Final day at Yalbac

Updates: Dad and I have been enjoying a little late-night tele via Netflix. So far, we have watched Oceans Eleven and Charade. My computer has the worst speakers and Dad has pretty bad hearing, so that usually calls for absolute silence during movie time, with the computer as close to Dad as possible. The first night in the new room was great, and we didn't wake up to the sound of dozens of birds squalling. So, it was pleasant.

We went to Mrs. Chocs for breakfast, and Cleofo had been told that his starting day is tomorrow, not today, so we took him into the field with us one last day. We resurveyed Mound 73, from 2010, and two new sites. And all before 1130! It was a rather warm day, but with the windows rolled down on the return trip it was pleasant. We picked up Ernesto's crew on the way back to Banana Bank. So, I got to interact with his two youngest daughters- making faces at them, smiling, telling the Mom when they spit up, etc.

We pressed the last of the forest specimens and left them outside to bake in the heat. Then, Dad decided to take a dip in the pool, and I took many photos of him on his insistence. So, sometime soon I will post photos of a short hairless man with a stern face walking around in a large pool.

Banana Bank has been overrun with Chinese Christians from a church called "Holy Oil". Some of them greeted me in English, and I took the opportunity to greet them in Mandarin, which I think they appreciated. There are now dozens of little Asian kids about yay-tall running around, fighting, screaming, laughing, making mischief, while the adults are all upstairs in a worship service of sorts. I think they were speaking in tongues earlier. However, it was difficult for me to tell of course. I mean, they could have been speaking fast Mandarin, Spanish, or even a Creole English (or really any other language besides English) and they could have fooled me. I got to chat with a newbie to Banana Bank, an Ellen lady who is a riding instructor and here to ride like a cowgirl, and tell her where to go to see all the sights here.

Dad is back in the entryway to our room, which is open air and has a large table at it. I think that is his favorite room, even over our own room. There goes the speaking in tongues again. Having never been present at even an English rendition of this, it is an interesting sound. Dozens of people speaking all at once in many tongues, and then phasing right back into a song.

One of the workers, who rode up on his horse, walked over to me to see what I was doing. He told me that, from his vantage point, it simply looked like I was tapping furiously on the table in the cafe. This has amused me.