January 30th, 2013, Providence, Colombia
Tony decided to wait for us in the main square instead of joining a boring troll through the grocery store.
Mr. Robinson encountered Tony in the main square. Mr. Robinson was initially hoping for a little money. However, when he discovered that Tony was English, he took the opportunity to berate him for abandoning Providence to the Spanish in 1672.
Tony Day and Mr. Robinson chatting in the main square.
Now that we are here and have seen how lovely it is, Tony and I do feel a little guilty that England abandoned Providence to the Spanish. People are so delightful here. They seem particularly happy to welcome English-speaking visitors and to speak English with them.
Gayle and I chatted with fisherman Jay; Gayle was in the process of locking the dinghy to the Co-op dock and Jay came over to tell us that we don’t need to lock our dinghy in Providence; it is a safe place. Jay had just returned to the island after eight days out fishing. Before we left the Co-op, he gave us a gift of two lovely pieces of conch, which Gayle ceviched for our lunch — according to Jay’s recipe.
Surnames like Bush (the check-in agent), Robinson, and Archbold (the laundry lady) remind us that these people are as English as me. Btw, Mr. Robinson did get a little money from Tony Day — TD’s a soft touch — and I’m proud of it.
Note: This might be my last post for a while. D.V. we are setting sail today, heading towards the Honduran Bay islands.
Fair winds at your back! If one of you takes a teaching position when you finally return to the mainland, perhaps you can write off the trip as being “education research” :).
after all, it was mr. robinson’s neighborhood….
on to Jam-aica!!???