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Friday, July 20, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
And it was good
I played basketball on Tuesday and it was good. It was the first time in almost 11 months. Two days have passed and I still feel the pain. The weird part is that my knee doesn't hurt. That last statement wasn't entirely accurate. My knee does hurt but it doesn't hurt any more than usual. Every muscle hurts now. Ones that I didn't even know could hurt now do; it feels like I haven't used most of them in years.
I was able to play in about 3 games in the 2 hours of sunlight left after my workday. None of the other players were of a high caliber or medium for that matter. Perhaps they were low caliber. They were also all in their mid teens. The competition isn't really my fault; I don't know the neighborhood well enough to know where the good games are. I am also unsure if I am still capable of playing in a good game. I definitely can't jump as high as a used to...
I was able to play in about 3 games in the 2 hours of sunlight left after my workday. None of the other players were of a high caliber or medium for that matter. Perhaps they were low caliber. They were also all in their mid teens. The competition isn't really my fault; I don't know the neighborhood well enough to know where the good games are. I am also unsure if I am still capable of playing in a good game. I definitely can't jump as high as a used to...
Sunday, July 08, 2007
St. Lucia Day Six
"Hurry to wait" was the motto for the first part of the day. The plan was to meet my mom and grandmother at the bus station in the city market. Since we'd previously kept my mom waiting for nearly an hour I was determined not to let hat happen that day. We arrived 15 minutes early just to end up waiting around for them. Things got even worse when the bus driver refused to leave until the bus was completely full. This amounted to another 2 hour wait before leaving, essentially making the early wake up and departure from the hotel null and void.
When we finally got on the road we all came to regret the choice to take the local route. This particular bus driver was determined to break all land speeds even if it meant flying off the side of a mountain while doing it. His insane actions included but certainly were not limited to:
The Botanic Gardens were breathtaking, unfortunately we were on a time limit. I tried to soak up as much as I could with the time allotted. What I was struck by most was all the color from top to bottom. The grounds crew also setup some displays that were very informative. I was actually able to see the insides of a cocoa pod; there was also information on how everything in the garden is used to do everything from landscaping to making compose. After making quick work of the gardens I went over to the falls to take some pictures. It was pretty cool but would have been much better if they allowed people to bathe in it. The water from was a light grey color from the mineral deposits, it would have been like a spa treatment.
The sulfur springs stink, however, I eventually got used to the smell. I was really looking forward to the hot spring bath so as soon as the guide got to that point I jumped in. A few guys were already in the bath, from what I could tell they were some sort of springs gurus. They were quite "happy to see a black man on vacation." The hot springs were a very hot 98 degrees according to the gurus. It was absolutely delightful being in there. Everyone was so at ease that we were no longer concerned about rushing to meet the catamaran.
There were several boats docked at the pier when were arrived back at the port of Soufriere. As I walked along the pier I noticed that one of the ships with a familiar name. Before I left New York my cousin had given me the name of a ship and a person to talk to. The name wasn't exactly right but close enough. After a cryptic conversation with the gentleman on the boat and a short cell phone call we had passage on the catamaran.
The catamaran ride was an absolute blast. The view of the island from the sea was gorgeous, I feel lucky that I was able to get a view from so many different angles. Besides the views the actual ride was really great; it reminded of the batboat cruising just over the waves and spraying water everywhere. Awesome.
The ship stopped for snorkeling at a bay called Anse Concho. The waters were a light green/blue
and there were fish of all sorts of pretty colors everywhere. The only problem was that the bay is almost filled to the brim with snorkelers, this was apparently a big stop for the tours. I didn't really want to do many tourist-like things but snorkeling is just plain fun.
After Anse Concho we took a quick pass through Marigot Bay. The "tour guide" mentioned something important/unique about it but I don't recall/didn't pay attention. I also saw a fantastic pirate ship as we rode up the coastline. As the ship got closer to Rodney Bay the guide forced the lot of tourists to pretend that they had been dancing and having a good time the entire trip. I took a principled stand and refused to join the charade.
If they actually played charades I would have joined in...
When we finally got on the road we all came to regret the choice to take the local route. This particular bus driver was determined to break all land speeds even if it meant flying off the side of a mountain while doing it. His insane actions included but certainly were not limited to:
- passing a car into oncoming traffic
- passing 2 cars into oncoming traffic
- breaking the sound barrier around a hairpin turn
- nudging another car out the way
- defying the laws of physics and not crashing
The Botanic Gardens were breathtaking, unfortunately we were on a time limit. I tried to soak up as much as I could with the time allotted. What I was struck by most was all the color from top to bottom. The grounds crew also setup some displays that were very informative. I was actually able to see the insides of a cocoa pod; there was also information on how everything in the garden is used to do everything from landscaping to making compose. After making quick work of the gardens I went over to the falls to take some pictures. It was pretty cool but would have been much better if they allowed people to bathe in it. The water from was a light grey color from the mineral deposits, it would have been like a spa treatment.
The sulfur springs stink, however, I eventually got used to the smell. I was really looking forward to the hot spring bath so as soon as the guide got to that point I jumped in. A few guys were already in the bath, from what I could tell they were some sort of springs gurus. They were quite "happy to see a black man on vacation." The hot springs were a very hot 98 degrees according to the gurus. It was absolutely delightful being in there. Everyone was so at ease that we were no longer concerned about rushing to meet the catamaran.
There were several boats docked at the pier when were arrived back at the port of Soufriere. As I walked along the pier I noticed that one of the ships with a familiar name. Before I left New York my cousin had given me the name of a ship and a person to talk to. The name wasn't exactly right but close enough. After a cryptic conversation with the gentleman on the boat and a short cell phone call we had passage on the catamaran.
The catamaran ride was an absolute blast. The view of the island from the sea was gorgeous, I feel lucky that I was able to get a view from so many different angles. Besides the views the actual ride was really great; it reminded of the batboat cruising just over the waves and spraying water everywhere. Awesome.
The ship stopped for snorkeling at a bay called Anse Concho. The waters were a light green/blue
and there were fish of all sorts of pretty colors everywhere. The only problem was that the bay is almost filled to the brim with snorkelers, this was apparently a big stop for the tours. I didn't really want to do many tourist-like things but snorkeling is just plain fun.
After Anse Concho we took a quick pass through Marigot Bay. The "tour guide" mentioned something important/unique about it but I don't recall/didn't pay attention. I also saw a fantastic pirate ship as we rode up the coastline. As the ship got closer to Rodney Bay the guide forced the lot of tourists to pretend that they had been dancing and having a good time the entire trip. I took a principled stand and refused to join the charade.
If they actually played charades I would have joined in...
Friday, July 06, 2007
St. Lucia Day Five
I got up and met my mom in the lobby of my hotel and started the trip to my grandfather's house. We were supposed to meet someone in town to take us to the country-side where my grandfather lives but we needed to kill some time cause our ride was late. The night before I ran out of contact lens solution and ended up gathering saliva as a replacement. I didn't see this as a permanent fix so I decided to search for some solution while I had the time. I quickly learned that St. Lucians don't really do contacts for the most part. I was instructed that the most likely place would be an optometrists office for such fancy fair. At that point I decided to do the breakfast thing instead of aimlessly seeking out a doctor's office.
It was only 6EC for breakfast for my mother and I; this included two drinks. When we were almost done with breakfast our ride showed up and we hopped on in. St. Lucia is mountainous. There's a huge difference between the coastal and inland areas around here. All journeys inland require climbing up some sort of hill or driving up the side of a mountain. This trip up felt longer and seemed to have more twists and turns than the one to the rain forest.
My grandfather had been working in the yard and looked like a bit of a mess. There was a brief sizing up and a hello when he saw me and then we didn't really speak much. Instead my mom gave me a tour of the house she used to live in while he chatted with the gentleman who took us up to his house. I was reminded that at one point my family owned most of the land around and we ended up selling it for ice cream, our only weakness. The cashew trees in the back attracted lots of beautiful birds. These birds, unlike the ones in the rain forest, seemed accustomed to the human presence and didn't fly away as quickly or as far when I approached.
After my bird watching my grandfather collected cashew fruits for me. The birds had already started feasting on the ones he picked but I didn't really have any intention on eating them. He also has a mango tree in his front yard with these flavorful small mangoes. I definitely appreciate the trees people grow in their yards here over huge swaths of useless grass.
On our way down the hill we went through the new tunnels built in St. Lucia. These are nothing more than long underpasses through big hillsides. Neither is more than a few hundred meters long. We were dropped off in the market in Castries with no particular destination in mind. After bit of quick thinking I thought that it would be good to see my aunt who has a stand in the middle of the city. She seemed quite excited to see me. According to her I am an exact copy of my father. I can't really argue with that.
After that brief visit we went around the market picking up a couple of things along the way. I was finally able to find contact lens solution in the oldest drug store on the island. I headed back to the hotel to put away the goods from the market and headed over the the beach. It was a very short visit because we had dinner plans for the evening.
We were picked up at the hotel then we were driven up by Mr. Weeks to his family's house. It was absolutely beautiful. As I stepped into the kitchen I smelled the food which was just as beautiful. Mr. Weeks brought us up to the balcony where we sipped on some Chairman's Reserve as my grandmother put down some whiskey. Mr Weeks made the mistake of cutting my grandmother's whiskey with water but got the point after she gulped down the first drink.
There was great food with great conversation all night long. We were being entertained by one of the best. He had true stories, jokes and did I mention rum? Since some of the jokes and part of the conversation was occasionally in patois I was forced to be the translator. Lbo picked up a patois phrase along the way. I will leave it up to him to tell you more about that.
It was only 6EC for breakfast for my mother and I; this included two drinks. When we were almost done with breakfast our ride showed up and we hopped on in. St. Lucia is mountainous. There's a huge difference between the coastal and inland areas around here. All journeys inland require climbing up some sort of hill or driving up the side of a mountain. This trip up felt longer and seemed to have more twists and turns than the one to the rain forest.
My grandfather had been working in the yard and looked like a bit of a mess. There was a brief sizing up and a hello when he saw me and then we didn't really speak much. Instead my mom gave me a tour of the house she used to live in while he chatted with the gentleman who took us up to his house. I was reminded that at one point my family owned most of the land around and we ended up selling it for ice cream, our only weakness. The cashew trees in the back attracted lots of beautiful birds. These birds, unlike the ones in the rain forest, seemed accustomed to the human presence and didn't fly away as quickly or as far when I approached.
After my bird watching my grandfather collected cashew fruits for me. The birds had already started feasting on the ones he picked but I didn't really have any intention on eating them. He also has a mango tree in his front yard with these flavorful small mangoes. I definitely appreciate the trees people grow in their yards here over huge swaths of useless grass.
On our way down the hill we went through the new tunnels built in St. Lucia. These are nothing more than long underpasses through big hillsides. Neither is more than a few hundred meters long. We were dropped off in the market in Castries with no particular destination in mind. After bit of quick thinking I thought that it would be good to see my aunt who has a stand in the middle of the city. She seemed quite excited to see me. According to her I am an exact copy of my father. I can't really argue with that.
After that brief visit we went around the market picking up a couple of things along the way. I was finally able to find contact lens solution in the oldest drug store on the island. I headed back to the hotel to put away the goods from the market and headed over the the beach. It was a very short visit because we had dinner plans for the evening.
We were picked up at the hotel then we were driven up by Mr. Weeks to his family's house. It was absolutely beautiful. As I stepped into the kitchen I smelled the food which was just as beautiful. Mr. Weeks brought us up to the balcony where we sipped on some Chairman's Reserve as my grandmother put down some whiskey. Mr Weeks made the mistake of cutting my grandmother's whiskey with water but got the point after she gulped down the first drink.
There was great food with great conversation all night long. We were being entertained by one of the best. He had true stories, jokes and did I mention rum? Since some of the jokes and part of the conversation was occasionally in patois I was forced to be the translator. Lbo picked up a patois phrase along the way. I will leave it up to him to tell you more about that.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
St. Lucia Day Four
The trip to Babonneau was even more daring than any of the previous rides we have taken. Not only is it located in the country-side it's also about 600ft above sea level. I took pictures but don't have the means to download them at this point. I tried my best to capture the steep close quarters found over here. It's nearly impossible to navigate when combined with the break-neck speeds and the foot traffic. Thankfully we had someone from the village of Babonneau who really knew the terrain.
I cannot accurately describe the splendor of the rain forest. The plethora of plant and animal life is just too great and my knowledge far too little. Our guide was fantastic though. He had all the facts and figures to provide us as we traveled through the differing strata. I learned that most plants can double as aphrodisiac and baskets. Others are less useful and are used to tie hogs or cure the common cold.
Next up was a short trip to the beach where I realized that I was incredibly out of practice with swimming but fortunately did not come to that realization the hard way. In addition to this I also learned:
1. contacts do not like the water
2. while under water you should hold your breath
3. sugar cane is also tasty at the beach
4. walking barefoot not as hard as it looks
The last adventure for the night was dinner with some close friends of the family. We were treated like royalty with another full spread set up for us. No delicious good were spared in the making of the meal. At the end there were several island fruits and desserts for the taking.
I cannot accurately describe the splendor of the rain forest. The plethora of plant and animal life is just too great and my knowledge far too little. Our guide was fantastic though. He had all the facts and figures to provide us as we traveled through the differing strata. I learned that most plants can double as aphrodisiac and baskets. Others are less useful and are used to tie hogs or cure the common cold.
Next up was a short trip to the beach where I realized that I was incredibly out of practice with swimming but fortunately did not come to that realization the hard way. In addition to this I also learned:
1. contacts do not like the water
2. while under water you should hold your breath
3. sugar cane is also tasty at the beach
4. walking barefoot not as hard as it looks
The last adventure for the night was dinner with some close friends of the family. We were treated like royalty with another full spread set up for us. No delicious good were spared in the making of the meal. At the end there were several island fruits and desserts for the taking.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
St. Lucia Day Three
Day Three was see the old neighborhood day. I did, it was depressing.
Let's start at the beginning...
I was supposed to meet my mom down at the center of town at 10:30 but due to uncontrollable circumstances I was waiting for the bus outside my hotel at that time. The bus ride was kind of interesting with your usual collection of colorful folk taking public transportation. This bus did not have a television with the latest calypso like the first ride but was interesting nonetheless because I discovered it was actually a transformer. In terms of transformations it was more the Megatron than the Optimus prime of this but what can you expect for a small island. For those of you who do not understand the reference Megatron transforms from a robot to a gun or a cannon and then needs to be shot by someone. Well Optimus Prime is Optimus Prime.
In order to accommodate a large number of people in a small bus there were folding seats. If you do not know they exist it's likely that you will look at new people entering an already packed bus just wondering where they could fit. Perhaps they could secretly spider-man and plan on chilling on the underside of the roof. As the person reaches over you notices that annoying bar next to you is actually a super secret chair that not even Q could have devised.
The cell phone that was passed on to me was kinda busted so when I attempted to call my mom all I got was static. Actually all that phone did was make "static" noises rather than anything real or audible. Feeling a little bit worried that we had missed our window I decided to take a different less obvious route into the market. My guess was right and I saw my mom a few meters away(savvy metric reference).
Before long we were in the heart of the city on a bee-line to my grandfather's doctor. Only problem is that when we reached there he was nowhere in sight. He is apparently a very impatient man who felt the need to go about his business rather than wait on his daughter and grandson he hadn't seen in 19 years.
After an errand or 300 later that my mom had to get done it was time to eat. I feasted on local foods from a local vendor in the market. Lbo had a baked mac and cheese with chicken and I had some bake and salt fish and bake and herring as well as some fish cakes, all at the low low price of $11 EC about $4.
We were then off to see my old neighborhoods. I really don't want to go into it to much because I think I need a little bit more time for reflection. The short story is that the houses I grew up in look like hell holes. Whatever warped images left from my infancy are lies at this point.........
Our next stop was a close friend of my grandmother's who wanted to treat me to local food. She got the cook from the governor's house to whip up some ground provisions (roots and shit like potato), lobster deliciousness and mahimahi. Everything was so good and so beautiful over there. The view from the top of the hill was so impressive that it almost helped me forget about the state of my old hood. Mango trees growing taller than the second story balcony and the street lights hitting the avocado on exactly the right spot.
I smiled.
Then I closed my eyes on the car ride back to the hotel. There are few things scarier than driving at night in St. Lucia. The tiny country-side roads with the blind turns and big cars and people on the street. Did I mention the blinding headlights???
(Dang not enough time!!! I gotta go to the rain forest...)
So I did the rain forest thing today and I will write about that in the morning
Let's start at the beginning...
I was supposed to meet my mom down at the center of town at 10:30 but due to uncontrollable circumstances I was waiting for the bus outside my hotel at that time. The bus ride was kind of interesting with your usual collection of colorful folk taking public transportation. This bus did not have a television with the latest calypso like the first ride but was interesting nonetheless because I discovered it was actually a transformer. In terms of transformations it was more the Megatron than the Optimus prime of this but what can you expect for a small island. For those of you who do not understand the reference Megatron transforms from a robot to a gun or a cannon and then needs to be shot by someone. Well Optimus Prime is Optimus Prime.
In order to accommodate a large number of people in a small bus there were folding seats. If you do not know they exist it's likely that you will look at new people entering an already packed bus just wondering where they could fit. Perhaps they could secretly spider-man and plan on chilling on the underside of the roof. As the person reaches over you notices that annoying bar next to you is actually a super secret chair that not even Q could have devised.
The cell phone that was passed on to me was kinda busted so when I attempted to call my mom all I got was static. Actually all that phone did was make "static" noises rather than anything real or audible. Feeling a little bit worried that we had missed our window I decided to take a different less obvious route into the market. My guess was right and I saw my mom a few meters away(savvy metric reference).
Before long we were in the heart of the city on a bee-line to my grandfather's doctor. Only problem is that when we reached there he was nowhere in sight. He is apparently a very impatient man who felt the need to go about his business rather than wait on his daughter and grandson he hadn't seen in 19 years.
After an errand or 300 later that my mom had to get done it was time to eat. I feasted on local foods from a local vendor in the market. Lbo had a baked mac and cheese with chicken and I had some bake and salt fish and bake and herring as well as some fish cakes, all at the low low price of $11 EC about $4.
We were then off to see my old neighborhoods. I really don't want to go into it to much because I think I need a little bit more time for reflection. The short story is that the houses I grew up in look like hell holes. Whatever warped images left from my infancy are lies at this point.........
Our next stop was a close friend of my grandmother's who wanted to treat me to local food. She got the cook from the governor's house to whip up some ground provisions (roots and shit like potato), lobster deliciousness and mahimahi. Everything was so good and so beautiful over there. The view from the top of the hill was so impressive that it almost helped me forget about the state of my old hood. Mango trees growing taller than the second story balcony and the street lights hitting the avocado on exactly the right spot.
I smiled.
Then I closed my eyes on the car ride back to the hotel. There are few things scarier than driving at night in St. Lucia. The tiny country-side roads with the blind turns and big cars and people on the street. Did I mention the blinding headlights???
(Dang not enough time!!! I gotta go to the rain forest...)
So I did the rain forest thing today and I will write about that in the morning
Monday, July 02, 2007
St. Lucia Day Two
Because it's twice as exciting as the first day....
I'm doing this blogging thing a little later than expected today. Due to the heights of adventure reached yesterday I slept in a little. The day started with a 18 minute flip flop walk to the north of the island. As I walked down the road I started to appreciate sidewalks and avenues a little more. The roads are quite tiny over her and I felt that my life was in danger each and every time a car passed by no less than a foot from my shoulder. Though I did not get to go very far I found the walk brought me a little closer to the island and was a lot more authentic than the two plus hours spent in the resort celebrating my grandmother's 77th birthday.
I had no clue that the lunch was going to be held near Pigeon Island, which is now inaccurately named since they filled in the gap to make it an islet. From Pigeon Point/Sandals Resort to Pigeon Island was a blast. The foliage and the view of the west coast of the island is absolutely breathtaking. As I walked up I could imagine the battles waged at Fort Rodney, the vantage point meant that a surprise attack was all but ruled out.
From the top of the Fort I could see another even higher point on the same island/islet. I decided to see if I could find the path to it and get to that peak. The trail there was a little bit tougher, nothing impossible, but the view was even better. I found myself looking down on the Fort imagining ships coming from the north towards Martinique and canons at the Fort being guided by my signal where and when to fire.
After taking in the history and beauty of the Fort the battery from the camera was pretty much dead and I was only able to get a couple of shots of the sunset. There was also quite a long walk ahead along the roadside to the main intersection where the first bus stop was. A guard at the Sandals claimed it was a 5-10 minute walk but it was more like 30-40 minutes. It's an especially long 30 minutes when headlights are rushing by you in the dark.
Lbo and I discovered, much like columbus, an italian ice place with some delicious tamarind flavored ice. So now he wants tamarind with sugar cane at every turn.
I better get off my bum and start exploring. Today has been dubbed family day. With visits to family and the old neighborhood as well as a Lobster dinner.
But first we are off to the Market...
I'm doing this blogging thing a little later than expected today. Due to the heights of adventure reached yesterday I slept in a little. The day started with a 18 minute flip flop walk to the north of the island. As I walked down the road I started to appreciate sidewalks and avenues a little more. The roads are quite tiny over her and I felt that my life was in danger each and every time a car passed by no less than a foot from my shoulder. Though I did not get to go very far I found the walk brought me a little closer to the island and was a lot more authentic than the two plus hours spent in the resort celebrating my grandmother's 77th birthday.
I had no clue that the lunch was going to be held near Pigeon Island, which is now inaccurately named since they filled in the gap to make it an islet. From Pigeon Point/Sandals Resort to Pigeon Island was a blast. The foliage and the view of the west coast of the island is absolutely breathtaking. As I walked up I could imagine the battles waged at Fort Rodney, the vantage point meant that a surprise attack was all but ruled out.
From the top of the Fort I could see another even higher point on the same island/islet. I decided to see if I could find the path to it and get to that peak. The trail there was a little bit tougher, nothing impossible, but the view was even better. I found myself looking down on the Fort imagining ships coming from the north towards Martinique and canons at the Fort being guided by my signal where and when to fire.
After taking in the history and beauty of the Fort the battery from the camera was pretty much dead and I was only able to get a couple of shots of the sunset. There was also quite a long walk ahead along the roadside to the main intersection where the first bus stop was. A guard at the Sandals claimed it was a 5-10 minute walk but it was more like 30-40 minutes. It's an especially long 30 minutes when headlights are rushing by you in the dark.
Lbo and I discovered, much like columbus, an italian ice place with some delicious tamarind flavored ice. So now he wants tamarind with sugar cane at every turn.
I better get off my bum and start exploring. Today has been dubbed family day. With visits to family and the old neighborhood as well as a Lobster dinner.
But first we are off to the Market...
Sunday, July 01, 2007
St. Lucia Day One
American Airlines blows. I don't mean that in a nice way either. I had to get to the airport no later than 4:30am just to take off at 8am. Due to "mechanical" error we chilled on the runway for over an hour. This wouldn't be nearly as bad if it wasn't for the fact that we had a connecting flight in San Juan. We were supposed to connect at 11 instead we were at the airport at 12:30pm. Hooray for totally sucking. Now don't get me wrong, it's a lot better to find out about mechanical problems on the ground but it's also their job to check themselves before people board.
I suggested exploring San Juan to Lbo but instead we ended up exploring the terminal; gate 12 was my favorite.
Rewinding for a bit. I was apparently stupid and brought water with my carry-on. It then became property of the United States Government. Also 6 Oz of toothpaste is way to much to carry on a plane. I offered to squeeze three out but the guard didn't think that was legit. He did inform me that "I didn't pass the bar but I know a little bit" and then referenced the old 80s brick instead of a VCR trick when i noted the bottle was unopened. There was a bit of a commotion after passing through the checkpoint with TSA and cops and some dude who apparently got tired of being checked or something.
anyway...
When we got to the island I declared nothing at customs and made my merry way to the outside where I found my long lost brother. He was far more interested in the stuff I was instructed to bring than the fact that he had never seen me in his life. After taking a close look at him I wasn't all that interested either.
The roads are crazy and we almost crashed. This is all explained by the fact that they decide to drive on the other side of the street. I am not sure which convention was decided up first but clearly one of us is wrong.
The hotel is small and friendly. It's also well air conditioned and clean. The food at the restaurant is the bomb. So far we've ordered: garlic shrimp, coconut shrimp, seafood Accra, plantain, duck something or the other wrapped in roti and chicken something else. All were delicious. There is also a great rum punch over here. Lots of rum.
It gets quite dark here once the sun goes down. I've been spoiled by the light pollution so prevalent in the city. The walk over to and on the beach was real nice except for the slippers. There were tiny crabs scampering about the shore and lots of of bigger ones just chilling as the sea washed up on them. The water was nice temperature as it rushed up on the shore and onto me feet. I wanted to jump in but realized the folly of that idea immediately.
Today I will be chillin' with some fam and then head over to the market to get some goods. O and I introduced Lbo to sugar cane and now he is nuts about it.
I suggested exploring San Juan to Lbo but instead we ended up exploring the terminal; gate 12 was my favorite.
Rewinding for a bit. I was apparently stupid and brought water with my carry-on. It then became property of the United States Government. Also 6 Oz of toothpaste is way to much to carry on a plane. I offered to squeeze three out but the guard didn't think that was legit. He did inform me that "I didn't pass the bar but I know a little bit" and then referenced the old 80s brick instead of a VCR trick when i noted the bottle was unopened. There was a bit of a commotion after passing through the checkpoint with TSA and cops and some dude who apparently got tired of being checked or something.
anyway...
When we got to the island I declared nothing at customs and made my merry way to the outside where I found my long lost brother. He was far more interested in the stuff I was instructed to bring than the fact that he had never seen me in his life. After taking a close look at him I wasn't all that interested either.
The roads are crazy and we almost crashed. This is all explained by the fact that they decide to drive on the other side of the street. I am not sure which convention was decided up first but clearly one of us is wrong.
The hotel is small and friendly. It's also well air conditioned and clean. The food at the restaurant is the bomb. So far we've ordered: garlic shrimp, coconut shrimp, seafood Accra, plantain, duck something or the other wrapped in roti and chicken something else. All were delicious. There is also a great rum punch over here. Lots of rum.
It gets quite dark here once the sun goes down. I've been spoiled by the light pollution so prevalent in the city. The walk over to and on the beach was real nice except for the slippers. There were tiny crabs scampering about the shore and lots of of bigger ones just chilling as the sea washed up on them. The water was nice temperature as it rushed up on the shore and onto me feet. I wanted to jump in but realized the folly of that idea immediately.
Today I will be chillin' with some fam and then head over to the market to get some goods. O and I introduced Lbo to sugar cane and now he is nuts about it.
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