Tim recently read an article about car colors. Apparently, to reduce costs, most cars are either black, white, or gray, with few other options for consumers. Since he learned this fact, he has been pointing out the color of every car we see and complaining about the lack of variety. Sitting at a cafe drinking espresso, and Tim will randomly start naming the colors of the cars that drive by, “Black….., black….., gray……, white……, black……, red! Amazing!” I have also gotten into the act because the options for fun are limited on an island, as are the cars. We see the same cars every day, and it never fails to delight us as we point out for the 100th time the shiny gold jeep that looks like the inside of trump’s demented brain. See below.

Since a friend from the US was coming to visit (hey, Stephanie!), Tim reserved a rental car for the week. Our last rental car was a white Chevy, but the car gods finally smiled on Tim. He randomly got a metallic green Hyundai. Although I appreciate Tim’s dedication to color, this car was objectively ridiculous to the point that it seemed like a prank. Case in point (also, feel free to drop some love on Tim’s red shoes):

Since we’ve landed in a group of Embassy people here that know how to have fun, we got invited to a grogue tasting event in a local village. Grogue is fermented sugarcane juice that is heated and distilled into a potent alcohol, which is almost identical to rum. So we got in our shiny green car and took a drive out to the countryside, blasting over cobblestones and off-roading in a distinctly on-road vehicle.

We visited the small grogue manufacturer with the group, toured the operation, ate some Cabo Verdean snacks, and sipped some tasty grogue. I don’t drink a ton of rum in my everyday life, but in an attempt to lean in more effectively than Sheryl Sandberg* did, I got behind the experience completely. The guy who runs the distillery is French/Cabo Verdean, and he has a solid plan to keep his family business going. I support you, sir.

After a delightful day out, we got in our little green car and rolled off into the sunset. Hilariously, the next day, the car rental man came and took away the green car (it was promised to someone else) and gave us back the white Chevy. At least we have the memories and photographic evidence.

*If you haven’t read the book, Careless People yet, I would recommend it. Try harder, Sheryl.