#7 - We stay

Our first days in San Andres are over and the WLAN is back for another contribution. The island is simply beautiful. Starting with the long, almost white beaches with soft sand, turquoise sea, pleasant temperature, delicious food, friendly people, and the stunning view of the whole island. We feel at home with Albert and couldn't have wished for a better host. He is incredibly helpful, like no one we have ever met before. There is nothing he wouldn't try to make possible, and practically everything is possible because he is connected to the whole island. We already told him on the first evening of our return flight and that we would rather stay. Already the next day, he called a friend at the airport and arranged that we can change our flight locally, even if something else is stated in our visa. From the beginning, he said in his accustomed relaxed way, that everything will be fine and that he already has solutions. In order for us to make the change without any problems, he also organized a scooter for us, which took us to the airport the next day at 8 am (we did not even have to go anywhere to pick it up). So we drive to the airport and change our flight with hands and feet - and only return to this paradise on March 1st. Back home, he is just as excited as we are about the news and books us more nights. Unfortunately, the little house is rented out for 4 days, so he organizes a new accommodation for us in the vicinity himself. So it's a small villa that would have exceeded our budget. But even there, Albert negotiates cleverly and ultimately pays the same amount as with him. We are once again amazed at his helpfulness.

But back to our scooter day: If anyone ever comes to the island, we really recommend renting one. In a few hours, you can explore the whole island and all the people are calm and laid-back. There is no stress, no crowds, and honking is not used to swear, but to warn others that you are coming. So we stop at beautiful beaches, at one of the countless cocktail bars directly on the street - because on the other side lies the turquoise sea - or simply at the houses where the locals lead their relaxed lives. We notice well that there is no such thing as stress here.

The other option - and just as exciting - is a ride with one of the countless buses. There is no schedule and no bus stops. You wave when you want to get on, pay the equivalent of 80 cents (no matter how far you go), and tell the bus driver when you want to get off. The best part is that you can also tell the bus driver where to stop if it's unclear where exactly it is (in our case, a fish restaurant). Of course, it can happen that a bus ride takes a while - but we also have plenty of time.

The next updates will continue from San Andres because we simply feel comfortable here and will stay for one more week.

In the meantime, Albert is trying to catch fresh octopus, which is not that easy here...