spot the iguana

I surprised myself by spotting this one today (they have the camouflage thing down). At Paya Bay we have two species of iguanas: the green iguana (Iguana iguana) and the spiny-tailed rock iguana (Ctenosaura oedirhina). Our twenty-two acres of property are a refuge for these endangered big lizards.

fishing at the wharf

Guests have reported big game fish in the canal where the resort's wharf is located. It's a great place to fish in the early evening. PBR encourages catch and release fishing.

misting system

A refreshing way to cool off without getting in the water. Multiple nozzles will provide a cloud of fine mist. Coming soon to Buccaneer Landing.

life is good

Just got back from a morning run on Paya Bay's new jogging path, followed by a nude swim at Buccaneer Landing, and then a short meditation at the station on the Zen Path. I've got to be one of the luckiest peeps on this planet. I'm happy and grateful for the extraordinary life I live.

photos of the day

Buccaneer Landing in the mid afternoon

flowers at paya

some cultivated...


some wild...

the zen path

A great place to practice awareness and being present in the moment.


Resort dogs Foxy and Nova visit with guests on the Zen Path.

sunsets at buccaneer

can be stunning!

the magical "happy crystals"

A Mayan shaman named Aum Rak came to visit Paya Bay a week ago. She quickly perceived the good energy many people sense here. As we walked around the property, we happened upon a pile of crystalline rocks we dug up while doing various construction projects. Aum Rak stopped to examine the crystals and told me that this explained a lot. Apparently crystals vibrate at a higher frequency, and since at the quantum level of existence we are all energy, we start vibrating at that higher frequency when we are around them. Makes sense to me, but I'm an easy sell for this kind of stuff. And, apparently, we have -- literally -- tons of these crystals around us here at Paya Bay. Energywise, this place rocks.

naturism

Sums it all up, doesn't it? :-) The naturism program at Paya Bay has been amazingly well received. This week we have a couple who came all the way from Germany to enjoy the freedom Paya Bay provides.
3/28 Update: Lucy told me today that she's working on a reservation for naturists from Brazil. Wow!

I recommend

The Alchemist by Pablo Coelho. This book was presented to me early on in my journey and it helped in opening my eyes to a new awareness. Then, when I was in India in December of '06, the most interesting event happened. My friend Kevin and I were out on a tour of Mumbai with our local guide, Mala. (By the way, "mala" means 'bad female' in Spanish and, of course, we were tickled by the idea of being shown around one of the world's largest cities by a 'bad female.' Perfect!) We stopped at a red light and several kids rushed over to the vehicle with books in their arms. My window was half open and one of the kids pushed another Pablo Coelho book right in front of me: Like the Flowing River. I knew this was no coincidence, so I started haggling with the street salesman on the price of the book (instinctively doing what one is "supposed to do" when buying something on the street in a Third World country). As I haggled with Mala's help, the light changed to green and the driver started pulling away. In the next three or four seconds, the kid grudgingly agreed to my price, I gave him the money, and I kept the book. After we were moving away from the intersection, I felt something was wrong. I asked Mala, "Do you think I paid the kid enough for the book?" She was looking back at him and said, "You know, usually they are happy after they make a sale. I'm looking at him now and he doesn't seem happy. Perhaps it was not enough money. But it's okay, he'll make it back from another sale soon." I immediately felt like total crap, of course. I felt like I had just ripped off a poor Indian street kid. Were a few bucks worth that? Jeez.

I'm just now getting around to reading this book. I guess the time is right.


One of my favorite photos from my India experience. Note the intensity in his eyes. The kid who sold me the Coelho book was not unlike this one.

Mala. Our 'bad female' was actually a good soul, who taught me a lot about Hinduism.

the moment

It's becoming more and more apparent to me that the concept of "living in the moment" is an answer to a couple of my Big Questions: What is the source of happiness? What do we need to do to acquire this elusive prey we all seek. The more skilled I become at the mental discipline of living in the moment, the more my Life is filling with happiness. The evidence is mounting. I'm happy and grateful that my understanding of this critical discipline is increasing.

meditation

A guest meditates at a cliff top meditation station on the Zen Path. We call this station "Breathe the Energy."

our wetlands

There is quite a variety of landscapes to be found at Paya Bay. One of my favorites is our wetland area that is behind and parallel to the Big Beach. In the mornings when I go for my run on our new jogging path I see many species of aquatic birds feeding in the shallow water. In this photo, for example, two white cranes can be seen in the background. It's a very peaceful and beautiful area.

organic effort off to a great start

Don Nesto, our gardener, is diligently working on getting our organic herb garden started. We are composting organic waste from the resort's kitchen and using the compost to fertilize our garden. I brought him seeds when I was in Atlanta in February. We'll soon have organic cilantro, parsley, dill, lavender, tarragon, oregano, rosemary, basil, and thyme to use in the kitchen. And this is just the beginning! The goal is to eventually grow as many vegetables as feasible right here on the property (all organically, of course).