Notes from 4 Days Ago

We are doing great still.  Some pongas came by; we bought some bananas, watermelons and corn, so restocked a little bit with fresh stuff.  Probably going to check out Panama City in a week or so, then pick up Loyal.  Saw a small village, Ensenada, yesterday.  Interesting.  They have a public payphone, but not a lot else.  No cars or roads.  Small store that only sells things with a long shelf life.  Few guys lying in hammocks; then a pot on a fire beside them.  Guess they were making lunch?  Kind of a Crockpot plan.  Had a little school, but it was about 10 am Tuesday and all the local kids were in the ocean and no one was at the school.  I saw September was Bible study month.  I wonder if someone comes once a week to teach or something?  Really no idea.  Didn't all add up.  But they were nice.  Wild dogs running around and chickens wandering aimlessly around town.  A small church with no doors, a wire with a bulb up on the roof, otherwise just a solid concrete building with benches for seating.  It all works.

Nice campfire on the beach today, burned our garbage so it doesn't build up.  Then had marshmallows.  We are much more prepared this time since my restocking was at an actual store.  Had some pizza yesterday night, marshmallows today, not just canned things and dried grains.  Got netting put up around our lifelines for Valiant mostly.  It's great though, now it's like an enclosure and our clothes hanging out to dry stay on better, we can toss balls on the front trampoline and they don't go overboard (as often).  It's made the space much more useful as well as safe.

We are in a beautiful place between 2 islands with beaches in all directions and seeing whales.  Yesterday snorkeling Courage found the largest hermit crab I've ever seen!!!  It was in one of those nice big conch shells, maybe 4-5 inches wide? The kids continue to find treasures on every beach.  We find buoys, shells, buckets, shovels, wheels, balls, etc.  Even found a carved out wood turtle. We are seeing turtle nests and crocodile tracks too.  Disheartening, I guess they move the turtle nests because where a turtle is born is where it will lay its eggs. But they crush many shells in the process and the places they are moving them from look very safe and protected.  I don't think there's a need out there. We've been seeing many turtles; they don't appear too endangered.  I would rather see the efforts of those people picking up the garbage littering the shores washed up.  Lots of plastic bottles and shoes.