yesterday magnificent and stuart (smart and bicep’ed husband of my generous and helpful friend lucy…they are here with us, she arranged the whole thing) spent the day diving. mum, lucy and myself took the three boys (hers are hubie and oliver) off the resort down to the beach. it was a 10 minute walk to get to this beach, including all the stops to look at the big diggers that are helping to rebuild roads and remove rubbish.

you can see where entire buildings were ripped from their foundations. yet the beaches are filled with white sand and the water is a hybrid of blues. tiny little silver fish swirl around your legs, evading the anxious and excited grasps of the boys. when standing on the beach and looking out to the water, it does not seem like death came storming in so few weeks ago.

the beach cleanups have been spectacular.

yet occasionally, the water reminds you of the turmoil. you have to be careful where you step, yesterday we kept stepping on blue floral tiling that once was in a kitchen or bathroom. and to the left of the beach and right infront of our villas is a tree. in low tide, you can see its massive trunk and thick branches, in high tide, all you can see are straggling twigs and branches.

after the beach, we returned to the resort and hubie and ollie had naps, and sebastian returned to the pool. he lives, breathes and i suspect, wees in that pool. our first full day here he stayed in it for eight hours.

after the pool, we came to  our villa for lunch and sebastian drew a picture of his father, sat while i read to him, chose not to watch a video (he doesn’t have the triplets addiction to television..have to work on that) and played with one of his little cars. mum fell asleep on the deck, as well she should. she is sharing a room with sebastian and gets up with him every morning around 7am, while i never surface until at least 8.30. thank you, mum!!!

then sebastian and i went for a walk. we walked to the main road that connects the resort to the highway, and i noticed the changes in the three days since we had first come this way. roofs have been completed, a bridge has been built, sides have been added to concrete housing structures, gravel is filling in holes in roads, and cement has been laid. the music is loud. the smiles are wide.

we are buying all our groceries at a little mom and pop shop instead of at the 7-11. they are grateful and very nice. we bought some at the 7-11 the first day, but once we found the m&ps, we swore allegiance to them.

we are not too ambitious, we are, in diving terms, decompressing. we will go on an elephant trek tomorrow, but that is about it. nothing too serious.

but there is the pink elephant in the room….actually three…jasper, carys and sela. oh i miss my babies. i would go home today if i could.  i am not saying this trip was a waste, i am not saying i shouldnt have come, i am saying i ache for the wee three.

more soon.