Some of you have asked me what my comment about learning bad things about friendships was all about. I know that I might live to regret posting this but the character of certain people has just disappointed me so much that I feel the need to share it. Prior to this trip I had successfully recovered financially and emotionally from being significantly taken advantage of and hurt by someone who I really loved and trusted. I had finally moved on and opened up again to my friends, family and to someone who I thought I might be able to pursue a relationship with. I can't help but be upset with myself for allowing myself to be vulnerable and then getting screwed again, but I guess that's the way to becoming a stronger person. At least it only took a few days instead of years to find this one out. While I am upset that these guys are trying to screw me out of a few hundred dollars, what's most upsetting is the fact that people actually think its acceptable to treat others the way I am being treated. Obviously there is more to it than you will read here, but suffice it to say these guys are being huge jerks. You read the blog, the vacation was amazing. I continue to be baffled.
Allow me to share some correspondence I received from 2 of the "guests" after I sent them a bill for their accommodations, totaling just over $600 - yes, that's the TOTAL for 5 days, 2 people at that amazing villa:
From the Friend of the Friend who was supposed to be our private chef for 5 days, but instead only cooked 2 dinners and left the kitchen in a disastrous state on a daily basis. He volunteered to sleep on the couch rather than sleep with a guy he didn't know. Note how he refers to our accommodations as a hostel:
Joe, Here is a recap of the food bills for the house. Looks like 402.42. Then there is the 75.02 for the first night. I paid cash for everything else and picked up Erin and Noels dinner on the hill. I am happy to pay Erin for the flight obviously, please pay her and I will pay you when I see you. I think she comes out ahead with their food vs. my couch. I would have happily traded anyone $500.00 for a bed and a bathroom. I feel shitty quarrelling over this, but most hostels are between 10-15.00 a night, and you get a bed. P.S. Don’t do this to me again. b
01/04/2008
M P* THE FRIENDSHIP ROSE 01/03M P* THE E. Car Doll596.46 X 0.3719948 (EXCHG RTE) + 6.65 (EXCHG RTE ADJ)
$228.53
01/03/2008
M P* DORIS FRESH FOOD BE 01/02M P* DORI E. Car Doll135.45 X 0.3720192 (EXCHG RTE) + 1.51 (EXCHG RTE ADJ)
$51.90
01/02/2008
M P* CAPTAIN MACKS BAR K 12/31M P* CAPT E. Car Doll195.80 X 0.3720123 (EXCHG RTE) + 2.18 (EXCHG RTE ADJ)
$75.02
01/02/2008
M P* DORIS FRESH FOOD BE 12/31M P* DORI E. Car Doll318.40 X 0.3719849 (EXCHG RTE) + 3.55 (EXCHG RTE ADJ)
$121.99
From the Friend who I thought I could date, but obviously that didn't work out. Please note that there was never an "agreement":
Erin,Our agreement never included me paying for the villa or the rental car. Things didn't go so well for us so I feel you're trying to make me pay for it after the fact. I will pay you for the airfare. I feel like I've done plenty for you and that's that.You knew my situation before I got there and I spent plenty on the group. Brians' deal was to pay for food and cook. You never once told him that he was to pay for the villa. We discussed this beforehand. It's taken me a while to get back to you on this because this just cinched it for me. I don't understand your approach at all.I was going to itemize crap out but decided I'm not going to sink to that level. PS I received your message today. I'll put all of your stuff in a bag and drop it off to you w/ the check.
In a later email he called me a "puss" and threatened to send out pictures of me that he thinks would embarrass me. PS - it takes a lot to embarrass me, any pictures he has would not fall in that category. If anyone out there knows a mature single man who doesn't take advantage of people and knows how to have a good time without complaining about everything, please let me know!!!!
Monday, January 14, 2008
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Saturday January 5
Departure Day from Bequia
Today is the day that Suzanne, Erik and I started the journey back home through St. Vincent and Barbados. As much as everyone in Bequia tried to convince us to skip St. Vincent and extend our stay and just book a cheap apartment, we frankly were too lazy to change our plans and didn't follow the advice. Now that we are in St. Vincent we understand why Bequia is clearly the better choice, no matter where you stay. The magic of the islands doesn't exist in St. Vincent. At least not where we are. I cried today when we went to town to say goodbye to various friends I had made and I vowed to return.
As we drove to the ferry, we passed through a post-funeral gathering at the cemetery on Back Street and the sense of community was amazing. It seems as if black pants and white shirts are the clothes that people wear to demonstrate their respect, and no one made a fuss about the cars passing through, depsite the fact that the crowd was huge. As strange as it may sound, it was one of the neatest things that I saw on the island that demontstrated the culture of respect that its inhabitants have, not just among themselves, but among everyone here.
To those of my friends in Bequia who are reading this who I didn't get to say goodbye to, thank you for your kindness and generosity and for making me feel so welcome. This trip has changed me - for the better - and I have learned a lot about myself and about friendships, both good and bad. The most important thing I learned is that I am just as fun and immature as I always wished I could be, and I hope that never changes!!!!
Today is the day that Suzanne, Erik and I started the journey back home through St. Vincent and Barbados. As much as everyone in Bequia tried to convince us to skip St. Vincent and extend our stay and just book a cheap apartment, we frankly were too lazy to change our plans and didn't follow the advice. Now that we are in St. Vincent we understand why Bequia is clearly the better choice, no matter where you stay. The magic of the islands doesn't exist in St. Vincent. At least not where we are. I cried today when we went to town to say goodbye to various friends I had made and I vowed to return.
As we drove to the ferry, we passed through a post-funeral gathering at the cemetery on Back Street and the sense of community was amazing. It seems as if black pants and white shirts are the clothes that people wear to demonstrate their respect, and no one made a fuss about the cars passing through, depsite the fact that the crowd was huge. As strange as it may sound, it was one of the neatest things that I saw on the island that demontstrated the culture of respect that its inhabitants have, not just among themselves, but among everyone here.
To those of my friends in Bequia who are reading this who I didn't get to say goodbye to, thank you for your kindness and generosity and for making me feel so welcome. This trip has changed me - for the better - and I have learned a lot about myself and about friendships, both good and bad. The most important thing I learned is that I am just as fun and immature as I always wished I could be, and I hope that never changes!!!!
Friday January 4
OK sorry that the days got a little messed up there, wrong order, but right descriptions of the days. Blog posting issue. Anyhow, we took Jan. 1 off as a recovery/beach day (no post) and I really, really wish we could have just skipped January 4th entirely. After a day like yesterday, a recovery day is inevitable, but we all kind of felt like we had gotten our butts kicked (at least I did), not to mention that I had to deal with the fact that I've almost lost half of my big toe. With the lack of medical assistance / first aid supplies on this island, I must admit I am a little scared of what might happen to it, especially since I have heard that living without a big toe is very difficult.
I can't believe that the time has already come for Joe, Brian and Jill to leave, they had to catch the 6:30 a.m. ferry to start making their trek back to the good old U.S. of A. I hopped in the cab with Jill at 6 a.m. so I could go pick up the TOT that was left down by our departure location from yesterday's festivities. I am pleased to say that the kindness of the Bequians (is that the right word??) once again was evident, as all of the items that I seemed to have been missing as a result of Thursday's activities were kindly placed on top of the spare tire of the TOT. Not sure who placed them there, but thank you :) You see, once people get to know you here, they know what car you are driving. Would make it hard to sneak around here to the extent that you had a reason to sneak around. I can't imagine one but just thought I would point that out.
Although I was scheduled for another dive at 9 a.m., I elected not to risk having to be airlifted off the island to the nearest hyperbaric chamber and decided get some much-needed rest instead. Suzanne and I then determined that the best course of treatment for our current state was detoxifying massages down at Jack's on Princess Margaret beach. That was pretty much the activity of the day, and the rest was spent drinking lots of H2O. As much as we had previously talked up a big Friday night farewell dinner at the Devil's Table followed by drinks at the Frangi, we couldn't muster up the energy and insted enjoyed leftovers from Mac's pizza (which was our lunch), some macaroni and cheese and reruns of Law and Order. Kind of like my usual Friday nights in Chicago. I am getting very sad to leave, and have the feeling that to the extent last night was my last appearance, I may have left a lasting impression ...... Like I mentioned earlier, I always like to go out on a good note...............................
I can't believe that the time has already come for Joe, Brian and Jill to leave, they had to catch the 6:30 a.m. ferry to start making their trek back to the good old U.S. of A. I hopped in the cab with Jill at 6 a.m. so I could go pick up the TOT that was left down by our departure location from yesterday's festivities. I am pleased to say that the kindness of the Bequians (is that the right word??) once again was evident, as all of the items that I seemed to have been missing as a result of Thursday's activities were kindly placed on top of the spare tire of the TOT. Not sure who placed them there, but thank you :) You see, once people get to know you here, they know what car you are driving. Would make it hard to sneak around here to the extent that you had a reason to sneak around. I can't imagine one but just thought I would point that out.
Although I was scheduled for another dive at 9 a.m., I elected not to risk having to be airlifted off the island to the nearest hyperbaric chamber and decided get some much-needed rest instead. Suzanne and I then determined that the best course of treatment for our current state was detoxifying massages down at Jack's on Princess Margaret beach. That was pretty much the activity of the day, and the rest was spent drinking lots of H2O. As much as we had previously talked up a big Friday night farewell dinner at the Devil's Table followed by drinks at the Frangi, we couldn't muster up the energy and insted enjoyed leftovers from Mac's pizza (which was our lunch), some macaroni and cheese and reruns of Law and Order. Kind of like my usual Friday nights in Chicago. I am getting very sad to leave, and have the feeling that to the extent last night was my last appearance, I may have left a lasting impression ...... Like I mentioned earlier, I always like to go out on a good note...............................
Friday, January 4, 2008
Wednesday January 2
Cocktail Party Day
About a week ago I decided that I needed a way to show my appreciation to all of my new Bequia friends and planned a little happy hour at our place. I wasn’t really sure if anyone would show up because of 2 problems: (1) I am so Mary Tyler Moore when it comes to throwing parties – this is pathetic to admit but I have been known to throw a party or plan a book club meeting (well, let’s be honest, it was a magazine club) and have no one show up and (2) the problem I told you earlier – you can never really remember what day it is here because it is like Groundhog Day, every day is the same: sun, sand, food and drink. Sleep. Repeat. Maybe that is why they have the Thursday night Jump Ups at the Frangi - it helps everyone keep track of what day it is! In any event, most of the people I invited did remember to come by and I’m pleased to say it was a success. I love that its not socially unacceptable here for one to throw a party while still in beach wear and to serve chips and salsa and oreos. Below is a picture with a few of my island friends. And also a picture of the storm that rolled in for a short visit.
We followed up the party with another great local dinner, this time at Sugar Hill right down the road. All of the Christmas lights from the lighting competition were up and our perfect view of them from the patio made for a beautiful scene.
\I had the lobster and luckily it wasn’t served the way it sometimes is where you have to wear a bib. Not that I’m against wearing a bib when necessary but I still would have felt a little goofy. I’ll throw a party in a bathing suit but would feel goofy wearing a bib. Odd.
Back to the story. It wasn’t until we were walking out that we discovered our old friend Frosty was part of the display, so we had to stop and get a photo. The grinch was also present but it wasn’t so easy to get to him….
About a week ago I decided that I needed a way to show my appreciation to all of my new Bequia friends and planned a little happy hour at our place. I wasn’t really sure if anyone would show up because of 2 problems: (1) I am so Mary Tyler Moore when it comes to throwing parties – this is pathetic to admit but I have been known to throw a party or plan a book club meeting (well, let’s be honest, it was a magazine club) and have no one show up and (2) the problem I told you earlier – you can never really remember what day it is here because it is like Groundhog Day, every day is the same: sun, sand, food and drink. Sleep. Repeat. Maybe that is why they have the Thursday night Jump Ups at the Frangi - it helps everyone keep track of what day it is! In any event, most of the people I invited did remember to come by and I’m pleased to say it was a success. I love that its not socially unacceptable here for one to throw a party while still in beach wear and to serve chips and salsa and oreos. Below is a picture with a few of my island friends. And also a picture of the storm that rolled in for a short visit.
King King, the gals with Chris (I can't remember their names!), Lisa, Chris, Noel, Suzanne and Emmett
We followed up the party with another great local dinner, this time at Sugar Hill right down the road. All of the Christmas lights from the lighting competition were up and our perfect view of them from the patio made for a beautiful scene.
\I had the lobster and luckily it wasn’t served the way it sometimes is where you have to wear a bib. Not that I’m against wearing a bib when necessary but I still would have felt a little goofy. I’ll throw a party in a bathing suit but would feel goofy wearing a bib. Odd.
Back to the story. It wasn’t until we were walking out that we discovered our old friend Frosty was part of the display, so we had to stop and get a photo. The grinch was also present but it wasn’t so easy to get to him….
Noel, Suzanne, Frosty, Erin and Jill
Thursday January 3
Day at Isle a Quatre with Michael Tours
Today was the last full day for Joe, Brian and Jill, so we booked what is supposed to be a really great day on a deserted island, hoping to pack in as much fun as possible. Well, I think it is safe to say that our hopes were fulfilled and then some. After dropping us on a deserted beach on Isle a Quatre (a small island not far from here), Michael, Junior and Albert went to work on the lunch preparations at the makeshift barbeque about 100 yards away. Suzanne and I swam down the beach around 1 to get some grub and Albert happened to be waiting at the beach just right around the corner and asked us who was the stronger swimmer. Not having any idea why he was asking or any gauge of Suzanne’s swimming skills, I immediately shouted “I am! I am!”. He then informed us that he had forgotten some drink ingredients on the boat and asked me to swim out to the boat to get them. Thankfully Suzanne came too, because there is no way I would have been able to swim back with 2 bottles. Ever have to swim in the ocean while carrying a full bottle of Mount Gay Rum? It’s not easy. But at least if I ever do it again I know that a modified backstroke is the way to go.
The rum punch was then complete and went down a little too easily, as you will shortly decipher from the remainder of the days events. Actually, I think its just best to show some photos. But first I need to compliment Michael on the world’s best potato salad. The chicken was also fantastic but the potato salad was unbeatable. If I could get that and a tuna melt from Da Reef I would be so very happy.
The girls, intrigued by Albert's stories
The soiree sure was nice, much better than one with oreos and chips and salsa. It was also quite crowded, but all of our local friends were there, several of whom pointed out to me that my skirt was on inside out. We provided some good entertainment for all, and everyone understood once they knew that we were out with Michael all day. One of our friends was nice enough to arrange for us to get a ride over to the Salty Dog because he thought we might want some food. Thank God.
We finally headed home about an hour later (thank you Nigil and Jill!) to find that our gate was closed and the remote was in the car which was still at the harbor. This is where the lack of flip flops came back to haunt me. Luckily we were not forced to climb the fence and were able to get through the neighbor’s gate, but as I walked through the landscaping I managed to practically cut off my big toe on some odd piece of vegetation. Its not good and will prevent me from pretty much any more activity involving putting on a shoe, sock, a flipper or something that requires walking longer than a block. Trip home should be interesting.
Today was the last full day for Joe, Brian and Jill, so we booked what is supposed to be a really great day on a deserted island, hoping to pack in as much fun as possible. Well, I think it is safe to say that our hopes were fulfilled and then some. After dropping us on a deserted beach on Isle a Quatre (a small island not far from here), Michael, Junior and Albert went to work on the lunch preparations at the makeshift barbeque about 100 yards away. Suzanne and I swam down the beach around 1 to get some grub and Albert happened to be waiting at the beach just right around the corner and asked us who was the stronger swimmer. Not having any idea why he was asking or any gauge of Suzanne’s swimming skills, I immediately shouted “I am! I am!”. He then informed us that he had forgotten some drink ingredients on the boat and asked me to swim out to the boat to get them. Thankfully Suzanne came too, because there is no way I would have been able to swim back with 2 bottles. Ever have to swim in the ocean while carrying a full bottle of Mount Gay Rum? It’s not easy. But at least if I ever do it again I know that a modified backstroke is the way to go.
The rum punch was then complete and went down a little too easily, as you will shortly decipher from the remainder of the days events. Actually, I think its just best to show some photos. But first I need to compliment Michael on the world’s best potato salad. The chicken was also fantastic but the potato salad was unbeatable. If I could get that and a tuna melt from Da Reef I would be so very happy.
Jill, Junior, Erin and Suzanne
Michael and Jill
[All relatives might want to skip this part…..] On the way back, Michael made a stop at Lower Bay, we weren’t really sure why, but took advantage and jumped in the water for a little more goofing around. That wasn’t really that great of an idea since the 3 lovely ladies planned to go to a party as soon as we got back to the dock. Given that my bathing suit was all wet and I wanted to present myself well at the party (lost cause at this point) I determined that not putting my shirt on over my wet bikini top was a good idea, and when I put my skirt on, apparently it was inside out. But hey its just a white linen skirt so who could really tell?? I also went sans flip flops, which later proved to be a big mistake. I’ve now attended 2 parties in my bathing suit with beach wear over it, but this was a new one, in just my bikini top and skirt. I guess I wanted to show off my tan.
Jill, Andre and Erin
The soiree sure was nice, much better than one with oreos and chips and salsa. It was also quite crowded, but all of our local friends were there, several of whom pointed out to me that my skirt was on inside out. We provided some good entertainment for all, and everyone understood once they knew that we were out with Michael all day. One of our friends was nice enough to arrange for us to get a ride over to the Salty Dog because he thought we might want some food. Thank God.
We finally headed home about an hour later (thank you Nigil and Jill!) to find that our gate was closed and the remote was in the car which was still at the harbor. This is where the lack of flip flops came back to haunt me. Luckily we were not forced to climb the fence and were able to get through the neighbor’s gate, but as I walked through the landscaping I managed to practically cut off my big toe on some odd piece of vegetation. Its not good and will prevent me from pretty much any more activity involving putting on a shoe, sock, a flipper or something that requires walking longer than a block. Trip home should be interesting.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Monday December 31
Big day today. Old Year’s Night in Bequia. Yachts and sailboats come from all over the Caribbean and farther to be in the bay for the celebration tonight. I had been looking forward to tonight ever since I arrived, so I wanted to pass the daytime as quickly as possible. Isn’t it funny how sitting at a desk for 8 hours (or, in my case, 4-5 hours, who are we kidding here……) can fly by if you are busy, yet if you have the day off you realize how long 8 hours actually is? Today was kind of like that. I wanted to get out of the house early since the maid was coming, and we managed to do a good job of getting people motivated and out of the house by 10 a.m. so we could head to town to see if we could buy any fresh fish and grab a bunch of other stuff for the dinner Brian was going to prepare for us. As you can imagine, fishing is a very important part of life in Bequia and every morning, the restaurant owners, locals and tourists wait to hear the blow of the conch shell in the harbor which signals that the fishermen have arrived in with their catches of the day. This is why I said before that the menus here are “guidelines” as there are no guarantees of food supply. We weren’t sure if we missed it or if they never arrived, but the only thing Brian was able to get was conch, which was from a restaurant owner that he had befriended the night before, not from the fish market.
We decided to head to Lower Bay, as I expected that today it would be the place to be rather than Princess Margaret, but there weren’t too many people there. We had some nice sun time at the beach before it started raining, which is when we ran for cover at DaReef and thought it was a great opportunity to have another tuna melt. Still not on the menu. So sad.
Brian prepared a 3-course gourmet dinner for us before we headed to my favorite place to partake in the Old Year’s festivities. We were smart and called a taxi, but it started raining just as he was pulling up. When it rains, the taxis have covers that they put on the back so that the passengers don’t get (too) wet riding in the back of the pickup truck. The driver put them all down for us and Jill made the greatest comment: “This is just like being on M*A*S*H!”. Maybe it isn’t funny the second time around, particularly if you weren’t there, but we all found it quite hilarious.
We decided to head to Lower Bay, as I expected that today it would be the place to be rather than Princess Margaret, but there weren’t too many people there. We had some nice sun time at the beach before it started raining, which is when we ran for cover at DaReef and thought it was a great opportunity to have another tuna melt. Still not on the menu. So sad.
Brian prepared a 3-course gourmet dinner for us before we headed to my favorite place to partake in the Old Year’s festivities. We were smart and called a taxi, but it started raining just as he was pulling up. When it rains, the taxis have covers that they put on the back so that the passengers don’t get (too) wet riding in the back of the pickup truck. The driver put them all down for us and Jill made the greatest comment: “This is just like being on M*A*S*H!”. Maybe it isn’t funny the second time around, particularly if you weren’t there, but we all found it quite hilarious.
Anyway, we made it to the Frangi safe, sound and dry just in time for the rain to stop. For those of you who have not been here, let me set the scene: an outdoor bar on the beachfront with white sparkling Christmas lights, a steel drum band playing on the beach with a sand dance floor, lots of white Adirondack chairs and picnic tables filled with people enjoying a front row seat for the decorated sailboats in the harbor and the sound of the surf in the background.
And tonight the atmosphere was packed with fun in anticipation of the midnight fireworks. Shortly before midnight, everyone crowded the beachfront, the pier and the shallow water and we were all treated to a great fireworks display accompanied by the horns of the boats in the harbor. Can you beat it? I don’t think so.
Our perfect evening was topped off by a funny event that made me feel a little better about the events of Saturday night – our taxi driver couldn’t get up the hill to our villa. Stuck on the same gravel patch where things went south for us 2 nights ago, which ended up being quite the bummer because walking up to the house on a long steep incline after our festivities was not easy! But it sure beats trying to find a cab in freezing cold Chicago on New Year’s!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Sunday December 30
HAPPY THIRD BIRTHDAY FINN!!!!!!
The only way I even know what day of the week it is anymore is because I count the days before or after an event. Today I knew it was Sunday because today was the day that the rest of the guests arrived. While I’m happy for them to finally be here, I’m also sad because it means my time here is coming to an end. One week left then its off to St. Vincent and Barbados before heading home. I’m kicking myself for that plan, I would love to just stay here, not just for those extra 3 days but for a long time. Jill and I have been trying to concoct business plans so that we can live that dream but its going to take some time :)
The guests weren’t coming in until mid and late afternoon so we had several hours to kill. The original plan was to go to Lower Bay for the Sunday fun, but mother nature interfered. Last night and today were similar to the storm that came through when I got here, and hopefully it will pass before New Year’s Eve (Old Year’s Night) as we plan to spend the evening outdoors. We gave De Bistro the third and final chance and I have to say it gets the thumbs down. I know that the staff is shy and things move at a slower pace here but the service is just ridiculously slow, and the food is mediocre. Oh well. As much as I wanted to order the French toast again, I refrained and just got an average omelet and a really, really fatty piece of bacon. Boo.
After an unnecessarily long breakfast we ran some errands and witnessed something that disturbed me all day and probably will continue to haunt me for a while. I realize the whole cycle of life thing, but those of you who know me know that I am a big-time animal lover. I even save bugs that I find in my house by setting them free outside rather than kill them. We saw a pickup truck pull up to one of the stores with 2 cute goats in the back with ropes around their necks tied to the bed of the truck. The ropes around their necks aren’t unusual, most of the goats here are tied to a very small area and seem perfectly happy grazing and napping in a 3 square foot area. We kind of guessed why the goats were there as goat is a popular meat here (I did enjoy a fantastic goat water soup at Fernanado’s last night…) but I chose to keep that out of my head. Later in the day when we drove by that same store, we saw large pieces of raw meat (for lack of a better description) being butchered on a table outside the store. I know it wasn’t THOSE 2 goats but it still made me sick to my stomach. Maybe I’ll become a vegetarian in the new year.
All four guests arrived without incident and luckily without the tour of every island in the Grenadines that Jill had. We had a great authentic local dinner of chicken curry at Captain Mack’s which was arranged by our gracious villa host Patriece and we of course then went to the Frangi for drinks. It was odd to be reminded of the stress from home that Suzanne unfortunately had to bring with her from work and unrealistic expectations that everyone had of what life on this island would be like. No Walgreens, no Whole Foods, no DirectTV package. We are lucky to have a road to our villa, the rest is all a bonus. I felt like a local, actually taking it a little too personally that people didn’t immediately find this to be the same paradise that I have come to know. Hopefully within a few days they will love it here as much as I do and realize that the inconveniences of being here is what makes this island the unique escape that it is.
The only way I even know what day of the week it is anymore is because I count the days before or after an event. Today I knew it was Sunday because today was the day that the rest of the guests arrived. While I’m happy for them to finally be here, I’m also sad because it means my time here is coming to an end. One week left then its off to St. Vincent and Barbados before heading home. I’m kicking myself for that plan, I would love to just stay here, not just for those extra 3 days but for a long time. Jill and I have been trying to concoct business plans so that we can live that dream but its going to take some time :)
The guests weren’t coming in until mid and late afternoon so we had several hours to kill. The original plan was to go to Lower Bay for the Sunday fun, but mother nature interfered. Last night and today were similar to the storm that came through when I got here, and hopefully it will pass before New Year’s Eve (Old Year’s Night) as we plan to spend the evening outdoors. We gave De Bistro the third and final chance and I have to say it gets the thumbs down. I know that the staff is shy and things move at a slower pace here but the service is just ridiculously slow, and the food is mediocre. Oh well. As much as I wanted to order the French toast again, I refrained and just got an average omelet and a really, really fatty piece of bacon. Boo.
After an unnecessarily long breakfast we ran some errands and witnessed something that disturbed me all day and probably will continue to haunt me for a while. I realize the whole cycle of life thing, but those of you who know me know that I am a big-time animal lover. I even save bugs that I find in my house by setting them free outside rather than kill them. We saw a pickup truck pull up to one of the stores with 2 cute goats in the back with ropes around their necks tied to the bed of the truck. The ropes around their necks aren’t unusual, most of the goats here are tied to a very small area and seem perfectly happy grazing and napping in a 3 square foot area. We kind of guessed why the goats were there as goat is a popular meat here (I did enjoy a fantastic goat water soup at Fernanado’s last night…) but I chose to keep that out of my head. Later in the day when we drove by that same store, we saw large pieces of raw meat (for lack of a better description) being butchered on a table outside the store. I know it wasn’t THOSE 2 goats but it still made me sick to my stomach. Maybe I’ll become a vegetarian in the new year.
All four guests arrived without incident and luckily without the tour of every island in the Grenadines that Jill had. We had a great authentic local dinner of chicken curry at Captain Mack’s which was arranged by our gracious villa host Patriece and we of course then went to the Frangi for drinks. It was odd to be reminded of the stress from home that Suzanne unfortunately had to bring with her from work and unrealistic expectations that everyone had of what life on this island would be like. No Walgreens, no Whole Foods, no DirectTV package. We are lucky to have a road to our villa, the rest is all a bonus. I felt like a local, actually taking it a little too personally that people didn’t immediately find this to be the same paradise that I have come to know. Hopefully within a few days they will love it here as much as I do and realize that the inconveniences of being here is what makes this island the unique escape that it is.
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