Acapulco

Although I just arrived, I took the taxi from the airport and landed at the Club de Yates de Acapulco with all my gear and the stuff I schlepped for Mark's boat, Kinship II.

Mark asked me to call him on channel 22 or 23 as he always has his citzen band radio with him. He didn't answer. I left the luggage with the porter at the entrance of the club and strolled down to the bar. Mark had told me that he was freshly shorn. Not only is his hair short-cropped, but he now shaves his head. I noticed him not because he saw me or because I recognized him, but because I recognized his stance. 

He stands like Yul Brynner from the King and I. So, there he was: his hand and feet akimbo, his back and neck not only bolt-upright, but hyper-extended. 

It was Mark and Mark has a bald head. Could you believe it? Well its true, and as he told me over the phone, he is a handsome devil without the sideshow Bob freakshow! 

So, we hung out at the Yacht Club for the rest of the night, feasting on Negra Modelos(Mark), Cuba Libres (me), ceviche, guacamole, and for kicks, a Mexican hamburguesa con papas fritas. 

The into the dink (the dingy) and off to where the 42-foot Lagoon by Jeanneau named Kinship II is moored. 

I was reacquainted to her, then I took my state room, settled into my feather bed, and fell to sleep. 

When I awoke this morning, it was to bright morning light and to the soft murmur of a bahia on a Sunday in Mexico during the beginning of what is Spring Break for a lot of college kids from around the country. 

Luckily for us, we are in the more luxe part of what is a pretty frenetic seaside city. Our bahia -- our Acapulco -- is serene and civilised. The Yacht Club is a lot like all the yacht clubs I have ever been in: dull and alcoholic. 

But, Mark and I took to the deck, hoisted a blue tarp to offer my tender body some protection from the southern sun, and read. I made some fine coffee in the Bialetti Moka Express, which was very fine indeed, softened into an Americano. 

We enjoyed typical Mark fare: cereal, currant, candied mango, chinese soy milk (less milky, more watery -- the way I like it), meusli, granola, and more coffee, water, and soy milk; for lunch, after more reading (Mark is studying to become a captain of 100-ton vessels, and I am reading The Penguin History of the World), Mark prepared Tasty Bite's Thai Taste meals and rice and we lunched from stainless steel bowls in the best buddhist tradition. More hours passed. 

The night before, I realised that my cell phone worked. This morning, before Mark woke, I started sending SMS text messages to anyone who's mobile number I had in my address book. I have been getting some very fine messages back. My SMS number is +12023525051. Text me. 

Now I am at the Cyber Oasis cyber cafe here in the old town of downtown Acapulco. Its quite cool and since they are running XP, I can set the keyboard to EN so that if I make sure I touchtype, I can have the complete experience of never having left. I guess I can even do a little bit of 'bidness' while I am here. 

Anyway, I will try to keep a journal onto this space, so come back, you hear?