Jan 12, Tuesday

it is an absolutely gorgeous day at 70 degrees in the shade and much warmer in the sun

started a new English class for doctors this morning and they are good

also cleaned up around Connie's house for 2 hours. very sad that they have not kept up the first cleanup from a  month ago.  really frustrating. it was filthy.

met the garbage guys and they picked up prieto's trash, all the tires formthe salitral AND did a mass cleanup at someone's house down Erizo street. and I only asked them this morning. very cool. they got paid and they are happy and so am I.

the Canadians left saying they may still return.  they knocked down a telephone pole near Connies yesterday. i guessed they were undone by the whole ordeal.  like i told them.  la bocana is a place to de-stress and certainly not to let stress get to you !!!

now I am off to teach another English class tot he Punta Abreojan students at the school
then I am off for the rest of the day

BUT  I now have to drum up more prizes. Carlos just realized that women are in a separate category in the surf competition !!!  OM gosh !!!  This is the hardest thing I have ever done !!  It is non ending and I need sponsors.  Wrote to Derek at Kaplan. who knows. there are miracles.  the good part is that there is someone who can bring the stuff down to Ensenada this week. maybe.  that will save all of us from a lot of hassle, since Dave was going to have to bring the boogie boards that we lost .... would be soooooooooooooooo  nice to have it come down earlier via the coop !!!!!!

--------------------------------------------- later on -------------------------

so, the students got out early and there was no class. that being the case, I went around looking for trash to clean. there are some locations where there are still abandoned fridges for the guys to pick up. i  spent about an hour cleaning up in front of the coop - so many plastic bags. and started to think that we could have 2 days this month dedicated to cleanups. one for the road between la bocana and abreojos (and they could participate starting from their end). and another in front of the fisherman's beach. so filthy.

Aida wrote from Wild Coast and said that she knows a group that was giving garbage cans away. Let me tell u, I would be beyond happy if I could reach my goal of 320 now .... heck ... even one more can would be a start ...

Carlos is a mover and a shaker. I did reiterate to him today that he has to finish high school and then get himself a college education. He has family in TJ. Needs to get out from under his dad's house and create his own life. But the kid is so talented. I would like to have him as promoter of any event on the face of the earth, he is amazing. really creative and does manage to reach his objective.
So, we have Aida who will coordinate san diego to ensenada drop off !!!  yahoo !!

and we have prizes from Ben et al at WildCoast. Life is looking better and better by the moment.

The waves are so big that the fishermen did not go out today. which is good - I met Juanchys and he will help me paint the new recycling center this Sunday. actually - he and julio said they will start on Saturday. I have the carwash with the surfers .. makes for a long day ....

I also wrote to Celerino of the Vizcaino Bisphere - it would be great to have him as speaker at the Environmental Day Jan 30th. I heard it takes glass  4,000 years to disappear. No wonder the pottery from the Egyptians is still around .... good for archeologists but bad for Mother Earth.

Dec. 12, 09 Saturday

hoje vou escrever em portugues - time for some portuguese !! 

Juanchys being the 1st to support the cause ...

and selling for La Bocana was cool !!

hoje foi um dia lindo e espetacular - pela manha o Juanchys passou aqui em casa primeiro e tomou um cafe conosco. Disse que seria o primeriro a entrar no carwash. Todos os mexicanos adoram lavar o carro e o fazem TODOS os dias praticamente ...mas como ia ser o primeiro carwash ever .... estavamos todos meio preocupados

Car #2 was Domingo - as promised too...

chegamos ao parque central e nao tinham entregue agua, como prometido ontem e tem mais !!  O motorista do carro pipa tinha saido de La Bocana. ... como se vai lavar carros sem agua ?????  Fiquei chateadissima. No final, deu tudo certo, mas q estresse desnecesario. 

O bom eh q o dono nos deu toda a agua de graca - eh baratissimo anyways mas tudo dque eh graca, ateh injecao, eh melhor. Soh sei q eu montei minhas coisas vapt vupt (ja sou crack nestas alturas e levo no maximo 15 minutos pra montar tudo).  Os rapazes comecaram a chegar um por um e os carros nao pararam de chegar o dia inteiro !  Eles ficaram tao mas tao felizes - soh neste fim de semana ja conseguiram pagar o ropao que querem comprar...e olha o q eh demais de lindo:  eles querem fazer este campeonato como homenagem ao amigo deles q era surfista e morreu num acidente de carro ha um ano e pouco.

 Me emocionei.....lindo eh apelido.

NO final das contas, meus passarinhos voaram e fizeram bonito. Amanha resolveram repetir a dose outra vez, e alem disso, vao faze-lo TODO fim de semana. Os boxeadores nao apareceram.  A minha sugestao foi deles apoiarem os  boxeadores anyways - mas qdo perguntei ao Les, ele achou q nao. Ele acha q os meninos merecem ter todo o thunder para eles.  E topei.  Q os outros achem outra atividade pra conseguir grana.

Os meninos querem promover uma festa com banda e bebida e danca e comida . That's the spirit !!  Eu me lembro tanto da Chris falando para Marcos Rafa e Bruna fazerem a mesma coisa ... nunca se animaram ....a idea eh punk !!! eh show !!!! eh 10 ao quadrado !!

My boys 1

My boys 2

My boys 3

Hawaiian peace sign

They are all holding their hard earned cash

great day - great job by all

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other news - we got the journals sent by Corey and Tina and they are beautiful !!!  Tina suggested leaving books for guests to write about their experiences and sent 3 for us to put in the rooms !!!  Thanks Tina !!

Dec 6, Sunday

surfers are not here yet


it is 10:15 and the mtd to discuss the surfing competition was set for 10 ...after all this is Mexico and manana is the  most popular word BUT ................more later

well, Carlos arrived and we went to round up the rest. Here is a summary of what we discussed:

Meeting with surfers Dec 6 Sunday – plan for first LA BOCANA surfing competition ever



10:30 a.m. Pancake breakfast

1. date jan 30 -31, 2010


2. boogie boarding-surfing


3. carlos to see if wild coast will make t-shirts (playeras) I think we should sell them. Maybe they can make the trophies too

4. suggested prizes






surfboard – boogie board (1)


trophy – both cat’s and 1 – 2 - 3rd pl


wetsuit – both categories 2nd place


sunblock – leash – wax – 3rd surfing


flippers for boogie 3rd place

5. got their email addresses


6. there are groups by age


infantil til 12


junvenile 13-18


libre (adult) 19 +

7. I took their picture on the porch


8. they agreed to clean the beach or come up with another project. I MUST DOCUMENT.


9. once poster is ready – need to post it in every village


10. possible judges are:


a) someone from Reef.


b) Wild coast – costa selvaje


c) Noe - kite surfer


d) Danny from Punta Abr. Who then wdnt be able to surf

11. suggestion to have March or April kite surfing contest

AND THIS IS WHAT I CAME UP WITH AFTERWARDS .....


Ideas Blanca para conseguir dinero y POR FAVOR me escriben si ustedes tienen otras ideas:







1. hacer un carwash y lavar carros para los bocanenses


2. hacer artesanias de cosas del mar para k Blanca venda por internet a los estados unidos


3. mi hermano tiene un site de surf de sua arte www.daltonportella.com


talvez el deje k yo haga copias para vender. El vive en NY


4. los ninos de la esc primaria poderian hacer artesanias para vender. Hay k hablar con el director y con los maestros


5. vender pasteles de Blanca. Es facil y puedo hacer qquer dia


6. dar classes de natacion a ninos y cobrar un valor


7. con mama de Carlos –noche mexicana – todos nosotros vamos alla y el dinero serah donado al torneo. Se descontara el costo de la comida pero hay k pedir donacion


8. con papa de Leo – tacos de pescado para la comunidad. Todo sabado (???) su restauran – TODOS nosotros iriamos con nuestras familias. Dinero donado al torneo. Tb pedir donacion de tortillas y pescado.


9. los demas tienen q escribirme con ideas de como sus papas pueden ayudar, OK ??


10. yo hablare con Reef Brasil y con Marcio de Brasil a ver si consigo tablas de surf de Marcio y regalos de todos los 2º y 3º lugares (premios)


11. una vez enpezando el reciclage de aluminio – todos mientras van juntando y donare el q ustedes me traen al torneo