On Top of the Third World

Bonjour mes amis! I can’t believe we’ve already been here for six weeks.  In some ways it feels like we just stepped off the boat, but in others it seems like we’ve fallen into a black hole where time doesn’t exist and the rest of the world is going on without us.   Houston are you there?

 Our fist business venture here, Palma de Roca Bar & Grill, has been open to the public for 2 weeks and I’m happy to report we are doing very well.  Last weekend we had over 400 very thirsty people at the beach, which resulted in mucho deniro.  I admit I have the best job on the project.  Although setting up and taking down the bar is harder than you might think, I get to be at the beach all day and meet people from all over the globe; the Netherlands, Spain, France, Belgium, Columbia, Costa Rica, America, Australia, Canada, and everyone is happy to see me because I’m serving them drinks!  I have to laugh when I think how absurd the situation really is; a Mormon girl who’s never had a drink in her life asking touring foreigners which flavor cigar they’d like and if they want their rum and coke neat or on the rocks.  I love it though.  I’m meeting fascinating people with interesting lives who are so willing to share their stories with this little girl from Utah Valley.

 We are getting to know our island more and more.  Last week we hiked 2 ½ hours around the northern shore of the island.  We traipsed through 6-inch deep mud in the jungle, but we saw a gorgeous beach with huge surf and had lunch at “the Thai place,” which has the best food on the island.  Then we went to an organic chocolate farm and had freshly squeezed lemonade (with only a few ants), an organic brownie (I said organic, not special), and three chocolate truffles.  It was a delectably, delicious afternoon but we couldn’t move for about an hour so we took a boat ride back home. 

 We are also getting to know a lot more about island life.  Last week we had about 5 days without running water or AC and there’s something wrong with the drainage in our place so it smelled like a poop volcano had erupted in our bathroom.  It was not pleasant.  However, last week after we had returned from our day of touring the island with our tummies full of chocolate treats and red curry chicken, Balbino, a local Santos Indian boy, asked us if he could have some of our empty buckets so he could wash his clothes.  Yeah, he wanted buckets so he could wash his clothes.  Experiences like that really put things into perspective.  My whole life I’ve had everything I’ve ever needed and most everything I’ve ever wanted and yet I sometimes feel sorry for myself because I don’t have my life in complete order quite yet and here’s this 12 year old boy who has nothing but the clothes on his back and a smile the size of Texas and all he wants are some buckets.  I think everyone needs to come to a place like this and realize that wants and needs are relative terms and the difference between them is what we make it.   We gave him three buckets and watched as he and his two tiny brothers disappeared into the jungle with the buckets teetering on their heads.  Wow.

 I hope you’re all doing well.  We miss you so much.  I miss America.  I miss the mountains.  I miss movies and I miss having a kitchen sink, but we are happy, healthy, and feeling very blessed to be here having this experience.  Please enjoy the pics and know that when that baby sloth reached for me, one of my life long dreams was realized and I almost cried.  Adios!