Caribbean Note IV

This is the end of our fourth week on the island and we've been busier than ever trying to get all our ducks in a row so we can enjoy our vacation paradise. We've accomplished a lot here, but there are more loose ends than ever and every few days a new problem to add to the list. The latest was installing the gear table I built in it's proper place beside the hose bib on the dive locker side of the house. As I was digging to set the concrete blocks under the table legs, I discovered that the drain pipe from the washing machine was smashed and full of rocks. I dug all around the broken section of pipe and called a plumber to replace it. After sawing through to achieve clean ends to wok with he tried to snake out the remaining rocks only to find the pipe was truly full of them . . . so we dug until we found the end which drains into a kind of rock filled french drain system and determined the solution was to dig a big hole at the far end and push all the rocks out into the new hole.

At the same time Berit was asking why the white clothes were getting yellow stains on them and the answer was because our water was not filtered and the old iron pipes on the island were rusty inside so the first water from the pipes when you open the tap was rusty. So . . . we decided to dig up the water pipe too and install a water filter system where the city water enters our property. After digging here, there and everywhere it seemed logical to dig and finding nothing, we gave up and called for a local laborer to come the next day and "find the pipe." Which he did; about four feet down through the rockiest "soil" you can imagine. By the time he was done there was no time left in the day to dig out the hole to solve the problem with our drainage so the digger agreed to come back the next day and keep digging.
Meanwhile our plumber came back and replaced the broken section of drain pipe and installed our water filter on the water pipe and went home too. The next day no laborer showed up by late morning so I started digging and filling holes and making new ones until I was all done at 5:30. Man, what a workout!! In the new batch of pictures you'll see our problem and the solution.

Also in the new batch of pictures is the method (we were shown) for replacing missing cactus in the cactus fence. Dig a hole and put in dirt; find a cactus arm and chop it off with a machete; put the arm in the hold and voila! it will grow. We only tried one to see if it works. Maybe next trip we'll work on the cactus fence.
Anyway, we still have lots to do and only three more weeks to get it done. Berit has had an ear infection for the past week. We spent a couple hours last Monday at the clinic where she was examined and prescribed ear drops and told to stay out of the water for a week, so tomorrow will be the first time we've been in the water for awhile.