Seems we're starting to settle in and get used to the new timezone. Liem was up at 5:30 am checking out the rain storm. It started storming off and on after we went to bed last night. It literally hits out of nowhere. It sounds like you are sitting over the wing on an airliner its so loud. Probably the tin roofs and the palms which sound like plastic snapping in the wind. Its amazingly loud.
I slept til 9:30am having odd dreams again that I've paid for my house in Antigua for a month but somehow find myself home again. I guess I really can't believe I'm getting to do this! It's so different this time around from our vacations. Vacations we hit the ground running and try to see as much as we can each day before collapsing in bed. This time, we are leisurly and cooking rather than eating out. Liem is working so we have to make sure he gets his 8 hours in each day too. It's really much more like living here, which was the point. So far, I could TOTALLY live here.
Today I got up and made breakfast for the family. This is usually Liem's thing but he was working. We had pancakes, fried potatoes and eggs. Cooking here is a hot job. Whew! After breakfast Cohen spent some time in the pool, Hayley was on her computer (shocker) and I was doing some cleaning and getting laundry collected. Much like home!
We had lunch (ham sandwiches) around 1:30 and then packed up for the beach. We were hoping to go to Rendezvous Beach today. It's supposed to be kind of a challenge to find and is apparently stunning. Unfortunately we read stories of folks with 4 wheel drive getting stuck! We have a Toyota Corrola. 'Nuf said. Perhaps we'll meet someone who can take us there.
Today we hit Long Bay beach. We've been there everytime we've come to Antigua because it is so lovely. It has powdery white sand (really super fine) and a very calm, shallow, crystal clear water. There is a bit of snorkeling off to the side too. The roads changed since we'd last been there so we pulled off to the side to check our map. A local who had passed us, actually came back and asked us where we were trying to get to. We told him and he instructed us to follow him. LOVE LOVE LOVE how friendly everyone is here.
There was a cruise ship in today so the beach had maybe 20 white folk on it. The rest were locals. We spent a few hours here swimming, snorkeling and enjoying the water. We parused the vendors along the beach too. They have the cutest little brightly painted shacks! Cohen got a t-shirt. On the way home, we stopped for ice cream at the Tropical Timeout. They were preparing for a long night of beer drinking and a DJ. They kept asking us if we were coming back for the party. Tempting, but Liem has to finish working and I'm not sure if I'm ready to leave the kids yet, despite the alarm on the house, the locked gate to get in, and the fact we have cell phones. Plus all the Brits say its a really safe island...which has always been our experience, but you never know. We'll see...
Our late afternoon consited of some pool time, slathering Hayley down with a baking soda poultice to try and help her legs along (bug bites), some calamine lotion. I made Chicken Paremsan, noodles, garlic bread and fresh mango for dinner. Now, its TV time while Liem finishes his day. Maybe a dip in the pool.
Our maid comes tomorrow. The groundskeeper came today. Benefits of renting a vacation home. I did some laundry today in the outdoor laundry room. Hung it to dry on the line. Hopefully it doesn't rain.
Tomorrow is Saturday! No work for Liem so we'll have a whole day...not sure what we'll do yet. Maybe go downtown to St. Johns, maybe just hit some beaches, maybe the old sugar plantation tours...its so nice to have so long here. Doesn't feel rushed. In a word, it's "awesome".
