#2 Live lobsters at the door and other interesting stuff.....

 

Welcome to Solomon's my local grocery store. It is actually just around the corner from my place and an easy drive, should there be such a thing here driving on the left hand side of the road and all. They have a "pick and go" that opens at noon. I think I've tried all of the dishes in the last week and not wild about any - chicken, fish, ribs, mack and cheese, coleslaw, salads. I'm on a no-cook kick which might have to end. I bought chicken breast in a can which I haven't tried yet. Hope it's cooked!!!

Don't whine to me about prices in Canada. Here on an island with everything being imported, prices are outrageous. This $19.59 USD becomes $27.96 Canadian and I flush it away every day!!!

There are 5 units in this building and I rarely see or talk to anyone so when I looked out of my backdoor and saw this crowd I was shocked. After I investigated, I found out that someone had cut a chain link fence to gain access to the bottom of a boat motor that is also staying here. It happened last week. Does it really take a week for the cops to arrive? I wanted to know why they only took the bottom. 1. They only needed the bottom. 2. The whole motor was too heavy to steal. 3. The prop would bring good money. Interesting. Oh and the pool is just to the right in this pic. I haven't been in yet but I will.

One of my activities here is getting lost. Imagine driving in a foreign country without google maps. I have a paper map but it lies. The other day, while lost, in a hurry, I actually drove over these do not drive over deterrents and I didn't get a flat!!! Call me pleased and surprised!!!

I finally made it to the beach on Wednesday. This is an area called Williams Town. The beach as you can see is gorgeous but alas...you can't get onto it as there is this wall which is probably there for rogue waves, hurricane waves etc. 

Across the road from the beach is one bar/restaurant called The Two Dollar Bar. My bill was a tad more than that but maybe the beer is $2. This group of people asked me to join them on the porch and led to some interesting conversation. One came from England in the nighties to teach and never returned. She just married a guy 26 years younger than her. Good for her. The other couple were from Texas but the guy was born in London, England. It was a fun time until I decided I had had enough sun and moved inside to wait for my take out order. 

When I asked how they cooked the lobster and was told they deep fried it my stomach turned. Yuck!!! "Would it be possible to have my lobster boiled?" "Sure baby, I guess we could do that."

Inside was packed when I arrived. I waited for almost 45 minutes for the lobster and I should have known then that this was not going to turn out well. I cook lobster for 10 minutes. While waiting and taking in all of the local clientele, I actually found it quite entertaining. This old white guy, from The Old Man and the Sea, brought me a chair as I was standing for hours. I originally was sitting with my back to him so I finally joined him and heard most of his life story. There was a semi disabled black guy at our table too and when my food arrived he noticed there was a rip in the bag and went and got another bag and rewrapped the first order of take out, cracked conch. You know, it is those little acts of kindness that often make a person's day. Do some of that ok?

The lobster must have been boiled for 45 minutes. It was like eating tough steak. I was so disappointed but learnt a lesson. Next time, take the lobster however they fix it!!!

My friend Jerrisma had wanted to gift me a car but when I arrived I couldn't have that car because they couldn't find the key so she had rented me this car. I hear today I'm getting another car. I don't know what it is. I don't know when it is coming. I just know this is how it works here....

Jerrisma gave me a phone when I arrive. It was an android and I'm used to an iphone. So, she got me an iphone. Problem was, I couldn't recharge it so she took it away and now I have no phone. Island life...

So, this is my car and my "beach chair". There are a lot of chairs here in my unit but they are all about 6 inches from the ground and I'm afraid that if I got in one I may need hauling out of it!!!

Banana Bay is one of my favourite places. It is out of the way and usually quiet. When I arrived the parking lot was full. Oh no!!! It is quite large so when I got in everyone was well spaced. 

I see fresh lobster rolls on the menu and my mind instantly goes to the fresh spring rolls from the Thai place by the bridge in Huntsville. I am imagining them all fresh and wonderful but then they arrive OMG they have deep fried them!!! What is it with this island and deep frying??? They were ok. I wouldn't order them again but for once they were ok. The coleslaw was good and even though I've been here only a week, I've had enough rice and peas.

Driving to Banana Bay I had noticed this little beach access so on the way out I stopped to check it out. This is where I am coming to read my latest book and sit in the shade. Gorgeous. Quiet, peaceful and no people. Perfect!!!

I have aloud door bell. It is always surprising and intriguing to think someone is here. One day last week it was 4 Jehovah Witnesses. Two white, two black. All bases covered. I love it when they come to my door. It is my opportunity to convert them to Christianity. The two white ones were from Canada but Portugal and Italy originally. The woman was very chatting and quite delightful. I hear when I go to Ocean Seas for a week she is going to be there doing karaoke. We must have chatted for almost and hour. It was great fun. She offered me a tract which I declined saying I knew what was in it which was the truth. She took it well.

Next door ring on another day brought Ron the apartment manager but today he was wearing his "I've just been diving and have some lobster and conch if you are interested." hat. They had just got back to shore. His boat is in the canal behind my place. The lobsters were all squirming around in the cooled and the conch were huge. 3 lobster for $20 seemed like an ok deal so he proceeded to take off the tails of three with a knife and I popped them into my freezer. The lobster here are very different from ours. No big claws, little legs or interesting insides. They only eat the tails. I think I can do a fine job of cooking these when I run out of take out food....

  

I got so lost going to church yesterday morning. I left at 10 for an 11 o'clock service and it is a good thing I did!!! I ended up in the middle of no where at some kind of private gated community. I uturned and pulled over and decided that I didn't care how much it was going to cost I was going to get out of airplane mode and pay the roaming fee to get google maps. No signal. Shite!!! As I'm sitting there a motorbike pulled up to my left right on the grass with an old black couple on board. "Do you know how to get to the boat?" "Sorry, I'm lost." "So are we. Ok, follow us." and I did.  Now this was funny. The lost following the lost. When we got back to the airport, my memory started to come back on how to get out to Eight Mile Rock and I finally pulled into church right at 11.

The church has a new look since I was there about 3 years ago. As I walked in it was kind of like walking into a wedding reception. The pastor, a woman, is in ill health so there was a visiting pastor who yelled a lot and I had a hard time trying to figure out what the message was all about. 

The music was good as you would expect the music to be. Lively. Lots of amens, praise the Lords and halleluiahs. It was actually a short service compared to ones I've attended in the past.

We get out to the parking lot trying to decide where to go for lunch. By this time there are maybe 4 cars in the lot. I get into my car, turn the key and nothing. No matter how many times I tried it....same outcome. "Larry, get on over here. Dis car ain't startin." We finally figure out how to open the hood. Larry does less than 60 seconds of magic when he tells me to try it again and away it goes. Slams the hood to me yelling, "Hold on don't I need to know what you did?" "No, it's going to be ok now." Now that is faith!!!

We wind our way through town going through a thousand traffic circles and finally land up at Taino Beach at the The Stoned Crab restaurant. Fancy schmancy. We are escorted to a table right over looking the beach. Perfect. We started out with this tuna 3 cheese dip. My friend Jerrisma who claims not to be fussy is super fussy. She ended up ordering a lunch that wasn't even on the extensive menu. I rest my case!!!

The dip was very delicious.

My lunch selection was pasta stuffed with lobster and shrimp. Very very nice. Great lunch. Great spot. Great company and I will go here again.

Not sure what is happening today with getting the new car....

This week is going to be fun. Teaching knitting on Tues. and Thurs. at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Eight Mile Rock and hopefully not getting lost on the way.

Wed. I'm hoping to spend the day with Pat a friend of Jerrisma's who is going to be my tour guide for the day. I have a list of places I want to visit.

Thanks for checking out the blog. Hope you enjoyed the read. Pls share it with family and friend who are interested in travel. Last week's blog was read in Canada, US, Mexico, Switzerland, Bahamas, Sweden and Ireland. So interesting to check the stats.

Have a blessed week and I'll see you back here next Monday!!!