The day of departure came. We all got up early and Bud made us pancakes for breakfast. As soon as it was late enough to be polite we started the generator so we’d have hot water. We all took showers, and we were dressed and Rick and Tracy were packed with their suitcases out in the cockpit by 9 AM. When we saw the water taxi approaching Bud took off in the dinghy and I put Fuzzy in the front-pack. Rick, Tracy, Fuzzy, I and the luggage rode in the water taxi. We even got a bit splashed in that. The taxi landed us on the inside of the peninsula where the government dock is. Bud brought the dinghy to the beach right near the docks where we landed, as he had our garbage that goes in a dumpster provided for the cruisers on the government dock.

We tied the dinghy to a stump and set off to a little park across the way with the suitcases. Bud and Fuzzy sat with the suitcases while Rick, Tracy and I went to the straw market next to the park. Tracy didn’t find anything else there and Rick soon tired of shopping. He went back and waited with Bud while Tracy and I stopped into two more gift shops, a clothes shop and the marine store. All of these are pretty small stores and in all we were gone well under an hour. We went back in the store that sells the hamburger beans. I wanted to find out if I had to do anything to preserve mine. I found out they could be polished, but they will last just as they are. They are from trees in South Africa and they are washed all the way across the Atlantic to be found washed up on the beaches here. I feel luckier than ever to have found one. Tracy had been looking at straw baskets and she really wanted one of the lucky hamburger beans. She’d been resisting making another purchase when she came across a small straw basket with hamburger beans laced on as little handles. That was just too perfect to pass up.

Rick and Tracy still had time before they had to go to the airport, so we wheeled the luggage down the street to a little food stand. Bud and Rick had hamburgers, fries and a beer. Tracy, who hates flying, opted just for the beer. I saw they had ice cream and couldn’t resist, I had a cup of butter pecan ice cream. While we were sitting there a taxi pulled up. Bud asked me to go and ask him about fares to the airport and Rick decided to come along and see if he could come back for them at 12:30. He agreed. At 12:20 he pulled back in and we loaded up their luggage. The patient taxi driver waited another minute or two for me to get this picture, and then they were gone.

Bud, Fuzzy and I went back to the dinghy and returned to the boat. I ended up sitting forward on the floor of the dinghy so I was protected from the splashes. The trip back was easier as we were going somewhat with the waves. We spent a very quiet afternoon. Bud took a power nap. I did the dishes and finished my book. At sunset Bud and I sat in the cockpit and I blew the conch horn. Rick, it wasn’t the same without you. We took Fuzzy to the beach for his evening run and ate a light dinner. It seems way too quiet in here. I’d gladly trade the extra room in the v-berth for all the laughs we had together.