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Archive for November, 2006

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Nocturnal Hummingbird?

Wednesday, November 29th, 2006

So I am sitting on my veranda this beautiful evening in Puerto Escondido processing my Oaxacan photos (which I will try to post this week) and I head some squeaking.  I thought it was just one of the many geckos that I have become accustomed so I didn’t bother to look up until something buzzed my head.  I thought it was one of the giant moths which I have seen the geckos attack in teams, but it turned out to be a hummingbird.  It’s nighttime and the hummingbird is using my light to pick off bugs.  It had the geckos scurrying every time it passed by.  This has been going on for an hour and we are now bug-free.  The geckos need a new gig.  I pulled out the video camera and stood up on the bench and the hummingbird flew within a few inches of my hands and head.  Some of you have probably heard of my other close encounters with hummingbirds in my garden including one taking a shower under my hose nozzle and then sitting on the nozzle while it was in my hand.  I thought tonight’s visitor was going to land on the camera.  The video probably isn’t very good because he was too close and fast, but I will get a good laugh out of it when I process it someday.  I will never tire of hummingbirds.

Rwanda Revisited

Monday, November 27th, 2006

I was quite surprised to see that Rwanda has cut off diplomatic ties with France this week.  I was even more surprised to read that the impetus for this action was a prosecutor in France bringing charges against Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, and eight other members of his government for shooting down the plane of the former president.  The plane being shot down was blamed on Tutsis and was used to incite Hutus to kill Tutsis.  From everything I have read, the killers of the president were hardcore Hutus led by the president’s wife and her family who were mad that he was making concessions to the Tutsi rebels.  The same sources implicate France in being part of the cause of the genocide, prolonging the massacre and providing protection to the Hutus who eventually fled.  In fact, I believe the wife of the former president now lives in France.  From what I saw and heard in Rwanda, Rwandans have not been happy with France since the genocide for these reasons.  Although it would be difficult to determine who are the actual criminals (France has also been implicated in destroying evidence at the crash site), it is quite true that Tutsi rebels led by Paul Kagame stopped the genocide without Western help (and in spite of Western support of the Hutus) and he was the main reason that the Tutsis did not slaughter the Hutus.  If I was France, I would do everything possible to bury this past and not incite more publicity about their ugly involvement.  Rwanda is lucky to have Kagame as a leader and they will do better with France out of their affairs once and for all.

Retired Surfer!

Monday, November 27th, 2006
I took three surfing lessons last week.  One was a land lesson and the other two were in the water.  Land lesson - good.  The first water lesson went OK.  I had some problems getting some balance on the board ... [Continue reading this entry]

Schedule…

Monday, November 27th, 2006
I have decided to push off to Mexico City next Saturday rather than the previously scheduled flight the following Monday.  This will allow me to get to the bullfights on Sunday - another event loved by PETA.  I'm not sure ... [Continue reading this entry]

Oaxaca Village Trip

Monday, November 27th, 2006
It looks like I made the right decision to go to Oaxaca last weekend and miss the surfing competition here because things have gotten more out of hand this weekend in that lovely colonial city.  From what I just read, ... [Continue reading this entry]

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 23rd, 2006
Just want to extend the greeting to my American friends and relatives.  This is the first time I have been out of the country over my favorite holiday.  Tomorrow will be a fairly normal day here in paradise with Spanish ... [Continue reading this entry]

Teargas Hurts!

Tuesday, November 21st, 2006
I was going to tell you about my Oaxaca adventures on Sunday in this post, but I have decided to tell you about today (Monday) instead.  Right now I am in my nice room and I ... [Continue reading this entry]

Tagger Central

Tuesday, November 21st, 2006
Saturday turned out to be a much better day than Friday with its very ugly ride.  I walked a few blocks to the old part of town seeing all of the graffiti that the protesters have ... [Continue reading this entry]

I’d Call This Highway to Hell if the Destination Was Not So Nice

Tuesday, November 21st, 2006
So I woke up Friday morning around 6:00 AM near sunrise like just about every other morning in Puerto.  My head hurt from all of the Spanish stuffed in there and I did not feel 100% ... [Continue reading this entry]

Hurricane and Earthquake

Thursday, November 16th, 2006
I am specifically attempting to avoid hurricanes, cyclones and snowstorms on this trip.  Unfortunately, the latest recorded Eastern Pacific Hurricane has formed off the Southwestern Mexico coast.  I knew something was up two days ago when I woke up to ... [Continue reading this entry]