I didn't need any further encouragement but given that Jodie would be arriving around closing time, I keep the party going until that moment! As the bar closed and it was just the usual staff and friends straggling behind, I heard someone yell out to me to advise Jodie was at the front door. I ran out with open arms and there she was, luggage and all! I hustled her into the closed bar, introduced her to the friends that remained and we enjoyed some of sublimes finest drinks and the such to celebrate her arrival in San Pedro. An hour or two on and we headed to an after party which was short lived before we headed back to the apartment that we would now share! Me jodes and Max watched her first sunrise in San Pedro from our rooftop and we stayed up listening to music and chatting until about 10am the next morning. Our alarms were set for midday to make it on the party boat, to which I had been impatiently waiting for months for. But in true Australian, and Kassie style... I blew it. We blew it. Too much excitement the night before and way too rough to make it to the party boat in time. So essentially being the only three people in San Pedro not on the party boat, we started the day with fruit smoothies and chilled down at sublime until our friends all returned. One by one, people fell off the boat completely munted. Donned one of the best parties of the year, we claim our night before was too. We scoffed a pizza down at fe before crashing out early that night.
Jodie's first Wednesday and I had to take her to the Paca. Wednesday's and Saturdays are the best days at the Paca as that's when the "new" shipment of second hand clothes arrive so there's lots of buzz in the air to get there early and take first pick, before the second-hand store owners take all the good stuff first. I walked her around town, visited the rocks and got all the formalities out of the way, now she knows one end of the street to the other, tour guide job done! At sublime a few of our mates were still going from the day before (or possibly the day before, or even the day before then...) backflip ping and jumping off the deck at sublime. Max wondered back with us where he had his very first vegemite sandwich. After the hundreds of times of singing 'the land down under' and belting the lyrics about a vegemite sandwich, he finally got to see what the fuss was about - and he loved it. Soo much so I was having to hide it, because he was even dipping candy in it one night! On Friday the three of us went to idea connection, The Italian bakery for breakfast, and I booked myself in for my tattoo. Finally deciding on what I wanted, I had decided for a mandala interpretation of my Mayan birthchart. We cooked dinner at home that night before watching the boys play at Buddha bar. We intended to go to an after party that night but ended up having a room party at mine until 7am. Saturday I woke up at 4pm for my tattoo appointment. I was stuffed around for hours, and ended up not getting out of the shop until 10.30pm. Despite all of the dicking around, the piece that Chelana had created was amazing and I was over the moon with my unique and personal tattoo.
Sunday would be Jodie's first experience at smoking joes bbq. We ate the world before the meat sweats set in and we needed an afternoon nap which we didn't wake from until 8pm. We went to sublime for open mic which was an incredible night. I left Jodie with a friend who was acting as security and I was playing Cupid with.... a few minutes later from walking a friend home and I returned to see her being kicked out the bar! Thrown over the shoulder and being carried out of the bar! All in fun and games, and it appeared my match making skills were on point. The next couple of days we hang about, washing, cleaning and food shopping and cooking, trying to pull ourselves together for some sort of "normality" between the endless parties. Tuesday was Rhi's birthday eve. After watching the boys play at fe we went to Sublime where we all sat around and sang happy birthday to rhi at midnight, led by none other than Jake from the lake on trumpet. What a special moment. On Wednesday, rhi's besties and roomies had planned a surprise "wine and cheese" rooftop party at their house. We all gathered on the roof in our finest San Pedro attire, and pulled off an incredible surprise to the very special birthday girl. We sat around on blankets and cushions and ate and drank the afternoon away. In the evening I managed to get a gratis bottle of tequila from Ferny for the big event and well, I had a total blackout. Not sure how long it lasted, perhaps an hour or to where I have no recollection, but came-to when we were back at jakes house for an after party. I was still in form and we partied at jakes until 8am when we stumbled our way home and woke up 5pm that day. Apparently I was completely harmless just hugging my friends not wanting them to let me go! Haha so glad my "black Wednesday" was of no harm to myself or others!
Thursday would be epic evening not one to forget. Sublime was holding a secret silent disco at midnight, allegedly the first one in Guatemala. Not intending to stay, we ended up getting hooked up with headsets and it would be easily one of the greatest nights ever. There were three live dj's set up on the beach area each corresponding to a different channel on the headset and indicated by colour - red, green or blue. As you danced around to the beat of your headset, you'd signal to others and reunite with ones on your channel, and have mimeconversations with those who weren't. That was a night where some new friendships really flourished and we danced away until are sunrise the next day. One to go down in the history books. A privado party continued back at mine, with dancing and laughter until who knows what hour. Waking at the usual time of 5pm, I went out for dinner and then had an early night in. Breakfast the next day would see me run into Jodie who i hadn't seen in a day or two and it felt like a lifetime. We ditched the boys and went home to play catch up. That night there was a killer band on in sublime followed by epic drum and bass. It was another incredible night, where Mitchelle, Tom, and I took over the dancefoloor dancing inside a Hola hoop and throwing glitter on everyone on the dance floor. Our hair was in braids and we avatared the night away and when the night ended... Michelle pulled out her iPod and we had our own silent disco! The after party continued at a friends hous that night until just after 6am. Not being able to sleep well, I woke Jodie a few hours later for the Sunday bbq where we raged on with tequila shots and 'Guatemala's'... Continued to sublime where we did lake jumps and had an incredible day party. It was the night of the Super Bowl which was being showed on the big screen. I skipped that and danced the night away at sublime. It was another incredible night - this was becoming one of my biggest and best party benders of all time. We went back for an after party before taking it back to mine where me and Max stayed up chatting for the next five hours. We had a modest nap before heading out for the life saving fruit smoothie.
Monday would see the temporary stop to my incredible party bender. Jodie and I ate our way around San Pedro, demolishing 32 chicken wings, a hot dog, and a Buddha brownies. Taking home chips and m&m's where we munched away and sat in my bed colouring in. Tuesday would be a very productive morning. I prepared a batch of coconut oil, made breakfast while Jodie popped out to collect coffee and we sat around our place with the pals. It was a lazy afternoon and I baby sat beans (our friend paco's puppy). We sat around the bonfire at sublime chilling before I brought the crew back to mine where we sat about chatting and listening to tunes until 1am. Wednesday was an unplanned day starting with aho for breakfast. We rotated between sublime and the banditos. Starting with sublime where I initiated champagne showers before cruising to the Banditios rooftop for an afternoon of guitar and trumpet and singing on the rooftop at sunset, hosted by Morgan and jake.
On Thursday Jodie and I casually went out for dinner not intending to party that night. We went to sublime for dinner where it was time 'zombie night'. We were bitten by zombie friends and therefore became zombies ours ems and swept up with compadre and cerveza, getting zombie drunk. I got a few things off my chest that night and confirming my position in a particular friendship that was to-ing and fro-ing not to my entertainment. Waking up at 5pm the next day to, I caught up with rhi rhi before falling asleep watching movies at mine with my mate jack. The next day we would find that our friend pinkie had taken a photo of us as she came home (also living in our block) as my door was wide open with the two of us passed out in the exact same position, pretending to look like we were still watching the movie! Classic move pinky! The next day was an early start with me heading up to the markets and inviting eight of my friends along the way over for breakfast. I whipped up a storm for all before we had aho for dessert. We headed down to sublime where we instigated a spontaneous dj set from Ferny and a huge day party broke out. It was a crazy fun day which didn't stop until 5am and didn't see me getting to bed until 8am!
The next day was February 14, we stopped for smoothies on our way to a delicious meal with a view at sabababa. It was this Sunday night that everyone in sublime ended up getting whiskers and a nose drawn on them with eyeliner and before we knew it the whole place was full of kittens! And like all fancy dress or face painting events, it escalates into lots of drinks, and lots more drinks. Monday I didn't get as much sun baking done as I did being an investigative journalist. Our friend Chris was starting his own newspaper in San Pedro and had hired Rhi as his right hand girl. Jodie and I jumped on board knocking over her to do list. When we were leaving for home from Megan's farewell dinner at Buddha bar, a street party broke out with dancing and instruments of every variety! Afterwards, I jumped into Jodie's bed with copious amounts of munchies, a creative compadre piece made by our fav roomie Aaron, before we passed out!
Tuesday jodes and I sat on the jetty at sublime and sun baked and had d&m's. Things soon escalated to pizza at fe, and shots with Molly. That night we went to an after party when following I couldn't sleep. A restless night at home before being dragged out at midday with Max, pinky, jack and the crew who were "flyering" and coaxed me into heading to sublime for the afternoon... Just for something different! Thursday morning Jodie and I led a crew to the markets including Ross, paco and the puppies - beans and chickpeas. After an afternoon nap, it was to sublime for an "early night". Soon enough candies were being flipped and the party raged. Me and max came home keeled over in laughter, waking at 1.30pm the next for a feed and then back for a nap until the evening as per usual. Being a Friday it was to fe for pizza and the quiz, then to sublime. I was woken to a night stalker at 3am who also couldn't sleep. For once we had a morning wake up (at 1.30pm) finally making it to el barrio for their famous brunch. So full, it was back for a nap until 6.30pm. It was Saturday night and sublime was having a PJ party. Me jodes and max got in our finest PJ's (including me in a penguin onesie) before rocking it out at sublime. There was a full moon party that night and I was soo unconvinced to go, despite Max's attempts.... As we slowly made our way to the dock, the last boat had already left.... Ohhhh oops to bad!
The next day Jodie and I ate 'drunken munchies' - sublimes signature dish where we also indulged in sheesha and tried our hand at blowing smoke bubbles. Heading home for an afternoon 'nap' we woke in time to get back to sublime for the night which escalated quickly into an after party back at jakes with the boys. When we ventured home we spent the whole night talking before getting some sleep before the usual afternoon wake up. synchronistic words from a stranger at the juice shop gave me confirmations, before I caught up with Jodie and the pals spending the afternoon back at ours chillin in the hammock. Before midnight I had to run some errands, so me and Jodie went to Buddha bar, wheeled and dealed my hairbrush, probably the only one in the Pedge! And got a pupusa para llevar!
Tuesday morning walking early through town, me and Jodie ran into nearly a dozen of our friends, inviting each of them around for breakfast as we went. I cooked up a feast for seven of us before our long awaited garden party at Jakes. We ventured down to sublime to meet all the pals before our group tour to jakes little mansion on the hill. We put a mattress and blankets out in the garden where we all sprawled out. I spent hours in such heavy laughter, the tears fell down my face for just as long. Pinkie was Jodie's white slave, Jodie was King Julian, beans was beans, paco was the funniest person I'd ever met, Ross and I cloud watched and everything around us made up the best garden party I'd ever been to. As the night grew darker we headed down to fe one by one which soon became a bit of a disjointed night. The night then ended ubruptly and unnecessarily. The next morning I had a mini crisis so I went and got beans and had cuddles with him until anyone at all would wake up to play with me! Finally Ross and Jodie were by my side where we enjoyed breakfast together, still a bit fuzzy from the day before and recapping on all the funny events which had us in tears of laughter yet again.
It was a fried chicken kind of afternoon, my soul food. An afternoon of sublime and chills before Jodie and I had a fancy night out on the town! Reading and learning about the "celebration of struggle".... which is the philosophy, that rather than being down and out in a struggle, we should celebrate! Because from struggles, come learnings, strength and miracles. We went to the fancy Italian restaraunte for dinner and really indulged. This felt much nicer than beating myself up! The Next morning we had a gourmet champagne breakfast cook up before Jodie and I did our first official day of work for sublime!
It was a jungle drum and bass themed nights I Jodie and I dressed in green and wrapped ourselves in vines before taking to the streets to flyer. It was a big night which included Jodie drunkenly falling off the deck and telling the owner, her new employer not to tell me and to forget it ever happened! Haha all of the above happened and Jodie was still employed the next day. We philosophied on how you could actully ever get fired or kicked out from sublime... What if we bought our own hotdogs and cooked them on the bonfire on the beach..... And used the kitchen equipment.... And sold them to patrons.... We laughed and continued speaking garbage on what we could get away with, while all the while appreciating how much we loved Ferny and his fine establishment. The next few days we pottered and ran errands as well as taking to the streets to flyer for the bar we loved so much.
Upon an infamous friends return, I was taken aside for an apology to which I was hardly ready to entertain the thought of forgiveness. Through one ear and out the other for me, but at least perhaps a ball hair worth of strength was being shown for once from their behalf. I got super drunk before going home to cook up bacon! The Next day would be a Sunday bar shift at sublime. Hungover as hell, I was not well at all until it was suggested to drink a Coca Cola. Miraculously soon following I was feeling alright! So much so I started enjoying my much loved michelada's for the afternoon. Monday was a staff meeting day to which once the formalities were over, it was drinks and food, and drinks and food! We got a boat to which we spent five minutes on before being told we had too many people and had to turn back! Ah well, at least we got to neck some tequila on the lake before getting off! I spent the night with the Gorgeous duo of Rhi and Morgan and their Angel voices, practising for open mic.
Tuesday. Jodie and I went to a garage sale before eating the world in the 'creepy corner' at sublime. Electricity went out so the boys got inventive and played puppy ping pong, which was just ping pong with puppies on the table. Strangely humorous. It was the magnificent Morgan's last night so we had a surprise dinner at the fancy Italian restaraunt. Berlin Haus were playing at sublime, so we rotated between fe and sublime before saying our farewells to the beautiful Morgan.
In the following week the boys, chespy, Ross and paco went for a boys trip to the city. We had a 60's and 70's Rock night at sublime which was killer fun, dancing the night away to classic rock. At the end of the night, pinky, Eli and I went back to our place for hammock hangs and giggles before Eli's departure the next day. It poured rain so what better way to spend it than in my bed with half a dozen of my friends, red wine, snacks and the wedding crashes movie. We pulled ourselves out of a slumber for a night of partying to 'Beats Antique' at sublime. Smoking joes was having a pig on the spit special this Sunday and we flyered for sublime on our way there and back. "Work" is such a leisurely role in San Pedro! It was Pinky's last night so it was a chill and sombre night. Max and I helped her with her things out of the apartment block for her early departure, as max held back DIGGER who whimpered and cried for so long after she left. So sad. As we woke the next morning, it rained tears for Pinky! Trapped in the apartment from the rain we chilled as Max Played guitar before we had a break long enough to escape down to sublime. It was a Monday and the bar was closed but staff and friends would usually always be there. That night me and Jodie watched the Disney movie 'Tangled' in Spanish at Paco's place. My cough was escalating and so I bit the bullet and started antibiotics. Therefore we got more munchie food and stayed in for the night!
Tuesday Jodie and I had a day shift at sublime. We were now officially the day crew! I had a brownie just before the end of my shift and when I spelt my name 'Cassy' on an order sheet I knew it was time to knock off! I was not well at all, so I got home, stepped into my onesie and spent the night watching movies at the banditos with Aaron. Wednesday morning rhi rhi and I went to people watch and enjoy San Pedro's finest coffee at the corner coffee shop. We ran into Ferny who happened to tell us one of the most hilarious stories of the Pedge. It involved being ninja's with Marcus, bread and cheese, and a 5am raid of sublime con selfies with the police officers. Oh Ferny, you are The Ledge of the Pedge!
Marcus, James and I spent the day chasing somethink that could not be found, and therefore we visited our friend Lolita befor heading up to Marcus' place where we found two kittens on the way. We decided to bring them under our wing before fighting over their names, calling them at least three different names per kitten. We spent the night at sublime with our crew, a rather mild night for me, but by no means uneventful. I went to the bathroom during the night to which a serial San Pedro pest, unbeknown to me, came up behind me before I locked the door, and kicked it open before forcing himself against me and attempting to suck my face off. I fought for about five seconds, screaming stop three times before successfully kicking him off me, and to the amazement and full view of three others, in line for the bathroom also. The bastard then ran out of the bar with his tail behind his legs. I was in complete shock as not only was this person a serial pest, to which endless stories from single females would always share their distaste, but it was someone who was a friend of friends, and to whom I'd always been amicable. Said hello to and would wave to in the street. In San Pedro, you always try to keep the peace. Usually with little to no regard of others moral ground. It was their path and you keep your nose clean. But this incident infuriated me.
The first person I saw and went to was one of my longest and closest friends. Surely they would be the first to have my back? Nope. Claimed to be wasted and tripping out at the event (as apparently I was the second or third girl that night) he "freaked out" and didn't know what to do. So what he did do was walk away and shy into the night. A friend who I hardly knew and overheard my terrified voice threw his jacket on the ground and ran out of the club to find the bastard. He returned a few minutes later calling everyone on his phone to start tracking him. I ordered him not to make a scene nor to beat the shit out of him, but to bring him to me so I can confront the spineless prick myself. As I was consoled by James and Marcus, the bastard came back in and tried to apologise for his act. He claimed that he just saw me, and wanted to say hello. I belted down a "You call that a hello! Is that how you say hello to your 'friends'" as he started to backtrack and make up spineless excuses for his bahviour not nearing to responsibility for his disputable actions. That night I was terroried and couldn't sleep. I hoped that perhaps a friend would stop by during the night to check if I was okay. 7am the next morning as soon as Jodie woke and saw my distressed messages from the night before, she flew to my aid. We went to sublime where my 'long and close friend' asked if I was okay after I said hello, and claimed to come to my place to check if I was okay... but then tripped and went home. That was the straw...
Through this c*** of an act, it showed me who my true friends were. It's surprising. I learnt a lot, and raised the bar on what I was willing to accept. Who will still be there when I face darkness? It would be difficult, but I had to speak, even if my voice shook. Heavy.
Moving on to a lighter note, the next four days were pretty chill, I was working through my stuff and just kicking about the Pedge. Jodie was out of town adventuring more of Guatemala which would end up being longer than she expected... Always the case! It would be Jacks last night so I headed out at after 11pm to see him off. After closing time played, a few of us headed back to the banditos rooftop led by Ross, to cuddle puppies by candlelight con quetzalteca. We saw him off, walking him to the shuttle at 4.20am, what a gracious end to a San Pedro season for Jack! The next few days cruised by, mainly kicking about with my homies James and Marcus. On Monday I over cooked my brownies but we still ate them anyway. I sat with Aaron at the banditos while he hand spin his wool which would soon become an incredible piece of amazing. Pauls gaff steakhouse had a dinner special for staff in San Pedro so we lashed out and ate fancy while acting like children on the new walking talkies. Things just got even more fun at sublime!
On Tuesday we would get super wobbly and not make it down for the traditional night at fe. Wednesday I worked and then got wobbly again with the fam. There was a film crew at sublime for some tv channel, it was awkward and weird! On Thursday it was st Patrick's day. Meant to be one of the big party days in the Pedge and the town was dry. Hardly anyone in sight. I went to the gaff for a delicious Irish stew, caught up with some of the Banditios and walked the puppies to the rocks. A chill afternoon turned party night, It was a fun time and feeling great! The next couple of days I pottered around and covered a couple of shifts at sublime, learnt how to dreadlock and was even gifted my own needle. I was left hanging an extra day for my best friend Chanae's arrival due to a missed flight. The suspense was killing me! My best friend of 17 years coming to spend two months with me in Central America! This was going to be trouble!
Because I was awake, I headed around to Chris' where I assisted editing the newspaper for a couple of hours until I started falling asleep. When I woke it was Monday and Chanae would be arriving around midday. I tried to occupy myself as much as I could to take my mind off the excitement of her arrival!
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