Well,my vacation is up and its time to go back to work. Three months of drudgery on my ship to South Africa, Mozambique, and Madagascar with bulk humanitarian aid cargoes and then to Shanghi for a shipyard period where I will fly home around the first of April. Will be heading for points south through Mexico to Costa Rica where I owned a bar 15 years ago. Maybe points beyond pending the timeframe. Will be riding an R1200GS. I'm a well traveled "scooter freak". Fluent in Spanish. Have dealt with customs and "La Migra" worldwide for years and am well connected. Will be leaving from Galveston, Texas and have no "Plan?". My "Plan" is that I plan on going. Just get up in the morning, Look at the map, scratch my head and proceed from there. I will be bringing some camping gear but I'm not a "camper". Only if I absolutely cannot find a "roof" somewhere. I do like sportin the chiquitas and anticipate at least a few hangovers enroute but that is by no means "the" objective. I've been a Merchant Seamen since I was 15 and thankfully, I've never grown up. So... If you just happen to be "in the neighborhood" early april, or happen to be seriously heading in the above mentioned direction, or if you want to hook up somewhere in sunny "Meh He Ko" for a cold tankard of suds, then get back on this web. Life is just too short. Remember the imortal words of Idi Amin "The sky may soon fall upon our heads and no one will ever ask why!". Idi, you were such a rascal.... By the way, I'm outta here January 3rd so if I don't get back, I'm "at sea". Capt Smitty

[This message has been edited by smitty (edited 31 December 2005).]

[This message has been edited by smitty (edited 31 December 2005).]

Smitty,
May be your way later in 06 on my way to Baja Cal. Would like to pick your brain sometime about your work. I'm looking into getting my ab card this year. Mail me if you can.

Scott

Good deal. I'll think of you when I'm belly down in a slimy ballast tank full of fetid water from Djibouti harbor and its 120 degrees trying to repair an actuator which has emploded with no spare parts as the company went out of business 20 years ago.