My body clock is definitely on Nica time. I know this because the first thing I heard this morning was, “Mom, are you alive?” Kevin was worried because it was 6:15am and I wasn’t up and moving yet!

I took a long walk on the beach before breakfast. It was such a beautiful morning. I snapped a few photos of the friends I met along the way. And of course, I took some of the scenery as well.

I couldn’t resist having the fruit, yogurt and granola again with ginger watermelon juice. Today, there was papaya which is my absolute favorite fruit (when it’s a good, ripened one).

After yoga (full moon salutations), we met with Danilo, one of the most successful local fishermen of El Tránsito. After describing the ups and downs of the fishing industry in a small fishing village, he escorted us to the co-op where he sells his fish on a daily basis. He informed us of the conflicts between industrial/commercial boats and the small local fishermen. The larger boats use large nets to catch fish often times catching turtles and smaller fish that are either trapped of killed in the netting process. This action undermines the gentle ecosystem of the Pacific waters that these local fishermen rely on to support their community’s needs. Danilo and his team use long lines to fish sustainably in the ocean, but it’s a business with many ups and downs that can be hard for those in such a small village. His attitude was upbeat and he was proud to show us what he has built over the years. He also shared with us his success with sobriety (more than 20 years). Alcohol use by those in the fishing community can be quite high and he enjoys a certain stature in the community for being someone who faced addiction and is beating it on a daily basis.

Danilo took us to his home where we proceeded to watch him filet a Jack fish. Apparently, Jack fish can be eaten, but aren’t nearly as valuable as the red and white snappers that Danilo strives to catch. Some of our tour group members wanted to help filet the fish. Kevin and I were more than happy to watch from the sidelines. We also enjoyed watching the local dogs and kittens wait patiently by the table to catch bones, skin and other scraps. Everyone here knows the rhythm of the day. Animals, including birds, always know where to be and when to be there to meet their daily needs. It’s lovely.

Kevin and I returned to the community center to visit the students while they ate lunch. Today, we took jump ropes. Kevin did a quick demo for them and their faces below show the amazement they felt when they saw what could be done with a simple rope, two hands and two feet. Within minutes, dozens of kids gathered around Kevin all wanting a chance to learn a jump rope trick. We told the kids we would be hosting a small jump rope class on Friday at the arts center and that they should all be there! Our host told us that he expects the number of kids to show up tomorrow to be double what he’s used to seeing due to the appeal of Kevin’s jump rope clinic! It was awesome to see the joy in Kevin’s face as he shared his love of jumping with the kids. He has missed being an active part of the world jump rope community. I was so proud of him.

For lunch, we went to Pozas which is a small oceanfront restaurant serving pizzas and other casual items. We shared a barbecue chicken pizza and I enjoyed a ginger ale with rum. The view was spectacular, but the heat was tough so we walked to the hotel after lunch for a little siesta.

After spending a couple of hours in the pool, I did some work online while Kevin read his latest book. Today is definitely the hottest day of the week so far. It’s technically rainy season here, but so far, we’ve not seen one drop of rain!

Dinner was a delicious seafood coconut curry over rice. We all really enjoyed the texture and flavor. It was served with peach orange juice. I also enjoyed a Cuba Libre (coke, lime, rum) on the side!

We watched another spectacular sunset from the sitting area outside of our room. There is beauty everywhere you look here. Tomorrow, we will spend more time doing arts and crafts with the local school children. Tomorrow night we will enjoy a group barbecue on the beach.