June 10
Jeff picked me up at 10am. He happened to also work for a horseback riding company so he offered to go horseback riding. First, I needed some coffee and food. Appropriately nourished we traveled to another part of the island and world I had yet to see, Hell.
'nough said
This small little hut located over the some patch of rock was given the affectionate name of hell by accident and it stuck. Now a tourist trap complete with photo op with the devil, postcards that can be stamped from hell, and even a passport stamp from hell.
It's official!
Making friends with Devil :)
From here we drove up to a horse stable he worked at to meet our hosts for the day, First Lady and Summer. We were going horseback riding on the beach and were going to take the horses swimming. I’ve ridden horses a lot but swimming was a whole new thing. I wasn’t sure how I felt about being on the back of a very large animal out in the ocean. Jeff assured me it was safe and well worth the trip.
Off we went trotting down the beach getting to see areas of the island that few people do. We passed a couple of other horse tour groups, but it was fantastic having my own personal guide. We went through mangrove forests, over to areas looking for stingrays, and even saw a second shoe tree. There are apparently three on the island. I felt my love of the shoe tree diminish when I found out it was being franchised all over the island.
Riding through the mangroves.
On the way back we stopped, took off the saddles and got the horses ready for their ocean dip. My guide, First Lady, was eager to get into the water and cool off. Without a moments hesitation, more on her part than mine, we were diving into the Carribbean waters. The water level rising around us, I could feel her bouyancy start to build and how the waves jostled her and me on her back. I had no saddle, was holding onto her mane for balance, trying not to hold onto too tight to the reigns, and giving my abs and thighs a workout gripping to hold on.
Enjoying my ride down the beach
A small but forceful wave hit us and I was almost knocked off as she dipped to the side. I had visions of this huge horse tumbling over onto me in the shallow water. She could feel me stiffen and pull back on the reigns as I was fighting to keep my balance when she started to make all sorts of noises at me. She stopped, waited for me to get comfortable and made some perfect horse noise, that seemed to me to say, “you ready now?” Taking a deep breath and deciding to go with the flow I loosened the death grip of my thighs and let my legs drift in the current she was creating. I let go of her mane and loosened the reigns. Off we went swimming. I looked behind us and the shore seemed like a mile away with coral reefs spotting the sandy floor. Swimming with a horse in the Carribbean was never on my bucket list but I’m so glad I got to do it. This was fantastic!
Our view from the beach
A successful return to shore and then a gallop back to the stables I thanked First Lady for my guided tour of the island and the ocean. It was the perfect way to spend my last day of vacation on the island.
I had just enough time to shower, pack, and head to the airport. Jeff picked me up and took me for one last tourist spot, the Tower, to see the view from the highest place on the island. A gorgeous view! Now I was ready. I was ready and excited to return to life and creating my future.
July 9 Not getting much rest with the sun streaming in again I got up and headed to breakfast again where I met Andreas and his friend. Sadly we had missed each other yesterday and they thought I would be here today. They had plans to take me to the latest club that sounded like it belonged in New York more than Cuba. We made plans to discuss a future educational trip and a future club visit.
I had a few hours before my flight back so I took another walk and then hopped a cab to the airport. Standing in line at the check-in counter I looked over my shoulder and there was Jeff from the flight over. We compared our Cuba experiences. He got his wallet and credit cards stolen out of his room when he went down for breakfast. He didn’t even have enough money to pay the airport tax to get out of the country. He made it and I used my remaining Cuban pesos to buy him some food and a beer before the flight. Despite all of that he still had a good time.
I had one day left in the Cayman’s before I was headed back home (wherever that is right now). He offered to take me to my next airbnb destination and back to the airport the following day as a thank you. This saved me money and hassle of renting a car and having to drive on the other side of the road. He had a limited number of days left on the island and offered to show me around to some of the tourist sites the next day. Sure, why not?
July 8 The sun was shining through my flimsy curtains telling me
it was time to get up and explore this new city and country. I looked
out my 13th floor window and took in the early morning activity of
Havana below. I wondered if they were just getting up or if people were
still up from the night before. Forget New York, this is the real city
that doesn’t sleep.
My morning view
Doing my morning ritual journaling, reading,
and just centering myself, I felt excited and happy about this place. I
walked out to the beautiful terrace to meet other guests enjoying their
breakfast. I said hello to Romano and the rest of the family and waited
while they prepared my delicious breakfast. In the meantime I made
friends with Andreas, a Cuban-American who teaches in the U.S. and
brings a group of students down here to teach them Public Health,
Healing, and Humanities. As this unfolded in his introduction, I
couldn’t help but smile and think, the Universe does provide when you
let go. It was my turn for the elevator pitch...his jaw dropped open.
“Nicole! This is perfect, I would love for my students to listen to you
and hear your perspective. Can you come spend time with us?” He was in a
rush to get to class but we promised to touch base later today and
figure out the details.
My delicious breakfast and delightful
Cuban coffee were awaiting me. I gobbled down the freshly cut mango,
papaya, and pineapple and pretty much chugged the fresh guava juice.
Breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day, if you can’t tell.
Anyway, fully nourished I descended down to street level to explore the
city. As cheesy as it sounds I had heard good recommendations for the
hop-on-hop-off tour here which luckily picked up right down the street. I
know this screams tourist to people, but I’ve done this a couple of
times in cities in which I lived and I love it. It’s fun to be a tourist
and you get to learn a lot of fun factoids about the city you’re are
touring.
Some fancy monument
Enjoying the ride!
I boarded the little bus around Havana and went
straight for the top to get the bird’s eye view. Like I said, usually
you learn little tidbits about the city, but I quickly found out their
announcer sounded more like Charlie Brown’s teacher. ...wahwah wah wah
wah wahwah. I could make out the occasional Cuba in there. Oh well. We
cruised by some rather large buildings with Che and Fidel marked on the
outside, some large memorial, a cemetary, a university, a lot of fancy
hotels including the Copacabana none of which I knew the significance.
The best part of the tour really was seeing the street life. Kids
playing soccer in the alleys, people out walking everywhere, teenagers
in their school uniforms, old men sitting on the sidewalk playing chess
while old ladies were hanging laundry from their balconies (I’m a little
obsessed with laundry in other countries...I think it tells the real
story of a country to see what their undies look like ;) ).
The local undies ;)
Love the taxis here
The local graffiti
We
arrived at the parque central which looked like there was some hustle
and bustle to explore so I deboarded the bus. Immediately thinking I
should have brought a guidebook, I noticed that an English speaking
couple was behind me so I asked if they knew what highlights were there
to see. They invited me to have a beer while I looked at their
guidebook. Perfect! This letting go thing was really working out for
me.
Some quick introductions once we were seated at one of the
alleyway cafes, I had just met Ruth and Jarred from some back woods town
in New Zealand. They were vacationing here and in Mexico for the last
month. Our one drink turned into three as we talked about our travel
experiences and watched life happen around us. We laughed as we saw
baskets come down from upper level windows and saw waiters place food
and drinks in them and then were magically whisked away again. I call
that service.
After our drinks we meandered through town and
just enjoyed life. At some point Jarred was offered an opportunity to
make a business transaction (read between the lines)....Ruth and I
decided to wait and look around elsewhere. In the meantime two lovely
ladies standing on the corner of Cuba attracted a lot of taxi offers but
also offered some great people watching time. No one was in a hurry
here. We sat and watched two pedi-cab drivers who, after we so nicely
turned them down for a ride, resumed their chess game in their pedicab. I
think they were 16 at the oldest. People weren’t solo, they interacted.
They weren’t face down in their phones (and yes they had iphones
there). They played and danced in the streets. They stopped to talked to
each other. They smiled and laughed. They seemed happy with life.
Pedi-cab chess session
Time
passed and Ruth and I were getting hungry and starting to worry we were
about to have some real life “stuck abroad” episode. We went in search
of Jarred. He emerged hot and sweaty from the crowd up the street
recounting his woes of an almost scam. International incident averted we
set our sights on food.
Apparently pizza is the thing to have
here, but only when it’s from a whole-in-the-wall establishment that
only takes the common Cuban pesos not the government Cuban currency.
Much harder to find than you would think but we put together our
Inspector Gadget and Penny skills and found the perfect place. Now to
see if my Spanish could negotiate some margarita pizza. Ten minutes
later we had our own personal deep dish margarita pizza that we ate on
the corner while the owner of the place looked out after us.
Pizza time!
Watchful eyes of the owner
The
three of us spent the rest of the day walking all over Havana, looking
in shops, art galleries, and museums with interspersed beer breaks to
stay hydrated in the hot sweaty environment. By early evening I needed
to go back for a shower. I think I probably had sweat out my body weight
and needed to rest and rehydrate with water. I said fairwell to my
travel and walking buddies and wished them luck on the rest of their
journey.
How the locals do it
Re-emerging back out into Havana after some rest, I was
headed for the Hotel Nacional. They are apparently known for their
famous mojitos (my favorite drink aside from margaritas) so obviously I
had to try one before I left. I walked through the neighborhoods amazed
at how huge dilapidated houses were next to even larger grandiose well
preserved houses. Every home seemed to have a sundry store or mini
restaurant in it to help with revenue. Every stoop also seemed to have
one or two people occupying it. Eventually I arrived at the hotel, again
feeling sticky with sweat and making a bee line for the bar. Mojito or
not I needed a cold drink pronto.
I sat down under the shade
only to get up again to take some pictures of a gorgeous sunset. I asked
the guy next to me to take a picture of me with my mojito and found out
that he had just arrived from London a couple of hours ago. Andy, a
travel agent, had been up for over 45 hours trying to get from Bristol
to Havana. His British wit and sarcasm met my dry humor and we spent the
next several hours discussing travel, movies, and bucket lists
appreciating the art of conversation, Cuban music, local beer, mojitos,
and daquiris (did you know they were invented in Cuba?).
It's gettin hot in here...
Before
I knew it, it was 11PM. I was starving and he looked knackered. We said
our good byes and I set off for one of the recommended restaurants
wondering if they would be open. Lots of people were still out on the
streets even in the quieter neighborhoods I was walking through. Turns
out that I had nothing to worry about. This town truly doesn’t sleep and
you can find pretty much anything at any hour. I could get used to
this.
July 7
I know there were probably a few WTFs? that came after my last post. I’m sure I gave my sister a nice panic attack. I know most of you are thinking, Cuba, but I thought we can’t go there. Partially true. Thanks to my ‘Professional’ status as a doctora I can come here to do research. You can also come if you are a journalist of some sort doing an article (we’ll count my blog), or if you are here on an educational trip through a university or group, or if you have family. I think there are a couple of other ways in, but those are the highlights for the legal routes that don’t require paperwork. There are also the other non-kosher ways of going through a third country that is Cuba friendly. Cayman is one of those, so is Jamaica and numerous countries in Central and South America.
After I came to Cayman I found out how common it is for US ex-pats to go off to Cuba for a weekend trip. It’s a 40 minute flight into another world. Why wouldn’t you?
Alright, so now that we have my legal status squared away you’re probably wondering what research I’m doing. First, Cuba has some of the best healthcare and healthcare education around despite the limitations. I was put into contact with people who do what we refer to in the US as integrative medicine but here it is just medicine. Because of sanctions and very limited supply to affordable pharmaceuticals Cuba has one of the largest botanical industries in healthcare with dedicated farms, distributers, and dispensaries. They also somehow manage to provide a fully competent allopathic medical education along with education in “alternative” medicine techniques. Here the two go hand-in-hand. I was curious to see how this was done.
Excited about the opportunities I made some arrangements that promptly fell through the day I came here. Having just made a pact with my friend, Charlie, that for the next 30 days we were going to let go of expectations and allow the Universe to manifest wonderful opportunities for us, I decided to trust, have faith and let go. It would work out.
I said good bye to my wonderful hosts and new friends, Toufic and to Jenni. I was feeling anxious about my plans or lack there of in the airport. I was nervous about everything working out...there it was, the expectation. As I walked out the door to the plane I told myself to let go and trust. So I did. I arrived at the last part of the gangway right before getting on the plane and I felt it, that bubbling excitement, joy, and light that makes me want to giggle and laugh like I am five. It always happens right before I get onto plane when I’m headed to a fantastic adventures. Okay, now I could really let go.
Cayman Airport was packed!
I arrived in Havana with a new found sense of calm. I didn’t have Cuban pesos, I didn’t have a ride, much less know where I was going, my cell phone didn’t work, but I’m letting go of control and joining the flow (no I’m not on drugs).
The view on entry
Feeling oddly at peace and in my own little world of travel bliss an American voice starting talking to me, “You been here before?” I turned to find, Jeff, a US citizen who had been living in the Caymans for the past year and whose company had just shut down for the season so he decided to take off to Cuba for the hell of it.
“Nope.”
“Oh, you seemed like you knew what you were doing.”
“Just lots of practice in airports.” I said with a smile.
We chatted for a bit waiting to get through the health screen check. As we talked a Norwegian fellow started chatting with us too. Together we made our way to the baggage area and waited for what seemed like hours to get our bags. We were definitely living a different pace here.
It turned out that Jeff had no plans, no car, no guidebook. Robert, the Norwegian, had a place, a guide, and a car. Now all we needed was a well traveled red head who speaks Spanish and is a good with a map.....I wonder where we find one of those?
Off we went together in search of a money exchange (ATM’s don’t work here and US credit cards definitely don’t work) and his car rental place. Thirty minutes later we were in business with Cuban pesos and a nice jalopy of a car. But never fear, we were shown where the spare tire and the hub lock were just in case.
Here!
Appointing myself as the navigator (as every good woman does) I was handed the google map instructions to find that they were in Norwegian. Robert decided that he knew where he was going and was following the signs. Now I had to walk the fine line that every woman walks in these situations, the male ego vs getting lost. I started the mental countdown timer until I needed to step in to make sure we didn’t get too lost. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for him to realize we weren’t seeing the blue ocean like we were supposed to. I popped out his lonely planet guide and started skimming maps, street signs whizzing past us, and local landmarks. Bingo, we were too far East. A course correction later we were on the right path, we had found the ocean and were almost to my new home for the next couple of days.
I arrived at a soft pink high rise building and said good bye and buena suerte to my fellow travelers. Greeted by local Cubanos I was taken up to the 13th floor where Casa Lilly, a casa particulare, is located. The elevator door opened up to a huge apartment and to Lilly, the owner. This young beautiful Cuban woman welcomed me warmly and gave me a tour with a grand finale of the wrap around balcony that neither words nor pictures do justice. Breathtaking views of the ocean, the Vedado district, and parts of Cuba I have yet to know. I did a little video for you to look at, sorry about the jumpiness.
I enjoyed the afternoon sipping away my beer, reading my book, listening to the music of the city life below, and chatting with Lilly and her father, Romano. This was the perfect way to settle in. The Universe does provide indeed. :)
The view is amazing!
Me gusta la cerveza local!
Lilly had given me recs for great places to eat in the neighborhood. I decided to go for a walk first and get the lay of the land. Off to the malecon I went. I passed parks filled with couples sitting, chatting, kissing. I passed abandoned fields where people played pickup soccer games. I came to the ocean lined malecon to find a crowd.
Disco and carnival on the beach
I sat on the large wall watching the fisherman, the runners, and looking at the crowd realizing this was a normal Sunday afternoon. This is where life happened. I could hear music in the distance so of course I followed. Just a few hundred meters down the road people were dancing in the street to the music being played at a festival. Love it! I watched little babies bouncing to the beat while mom and dad danced right next to them. People seemed happy. They lived at a different pace, a different beat. I don’t know why but I didn’t expect this.
The Malecon life
Fishing off of the Malecon
My hunger was starting to predominate so I retraced my steps to find the restaurant Lilly had recommended. Tucked away in a house off the corner this place had fresh fish prepared in all sorts of yumminess. I opted for the enchilada de mariscos and a mojito. I watched as the chef meticulously prepared each order. I could get used to this....nothing sexier than a man who knows his way around a kitchen. For dessert, guavas with cheese. I know it doesn’t sound great, but it was perfection!
I left feeling happy, with a full stomach, and frankly ready for some rest. It was already late and I was planning a long fun day tomorrow.
July 6 I had the best intentions to get up and do some beach activity, but the winds were high and it was stormy so I found myself taking a languid pace to the morning. Sipping on Turkish coffee mixed with cinnamon and cardamon, eating my yummy breakfast, Jenni, Toufic and I watched the ocean change colors with the storm from the comfort of the living room.
A lone paddle boarder and kayakers.
I know it doesn’t sound exciting, but for me, being able to sit, do nothing, and have a beautiful view too just doesn’t happen. I was thankful for that moment and decided I need to do this more often.
A new twist on the Spanish Armada
Jenni decided it was time for a walk so off we went to explore the other side of the beach now that the sun was out. Again I was amazed at the multimillion dollar homes sitting on the coast, empty. There was one that even had its own grotto. I call it the playboy mansion of the Cayman’s. Sadly, no bunnies were hopping around.
Oh the grotto, how lonely you look.
Impressive. Do you see the lizard?
Returning from our lovely walk and Jenni getting a little bolder with the water and tuckered out from her lizard chasing, we were content. What to do? What to do? I tried reading but didn’t have the focus. Toufic and I discussed music and movies. I surfed around on the internet but was losing interest....I was reaching boredom level, I could feel it. It makes me antsy. Time to get out again.
This was after a good run for a small green lizard.
I made the walk to Smith’s Cove. A small local beach landing where the rocks create great snorkeling and you can play with Betsy the Blue Iguana. There were families playing, friends sharing beer and laughs, and lots of people enjoying the ocean swells.
Perfect crystal blue waters!
My favorite scene was watching a young dad carry a 6 pack of beer in one hand on his way to a party while carrying his daughter in his other arm. He didn’t realize he was holding up her dress to give everyone a nice view of her cute naked booty! I said hello to Betsy the Blue Iguana and started to head home when I spotted the black-on-black jeep heading my way. Perfect timing!
Sayin' Hello to Betsy!
Dropped off at home, I decided for a night in rather than bar hopping. It turns out this was the wise choice as the storms had pretty much driven everyone inside. I was still feeling a little antsy, but now it was the anticipation of going to my next destination. I had finally found the rhythm of relaxing and letting go. Now I would need to gear up to be ready for this next step. Cuba awaits.
July 5
Today was the day for exploring. So after I enjoyed saying hello to the ocean and ate my breakfast on the patio Toufic took me on a tour of the island. Much like my favorite island, Kauai, there is one main road that will eventually get you where you need to go, even if you hit some island traffic.
He dropped me outside of a private complex with strict instructions on how to bypass the security and make it to the beach unscathed. I meandered on the green path with the ocean in view when I hear, “miss, I can a speak to you?” Crap, really? My cool local cover was blown. Was it the red hair or the freckles on the pale skin? Plan B, use my smile and my girly ways, “that depends on what you want to speak to me about.” We bantered back and forth, him trying to figure out if I belonged on the private property, me trying to slowly inch my way to the ocean without him noticing. Finally, I said, “look I just want to hang out on the beach.” Then in his sing songy Jamaican accent, “Oh, lady, why didn’t ya' say so? I’ll take ya' theer meself. Theer are hooligans around here and this is no place for ya'.” Hooligans? Who uses that word and honestly this place looked nicer than my apartment complex in Phoenix. Little did I know, I had just met a local island legend, Leon.
The path to Leon
A former gangsta’ in Jamaica (according to local authorities) Leon is the property manager for a large very fancy complex owned by the guy who owns solo (the Styrofoam company). He is also affectionately known as the 'man who ate the dictionary' because of his ability to use multi-syllabic esoteric words that are only found in the Bible or in the dictionary and throw them into everyday conversation. I was amazed at his skill as he toured me through his personal house on the grounds, led me to the beach, suggested a great bar and restaurant, and somehow managed to ask for my digits and invite me on a guided tour to Jamaica while dropping apocalyptic, inquisition, bragadocious, omnipresent, and a few other words into the conversation. I remember thinking, am I high? I’m sitting on a beach talking to a Jamaican that sounds like he studied at University while offering to be a tour guide. In hindsight, I realized it was the ‘man who ate the dictionary’ who had just crossed my path.
Thanking Leon for his time and for his fantastic entertainment I made my way to the Royal Palms. I needed a beer. I’m a fan of getting whatever is local, here it was Cayman Light. Two Cayman Lights and conch fritters later I had made friends with the bartender and two couples on vacation. It was time for some girly rum based drink on the sand and playtime in the ocean. Appropriately fitted with my adult beverages I made my way to the beach chairs. I didn’t last long under the intense sun and I needed to cool off.
It's gettin' hot in here!
A quick dip in the fantastic ocean I was doing better and set out to people watch. One of my favorite pastimes. I quickly became aware that my new friends from the bar were having fun in the water. It wasn’t until later during an awkward swim past them on one of my cool off dips that I realized they were experimenting with the motion of the ocean. Get some!
I know so tacky, but I couldn't resist ;)
Along with the frisky couple I spotted a guy walking with a Georgetown medicine shirt on. I struck up a conversation with him and found out that, Bryan just finished his third year of medical school and was here on break with friends to “get away from it all”. Amen, brother.
7 miles of idyllic sand and sea
We walked the stretch of the beach and chatted about the struggles of the path of medicine. He peppered me with questions and advice, but the question I remember most was him asking, “Are you excited about starting your own practice? You must be!” It wasn’t until that moment that I reflected on it all. It was an amazing moment to be looking at him and realizing how far I had come. From fighting my way into medical school and proving I was “worthy” to becoming an award winning Family Physician to stepping out on my own doing something unorthodox. It was a fantastic moment that felt like a message from the Universe saying, “Keep going girl! Get some!” My answer to him, “Yes it’s exciting, nerve wracking, but liberating! It’s the right thing to do for me.”
We parted ways and I started to meander the long road home. I stopped along shops and beach outlets. I chatted with surfers who explained the local surf culture. I chatted with a little girl who was carving coconut on her front step. I meandered through vacant lots and along the coast gawking at the empty massive estates. Who lives in these and who needs this much house?
A local tourist attraction spotted on my journey home.
Two hours later I arrived at the apartment to discover the journey home was 8 miles. Oopsies! Oh well, my gams love a good work out. I opened the door to an excited Jenni. She wanted to go for a walk... how could I say no to such an excited puppy? I’d let my legs rest tomorrow.
July 4
I woke up with a start thinking it was past 11...I never sleep this late anymore and then I realized that my clocks were off by an hour...it was 10, still later than what I am used to. I made my way to the kitchen excited to see the view and make some breakfast.
Perfect way to start the day!
I bumped into Toufic as he was heading out the door to start work. I’m still not exactly sure what he does, something to do with trading and dealing. I’ve decided not to ask anymore questions on the subject.
I made myself comfortable on the balcony and absorbed the view and the breeze. Just fantastic! I could sit here all day and in fact that’s pretty much what I did.
The view from my perch
There was a small dock that I went to around lunch time and it became my impromptu yoga place. I sat out on the dock over the crystal blue water watching the waves break on the reef while I centered myself and prepared for my practice. Part way through, during my third down-dog I looked back to see the local fisherman watching me from the shore and I’m sure wondering why I was contorting my body into strange shapes. Glad I can be a source of entertainment.
My little seaside yoga retreat
My view during downward facing dog.
After an hour and half I was appropriately sweaty from the work out and the humidity. It was time to find my perch on the balcony again and enjoy lunch and whatever else I decided to do. I know I’m going to get shit for doing this, but I ended up spending the rest of the day focusing on business. I mean writing a business plan, making connections, getting involved in community activities, investigating the legal necessities of making my venture happen. Why? Because I could. For the first time in a long time my mind was clear and not being nagged about a million and one other things on my to do list. I could focus and my brain and my heart really wanted to focus on creating my business, so I let it. How’s that for a different take on letting go? Quite frankly it was probably one of the most productive days I’ve had in the past year and it felt fantastic!
Sunshine + water = Happy Coley!
I got a break in the afternoon when Toufic came by to drop off the neighbor’s dog, Jenni, who we were going to be watching for the next couple of days while they were away in Cuba. Jenni and I became fast friends. She was content to lounge on the balcony while I soaked up the sun and worked on my future.
My new BFF
After a while I needed a stretch and Jenni seemed interested in leaving our sanctuary so off we went for a walk down the beach, destination unknown. It became abundantly clear that although Jenni lives on the beach with her family, she is not a fan of water. She would go nowhere near the shoreline during our walk. High side it is.
Staying on the high side still meant traversing odd terrain.
We meandered down the beach and I eventually got her to walk with me on one of the local docks but she was on to me about half way down when she heard the waves hitting the pylons of the pier. Planting her butt firmly on the ground and refusing to go any further I had no choice but to abort my plan and turn around back to the safety of the shore.
A few meters down the road we came to a local landmark and a tree after my own heart, the shoe tree. It apparently even has a facebook page.
The famous shoe tree
You know I love shoes!
This massive tree has hundreds of shoes, flip flops, and even snorkel fins nailed to it and signed by the gifter. I asked a few people how it started and no one seems to know. Jenni and I took a photo op and decided to move on. It was time for home.
Jenni's photo-op by the shoe tree.
Toufic returned shortly after we did and agreed it was time to visit a legendary chicken stand that I heard about since I landed on the island. Five minutes later I’m standing at the chicken place which is barely more than a roof over a few 4x4’s. They had six barbeque’s smoking away chicken and pork and it smelled delicious! The menu was simple, chicken or pork or a combo. With each meal you get festivities, a strange fried bread that tastes like a mix of pretzel dough and a beignet.
I love that the cook is wearing protective gear. That's serious bbq!
Bringing the combo home which turned out to be a feast for four, my taste buds and internal foodie were happy with the spicy jerk pork and chicken delight. No fireworks on this fourth but I got my bbq. I wonder what local delicacies await me tomorrow?
