-^-for posterity-^-

the soil is fertile. it is possibly the most fertile soil i have ever experienced. things grow in this earth like time speeds up exponentially. things grow here and you can see them if you squint and turn your head sideways.

outside of the guesthouse there used to be rows of palm trees that were freshly planted. when we arrived, they were only about as high as our chest and they have since grown mightily. their growth, however, has been steadily surpassed by the large trees that now tower of them and reach the roof of the two story building.

to watch a tree grow two stories high in one year is quite amazing. every once in a while the gardeners make their way to the guesthouse and clean out all of the undergrowth, the fines and weeds and what not. they clear a space about the size of my driveway, fairly modest, in a couple of days, pile all of the growth up on the sidewalk and have a nice fire. they cleaned out the trees the other day. they cleaned out the ones they didn't want to make room for the other growth.

there are now four giant trees that are spread randomly around the guesthouse that grow up to the roof. from their branches one can pick a certain kind of fruit that is about the diameter of my thumb which tastes a bit fruity but has the texture of a cherry tomato. if you can pick fruit from your balcony you are truly living somewhere wonderful.

the palm trees continue to grow, though some have been removed to make more space, but these giant trees have taken a life of their own. i wonder how large they will grow, when they will take over the guesthouse and we will live in neat little tree huts at the top of the city's canopy sipping coconuts and eating these tiny berries that grow by the bushel.