It's difficult to simply describe this place and the experiences I am having here...I wanted to first upload some photos because it helps to be able to visualize it, and I know that looking at pictures is way more entertaining than reading my jibber jabba, but I'm having some technical difficulties with the photos at the moment. So I guess you're stuck with stories for now!
Living in a botanical garden on Statia is a lesson in coexistion with the natural world. I think I'll start by telling some funny animal encounters, because that is a part of everyday life here.
Well to kick things off, right after I landed in the crazy tiny plane that took me here, I am greeted by a bunch of smiling, dirty people and we jump into a truck that has definitely seen better days. We begin driving down this crazy dirt road full of pot holes and it seems to go on forever (now it feels like nothing!), and two of the people in the truck with me keep saying to each other "so where's this pig we gotta check out?". I must admit I'm a bit confused, but I just play it cool and don't ask any questions. It turns out that a piglet had died in the road and we had to stop to pick it up and throw it into the woods. The smell was terrible, and is now a smell we are quite accustomed to here; we call it "the death smell". Whenever there is a dead animal nearby, so to will be the death smell.
Driving the road out to the botanical garden is kinda like playing a video game or something. Dodge the cows, pigs, donkeys, lizards, land crabs, rocks, and pot holes. Oh and if you're riding in the back the game becomes duck under the branches and see who can get the least amount of bruises on their ass.
Everyone is incredibly friendly here, and it is expected of you to wave to everyone you pass while driving and walking down the street. I've become so used to waving to everyone that I have been caught waving to cows and dogs recently. I guess anything that moves deserves a wave right? :) I'm almost to the point of waving to the rats and cockroaches in our kitchen. Almost.
The first week I was here I used a mosquito net with holes in it and woke up with a cockroach crawling on my face. Didn't make that mistake again!
One night I woke up to my roommate yelling my name because a huge, purple land crab was in her room. I, however, was not much help and proceeded to jump on her bed with her and scream and laugh until the boys woke up. It took a snorkel, broom, dust pan, sheet, and lots of barking from our dog Foxy (who almost lost his nose to those huge crab claws in the process) to get it out.
During one of my first days down at the marine park office I was sitting outside speaking with some of the women I work with when some liquid started pouring out of the tree onto the picnic table below. I asked "why is the tree leaking?" and they laughed and told me to look out because they knew what was coming next. I guess Iguanas need bathrooms too right?
I could go on forever with funny animal stories. For example there is this rooster named Dutchess (they thought he was a hen when he was little) who lives on the side of the volcano and is fed a lot by hikers. He will follow us all the way to the top just to get a few plantain chips. Another example: I have a package waiting for me in the post office, but I can't get right now because it's closed on account of it being infested with killer bees. Like I said, I could go on forever... but don't worry I won't. If you want to hear some more, just ask. Everyday is an adventure here- the fun never stops!
Hopefully I will be able to share some photos of the garden with y'all soon. I would love to show you how beautiful my home is!
