SailingKnitter

First, the knitting. As I mentioned before, I've finished 3 pairs of men's socks - for the Socks for Soldiers Yahoo group. These are brainless pleasure knitting projects that I've played joyfully worked diligently on while on our recent 5 day sailing adventure and while tagging along with Jonesy on his dental appointments. Yes, I know they are boring to look at. Just plain dull colored men's socks from Regia sock wools. But that's what they like.

To get a little spark into my knitting life I picked up two small balls of leftover yarn (alpaca, wool, & silk) and whipped up a hat for the children's orphanage in Kazakhstan. The bottom of the hat as a folded up hem for double warmth around the ears.

SURPRISES
El Salvador handicrafters make these little sorpresas - or "surprises" from clay. They are usually egg sized and shaped, although I've seen specialty shapes as well. Inside there are miniature figures which depict people and families engaged in everyday life. I picked up three of these on one of our outings to the capital city of San Salvador.


The first one is painted on the outside with a scene of the local volcanoes. Inside of this egg is a little figure of a woman and her loaded burro.


The second egg-shaped sorpresa again has a volcano picture and inside is a woman selling watermelons and heads of cabbage.


These first two are what are known as typico or typical. The eggplant is a different story. True, it does contain the figures of two people engaged in an everyday routine, but it is very different indeed - and what a surprise! This one is known as especial or special. Nope. You don't get to see a photo of this one here. Just use your imagination. Whoo boy.

Right here where we are moored in the private Barillas Marina Club, there is an international airport! El Salvador is a very small country, and members fly in from other countries so there is an immigration office right here onsite. We've seen helicopters and small private planes come in here. Check out the photo below - is this your idea of an "international airport"?
That's the landing strip right there - bordered by the dirt road that we take to leave the compound when we go to town twice a week.


Jonesy has two more appointments for his tooth - to have a crown made. He is so much more comfortable these days without the pain. We both have been doing a lot of reading and relaxing. We're in no hurry to get anywhere so we are simply enjoying being in a beautiful, safe place. Safe because of the multiple manned iron gates and armed guards on the 10-mile dirt road to the compound.

The staff treats us like royalty. Now that the holiday season is over, we are the only "guests" at the club. The other cruisers have moved on either to head up to Mexico, or farther south and the Central American members and their families have headed back to wherever they live.







So, when we aren't just impersonating vegetables by staying on the boat all day, we are at one of the thatched roofed tables in the pool area getting wifi to have internet access. Or perhaps we (I) might knit in one of the chairs by the outdoor restaurant. It is way to easy to live here. But we do miss our friends and family!