PheonixRising
Regarding your PS.

Until about 3 months ago, I was living and cruising on my sailboat. About 4.5 years in Mexico and Central America. I never encounter a corrupt or impolite official and never went into a place of business that I was not made to feel welcome or where I received poor service. It did not appear that I was being singled out for special treatment because I was a rich (ha ha) American. It was the normal way of doing business. The only time I was hit up for a bribe was from the American company who was suppose to be fixing my radar and didn't want to honor my 2 year warrenty less than a year after I bought the unit. I could go on and on about the poor treatmet I have received at the hands of American Business. From not being able to get anyone to take my money in a store where the clerks, oh excuse me, "associates", were all playing grab ass and couldn't be bothered, to haveing to return defective merchandise 2 or 3 times before getting something that worked, but this is not the place.

Sorry to rant, but you hit a nerve ;)

PS I've IM'd Katherine. We'll see what happens.