Sad, bad news

I was chatting with my landlord today about the tomato plants, they've started to sprout, and then we turned our gaze toward the ol pig. He said "regarde le couchon là" (look at the pig there), and I smiled, then he talked about how it's grown, and I smiled, and then he said "on va tuer le lendemain". They are killing the pig tomorrow morning. That's my pig, that's my friend, I love that thing.

He will be missed

The first time we laid eyes on each other, almost two months ago

Our first picture together when we became friends

His final days

And now, our final day together, foamy snotty mouth and all. Friends forever.

Marie Galante is our oyster

My Monday: of the 3 morning classes I'm supposed to have, today, I attended 1.  One was cancelled because the teacher is on a sick leave, perminately, and the second, I was excused from after about ten minutes because the teacher said the students were being too rowdy and didn't deserve to have me in the classroom. This left me with a four hour break before my afternoon classes, this have me ample amount of time to realize I've been accidentally using the men's bathroom for the past two months.

Palm tree with its head cut off

Plage de bois jolan in SaintFrançois 

Surfing on Friday was really amazing, and by the end of the lesson, the sun had set leaving us on the water under a full moon and pinkish/purpley/blue sky.

This past weekend, 4 other assistants and I went to Marie Galante. Marie Galante is one of the six inhabited islands that compose Guadeloupe. The ferry rides were pretty incredible not only because we made it on with 3 min to spare (me and a British assistant took the 1:15 ferry, but at 12:58 we were in my car, in standstill traffic, didn't have our tickets,with no idea how to even get to the Port. We took an impromptu, unknown shortcut, knowing that was our only option. And somehow managed to get on the sold out ferry, in time), but also because the views are spectacular.

The ferry

Gaulle de Goffre

Looking into it

Sunset from the hospital parking lot..apparently that's the best spot on the island to watch it, and it was.

We didn't see the Green Flash, but it was still beautiful

La mer au punch, the story of this pond could be one of the most interesting things I've heard about this place. I guess  some time around 1850, a large number of slaves threw a party and basically used this pond as their punch bowl, pouring loads and loads of rhum into it and drinking out of it. Eventually and unfortunately, I think they were killed for doing it by their "masters". I haven't had the chance to yet, but I would recommend looking up more information about the story.

This is the restaurant we ate dinner at, and to give you an idea of things work here, the place opened at 19h, we waited outside the closed doors until around 19h15 when a car pulled up and the two owners mosied out and opened the restaurant. They were actually very nice, and after eating their food, it was easy to see that they can show up whenever they want because their food will bring people, even if they have to wait.

Fresh caught tuna and christophine au gratin

Chateau Murat, an old plantation sugar factory

The old plantation owners house

Rhum distillerie

Rhum Bielle

Moulin

The sand had a pink tinge at the incredible beach we hiked to

My smoked salmon on a baguette at the beach

Storm over the ocean on the ferry back. I really think that has to be what a mini mini hurricane looks like. 

Armistice Day

Sunset at La Datcha beach

My delisious meal after some tough Paddleboarding. Paddle boarding this week was in Port Louis, a little town with a beautiful beach were we could be on the waves, actually surfing the waves. It was my first time, kind of difficult to get used to at first, but after awhile it was easier and loads of fun. Although I would say I only feel like I actually caught one wave (I still ended up falling), it was a really cool feeling. Anyways, back to the food, that is a Lambi shell (Lambi shell is a conch shell), a crab, and another type of shell I don't remember, all stuffed with their corresponding meets, it was amazing.

The empty shells after the delicious feast

Anse Bertrend, Pointe de la Virgie

Bôkaz festival last night in Moule. It was a creole jazz festival they set up next to the boulevard, really a good time.

Skype brothers

Unfortunately I have no pictures, but yesterday I went canyoning. It was probably the most physically demanding, coolest, like nothing I've ever done before, things that I've done here so far.  I went with 3 other assistants who go to a hiking club on Sundays with some of there teachers.  We hiked up through a river/waterfall(s), the entire time I was at least up to my ankles in water. The first section was up the river, over rocks and boulders, then we got to the canyons were we began going up waterfalls and swimming through deep sections of water. It was incredible and unbelievably beautiful.  It would have been so amazing to have a camera but due to the water factor it was impossible, hence the fact  my lunch turned from tuna salad on a baguette to waterlogged tuna sandwich soup. I wouldn't want that happening to my phone, it did keep me hydrated though. All in all the hike was about 5 or 6 hours and truly unforgettable.

Wicked Mosquitos

The Mosquitos have been attacking with a wicked vengeance lately. They want me dead, or at least covered in their horrible bites. If this keeps up, I think I will have to take more drastic measures. Stay tuned. In the meantime here are some photos:

Surf spot

Rocks at Port d'Enfer

Beach at Port d'Enfer. Port d'Enfer means door/gate of hell, its because when you climb at the top and look down it's just a cliff, at the bottom of which is jagged rocks, violent waves and coral.

Sitting at the gate of hell

A mangrove

Photographs

The women's house that I'm going to take art lessons from

Her table

A sculpture she made. She is very interested (very interested is an understatement) in amerindienne art. She's a French women, born in Algeria and moved here 40 years ago when she visited and fell in love with Guadeloupe.

My clay cow

Saw this dog, it was so happy, but made me so sad. I miss my sluggy and bear bear

Le Tapeur, the place we did a zip line parcours in the national forest

Twin bananas

The cemetary for Toussaintes

One of the tombs

Just driving home

The band that played at the Halloween Party. There's a women here, from Liverpool, she's lived here for 18 years with her husband, but doesn't speak any French, her name is Pauline. Some assistants met her at English club, and every year she throws a Halloween Party at her beautiful villa/mansion with catered food, cake, a live band, everything. It was amazing, felt like a scene from a movie.

The enormous wok of Paella at the party

The solar eclipse! I was just watching the news this morning and they started talking about a solar eclipse happening tomorrow. I got soo excited! Then I realized the news cast was from yesterday, and that the eclipse was actually happening at that moment! So I got to see some of it, even though I might have some eye burning, it was pretty neat.