INTRODUCTION

It's hard to pay attention to "fixation, dehydration , impregnation and curing" when the palm trees are swaying, the waves are lapping on the shore, and  the salsa beat is throbbing in the background. But that sums up what it is like to attend an ISP conference in Puerto Rico.

At the Pre-Conference Workshop conducted by Bob Henry, my first thought was about the excess airfreight charges he must  have paid to bring along all of the equipment that we unpacked for him. He brought EVERYTHING (except a freezer) to show the new kids on the block how to do the standard silicone procedure. The man is simply amazing! It's no wonder that the ISP awarded him a Distinguished Member Award.

When the general conference got started with a reception at the host hotel, we enjoyed Latin music and munchies and lots of tall tales about what we had done since departing St. Etienne two years ago. The usual horror stories about travel woes and new regulations about airport security were many. Beat Riederer claims that he never received his luggage while in San Juan - -- - but I am fully convinced  that  he  had  "7  identical shi rts and 7 identical pairs of trousers". Considering the heat and humidity , if it had been the same shirts and trousers, we would have made him sit by himself on the other side of the room. There were also some good stories about low-budget hotels and their door locking habits and lack of hot water. These are all of the things that make for good memories and can  be  greatly enlarged for the entertainment of the folks back home.

Good food was a real plus at this conference. The waters of the Atlantic produced lots of smiles and lip­ smacking at the lunches and especially the beachside banquet that was produced for us . Who can forget the "pyramids" of rice? The evening meal on the boardwalk was memorable because we were ideally located to look across the bay at the lights of downtown San Juan after the beautiful sunset. It was a clear night and  the temperature was exactly right.

Since many of the plastinators are experienced in the use of alcohol - - - both as a dehydrating agent and as a cure-all for travel ailments - - what could be better than a trip to a place that provides you  with  free alcohol? The Bacardi people were very generous to us on an outing to their distillery. I like the smell of molasses but I never dreamed that you could be overwhelmed by it.

. . .. ..... and then we went  to jail. A grand reception and dinner was on the program but we had no idea that it would be in the most famous lock-up  in  the Caribbean. The old jail of the city of San Juan was the site. The mayor's office and other officials  were  on hand to extend the hospitality of the city  and  island. Good food, good music and good libations. What more can you ask? The Bacardi bar was open again to us and was staffed by two of the island's most  comely ladies that one could hope for. It is amazing to see young men (and old ones too) get a glazed look in their eyes when they see a sight such as these ladies were. But the conference ladies had an  equal opportunity for ogling when the fine musicians appeared. Latin men have a worldwide reputation for their appeal to the ladies. But the real question is: How much energy did a certain young man from Chili expend dancing to the Latin rhythms with our conference hostess?

Cruise ships in the harbor, white beaches, picturesque forts and buildings from the distant history of the island, the fine people of Puerto Rico - - it goes on and on. It was a good conference and I hope that I have been able to give those of you that were not able to attend some of the flavor and ambience of our "plastinators  in paradise" conference. By: Tim Barnes, Our resident plastinator correspondent . .