3:15 Wake-up Call

Maybe it was just that I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. Or I wasn't ready to accept the responsibility of growing up and settling into a job. Traveling back to Latin America seemed like the perfect way to buy some time. I had been to Latin America a few times already.  My first trip was to Mexico and lasted about a month.  My next was a year in planning,
and took me through eleven different countries. Three months in Mexico, three in Central America, and another three in South America. And rather than quenching my thirst for travel, I was just thirsty for more.

Sam and I hitchhiked through Oregon and California, then caught a train in Mexico...but this story really doesn't begin until we get to Guatemala. We rented a house by Lake Atitlan, sharing it with a couple from Pennsylvania. The house wasn't much - one big room with a dirt floor, a couple chairs and a table. You had to wind down dirt trails through jungle to find it. In the front yard there was a 40-foot avocado tree. A lot of travelers -vagabonds, really - lived near the lake. Living there was cheap and easy. The lake and mountains are gorgeous.

Having the misimpression that I could make some extra money teaching English, I went into Guatemala City. I rented a room at the Pension Mesa, a place I stayed each time I was in the city. A bed and three meals cost $1.50 a day. Meals were simple. Cereal and coffee for breakfast, watery soup, rolls, and an avocado for lunch, meat and potatoes or rice for dinner. Adequate. About half the rooms were taken by locals. The rooms held between two and eight people. No privacy or security. No running hot water. In fact, most of us waited until late in the day to shower so the water had a chance to warm up a bit by the sun.

I was lucky enough to get a room with only two beds. My roommate was gone all the first day, so I didn't even meet him till the next day.

On this particular evening, several of us had gathered together in the courtyard. A guy sat on a bench playing his guitar. Next to him sat his friend, juggling three balls. I sat on the floor with a sketchpad, drawing these two. I was mesmerized by the music and the magic of the night. It was one of those times when there was no past or future, but just the moment. One couple who I especially liked was planning to leave the next day. I was sad to see them go, and didn't want this night to end.

I finally crawled off to bed about two a.m. I had just fallen asleep when my roommate came in, mumbling about some drug deal that went bad. He had been down at the Dairy Queen, a hangout for drug dealers. I wasn't particularly sympathetic. I told him to be quiet and go to sleep. I fell back to sleep. But not for long.

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Now Available on DVD!
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Though you might have to find these in a used book store now, you may want to check out Tom Clancy's "Net Force" series novels - "Point of Impact" and "Cybernation". Written by Steve Perry, they feature a scrimshander named Bob Hergert. Just a coincidence?.....I don't think so.

Steve Perry, who commissioned pistol grips with Dirisha Zuri are featured on Page 1 in the Nudes section.

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If you are interested in commissioning work or purchasing a piece pictured here, please send e-mail to the address listed.

To get an idea how much a commissioned project might cost, calculate the number of square inches of scrimshaw. Then figure a price of $150 -$200 per square inch. This assumes the model or design is ready or available. Exceptions to this pricing include miniature knives, which must be estimated individually. Cost of ivory is separate. Those who would like a quality knife for a moderate cost might consider the David Boye Prophet Companion. Finished knives with scrimshaw typically run between $600 and $800. 

Micro-Scrimshaw
by Bob Hergert
12 Geer Circle
Port Orford, OR 97465
(541)-332-3010

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