Literatopia

Hi everyone! I'm starting to write a new book. It's called Literatopia.
I'm sending you the World Description of Literatopia. I hope you like it!

Hurricane insanity and Santa Rosalia calamity

Hola amigos, this is Mera from Mexico. I'm here to tell you about the
whole hurricane disaster. We heard about the hurricane first on our way
down from the states.
We arrived in Santa Rosalia after a *long* trip, just in time for it.

The next day and a half were a scramble to provision before all the
shops were blown away. (Luckily this didn't happen to most of them). It
was also a frenzy of preparation for all the boats.
The Singular dock there wasn't a very good dock, so we all tied
ourselves to the breakwater and pylons. There was another kid boat there
called Ocean Blue, friends of ours. Steve, the captain,
and his wife were an inexpressible help to us during the hurricane.

The night before the hurricane was supposed to reach us, we received a
very nasty chubaska at 4:00 in the morning. Just to to top
it all. Indeed, the chubaska was so nasty that for a moment, many of us
thought the hurricane had come early.

A few hours before the hurricane, Ocean Blue and the Don Quixote crew
brought everything that was absolutely essential for our survival. Like
our computers, some clothes, legal papers, passports, Mommy's wallet,
etc. This was hauled up to the Cool Room in the marina. The Cool Room
was a large room with air-conditioning. It was essentially the cruiser
common room. Set below the office, it was entirely for marina
inhabitants use.

The most important thing was our every-3- hour update on the hurricane.
It showed us which way the hurricane was going.

Once inside the Cool Room, we were not allowed out. The people over 115
pounds got to go out, but not us. Then the hurricane set in and we,
meaning th kids, were quite glad that we didn't have to go outside.
It rained buckets, then it rained cats and dogs. Then it rained horses.
(so to speak). Wet everywhere. It seeped through the windows, it dripped
from the *ceiling*, it washed in from the door. The floor quickly
covered itself in water an inch deep. If one of the kids even so much as
hinted he/she was bored, they were quickly set to chasing the water out
through the door.

Very soon Mom brought up what was possibly the unhappiest, wettest, most
sulky looking cat that was ever born, ours, Dulcinea. She found the
driest spot in the room, than began washing herself, ignoring
both the hurricane howling outside and us.

The next few hours were a dull lethargy punctuated with spurts of
low-grade frightenedness. It's not a word, so I'm making it one. I
watched as my friends and Mom came in soaked and left marginally better.
There was a point in which no-one could go outside. We were afraid of
losing the boat. The hurricane, instead of veering west, headed straight
for us. Fortunately, instead of being a Cat 5, by the time it got to
us it was a Cat 1 and a half. Still, 90 knots is not a laughing matter.

There was a momentary lull in the hurricane. That is when the roof in
the Cool Room decided to fall. I'm not kidding, it actually fell in. The
roof was made of soft plaster and had been gathering water in the middle.
It then decided enough was enough and nearly landed on top of Skyler, a
kid off Ocean Blue. Another mad scramble, and everyone ended up in the
girl's bathroom. The girl's bathroom was large and its
roof better suited with water. No time for sensitivity in the middle
of a hurricane. Also, bye bye went the office upstairs.

The hurricane passed us and headed north. Everyone received a few hours
of respite, then the little bugger turned around and headed towards us
/*again. */By this time everyone was more that a little
pissed off and tired. Fortunately we hadn't moved anything from the
girl's bathroom so we spent another night sleeping in the hot,
uncomfortable room. The cats, Ocean Blue had one too, had passed
pissed off and headed towards absolutely furious. Not to mention bored
and refusing to use litter that had gone beyond foul to something that
resembled a badly gone wrong science experiment.

At last, the end of the hurricane. A day after it we had a huge party.
During the hurricane I had composed a song on my recorder called the
*/lull/*aby. Everyone thought that it was beautiful when
I played it at the party.

I have only one more thing to say. *NEVER AGAIN*.

Honorary Uncles

Honorary Uncles is a title very few men deserve or get. You have to be very close friends and give us lots of gifts. (I'm kidding about the last part.) I can count on one hand how many men have made it to this esteemed level. I won't name any names in case people get jealous. Honorary Uncles are (usually) men, who have become very close friends. Three so far have made it to this level.

You have to have a few important qualities, 

One: You have to be able to laugh and have a good time with us. No serious men allowed.

Two: You have to adore us at least a little bit, if you show no signs of even liking us, you get scratched off the list.
Three: You have to be capable of withstanding our overpowering charm and incessant chatter.

Four: You have to be capable of being a jungle jim and giving us piggy-back rides.

Five: You have to buy us ice-cream once a week.(I wish)

    All in all, its a very challenging job and not everybody is up to it. Don't sign up if your not ready.

Now, some of you may be thinking, where are the Honorary Aunts? So far, we have only one and she is AWESOME! When I have more honorary aunt examples, I'll write a blog about them.

So remember, if your ever in the need of a challenge, we'd be ready to give you one. 

Mera Conger

s/v Don Quixote

The Zewotinejoh Zone

 My tired family motored into the Zewotinejoh Zone and plumped down in to the Playa de Ropa at 7:30-8:00 at night. All I saw was hundreds of twinkling multi-colored lights that spread their colors onto the rippling waters. The atmosphere was quiet, sleepy, and humid. I liked my first impression of Zewot. 

In the morning, the dawn sun turned the water to gold on my first day at Zewot.

Despite all the beauty around us, we couldn't fully enjoy the afternoon because of one nagging little thought, the reason we were here. I've long since known my family wasn't rich and that money doesn't last forever. In three days time on January 13, my dad was going to leave us for work in Seattle, to plump the cruising kitty. He had made a contract with the owners of a medical clinic that every 3-4 months he'd come back to work for about 3 weeks. No-one liked the idea. 

After seeing the sunrise, we all went into town and explored. All dinghies apparently drive up on a beach and are watched over by a short mexican man named Nathaniel. The town is kinda scruffy and the shops kinda dirty. However, the major town had a certain appeal and bustle. Near the beaches where all the cruise ship's passengers go, the shops were charming. Around that area we found a pancake house. I ordered waffles. The pancake house was reasonably filled and the food delicious. Our serving lady was kind and the chairs comfy. I have a feeling we'll be going there again. After breakfast, we found the market which I will describe in a later blog.

Though I will have to live here a few more days before I decide, I think Zewot will be livable until daddy gets back.

Mera Conger

s/v Don Quixote

The Mangrove Stream

In Tenacatita Bay, there is a jungle, river, dinghy, ride. It winds through the island for 2 miles. On either side of the channel, mangrove trees grow thick and strong. My family went on this cruise in our dinghy. It was a short dinghy ride to the shore, where you had to drag/float your dinghy across a sand bar. The sand bar opened up to the beginning of the river. 

This "river" was almost dead calm. It had sulfur in it  and smelled awful. The water was muddy brown with skating flies and dead leaves. It wasn't too unpleasant. In the beginning the channel was wide. Amid the mangroves, a few white flowered dogwoods existed. The birds were mostly pelicans and herons. Huge, white, herons would take off in front of us and we saw many babies. Jaime once saw a lone vulture, nestled in the treetops. The channel began to narrow and the trees grew closer and thicker. 

Looking in the water again, you can see fish. Fat, lazy, big fish and small darting fish. Though we saw no alligators, we saw signs of some. No lizards, absolutely none. Thats funny because you'd think lizards and iguanas would be everywhere. We motored in to a tree made tunnel. The air grew heavier and less light shone through. The light that did get through was a weird greenish brown color. Small crabs could be seen just a few inches from the water, clutching the roots. The trees grew even closer and sometimes we brushed the roots. I kept a wary eye out for spiders. Dad did a superb job with the dinghy even though I sometimes tried to do back seat driving.

At the very end of the 2 mile trip, the "river" suddenly opens up into a large bay. The sunlight bounces of the water and nearly blinds you. Its quite like emerging from another world. Mom says WOW several times and Jaime whistles. Aeron sits and stares and Dad wore is poker face. I'm not quite sure what expression I wore. And to think that we get to do this all over again going back. 

Mera Conger

s/v Don Quixote

The Fish Adventure

      On January 3, 2009, my entire family (except my mom) boarded the dinghy, our destination a good hookah diving site. The site was near an island in Banderas Bay. The islands were called Las Tres Marietas. A hookah is motor that provides air for people under water. If you use a hookah, you can stay underwater longer.  Since the water was relatively warm, my family and I only wore our wet-suits as a precaution. The skies were clear and sunny, but the winds a little strong and the ocean choppy.

      When we arrived at our destination, we had trouble setting our dinghy anchor. After many tries, we managed to set it near a promising rock. Dad started the hookah and everyone jumped into the water. One person remained on board to alert us if the hookah shut off or if our anchor dragged.

      The first plunge into the water was a shock, but I quickly warmed up. I had trouble with my mask, so I switched to goggles. From my view, the rocks were dark, a little murky but not eerily so. Groups of green and brown striped fish as long as my thumb swayed with the tide, like clouds drifting around a mountain of rock. I spotted a beautiful dove gray and soft blue fish, 1 and a half feet long. Jaime showed me an electric blue fish, again as long as my thumb. We even saw a grumpy little octopus hiding in a hole in the rock. The rock itself was patches of muddy red, brown, and gray. There were very few green plants, but purple anemones waved their arms everywhere. Once I spotted a deep blue fish with a white stripe in the middle and yellow fins. A fish the color of the rocks flashed by me and startled me. A new flock of fish floated by, black with a stripe of peach in the middle.

     All at once I noticed the air from the hookah tasted funny and that my teeth and mouth ached from clenching the hookah mouth. Rising, I took a short break. It took many trips down to satisfy our curiosity. We motored home, wet, shivering, and eager to get out of our wet-suits. I hear that mom is making fish chowder for dinner!

Mera Conger

s/v Don Quixote

New Years Party

The New Years party this year was less than what I expected. For start, I had a split-head headache and a fever. Mom sent me to sleep when the kids arrived. I spent the duration of my nap listening to the sound of laughter and the splashing of water. I decided the heck with it and jumped in to the water. Effectively, my headache disappeared when I hit the water. I spent the next hour being knocked off our blow-up island and swimming with the other kids. The water was cold then moderately cool. 

We tried to knock each other off the island which resulted in lots of yelling. The island was so slippery. You could just slide off it at any time. It became a mighty feat to stay on for more than a minute. After swimming, the grown-ups shoved us in the salon with a movie and resumed talking. We watched Monsters Inc and Holes. Anyway, the younger kids went home after the movies. The party was supposed to go on to 12:00 o'clock, but I conked out at 10:00. No fireworks for me. The reason I conked out was because of my demon from hell of a headache which chose that moment to appear again.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mera Conger

s/v Don Quixote