lima/spanish wells.

after spending a few wonderful days in lima, my friends started dropping like flies.. first it was danelle, followed by mike, and then colleen and ricardo.. suddenly i was surrounded by people, but quite alone. (sob). i spent a day power walking through the streets, soaking in my last few days of s. american culture.. picking up last minute items.. eating mangoes for almost every meal..

back to the hostel that evening, i had to change rooms because the bed i stayed in the first night was reserved.. so i moved to a dorm room where there were two canadian guys staying.. turns out they were from swift current(!).. so completely random.. we started chatting, and then of course the question comes up 'where are you from'.. the questions got smaller.. so funny. so we had a few beers that night and i met another guy from calgary.. we had a little canadian party going on. but then shook it up by inviting a californian to join us.. because we're so friendly..

the next morning rachel (californian) and i spent the day walking beyond mira flores in search of a food market which apparently didn't exist.. so we went out for lunch and walked back along the boardwalk discussing literature and having a fabulous day in the sun. she was meeting up with her father that afternoon and they were travelling together for a couple weeks, so we separated ways and i was rolling solo once again. my last afternoon in south america. i started wondering why i would ever want to leave, but then remembered that my next ticket was to the bahamas! and well, lima's great but..

packing up my bag and getting ready for an early commute to the airport, it turned out that the swift boys were on the same flight to fort lauderdale, so i cancelled my cab and we all made the trek together. we quickly said goodbye upon landing when i realised that i had 20 minutes to get my bag and get through security before boarding call.. talking my way to the front of the first line.. running between passport stamps and questionnaires.. stripping down while waiting in line, tossing my things in the grey bucket, and getting x-rayed, i grabbed my shoes and things and ran barefoot through the terminals.. the only reason i made my connection was because when i arrived, there was no plane. i have never been so thankful for a delay!

an hour and a half later i was in the bahamas. taxied to cousin don's in nassau.. and after talking his ear off, i put my exhausted body to bed. the next morning i caught the bohengy to spanish wells, and was met at the dock by bette and lynda. remnants of the weekends festivities lingered.. everyone looked like they had a great time (-exhausted).. it seems i missed the party of the half-century! four days of posh fun, hopping between beach houses and islands.. everything planned down to the most minute detail! this crew has a stamina that i'm not sure i could keep up with, so perhaps i showed up at the appropriate time after all.. i got a kick out of the invitations, with the first night having 'island chic' dress, then 'island glam'.. 'island casual'.. 'baithing suit'.. and on the last day, 'whatever is still clean'.. my backpack apparel would not have sufficed!

things have quieted down around here as the last of the partiers have dispersed.. lynda was going to go, and then figured she should probably stay another night.. (beyond her control, delayed flight.. although i'd like to think it had everything to do with bette and i's impeccable company..) spanish wells is back in the regular swing of things. bette and sophia and i have been walking the beach every afternoon, and i've had a few swims off the dock.. our social agenda is getting penciled up for the weekend to come, and next weekend we are jetting off to abaco..