We took another trip out to our corner of paradise on Pisar island. Our weekend getaways to Pisar are always a fantastic reminder of the tranquil essence and wonderful natural beauty that surrounds us. It is a time to get away from the stresses of our schools and communities and just relax. We lounge in the warm waters and let all of our worries slip away into the turquoise tide at our feet.
However there was a somber note to this particular trip because it was to celebrate the departure of our beloved friend Andrea. She is finished with her Peace Corps contract and is on her way back to America
We gathered together on a couple of motor boats and set out to edge of the reef with all the lagoon peace corps volunteers and the JVI volunteers. The water was smooth and we cruised at a speedy pace across the glassy ocean surface. We arrived to our beachy destination and leapt off the motor into the soft sand below. I immediately took off my shoes and shirt (because it is my Pisar tradition to never wear either of these items). After unloading the boat and setting up our camp, we plopped down and began to let the peaceful ambiance seep into our souls.
We were relaxing on the sand for a while, but we became a little worried when the sun began to set. Our friends from Xavier still had not arrived on their separate boat. It was getting dark and we thought maybe they missed their ride. We had no way to contact them and had no idea if they were safe. One of us tried to make some calls and figure out there status, but it was to no avail. All we could do was sit and wait.
Darkness enveloped the island and the line between the sea and sky became a big black mushy cloud. At this point, we all had doubts about them arriving at Pisar this night. We figured that some miscommunication happened, and they were left stranded on the dock waiting for a boat that never came. We scanned the blackness for a sign of their boat, but couldn’t see a thing except the twinkling stars in the distance. Suddenly, a flash of light flickered from afar. We ran to the shore and eagerly watched for another sign. The light flashed once more and then stayed lit. We all cheered and yelled to celebrate their arrival. However, we were unsure if it was actually them because we repeatedly called out their names and got no response. Maybe it was just a fishing boat stopping by for some rest. As they got within eyesight, our fears were assuaged and we happily greeted our friends.
We ate a big meal, drank a beer or two, and danced on the sand throughout the night. We went for a midnight swim and frolicked along the shore in our tiny paradise. As the night wore down, we lay on our backs and gazed up at the infinite stars that were speckled across the sky. With no light pollution or air pollution, the stars cover every inch of the sky in a beautiful display of twinkling lights.
I played a game with one of my friends where we made up our own constellations. We figured that its rather arbitrary that everyone decides to follow the same set of constellations that the Greeks/Romans came up with a couple thousand years ago. Countless other civilizations from the Mayans to Chinese have had entirely different interpretations of the star shapes, and they are just as legitimate. So who says that we cant make up our own. There are millions of stars up there, and you can connect the dots in any way that you feel fit. Working together we discovered a new constellation of our own invention called the Cosmic Cowboy. It’s a two-part constellation with a cowboy lassoing a rearing horse. I personally think its quite fantastic and we should probably be given medals for our genius disvoery. But finding the same constellation next time will be the real challenge.
When bedtime came along, the wind started to pick up strongly. It blew in from the west, which is the opposite of the usual weather patterns. It blew and it blew and it blew. The wind ripped through the little trees and splashed waves on our usually calm shores. It was a chilly night, but I loved it. It was like having natural air conditioning.
The next morning, the wind was still roaring and the sea was frothing. I kept expecting a giant rainstorm to develop, but it never did. The wind reared its ugly head, but there was no watery downpour to follow. The weather stirred up the water and made it bad visibility for snorkeling, but there are plenty of other fun things to do in paradise besides look at the fish.
During the day we played volleyball, Frisbee and that game where you throw a ball onto Velcro gloves. We relaxed in the hammocks, floated on the shoreline and absorbed all the sweetness of our pristine location. Tranquility and freedom. That’s was Pisar is all about.
On our final night, we did our usual shindig of food and drinks and then played a peculiar game for a group of young adults. We played a hide and seek game called Sardines. One group of two people hides, and then all the other groups have to try to find the pair and hide in the same spot. At the end, everyone is crammed into the same little hiding spot. The last people to find the hiders lose. I hadn’t played this game since 3rd grade, and I forgot how much fun it was! We outlawed flashlights, so finding the groups was actually pretty difficult on our tiny island. My partner and I had the best spot of any team when we just sat down in some shadows under a palm tree. It took almost 30 minutes for us to be found even though people were walking within inches of us.
The last day on Pisar is always bittersweet. We try to soak up all the goodness and enjoy the wonderful surroundings, but there is always that nagging feeling about leaving in the afternoon. We swam around, played some sports and each had some quiet time enjoying the peacefulness. Once again, it was another amazing experience at one of the most amazing places on earth.
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