Time's a flyin!

So fast, that I forgot to pay my rent!  It was an honest mistake, really, and fortunately my landlord (who is also my neighbor) is a very sweet lady, who has lived here for 17 years.  She understands that new people get 'vacation brain' and that things don't always work exactly how you might want them to.  (There is a limit on the ATM, and sometimes has unexplained outages)

It's been 3 1/2 weeks now since I arrived on this island.  I'm so glad the first 2 have passed.  It's like starting a new job.  There is a huge learning curve and it's frustrating feeling so elementary, in every sense of the word.  Taxis, banking, drinking water, cell phone minutes, laundry... you get the point.

There are 3 prices for most things here.  Locals pricing, Tourist pricing and Cruise Ship pricing.  I've achieved local pricing for beer and diving, what more does a girl need!?

I made the mistake of leaving my small point and shoot digital camera at home, and am regretting it now.  I only carry my camera when I'm working at resorts, but not when I'm out and about with friends.  Hence the fact there are very few pictures of ME and my friends.  Here's one though, the guys at Infinity Bay Resort insisted they take one of me after I took some of them.  I've had a lot of fun getting to know the folks behind the development project.  About half of them are from Oregon, nice to have a common tie all the way down here.

It's 'cooling off' a bit, and rainy season is growing near.  Far as I can tell, it will last into December.  I've heard a lot of things, not sure what to expect!  I brought 2 pairs of jeans, so that's good.  I wouldn't dream of wearing them now though.  I can't even imagine it getting cold enough here...  We shall see!  Speaking of, it just started raining!

I spent 3 days last weekend at Coco View resort, taking LOTS and LOTS of pictures, diving and meeting guests.  They put me up in one of their hotel rooms overlooking the water.  It was very very nice.  Their resort is the one located across a lagoon, so you can only access it by boat.  That being said, the vibe is a little different than other resorts.  Oh, and children are not allowed either, unless they can dive.  I had a great time wandering the property, taking pictures of the orchids growing from palm tree trunks, a very impressive hummingbird 'colony', Monkey La La's curiously lurking around (Monkey La La is a popular drink here, named after a type of little Iguana), and the little Chihuahua puppy, Dino, harassing the rabbits that are twice his size ;)

 

We had live music Friday night, from a local artist Brion James, who is actually from Seattle originally.  He has a great voice, and skill.  All of his music has a bongo added to its already refreshed version, for a Caribbean influence.  I love seeing him perform.

Here's a pic of Brion playing, with his beer bottle.  ha ha!  Brion played with a band from Portland called the Dan Reed Network, back in the day, and has opened for Rolling Stones, Lenny Kravitz and Bon Jovi, to name a few.  Actually, he told me this night that they're playing a gig @ The Marriott on New Year's in Portland, the first time the band will be reunited in years. 

In his free time, he has also established a music program at one of the schools on the island.  He has worked very hard to gather and maintain instruments and wrote his own textbook for them.  His contribution is 100% volunteer.  It's great to hear him talk about.  This man truly loves music and loves life.