I noticed this outfit in traffic, and then
finally got to look at it parked, and talk to it's Windsurfing owner. He
had a VW bus drive-train installed in his Chevy van. The engine cover is
a nicely upholstered seat bottom.
Typically the ferry ride between Playa Del
Carmen and Cozumel takes about 45 minutes and costs 90 Pesos each way (~9
miles). There are two ferry companies, 'Mexico', and 'Ultra-Mar'.
This month 'Mexico' (background, left) is
celebrating 35 years of service by charging their original fare of 20 Pesos,
each way. Some Cozumel friends of mine are interested in becoming certified
to teach ESL (English as a second language), and I know of a school in
PDC called 'International House' that offers the Cambridge (England)
CELTA English Teacher Training Courses (30 days, full time, $1700
usd). My Minneapolis pal, Richard, went home a few weeks ago to clear the
snow off his driveway and scurried back to PDC last week for sun and saltwater
therapy for his blistered hands. =) All that
is to say I brought a couple friends along and went to PDC last Wednesday
to check out that language school and to visit Richard and my Playa friends.
It's not unusual to see 'Moorish' domes on some rooftops but I've never
seen one from inside so it was a treat to visit the school and be able
to see theirs:
We also visited a language school named
Harmon Hall where a friend named Mark is Director. He said that for him
the most influential component in hiring is in the interview. He looks
for English skills and likable personality. The teaching certificate
is mostly a credential for getting a work permit from Immigration. His
school is like most in that there is an inital 30 day training period to
learn their methods and Mark has had some teachers hire on, just to get
his school on their resume (CV) as a credential.
After I got back to Cozumel, Richard sent
along a picture of some freshly opened Gecko egg remains (white things)
he found at curb side, and a baby Gecko he found near by. Here is his quote:
"The eggs were found in the empty battery
compartment of a stored radio. The Mexicans just dumped them out on the
street. I asked what they were and was shown, firsthand! They broke a couple
shells open."
AND. . . . for you cat lovers, the answer
is yes, Bartola is still living here at Blanquita's. And NO, no one has
ever actually see Bartola eating a Gecko.
