One Month Left

Things left to do: go snorkeling at various places around the island; kayak through the mangrove forest (possibly); make it to Mancanillo on a weekend; go to the highest point on the island, from which you can see the next island over, San Andres. Return to our original shack before we leave, just to look at it again with a very different perspective; go with the waitress at our restaurant to some of the nightspots on the island, where she said she would show us around. Try and learn as much Spanish as I can. Say goodbye to Mario and Ingrid; Suzette and Herman and Sandra; Greg; the slightly crazy guy who runs a bar on our beach; Deibis and Teresa. Return our moto (sadly), and figure out a reliable way of getting to the airport early in the morning. Then go to Bogota, explore the city for three days with Silvia as a guide. Pack up and fly home the morning of December 21, leaving behind Christmas celebrations in Bogota for the ones at home.



Things done: swim and eat, and a lot of both of those; learn how to ride a scooter; sample tamarind wine (very sweet and a little firey). Overcome many obstacles in pursuit of living on a small tropical island, albeit temporarily. Discover Kitty Wharf, and explore the island; go scuba diving and snorkeling; develop better Spanish comprehension, if not speaking so much. Resume running; read a lot, write a lot, and listen to a lot of music. Attempt a diet for three months that consists almost solely of seafood, rice, and plantains. Watch a large number of mediocre American movies dubbed in Spanish—action and horror movies are better, romantic comedies worse. Make some acquaintances, though not really many friends. Look at the water a lot; develop a new appreciation for laundry machines and high-speed Internet connections. Engage in all-out warfare with the entirety of the insect class. Come across as a complete tourist, despite having been here three months. Forget things I’ve done, and things that I should still do. Pre-empt nostalgia.