Yes, I’ve finally arrived. The Yankees are putting me up in an apartment until the baseball campus reopens on Oct. 10. The weather is great, with high temperatures in the mid-80s, but humidity levels are about the same, so whenever I leave my air conditioned apartment, I start sweating profusely. I’m getting around ok with my limited amount of Spanish, but the people are very friendly and helpful. I haven’t yet had a chance to partake of the local cuisine, nor have I been to the beach, yet. So much to do.
I plan to tour the old colonial zone this weekend, a remnant of what was once one of the first settlements by Europeans in the New World. I got a glimpse of this area last night when Rex Moser, my immediate supervisor at the Cultural Affairs section of the embassy, invited me to a photographic exhibition at the French Embassy. It’s housed in a very old building, very beautiful and atmospheric. I hope to get some pictures of this area posted when I move to the baseball campus. I was told I’ll have a good internet connection in my apartment. The internet cafe I’m using now is very crowded and noisy, so I’ll look forward to having my own quiet space.
On another note, I’m not surprised to hear that a military coup has taken place in Thailand. It’s been coming for a while. I don’t think it will have much impact on the tourist business, one of Thailand’s chief money makers. I was relieved to see that it was a non-violent takeover, and I hope the military leaders keep their promise to return the country to civilian rule soon. More later.