Day 15: Pura vida
Saturday 19 November 2022

We are so immersed in Bitcoin that sometimes we forget to be analytical and really rationalize what is happening to us. To us and to the world around us. 

Let’s think about it. We are in Central America, the soundtrack of these days at the Beach is the sound of the Pacific Ocean crashing on the black sand and volcanic rocks of the shoreline. All around us tropical vegetation, incredible sunsets and exotic animals. People from all over the world have gathered here. Literally. To sharpen your hearing is to perceive a Babel of different languages and accents. All this happens solely because of the intuition of a pseudonymous scientist. Someone who dared to dream so big as to come up with something capable of changing the world. 

If this thing, in itself, is not incredible, I really don’t know what is. 

The truth is that for us Bitcoin has already changed our lives, irreversibly. And it has also already done so for so many people who are able to take this idea and integrate it into their profession. Or even to invent a new job from scratch. There are many such examples here. Sure, lots of technical people: developers and entrepreneurs.  But also many more creative people. The young man from India who decides to travel the world in Bitcoin, forty countries in four hundred days. The American couple who manage to teach while having fun. The journalist who, once he falls down the rabbit hole, devotes himself exclusively to Bitcoin. The driver who becomes a bit-driver and thanks to bitcoiners sees his business scale like he never could have imagined. The small coffee producer who manages to export by getting paid in an instant and without onerous fees. 

We could go on listing similar cases for hours. Small things, let’s be clear. Perhaps isolated examples. It takes resourcefulness and a touch of madness. But it is already possible. Bitcoin works. It changes the lives of those who can seize opportunities. All it takes is having that spark.

The nights in El Zonte are hot and humid at this time. The sun sets quickly behind the horizon. We all meet at a hotel called Palo Verde for the party organized by IBEX. All our friends are there. Those we love. We have something to eat, chat for a while, and then the music starts. There is nothing more liberating than dancing on the beach, feet in the sand. It’s super hot but the dancefloor is still crowded. 

At the entrance we were given tickets, there will be a raffle and prizes will be drawn. Someone in our group wins a very good bottle of whiskey. That’s the end. As the amber liquid trickles down our throats we already anticipate the hangover headache. When the music ends it is time for goodbyes.

The road home for us translates into a long walk on the shoreline, under an impressive starry sky, barefoot, with the waves placidly bathing our ankles.

Pura vida.