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18
August 2002 - Starfish Trek Episode 6:
The
Scorpion & Tan
So much
happened today in this little corner near the middle of
the world (Could it be I’m in Mr. Tolkien’s
Middle Earth? The Maya are fairly short.); I have no idea
where to begin. I guess the best place to start is with
news and finish some old business:
The news
is; I have finally got the initial stages of http://www.portillas.com
up and running. Now the hard work on that project begins.
It will be a site merely for entertainment. I am not trying
to sell anything there or compete with any of these fine
Xcalak webs you are currently visiting. I hope you will
enjoy what I do there. I’ll do my best to be creative.
I received
a lot of response to my last Chechem post. So many of
you wanted pictures, I went out today and took some. I
haven’t set up any buttons for links or navigation
to these pictures on my web yet. In order to satiate all
of your curiosity as fast as I can, I have FTP’d
four pictures to the server so you can right click on
the pictures and select “Save Picture As”
and you can save your very own copy to your computer.
I will try to keep these links on the web until I have
filled my allocated space and then they will be moved
when I clean up the files. As you can see from what I
already have, it will take quite a while. For those that
care to, you have my permission to use these pictures
on your webs. I would appreciate credit for the photo
and in the highly unlikely event any money (US or Pesos)
is made from them, please remember this poor old man in
Portillas for his share. To view the pictures go to the
addresses exactly as listed below (case sensitive. Copy
and paste because the way I typed the filenames makes
no sense):
http://www.portillas.com/BigChechem.jpg
http://www.portillas.com/BigChakaj.jpg
http://www.portillas.com/ChakajLeaves.jpg
http://www.portillas.com/ChechemLeaves.jpg
Yesterday,
I attended my first social function in Xcalak. Everything
about it made an incredible impression on me that is indelible
in my memories. It was Max Emiliano Adamson Redman’s
Presentation. It was the first Fiesta I have ever been
to. And, for the first time since 1988, I set foot in
a church! Oh my God (no pun intended) dare I go there
and risk being flamed or even worse; many e-mails attempting
to convert me to some form of organized religion. Yes
I will. But please, I do not want to start a thread of
religious discussion. This board is not the forum for
it. I just want to share my feelings from Max’s
presentation with all of you who have e-mailed me with
such kind words and unworthy praise.
My parents were very religious Presbyterian folks when
I grew up and my dad had been in the Navy so I was raised
under the King James Version of the Holy Bible and the
Bluejacket’s Manual. I graduated high school in
1969 so I emerged as a “flower child” questioning
everything my parents stood for. I came up with this logic
with one question, “If God is perfect and vanity
is a flaw; then how could such a perfect entity be so
vain as to require inferior beings such as us to worship
him (or her or it) in a church every Sunday?” Throughout
my half century of life, this question has gotten me in
more trouble than you can imagine. Combined with the fact
that I spent over twenty five years in the retail automobile
industry and worked six days per week and a minimum of
seventy two hours per week; I pondered how a supreme being
could judge me harshly should I decide not to spend half
of my only day off in a suit & tie again. Nuff said.
I also am not a religious person. I have tried to live
my life by the Golden Rule and consider myself to have
been a good man.
As I
entered the church with only half walls, a roof and a
dirt floor in Xcalak formal wear; a pair of wool slacks,
starched & ironed short sleeved shirt with a button
down collar and leather shoes that I almost couldn’t
get my feet into any more; a warmth filled my body like
I have never experienced, here in these simple people’s
place of worship. Maybe it is because I have been so happy
in this little piece of heaven and am far away from my
family and old friends and have been befriended by everyone
I have seen to date here. I don’t know, but I felt
like thanking some deity for my extremely good fortune.
As I sat in that little church and watched my new friend
who I cooked breakfast for the previous morning, Jose
be the pastor for Max’s presentation, I was indeed
moved. I had no idea Jose was even religious.
The entire
ceremony was in Spanish and yet I think I understood it
all. It was indeed a celebration of young Max’s
joining this community and becoming a part of all that
surrounds him in both heaven and earth. Good luck Mr.
Max Emiliano Adamson Redman in all your endeavors and
may God watch over you and protect you as you grow into
a fine man like your father.
As I
said, today was an eventful day and I’d better hurry
and tell about it before you hit the “X” in
the top right hand corner. Early this morning, Tan and
I went for our walk along the beach with my trusty machete
strapped to my hips. I had decided to check out the jungle
south of here as there appeared to be a path into it already.
The trail turned into weeds and brambles within the first
50 meters (got it right this time, huh?) so I pulled my
machete from its tooled leather sheath and whacked my
way deeper along the coastline just outside the mangroves.
I was appalled by what I saw. Don’t get me wrong,
I am no tree hugger (though I did climb a tree at the
University of Texas back in 1970 in a demonstration to
stop bulldozers from destroying the best make out place
on the edge of campus and we won. Peace and love prevailed!)
but, there I was in a jungle where only few humans had
ever walked and it was virtually covered by decomposing
plastic bottles of every color in the rainbow, glass bottles,
trash, plastic bags, cargo skids, pieces of rope, planks,
a couple telephone poles just to mention a few types of
the garbage I saw in this otherwise unspoiled botanical
garden. I couldn’t believe my eyes!
This
debris had apparently washed ashore over the years and
nobody has ever cleaned this area so the quantity was
astonishing. Eventually with enough trips down there,
I hope to have it unspoiled again. What I would give for
a big Troy Built two wheeled cart. . . I will, however,
probably not ever have to buy any wood for my little projects
though. I can just go back there and pick up what I need
and possibly just make a big stack of it here on the fresh
cleared sand. One point of interest though. I did find
half of a primitive canoe hewn from a log maybe half a
meter in diameter. Somehow, I would like to drag it to
here for a display. It is really pretty neat looking.
A couple
of fishermen from San Pedro had motor troubles with their
boat and showed up at “Puerto Portillas” today.
I was on my way back from taking the Chechem and Chakaj
pictures when I came upon them walking (Or should I say
hobbling) up the road. It seems they had walked their
boat up the coastline and had badly blistered their feet
in their sandals. I gave the grateful worn out gentlemen
a coke and agreed to drive them to Xcalak and watch their
boat until they returned. One of the fellows said he owned
a big restaurant in San Pedro and told me I had a big
feast coming when I come to San Pedro. I politely explained
this was my duty to pay the local society back for all
the help I have received since I’ve been here and
he was not in debt to me in any way and if he wanted to
repay me; he should help someone else in need of assistance.
Shortly
after I returned, I found myself hailing a “Pan,
Pan, Pan.” on the VHF. I had been rearranging the
things I had stored in another yet incomplete building
here and a large black scorpion about 6 cm long scurried
out from under a piece of canvas. Tan saw it, barked and
ran over to kill it. It stung him on his lower jaw. He
jumped back and let out a kicked dog yelp. I covered it
up with the canvas and ran into the house to get something
to contain him for later identification should it be necessary.
All I could find was a large pitcher. Shooing Tan out
of the building, I slowly lifted the canvas and there
he arose from a flattened position to that well known
curled tail stance. I quickly grabbed him by the tail
and thrust him into the pitcher in one motion. Once again
Eric and Suzanne to my rescue; Eric answered my desparate
call and after explaining what happened, he asked me if
I had any Benadryl or Cortisone. I had neither, so he
consulted Suzanne and relayed her message to put some
ice and lime juice on the sting and she would be right
down. In short order she arrived with medication in hand
and helped me get the pills down his throat and past his
shark like teeth. I don’t know how I’d get
along here without my Tan Dog and I was sincerely concerned.
Maybe I will have to just tattoo “Thank You Eric
and Suzanne” on my forehead. One more time; Thanks.
I think Tan will be fine now.
Well,
I am completely worn out from today’s activities
and the typing of this report. There is more to tell but
I’m too tired. Good luck to you all and may God
bless you and your families.
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Mahahual
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miles south of Xcalak) As Your Location, My Location
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