, in rough draft - draft format- fell free to comment.

____________
It was my last morning in Bocas Del Torro (A sedate set of islands off the North-Eastern shores of Panama.). Sitting down for one last breakfast with newly met friends, we reminisced while eating chunks of juicy pineapple. The company was a pleasure, the pineapple, was heaven. Each and every bite awakened senses I’d long thought lost- sweet; sour; pungent; tart- It was as though I’d been transported into a different level of taste. Sure, I’d had pineapple before but the freshness of this variety was incomparable. People talked, and I listened. People spoke, and I imagined. Time passed slowly. I was mesmerized and tried in earnest to enjoy every moment at that table. Sure, the company was nice, but this pineapple- it had seduced my senses and stolen my heart.

the pineapple had been consumed –I devouring the final piece- reality re-awakened, conversation with the group improved, and we sat for the next hour joking about the last few days.

After assisting with clean-up, I grabbed my bags, said my goodbye’s, made my way to the docks and boarded a boat for Changuinola.-a seedy town who’s only star quality is the fact that its the headquarters of the Chiriqui Land Company- the company that brings us Chiquita Banana.

The ride was rough. Waves continually pounded our small vessel as the captain tried his best to smooth out the ride. Peoples faces began turning, and during the ride, we sustained several sea sicken casualties. Nearing land, the waves calmed, and the gifts into the sea, ceased.

Landing in Changuinola, I quickly hailed a taxi and was on my way to the “Autobus por David”.

______________

Not sure

How? I can't explain... Though, as I mentioned in the previous blog, I've found myself doing "a lot" of typing. If it's not editing, amending, and adding to the first couple month of my trip, then it's working away on a presentation I plan to exhibit to schools (regarding my travels) and also, work and a project I am my brother are starting for artists in New Mexico.

Yes, lot's and lot's and lot's of writing.

I hope everyone had an enjoyable, safe, and reflective 4th. The history goes that not much actually happened on the 4th...except for agreeing to adopt the declaration, not much else happened. The official reading didn't happen until - I think- the 8th. And, representatives from the 13 colonies didn't sign the document until beginning of August. But again, as is appropriate, we are celebrating the agreement to the amendment.