(pictures on this page: a Coqui frog I found when I turned over a shell and the Flamboyen tree on bloom on the property)
Eager to jump into the role of caretaker and learn everything we needed to know, we met up with Jess this morning to get the low down on the morning routine. Pretty basic - make sure lights in the guesthouse are turned off and the kitchen is cleaned up, check the trash and take it out if necessary and start laundry. Apparently, doing laundry is one of the cornerstones of this job. The massive pile in the hamper next to the washing machine attested to this, for sure!
After our morning tutorial, we were scheduled to drive into Isabela II (one of the two small towns on the island) to meet with Victor the accountant and Nancy his assistant. Along the way, Jess pointed out various points of interests and other places we would need to know about as we went about the business of maintaining La Finca…..the hardware store…..the bulk grocery store……the post office…..the bank, etc. We accompanied Jess into the post office where she needed to mail a package and when she inquired about purchasing another couple of boxes, she was informed they were out of stock. When she asked when they might be coming in, the friendly fellow on the other side of the counter said they were on order. Apparently, goods don’t arrive on the island on any particular schedule, just whenever the tides are in their favor. Island time, right??? Gotta love it…….
Nancy and Victor both turned out to be very delightful and accommodating people and gave us the overview on what we needed to know about how to pay for goods we would need to purchase on a regular basis, as well as how we get paid. Victor casually mentioned that we would need to fill out a W2 for Puerto Rico but apparently there’s no hurry on that either, as he sent us off with the paperwork and envelope to send back to them at our convenience. Not the typical HR orientation I’m used to with a new job, but go figure. Our only delay in getting back to La Finca was a herd of wild horses that couldn’t decide which side of the street they wanted to be on so they were galloping back and forth from one side of the street to the other and getting quite worked up over the whole affair as cars patiently backed up on either side of the road waiting for them to make up their minds. After much cavorting, the herd decided to divide and conquer with five going in one direction and two going in the other while the cars on both sides finally were able to continue on their way…….
We arrived back at La Finca and it was decided that after lunch, Jim and I would get two of the cottages ready for the check ins that are happening tomorrow- one at the Family Cabana and the other at the Cabanita. So, loaded down with cleaning supplies and fresh towels and sheets, we made our way to the Family Cabana. I offered to start with making up the full sized bed in the loft while Jim tackled the two twin beds on the main floor. Up I went with my sheets and crawled onto the bed to make it up, only to discover the sheets I had were queen size, not full. Okay, simple mistake, clearly put on the wrong shelf since they were separated out on the shelves by twin, full and queen. With a disapproving grunt, I pulled the fitted sheet off, gathered the flat sheet and informed Jim that I would need to go back to the main guesthouse where the linens are kept by the laundry to get the right ones. Did I mention how humid it is in the tropics???? With my t shirt sticking to me like a second skin, I tromped off to the guest house, returned the queen sheets to their appropriate place and pulled another set of sheets from the “full size” shelf and walked back across the compound trying to keep the freshly laundered sheets away from my sticky body. Climbing back up to the loft, I triumphantly flung the fitted sheet across the bed…….only to discover that I apparently had a twin sheet this time, not a full size. Given the amount of sweat I was producing at this point, these sheets probably could have used a washing anyway, but I was still less than thrilled with walking across the grounds once again to find the correct sheets. Long story fairly short -I found Jess, who helped me find the correct sheets and off I went for a third time to the Cabana……no doubt leaving a conspicuous trail of sweat behind me…..did I mention how humid it is in the tropics????
After everything is said and done, though, the trade winds continue to blow and after a shower you can sit on the porch with your cocktail of choice and let the breeze cool you off as you realize you really have found a quiet corner of paradise!
After our morning tutorial, we were scheduled to drive into Isabela II (one of the two small towns on the island) to meet with Victor the accountant and Nancy his assistant. Along the way, Jess pointed out various points of interests and other places we would need to know about as we went about the business of maintaining La Finca…..the hardware store…..the bulk grocery store……the post office…..the bank, etc. We accompanied Jess into the post office where she needed to mail a package and when she inquired about purchasing another couple of boxes, she was informed they were out of stock. When she asked when they might be coming in, the friendly fellow on the other side of the counter said they were on order. Apparently, goods don’t arrive on the island on any particular schedule, just whenever the tides are in their favor. Island time, right??? Gotta love it…….
Nancy and Victor both turned out to be very delightful and accommodating people and gave us the overview on what we needed to know about how to pay for goods we would need to purchase on a regular basis, as well as how we get paid. Victor casually mentioned that we would need to fill out a W2 for Puerto Rico but apparently there’s no hurry on that either, as he sent us off with the paperwork and envelope to send back to them at our convenience. Not the typical HR orientation I’m used to with a new job, but go figure. Our only delay in getting back to La Finca was a herd of wild horses that couldn’t decide which side of the street they wanted to be on so they were galloping back and forth from one side of the street to the other and getting quite worked up over the whole affair as cars patiently backed up on either side of the road waiting for them to make up their minds. After much cavorting, the herd decided to divide and conquer with five going in one direction and two going in the other while the cars on both sides finally were able to continue on their way…….
We arrived back at La Finca and it was decided that after lunch, Jim and I would get two of the cottages ready for the check ins that are happening tomorrow- one at the Family Cabana and the other at the Cabanita. So, loaded down with cleaning supplies and fresh towels and sheets, we made our way to the Family Cabana. I offered to start with making up the full sized bed in the loft while Jim tackled the two twin beds on the main floor. Up I went with my sheets and crawled onto the bed to make it up, only to discover the sheets I had were queen size, not full. Okay, simple mistake, clearly put on the wrong shelf since they were separated out on the shelves by twin, full and queen. With a disapproving grunt, I pulled the fitted sheet off, gathered the flat sheet and informed Jim that I would need to go back to the main guesthouse where the linens are kept by the laundry to get the right ones. Did I mention how humid it is in the tropics???? With my t shirt sticking to me like a second skin, I tromped off to the guest house, returned the queen sheets to their appropriate place and pulled another set of sheets from the “full size” shelf and walked back across the compound trying to keep the freshly laundered sheets away from my sticky body. Climbing back up to the loft, I triumphantly flung the fitted sheet across the bed…….only to discover that I apparently had a twin sheet this time, not a full size. Given the amount of sweat I was producing at this point, these sheets probably could have used a washing anyway, but I was still less than thrilled with walking across the grounds once again to find the correct sheets. Long story fairly short -I found Jess, who helped me find the correct sheets and off I went for a third time to the Cabana……no doubt leaving a conspicuous trail of sweat behind me…..did I mention how humid it is in the tropics????
After everything is said and done, though, the trade winds continue to blow and after a shower you can sit on the porch with your cocktail of choice and let the breeze cool you off as you realize you really have found a quiet corner of paradise!
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