Here's the latest from the field. After a short stint in Loreto and an aquaculture farm homestay, I'm back in San Carlos with one month left. We presented preliminary research results last week that went quite well. Since then, I've met with a number of whale watching operators to discuss kayaking potential in the bay. A professor of the University of Denver is here and has been teaching us how to use GIS (geographical information systems) so my map making dreams are slowly becoming a reality.



I bought my ticket for Mexico City. My friend Sasha and I are going to spend the week between exams and xmas in del jefe before returning to the bay area. We will be staying with our friend Dan who is a native chilango and who I know will be an extraordinary tourguide and host. Today, he had to fly home because of some reoccuring health problems and it was so sad to see him go. But I am even more excited to visit him soon.

Today I got to see a different section of the bay while we researched potential ecotourism sites to watch marine mammals including sea lions and dolphins. We saw so many dolphins- it was incredible. They surrounded our boat and a few of them actually jumped. I still find it hard to believe that dolphins are reral animals adn not just a fabrication of Sea World or Lisa Frank. After that, I got the pleasure of visiting San Carlos' police station to confirm my student visa (actually unneccesary paper but better safe than in jail). And then we headed to aerobics class which is combination jazzercise, kick boxing, colombian salsa and yoga. We sweat a lot. Through that class, we've met some of the most empowered women in town and gotten pretty good at knowing our derecha from our isquierda. On the way home, we splurged on tortas (imagine the perfect hot sub sandwich) and sopes (of the open faced sandwich variety topped with! goat cheese) followed by a heavenly dessert of hamonsillos (goats milk caramels).

This week I have some papers due on pollution sources and marine mammal captivity issues so I should hit the books. I hope everything in California Alta and back east is going well. Even here the days are getting shorter, can't imagine how it is up north.

Love always, Phoebe