Video Killed the Radio Star

Tony's was the first shared bathroom place we stayed on this trip that I didn't mind, because we didn't have to share it and it was clean and dry. Its run by an older Creole couple and their cats and two boxers. When we left for a different place and the man said, "goodbye sweetheart" and it was the first time I've heard anyone talk to a woman like that down here and mean it in a nice way and not crude. I'll miss the folks at Tony's.

Near Tony's we went to a place called Gunter's Gallery but it wasn't really a gallery, just a house lived in by an artist and his kids, which made it far more interesting. Gunter's two daughters let us in and showed us their papa's work, lots of carved wood things with fishes etched and painted on them, necklaces, paintings and ornate, detailed drawings of maps, which were truly unique. We asked about the real tarantula spider frozen in clear resin as a paperweight or ornament and the younger girl said, "yeah, I don't like those." She said they crawl out from under rocks and her dad pickles them and puts them in jars and things. Why? To make art with? "I don't know," the girl said, shrugging her shoulders. "He's just my dad."

There are many older Creole people walking around with canes and young children too, white and black, all speaking Creole. Young, old, black or white, they all seem to say "fuck" every other word whether happy, sad, angry or just letting the dog outside. I have fun listening to it and watching the old men gather to play cards and the kids riding their bikes around. There is such diversity of people here, lots of Creole, Latino, and UK Dive People...they're their own ethnic group, believe me...I've seen a few transgender folks, or gender bending folks, whatever.

Amazingly for a tourist island, I've only been offered drugs once here and the dude made no effort to get me to buy, even for a weed dealer. Weed dealers usually at least say, "are you sure man? I got good shit." But this guy just said, "weed? Oh, okay." Never happens down here. They usually just get started with weed, and then progress to horses and coke and god only knows because I never ask. One drunk man with two teeth ride up to us on a bicycle and offered us vodka bottles he said were full of honey. Honey? Yeah, well...there were full of something. We explained that we were backpackers and had no room to carry 750 ml bottles of honey through the rest of Honduras and Nicaragua. The man seemed stunned with disbelief. "Of course you have room! Its honey!" Well, alright then. No disrespect to your honey buddy.

I'm staying at a place called Cooper's right now and its run by a lady with big problems. She told stories to me and yelled for a long time about the UPCO power utility company when I first arrived. I stood their with my backbacks on, drenched in sweat. "Ya know I barely makes a living here! They're sucking us all dry, you know! First dey make it six Lempir a kilowatt and now dey raise it again! What the hell am I gonna do. I can't make a living chargin these rates because these American company comes in and makes us pay for their loan!" She was very upset but I don't think she meant it personally toward me, though I wouldn't blame her if she did. She said UPCO is from Tenesse and they came to Utilla a few years ago and set up the power lines and infastructure on a loan that they took out that went bad and their debt is being passed on to the Utillan people in the form of "pay as you go" billing, long lines at the bank to pay bills weekly, power outages and vastly increased rates. The lady also said a lot of backpackers left her hotel without paying, even after neogiating good deals and reduced rates for longer stays. One guy stayed for two months at a reduced rate and then left without paying at all, screwing her out of 4000L. I felr really bad hearing that. I don't know how anyone could be that cold blooded, especially to somebody who's barely getting by as it is. I didn't make any deals with the lady and the room is still only eight bucks a night! How can somebody skip town without paying when its that cheap?

The means of transportation here is fast, drunk, and or stupid driving with golf carts, trucks, ATV's, crotch rockets, bicycles and mopeds. We rented bicycles the other day and went to the beach and I was standing by my bike when some idiot turned the corner of the all sand road on his crotch rocket, two wheeled sports car dumb ass machine. I was all the way over on the side of the road standing next to my bike and he wiped out into me head on. Thankfully he hit the brakes just in time and all I got was a scratch on my leg from my own bike being pushed into me, and a tire treadmaek on my swimming trousers. When I saw him coming in that split second I knew I didn't even have time to jump. I thought for sure it was gonna at least snap like leg in two or break my hip, which would be worse than being killed outright because I'd have to get surgery and be stuck in the country with no insurance and no way to pay the bill. The man just got on his bike and smiled and drove away like it was a big joke. I don't mean to be derogatory but theres just something about these highpowered toys like ATV's, jet skis, crotch rockets, whatever that just makes people act stupid. They ought to take a little of the testosterone out of the 8000 cc engines they run those things with. Yikes!

We went to a bar in a treehouse and drank Flor De Cana rum which Sarah thinks tastes like medicine but I think tastes like Bacardi Gold, but smoother. Papa Larry, you out there? You'd love the treehouse bar. It has all these levels and wood planks, sealed lights with plastoc fishes, walls studded with glass bottles, reflective glass in multicolors, mosaic tiles in white and blue. Funky statuettes adorn every roof and spire of grottos and minibars and artificial cavey things with fountains. It has too mank nooks and stairs and statues to describe and the drinks are cheap and they play good music from home, music I so searly miss.

Even old Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, and that one Moby song I really dig. Oh to hear a Doors song when I don't exect it! I cannot describe the blissful shudders it sends up my spine. I never used to sing along but now I sing loud and clear when I hear anything I love. In the middle of reggae and the obnoxious Latino pop that blasts from everywhere. Its such an oasis of sanity. Of all the wordly, material things from home the only thing thing I really mis is my music. Books I can live without for awhile, but how I wish I had Donovan with me, the Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre, psychedelic rock. The simplest pleasure was sitting back home drinking beers with the stereo turned up and just letting the songs and beer move me into whatever mood I desired. The music from here can't do that. It only stupefies and creates anxiety. The best mood lifting stuff I expect to hear is disco, funk and dance music, which doesn't satisfy like the BJM would, but it feels real good anyway. I like the more sophisticated shit like Dido's dancier stuff. I'm into 80's songs! I love hearing all of them. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS, I WANT YOU TO SHOW MEEEEEE! Bring it. OOOOOOM SKINNY BOP, OOOOH YEAH. Uh huh. WE COME FROM A LAND DOWN UNDER. Right on. HER NAME IS RIO AND SHE DANCES ON THE SAND, Rio, RIO DANCER. Oh yeah bay bee! VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR. Fuck. Yeah. LOVE IN ELEVATOOOOR, LIVING IT AS WE'RE GOIN' DOWWWN. Okay, nope. Not that one. I don't want or expect this craze to last, but for now I'm embracing it. Ba da bup bup bah. These ears are lovin' it. Yeah.