Eight Days A Week

Yes, this is our eighth day on the Nature Island and it's almost hard to believe. It seems like it's been way longer than that, while at the same time it's hard to believe that the time has flown by so quickly. Last night it got cool enough that we actually needed a sheet. That was a blessing. I've had some slight sickness coming on for days and this morning it decided to really set it. Having gotten a good night sleep I had the strength to press on, however, and got a great deal of work done today.

Early in the morning Ms. Bellot (Dilian's mother) came by to see if we needed help with anything. As we don't currently have a washing machine she thought it wise to teach Rachel how to hand wash clothes.


She also picked some herbs for us to crush and put in a bath for Isaac. He's gotten a touch of heat rash (we think) and the herbs help if you put them in the water and bathe with them.


A little later Dilian came by to see what we were doing for lunch. We showed him some fish I bought from a local man and found out that I paid WAY too much for it. (I thought that was the case, but now I know for sure. It should cost around EC$7.00 a pound.) He said that we could cook it for lunch and recommended sea bathing for my current illness. I snuck out of the house to get about ten minutes in the sea and while I was down there I got caught in the rain. That can happen easily enough down here. It also brings up another point. The locals are sincerely concerned with getting caught in the rain. They firmly believe that getting rained on will make you sick. Now, before you laugh I want to point out that these people are natives here. For all I know the rain down here will make you sick. I admit that I don't understand how it possibly could, but time might make me change my mind. I asked Dilian if I was going to be alright since I got caught in the rain while I was sea bathing. He assured me that as long as I had stayed in the sea while it was raining I would be fine. I had, so I guess I'll be alright :)

Dilian and Rachel took the fish up to the Bellot's to cook it and most of the children went with them. Ben and Abby stayed with me until it was time to eat. I took a few pictures of the road as we were walking up it just to give you an idea what the hills are like around here.


When we got there lunch was served. I have to say that it was excellent, even if I had paid too much for the fish. Like so many things in life it's a matter of live and learn. As we were about to head home it started raining. Ben walked home anyway which shocked our hosts a bit. Even after it stopped they were concerned we would get caught in it on the walk home. (It's about three city blocks.) Just before we left they gave me two herbs the names of which escape me at the moment. I think one is called citrinel or something like that. Once we were home I brewed them up like a tea to drink.


Both taste very good and they are supposed to help you if you're sick. So, here's hoping. Apparently “bush teas” grow all over the island if you know where to find them. The citrinel was picked out of what looked like an empty lot.

Either way, between sickness, rain, and work I haven't taken the kids out in days. They don't really mind that much. Today Caleb told me he just goes outside and looks at the mountain. Still, I want to take them to do more. Other than the sea nothing is really within reasonable walking distance. Right now we can only go down to the sea for around 20 minutes at the time. We don't want to get sunburned and so far we haven't. It's late now and I'm sure I have mothers hitting refresh hoping that I've done another post. So, I had better get this up for everyone to read.