Poor Mans Viagra

27^th July

Today started with another tedious 6am patrol of the beaches drift wood, making way for the mother turtles to lay their eggs along the sand. The early mornings have finally caught up to us “I was so tired I couldn’t find my armpit” as said by Stephie. But our homemade breakfast definitely lightened the mood. Pancakes. Gilberth was very confused and took back when we all poured sugar on the savoury pancakes, which were supposed to be served with rice.

After breakfast everyone left to go back to the primary school to present gifts including balloons, skipping ropes and crayons to the children. We then went back to the high school to present a check of $500 donated by us, World Challenge, to contribute to the new cafeteria being built for the students, which will approximately cost $6000. Also with a second contribution from another World Challenge group from Sunderland visiting the school, $1000 made a massive impact to the community. The school really appreciated our help and were extremely grateful.

With the rest of the afternoon free to do as we like, everybody washed themselves and their clothes, dirty from the busy morning, and had an early lunch of amazing, homemade lasagne. We all then went to a beach half an hour away from Gilberths crib, and the only way to travel there was in his rusty truck along the bumpy dirt tracks winding through the jungle. There was room for four people inside with air conditioning and cushioned seats, and the rest outside on wooden boards, holding on the frame of the vehicle. Arriving at the beach was like arriving at paradise. Palm trees, white sand made from shells and a view of the Pacific Ocean with fisherman around the bay, in small, old boats. Cliff, Taggart, and Miss Booth all went into the ocean with 6 students and swam or snorkelled whilst others collected shells or sunbathed (or in Alice’s and Holly’s case, sat under a tree in the shade). Three hours flew past and the sunburn was starting to show on Alex and Beth while a group of us went and ventured around the bay for winning shots of the horizon. But another hour later the group returned and we all soon realised Alex and Beth were let off easy with their sun burns. Jenny and Emily were like lobsters (but are now tanned with frequent use of after sun, don’t worry parents).

Returning to Gilberths crib, everybody rinsed in the shower and gathered in the eating area for an important announcement. Turtle egg shots were to be served. These consisted of one raw turtle egg and tomato salsa in a shot glass for the ladies, and a double turtle egg shots for the men. The turtle eggs have 90% protein and no cholesterol in them and are used as an aphrodisiac. “A poor mans Viagra”. And with the lack of knowledge that a “double shot for men” didn’t mean the boys should have two separate shots to themselves; every single one of them consumed a total of four turtle eggs, at the least. Me, Alice, Beth and Jenny didn’t have any eggs (for moral and preferential reasons), Ella and Jack struggled to get them down, however Leah struggled to keep it down so left it for the crabs in Gilberths eating area.

Shortly after our shots, we had our dinner prepared by Gilberths wife, consisting of a lot of carbohydrates, garlic pasta and spicy potatoes. While me, Ellie, Ella and Leah went to get ready for bed; a friend of Gilberths, who specialises in making personalised pendants, visited the seating area. Postponing our bedtime, we spent an hour looking at his designs and he took over thirty orders from the group combined for gifts and personal jewellery, which we will collect and pay for on Sunday. Nine o’clock soon arrived and everyone went to bed, ready for a new day of collecting drift wood.