El Marco at El Arco

El Marco at El Arco.

Strange things happened onboard ship. I remember walking down the hallway near my cabin, and seeing five beautiful women approaching from the opposite direction. In order to make room for their passage, I dove into a doorway, and accidentally stepped on a big ball of butter left on a plate on the floor by someone who had just ordered room service. I skidded across the carpet to a buttery stop.

The women saw the accident and gathered around and started offering all kinds of household advice about how to remove butter from one's shoes. In a flourish, I stated that it was only because of their radiant beauty, and the distraction it caused, that the accident had happened in the first place. They said, "oh, isn't that cute!" Then they continued their way down the hall, trading even more household hints about how to remove not just butter, but almost any unwanted hydrocarbon, from one's shoes.

Embarkation photo.

Arriving back in Sacramento from Los Angeles, I was seized by the desire to save money with the trip back home from the airport (I also didn't want to interfere with anyone else's social schedule on Saturday night). So, despite my overpacked luggage, I took Yolobus into Sacramento, then transferred to the #62 bus at 8th & J Streets. The journey home was time-consuming, but only mildly-inconvenient despite the rain, and cost only $5.00. Time for a bit of thrift!



My sister Marra E-Mails:

Hi Marc,
I was so sorry to read about what happened on the Cruise. I wish you had been able to attend the wedding. A little strange that your roommate stayed in the cabin while you were sick. But you have lots of pictures of when you got better. I of course like the pictures of the birds and the information about the fog formations Towmey Effect. Hope you have a good weekend. I have to get back to work. Love you.

I reply:

Hi Marra:

Glad to hear from you!

In regards to the cruise and missing the wedding – oh well, that’s life! I was still able to socialize with everyone afterwards, and like you say, still get lots of photos and look at things. It is a bit strange that my roommate John wasn’t isolated too, but on the other hand, he never got sick! I suspect I got a bug through food, but the medical people are very suspicious of any sickness (the close quarters in cruise ships make people susceptible to illness and outbreaks have occurred on other cruises), and they anticipate the worst with their quarantines!

I was a little worried about Mexico when I was there. When we were travelling into the salt mangrove swamp, I was thinking, “OK, here we are travelling deep into rural Sinaloa, which is known far-and-wide as one of the most important centers of marijuana cultivation in all of Mexico. What’s wrong with this picture? What’s wrong with this picture?” Fortunately, it appears that marijuana can’t grow in salt mangrove swamp – probably one of the few places in Sinaloa (apart from water or bare rock) where the soil is actually hostile to marijuana cultivation. Beach sand probably isn’t much better for the plant. So, we were likely, more-or-less, safe – as safe, or safer, than in the U.S. At least, I think so!