Catching up the last week

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10/18 Wanchow and I went back to Almirante where I can use my credit card as money is flowing like water into my house. I bought a water tank, toilet, sink, inflatable mattress, mosquito net, plumbing, and some varnish. I bought Wanchow a fridge and washer/dryer in lieu of some cash. We had quite a load in our little boat.


10/20 Patty and Tim left. They're hopping a sailboat out of Pa City to San Blas, then Cartagena, Colombia. Believe it or not, Columbia is the nicest spot in Latin America these days. Tim and I got along great. They will be missed. Tomorrow windows will be put in at the shack. I decided I want them to open upward to the inside. Then when I shut them, I'll slide a plank across to lock them, medevial style. There is a problem with one corner of the house being too high-not level, but W says he can fix it without removing the siding, I think that's impossible, so we'll see.

10/21 Bocas Town had a local talent show in the town park. Hilarious! I'll post the videos when I have time. I'm spending more and more time at the house. Internet will be very sporadic.

10/22 Today I moved into my house. I have no water, no electricity, no furniture, no bathroom. After the windows were finished and the crew left, I swept an area clean, and rushed to rig my mosquito net with some twine and inflate my bed before dark. I hauled my gear and some drinking water up the ridge, and stopped to help some locals fell a tree. 3 of us tugged on some rope while one chopped to pull it down in the right direction. Then the monsoon came. I grabbed my soap, put on my swimsuit and bathed in the rain. Then it was a nice can of tuna and a green pepper. Now I'm lying on my inflatable mattress as it pours with the computer to light the way until the battery runs out.

After a breakfast of fresh pineapple cut with a machete, the challenge today was to build a table using only scrap wood. I only sawed the 4 legs even, then fashioned the rest piecemeal. It's crooked but solid with no wobble. Then I had to find my "bathroom" in the jungle. I cleaned up some around my lot, but it was very slippery from the rain last night. Now, I'm using my little table to type this while watching the customers roll in to the restaurant next door. I'm itching to get started with my restaurant, but alas, the money has run out. I have to keep enough back to pay the annual bills at Dolphin Bay and to get out of here. I'm really not looking forward to getting back to the states and finding some crap job where every second is excruciating agony. But, it's either that or sell my precious metals, but now is not yet the time. Well. I'm pretty sweaty and stinky, so let's hope for rain so I can shower. The goal is to live here for a month on 5 dollars a day. Next Wednesday, I should get my water tank hooked up, so at least I can pour a bucket of water over myself - but that's several days away. Les Stroud would be proud of me.

10/24 Getting pretty stinky. I bathe when it rains and crap in the jungle. At night my entertainment is sitting on my dark deck and listening to the conversation at the restaurant next door.

Monday, the floor miracle. I actually figured out how to do it and Wanchow agreed. Since, by pure luck, it's the section that will be the kitchen, then the counters, sink, etc. will cover the fudge job.

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