Just Hanging Out

Life in Las Terrenas is pretty laid back for me. I've settled into a routine pretty much. I get up early, mostly because I go to bed early. I can only take so much TV watching. The reception is not that good and there is not much on that I want to watch. I've been watching lots of Family Guy reruns, as well as Everybody Loves Raymond and Just Shoot Me. By 9 p.m., I've usually had enough. I start my day off with a walk and some exercises on the beach while a parade of Haitians go off to build new apartments for rich tourists. Today my exercise consisted mostly of walking. I walked for about an hour and a half as Las Terrenas began to wake up. Aside from the construction workers, there were a few fisherman and eventually a few other tourists on the beach. By 7:30, it was hot and the sun was starting to warm things up. I went inside, took a shower and ate breakfast. My meals are pretty consistent. For breakfast, I have some papaya with lime, a cocktail of plain drinkable yogurt with guava nectar, muesli with yogurt and coffee. Lunch has been tuna with carrots, onions and vinegar and oil along with some cheese and crackers. Dinner has been whole wheat pasta with either tuna, or Serrano ham and blue cheese. Aside from some mosquito bites and a sunburn that is healing, I am feeling very healthy. After my morning exercises and breakfast, I settle in to read a little. I have several books with me that I am enjoying. They all consist of exercises to examine our thoughts, and talk about the connections between our thoughts and our lives - health, relationships, money, etc. I've been doing affirmations to stop the itching from the mosquito bites, which seem to help. Normally mosquito bites swell up and almost get infected on me. These have only been slightly irritating, though right now they are itching me again -- "I am free of all irritations, all is well... I am free of all irritations, all is well..." By the afternoon usually it starts to rain. I take that as an opportunity to take a nap, usually after I've had my lunch. Then I read a little more and when the rain stops go for a walk or a swim. By the time it starts getting dark, I am ready for dinner. After dinner I turn on the TV and watch whatever is on, alternating between sitcoms and CNN, which is kind of comical in itself. I was happy to see that Obama finally got the nomination, or at least he got the delegates he needed to clinch it. Hillary, I see, has not really conceded yet. What is wrong with that woman? Now I can see why the right wingers hate her so much. She is going to alienate herself from everyone. As much as I like it here, I am not sure if I will come back. I don't like being so isolated from the people who live here. There are really no opportunities to meet local people, other than those who work in our complex, but they don't seem to interact too much with the guests. The Haitian construction workers seem nice enough. Yesterday one of them spoke to me a little on his way to work. He told me he has been here for 7 months, but doesn't like it. He was not happy to have had to leave his home and live in this place, just working all the time. It is really sad that so many people in the world have such a hard life. I keep thinking about what I could possibly do to help them, but the problem seems so overwhelming. Yesterday afternoon I was sitting on the beach and a guy came up on a motorcycle. He asked me if I wanted to go see this waterfall called El Limon. About 1,000 other people have asked me as well. To get to El Limon, you go by motorcycle, then get on a horse, while a guide walks along side you. It's a bit too colonial for my tastes. Plus, I'm not a bit fan of waterfalls, ever since I got a leech when I went to a waterfall in Indonesia. Anyway, I told him I didn't want to go to El Limon, then he asked me if I wanted to go out on his boat. I declined. He offered to catch lobster and cook it for me on the beach. I told him I had eaten. Finally, he told me he hadn't eaten, his wife and daughter were in the hospital and he needed milk for his baby. I told him I didn't have any money. He said I must not have any kids because he was worried about his children and I would not walk two minutes to go get some money. He was good. I actually believed he was telling the truth. He seemed very upset, and very humble about asking me for money. He offered me just about anything a tourist could want to try to earn some money, but since there are not a lot of people here, people like him who depend on tourism to make a living are really not doing very well. I told him I needed a ride to Sanchez on Sunday. He said if I gave him some money so he could buy medicine and milk for his kids, he would take me. I went to my room and got 400 pesos, about $12. Afterwards I kept thinking that he is not going to pick me up on Sunday. I also started thinking that maybe he would pick me up and then rob me. Thoughts of being tricked, swindled, etc., ran through my head. But then I remembered asking the universe to show me a way to help people. This guy showed up and needed help. Even if it was to by beer, the people here obviously have so little compared to what I have. Giving this guy $12 will do very little to solve anyone's problems, but if it means his kids get to eat and get some medicine, then I am happy to take the chance at being swindled. I'm off to pick up my laundry now which is going to cost me more than what I gave this guy yesterday.