April 17, 2016 – After yesterday’s mileage covered, today was about hanging out on the beach reading a book. We did our paperwork to be able to use the kayaks and snorkel gear, and then we pulled up a pair of beach loungers under a shady tree and relaxed. We went for a swim and while we were standing in shoulder deep water on a little sandbar having a conversation I suddenly lurched into the air with a small shriek.
I turned and hovered, peering down into the rippled water, trying to figure out what had tried to grapple with my foot. Then I saw the little bugger! A crab had decided to see what those toes in front of it were all about!
Later, back on shore under our shady tree, we watched a steady roll of couples take out the kayaks, and spin in circles, run into each other, get caught downwind and struggle back, and generally have a fabulous time laughing themselves silly.
We watched others take out the Hobies and race upwind with skill.
The parasail boat went out over and over, dragging people through the sky back and forth across the length of the resort beachfront.
Divers came and went on the dive boats.
And in the midst of all the human hullaballoo…a serene white crane landed and did a little isolated fishing.
Our shady tree was located at the far end of the resort beach, and we watched the armed Marine Police arrive and walk down to the edge of the pier before stepping off and heading into some trees at the edge of the water. A few hotel staff looked down through the trees, we couldn’t see what was going on, eventually they left. Every so often we’d see someone come through the trees, cross the pier, and head back towards the hotel, usually with a black bag in hand. I wandered down the pier a little later to see what was down that way and when I leaned against the rail to look towards several little buildings and a number of fishing boats, a man in a green t-shirt stepped out from behind a chain link fence and started waving to me and calling me to come over. I could see that t-shirts and Jamaican flags hung from the walls of the little makeshift shacks.
I remember being in Mexico and being accosted by the hawkers. I wondered where they were here, now I understood, they were kept out of the resorts, kept from bothering the people safely hidden away from the reality outside the walls.
To the left…..
And to the right…..
Again, the contrast is difficult to resolve.
Later in the afternoon I realized, that even with sunscreen, much to my irritation, particularly since I’m usually careful about my annoyingly fair and freckled skin….I made it in four days before I managed to get too much solar radiation on my chest and shoulders.
Dammit!
Tomorrow we visit the north coast and I guess I’ll be wearing a t-shirt over my swimsuit.