Jan 30 - Tour Into The Hills Of Nueva Frontera, Where People Really Are Dirt Poor

I thought I'd seen poor
But this young mom in the mud
She reminds me: No

Jan 29 - The Work Plan Falls Apart When The Boss Leaves Town, But Hey, We'll Manage

Somebody has died
Change of plans, Delmis tells me
Gee, that's a surprise

Jan 28 - Whipping The Santa Barbara Weebly Site Into Shape

Side by side we build

web pages; like me, Delmis

learns best by doing

Jan 27 - The Mysterious But Ultimately Successful Trip To Trascerros

I travel blindly
Against all odds, I arrive
Batido in hand

Jan 26 - Preparing For A Trip To A Place I've Never Been On Buses I Know Nothing About

I've waited in vain
For word of where I'm going
My fate's in the wind

Jan 25 - Wouldn't You Know It, The Work Offer Comes Right At The End

The chance of money
Has me scrambling for options
To stay through April

Jan 24 - The Fun's Over, Now It's Back To The Grind

Three loads of laundry

A newsletter, some research

Fighting through this cold

Jan 23 - Better Start Those Chicken Gizzards Boiling

Fat Lady Gaga

Is at the gate, having heard

The gringos are back

Jan 22 - Goodbye Tela; Regan and Brad Are Flying Home Tomorrow

One last stroll through town
The deluge soaks us as we
run to catch the bus

Jan 21 - Never Mind, Garifuna Tours, We Can Make It To Cayos Cochinos Without You

Humberto drives east
'Til we reach the beach, bound for
Snorkel sites and snakes

Jan 20 - In Which We Get The Bad News About Punta Sal But At Least Find Monkeys At Miami

Six monkey faces
Peer down at our boat while the
bugs plan their attack

Jan 19 - A Kayak Trip At Punta Izopo

Our guide can't paddle
Still, his slow pace is perfect
For seeing more birds

Jan 18 - We Don't Know It Yet But It's The First Wet Day Of Several

North to stormy seas
Tela is beset with rain
Our town walk soaks us

Jan 17 - We Opt For The Pool For Our Visitors' Final Day In Copan

The cold front moves on
We bask like poolside lizards
Turned pink by the sun

Jan 16 - A Finca Visit For Regan And Brad

19 bodies packed
In John's 5-passenger car
Freezing river swim

Jan 15 - The Little Girl On The Rapidito From Chiquimula To El Florido

Knee to knee we sit
Just us and 22 more
Bouncing south to home

Jan 14 - Ah...Agua Caliente

Rush to the ruins
Then a long soak, hot to cold
Last beers make us late

Jan 13 - The Rather Horrid Experience Of Outfitting 8 Angelitos Kids Is Made Slightly Better

The clerks at Handal's
Are both friendly and bossy
They get the job done

Jan 12 - Our Visit To The Bird Park

What's with this macaw?
He's bitten holes in two shirts
Always the blue guy

Jan 11 - On The Road To Pick Up Regan And Brad

A van is waiting
As if planned, and we whisk off
For chicken breakfasts

Jan 10 - A Bath For The New Dog

Come closer, White Dog
I'll wash all those fleas away
She submits, then runs

Jan 9 - Sweet Pleasures In A Country That Doesn't Much Care About The Freshness Of Baked Goods

Mostly the bread's stale
But this time, fresh warm doughnuts
We picked the right day

Jan 8 - Getting The Knack Of How Hondurans Like Their Project Summaries

Queen of the fichas
I whip off four in one day
For my CASM colleagues

Jan 7 - The Things You Do To Keep The Street Dogs Coming Around

Chicken necks in broth
Float like severed penises
Beagley will be pleased

Jan 6 - Maria's Got Problems, As I See For Myself On An Afternoon Stroll

How's your health? I ask
Fine, she says, then falls down hard
Writhing and screaming

Jan 5 - And Beagley Showed Up Too

Clothes washed: Tick. Hair dyed.
Dog food restocked; shoes scrubbed clean
Normalcy: Restored

Jan 4 - Dragging Back To Copan After The Hostel Owner's Loud, Long Party

Good news: sleepless nights
Knock you out that much better
On the slow ride home

Jan 3 - Long, Long Boat Ride Followed By Slow, Slow Bus Ride, Ending In San Pedro Sula

My sea legs won't stop
As we hop on a cheap bus
To sleep in a dorm

Jan 2 - On Our Amazing Night Snorkel

Skinny beam picks up
An octopus passing by
Gleaming lobster eyes

Jan 1 - Walking The Very Wet Nature Trail At The Far End Of Caye Caulker

The mangrove's alive
With night herons and ibis
A croc takes the sun

Dec 31 - The Ragamuffin All-Day Snorkel Trip, With Rum Punch And A Narrowly Achieved Nod To The New Year

We sail to the reef
Sea creatures and snorkellers
Jockey for best spots

Dec 30 - More Bus And Boat To Make Our Way To Caye Caulker

The sun emerges
As we zip through azure seas
Swimming at the Split

Dec 29 - An Indiana Jones Adventure In The Amazing Atun Tunichal Muknal Cave

Our necks barely fit
Past the tight spots on our swim
Old spirits live here

Dec 28 - West to San Ignacio

Cahal Pech awaits
Lord of this small town, this place
Of expensive tours

Dec 27 - We Go Walking In Cockscombe Reserve With The Very Bird-Smart Santos

Six howler monkeys
Rustle palms above our heads
Below, crested guans

Dec 26 - Goodbye Rio Dulce; Hello Hopkins, Belize

Sea spray starts the day
The people's bus takes us north
For late-day beach time

Dec 25 - We Will Not Soon Forget This Christmas Day

We are stealth paddlers
Spying trogons, manatees
Fish bite our cold legs

Dec 24 - Paddling To The Head Of The Rio Lampara

Rainy-day kayak
Mud to the knees from the hike
To the hidden falls

Dec 23 - Kayak On The Rio Dulce

Glimpse of something brown
Could it be? A manatee!
Then dockside swimming

Dec 22 - By Bus And By Boat We Make Our Way From Copan Ruinas To The Rio Dulce

This bus is jam-packed
But soon we're on the river
Chilling with a beer

Dec 21 - One Last Angelitos Chore Before We Leave

On the eve of gone
I buy stacks of underwear
And smile at the sun