Anecdotes, Antidotes, and Anodes

The Polaris Project & O.A.T.H. Coalition

The previous few posts have concerned the tragedy of human trafficking, mostly on the Ivory Coast of Africa with young children being used to harvest cocoa beans. They are not fed nutritious meals, given the opportunity to go to school, and usually not even paid !  Not to mention they are beaten if they work too slowly.

The number of e-mails I've received and some of the comments on Facebook have certainly been a motivation for me to continue my own research into the products that I buy.  Hopefully, it has sparked your curiosity so that you also delve into this information.

For instance,  toilet paper !

The Better World Shopper (link)

Products are listed on the left side bar.

Now, I'm interested in finding out why "Quilted Northern" received an "F."

Another 'a-ha' moment for me what this :

LIST of NESTLE PRODUCTS

Wow !  Who knew ?  Did you look  at this list ?  I  almost blew Perrier out my nose when I saw it listed here !  Well, shucks.  I'll be looking for a different water on my next trip to the grocery store and it won't be San Pelligrino . . . Nestle owns that one, too.

NESTLE      (This is an interesting article.)

Speaking of Wow . . . and Who knew ? Wrap your head around this one:

L'Oréal is a listed company, but the founder's daughter Liliane Bettencourt and the Swiss food company Nestlé each control over a quarter of the shares and voting rights.

And all that above isn't even the post for today.

This is:

Whether it is trafficking for child labor in harvesting cocoa beans or trafficking for sex, it seems to be a subject that many believe only happens in other countries.

That the trafficking in children for sex was once thought to be a problem beyond America's borders. But the FBI and the Justice Department have now started focusing intently on the issue--and what they've found is shocking.  Thousands of young girls and boys are falling victim to violent pimps, who move them from state to state, which makes it a federal matter. The younger they are, the more they're worth on the street.

Trafficking is not smuggling. There are several important differences between trafficking and smuggling.  Trafficking need not entail the physical movement of a person (but must entail the exploitation of the person for labor or commercial sex).

In 2009 the State Department reported that the United States is now the #1 destination for child sex trafficking in the world.

America’s underground sex trade is considered a $3 billion industry.

 

For information about human trafficking in America, use the link below.

THE POLARIS PROJECT 

 

 

For information about human trafficking in Oklahoma, use the link below:

OATH COALITION 

OATH - Oklahomans Against Trafficking Humans

Oklahoma City, OK

Statewide Hotline: 800-995-0128

Oklahoma City Office: 918-855-1764

Claremore Office: 918-341-8344

SHE SURVIVED HUMAN TRAFFICKING  (Fox 23 News as reported by Abbie Alford)

The Dark Side of Chocolate

Today's post will be about EATING !

Eating CHOCOLATE, to be exact.

When you enjoy a luscious piece of chocolate,  do you ever wonder where it came from ?  How it ended up on the shelf ?

Here is an exerpt from the article, "A Taste of Slavery: How Your Chocolate May be Tainted" won a George Polk Award.

There are about 600,000 cocoa farms in Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)   (Child Labor Coalition). Estimates of the number of children forced to work as slaves on these farms are as high as 15,000 (Save the Children Canada). In addition to the very illegality of trafficking and hiring children workers, the implicated cocoa farmers subject the children to inhuman living conditions. Besides overworking them, the farmers do not pay the children nor feed them properly-often times they are allowed to eat corn paste as their only meal. The denigration also includes locking the children up at night to prevent escape. Although it is only one of many occurrences of bonded labor, Aly Diabate's experience on a cocoa farm still illustrates how this torture strips away the dignity of children.

Aly Diabate, who is from Mali, was eleven years old when he was lured in Mali by a slave trader to go work on an Ivorian farm. The locateur told him that not only would he receive a bicycle, but he could also help his parents with the $150 he would earn. However life on the cocoa farm of "Le Gros" (or "Big Man") was nothing like Aly had imagined. He and the other workers had to work from six in the morning to about 6:30 at night on the cocoa fields. Since Aly was only about four feet tall, the bags of cocoa beans were taller than him. To be able to carry and transport the bags, other people would have to place the bags onto his head for him. Because the bags were so heavy, he had trouble carrying them and always fell down. The farmer would beat him until he stood back up and lifted the bag again. Aly was beaten the most because the farmer accused him of never working hard enough. The little boy still has the scars left from the bike chains and cocoa tree branches that Le Gros used. He and the other slaves were not fed well either. They had to subsist on a few burnt bananas(Chatterjee, "How your...").

Yet when nightfall came, Aly's torture did not end. He and eighteen other slave workers had to stay in their one room that measured 24-by-20 feet. The boys all slept on a wooden plank. There was but one small hole just big enough to let in some air. Aly and the others had to urinate in a can, because once they went into the room, they were not allowed to leave. To ensure this, Le Gros would lock the room (Chatterjee, "How your...").

Despite the horrendous conditions that he was living in, Aly was too afraid to escape. He had seen others who had attempted escapes, only to be brutally beaten after they got caught.

However one day, a boy from the farm successfully escaped and reported Le Gros to the authorities. They arrested the farmer and sent the boys back home. The police made Le Gros pay Aly $180 for the eighteen months he had worked. Now Aly is back with his parents in Mali, but the scars, both physical and psychological still remain. He admitted that after he first came back from the farm, he had nightmares about the beatings every night. Aly was fortunate that the authorities were alerted about the slavery that was present at Le Gros' farm, but many other children are not as lucky and are still being subjected to the beatings and overall dehumanization on these cocoa farms.

Exploitation like Aly's is able to exist because of the secretiveness of the abuse. The Ivorian farms are usually small and located in areas around which most people do not travel. In fact, many actors in the cocoa trade have never even visited these remote farms. Even if one were able to visit the farms, sometimes it is difficult to tell whether the children have been bought or are part of the family.

This link will take you to the entire site.

I invite you to read it and form your own opinion.

 

These links might list your favorite brand name.  What grade did it receive ?

There are over 75 rankings listed on the left side bar of THIS LINK  (rankings) so you can begin your own research about products that might be on your shopping list.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Boy collecting cocoa after beans have dried

The widespread use of children in cocoa production is controversial not only because of the usual concerns about child labor and exploitation, but also because up to 12,000 of the 200,000 children working  in Ivory Coast, the world's biggest producer  of cocoa. They may be victims of human trafficking or slavery.   Most attention on this subject has focused on West Africa, which collectively supplies 69% of the world's cocoa,  and Ivory Coast,  in particular, which supplies 35% of the world's cocoa.  Thirty percent of children under age 15 in sub-Saharan Africa are child laborers,  mostly in agricultural activities including cocoa farming.    It is estimated that more than 1.8 million children in West Africa are involved in growing cocoa.  The major chocolate producers such as Nestle buy cocoa at commodities exchanges where Ivorian cocoa is mixed with other cocoa.

If you've not watched the documentary, The Dark Side of Chocolate,  take 45 minutes to follow the hidden camera of Miki Mistrati and U. Roberto Romano.  The next time you buy a piece of chocolate, you might be reminded of these childrens' faces.

THIS LINK will take you to more information about what you can do to help stop these practices. 

The Better World Shopper iPhone app is available for purchase through the App Store button on your iPhone. Once you tap on the App Store, tap the Search option and typein "better world shopper."

 

Norman North Students Join in the Fight Against Human Trafficking

 

Today's post will be the first in a series concerning the ever-present tragedy of human trafficking.

Before we get to that topic, please let me introduce my cousins, Lucy and Rosemary Mahaffey:

Lucy and Rosemary

Dad, Lucy, Rosemary, Mom . . .

 

 

February 25, 2012

By Caitlin Schudalla

 

NORMAN, OK — Most people can recall an instance in which they first became aware of a statistic or fact about modern human rights violations. It likely inspired sadness, anger or despondent indifference, though, for a precious few, it might have inspired action.

Twin sisters Lucy and Rosemary Mahaffey, both seniors at Norman North High School, are among those few, and together they founded a school club called Helping Oklahomans Prevent Exploitation, which is dedicated to raising awareness about human trafficking in the United States and garnering support in the fight to end it.

“We started the organization three years ago, as sophomores, but we had been aware of the existence of human trafficking for about five or six years,” Lucy Mahaffey said.

Forced labor and prostitution have been a part of human existence since the dawn of civilization, but very few people are aware of this thriving underground trade in today’s world, much less in the modern United States.

Perhaps most shocking of all is the state department’s listing Oklahoma as one of the nation’s top four states with a large human trafficking market in 2003. The market is dominated by child sex trafficking both in Oklahoma and the U.S. as a whole.

Both students first found out about the problem when they watched the bonus features of the 2006 film “Amazing Grace,” directed by Michael Apted, which dramatizes the abolishment of the slave trade in the British Empire.

“In school we were taught slavery ended in Europe and the U.S. in the 1800s. When I saw the DVD’s feature on modern slavery, my jaw dropped; I was freaked out,” Lucy Mahaffey said.

Following the references listed in the DVD, Lucy Mahaffey researched forced modern labor and prostitution and said she was horrified to discover its international presence and magnitude.

“We watched ‘Amazing Grace’ as a family, but Lucy really drew our family and me into the feature about modern slavery,” Rosemary Mahaffey said.

For both sisters, the driving factors for launching H.O.P.E. was the young age of victims of sex trafficking and the trafficking market’s existence in their home state.

“I’m 17; most of the girls are 12. They’re in the same age range as me and my sister, which really brings it home,” Lucy Mahaffey said.

Her sister agreed, saying “It could be any of our friends, it could be anyone around me. A lot of human trafficking happens in places that are geographically helpful, and Oklahoma is one of those because it’s central and has a lot of highways which intersect.”

In spite of an initial reception which was less than enthusiastic, Lucy and Rosemary Mahaffey, the club’s president and vice president, respectively, collaborated to begin H.O.P.E., which currently has between 20 and 40 active members and approximately 90 members on Facebook.

Because human trafficking is largely unknown, H.O.P.E.’s main goal is to raise awareness in a way which high school students will find “tangible,” according to Lucy Mahaffey.

“As a whole, my high school has about 2,700 kids, which is about 15 to 20,000 victims of slavery per student. We give students these numbers so they know how big it is, but we try to keep the focus on how they can help end it,” Lucy Mahaffey said.

In the fight against trafficking, H.O.P.E. promotes the buying of fair trade products (as indicated by the label), especially cocoa, sugar and coffee, whose producers have been widely accused of exploiting laborers.

The club has also conducted fundraisers through the high school and the Norman community, with activities like fair trade chocolate sales for Valentine’s Day, T-shirt sales and club sponsorship nights at area restaurants, including Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler, Classic 50’s Drive-In and Interurban.

Through the sisters’ hard work, the club’s fundraising and community awareness events have been so successful as to gain statewide renown earlier this month, when Lucy Mahaffey was one of four “Distinguished Finalists” in the Oklahoma Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

In the future, both sisters plan to study music in college and hope to continue and expand their work in serving victims of human trafficking by translating their shared passions into therapy and rehabilitation.

“My dream is to open a shelter for underaged victims of forced prostitution in Oklahoma. There’s a shelter currently operating in Oklahoma City, but it only has eight to 10 beds, and there are hundreds of active cases right now,” Lucy said. “Rehabilitation is a huge part of this need because the process takes about three years, and, because of limited resources, there’s a high attrition rate.”

Overall, the sisters’ and H.O.P.E,’s message is one of empowerment and responsibility.

“The best thing any community member can do is be aware and get educated, and try to make others aware so they can report or prevent it,” Rosemary Mahaffey said.

“I always tell people, if you can eat, shop or talk, you can end modern slavery,” Lucy Mahaffey said.

Caitlin Schudalla 366-3541 cschudalla@normantranscript.com

The Norman Transcript

 

Let's start here:

  FREE the SLAVES  (USA)

FREE the SLAVES (Home Page)

Until the next post, I will leave you with this . . .

Have you ever eaten a Nestle Crunch Bar ? 

If so, check out this link.  

Can one person make a difference ?

Are YOU that person ?

If you are a consumer, the knowledge that can be gained at the links provided here could make that difference.

The Better World Shopper Home Page 

(left side bar:  the rankings to find categories)

The Better World Shopper  iPhone app is available for purchase through the App Store button on your iPhone. Once you tap on the App Store, tap the Search option and typein "better world shopper."

The Scientific Baking Experiment

 This past weekend, I had the opportunity to keep the two Oklahoma Grandkids ALL BY MYSELF.

Moral of this story sentence:  It takes a lot of energy to keep up with a six-year-old and a two-year-old !

Little Miss P wanted to 'experiment' with baking and Baby Dub Ya wanted to 'halp.'

We decided it would be much easier to 'experiment' when baby brother took his nap.

Always ready for that 'teachable moment,' this post has been created around the scientific method, in a round-about-way.  Any scientist would probably find many  flaws in it, but at least a few of the vocabulary words were thrown around just for fun.

The scientific method is a process for experimentation that is used to explore observations and answer questions.

Scientists use the scientific method to search for cause and effect relationships in nature. In other words, they design an experiment so that changes to one item cause something else to vary in a predictable way.

The scientific method helps to:

focus a project question,

construct a hypothesis,

design, execute, and evaluate an experiment:

 1. Ask a question

2. Do background research

3. Construct hypothesis

4. Test with experiment

5. Analyze results -Draw Conclusion

6. Hypothesis is true - false - partially true

7. Report results

After Little Miss P asked if we could experiment with baking, we decided to narrow it down to cupcakes. She wanted to add different kinds of ingredients to see if the cupcakes would taste good.

She made a list of all the different ingredients we had in the pantry and then decided on a combination of twelve. Then she lined them all up on the counter top.

We followed the directions on the cake mix box and greased the bottom of the Pampered Chef cupcake pan with buttery-Crisco.

This reminds me of the time when her mommy was about the same age and wanted to bake brownies.  She also buttered the bottom of the pan . . . literally, she buttered THE BOTTOM of the pan.

The next step was to 'dust' the pan with flour. 

This reminds me of the time I tried to make gravy and used powdered sugar.  It was nice to see that the canisters have now been labeled. 

There are other stories about my gravy, but we'll save that for another post.

It takes a lot of concentration to spoon the flour into each little compartment,

but . . .

we were able to 'dust' the pan without breaking it.

Now that the pan has been prepared, it was time to make the batter.

 

We carefully measured and poured one cup plus two tablespoons of water into the mix.

Then we stirred and stirred with a whisk.

The next step was to break the eggs.

As evidenced by the look on her face, this was not something she wanted to do.

So, she insisted that I do it for her.

It took quite a bit of coaxing to convince her that all scientists/bakers crack their own eggs.

Finally, she whacked it on the side of the counter and dropped it into a separate bowl.

It's much easier to dig out egg shells from a separate bowl than when they end up in the batter.

Yup !  This recipe calls for TWO eggs !

Not sure I can spell all the words she squealed as she broke the shell, but a few of them were:
EE-YEWWWW!
UUUUGGGHHH!
Grrrrooooossss !
Yuk!
EEEKKKK !
and on and on !

She did manage to break both eggs but refused to dig out the egg shells that ended up in the bowl.

The next step was to beat the eggs . . .until they screamed.

This reminds me of when her mother, not many years ago, made homemade ice cream and did NOT beat the eggs until they screamed. 

Ever eaten homemade banilla ice cream with WHOLE frozen eggs ?

And then, they were poured into the batter.

We couldn't find the mixer, so we stirred and stirred and stirred until . . .

. . . the batter looked like this.

Are we having fun yet ?

After we put half the batter in the cupcake pan, it was time for the experimental ingredients.

Since there was plenty of Valentine's Day candy . . .

. . . two of the ingredients would be candy kisses and turtles.

Quality control was conducted on the turtle.

Once we discovered that some of the orange Jelly Bellies were mango, we discarded them.

Little Miss P is allergic to mango !

The scientist/baker determined that our cupcake experiment required Nerds.

Have I asked if we're having fun yet ?

Another ingredient was buttercream icing.

It was a bit reluctant to come off the spoon.

Maybe we might need to just lick it off the spoon !

 

All our special ingredients have been added.

We even made a chart of what those ingredients were.

What do you think your favorite might be ?

And yes, those ingredients on the bottom row are Girl Scout Cookies.
Should you need a box, just let us know in the comment section.
They are only $4.00 a box.

Her goal is to sell 400 boxes.
She has sold 390.
Somebody out there must need a couple of boxes  !!!!!

We added more batter to cover up the special ingredients in the middles.

Our cupcakes were ready for the oven.

We baked them at 350 degrees for about twenty-five minutes.

And they looked like this.

Then, we wondered if they would come out of the pan.

They did !

That buttery-Crisco and flour trick really does work.

Which reminds me of this quote from "The Help" . . .

"Crisco ain't just for frying. You ever get a sticky something stuck in your hair, like gum?...That's right, Crisco. Spread this on a baby's bottom, you won't even know what diaper rash is...shoot, I seen ladies rub it under they eyes and on they husband's scaly feet...Clean the goo from a price tag, take the squeak out a door hinge. Lights get cut off, stick a wick in it and burn it like a candle....And after all that, it'll still fry your chicken.”                       --Kathryn Stockett

This one was still warm, right out of the oven.

Now, for the taste-testing.

First Dad !

Then, Mom !

Baby Dub Ya refused to try a 'tuptake' at the time, but he was all smiles anyway.

Just for the record, there is a reason that he calls a tennis racket, "A Whack."

And, then, of course, Little Miss P.

 

 1. Ask a question: Will adding different kinds of ingredients make a yellow cupcake taste better ?

2. Do background research:  Our only research was to look in the pantry to see what was there that we could add to our yellow cupcake batter.

3. Construct hypothesis:    Yellow cupcakes with the ingredients shown above will taste better.

4. Test with experiment: Eat them with a glass of cold milk.

5. Analyze results -Draw Conclusion
The cupcakes with the Girl Scout Cookes were a bit dry.  Next time, we will add a little bit of oil t0 those, but they tasted great.
The cupcakes with the buttercream frosting were a bit runny but they tasted great.
The cupcake with the Rolo was Little Miss P's favorite.
The cupcake with the turtle was Gammy's favorite.    

6. Hypothesis is true - false - partially true:  Our hypothesis is partially true.

7. Report results:  Little Miss P had a wonderful time.  Gammy probably gained a pound or two.

***************************************

On a serious note, here are two links that my cousin, Lucy, sent to me.
You might be interested in reading them.
They might change your shopping habits.
If enough people change their shopping habits, it could change the World !

The Better World Shopper

The Slavery Footprint

Weekend Observations with the Grandkiddos !

This was my very first experience taking care of BOTH Oklahoma grandkids for the entire weekend, entirely by myself.  Did I mention the word entire ?

During the sixty-eight hours their mom and dad were gone, several things have been duly noted:

1) A twenty-five-month old little boy does not stay still. (When he's quiet, you better find him, quickly.)

2) A six-year-old little girl talks all the time.

3) Giving a cup to two-year-old while he is taking a bath is not a good idea.

4) He either drinks it or pours it over the side of the tub.

5) Repeat #4

6) Reasoning with a six-year-old little girl is easier than with a two-year-old little boy.

7) Even though most of the grandkids call me Gammy, the two-year-old calls me MiMi.

8)  I love that!

9) There is a learning curve with the language of a two-year-old.

10)  For instance: 
    a) I nok
    b) Tanks
    c) Peeze
    d) Doe-Doe
    e) Wee-Won

11)  Many things are very, clearly said.

12) For instance:
    a) MiMi, wait !
     b) MiMi, wear-are-you ?
     c) I twy, I happy, I fall, I mess, I wide, I run, I turn, I sar-wee, I see it, I do it, I dump (as he bounces up & down), etc.
     d) MiMi !  Halp !  I tuck.

13) The security alarm is very loud at this house. 
        It's important to know the code-word when Guardian calls.

14) Even though Waylon is a sweet dog, I would never have a Jack Russell Terrorist.

15) A two-year-old can stick his fingers up your nose all the way to the sinus cavity.

16) Conversation with Little Miss P:
Me:  I've laid my glasses down somewhere. If you see them, will you tell me ?
LMP:  It's not my job to keep up with your stuff.
Me:  **mouth gaping**  I'm not asking you to keep up with them.
LMP: Well, YOU should keep up with them.
Me: Well, if you want to bake cupcakes, I'll need my glasses to see the directions.

Ya think she's heard this before ?

16) Toes are not always what they might seem .  
       (Hint:  This word heard while changing diaper.)

17) When lying down by two-year-old, wear a helmet with face guard. (And nose plugs.)

18) Always pick up small toys off the floor before bedtime unless you want puncture wounds in the bottom of your feet.

19) Or, don't walk through a dark house barefooted.

20) The Mickey Mouse dance song, "Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggety Dog" has been stuck in my head for days now. 

21) Hope that Mommy and Daddy plan another out-of-town-trip . . . and I have the opportunity to baby sit them again.

There are so, so many more, but this one for sure:

22) The handprints that are on the windows and doors will soon be 'windexed' away, but the handprints the two of them have left on my heart will be there forever !

The highlight of our weekend was when Leenie and Dexie came to visit !

 

Iguana Safari . . . Upcoming

For fun, I have promised a grandkid or two an "I Spy" activity.

But, because I've had a change of plans and will be traveling again, here's just a teaser.

During my teaching days, these were called figure-ground activities. 

Howard Gardner classifies it as Visual-Spatial activity.

When we were driving, we called it "I Spy" or "See It."

No matter what you choose to call it, everyone will probably agree it's fun !

Look at the first photo and locate the Iguana.

If you can't find it, the next photo will be zoomed in a little closer so that the Iguana is easier to find.

BUT !

Do not give up too quickly and scroll to the next photo until you've spent a while looking for the Iguana in the first photos.

This is a fairly easy one.

Ready !

Set !

Go !

1)

2)

3)

4)

Now . . .

Look at the word:  I G U A N A

Close your eyes and spell:  Iguana

What would you like to name this guy ?

Have your mommies or daddies post your ideas on the comment page.

Even grown-ups can name-the-iguana !

As soon as time permits, there will be about TWENTY of these posted.

Have fun !

Meet My New Best Friend, Raptor !

One never knows what one might find on one's daily beach walk !

This is Raptor, a twelve-year-old Green Iguana.

Here is Wikipedia's take on Green Iguanas.  

Here is National Geographic's take on Green Iguanas.

This photo was taken by Marco Cossu. 

So, if you're ever on Akumal Beach, be sure to find him and Raptor.

Here is Marco's Facebook page with many, many beautiful photographs.

Randomness in Akumal, Mexico

Is randomness a word ?  If it isn't it should be.

Because randomness pretty well explains this post.  There is no rhyme or reason to the photographs below except that they were all taken with my camera.

Each photograph is numbered so that you can easily add a caption or two or seven  of your own.

Or, you can choose a favorite . . . or not.

Or, you can see if I can still count . . . or not.

And . . . somewhere down below, you will find me in a bikini ! 

1)

Bubbles on the Beach under a Blue, Blue Sky
Alliteration or Onomatopoeia ?

2)

Dog on Log     Bird on Rock

3)

Can anyone identify this bird ?

4)

What shipwreck were these cannons on ?

5)

What does Akumal mean in Mayan ?

6)

How many songs can you think of that have to do with a coconut ?

7)

What is your favorite recipe using coconut ?

8)

Anyone for . . .

9)

. . . fresh coconut 'milk?'

10)

Critter on the Beach

11)

Up Close and Personal

12)

Just messin' with your eyes . . .

13)

Flowers on the Beach

14)

Can you spell w-e-d-g-i-e ?

15)

 

There is never a dull moment with this man.

16)

Tree Art

17)

Do you see what I see ?

18)

Can you see him now ?

19)

How about NOW ?

20)

I've got a tiger an iguana by the tail . . .

21)

My favorite tree on the beach. . .

22)

Perfect spot to relax, that is if you can balance on a palm tree trunk

23)

Gynna as in Aynn 'AK,   Lionfish Hunter, Myrna Bush, LauraBush Wolfe, and David . . .
Don Pablo Bush

24)

Wonderful dinner at The Lol Ha Restaurant

25)

Full Moon on the Beach

26)

Me . . . in my itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini.

27)

Ocean Spray #1

28)

Ocean Spray #2

29)

Ocean Spray #3

30)

Super Bowl Night

31)

Palm Tree Big Screen

32)

Things that wash ashore . . .

33)

. . . that make you go "H-m-m-m-m !"

34)  AND . . .

FINALLY . . .

 

THE END ! 

(Sorry, I just couldn't help myself)

Gynn' AK

Lunch at Gynna's Restaurant is always pleasure !

One reason is that Gynna is always there.

Another reason is that the food is absolutely delicious !

 

Gynna dives for the Lionfish in the morning and then serves them up at lunch.

You can't get any fresher than that.

How many Lionfishdo you see ?

Before . . .

. . . and . . .

. . . AFTER !

Tequila, Lime, and Cilantro Lionfish Tacos !

Beer Battered Lionfish Tacos !

Ginger Lemonade

How do you spell Habenero ? 

H-O-T !

The view from one of the tables at Gynna's.

And, finally some information about the Lionfish.

So, if you're ever in Akumal, be sure to ask where Gynn 'AK is located ?

It is well worth spending part of your afternoon there !

You can find her on Facebook at THIS LINK.

And, at THIS LINK.

 

 

Akumal, Mexico...Tuesday, February 7, 2012

My day started with a hot cup of tea . . .

. . . here on the beach at Akumal .

My plan today is to post photos of the last couple days' activities.

Hope you will come back later today and join me for a relaxing time in Mexico.