Parting Thoughts and Ponderings

I have a post to share, upcoming, that will possibly give you some insight into this thread I find stitched to me and this little place over the ocean.  It is more than a mere 'vacation'.  I want a few days to work on that post.  I can't wait to share it.

In the mean time, I thought about all that I learned, and yet still want to learn about that crescent-moon shaped patch of cocoa-colored sand.

Here are a few of my ah-ha's and wonderings:

1.  It is confirmed: to establish complete mental and physical, spiritual and emotional health, I need to see large sections of the sky.
2.  They have lightning bugs (aka - fireflies) in Nicaragua!!!
3.  I could potentially grow mango, papaya and bananas right outside my door...this amazes me.
4.  Papaya is a natural stomach settler.  If you have a bit of a tummy issue, papaya is good for what ails the stomach.
5.  However, papaya can also be dangerous - its oils on the outer layer or the seeds, can cause allergic reaction and illness.  Particularly if a howler monkey flings said fruit at you from a tree (story from one of the guests where we stayed.)
6.  You know how (some of you that may pay even the remotest of attention) the air from a ceiling fan while sleeping causes me to burrow under 6 layers of blankets in my self-constructed igloo?  It has to do with the air conditioning because I was perfectly content to splay across the bed under a thin sheet (or not), oscillating fan mingled with the Pacific breezes coming in through the open windows. The air didn't bother me one bit.   I have found the temperatures that suit me best.
7. Note to self - in all my observations of people and cultures, pay attention to what the 'norm' is for attire.  I noticed that most of the women in town (the locals) wore skirts, or jeans or capris (and longer shorts to the knees).  I was reminded of my daughter's trips to Guatemala and the requirement to find cool and comfortable capris to cover the legs.  So are Central American men leg men,  apparently? It would stand to reason now...see #8
8.  Do not take a short cut through the intersection where the taxi drivers wait in your bathing suit bottoms/running shorts.  Not if you want to feel clean and fully clothed by the time you  make it through the crossing...Me(mumbling to Hubs): oh geez, I feel 14 sets of eyes boring into my calves right about now.  Gah - are they gawking?  Hubs (said from behind me): "oh yeah.  Checking you out."  Cripes.
When the locals wear skirts/knee-length attire, follow suit.
9.Who needs a brush?  Around Day 4 or 5 I was rifling through my suitcase and discovered, "Huh. There's my brush.  I haven't dragged that thing through my head since I got here.  Oh well."  I'd wash it, comb it through with my wooden, wide-toothed comb and let it air dry.  I'm fond of wash n- wear hair.  So on around Day 4-5 I snapped a rare shot of me with said air dry hair.  My naturally stick- straight locks find their inner sassy curl in the air of salt and sea.

S'cuse the shiny, bare-faced sheen.  It's hot, I tell ya.  

10.  Found a new author to explore further.  I read this:

 from Randy's shelves of 'not an exchange' book borrow.  Found a kindred wandering gypsy, who happens to write about it.

These are his other books that will find their way into my hands at some point, particularly A Walk in the Woods which is his account of his Appalachian Trail experience, which starts practically at my front door.

11.  I love trying out the Spanish language, and I am determined in this next year to somehow get lessons and learn it.  I found myself repeating words and phrases, like a little kid with brand new vocabulary, yet much too big for his tongue.  It felt both like a first kiss from a lover's mouth and like trying to hold multiple pins between lips - all enthralling and new with longing for more. 

12.

From the top of my unbrushed head to the tips of my toes pointed west, I found home away from home.  Or maybe I've found 'home'.  Upon leaving, the howler monkeys sang us 'farewell'.