Happy 4th!

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?

Just thought it was pretty during my walk