test blog #10

The Blue Jays sure have been hurting the Red Sox in this series. We were psyched for last night's game, with Josh Beckett on the mound, but he didn't have his stuff, and the Jays took batting practice off him. But the Skydome roof was open, it was a warm, breezy night, the Jays fans were a little livelier than usual, and we had a good time. With the Sox losing in the 7th inning, unable to hit Jays closer BJ Ryan, we actually left early - unheard of for us - to make our GO train. We had been up very late the night before - and sick with hangovers in the morning - and the thought of just missing a train and spending an hour in Union Station was ghastly. A good decision. An hour later, when we were about to go to sleep, the game was just ending, Blue Jays 8, Red Sox 5. Blue Jays fans must have gotten sick of Red Sox fans turning Skydome into Fenway North whenever the Sox are in Toronto. Jays fans were present and accounted for yesterday, and many abandoned their reputations for be...

That's "US Bloggers" not the grammatically incorrect "us bloggers". I just tried to sign a petition, but the website won't let me because of my Canadian address. Are you all aware that a battle is being fought that may well determine the shape of the web for years to come? Adam Cohen, a lawyer who writes about technology issues, and a member of the New York Times editorial board, directs us to this important website , that doesn't like my address. Why the Democratic Ethic of the World Wide Web May Be About to End By Adam Cohen The World Wide Web is the most democratic mass medium there has ever been. Freedom of the press, as the saying goes, belongs only to those who own one. Radio and television are controlled by those rich enough to buy a broadcast license. But anyone with an Internet-connected computer can reach out to a potential audience of billions. This democratic Web did not just happen. Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the British computer scientist who in...

Canada out of Afghanistan now. Canada is not wanted there. The US is not wanted there. No one wants foreign powers occupying their country. Why is that so difficult to understand? This thought brought to you by the most recent round of rioting.

Barry Bonds has passed Babe Ruth on baseball's career home run list, and I'm really excited about it. Bonds is one of the greatest players to ever play the game, and this is hugely important to baseball history. I'm an unapologetic fan of Barry's. Don't even talk to me about steroids. Many stand accused, but no one has accomplished what Barry has. Which is more than home runs, by the way - he's not at all a one-dimensional player. I'm glad he was able to do this at home, among friends. People booing him on the road are too stupid to appreciate what they're witnessing.

Here's something I missed. On May 17, the day we got home from Peru, the US Senate voted to delay plans to require passports or other special travel documents at the Canada-US border. The new regulations were to take effect on January 1, 2008, but the new bill would delay that until June 1, 2009. (The bill hasn't passed in the House yet.) Regardless of either of these dates, many border guards are acting like the new regulations are already in effect, and are asking for passports. According to a recent survey, many Canadians say they wouldn't travel to the US anymore. One-half of Canadians would either travel less to the United States or never go again if the Americans made it mandatory to show a passport or other identification at the border, a new poll suggests. The Leger Marketing survey indicated 33 per cent of Canadians would go south less often, while 17 per cent would no longer go at all and 39 per cent would go just as often. The poll of 1,500 Canadians was conduct...

Two work-related thoughts. It's weird to work at a place where people don't talk about baseball - and stranger still, a place where people don't associate me with talking about baseball. In all my former workplaces, whether I was teaching, word-processing or proofreading, co-workers would always ask me about the Yankees. At my last workplace - where I worked by myself all weekend, listening to the game if there was one - people would always stop in to check on the score, ask about players, who was coming off the DL and whatnot. People do follow baseball in Toronto, but not as much, and I imagine not during Stanley Cup playoffs. On one of my first days temping here, I overheard some guys talking about the World Baseball Classic, but they were too far away for me to join in. * * * * Co-workers here always ask me where I worked last, meaning what law firm. When I tell them this is my first job in Toronto, that I previously worked in New York City, they always express surprise....

I'm hoping for down-time at work today, because I have lots of things to blog about. When I come home tonight, Ray from Vermont will be here. I've known Ray about 90 seconds longer than I've known Allan. Tomorrow night we're all going to see the Red Sox beat up on the Blue Jays. (We hope.) More soon.

Stephen Harper plans to introduce a bill that would establish fixed federal election dates every four years. He's not suggesting a fixed-date system a la the US: the House of Commons could still defeat the government. An exception would also be made for "cases where the government is prevented from governing," although Harper hasn't defined that yet. Harper claims that fixed election dates, which some provinces already have for their own elections, will level the playing field by preventing governments from calling elections for short-term political advantage. According to this CBC article , Canada's current system is in the minority. But that doesn't necessarily mean its broken and needs fixing. One expert claims fixed election dates would increase voter turnout, but that's subject to debate. Henry Milner, an eminent student of Canada's electoral system, points out that of the 40 comparable democracies in the world, Canada is one of only 12 that does...

If you haven't RSVP'd yet , or if you haven't given me your email address but would like to receive an invitation, please do! The party is June 17. Many of you have someplace else to go or something else to do, and some Very Important People in my life aren't able to make it. Please say you'll come and make me happy. Seriously, no guilt. But it will be more fun if you're there.

Speaking of tests of national character, Democracy Rising asks Americans to take a pledge and sign a petition: "I will not vote for or support any candidate for Congress or President who does not make a speedy end to the war in Iraq, and preventing any future war of aggression, a public position in his or her campaign." Articles, organizing tools and inspiration at Voters For Peace .

Paul Krugman believes that the American people's response to global warming may be a test of the country's national character. A Test of Our Character By Paul Krugman In his new movie, " An Inconvenient Truth ," Al Gore suggests that there are three reasons it's hard to get action on global warming. The first is boiled-frog syndrome: because the effects of greenhouse gases build up gradually, at any given moment it's easier to do nothing. The second is the perception, nurtured by a careful disinformation campaign, that there's still a lot of uncertainty about whether man-made global warming is a serious problem. The third is the belief, again fostered by disinformation, that trying to curb global warming would have devastating economic effects. I'd add a fourth reason, which I'll talk about in a minute. But first, let's notice that Mr. Gore couldn't have asked for a better illustration of disinformation campaigns than the reaction of energ...

Thanks for your good wishes. This job is going to work out well, I can see that. Having worked at corporate law firms for 16 years, I know how to read them. This is definitely a good firm. I really lucked out. * * * * Globe and Mail columnist Jeffrey Simpson agrees with us about Harper and the supposed liberal media bias. He surveys the media landscape, and the PM comes up looking "brittle and imperious". Conservative leaders, some of whom become prime ministers , share one belief: that the national media, especially in Ottawa, are hostile to them personally and their party. Joe Clark always believed that Ottawa journalists had it in for him, in contrast to how they flipped over Pierre Trudeau. Brian Mulroney was fixated by the media, and how he felt Ottawa journalists unfairly trashed his government. Check out the Peter Newman tapes. They are full of Mr. Mulroney's grousing about journalists. Now comes Stephen Harper, manifesting the same reflexes. "Unfortunately,...

I start my new job today. Weird to start a job on Friday, eh? But my work week will be Friday, Sunday and Monday. I'll be working at the same law firm where I was temping, but with better hours (longer hours, but fewer days per week) and better pay. I'm a little nervous, although I know everything will be fine. I may or may not have time to blog later in the day. We shall see.

And you don't like me anyway, so you can all just go away! PM to shun Ottawa journalists Stephen Harper says journalists on Parliament Hill are biased against his government so he'll be avoiding them. The Prime Minister says the parliamentary press gallery seems to have decided to become the opposition to his Conservative government. He told A-Channel in London, Ont., yesterday that he is having problems with reporters that a Liberal leader would never face. So he says he will take his message out on the road to less hostile local media. "Unfortunately, the press gallery has taken the view they are going to be the opposition to the government," Harper told the TV station. "They don't ask questions at my press conferences now." On Tuesday, two dozen Ottawa reporters walked out on a Harper event when he refused to take their questions. Harper does not want to hold press conferences unless his staff choose which journalists ask questions from a list they co...

What is wrong with this man? Where does he come off? Alberta would pull out of the federal equalization program rather than see the other provinces benefit from its oil and natural gas resources, Premier Ralph Klein said. Klein said on Wednesday he's ready to fight with the eastern provinces to keep Alberta's resource revenues out of the equalization program, which sends federal money to poorer provinces so they can provide services such as health care. At a meeting next month, other premiers are expected to suggest that Alberta's oil revenues can be included in the calculations that determine how much cash each province gets from Ottawa. "This is political showdown," Klein said. "This is also a constitutional issue. Alberta has control and authorization and authority over its resources." Now, according to this CBC story, Klein actually can't do this and has no control over Alberta's equalization payments in the first place. But University of Al...

A few days ago , I recommended the June issue of Harper's magazine. Now I'm urging you to get to your favourite bookstore or library and read it as soon as you can. I've just finished Kevin Baker's lengthy piece "Stabbed In The Back: The Past and Future of A Right-Wing Myth," as brilliant and fascinating a US history lesson, and as stinging an indictment of current policies, as I've read anywhere. It's truly a tour de force. Baker has written a trilogy of historical novels about New York City . I haven't read the last one, Paradise Alley . Its subject is the same as that of my favourite New York City novel, Peter Quinn's Banished Children of Eve : the 1863 New York City draft riots. (On Baker's website, he recommends a visit to the Lower East Side tenement museum , which is where I first heard of Banished Children . Not a coincidence.) I'll read Paradise Alley eventually. Baker is also a baseball fan, a Yankees fan, a fan of New York...

Today I have a topic of great urgency and global importance, the kind guaranteed to draw a wide cross-section of passionate opinions. Iced coffee. When we landed in Canada on August 30, 2005, little did I know that a smooth, cold, delicious iced coffee, ice cubes rattling in a plastic cup, my summer safety valve, my five-month-a-year addiction, would become an elusive quest. Where is iced coffee?? Not frozen cappuccinos, not "Coolattas" or "Icespressos" or Mochafrappuyaddayaddaccinos. Iced Coffee . For those not familiar with the species, here is The Recipe. 1. Brew coffee extra-strong to withstand melting ice. 2. Put coffee in refrigerator. 3. When needed, scoop generous amounts of ice into cup. 4. Pour cold coffee over ice. 5. Add milk and/or sugar if needed. (For me, a little milk, no sugar.) 6. Add straw. 7. Slurp down with great happiness. Last year I was shocked to find that this simple recipe was unobtainable from my local Second Cup. Tim Hortons was no bette...

This is disturbing. Canada's poor face 'emergency': UN Welfare benefits in most provinces have dropped in value in the past 10 years and often amount to less than half of basic living costs, a UN watchdog group charged yesterday. The employment insurance program needs to be more accessible, minimum wages don't meet basic needs, and homelessness and inadequate housing amount to a "national emergency," says the UN body's report from Geneva. The watchdog committee is formally called the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. It last examined Canada's performance in 1998, and sat for three weeks this month taking submissions on five countries including Monaco, Liechtenstein, Morocco and Mexico. Its sharp criticism of Canada on poverty issues echoes that voiced last week by a special Toronto task force of experts ranging from bankers to community advocates, particularly on questions of employment insurance and help for the working poor. On em...

Post-Peru, I first caught up on three weeks' worth of Pepys' Diary . I'm addicted, and determined to read this 17th Century blog from start to finish. Now I'm working my way through very good issues of Harper's and The Walrus , which is a kind of Canadian Harper's . I highly recommend the June issues of both these mags. In Harper's : - Kevin Baker, an excellent writer and historian, and my sometime email friend, explains the historical underpinnings of the right-wing's re-emergence in the US, post-FDR. It's fascinating reading: "Stabbed In The Back: The Past and Future of Right-Wing Myth" - Art Spiegelman responds to the Danish "cartoon war" with words and pictures. Enlightening, and sometimes stunning, as Spiegelman is. His "final solution" cartoon alone is worth the newsstand price. - David Samuels reports from Detroit: "The Blind Man and the Elephant - Stevie Wonder, the Rolling Stones, and thousands of overweig...

I found these two items at 360 Magazine , an excellent source for disability news. Item One: Mark Inglis, a 47-year-old New Zealand man, reached the summit of Mount Everest earlier this month. Inglis is missing both his legs below the knee; they were amputated after he suffered severe frostbite while trapped by storms climbing the highest peak in his native country. Item Two: I will copy directly from the source. What Would You Say to President Bush? Before a speech in South Florida encouraging Medicare recipients to sign up for the new prescription drug benefit, President Bush added another entry to his list of verbal miscues. According to the Associated Press, during the usual hit-and-run of handshakes and hugs, President Bush greeted a man in a wheelchair with, "You look mighty comfortable." After the groans subsided here at 360, we began asking each other how the wheeler should have responded. Keep in mind, you have probably no more than a couple of seconds of his attenti...

Jane Schwartz, a very talented writer and our very dear friend, has a moving piece in today's New York Times about Barbaro, the horse who broke down at this weekend's Preakness Stakes. Jane is the author of Ruffian: Burning From The Start , a riveting, heartbreaking, beautifully written book. (It was published, I may add, long before the general public ever heard of Seabiscuit.) Ruffian is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the world of horse racing, and about as moving a story as you can imagine. From today's story: At the medical center where Barbaro was being treated, people left signs for the colt, expressing their love for him. Perhaps the real miracle — the one that matters to all of us, whether we know it or not — is that so many of us are still capable of caring so much. Read it here. (And read Jane's book!)

Long-time readers will forgive me for yet another Howard Zinn -related post. This is the man who saved my sorry self from despair after the 2004 election. This is the man who teaches us to see America for what it really is. The person who reminds me where duty lies, and how to find hope. Shelly R. Fredman interviewed Zinn for Tikkun , the progressive Jewish magazine. An excerpt: [Tikkun editor Rabbi Michael] Lerner also claims that the parts of our cultural heritage that embody elements of hope are dismissed as naïve, with little to teach us. You must have had your own bouts with critics who see your vision as naïve. How do you address them? HZ: It's true that any talk of hope is dismissed as naive, but that's because we tend to look at the surface of things at any given time. And the surface almost always looks grim. The charge of naïvete also comes from a loss of historical perspective. History shows that what is considered naïve in one decade becomes reality in another. How ...

This holiday tomorrow, is it the kind of holiday where everything is closed, and everyone is having barbecues, drinking, and partying? Or is it the kind of holiday where all the stores are running sales and everyone is out shopping? Or something else entirely? Will my local LCBO be open? Non-Canadian readers, tomorrow is Victoria Day , known as May Two-Four. I was supposed to start my new job that day, but since it's a national holiday, I'll start on Friday, and take the holiday off. Unpaid, of course. I'm glad for it, though, as I have to begin work on several stories. On a related note, the expression "national holiday" seems to be US; Canadians use "statutory holiday". Same thing?

Last year, I asked for your help in placing an essay I wrote. It's a personal essay with political overtones, pegged to the anniversary of September 11th. I've tried and missed with all the biggest essay forums, and it's not a good fit for any of the alternative forums that I know about. Shortly before we moved, an editor at Macleans expressed interest (yay!), but she had already committed to a 9/11-related piece (boo!). I planned to try her again this year, for the 5th anniversary of September 11th. But in the intervening time, Macleans has had a big shake-up. The interested editor is no longer on the masthead, and the essay venue, "Over To You," no longer exists. (Very boo!) Story of my life. Story of freelancing. A friend of mine whose guilty pleasure is junky women's magazines suggested I try Oprah's magazine and the other big women's mags. She reads them regularly and says my essay would fit right in - and I'd love to get the wide readership...

Every year the New York Times publishes wrap-ups of various university commencement addresses around the country. There are always interesting choices, sometimes notable for their eloquence and ideas, sometimes for their blandness. The best commencement address I've heard personally was Garry Trudeau , creator of Doonesbury , who spoke when my brother graduated from dental school. I don't even remember the speaker at my own university graduation . I thought it was Vernon Jordan , but it turns out that was the previous year. I guess Sol Linowitz didn't make much of an impact on me. It was 24 years ago this week, by the way. This weekend, students at New York City's New School weren't very pleased with their university president's choice of speaker, and they protested loud and long. That same speaker, John McCain, positioning himself for another run at the White House, also spoke at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University, where he defended the war in Iraq. In ...

I just received email from my blog-friend Dr. Marco , a Peruvian doctor who's been in the US for several years, doing his specialist residency. (I believe that's what it's called.) A month from now, he graduates as a nephrologist, after an unbelievably long road of study. Marco helped us figure out our route in Peru (we love the internet!), and apparently followed our travels through wmtc. My only Peruvian reader that I know of, he gave me a tremendous compliment: "Reading about your trip was like going back to my country for a little while and experiencing it, something I do not do for almost 2 years." When Marco says he loves downtown Lima, I feel a real kinship with him, in my love for big cities. The guidebooks tell you downtown Lima is unsafe, overcrowded, chaotic, and dirty. It may be all those things, but it is also vibrant and alive, filled with unexpected treasures and flashes of beauty. When we went to Mexico, people told us not to bother with Mexico Cit...

Impeachment news round-up: Buy A T-Shirt and drink to impeachment. Buy a book and give a gift. Buy a copy of The Articles of Impeachment Against George W. Bush , by the Center for Constitutional Rights, for your US Congressperson and Melville House will pay the postage . In case you missed it, in the April issue of Rolling Stone magazine, historian Sean Wilentz wondered if Moron is The Worst President in History? . Author Andrew Bard Schmookler says the question has been answered . On the "why Moron may be unimpeachable" front, Matthew Rothschild of The Progressive reminds us that leading Democrat Nancy Pelosi is against it ! With an opposition party [cough, cough] like this, who needs Republicans? And, just for fun, we have: VoteToImpeach.org Veterans For Peace Case For Impeachment Law Professor Francis Boyle's Case For Impeachment Attorney, former Congressperson, and excellent feminist Elizabeth Holtzman's Case For Impeachment The ImpeachBush Online Petition An...

Everyone who gives me blogging tips is named Al[l]an. OK, I exaggerate. But Allan/Redsock and Alan With One L are often my sources for interesting topics. This from With One L: Self-proclaimed ADHD brings you Questions you should never ask about Canada . Go. Read. It's funny.

Everyone has been telling me to watch a clip from Stephen Colbert. I thought it would be from his show, not realizing we had missed the Correspondents Dinner. Thanks to everyone who sent the link or mentioned it. If you haven't seen it yet, set aside 24 minutes and watch it here .

Killing time while Allan was sick in Arequipa, I made a list of the countries and US states I've been in. (If I recall correctly, David Cho once did this on his blog. He had a map you could click on to colour in the states...?) I haven't been in many countries, although I've been in a few more than once: 11 . No, 12. I forgot Bermuda. The states was a tough one, because my family did a lot of US travel (mostly by car) when I was a kid, and I had to remember all the trips and all the routes. Total: 35. Then I could only remember 47 states! That may sound funny, but try to list all 50 off the top of your head, without looking at a map. It's not so easy! Finally there were 49 on the list... I could see the shape of that last one in my head, but just couldn't remember what it was. Poor Oklahoma. And I grew up hearing Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals , too! * * * * Using the link David supplied, here are my visited US states and visited countries.

From long-time friend of wmtc Crabbi : Steve Almond , a former professor at Boston College, quit his job after learning that Condoleezza Rice was invited to speak at graduation. In an open letter to the president of the college, Almond said: "I cannot, in good conscience, exhort my students to pursue truth and knowledge, then collect a paycheck from an institution that displays such flagrant disregard for both." Here's Almond's letter in the Boston Globe . I hope some Boston College students exercise their precious First Amendment rights at their graduation ceremony. Standing up with their backs to the speaker, giant banners, or over-ripe tomatoes would all be useful protest tools.

We filled out our first Canadian census last night! Even though the official deadline was May 16, it appears that ours will be accepted and we'll be counted. Canada takes a census every five years, twice as frequently as the US. It was the simplest of questionnaires. I was a little disappointed that it didn't ask about our country of origin. I suppose immigration statistics can come directly from the CIC. This is also the first Canadian census to ask specifically about same-sex relationships. Here's an interesting note from Statistics Canada about Question Six . The 2006 Census is the first Canadian census where same-sex married couples can indicate their relationship. The census thus continues to keep in step with societal and legal realities. Results of the 2006 Census will be used to provide Canadian citizens and institutions with accurate data needed for decision making. Statistics Canada 's goal is to provide the most accurate count possible of opposite-sex and sam...

Canadians love to deride Americans' lack of knowledge of the world outside their borders, and much of that ridicule is duly earned. Many Canadians, however, know less about the US than they think they do. Maybe it's impossible to really know a place you haven't lived in. Maybe news sources, including blogs, are so biased that real knowledge is all but impossible. I don't know. Many progressive Canadians are worried about Stephen Harper emulating W, about Canada "becoming the United States". According to this strain of thought, same-sex marriage will soon be abandoned, a vote on abortion rights is imminent, and the health care system is teetering on the brink of a complete, two-tier makeover. Stephen Harper is supposedly going to return with a powerful majority, and after that, Canada is the 51st state. Fear of being swallowed up by the US, and a parallel desire to become more like it, are dual strains of Canadian thought and history. I'm sure some of what ...

Alan With One L emailed me this story about a mummy recently found in Peru . (My mom also cut out a hard copy. She reads this blog, but still hasn't gotten that emailing-an-article thing down.) A mummy of mystery has come to light in Peru. She was a woman who died some 1,600 years ago in the heyday of the Moche culture, well before the rise of the Incas. Her imposing tomb suggests someone of high status. Her desiccated remains are covered with red pigment and bear tattoos of patterns and mythological figures. But the most striking aspect of the discovery, archaeologists said yesterday, is not the offerings of gold and semiprecious stones, or the elaborate wrapping of her body in fine textiles, but the other grave goods. She was surrounded by weaving materials and needles, befitting a woman, and 2 ceremonial war clubs and 28 spear throwers - sticks that propel spears with far greater force - items never found before in the burial of a woman of the Moche (pronounced MOH-chay). Was sh...

Wanna here something incredibly cool? Friend of wmtc Granny just welcomed her tenth grandchild into the world. She also has three great-grandchildren. That's a lot of life.* Welcome to the planet, Jonathan Steven Anthony Clark ! * This post should not be construed as valuing Granny based on her procreative output. That's only a portion of what she has given to the world.

Every day I hear from more Americans who are making the move northwards. Moving to Vancouver is the story of West End Bound and drf, currently in Florida. (Guys, link to me, eh?!) Jo Davenport put her immigration experience into a book - something I'm also planning to do. You can see it here. In a few weeks, Jo will be a dual citizen! And I'm not sure I ever mentioned Diamond Jim , who moves to Toronto (from New York!) just in time for our party!

Ahhh, how wonderful to come home to Canada. I love it every time. The trip home was fine, just exhausting, especially for me, since I was up all night on the flight from Lima. Apparently everyone but me can sleep sitting up. I don't know how they do it (except for those lucky ducks lying down in business class), but everyone was snoring away except me. Clearing immigration and customs in JFK, we missed our flight to Buffalo, but JetBlue got us on the next one, only 90 minutes later. That gave us time for breakfast and some badly-needed freshening up. When the US immigration official at JFK welcomed us back to the US, Allan and I smiled knowingly at each other, since we were planning to be there only for a few hours, and we weren't quite home yet. Port Credit looks so beautiful. Everything is green and blooming, the birds are singing in full throat, and our backyard is full of wildflowers. Some people call them weeds, but weeds, like beauty, are in the eye of the beholder, and I...

We´re back in the hotel for one hour before leaving for the airport. I´ll try to bang out a post about our last day. We spent the morning in El Museo de la Nacion , a natural history museum that gives an overview of the ancient Peruvian cultures, from the first civilizations through the Incas. There´s an emphasis on ceramics (since much of our knowledge of these peoples comes through their pottery), along with some good reproductions of their buildings and temples. There was a school group there, eager 4th graders, and their teacher´s talk was just about on my level of comprehension. It was a nice place, well designed and thought out, but the real treat was unrelated to the museum, and unexpected. In an alcove to the side of one of the exhibits, a young man sat in a room full of a kind of handicraft we have not seen anywhere else. He gave us a beautiful description (in Spanish, dumbed down for me, I believe) of how they are made and what they mean. They are gourds, meticulously engrave...

Here´s something I forgot to note about Arturo, our Sipan guide. He repeatedly referred to the Moche people as his ancestors, and to his pride in their accomplishments. I thought this was really cool. I remember a guide at Newgrange, a Neolithic passage tomb site in Ireland, speaking with obvious pride that her ancestors had built it. That´s a little more of a stretch, for various reasons, but I still love the idea. Arturo told us some people have criticized him for not speaking Quechua, since he is Mestizo, and Quecha acknowledges and honours Indian heritage. But, he says, my people are from the north, they didn´t speak Quechua. The Incans spoke Quechua, but the Moche, older than the Incas, did not. * * * * We were both tired last night, and after discovering that our room had cable TV, we set off in search of a bottle of wine and snacks. Down the street, for the first time on this trip, we found a North American- style supermarket. The only food stores we´ve seen are little tiendas ...

Oops, almost forgot! temperature: 23 C / 73 F elevation: 34 m / 112 ft Also, my apologies to Chiclayanos for yesterday´s misinformation. Chiclayo is not a colonial city, it is a Republican city, meaning it was founded when Peru was already an independent country. Peru´s independence from Spain dates to 1821; Chiclayo's Plaza de Armas was built in 1916. * * * * Lucky us, at the very end of the trip and still seeing fascinating things. Today we took a tour of El Museo Tumbas Reales Sipan , the Museum of the Royal Tombs of Sipan. The royal Moche burial sites of Sipan were discovered only in 1987, after previously unknown pre-Columbian artefacts started turning up on the underground market. There´s a modern-day wild-west story that follows huaqeros (grave robbers) from Peru to Miami to Philadelphia, involving the FBI, some unusually honest Peruvian police, at least one murder, and tales of intrigue that landed on two National Geographic magazine covers. Fortunately for us, huaqeros ...

Adios , Huanchaco. You´ll live forever in my heart. After posting yesterday, we ran into Marco, strumming his guitar on the sea wall. How nice to see a familiar face! A restaurant on a side street had set up a big grill in front - right on the street. A very friendly waiter was showing off fresh fish and seafood to customers. We took a plastic table on the sidewalk, and watched our squid and langostinos sizzle before our eyes. Add a few papas fritas on the side, a carafe of cold wine, and that´s as good a dinner as I could ask for. Nick, our dog-away-from-dog, was waiting for us at the hotel. We had some socks drying on our patio, and he ran off with one. What a sweet little devil this dog is. He makes me want a young German Shepherd again. This morning after breakfast, we tipped all the wonderful Huanchaco staff and said our goodbyes, then took a taxi into Trujillo, and got our bus north to Chiclayo. (More loud movies on the bus, of course, competing with loud salsa from the driver.)...

After breakfast this morning, we caught a colectivo van into Trujillo, to buy our bus tickets for tomorrow´s trip to Chiclayo. This is not as easy as it might be, and proof of why using travel agents in the more heavily touristed cities is such a convenience. There are seven or eight different bus companies, and each operates from a different station. The guidebook was a big help, but even still, it was a process. A passenger on the van gave us directions when we got out, then I asked a newsstand vendor, who told me "tres cuadros" (three blocks). We walked three blocks, asked at another newsstand, were told another 3 blocks, asked again... and in that manner, three blocks at a time, found our station. We purchased tickets (the ticket agent had to send a runner searching for change for a 10 soles bill!), but we also had to get the address of the bus´s departure, a different location than the bus station. Crazy. Then a cab to the Plaza de Armas, for a bank and an errand. Trujil...