2 Weeks In

We’ve survived 2 weeks in Port Gentil and are settling into life here.  We spent a week or so looking at various houses and have settled on one.  It is in the paperwork process right now.  We really hope this deal doesn’t fall through, as they often seem to do here.  It is out of our hands now as the company real estate division and the owner of the property work out the details. 

 My days are long and can get a little boring while Joe is at work.  Our hotel is located away from almost everything except Joe’s office so it isn’t easy for me to venture out.  I’ve had a lot of practice hanging out in hotels as of late so I find ways to occupy myself.  (For those of you that are wondering, I’m finished book #4.  Thank god for my Kindle because I sure didn’t have room in my suitcase to lug around books!)

 Joe and I usually go out for dinner.  There are a lot of restaurants here so it has given us a chance to try out a lot of different places.  People eat very late here (restaurants don’t get busy until 8:30 or 9.)  We try to ward off our hunger as long as possible before heading out.  Sometimes ordering can be a challenge as we aren’t always entirely sure of what we are getting but we are learning as we go.  So far, neither of us have gotten sick so I suppose that is a good sign!

 The beaches are the best part of living in Port Gentil.  There are 2 beach areas: Sogara (where the first house we tried to get was located) and Cape Lopez.  The pictures on the previous post are from Cape Lopez, which is probably 20 miles or more of unspoiled, undeveloped beach.  People drive out, park their cars, and hang out virtually undisturbed.  Sogara is a little different as houses border the beach.  Sogara is also located within a bay so the water is a lot calmer.  There is a restaurant there as well as a locals beach club further down.



 

 We spent Saturday afternoon at Sogara.  Just as we laid down on our towel, I felt something warm and wet on my hand so I shot up to find a dog sitting beside me.  There are a lot of stray dogs in PG but most of them could care less about the people around.  We aren’t sure if this one might have been a pet because he was so friendly.  He sat at Joe’s feet for quite awhile and would join us in the water or follow us if we walked down the beach.  Had we had a house, we might have seriously considered taking him home.

 Below is a picture of the damn lizards that haunt my existence here in Port Gentil.  Sometimes I think I’m getting used to them only to have one take off running beside me and I get startled and am on edge for the rest of my walk.