Cartegena can be a tough area, too. It's been almost 10 years since I was there, but there were tons of armed soldiers throughout the city. I don't think we would have felt comfortable going out on a tour of our own. We loved going partially through the canal - my brother-in-law; however, said it was like watching paint dry, but if he wasn't gambling, he wasn't happy anyway. My husband and I thought it was fascinating to watch our ship be boarded by the canal pilot and escorted to the eastern (but really westernmost) entrance of the canal. Did you know that the eastern entrance is more west than the western entrance? We also had the opportunity to visit the San Blas islands, home of the Cuna Indians - it was quite an eye-opener to see the sea-level islands. Helene

My sis and BIL are on their way home from Cabo San Lucas as we speak. They flew out from Florida to an all-inclusive resort. They've traveled everywhere because she worked for an airline, but they say Cabo is the BEST. Your pictures are so pretty. Bet that was a great cruise!

Well, they came at lunch but did not take very much. They wanted to go to the garage first, and I gave them some plates and bowls that were overflow and do not fit into the kitchen or dining room. He took three dinner plates, three salad plates, and two dessert bowls plus two small mixing bowls. I also gave him some pans that were there, plus two 9x9" square glass Pyrex pans that I had forgotten I had. Since I never ever use those, they were just taking up space. I prefer to use my Corningware pans instead, since they have lids, and they are the same size except that they are a bit deeper, which is better. Before they left, I gave him some microfiber cloths, which Lee had introduced me to. I had bought a huge supply at Home Depot when they were on clearance sale and had more than I could easily store. I told him he needed them. They were supposed to take two quartz trivets that I got from the quartz mfg when I had my countertops installed, but they forgot to take them. Those are also just taking up space. I can take those to work to drop off, however. I was hoping they would take my Cuisinart ice cream machine, since I never use that any more, now that I have a compressor ice cream machine. I think they could have gotten everything they took at a thrift store, but I think perhaps they do not shop at thrift stores.

The worst cobblestones I've come across were at Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro. I fell flat on my face at one point tripping over a cobblestone, and I then went directly to a shoe shop to buy better sandals, which I still have. For Mexico, I prefer Oaxaca City (near lots of fabulous ruins), Guanajuato, San Cristóbal de las Casas, and Mérida. Oaxaca and Mérida have the best artisan markets in Mexico (outside of Mexico City), and a trip to Teotilán Del Valle, Oaxaca is worth it to see the weavers and their shops. If you are in Mexico City or Cuernavaca, a side trip to Tepoztlán is worth is for its market and the scenic beauty. I think the market there is only on week-ends. San Miguel de Allende is certainly a bit easier to get to from the U.S., but Mérida has direct flights and is close to many fabulous Mayan ruins, plus it is not far from Cancún, although I prefer to visit Cozumel for the beaches. Oaxaca City has direct flights to and from Los Angeles, and so it is easy to get to as well. For me, it is easier to get to Cabo San Lucas and San Miguel, but both are equally Americanized, which is a minus for me. I do not need to speak English in Mexico and don't even like to hear it there that much. I do have friends that own property in San Miguel, but I have not seen them in quite a few years. I've never traveled to Mexico without staying at least a week. According to Los Angeles Magazine, the best way to get to San Miguel from here is to fly to León, Guanajuato and then take a 90 minute taxi. I think I would rather rent a car in León and drive from there. That way I could also visit Guanajuato again. Thanks for sharing the photos.