Extended Visit and New Neighbours

SeveraHigh season in Roatan has wound down, so I was able to head over to Guanaja for a longer visit, a bit of time to myself.  Kipp had been planning to come back (he'd gone to Nicaragua to visit friends) and join me for a week in Guanaja, but then ended up being delayed, and then canceling his return as he had to go back to work.
My friend Alex decided to join me for the 1st weekend, so we headed out on the ferry on Friday, Angela dropped us off at the ferry dock, loaded with groceries and a few tools.  I had messaged Derrick to see if he could get me a bit of lumber and sheetrock for projects that I had planned with Kipp- closing in the bathroom, hanging the door, and putting in some shelving (Derrick had to order them in from the mainland, so I had arranged them when Kipp was still planning to come).  Derrick couldn't pick Alex and me up, but he sent his son to meet us off the ferry with the supplies.   We stopped to grab some ice (yay!  they had some), and then headed off to the cabin.
After everything got unloaded from the boat, I spent a bit of time getting the cabin straightened up (lots of rodent poop), and putting things away.  Alex went to the dock to go fishing, and caught us a bunch of fish for dinner. 
On Sat, Alex did more fishing, and I took out the kayak around to the little cove that I like.  I went in to snorkel for awhile, but the water was a bit cloudy,. When I got back a few hours later, Alex had caught more fish, and cooked up fried fish and rice- so great!  In the afternoon, he reconfigured the division to the future bathroom to make a doorway, and hung the couple sheets of sheetrock I had picked up.  There wasn't enough time to work on putting up the door, as I wanted him to come kayak for awhile too.  We kayaked up the beach to the north of us, and went for a swim right around sunset.
Sunday morning, Derrick's son Marvick came to pick up Alex to take him to the ferry to head back to Roatan.  I had asked for more ice, but there was none.  He did bring me more water, and a couple rat traps, but glue ones (I hate those, I think they're terrible, but I guess there were no snap traps, and Jose asked me not to put out the poison I brought, as he was worried that his cats might eat a poisoned rat).
I had still thought at that point that Kipp would be coming out at some point in the week, but shortly after Alex left, he messaged that he wouldn't be able to, so I'd just be on my own (well, not completely on my own, as Jose's around most of the time).  I also knew I'd be getting a visit at some point from Cindy, who had been a hostel guest in January.  She was in Guanaja with her husband on their sailboat, and I had brought her a package that a friend brought down for her.  We made plans for Tues.  She said Eric was handy, and could help out with the projects that I had initially planned for Kipp when they came to visit.
On my trip in Feb, I had walked down the beach to the south, and met a new neighbour, Ivan.  I sent him a little hello, and he said his wife was down, and invited me to come meet her and have a sunset drink that evening.  My 1st day on my own and already a social schedule :)  I spent the day relaxing, swimming and reading, and then walked down the beach late afternoon.
I met Tara, and she offered me a drink.  The land they bought (24 acres) includes a few existing cabins, one that they're staying in while they have their house built, and a large common room with kitchen.  They put in solar panels and have a back up generator, so they have a fridge and freezer, which meant a cold drink with ice!  Sometimes it's nice to be without stuff, so that you can truly appreciate it.  We sat and chatted for a few hours, and then I headed home.
At about 4 in the morning, I heard a bunch of noise- I had caught a rat! So gross- I think maybe just his tail got caught, so he was running around dragging the trap.  I called for back up (Jose's been staying under the cabin), and Jose came up and killed it for me, so I was glad I wasn't totally on my own.
I got up for my normal sunrise walk.  Cindy and Eric weren't planning to come over until mid-day, and the water was nice and calm, and much clearer, so I snorkeled out to the reef.  It's far, about a kilometer out, and the area closest to us isn't as impressive as Roatan (there's apparently a 2nd reef farther out, I haven't tried that), but still very beautiful.  
Cindy eventually showed up on a water taxi, with a pineapple and ice, but no Eric.  They had apparently had a harrowing night, with their sailboat dragging anchor.  Cindy looked stressed.  We caught up for a little bit, and I offered her and Linden (her water taxi driver) some vegetable soup I had made.  We went for a swim, and then they headed out.  She said she'd try to make it back over later in the week with Eric.
Wednesday, I tried to repair the stand up paddleboard.  I had brought down aquaseal, and Kipp had advised me to pick up a few clamps, and some paint stir sticks to hold the seam together while the glue dried.  He had marked the leak with an X of tape.  I also started a very brief attempt at building shelves myself, but I'm really awful with a hammer and nails, and the wood was pretty hard for screws and the drill, so I gave up on that one.  By that time, Cindy had messaged that they would be over the next day.
Several hours later, I inflated the paddleboard and gave it a test.  It wasn't leaking in the spot with the x that I had concentrated my repair efforts, but I wasn't sure exactly where it was leaking.  I decided to recruit some help- I attached it to my kayak, stuck in the pump and the glue, and paddled down to the neighbours.
Jacinto (the caretaker for Ivan and Tara's property) helped me figure out where the leak was, which was a few inches from where the X was.  We repeated the gluing efforts, and then left it to dry for the night by their place, and I kayaked back up the beach.  I went back down the next day to test the paddleboard.  In addition to gluing the seam, Jacinto also tried putting on a patch, but it was useless.  I reinflated the board, but I could hear it was still leaking.  I towed it back to my place and gave up on it for this trip.
Tara and Ivan invited me for dinner on Thurs, so I had a full day of events!  Cindy and Eric were planning to come in the morning, but that ended up being delayed til mid-afternoon.  The last few days, they'd had more boat stressors, so I felt a bit bad that Eric was being put to work, but not bad enough to turn down the help :)  Cindy and I chatted while Eric framed in the door and then worked at getting it hung.  Unfortunately that all took quite a lot of time: I was running late for my dinner invite, and they had a water taxi picking them up, so the door didn't get completely installed (hanging on hinges, but doesn't completely close and no door knob yet).  Oh well, at least a few steps forward!
We said hasty goodbyes, and I zipped down the beach to meet up with Tara and Ivan.  We sat on the dock with a sunset drink- it was a bit too hazy for a good sunset, but it was still pretty.  Then we had seafood soup that Ivan had cooked.  It was a really nice evening.
Friday I did more kayaking, swimming, and tidying up the cabin in preparation for my departure.  Tara stopped by in the afternoon for a swim.  They were also heading out on the ferry Sat morning, and then flying back up to Chicago (Ivan just for a week, and Tara for a few months), so they offered me a lift to the ferry dock.
Since the water tank was installed in Feb, there's been hardly any rain, but there was enough water in there that I was able to use the outdoor shower every day and not run out (I do my dishes in salt water so I don't waste my fresh water supply).  On my last night, we had some rain, and some more as we were waiting on the ferry Sat morning, so hopefully that has brought up the level a bit for my next visit.
And just like that, my week escape came to an end!  I'm so thankful for my Guanaja retreat, it really is what I need sometimes :)  I read several books, spent a lot of time meditating on God and all the beauty he created, went to bed early, had lovely morning walks, many hours of hammock time and in the sea.  So very blessed to have our Guanaja paradise!