{"id":974,"date":"2019-07-13T15:54:29","date_gmt":"2019-07-13T19:54:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patrickokens.com\/?p=974"},"modified":"2019-07-13T15:58:05","modified_gmt":"2019-07-13T19:58:05","slug":"simple-basic-life-in-the-crater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patrickokens.com\/?p=974","title":{"rendered":"Simple – Basic life in the crater"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Fb-Button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>
<\/fb:like><\/div><\/div>\n

<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Daily<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get up at 0600 or whenever. Make the bed.\nContend with temperamental shower running hot then cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feed the cats. They purr differently first\nthing in the morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drag the garden hose to the balcony and\nwater the plants. Slap on the sandals and carefully walk down the steep, damp\nterrace to turn on the sprinkler. The cats follow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Desayuno.<\/em> Tea. Muesli. Fruit. Birds chirp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fire up the laptop. Check online. Study\nSpanish at duolingo.com for about an hour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notice a new life form \u2013 yesterday it was a\ncircling flight of Swallow-tailed Kites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almuerzo\n<\/em>(lunch)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Do something, or not.] Read. Cats usually\nwant attention. They get their kibble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cena<\/em> (dinner)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Read or Netflix. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lights out. Toads croak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Walk to town, past the lush manicured fincas<\/em> of the wealthy, the grazing\nhorses, lazing dogs, strutting roosters, uniformed schoolkids heading to the colegio, <\/em>gardeners and cleaning ladies\nwaiting for the bus. Hola!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Backpack full of groceries from the supermarket or the mercado,<\/em> back of my shirt soaked from the walk back up the slope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Power outages. Generators rumble into\naction all over town, but there is none at the house. I read more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gardener Miguel hacks away at the garden, housekeeper Maria cleans. I stay out of their way and help when needed. Vegetation and dirt never stop. Air BnB guests get a brief chat. Laundry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social time: Twice-weekly yoga, then apr\u00e8s-yoga coffee. Running. Happy hour Fridays at the Golden Frog Inn with the expats. Saturday capoeira<\/em> workouts. Monday street cleaning. <\/p>\n