Dennis drove me over to the farm on Friday. We stopped at teh Black Sand Beach for a lunch of turkey sandwiches. Nice little spot. No one in the water. The tide was coming in and a sign was posted - Strong Current.
Got to Bebo's and there was a lot going on. They had coffee pickers turning in their day's haul (50 cents a pound), and their familes had been hanging around all day - all over the place. They were cutting down the trees in the center of the compound, so there were branches and debris all over. Bebo had goone shopping was not there, so his son-in-law, Anthony, the Farm Manager, was trying to tend to business, greet me and see what I needed. Chaos.
Well, it is truly a shed attached to the back of the barn. it smells of...old, rotted wood, and damp, maybe. The place was covered in cobwebs and spider webs. Thankfully, the spiders I saw were 'Daddy long Legs,' and a kind of spider I can generally tolerate. I guess vacuuming spiders at Dennis house was a good way to de-sensitize me. I borrowed a shop vac with suction at a 2 (out of 10), and chased the buggers around. They did bring in a twin bed and gave me sheets, so it is a treat to sleep in a bed instead of the floor. My neighbors were up till midnight, watching TV and talking. They are Phillipino or something (haven't asked yet). I had to ask for a sheet to hang on the wall because I could see into the neighbors 'apartment'. Henry and Estrella and their little boy. The bathroom and shower are in separate rooms, in a hallway outside of bebo's house. VERY rustic. The 'shower' is a Japanese style tub. short and square for squatting in. It has a hand held shower head, so just stand in the tub and shower yourself. It is a dark, dank, cement enclosure. Sweet. The toilet is at the end of a long storage room with a sink at the end of the room and the toilet in a little side room.
I started my WWOOFie duties this morning. We gathered old piles of sticks from last year's tree trimming, that were in among the trees and hauled them out to pile on the farm road. They will be gathered next week to go into the wood chipper that they are renting. Then we walked uphill among the coffee trees and pulled weeds. I liked that. We were all joking (me, Anthony, Henry, and Phil, the other WWOOFie)and teasing. Then we headed down to the center of the compound where they had cut all the trees and cleared up the cuttings, pulled stumps, clearedrocks and used the rocks to stabilize an old rock wall. Lunch! Done for the day. I work 8-noon Monday - Saturday, for all my meals and the shed. Bebo said that I could work extra and pick cherries (coffee beans) for $.50 a pound. I said no, this is my first day and I am fine with the work I have done so far.
While I have been sitting at my laptop in the outside dining area, I was served fresh guacamole made from avocados we brought back with us this morning. Some fresh pineapple, and a tangerine we brought back. We also picked some papaya for breakfast. Henry wears only flipflops, or in Island speak 'slippas' (slippers) and no gloves while working. he climbed the fruit trees like nothing, barefoot and brought the fruit down. amazing! So, it is very rustic, a lot to get used to, but I am OK. In the words of Walter (you ccamped out in Siberia and went through hardships - you can do this), and Dennis (a bad day on the Island is far better than a good day anywhere else), I can do this.
Tomorrow we are going to Ohonounou - EXACTLY where I want to be - knee-deep in the ocean! Actually, I hope to be all the way in. My snorkeling gear is with my camping gear, enjoying a storage room in Honolulu.
Will try to take pictures and upload them tomorrow!
