There’s not much going on here on this secluded tropical island. Our first days were spent adjusting to the five-hour time difference, getting the condo organized, and doing some shopping. I got up at 4a.m. to watch the U.S.A. soccer team lose to The Netherlands and monitored I.U. games in the afternoon, since neither the soccer match nor basketball game was televised here. I did get my 5k run in and spent some time at the pool, surprised by the number of kids that were staying here. The rest of the family just arrived, so last night was busy with our first dinner together, lots of wine drinking, and games. 

Everyone went their separate ways this morning before brunch. I was actually able to sleep until the sun came up at 7 a.m. rather than sit in the quiet darkness like the previous two mornings. My run was down to the Marriott Sonesta where there is much more action with shops, restaurants, a huge recreational pool, bars, and a beach. This is where the “kids” spent this afternoon while their mom joined me poolside. It’s a resort more suitable to their tastes than this one, while we prefer the quiet and seclusion offered here. 

We all joked about the roosters that hang out on the islands and the hundreds of dead frogs that lie flattened in the streets. They are baked to leather by the hot sun, looking like giant pancakes, but far from appetizing. They inspired memories of a run that we all did together years ago back in Rochester, Indiana, my wife’s hometown. On the road that loops the lake, were similar frog carcasses but not nearly of these “Jurassic Park” proportions. I called it the “dead frog” run and noted it in my diary, long forgotten until this trip. 

There will be more group fun tonight, leading up to the “Hunt A Killer” board game that I brought to play. The girls gave it to me as a birthday present years ago, and I was originally going to take it to Tahoe for us to try out. The case is called “Death in a Dive Bar,” that will require all our amateur detective skills to solve. After the fires cancelled that family get together, Covid ruined the following year that was planned for here. We finally got us all together! Over the next few days, we’ll be doing some kayak and catamaran tours, hikes, as well as other adventures. We’ll also pick up a rental car to explore the other side of the island and do some dining out before everyone heads home after plenty of Family Time.