July 6-7, 2004 - Wherein I Meet Quentin

[Digression …

The Island Breeze Bungalow has a stereo, but NO FM reception. We were able to tune in WFTL-AM (from Fort Lauderdale), an all-talk station, before we left for dinner. However, even that didn't come in when we got back. I was disappointed somewhat with the lack of any reception. I wanted to hear some island music, being a connoisseur of world music and all.]

Back to the main story …

Instead of going to sleep right away that night, I started reading one of the books left behind at the bungalow - A Brief History of Everything. However, I didn't get to far into it before I was out like a light.

Around midnight, Leia was still up - apparently not as tired as I was - and looking for chocolate. Some minutes later, she let out a yelp, cowering under the sheets, telling me (half-groggy, of course) about a huge insect that was skittering across the floor. From her description, it sounded like a scorpion, since I thought they only could be found in dry, warm places. Eleu is hardly dry - except when compared to being completely under water!

I asked her was the creature big enough to ride (at which she laughed heartily). I got up to look for it, but it seemed our nocturnal visitor had scurried out of sight. I got back into bed finally, the light Leia had on to read was keeping me awake. I shielded my eyes with my arm, which she noticed and asked if the light was bothering me. Yep, I replied, getting up to find my eyeshade. I joked that they were the perfect "anti-terrorism device" - because if she had been wearing them in the airport, she wouldn't have suspected a cabal of Middle Eastern terrorists at the airport. Anyway, I put them on and was immediately back to sleep.

July 7th

I woke up the first time at about 7:30 am, but Leia was totally out. Turns out, she ended up taking an Ambien. I fell back to sleep and didn't wake up again until 9:30. That's when she woke up, quite surprised I had slept so long.

[Digression ….

There is one thing to remember here at the bungalow. PLEASE CONSERVE THE WATER. This bungalow uses rain water for its water supply (for drinking, bathing, etc.) and two signs are posted reminding guests of that. The one in the bathroom is my favorite: "In the land of sand and sun, we don't flush for number one."

Since we're from Cali, we are already quite conservative in our water use anyway. Though I like to drink a lot of water, I have NO problems whatsoever substituting beer (Kalik) for drinking water.]

Back to the main story …

We had a brief morning "toilet," then I headed out to the porch to catch up on this journal.
While I wrote, people would occasionally drive by the by and wave. I'd wave back as that seems to be the custom around here. Eventually, a truck went by with a seemingly large black man driving it and stopped at the main house (next door to our little bungalow).

Soon, he drove back the other way and briefly stopped, calling out to ask our trip was going so far. I told him "great" and asked how he was. He replied "Thank God I'm alive" or words to that affect. I asked him his name and he told me to guess, though I didn't hear him say that at first. I repeated the question and he replied the same way. I asked if he was Stanton Cooper and he admitted he was. I laughed and asked him again - by name this time - how he was and he gave me the same answer as before! I asked Stanton about renting cell phones ($100!?). He told me to go to Tia's place to pick it up. He would leave it there for me. He then took off.

Leia eventually came out, carrying the journal left by the owner with additions made by guests that stayed there. She read to me some of the passages, then brought out her leftovers from the Unique. I popped open a beer and joined her. She wrote in the journal while I wrote in mine and the two of us talked about re-rethinking whether to have a house there some day.

[Digression …

A gecko / lizard was quite fascinated with us and vice versa. He was a cute little fellow, to be sure. While Leia was inside, I remained quiet and watched him slowly sneak up to me. I didn't move to see what he would do. I knew there are only one or two poisonous lizards on the planet (one of them is the gila monster) and none of them were on Eleu. So I didn't move while he went to my discarded flip-flop first because he came right up to my foot and licked it a couple of times. The second one felt closer to a bite than a lick - his scaly jaw, no doubt - but I twitched my toe which sent him scurrying.

He later walked by my feet while I wasn't watching, but being wary of scorpions, I moved my feet and he went running. I guess it was his little claws I felt. Anyway, I named him "Quentin" after Quentin Tarantino.]

Back to the main story …

Soon after I met Quentin, Leia went down to the ocean and I finished up my entry so I could join her.