We stop at Pamela’s before we get back. We have been promising to get fruit from her for days and feel bad because the money has never been right when we pass by. Today we’ll buy a bunch. Mangos and big beautiful grapefruits. We ask about jelli coconuts. “hard to come by this time of year,” she says, “but the dry coconuts are good.” We haven’t seen ANY jelli coconuts at any of the fruit stands. She cracks us one and we drink the water. She husks it when we are done and reminds us to eat everything, “The best vitamins and minerals are in the dark rind.”
We go back to the room and scarf down a giant grapefruit we slice into only six wedges as we get ready for our excursion. Today we’re going spelunking! That’s caving all you dirty minds! I must admit, though, that I have an unchecked box on my life list for spunking while spelunking. It remains un-checked today.
There aren’t any new flowers today. I think our guy got confused yesterday when I paid him for the last couple of days all at once. We have had at least three bouquets in the room since Monday and what is there holds up until we leave so I can’t be too upset. His arrangements got better every day, though, so I had kind of been anticipating his continued improvement.
We load up a bag and head off for, you guessed it, Xtabi. We’re going to have breakfast, shoot some photos in the caves and go for a swim. We grab the table tucked back by the railing under the roof. “good morning, brudda, what will you have?” We order a bread basket, fried plantains and coffee. “I think I need more juice,” says Sweetie Pie and gets a mango juice. “Better bring some waters too,” I add. The coffee comes and our waiter says, “Now I’m going to treat you to some Crystal Punch!” After last night we’re kind of excited at what this might be! He comes back around from the bar with a pitcher. I start laughing, “Water!... Jamaican water!” It is damn fine water. The mango juice is delicious, a thick syrupy sweet beverage.
As we’re enjoying our breakfast another couple comes in for breakfast toting a couple of shoulder bags. They’re in their early thirties I would guess and have the urban bohemian thing going. They order breakfast and are thrown for a loop by the crystal punch bit as well. We share a laugh with them about it. They are a nice couple. We finish a nice leisurely breakfast and get ready to go down to the caves for a “Manly Man and Gurly Girl” photo shoot at the sea window in the rock cave. Sweetie Pie makes a snarky comment about the Bohemians. I do the cartoon head swing, “Wha – Wha – Wha – What?” I say. “They just work too hard at it,” she says and points out a few things that indicate financial status and the effort to have a “look”. I compare their unkempt appearance to Rastas and Sweetie Pie says, ”Rastas don’t work at it, they look that way as a byproduct of what they ARE.” Sweetie Pie is dissing!! I have to smile as I consider how unlike her this is and yet it IS her. I’ve seen The Snark step out before, just very rarely. It makes me think. She is perfectly imperfect…
