Back From Trip

OK, back from Cancun ... it was a business trip ... really ... see, ``Simulation of materials properties using the tight-binding method'' ... That's me

Writing like Larry King is hard work ... Cancun is not Mexico ... it's not the US, either ... even though English language television comes from Detroit ... Washingtonians will be please to know that Bernie Smilovitz is alive, and well, though his hair may not be ... no sign of Harvey that I could see ... Anyway, Cancun is not Mexico ... at least not the hotel district part, which isn't even Cancun ... it's just a barrier island with hotels on the ocean side and restaurants on the lagoon side ... sort of like Ocean City, Maryland, with out the miniature golf, and with crocodiles included in the lagoon

Meeting is held in August 'cause it's cheaper that way .. hot most all the time, even on the beach, though winds kept you reasonably cool ... also if you got too thirsty any of the poolside hotel bars were willing to sell you a Corona for about $4.50 US ... maybe 50 pesos ... even with the heat and the week before many places start school, hotels were 80% full ... beaches not nearly as wild as some places in Europe ... only one topless swimmer, and she might have lost her top in the ocean ... only a few seagulls, which is really strange ... this place has McDonald's, isn't that a gull's basic lunch? ... Have no idea how they keep them down ... use Gil's for trap shooting? ... feed them to the crocs? ... Didn't ask

Let's see ... food good, somewhat expensive ... beach very nice ... friends when snorkeling down by the ClubMed ... must do that next time ... the water's clear enough that you can see the reefs from the plane as you come over the coast ... on flight back was on left side of plane, so missed the most impressive site ... last time I flew back, I got to look at almost the entire coast of Cuba ... miles and miles of undeveloped beaches ... when Castro goes, that island is going to open up wide ... will probably mean that Cancun's business goes down substantially

Next time will try to take family, if they're still young enough to want to hang with parents ... lots of things to see that aren't that much fun by oneself ... Mayan pyramids, jungle, etc. ... Won't be able to go for a couple of years, but would be fun.