The Sandstone Apts. are filled and bustling with new energy. Rita, the owner, left for Texas yesterday to spend time with her two daughters who both just had babies...one of them, twins! Another of her daughters, Sondy, is here from the mainland to take care of things while Rita is gone. Sondy is my son's age, and we've been "buddying up" for coffee at Rio Coco in the mornings. Some evenings she will join me for a glass of wine and some conversation. She's also been very helpful in introducing me to local remedies for keeping mosquitos and sand flies at bay...a huge frustration here in Utila.
Rena and her two pre-teen daughters, Electra and Hailey, live above me. They are very in tune with the earth and rigid in their religious beliefs. They eat only natural foods and use no pharmaceuticals of any kind. Rena treated Electra's skin infection with garlic, and she showed me how to use the membrane fom the inside of an eggshell in place of a band-aid on a wound. Both remedies were extremely effective...amazing!
A young couple from Majorca moved in next door to me. They are training to become Certified Dive Instructors. Next to them is Jason, here from Canada to combine his two vocations...Dive Instructor and Life Coach...into a new online enterprise. Mac and Nicole, two Seventh-Day Adventist Missionaries, fill out the small community at the Sandstone. All are friendly, generous and interesting people.
Tom & Jo, recently retired, are building a beautiful home at the opposite end of the island from me, across from the Cays (pronounced Keys). He picked Jan and I up in his inflatable motor boat one day last week and brought us for a tour of the new digs. The "banana boat", as he calls it, rests on tubes, which help to keep it afloat. The floor of the boat opens up so that he and Jo can dive without having to go over the side of the boat. It's an amazingly smooth ride, even on rough water.
As we approached his dock, workmen were busy putting the finishing touches on the second (main) level and the swimming pool in front of the house. Tom believes work on the house should be completed in another week or two, but there is still landscaping to be done. The house is lovely, with all the bells and whistles, and the view from their home is quite enviable.
Yesterday I made my way to the Driftwood Cafe for lunch and a couple of friendly rounds of Scrabble with Linda, who lives at neighboring Margaritaville. Later this afternoon she and Sharon, co-owner of the Drift, are going to pick me up for a Ladies' Night at Loretta's. They were going to snorkel first...then eat, drink and visit...but a little tropical storm blew in overnight and has continued throughout the day, so the snorkeling is probably on hold. More time to eat and drink...and, of course, visit!
When I didn't show up at Rio Coco for coffee this morning, Sheldon came out to check on me. He rode his bike all the way out in the rain. He tells me how much he enjoys conversation with me, and I can't be sure if it's honesty or flattery. I'm a little wary of men and the possibility of their deceit, given my previous history. I'll continue to be cautious, and time will tell.
We had a break in the rain later in the morning, so Sondy quickly came to round me up for a trip to Rio Coco. Because of the rain and ensuing cooler temperature, we decided to have a hot cup of Mocha instead of the usual iced Mochas. Kate was actually wearing a sweatshirt! Kate and Dustin, newly married for just one month yesterday, are doing an exceptional job of running Rio Coco, and it's refreshing to witness their enthusiasm. The Honduran and Nicaraguan coffees are excellent, and at only $2.25 for a latte, it's a real deal!
I have been here for two months now, and it really feels like home. I've become accustomed to the cultural differences, as well as the island "quirks"...such as no satellite when it rains and no flushing of toilet paper down the toilet...and the people I've met and quickly become friends with are unassuming, helpful and gracious. Life as an island butterfly is, thus far, satisfying and joyous.
