We did it!

We told Mervin first thing in the morning that we want him to take us to one of those bays he told us about. A place that was isolated and you could not reach by land. A place we could live off the land. As soon as we could, all of our belonging was packed in his boat that he uses for conservation.

Before we left, Eddie pulled me aside and confessed that he has a fear of the ocean. I know he grew up a surfer-dude in California, how could he be afraid of the ocean? I couldn’t help but be shocked.  We discussed these fears, since I don’t have a fear of the ocean. I know that I do have fears, but I certainly do not allow fears from preventing me from doing anything that I desire. His fears were not going to keep him from going on this ultimate journey, but he wanted me to know.  Despite the fears, the differences in our desires, we headed out into the wild blue yonder.

We were on the boat for about 30 minutes, when Mervin said, there it is.  Before my eyes was the most beautiful vision: a golden sandy beach with waves of aqua blue.  Our boat landed and no sooner than it did, I ripped my clothes off and ran naked as fast as I could down the beach. There were no footprints whatsoever on this unspoiled beach and its beauty was endless!

We explored our beach, our NEW HOME! It was a sight beyond definition. There was a cove made of volcanic rock and years of water sculpted structure. It completely formed a circle that created a protected cove with smaller waves, protect by an extended rock, gently brushing the outer line of the circle. It was all naturally made to be a perfect place to live. Hyatt hotels couldn’t make such a pleasure palace so beautiful and perfect to camp in – complete with an area where water flows into so we could wash dishes and take baths. Our new “hotel” had a sculpted fireplace complete with a chimney! We could not believe our eyes!

Just when we were completely perplexed by our good fortune, a barracuda washed up into the cove. It seemed to be stunned or caught in a wave. Eddie ran to get his machete, but by the time he arrived back from the boat, the barracuda had swum away. Completely out of breath, Eddie looked behind him and saw a huge stick and berated himself for not using nature’s technology. We found two coconut trees that were low enough for us to pick them off the tree.  We listened to hundreds of birds in the mountains and followed our way to the other side of the cove. Without any discussion, we would move our meager belongings to this idealistic place.

We unloaded the boat and Mervin stayed with us all day. He laughs all the time and seems utterly amused by everything I say. He has been most generous with us, but it appears to go beyond island hospitality. He seems to have a personal investment in us and wants us to succeed. He shares with us everything he knows and is always willing to help. He thinks we are magical. Tonight, as the sun set, glowing effervescent rocks/underwater tiny fish the size of a firefly floated up to our new home. We couldn’t believe our eyes. We have found a home beyond perfection.

We set up the most basic of campsites, cooked a meal and fell asleep under the sparking sky.