Week on the Beach

One week on the beach. Got here on December 12 and now it is the 19. Time flies even when you are doing very little. The crowd comes and goes here. I am now a regular or long term guy. I have managed to get to know a few people here, but just when you think you are getting to know people they head home and a new bunch comes. A lot of people seem to be heading home for Christmas at the end of this week, so it will be interesting to see who is still here after that.
Got up on the 15th in a bit of a down mood. Had met an old English guy named Iver who wanted to show some of us a shortcut across the island. The party crowd was too hungover so Iver, Sam (English guy), and myself went. Was a nice walk and we went to a viewpoint

on the other side. Quite nice over there with some higher end resorts. Interesting that I had walked a lot of the route while being lost on the previous day. Got back in time for a tan, swim and another Spanish lesson. Decided I would go down the beach to the Monkey Island bar which was having a birthday party. Went too early and it wasn’t open, so I went to the village for supper and a beer. Came back by 8 pm and saw people just sitting around the restaurant in there little groups. Decided to sit out on the beach and enjoy the night. Did that for a while and then went to bed. Woke early in the morning to laughing and nude swimmers coming back from the bar party.
Got up on the 16th to a quiet place. People were starting to settle in after a couple days of having too much fun. Found a nice quiet place down the beach to tan and swim. Had decided to not worry about other people and just deal with my own happiness. Had a good morning and got into some conversations with Frank (Swiss guy) and Mel (German lady). Spent the day reading, Spanish lesson, and just hanging out. Ended up going to another bar birthday party with Frank. Was fun, but a pretty quiet affair. Nice to get out away from the resort for a night. The 17th was very much like the day before. Down the beach to tan and swim. Back for a Spanish lesson and more reading. Sat down for a quiet supper when Mel and an American couple sat down with me. Mel was having a bad day, so she bought a bottle of whiskey and we sat talking, laughing, and telling stories. When that bottle was gone, I got a bottle, then the Americans followed suit. My quiet evening became a fun filled affair. We all went down the beach for a walk after the restaurant shut down and then for a swim with the plankton. Nice night with lots of plankton in the water. Turned out to be a good day and night. Things are turning around with the making of new friends. The 18th was not the same. Lots of wind and the tide was high when I got up. Waded down to my private little spot, but found a girl, sunbathing in the nude. I decided to let her have the beach and I went back to the restaurant. Met Mel there. She had seen an octopus while snorkeling the day before so I went snorkeling with her to find it. Didn’t see it but saw lots of fish. Was fun and will probably do that again with her. We spent the afternoon wandering around the village. Had a nice supper and then settled in for a game of Yahtzee with Mel and another German guy (Dominick). Was fun with lots of laughs. Went to bed content that these little bits of social interaction were making my stay exactly what I wanted.
So today is the 19th and I am sitting on my veranda relaxing after a bit of time on the beach and then a laundry session with Mel and another German girl. I have laundry hung to dry all over my veranda. Needed to do laundry so we all did it in a bucket in my bathroom. Had to teach them a few things about how to do laundry by hand. Actually they probably taught me more.