Day 17: Laser Lights (12/14/09)
I had a mosquito net on my bed last night! (Finally!! Thanks Elsa!) It was great. I didn´t acquire any new bites for the first night since being here. I didn´t sleep well though.
I tossed and turned all night. I probably actually slept 2 hours.
I got up at 9:45 and had breakfast and talked to Margaret. Brent and Elsa had left around 8:30 or 9 to run errands. Margaret and I had talked to them about going to San Vincente with them today, and both thought that when they left this morning it was for San Vincente without us.
Margaret got ready and went to Canoa to get a few things. About 15 minutes later Brent came back and asked if we still wanted to go to San Vincente with them. I told him that Margaret had already left for Canoa to get some of our groceries. He offered to pick up eggs, water, and Cauliflower for us (all the things Margaret can´t get in Canoa), I said that would be great and thanked him.
I would really like to do some swimming and walking, but the sun is SO strong today. Later in the afternoon some clouds rolled in and helped make the sun a little less intense.
I went to Brent and Elsa´s to see if I´d gotten any emails. I was disappointed to find only junk mail. I think when the power comes back on (it´s been out for nearly 4 hours now) I´ll check again and maybe try calling my sister.
When Camila got home from school we ate lunch, went swimming, played ball, played on the playground, and then sat on our butts.
Elsa and Brent finally got back around 4:45 from San Vincente. They had been looking for wood for the new house they´re going to build. They brought back more than just eggs, water, and cauliflower. They also bought bread, 2 milks, a whole cooked chicken, and fried green plantains. Between Margaret´s shopping and Brent´s we have plenty of bread, milk, and water for a while.
When the power does finally come back on, I need to do some laundry too.
I hope Gabe´s written today. I hate writing multiple messages in a row. I really need to only go online a few times a week, but we´ll see.
So, the power actually ended up being out for nearly 8 hours. We lit a candle and talked and had some drinks (Margaret and I). Around 8 or so Brent, Elsa, Camila, and Brigit´s family were outside near the pool playing with a couple of Brent´s laser pointers.
We joined them a short while later. I was enjoying the drinks and the power outage. I was thinking about our plans for while Jack is here. I was looking forward to whatever Gabe was sending and getting excited to be heading out of Canoa. We´re going to Cuenca for New Years, which I am really excited about.
When the power came back on I went and checked emails. Natallie had left me her phone number and address, which I was excited about and I got a quick message from Gabe.
After writing back I headed back to the apartment. I tried to go to bed. I was very restless though, so sleep didn´t happen for a long while. I tossed and turned all night, and woke up at 4 and tried reading to fall back to sleep, but it didn´t help. I finally fell asleep around 6.
I tossed and turned all night. I probably actually slept 2 hours.
I got up at 9:45 and had breakfast and talked to Margaret. Brent and Elsa had left around 8:30 or 9 to run errands. Margaret and I had talked to them about going to San Vincente with them today, and both thought that when they left this morning it was for San Vincente without us.
Margaret got ready and went to Canoa to get a few things. About 15 minutes later Brent came back and asked if we still wanted to go to San Vincente with them. I told him that Margaret had already left for Canoa to get some of our groceries. He offered to pick up eggs, water, and Cauliflower for us (all the things Margaret can´t get in Canoa), I said that would be great and thanked him.
I would really like to do some swimming and walking, but the sun is SO strong today. Later in the afternoon some clouds rolled in and helped make the sun a little less intense.
I went to Brent and Elsa´s to see if I´d gotten any emails. I was disappointed to find only junk mail. I think when the power comes back on (it´s been out for nearly 4 hours now) I´ll check again and maybe try calling my sister.
When Camila got home from school we ate lunch, went swimming, played ball, played on the playground, and then sat on our butts.
Elsa and Brent finally got back around 4:45 from San Vincente. They had been looking for wood for the new house they´re going to build. They brought back more than just eggs, water, and cauliflower. They also bought bread, 2 milks, a whole cooked chicken, and fried green plantains. Between Margaret´s shopping and Brent´s we have plenty of bread, milk, and water for a while.
When the power does finally come back on, I need to do some laundry too.
I hope Gabe´s written today. I hate writing multiple messages in a row. I really need to only go online a few times a week, but we´ll see.
So, the power actually ended up being out for nearly 8 hours. We lit a candle and talked and had some drinks (Margaret and I). Around 8 or so Brent, Elsa, Camila, and Brigit´s family were outside near the pool playing with a couple of Brent´s laser pointers.
We joined them a short while later. I was enjoying the drinks and the power outage. I was thinking about our plans for while Jack is here. I was looking forward to whatever Gabe was sending and getting excited to be heading out of Canoa. We´re going to Cuenca for New Years, which I am really excited about.
When the power came back on I went and checked emails. Natallie had left me her phone number and address, which I was excited about and I got a quick message from Gabe.
After writing back I headed back to the apartment. I tried to go to bed. I was very restless though, so sleep didn´t happen for a long while. I tossed and turned all night, and woke up at 4 and tried reading to fall back to sleep, but it didn´t help. I finally fell asleep around 6.
Day 18: Nap All Day (12/15/09)
I woke up about 7 and then ever half hour after that til 8:30. I just layed in bed a while, but had given up on more sleep. Lack of sleep is making my anxiety a lot worse. I hope that taking Melatonin when Jack gets here will help (my mom is sending some with him).
So far today I´ve accomplished nothing.
I ate breakfast and watched a movie (¨Qué Tan Lejos¨my mom had gotten it from the library for me, but I hadn´t watched it before I left).
Margaret, Elsa, and Brent went to San Vincente. I was going to do some laundry, then take a walk, but the machine was in use (and had a bunch more loads lined up), so I hand washed my necessary items. The sun is too strong for a walk right now, so I am eating lunch instead.
I wanted to lay in a hammock to read a while, but there were people taking their siestas in them.
I did some reading in the condo and then tried to nap. I figure if I can fall asleep at any time of day I should take it.
I woke up just as the power came back on (a bit after 5). Margaret was swimming and watching the sunset. It was a really nice one today. Hardly any clouds and the sun was a magnificent burning red/orange.
I attempted to do laundry again, but the was still some lined up (and the machine was in use). So, I left my basket to try again in a couple hours.
Margaret and I watched most of ¨The Elephant Man¨and then Camila summoned us to dinner.
We had beef tacos. They were simple: seasoned ground beef, lettuce and salsa (Mango salsa that Elsa made).
After dinner we talked a while and Camila covered me in the leftover fabric from her angel costume (for her school´s Christmas program). Brent took a funny picture of the two of us, hope it makes it online.
Later, we went back and finished ¨The Elephant Man¨and I tried to watch a Pedro Almodovar movie, but it didn´t have subtitles and I had no idea what was going on.
Then I tried to sleep. It took a while, but I finally slept.
So far today I´ve accomplished nothing.
I ate breakfast and watched a movie (¨Qué Tan Lejos¨my mom had gotten it from the library for me, but I hadn´t watched it before I left).
Margaret, Elsa, and Brent went to San Vincente. I was going to do some laundry, then take a walk, but the machine was in use (and had a bunch more loads lined up), so I hand washed my necessary items. The sun is too strong for a walk right now, so I am eating lunch instead.
I wanted to lay in a hammock to read a while, but there were people taking their siestas in them.
I did some reading in the condo and then tried to nap. I figure if I can fall asleep at any time of day I should take it.
I woke up just as the power came back on (a bit after 5). Margaret was swimming and watching the sunset. It was a really nice one today. Hardly any clouds and the sun was a magnificent burning red/orange.
I attempted to do laundry again, but the was still some lined up (and the machine was in use). So, I left my basket to try again in a couple hours.
Margaret and I watched most of ¨The Elephant Man¨and then Camila summoned us to dinner.
We had beef tacos. They were simple: seasoned ground beef, lettuce and salsa (Mango salsa that Elsa made).
After dinner we talked a while and Camila covered me in the leftover fabric from her angel costume (for her school´s Christmas program). Brent took a funny picture of the two of us, hope it makes it online.
Later, we went back and finished ¨The Elephant Man¨and I tried to watch a Pedro Almodovar movie, but it didn´t have subtitles and I had no idea what was going on.
Then I tried to sleep. It took a while, but I finally slept.
Day 19: Walking (12/16/09)
Woke up at 6, went back to sleep ´til 8:30. Got up, changed, made breakfast, started laundry, ate. So far I´m feeling relatively productive.
Talked with Margaret and was getting increasingly impatient trying to explain Skype to her.
Swapped my laundry, ate some lunch, more frustrating conversation, walk.
The tide was coming in, but I was hoping to go for a little ways before getting trapped. This time I walked towards San Vincente, because all the other times I´ve gone in the direction of Canoa. I didn´t wear shoes because they´re too difficult in the sand.
Just a little ways down the beach there was a sea turtle being eaten by several vultures (belly up). For a long while there wasn´t much else, just crabs and shells and garbage. I was listening to ¨What Is Soul?¨by Parliament Funkadelic. I had traded iPods with Brent a short while after getting here, but today I traded back. A little while later there was a small bird that looked like a stork, but was only about a foot tall. I took a picture. Later I ran into a group of them, varying in size (one was at least 3 times the size) and color (some white, some gray/brown).
Just past the birds was a ¨shrimp lab.¨It was fairly rundown (like a lot of things here) with roof tiles missing etc. I think it´s non-functioning, but I can´t be sure.
The shrimp labs are where they farm shrimp and also try to genetically modify them to be larger. Took a few pictures.
I walked until the water wouldn´t allow me to walk further. (Further? or farther?) I may have been able to find a way around but I wanted to make it back to the condo before getting stuck.
On the way back I tried to take pictures of the vultures eating the turtle, but they kept stopping each time I looked at them.
When I got back I sat on one of the beach stairs and wrote for a while. Camila surprised me. She asked me to swim then go to San Vincente with her. I agreed.
The power was out and there was no water, so I had to rinse with my water bottle. Swam for about an hour, then rinsed off in Elsa´s big water tub on her deck. The power/water were still out.
Elsa wouldn´t let Camila go to San Vincente until tomorrow because the bus wouldn´t be running for much longer today.
Dinner with Margaret. Attempted to check email/make calls, but the internet was down. Partial movie with Margaret. Attempt #2 for internet was successful. Got to talk to Gabe and Georgia for a bit. When did having a decent phone conversation become so difficult? It used to come so naturally when I was talking on the phone all the time, but now with texting etc., people never have actual conversations on the phone.
Finished a weird movie and watched a second. Now time to attempt to sleep.
Talked with Margaret and was getting increasingly impatient trying to explain Skype to her.
Swapped my laundry, ate some lunch, more frustrating conversation, walk.
The tide was coming in, but I was hoping to go for a little ways before getting trapped. This time I walked towards San Vincente, because all the other times I´ve gone in the direction of Canoa. I didn´t wear shoes because they´re too difficult in the sand.
Just a little ways down the beach there was a sea turtle being eaten by several vultures (belly up). For a long while there wasn´t much else, just crabs and shells and garbage. I was listening to ¨What Is Soul?¨by Parliament Funkadelic. I had traded iPods with Brent a short while after getting here, but today I traded back. A little while later there was a small bird that looked like a stork, but was only about a foot tall. I took a picture. Later I ran into a group of them, varying in size (one was at least 3 times the size) and color (some white, some gray/brown).
Just past the birds was a ¨shrimp lab.¨It was fairly rundown (like a lot of things here) with roof tiles missing etc. I think it´s non-functioning, but I can´t be sure.
The shrimp labs are where they farm shrimp and also try to genetically modify them to be larger. Took a few pictures.
I walked until the water wouldn´t allow me to walk further. (Further? or farther?) I may have been able to find a way around but I wanted to make it back to the condo before getting stuck.
On the way back I tried to take pictures of the vultures eating the turtle, but they kept stopping each time I looked at them.
When I got back I sat on one of the beach stairs and wrote for a while. Camila surprised me. She asked me to swim then go to San Vincente with her. I agreed.
The power was out and there was no water, so I had to rinse with my water bottle. Swam for about an hour, then rinsed off in Elsa´s big water tub on her deck. The power/water were still out.
Elsa wouldn´t let Camila go to San Vincente until tomorrow because the bus wouldn´t be running for much longer today.
Dinner with Margaret. Attempted to check email/make calls, but the internet was down. Partial movie with Margaret. Attempt #2 for internet was successful. Got to talk to Gabe and Georgia for a bit. When did having a decent phone conversation become so difficult? It used to come so naturally when I was talking on the phone all the time, but now with texting etc., people never have actual conversations on the phone.
Finished a weird movie and watched a second. Now time to attempt to sleep.
Day 20: Letters? (12/17/09)
Slept ok. My objective for the day was to send a couple letters.
Camils had asked me to go to San Vincente after lunch, so I thought I would just hit Bahia before coming back.
We ended up leaving a bit later than expected (to head to San Vincente) so we didn´t have time for Bahia.
In San Vincente Camila and Brigit bought a few things to decorate for school (for Christmas). I bought a few more envelopes.
After going to ¨Globo¨(the place with envelopes, etc.) we walked around for a while. Camila asked if I wanted to look at swim suits, but I had already bought a second one last week.
We went in and looked around anyway. She bought a swim suit (they´re all $5, just about everywhere it seems) and I found a shirt I liked, but hadn´t brought enough money with me.
After that we walked through most of San Vincente and caught a bus back to the condos.
It was nearly dinner time, but the power was still out. It´s a good thing out stove top is gas. The water was still out too. Margaret and I ate and talked a while.
The power eventually came back on and I went to check if Brent was able to get an internet connection (since I promised to call a few people). No internet. So, I came back and watched ¨Cassandra´s Dream¨(it was a pretty good movie, by Woody Allen).
I went to bed pretty early because we have an early morning tomorrow.
Camils had asked me to go to San Vincente after lunch, so I thought I would just hit Bahia before coming back.
We ended up leaving a bit later than expected (to head to San Vincente) so we didn´t have time for Bahia.
In San Vincente Camila and Brigit bought a few things to decorate for school (for Christmas). I bought a few more envelopes.
After going to ¨Globo¨(the place with envelopes, etc.) we walked around for a while. Camila asked if I wanted to look at swim suits, but I had already bought a second one last week.
We went in and looked around anyway. She bought a swim suit (they´re all $5, just about everywhere it seems) and I found a shirt I liked, but hadn´t brought enough money with me.
After that we walked through most of San Vincente and caught a bus back to the condos.
It was nearly dinner time, but the power was still out. It´s a good thing out stove top is gas. The water was still out too. Margaret and I ate and talked a while.
The power eventually came back on and I went to check if Brent was able to get an internet connection (since I promised to call a few people). No internet. So, I came back and watched ¨Cassandra´s Dream¨(it was a pretty good movie, by Woody Allen).
I went to bed pretty early because we have an early morning tomorrow.
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