While out and about this past week...

I heard and saw a toothless, local drunk man keep hitting on my sister, while I was waiting in line at the store.  Ronald, our little handyman, from the Bribri tribe, was there in the background, watching. He finished his drink, hopped on his bike, came over to Louise, shook her hand and started chatting with her.  The drunk backed off right away!

I learned how to correctly spell the name of the fish, JUREL, which is mackerel, that we see Ticos jigging for, on the beaches.  They also fish "pargo", which is snapper.  An older, sun wizened
fisherman whizzed by me, on his bicycle, his front basket full of these two gleaming fish, and he yelling out their names at the top of his lungs. Voilà! A true slice of daily life here.

Ananda, our seven year little neighbour, is a total little chatterbox. She tells me everything!  She and her sister have different fathers. However, her mother's current partner lives in Belzile, but comes to stay once in a while, for a month or so. Her Mom speaks English very well. Ananda speaks a little English, but we converse mainly in Spanish, since I need the practice.  Her mother is a cook in a hotel close by.  We hear her in the morning, calling out to Ananda and her sister Amah, to get ready for school.  The two sisters leave on foot, at 6:30 am. So that is ANOTHER reason we are up so early every morning. No more sleep once we TOO are awakened by "la pequeña madre."

Our concierge/caretaker Lico has five daughters, with four different mothers, only he calls the latter "ladies." He is single and in his early fifties. I am beginning to see a pattern here.  Remember our shuttle driver Dixon?  He has seven children. I didn't think to ask how many wives he'd had!!  Someone thinks he said four as well! Yikes!!!

I can't tell you how many young Ticos I have seen bicycle by, one hand on the handlebars, and the other either talking, texting or looking at their phone screen. Truly "loco!"

While swimming, strong rip tides suddenly pulled me out too far.  I didn't panic but Louise kind of did, as I wasn't catching up to her as she swam to shore.  She asked a younger man to guide me in and he did. Bless him!  We had been discussing The Trump, and hadn't noticed how quickly our feet no longer touched bottom nor how far out the waves had pulled us. LESSON LEARNED.  Don't discuss politics while swimming in the Caribbean!