Relaxing Times

From letter dated April 19, 1963

Our recent trip to Guatemala really was a delight. I had plenty of time while Bucher was business-ing to wander around the city, particularly the market. It was very restful and, best of all, Bucher had plenty of time free so that we could wander about together. It really has been years since the two of us have had anything approaching a pleasure trip off by ourselves, so this was wonderful.

Friends had directed us to a particularly delightful little tiny restaurant that served Spanish-from-Spain food. “Don Pepe’s Hostería” was only a couple of block from the hotel so we went there several times. Don Pepe himself was delightful…in and out of the kitchen in a huge apron…friendly and businesslike. He spoke no English and Bucher speaks only a fragmented Spanish, so I had to be the interpreter. We found that he uses Bucher’s lobster and fish fillets, which made us old friends instantly. His food was divine and the atmosphere pleasantly homey. We loved it.

I went there by myself for lunch the last day. They wouldn’t let me sit in the little room with the bar, which apparently is not the thing for an unescorted lady, though they were very subtle about it. Don Pepe came in to see me and told me what he wanted me to eat. Both waiters managed to spend most of my meal talking to me since I was the only one in the “big” dining room (5 tables). Furthermore, I got one of the waiters to interpret everything in the menu for me. I could read the main ingredient, but wasn’t familiar with the style of preparation so hadn’t a clue of what it might be.

My Spanish is getting quite workable, particularly in a situation where the other person knows no English, and we muddled through nicely. So next time I go there, I’ll know what I want…and what to expect when it comes.

 

In the meantime, Bucher’s been back to Guatemala again. He went over on Wednesday and is coming in this afternoon (Friday). All this dashing back and forth has been in connection with his becoming the Texaco agent here. He went to sign contracts for that agency and also for the hire-purchase lease from Texaco of a fuel barge to transport fuel.

He’s been working on this deal for several months. It all hinged on getting a contract between Hercules Powder Company and Texaco for all the fuel used in the Hercules naval-stores plant in Mango Creek. That contract came through recently, plus another contract from a subsidiary for an even larger annual amount of fuel…so we’re in business. This all is being set up in a separate company, but until the new company can get hold of a good little tug, it will have to tow the barge using boats it hires from the existing company, Baymen Fisheries.

The new company is Scott Towing and Shipping, though Bucher is only part owner. Through the years he has avoided using his own name in any company. He said he tossed out another name he had thought up, Sea Services, Ltd., but his associates obviously were unimpressed. Just as they were setting out by boat one day, he heard that they needed a name for the new company so that it could be registered. One of the men suggested Scott Towing and Shipping…and then took off to sea…so Bucher shrugged and used that name.

The fish business is running along fairly smoothly now, with the majority of the developmental kinks worked out, so Bucher is delighted to have a new operation starting up.

 

We had a lovely Easter weekend. Bucher took all of us off on the Beliceña for the weekend. We invited Muriel and Don Stauffer along. They’re Americans, our age; he’s head of Hercules here. The boat is rough, but has six nice foam-mattressed bunks plus plenty of space and we had a grand time.

We left Friday morning, cruised north and anchored at the end of Caye Chapel, one of the uninhabited cayes. The beach is sandy there and the island so narrow that you can see clearly through the coconut palms to the sea and the reef on the other side. We towed our big open outboard and had a light aluminum skiff on deck, so we had two boats with which to get back and forth to shore.

It was very restful…swimming, a little bridge, an occasional nap, a bit of reading, dinner over charcoal on the beach.

On Sunday, Alex went down to St. George’s Caye and picked up the Tattersfield family, our very close friends, and brought them all up to spend the day with us. The children had fun together. When the T-fields left, they took Carli to the Caye with them and Alex brought Tony back to finish the weekend with us on the boat.

We went home the middle of the day Monday (a holiday). We all had had a wonderful time. The Stauffers are delightful, easy company and, aside from lugging home about half of what Muriel and I were sure we needed to take along to eat, everything was perfect.