Soldierin' Away

I could take pictures of the water here all day long. In fact, I have. I have a ridiculous number of water pictures. I've got to think of something creative to do with them all.

On Thursday I got rolled by the waves, big time. That on top of trying to dive down 15-feet to the shipwreck on the Catamaran tour (without equalizing) put my right ear into fits. I've still got water in my ear. I went to the local store to get some water drops, but no luck. Thats the rough part of being in the islands, you won't always find what you need. I can finally hear again out of it at least. Hopefully its not too much trouble on the flight.













I laughed so hard when I took a look at this picture, I look like one of those high-maintenance jet-setters. Hahaha. I'm really trying to point out my ear-ache, not my earring (Which is genuine 3-karat zirconia, by the way!)

I met the loveliest local guy yesterday. His name is Sam. He paints houses as a "proper job" and when he isn't doing that, he makes and sells crafty stuff on the beach. We sat and talked on the cliffs at Crane beach for a couple of hours. The locals have a habit of watching the tourists. Its not a creepy thing, its just how they are. Heck, what would you do if all you had to do all day was sit on a beach and wait for tourists to buy your stuff? I'd people watch too. Sam told me he'd "seen me on the beach boogie boardin' and havin' all sort 'a fun. Jes' Soldierin' away." Lol. A very island-y term for the extreme hard work of vacationing. Soldierin'. Very Marley-esque.





















It was a fun afternoon... and then I remembered I forgot to put sunblock on my legs (because my spray sunblock ran out after my shoulders!)... My legs were on FIRE yesterday! Lol. Not bad today though. The secret to quelling sunburns is twofold: First, you have to take the hottest shower possible before the burn starts to set in and it starts to feel hot. This will keep the burn feeling to a minimum. Don't know why, but it works. Second: Ya gotta slather on the lotion first thing out of the shower. I'm talking the minute you get out of the shower, before you dry off! Loads and loads of lotion, so much that you can't rub it all in. Just let it soak in. By the next morning you may still look a little singed, but nowhere near what you would have looked like if you'd tried to rough it out, and you'll feel good enough to go outside and play in the sun again the next day (with a hat).












My Balcony in the shade














Local Color


This morning I said goodbye to my favorite beach, my lovely room, the trade winds and the smells of coconut, tropical flowers and sea-air. Leaving is difficult. Next time I come I hope it will be to stay. Maybe when I grow back down (I expect I'll have had enough corporate life & revert to childhood any year now) I'll start up my own Catamaran tour company and sail the ocean all day long. I could do that for a few years. Or I'll just buy a sailboat and sail around awhile. It would be like Kenny Chesney's song: "French kissing life square in the mouth, sailin' out on the sea." Yup. I'll take Kenny Chesney too, while I'm at it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbMoFYtZ6o8

I just got to the airport. I'm blogging as I wait for my flight. What a great passtime!

...Though I'm sad to leave, I cannot tell you how ecstatic I was to walk into the air conditioning! Amazing. Pure joyous relief from today's pelting heat and humidity. (I'm wearing long pants for my flight and I've had to lug my luggage around, so it makes the heat incrementally worse!) I've had no A/C for an entire week. I'd be willing to give it up entirely IF: 1. I never had to wear long pants or closed-toed shoes again. 2. I lived in the Caribbean/windwards. 3. I never had to feel the A/C to know what I was missing. Lol.

See ya next time, Caribbean.
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