Sunday, June 20, 2004

(Not Feeling Well)

Well, once again I am starting this week's entry by apologizing. Two things, really; this entry is late, and there isn't a whole lot. I have had a really bad cold for the past four days, and haven't felt like doing anything whatsoever. I slept 5 hours last night, which is 20% more than I had for the previous three nights put together. Not only have I had a cold, but this week the room is particularly hot. So, the update is two days late (but better than the week I was late last time) and a bit thin.

The week has been kind of slow, but it started out pretty nice. Other than a few burps, the implementation that kept me busy a couple of weeks ago is working fine, although thousands of people who never had to clock in before aren't exactly ecstatic that they have to now (including me). I can never remember to clock out for meals and such. Luckily I am a manager, so I can easily go in and change my time.

Monday was pretty uneventful, I mailed my money home and a couple of cards. It was a really nice day in St. Thomas, but I was on duty. Tuesday I signed up for an excursion that I haven't been on before. A lot of the tours go to some of the same places, but each one that I take goes somewhere that the other one's don't. However, there was another tour that, after reading the descriptions of both, seems to be identical to mine (but with a different name). In fact, I kept seeing two of my co-workers (who, obviously, were on that tour) at every stop. We drove through the Botanical Gardens and went to Trafalgar Falls again. I realize that I have been there before, but (as when I lived in TN) I could easily visit beauty like this every day. I had a bit of a clearer shot to take these, which is why I have included them again. At a couple of points, children who were on a field trip came past us. They were awfully cute, they all have to wear uniforms and they were all 3-4. A number of the little girls would reach out and grab my hand to climb down the step next to me. It is so awesome, the complete lack of fear or even nervousness that these kids have of strangers. In America, you are always taught as a child to not talk to strangers, there just isn't any fear of kidnapping or endangerment at all here. The kids are just so much more curious and free of worry, it just shows in their faces.

We headed back through town and (for the first time) went the opposite direction, headed to a whole other section of the mountains. I realize that you probably wonder why I keep taking pictures of mountain after mountain, but there is almost nothing that I like better (you won't hurt my feelings if you don't click on them). :) Dominica really reminds me of a much more lush Tennessee or North Carolina, especially some of the streams and walking paths. The first stop was a hotel that was out in the middle of nowhere. The building itself wasn't spectacular, but the views were. Here I am at the same view, and a closer view. They have a wrap-around back porch with tables. In the back (which you probably can't see very well), there was one table with around 20 people. It was a bit incongruous, as each was feverishly working on a laptop. It turns out that it was a research group, it just seemed so out of place to see people working on computers with a relaxing, lush background behind them. They gave us rum punch and encouraged us to buy the typical stuff, and we moved on.

Our final stop was to be the Emerald Pool. I had seen pictures from others who have gone, and I was really looking forward to it. We actually had to hike a ways to get down to it, first stopping at an overlook to take pictures. Those who didn't feel fit enough headed back to the bus from here. I, of course, was very eager to get down to the pool. The pool is green from all of the vegetation around, although there were enough people splashing around that the water was a bit more murky than normal (from other pictures that I have seen). Here is a picture of the pool and fall up close. I went swimming, which was really refreshing after the hike. I didn't think to have a picture taken of me there, though. :( 

Wednesday I took the turtle and beach sail again. It was a nice day, the tour was open, and I wanted to go sailing (and, of course, it was free). I don't have any new pictures from it, as it was the same tour I took a couple of weeks ago. It was a beautiful day out, though. This is how I felt on the way back, but I stayed awake anyway.

When I got back, I wasn't feeling to well, and I have been sick every since. At least today I am only blowing my nose every two hours rather than every two minutes. :) It is Sunday, and I am uploading this as we speak . . . so I will go now.