DEET me.

Jejenes (sand fleas) here have an obvious competitor for succulent Gringo blood, the mosquito. Went up to the fort of San Blas yesterday and absorbed very little because a) there's only one small sign explaining the significance of the place and b) mosquitos! I counted 20 bites on my lower right arm and then I lost interest; but there are A LOT, okay. KBAB aka the Itchy and Scratchy Show. Last night Keith got the itches so bad he said he would leave immediately, if we weren't paid up through Saturday. Saturday!!! I'll feel like a hemophiliac by then if the mosquitos get their way. So last night during our grocery run to town (a few blocks away) we stopped at our favorite mini super for some cancer-causing, industrial strength bug spray. Keith said he wants to look like Pigpen, with a little cloud of bug spray trailing him. Perfect. We may be able to venture out and explore the area with this kind of protection. We'll see.

Our bungalow neighbors told us about Peso Island--20 or so km of abandoned beach and a cave the Huichol indians make pilgrimages to. If we can get the perro in the boat with us, that would be fantastic. Because who loves the beach more than Lazlo? No one.

We are becoming more and more accustomed to the Mexican way of life. I say that as a I am sitting in my screened in dining room with a lamp and "Mexican DSL" in a bungalow owned and operated by a man from Washington State, and a 24-hour hot shower is steps away. Okay, so our cultural meter has fallen since we came to San Blas, but it's a short break from an otherwise enchanting experience. One of the best realizations to come out of this trip is that so many Americans spend so much money on stuff they don't need. I include myself in that group. The housing in Mexico is simple, but effective. I won't say efficient, because nothing in Mexico is efficient. But sufficient. A great example of this is our bathroom. One small tiled room with the Golden Triangle of shower, sink and toilet all within arms reach. You could technically use all three at once. No shower door to scrub, I'm in heaven. A drain in the floor, a spout in the ceiling, and a sink on the wall. Perfect.

It's 6am now and I've been up for an hour. Woke up looking for Keith... the last thing I remember is him standing over me, moaning and scratching. Caring wife that I am, I fell asleep and didn't notice his absence for, oh, 7 hours. Found him spooning Lazlo in our sleeping bag in the other bedroom. We had talked about going to town at the butt crack of dawn one of these mornings to watch the vendors set up. Not this morning.