Service....

The title of this post has nothing to do with the core value of our resort, yet everything to do with its other, more athletic connotation.

Volleyball.

Everyday between 4 and 6pm, weather permitting, you can find many of the staff playing volleyball. Starting with Chef Ben's insistence to have some kind of athletic pursuit (other than surfing), the staff constructed a volleyball court, on the grass behind the beach. Complete with sand lines and a service box, we now had no excuse not to play.

And so it began, and I tell you, it is one of the best staff morale boosters we have ever undertaken. The laughter and smiles that I witness when we play volleyball are something I will remember long after I leave this place. The staff just seem to let their guard down completely, and as many of the players are indigenous Ngobe indians, the dominant trash talk is in Guaymi, their native languafe, a spectacle in and of itself.

Volleyball is a popular sport among the Ngobe communities and many of the communities have their own volleyball court. Well, word must have got out that we have our own, because last week we had two "home" games. At 4:30 a boat load of Ngobes from another community on our island showed up to play us at volleyball. I'll only say it was evenly matched.

On your next trip to Popa, bring your skills and a healthy sense of humor, and remember this is Barefoot Luxury, so no shoes!