Et...duo

Coffee injected, car packed, we were off again. This time with three others and to hike to Pieatre, "a little paradise" at the top of a long hike. We parked on the side of a river and forged our way across, people living, selling, and working on both sides, coated with banana trees. We thought we had hiked far enough when we were told we had about an hour to go. A shoe broke and was repaired on the spot, on the side of the road, sewn with a large needle and some twine for about $1 USD; find that on the AT. It was rocky and we were drenched and panting when we stopped at a village, led by our faithful companion Manine to take a break for freshly picked coconuts; finally! We took some time to watch the kids play soccer on their mountaintop while the younger ones wound ripped fabric around balls of trash to make their own soccer balls. These communities had everything they needed: fresh running water, coconut trees, banana trees, and numerous others I can't even recall. It was perfect. We continued on, hydrated and quenched and finally reached the top. It was an Eden, perfectly crafted baths from the springs of the mountain. The water was cold, fresh and glorious. We swam, played with the kids, my favorite was Jackinson to whom I bequeathed my head lamp (yes, our power went out the next day as I was telling myself, "I may need this"), and picked fresh watercress. We left reluctantly and headed back to a wonderful meal prepared by our assistant director full of fresh fruits pulled from the trees outside. We  headed back across the river and home to our campus. Yes, home.