Providencia

Over Thanksgiving I took my first trip to the Caribbean Sea, and it included my first time snorkeling! While there, I met a couple from Bogotá with whom I spent about half the trip. We toured the island, ate great seafood on the cheap, and enjoyed each other's company. They ended up inviting me to their home in the near future.


One night the power went out on the island for twenty minutes. The sky lit up with fireflies and stars! When the power returned, I drive my rented golf cart to Manchaneel Beach. This secluded spot was ideal for looking at the sky as the gentle waves rolled up onto the shore.


A coffee shop called "Arts and Crafts" was operated by a woman named Maria. She was wonderfully welcoming and advised that when I get to the cold of the Chicago winter, I think about Providencia. She made great cappuccino and homemade Popsicles -- mine was coconut. There's also a book exchange there. When I located a book by David Baldacci, Grandpa's favorite author, I decided to give it a try. It was a good excuse to enjoy the breeze coming through the coffee shop and really relax awhile. I ended up buying that book and am still reading it -- which for me is saying a lot. Anyway I'd remembered reading a 2006 that the owner's name was Frenchy, so I wondered what happened to him. Alas I saw his 2007 grave the next day as I strolled through the small cemetery. It was ornate especially in comparison to the other graves, so clearly Maria has picked things up in his spirit.


I'll stop there with the vacation stories. There are more but it's easy to get bored by someone's vacation. So, if you're interested in hearing more I can tell you in person. In the mean time, below is a video of my time there.

The layover in San Andres on the way back ended up very much worth it. I finally found some really chillaxing beach time. (Thank you, Brian, for that term!)