Machetes and the Beach
Pretty sunny day again :)
the Queso (cheese) was finished this morning ...
so i had some with my eggs, not much flavor, but pretty good.
After Carlos and Pepe sharpened the machetes for us, we walked across the road and started 'whacking' Guava plants. they are not native and very invasive here. they are considered a 'transformer' species here because they change the character, condition, form, or nature of the ecosystem. they've got to go. Kate and i started 'whacking' small bushes and branches that have grown up since the last elimination effort. then Carlos started cutting down the larger trees with a chainsaw ... ahhhhhhhh, modern technology! ... then we spent the rest of the morning, hauling branches and logs into piles as Carlos and Pepe cut them down.
we were working in a field with really tall thick grass, that was uneven and had rocks everywhere to try to trip you. REALLY glad i have my tall rubber boots ... they are a must for this work! Finally, the chain came off the saw, yeahhh, .... and we got to take a break. it was sunny, hot, and we were ready for one.
I saw a monarch butterfly and started telling Kate about the Monarchs. then we spotted some ripe bananas across the road and went to get some for a snack. while we were there, i saw several Milkweed plants and we started looking. in just a few minutes we found an egg and 2 small caterpillars. we brought them home and they are now in our room. i'm back in the Monarch business. :) ... and with a little luck, i may get to educate everyone here on the lifecycle of a Monarch butterfly.
we went back to the field and worked for another hour, then i was sitting down, and momma cow started walking right towards me. i thought she was going to walk right over me, but i didn't move, ...how brave am i, ... she stopped, .... i think she was trying to tell us it was time to be milked ...
she was calling for her baby, which had been separated from her so we could milk her. So off to another learning experience of milking. i understand the 'technique' of it; but my hands just don't work very well, and not for long before they are tired and cramping up. i'm getting better at it, but it is a VERY slow process. Pepe filled his bucket and i barely filled the bottom of the pitcher ... not even a bucket!
After lunch, Kate and i put sheets on 16 beds getting ready for the 'group'; and then we were done for the day. it was only 2pm, hot and sunny; so we grabbed a taxi and headed for the beach. we stopped into the Mockingbird Restaurant that i've been frequenting by using their WiFi. i asked them to keep my laptop and valuables behind the counter for us while we went to the Playa (beach). we went to Playa Mann which is about a 10min walk from town.
it was a pretty beach, complete with more Sea Lions. they are very entertaining and interactive.
especially the little ones.
this snorkel experience was less impressive. it was difficult to see anything, and more difficult to photograph. i'll show you what i have, but you'll have to use your imagination.
a HUGE school of probably 30 YellowTail SurgeonFish swam around me for awhile. they were so cool, but it was difficult to see them, even though they were close.
i saw a couple Blue Chin ParrotFish in their 'Adult' phase.
and this Wrasse of some kind ... have not been able to identify it yet
i was in the water for about an hour and the current carried me further away from shore and around a rocky point before i knew it. i decided not to use fins today, i didn't think i would need them; but honestly i could have used them to get back in. not a problem, it just took longer ... no fins and one-arm swimming, since i had my camera in the other hand.
Kate and i went back to Mockingbird to retrieve our valuables, and then ordered Ceviche again, and split it. it was plenty for both of us.
P.S. i tried twice to upload a video of some Sea Lions ... no luck ... :(
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