Near Disaster


You might think, with this as my view, that my biggest problem is sunburn, or hangovers, or perhaps mosquitos. That has not been the case. Since we arrived on Thursday, we have scoured the internet to find high speed internet. The internet at our apartment is slower than dial up. My boyfriend works online, but we couldn’t even send an email from our new place.

On Friday, we thought we might have to fly home, or to Brazil, or anywhere so that he could log in to work on Monday morning. On Saturday, we found an internet cafe where he can work–but even it is not fast enough for him to work out of long term. (Not to mention it is a windowless room near the cruise ships.) But then Monday we found out that we could sign up for a faster internet service at the apartment. It takes two weeks, more or less, for the company to install it. So for the moment, we are making due with the internet cafe. And we are staying!

After contemplating running home with our tails between our legs, it feels like we can finally relax a little. There are still little problems–power outages, for example– but on the whole I feel like I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. It can be difficult enough to adjust to a new place without worrying if you can stay. I know my way around the island now, mainly because when I get lost I just drive forward for an hour and end up back where I started. It’s a beautiful place, mountainous and green, with the prettiest beaches I’ve ever seen. Hopefully soon I will be sunburned, hung over, and covered in bug bites!

12 thoughts on “Near Disaster

  1. Christine, I’m going to try painting again now that we are staying! I don’t think it’s St. Barts. There are quite a few barely inhabited rocks around here.

    Oh, LLL, poor Gaugin doesn’t get the proper amount of sympathy in art history… : P

    Bill, I’m still looking for the hammock store…if you want to know the location of internet cafes and their speeds however, I am expert.

  2. Yes, it’s a well known fact that Gauguin had trouble with his Internet connection when he first arrived in Tahiti. Eventually he got it ironed out, though, which is great, because otherwise the world wouldn’t have the written record of his Twitter updates from the island.

    gaugy: @vvangogh arles sux tahiti rulz suck it dutchboy!

  3. We just got back from a week in Puerto Rico, oh and to walk along a beach for an hour each morning and feel that sunshine. I just had a week of it. OOOOOOOh how lovely to live there, what a view. I so look forward to see how this place influences you and what you share with us on the blog.
    Watch out at my blog, I have a story about the pelican poo tree lol!
    all the best in your new home.
    and happy holidays and happy new year.
    Corrine

    guagin, hum a brilliant swine, love his work, died a HORRIBLE death alone.

  4. Sheesh… I thought I was bad.

    But even I would stick it out, without Internet access.

    Then again, I’ve stayed overnight in caves out in the middle of Turkey…

    Americans might be a little more used to creature comforts 😛

  5. JafaBrit, thanks for the wishes. Yes, the sun here is amazing, as are the colors.

    Seb, CORRECTION: my boyfriend needs a good internet connection in order to work from home without his boss knowing he’s here. We would have had to leave so he could keep his job…

    Creature comforts, pshah!

  6. Hah, that old line. Trust me, I’ve tried it before: ‘Mum, I need an Internet connection so I can manage my clients’ websites!’

    What I actually meant was: ‘Mum, I need to play World of Warcraft’.

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