Now, it’s morning. I’m not sure what time it is. I’m not sure how long I slept. I think it was after midnight when I arrived. It might have been 8:30 when I went to bed. I’ve lost all track of time. I roll out of bed and walk to the balcony.

In my sleep, I never heard the rushing waves. The beach is picture perfect. It is barren and clean. The waves are large and constant. I can see the village and the expanse of the resort. There is a pool with a bar and a tiled waterfall. There are lounge chairs paired across a fake grass carpet. It is a relieving site. I mentally prepare to spend my days lounging by the pool, listening to beach waves. I must wait at this hotel, until my friend, Joyce, arrives.

Joyce is a volunteer in the Peace Corps. She works in Guinea. Before she left, we planned to meet in Cape Verde. Guinea is physically fairly close to Cape Verde. It is politically economically, and spiritually a very long distance. I purchased Joyce’s ticket from Guinea to Cape Verde. It took 3 months to buy the ticket. No tourist agency, airline, or public agency could buy it. There is one airline serving Guinea. It doesn’t have any relationships with any agency in the United States. The European agencies and airlines wouldn’t book a ticket originating in Africa for an American. After having a friend in London attempt to purchase the ticket, we thought we exhausted all possibilities. When it was all said and done, it was TACV, the Cape Verdean Airline that issued the ticket. They have one office in Quincy Massachusetts, so I sent my money order (money orders and American express only). I then shipped the ticket to Joyce for $150. It took 2 weeks to reach her. It did not include the connecting flight to get her to Sao Vicente. She would have to find the boat or plane to get her between the islands. These could not be booked abroad. >>>