The end of the taxi cab era (hopefully...)

I will never again complain about going to the DMV stateside ever again. Not after yesterday's nonsense. It started about 8 AM with a phone call from a guy who is selling his car because he is desperate to get off island TODAY. In the past 2 months he had been stabbed, broken his back, and been almost killed by a hitchhiker he had picked up. He needed out of here so we knew we could get a deal. He came right over in a beat up 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee, but for $1150 we decided the price was right. Immediately we had to get the title transfered and registered, insured, etc. Step one, find a notary which seems entirely pointless. Then we have to walk to the insurance agency and set all that up. Had to pay up front for a full year and then we'll supposedly get a prorated refund when we leave. Then the DMV, actually the BMV here. I now hail stateside DMVs as beacons of efficiency and speed. Start off in super long line and make it to window one, where of course the woman behind the window is out to lunch so we just have to wait it out because she has to check records for tickets. Next up, window 2 to fill out applications for registration. Take a number. Number is finally called and we pay someone some money. Back to window 2. Given some papers. Now is time for car inspection. What you are about to read is totally illegal but accepted, if not encouraged. There is a guy right at the DMV who you can pay to "get your inspection done". This entails no one actually ever looking at the vehicle because few of them would pass on this island, ours included. He runs around for an hour or more between who knows how many windows but we are finally presented with our registration stickers, and now I'm almost late to work. It was quite the ordeal.

This day of hell will be worth it because it means no more taxi cabs! Allowing that the car holds up. The motor, engine, all that are good apparently (this is Kellie writing this, so all technicalities regarding car troubles are according to Mat), but there is a crazy clicking noise, needs some breaks, and you have to touch wires together to roll the windows up or down. And sometimes you have to wiggle the battery bolt things in order to start the car. But it runs, it runs, and we figure we can get through the next 4 months with it, put a little money into it, and maybe even sell it for a small profit when we leave.

Happy New Years to all of you! Hope eveyone will be safe tonight and have a good time. I will be working from 3 pm to 3 am, so my holiday is pretty much shot. Mat is also working. But we both have the next 2 days off and are going to St. Johns tomorrow to get massages, hang out at the beach, and have a nice dinner. Belated christmas presents to eachother. We love you all!

Wrong Side of the Bed

Yesterday we woke up and walked to the beach. On our way back a bee flew under the brim of my my hat and stung me on my head next to my eye. After pulling out the bee gut ridden stinger the burning began. I suffered only for a short time then went off to work. The Safari driver, the bus system here, tried to charge me a white man fee. For those who do not know he tried to rip me off of a dollar. I refused, he yelled, and drove off. After finally making it to work, I stepped in the back to change my shirt and stepped on two sticky rat traps. Now I have two rat traps stuck to my feet, and they do not come off. After that mess I had a nice family at my table and as was dropping off their beers, I dropped one on the nice lady. A few moments later I was taking them another round and the ice covered beer slipped out of my hand and fell on the same lady. The only good thing about that table was, there was six of them, AUTOGRAT! I hope today is better.

Merry Christmas

Just a quick note. I am going to quit one of my jobs today. The job that I have to wear that awful shirt at. Kellie and I decided that we needed time together and three jobs just did not allow for that. Kellie is still doing fine at her job despite the slow season and the Green House is working well for me. The big Christmas celebration for the island was Saturday which included a Christmas boat parade. For all of you that have seen Portland's your expectations are too high. There was only a handful of ships, but it was a nice addition to the party.

I wish that there were more stories to tell you but nothing realy hapens here. I have a hour comute to work on a thirteen mile long island, kellie has a thirty dollar comute by taxy, and everyone tries to rip you off because the think your a tourist. I hope to get some good dives in this week, if I ever make some money I will buy a underwater camera to show you all how great it is out here.

I got to go some guy is offering to buy us breakfast if we let him get on facebook.

Merry Christmas,
We love you all,

Mat and Kellie

Worm Free!

This week has been very interesting and frustrating. The law here requires you to have a health card in order to work in the service industry. I am now going into the details of what it took for me to get this ever important card. It is rated PG-13 so send your little ones to bed.

It all started with a trip to the hospital where we had to negotiate with the security guard to let us through without leaving our IDs, because we need them to get the cards. Yes if it is the law to have this card you would have thought that they would have already addressed this problem, but no. After wandering though poorly marked hallways we came to the health center reception desk, where we could not understand the Westindi ladies dialect. Luckily some state side person heard our plight and came to our rescue. We had to go to another clinic to pick up our sample cups and bring it back Monday morning.

Monday morning I woke up and held the cup under me and dropped a good sized poo sample into the cup. After I finished gaging I wrapped it up in a plastic bag and hopped on the bus for the hour comute while holding my presious cargo in my hand. The good news is they checked me for but worms and I am but worm free! A few days later I was able to return to the hospital for more frustrating nonsence and picked up my card, glad that is done.

All is well here, the jobs are going good, life is good. We have started renting tv seiries to watch. Right now we are finishing up House, great show. As frustrating as life down here can be, we do not have to wake up early to scrape the ice off my windsheild. We miss fresh food, we are tired of dollar hot dogs and ramen noodles. Thank you all, we miss you.

Job three

After a half mile walk, not kidding, to drop off the trash we stopped at our favorite internet capable restaurant for some food and to write you all. Not much has happened, except I have got a new job at a place called the Green House during the day. Yes that is job number three, but in this economy it is necessary.

This island is so slow, just yesterday we opened a bank account. It takes three business days to actually open. As you all know, that are reading this, we are in the technology age. A few key stokes can give you tens of thousands, but here the largest bank cannot open an account for three days. On top of that it takes a month to get a debit card. I would expect this in Nicaragua but we pay federal taxes here. Welcome to paradise.

Even with all these frustrations we get to go diving in the ocean every day while you are all shivering in the cold. Stay tuned for Mondays excursion, we have to go get our health cards. For all of you that know what that entails feel sorry for us, the rest of you, you will soon see.