Interview with Kai

Kai, how do you like the food in Ensenada?
Good, I like the fish tacos and the rice and beans. I don't really like the shrimp tacos.

Did you try the oysters?
Yes, I didn't like them.

What about the papayas?
I don't like papayas, but I like the bananas.

I hear that the guards yell "monociclos" when your family leaves the dock. How's your unicycling going?
Good, I can now go backwards. Lots of people are looking at us and want to try it, but its too hard for them.

How did you like flying through the air at Las Canales where we spent an overnight?
I loved it. We put on a harness and then clipped in and flew through the air. We also climbed through bridges.

Were you scared?
No, I wasn't scared.


How do you like the new Indiana Jones movie -- about the crystal skull -- that you finally got to see when it came out on DVD?
It's really good. I saw it once in English and once in Spanish.

How do say "skull" in Spanish?
"calavera"

What's your newest move on Kamaya?
I move like a monkey on the bar inside the boat. My record is 20.

Who do you think is going to win in the Presidential election?
I think Obama will win. I don't know why I like him.

How about Alaska - for Congress?
Uncle Ethan. He's the best and the smartest.

Back Home to Ensenada

We've been in and out of Southern California getting last minute provisions and waiting for Hurricane Norbert and any future wild winds to calm down before sailing south into warmer waters. So that means that, while turning a blind eye to the demise of our economy, we've driven and walked across the Mexico border

storing our white Betty van at Ted's Ranch in San Diego where Kai got to drive a tractor.

exploring the San Diego desert, teaching Solene and Luc to unicycle, swimming in Francis and Peggy's pool, speaking Chinese in Malibu and surfing (Tim has) at Pt. Dume. Not a bad life.

When we returned to Kamaya Thursday afternoon, Maya and Kai bee-lined to the boat, put the dinghy in the water and took 12-year old Caden out in the harbor to show him the highlights of being a "boat kid." We were all glad to be back aboard our new home.

"Mexico is over there," I pointed across the way to Lori, Caden and Chris who drove down from Arizona to sail with us for the weekend. In our protected harbor at Cruiseport surrounded by mostly Americans, it does feel like we haven't left the US. Fortunately, Mexico is only a five minute down the guarded road.


Over the weekend, we sailed out to Todos Santos, an island 10 miles west of here. We anchored in one of the tightest anchorages I've ever been in. Protected from the strong winds, Tim assured me that we wouldn't end up on the rocks. We tied our stern to a concrete post and our bow tucked closely behind the 300-foot circular fish pen.

That's where the captured bluefin tuna live and fatten up on sardines before ending up as sushi in Japan. It looks like a lucrative operation, especially when the price of tuna can be as high as $45 a pound and the fish can weigh as much as 300 pounds. You do the math.

Time for boat schooling to begin, so I'll sign off. Remember to vote -- Tim and I casted our absentee votes before crossing the border. We followed Ethan's advice and voted for "Obama and Tina Fey."