.............It's now November 1, '05....back in Antigua.....In the little village of Santiago, just out of Antigua, they have an annual festival celebrating the dead.  But, main focus and attraction of the event is the flying of humongous kites...Large crowd converge on the village for the event.....I went up with my friend John Ford to take it all in....quite a spectacle, but a dangerous place in the large crowd....I was warned of the pick-pockets and was taking extra precautions, moved my wallet to a side pocket where I could always keep one hand on it......didn't work! ! I took my hand out to take a quick photo....only a matter of seconds....put my hand back immediately and my wallet was gone! ! ....they apparently had been following me for some time and waited for just the right moment, slit my pocket with a razor, slid the wallet out and was gone.....credit cards, drivers license, mariners documents, social security card , cash etc., etc.,......I headed back immediately to Antigua and an internet cafe to contact my bank in Key West to cancel the cards....took about (2) hours to get this done....during this time, over $1200 was removed from my account through fake signatures, and ATM withdrawels, in Guatemala City about 150 miles away........finally got it all worked out and bank insurance covered my losses....but what an ordeal ! ! ! ! gotten a great education these past (2) years but it's been very expensive.............................

    Took a volunteer job at the American Legion Library in Antigua to off set some of the boredom and actually got back into my water-colors and did some of the best ever work but just couldn't get Rio Dulce out of my mind.......

      back down to Rio Dulce for the weekend and found a fantastic house (with boat-dock) for rent $250 month USD...grabbed it.....

     talk about bored....had a few tequilas' too many one night at the Cafe No Se.........volunteered to cook a gumbo one night for (50) people......after that ordeal was finally over I swore off...no more tequila ! ! ! .....but they loved the Gumbo ! ! !

    Went up the mountain (volcano) to the "earth -Lodge" resort/ retreat/ avocado Plantation for a few days of just lying around, taking in the fantastic view of Antigua about 3000 ft below and read a book.......a wonderful (3) days........

    ....spent a great thanksgiving in Antigua with a few friends, and started my preparation to make the move down to the Rio.....

       ......On Dec. 8, headed for Xcalak, Mexico to pick up my (15) hp outboard left there after the Choupique disaster......