Lazy Days

There are certain blessings that come along with an open schedule, and lazy days are one of them.

We slept in until 8:30 this morning, which is generally pretty late for us. We sipped on coffee and ate a breakfast of our farmers’ market bell pepper, eggs, and feta in a scramble with some potatoes and starfruit on the side. The rest of the morning was spent reading on the hammocks until the early afternoon, when we decided to head into town for a walk and to get another large jug of water. We’ve found that despite the humidity we are still drinking a lot of water each, which I can only attribute to the warm weather.

We read some more at a cafe on the edge of town while we drank an iced mocha and smoothie of chilled coconut milk & mango to fight the 90 degree afternoon heat. We walked around a bit and made our way to a small deli for pitas stuffed with fresh veggies and delicious sauces for a late lunch. There we struck up conversation with a British couple who are from Spain and traveling for a few months also. We parted ways and Jason and I eventually stopped for a small dish of ice cream.

We trekked home and found our hosts, Alex & Yanira, on the shared front porch. Alex immediately cut off the tops of a couple young coconuts [pipas] and we talked for a while about the best places to hike, the cost of traveling, and the different guests who stay at their place.

We left for a quick 20 minutes to take a dip at the black sand beach across the way before the sun went down. When we came back we settled in with our laptops and books while Alex’s family gathered for a dinner of fresh, just-caught-today fish and lobster at the table across the patio.

Before he sat down, Alex brought us a small plate of grilled tuna and fresh tomato salad with a cold beer. That’s the thing with people around here– especially Alex– they are just so darn nice. When we first arrived, Alex poured us shots of really good, chilled tequila that we took with fresh limes and course, pure sea salt. We are constantly showered with fresh coconuts to drink from, advice of places to see, or ideas of the best activities in this part of the Caribbean.

Everywhere we go people speak perfect English and applaud us when we try out our Spanish and succeed. When we run into someone we spoke to the other day or the neighbors staying behind us, we stop and chat. And everyone is happy to do so. The slow pace of life and the brightness of the sun allow the happiness of this place to shine.

As any other town, there are misfits and eccentrics, but everyone mingles together to create the flow of a wonderful community. I like that, and I’m happy we’ll be sticking around for a while.

Sep 16 2013 Emily Spaeth Category: Musings

2 COMMENTS
  1. What a great blog, Emily. You are doing a great job documenting your trip and memories. I hope you are getting photos of the hosts so you can keep them in your memories. Thanks for keeping us alert on your journey.

    Cyndie/Mom

    09-16-2013, 2:23 am Reply
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