Last night, I don’t know what time exactly, I made dinner as usual. It was raining and I knew it was coming as the howler-monkeys make a racket before the rain and stop once it arrives. They help me tell my time. 
I got to thinking about the cost of my dinner? Maybe a dime in rice, another fifteen cents for two slices of tomato. Perhaps a nickels worth of balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt & various spice and I’m eating a fresh fish & lobster dinner for about thirty-five cents? Truthfully I think that is on the hi-side. We do have to add a little cost for the lifetime price of my spear-gun, but on the hi-end I’m still making a fresh fish & lobster dinner for under fifty cents. The rice, tomato, and balsamic vinegar are all “luxury” items in my opinion and I enjoy them, however my carbohydrates could easily be replaced by breadfruit which is readily available from a tree or other local fruit or veggies. The knowledge that the world provides my nourishment, for free, is a welcome realization. The most valuable cost of my dinner though was the time I had on the reef. I hunted an ocean trigger for about half an hour, however he was too savvy, they are my favorite of all fish to eat. And I explored two new reefs. I must have been in the water for 2-3 hours as I was quite cold when I got out, good times!
In the mornings I usually have oatmeal or fish & chips (potato). Eggs if I’m lucky these days. The little jacks under splendid make a good breakfast fish. After I declared mani-sayta (no money) to myself, I shifted gears from minimalism mode to extreme minimalism. Sounds like a good TV show concept?
When I was in the Las Pearlas Islands they were shooting an episode of survivor and I came upon a kid who told me I had to leave the area as he was on survivor and was supposed to be alone. I took a little offence from him telling me I had to go “excuse me”? He was starving sitting on a rock which was covered in mussels, “what a dip-ship” I thought! “I haven’t eaten in over 3 days” he told me. I was in the area to harvest mussels for dinner. I advised that he eat some and not tell anyone. I wished I brought a lime and hot sauce to leave on the rock behind my appearance as I could easily burn a memory he would never forget. I pointed out that their “tribal counsel” was being held on Contadora-island just a hundred yards from a restaurant and bar. Maybe extreme minimalism wouldn’t be such a good TV concept as fresh fish & lobster dinner wouldn’t fly with the audience?
Time is on my side. I’ve now given up mechanical time for a few weeks and it’s really grand. My sleeping, eating, and hunting schedule has changed and I feel much closer to my life, it’s hard to explain or to put into words. I cheated last night and looked at the clock as I was gearing up for bed. I was uploading some charts to my GPS as I wanted to update coverage for the San Blas. I’d look under the blue tape on my clock but that is taboo! This was the last thing I was doing before sleep. When I was done I navigated my way to the time screen and it was only 8:28pm. I instantly thought it was too early to sleep and stayed up for a few more hours. I even had more energy and wasn’t tired anymore. Did my brain release some chemical to keep me awake because time told it to as a programmed response by looking at a clock? Little to say I didn’t have a great nights sleep and woke to a neighbor knocking on my boat and feeling guilty for waking me. I suppose it was around 9am? One peek at the clock threw me out of sync.
I believe nature knows what is best for me and I really want as little as possible to do with the clock anymore. I will hunt, eat, and sleep when my body tells me to. I will shower when the rain comes and listen to the jungle and look to the sky for my time.
I’ve converted every light on Splendid to warm-white LED and I love it. I went to linton-island one day in search of a coconut for a lamp fixture & to add to my rice. I made a cockpit light out of half a coconut and an LED cluster. As many of you know husking a coconut takes some effort. The monkeys watched me husking the coconut from the trees and after I drank its water and started nibbling on the fruit they came and sat with me for a snack.
There are many other sailboats around me, jet skies on the weekends, and the sounds of the occasional car and bus on the shore. I’m looking forward to going to a special anchorage of mine in the San Blas and spending some time alone. I have a predisposition for seclusion and look forward to this time. I usually get it by sailing alone but as my boat work has stolen this time from me I’ll combine the two for now.
Another thing that has come as a result of giving up the clock is I’m spending MUCH more time with my guitar. This is a good thing as it brings me peace and happiness.
Speaking of minimalism. I just had to post a picture of the ugliest, most loved dingy in the world. Some French friends of mine built this about 10 years ago and have been rowing it ever since. She may be a little soar on the eyes but she has never deflated or left them stranded due to a faulty engine or lack of fuel. They lived and cruised on a little 26’ steel boat and recently moved up to a 36ish, but they kept their little ugly dingy.
I love this life and walking my path. There are many philosophies to life/cruising. None are better or worse than the other. Many sailors have a predisposition for speed, or lots of room & modern comfort (multi-hulls). I believe some people may really need the 
structure of the clock and are the backbone of an evolving eusocial society. Some like spending lots of money, and others like myself seek to live a simple life on little. The point is to find your center and what works for you. When your soul smiles you will know you are on the right path and have found the (your) philosophy that works best for you. Once you have embrace it, keep it close to your heart, and live your life by its time.
Two days from now, tomorrow will be yesterday. Don’t waste the most valuable asset you possess, time, as it is truly irreplaceable and we only have so much of this priceless commodity.
Peace, love, and time!
– Alex