Settling In

The residence where we are staying is nice.  It has a big 12 x 12 covered porch overlooking the Carribean Sea.  The open concept kitchen and living room is about 16 x 16 and has those things  one would expect and need.  There are 2 bedrooms each with king sized beds, and also futon.  Each room has an on-suite.  The house is fully stocked with linens, towels, dishes, and has a washer and dryer.  There is television and internet.  There is a fresh water pool shared between 3 “cottages”, and I assure you it is warm and refreshing.

We started the day by walking 800m to the grocery store.  I assure you provisions are quite expensive; in U.S. $ Cheerios were $8.00, eggs were $5.00, a bit of broccoli was over $3.00, Greek yogurt was $12 for a bigger sized container, you get the idea....  However.....  We got some basics and strolled home. We had a bite to eat, have been on the computer, and the misplaced luggage arrived by 10:30.  Coffee is on and I am 3 or 4 in.....  Things are good.

On my motorcycle trips I always add the quantitative results of my travels.  The total amount spent on gas, hotels, and the distances of course.  It is interesting in retrospect.  Basically the accommodations here were $3000 and the flights were also that.  So that is $6K U.S. before leaving home - plus an extra 30% conversion!  Anyway....  No more money write-ups about this trip.  It is expensive, but looking around and feeling the heat and warmth as I type, I am sure it will be worth it.

I am sort of making a plan of attack of things I want to do here.  I brought running stuff, but it is hilly (like Rossland), and the streets are narrow....  It may not be a priority.  But I would like to get snorkeling and scuba diving at some point, and would like to get out sailing.  I notice the neighbour has a bike and from what I know about my Ottawa experience, bikes can take me places.  So I will have to get friendly with them.

 It is not very walking friendly down here.  The streets are narrow, there are no sidewalks, and it is quite hilly.  That is a big change to what we are used to.  Still, we walk everywhere we need to go.  Molly and I were out walking and the late afternoon Carribean rain started.  3 different sets of passer-bys offered to give us a lift home.  We declined, although the offer was nice and appreciated.  The thing is it really wasn’t that far to go, and it wasn’t really raining too hard.

The wildlife includes goats, dogs, and chickens.  We got a notice in our cottage to not feed such animals as they will return and be a problem/pests - that is understandable.  But you can’t go very far without being barked at, maaaa-ed at, or cock-a-doodle-doed at. There is also 2 kind of lizards that we see often, a leaf tailed critter about 8 inches long, and just a newt/salamander like lizard too.  They are all over, and make no noise to write about.

With the walking situation and the wildlife, the area feels quite third-worldish.  Plus there are a lot of dilapidated houses/shacks too.  I have also seen a far amount of cars up on bricks with their 4 tires removed, there is a bunch of unfinished housing projects noticeable, and I have also seen more then enough garbage and litter on the streets.  On the other hand the climate, the views, and the nicer houses and cars make it look like paradise.  In my opinion it is an equal mix of both thus far.