I sit still on the wet sand, allowing the warm sea to softly wash my legs over and over.  The sun hides behind a puffy, white cloud in a baby blue sky.  The fresh breeze kisses my skin, bringing the fresh smell of sea salt. 

I spot a small boat with bright red sails flapping in the wind as the boat floats to the horizon with every swell of the blue Caribbean Sea.  A bulky, brown pelican flies low above the water, repeatedly dipping its long beak to catch small fish.  The huge pouch under its beak grows bigger with every victim that falls into it.

I grab a tiny crab that comes out of the sand.  Its curved, gray body is no bigger than my fist.  I release it and the flowing tide pushes the crab back into the sand, showing only its featherlike antennae.

I suddenly hear a faint, crackling sound coming from the lush, wooded area that is just a few yards away from the water.  I follow the crackle through the bushes and hike around towering mango trees.  I stumble on mushy, yellow mangoes and stiff tree roots that cover the ground. 

I discover a tiny fire pit made of rocks and twigs in a sandy area.  The air is filled with the spicy smell of roasted conch and peppers.  A scrawny, old countryman hands me a flavorful blend of chewy conch and hot peppers in a bowl made of weaved palm leaves.

The sun slowly starts to fade in the horizon, turning the clouds into a light shade of pink.  The once blue water is now silver.  Everything slowly becomes quiet, except for the musical cry of sandpipers gliding in the lavender sky.  This is my paradise.