My first morning in Hopkins I awoke early (about 6:30 AM) and headed to the beach for my daily regimen of beach exercise. I walked about a mile south and then ran about two more before turning around and heading back to our hotel. I ran as far as you could go south of Hopkins before the cleared beach stopped and running (or walking) became a real chore. My run was followed by a nice swim. Except for a little sea grass, the beach was wonderful for swimming. The beach had a nice sandy bottom, and in the area in front of our hotel you could actually wade out for a distance of several blocks it was so shallow. After my workout I had a nice Creole omlette for breakfast. Kirby wanted to check out a little more rustic accommodation a couple doors down called Ransoms, but after looking at an available unit and finding it was super rustic -- for example the units had no screens on the windows - we decided to pass. Even the remote chance of ending up with malaria spooked both Kirby and me. During our first morning in Hopkins we also met a pretty cool fellow traveler from New York named John. He was on his way back from "deep" central America and had taken a number of very long and tedious bus rides. Among other details, John told us that - in his opinion - Costa Rica has become a nightmare. He heard about a great deal of violence and drug problems, and he said that hookers and drugs were virtually in your face all the time. I suddenly had no desire to check out Costa Rica next year. It is such a shame because just a few short years ago everyone said it was a great place.
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| Ronaldo with His New Friend John from New York |
During the afternoon I met our next door neighbor, a super-friendly guy from Ohio who was absolutely fanatical about his beloved
Hobie Cat catamaran. Mark and his wife originally sailed their Hobie in Ohio, then graduated to the Florida Keys, and have ended up coming to Hopkins for extended periods every winter. I am not sure how they work it our career-wise, but Mark mentioned that they have returned to Hopkins each winter for nine consecutive years! Hopkins is a very small community, and spending a little time with Mark made me realize that he knew practically everyone in town. I will discuss the amazing Hobie Cat is an upcoming blog entry.
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| Mark's Beloved Hobie Cat (It's an 18-footer which isn't made any more) |
In the meantime, Mark showed me an amazing book about sailing in the Great Belize/Mexico Barrier Reef area which also contains several incredible charts. The book was written by a lady who was a captain in the U.S. Coast Guard and has been published in several editions. Mark was kind enough to allow me to bring one of the big charts to a digital center in the neighborhood so I could make a patchwork copy of the chart- about eight regular-sized sheets of paper which I taped together. It is an incredibly interesting chart-- showing pretty much each and every mile of the Great Barrier Reef and thousands of "cayes" located between Cozumel and Honduras. I cannot imagine how many hours-- and miles of sailing in the Caribbean--the captain dedicated to her labor of love!
The evening of February 3 I had a fabulous lobster dinner for about US$20.00 after which we were treated to an awesome African drumming session at King Cassava Restaurant and Bar. Mark Nunez, the owner of the bar, and several of his friends played outside the bar for several hours into the evening. The music was extraordinary and the drumming was really something to see. You just don't get this kind of experience up in Bloomington, Minnesota....
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| Mark and His Buddies Playing African Drums in Hopkins Town |
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