Guadeloupe 1

Fish at least twice a day, and fruit, yes.

It's very hot, very humid, a drought in progress, yet all is green and blooming with aromatic flowers.

Fascinating people and events all day, every day.

And this beautiful beach almost out the door.If it wasn't for the mosquitos, it really could be perfect.

I have had my first encounters with that famous seductive French masculine charm. I never believed in it before, judging by the French men I've met previously. There are loads of men here at the conference who are high in the French ministry of culture.Good lordessa, if this nation spent only a fraction on the arts and culture that France spends on this tiny island alone, every year .... So much about cultural politics.

The most telling sign concerning our own status in the world, just economically, is that nobody here wants or will take our dollars. We can't change our money anywhere here, except at the airport. That is what the years of the regime have accomplished, people. Made U.S money worthless.

We've learned so much in these intense days of the conference. I've become ignorant in many languages, however. At first, Spanish was a relief, like English. But as of today I've hit that language wall. I can't even speak or write English. From past experience, this will go away, and I'll have another level of fluency.