Monkeys & Motorbikes

Sunday March Something…

Another wonderful day! The temperature was 86 degrees F which is a smidge cooler than yesterday’s 88. The weekends are nice because Charles and I can spend them together doing stuff. During the week we both have to go to the office, but on the weekends we can play.

We got up at 4:30 this morning and went down to the playa blanca, the white sand beach, to take pictures of the sunrise on the ocean. Very cool.

Later (inspired by my cousin Anna and Dave) we rented a motor scooter, like a Vespra, but an oriental knock off, and toured around a while. It was the first time I was ever on a motor bike. I was a bit scared, but after a while I got used to it and it was fun. It would have been more fun, I was thinking, if this place had a decent road. The roads seem to be piles of potato sized stones. After a while we came out on a paved road and then things went much better. It was a hoot.

Now this motor scooter wasn’t a really cool one like Dave’s. Charles said it had a 49 cc engine. I asked if that’s big and Charles said to put it into perspective, our chainsaw has a 65 cc engine. Lets just say we weren’t breaking any land speed records, but we did get up to the speed limit, down hill, with a tail wind. (yes, mom we had on our helmets). O.K. it was only once, but we were excited. We did find the butterfly garden place, and it’s walking distance, so we’ll go back when we don’t have the scooter to worry about leaving unattended.

Supper was fun. I found some corn tortillas and put some home made salsa and weirdo cheese on them and fried them up. I also made some gallo pinto (guy-yo pinto) It’s a rice and bean dish that they have here. I tried making it at home before we left so that we could get used to the food here but it was barely edible. Most of the things I made before we left were kind of, well, marginal. Now that we’re here and we can see how it’s made it’s easier to make them just right. The food here is amazing.

Hey Bev!!!!! Thanks for teaching me how to get red wine out of a tablecloth. (There was an incident with the sangria. I blame Charles.) While I was rinsing out the tablecloth, I looked up and what did I see? Actually I’m not sure either. Hahaha. Some sort of tree, with round citrus fruit on it. Charles and I are still “discussing” whether they are lemons or limes. Ya ya ya I know lemons and limes are different colours but things just aren’t that simple in the jungle. Either way they made an amazing lemon (or lime) aid. Yes one would think we’d know after we actually ate one but really they could go either way.

I think we already told you about “Soup”. That’s what we call the rooster next door who crows any time of day or night. And he doesn’t even crow right! (maybe he crows in Spanish) What is wrong with that creature? Will somebody buy him a watch? I swear I’m going to keep an eye on him tomorrow, and when he goes to sleep I’m going to sneak up on him and yell “It’s Cock-a-doodle do! Say it! Cock-a-doodle-do!” He’s going to make a good soup.

And finally in the news…

The monkeys came back; about 20 of them. They didn’t seem to mind us this time. Man they make a mess though. The people here spend everyday beating back the growth and cleaning the outdoors. The monkeys swing through and the place is inch high in broken twigs and leaves and coconuts. And they smell. And they should wear underwear. And the men are manly. OK, all I’m saying is if one of them bothers me again, I have a new place to aim my monkey whacking stick. I’ll give him something to howl at! And he’ll be like.. ouch! stop whacking me!

I guess we can look forward to being awakened tomorrow by the “Rooster-Howler Joyful Noise Choir”.

Ruth rode a motor-bike.
She sat in back of me.
We hit a bump at 65…
And rode on Ruth-less-ly.

…author unknown