I made a conch horn.

This is what it looks like:

Anyways, before I can tell you about the hours of labour I spent shaping and perfecting this beautiful instrument, I have to tell you two stories. Well, the first one isn't really a story, it's more a single sentence describing a repeating event that I wanted to take part in. And since it's only one sentence long, it shouldn't take you too long to read. So don't get mad at me for wasting your precious time by writing way too much. So. Right. Here's one story and one single sentence describing a repeating event that I wanted to take part in. Except in the other order. So it's really more like one single sentence describing a repeating event that I wanted to take part in, and one story.

The single sentence describing a repeating event that I wanted to take part in: Every sunset, people (mainly sailboaters) blow conch horns to tell blind people that the sun is setting.

The story (which is going to be slightly longer than the last thing, because that was one sentence, and this is a whole story. Not a particularly long story, but a story all the same): for Christmas (2012, while we were still planing this trip), my grandparents (hi Grandma and Grandpa, I know you're reading this) gave me a harmonica. I'm pretty sure that it was all an elaborate plot to have my family kill me in my sleep because I would be playing a harmonica way too loud in a 150 square foot boat and they decide to murder me to get some sleep. Luckily, I am still (at exactly 8:12 on March 23rd, 2014) alive, so that has yet to happen.

So, because I wanted to be like those sailboaters and because my family hasn't killed me for playing an annoying instrument really loudly, I decided to construct a conch horn. One of the loudest, most obnoxious, most annoying instrument ever invented (I don't think things through very often).

For everyone who wants to know how one makes a conch horn (and I know that at least half of you do) I will tell you. First, find a conch shell, which really isn't that difficult.

there's one of these on, like, EVERY island

Then, you make sure that no one is still living in said conch shell. We have made that mistake. Twice. After insuring you are in possession of an abandoned conch shell, you clean the shell until it is really nice looking.

Looking good

Then, you saw the end of it off. The pointy end. This makes a mouthpiece which you then blow into, which makes a really loud noise. Do this outside. I have made that mistake. More than twice.

And then you have a conch horn.

Sorry for the repetition. We only have the one photo

-Aaron

We found another photo - mere moments
before being mauled to death by his family