You can see all the photos from our trip on Shutterfly:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaNmLhw0atWWP
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Safe at Home
Well, we discussed it over breakfast this morning and everyone was pretty much ready to head back home. A quick look at the weather backed up the decision as well: Clear & nice today with a strong cold front bringing storms tomorrow.
When we got back to the rooms, we packed up our stuff for the trip home. I counted and we moved our bags 11 times today: Hotel -> golf cart -> lobby -> taxi -> ferry -> taxi -> FBO -> plane -> US customs -> plane -> truck -> home. Whew --I need some Motrin!
Aside from the nusaince of moving our bags so much, everything went pretty smoothly. We had an easy time getting cabs & the ferry and sailed through customs & immigration on both ends. Plus, we had nice weather for the flight. We even got home in time to catch the Lightning / Ottawa game at the Forum (we won!).
We had a great time in the Bahamas again this year, but it is nice to be home. I am looking forward to laying down in my own bed tonight (soon!).
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Lunch on the Beach
We got a late start on our snorkeling trip this morning –we just seemed to have a rough time getting all the kids & gear down to the dock on time. Luckily for us, it was a private charter, so they didn’t leave without us. We finally pulled away from the dock around 10:45am.
The boat motored about 15 minutes to nearby “Man Island”, where the crew anchored the boat in shallow water just off a protected beach. The beach was beautiful, the water was calm & clear, and there were a few coral heads close by for snorkeling. We jumped in the chilly water and did some snorkeling first, swimming over lots and lots of sand & sea grass before finding the spot. It wasn’t fantastic, but it was OK.
After snorkeling for a while, we swam back to the beach and ate our lunch (packed from the hotel). We relaxed on the beach for a while and then played a family game of keep-away with the football –kids versus adults. The boat had to be back for a SCUBA charter at 1:30pm, so we soon had to get back on the boat and head in.
Back at the hotel, we dropped off our snorkel gear and then headed for the beach again. I relaxed and read my book while the boys played in the surf. We went next door again to the Pink Sands for dinner which was terrific.
We are all feeling kind of “beached out” at this point and are considering leaving tomorrow and coming back one day early. I guess we’ll decide for sure at breakfast tomorrow.
The boat motored about 15 minutes to nearby “Man Island”, where the crew anchored the boat in shallow water just off a protected beach. The beach was beautiful, the water was calm & clear, and there were a few coral heads close by for snorkeling. We jumped in the chilly water and did some snorkeling first, swimming over lots and lots of sand & sea grass before finding the spot. It wasn’t fantastic, but it was OK.
After snorkeling for a while, we swam back to the beach and ate our lunch (packed from the hotel). We relaxed on the beach for a while and then played a family game of keep-away with the football –kids versus adults. The boat had to be back for a SCUBA charter at 1:30pm, so we soon had to get back on the boat and head in.
Back at the hotel, we dropped off our snorkel gear and then headed for the beach again. I relaxed and read my book while the boys played in the surf. We went next door again to the Pink Sands for dinner which was terrific.
We are all feeling kind of “beached out” at this point and are considering leaving tomorrow and coming back one day early. I guess we’ll decide for sure at breakfast tomorrow.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Bring it around town.
This morning, we slept in a bit, had a late breakfast, and then headed “downtown” to explore the island on our golf carts. Our first stop was the public basketball court / playground. I was very proud of Brandon & Justin –there were a bunch of local kids already playing, but they walked right up and asked to join in. The locals were very nice and let them play. Meanwhile, Cameron played on the playground equipment. We let the boys play for a while and then continued on our journey.
Our next stop was the straw market / shopping area. The boys & I stopped in a restaurant and got some cold drinks and walked around a bit while Michele & Sandy shopped. Our next stop was the food store to pick up some more baby wipes. Megan is a regular pooping machine lately! After that, we stopped in Valentines dive shop. We picked up one of their brochures from our hotel and we stopped in to make a reservation for a private snorkel trip tomorrow. Finally, with our errands & shopping done, we stopped in for lunch at the sunset bar & grill, which was great --Brandon LOVED the BBQ wings!
After lunch, we headed back to the rooms, changed into our swimsuits and hit the beach for a couple hours and had a fun time playing in the surf. Michele brought Megan out after a while and we had fun putting her toes in the sand & water. She seemed to enjoy it!
We went to the hotel next door, the Pink Sands, for dinner tonight. The food was fantastic and the service was much better. Tomorrow, we’ll be on our snorkel trip. It has been very windy, but they assured us they would find a sheltered area so we wouldn’t get seasick. You believe that? Stay tuned…
Our next stop was the straw market / shopping area. The boys & I stopped in a restaurant and got some cold drinks and walked around a bit while Michele & Sandy shopped. Our next stop was the food store to pick up some more baby wipes. Megan is a regular pooping machine lately! After that, we stopped in Valentines dive shop. We picked up one of their brochures from our hotel and we stopped in to make a reservation for a private snorkel trip tomorrow. Finally, with our errands & shopping done, we stopped in for lunch at the sunset bar & grill, which was great --Brandon LOVED the BBQ wings!
After lunch, we headed back to the rooms, changed into our swimsuits and hit the beach for a couple hours and had a fun time playing in the surf. Michele brought Megan out after a while and we had fun putting her toes in the sand & water. She seemed to enjoy it!
We went to the hotel next door, the Pink Sands, for dinner tonight. The food was fantastic and the service was much better. Tomorrow, we’ll be on our snorkel trip. It has been very windy, but they assured us they would find a sheltered area so we wouldn’t get seasick. You believe that? Stay tuned…
Monday, April 5, 2010
Load, unload, repeat
We said goodbye to Sampson Cay this morning and caught a ride back to Staniel Cay for our short flight to Eluethera. Everything went pretty smoothly, except that we had to wait about 30 minutes for the taxi to take us from the Yacht Club to the airport.
It was a great day to fly –blue skies, light winds, great visibility. We took off and headed North, following the Exuma chain for a while. What a sight! It’s like God’s own watercolor painting with all the shades of blue & turquoise. Stunning!
I climbed us slowly to protect Megan’s baby ears and it seems like we just barely got leveled off at 5,500 feet when it was time to descend into North Eluthera Airport. We have stopped in a couple times over the years for fuel & to clear customs, but I have never seen it as busy as it was today! The radio was buzzing with aircraft taking off & landing. We had to widen our pattern and follow a commuter airline flight in. Once one the ground, we could barely find a spot to park. Welcome to the “big city”. It sure is different from sleep Staniel Cay airport.
We got the plane unloaded and packed all our stuff in a cab for the short ride to the ferry terminal, where we unloaded again and moved everything into a boat. After a 15 minutes boat ride, we unloaded the stuff from the boat and back into another taxi. I am starting to get really tired of moving all this junk!
The Coral Sands hotel is very nice. It sits at the top of a ridge right on the beach. Our rooms are not right on the sand, but we have a nice view. Michele & I have two rooms side-by-side and Roland & Sandy are in a different building. After seeing our rooms, we went to the beach bar / restaurant to have lunch, which was delicious. We enjoyed the cool sea breeze as we drank pina coladas and munched fresh seafood.
After lunch, the boys were dying to hit the beach. We got changed and I took them down. There is a sandy hill right behind the hotel and they had a great time climbing up and jumping back down as far as they could. Next it was time to get in the water. It was a bit too chilly for me, so I pulled up a beach chair and watched as they frolicked in the surf. Today was a Bahamian holiday, so there was a big party for the locals next door. We enjoyed the music pumping, but the beach was a bit crowded at times. It should be a little calmer tomorrow.
The kids played on the beach until well after 5pm and then we came up to the room, relaxed a while and got cleaned up for dinner. The food was good, but the service was very slow and the restaurant. I think we may try to find someplace else for dinner tomorrow night.
Tomorrow, we plan to take a couple golf carts out and explore the little town in the morning and maybe hit the beach again in the afternoon. I think I have been a bit of a downer the past couple days, but I can’t help thinking about my Dad in the hospital back in Tampa. I spoke with Mom this evening and she said he had a rough day. I hope tomorrow is better for him.
It was a great day to fly –blue skies, light winds, great visibility. We took off and headed North, following the Exuma chain for a while. What a sight! It’s like God’s own watercolor painting with all the shades of blue & turquoise. Stunning!
I climbed us slowly to protect Megan’s baby ears and it seems like we just barely got leveled off at 5,500 feet when it was time to descend into North Eluthera Airport. We have stopped in a couple times over the years for fuel & to clear customs, but I have never seen it as busy as it was today! The radio was buzzing with aircraft taking off & landing. We had to widen our pattern and follow a commuter airline flight in. Once one the ground, we could barely find a spot to park. Welcome to the “big city”. It sure is different from sleep Staniel Cay airport.
We got the plane unloaded and packed all our stuff in a cab for the short ride to the ferry terminal, where we unloaded again and moved everything into a boat. After a 15 minutes boat ride, we unloaded the stuff from the boat and back into another taxi. I am starting to get really tired of moving all this junk!
The Coral Sands hotel is very nice. It sits at the top of a ridge right on the beach. Our rooms are not right on the sand, but we have a nice view. Michele & I have two rooms side-by-side and Roland & Sandy are in a different building. After seeing our rooms, we went to the beach bar / restaurant to have lunch, which was delicious. We enjoyed the cool sea breeze as we drank pina coladas and munched fresh seafood.
After lunch, the boys were dying to hit the beach. We got changed and I took them down. There is a sandy hill right behind the hotel and they had a great time climbing up and jumping back down as far as they could. Next it was time to get in the water. It was a bit too chilly for me, so I pulled up a beach chair and watched as they frolicked in the surf. Today was a Bahamian holiday, so there was a big party for the locals next door. We enjoyed the music pumping, but the beach was a bit crowded at times. It should be a little calmer tomorrow.
The kids played on the beach until well after 5pm and then we came up to the room, relaxed a while and got cleaned up for dinner. The food was good, but the service was very slow and the restaurant. I think we may try to find someplace else for dinner tomorrow night.
Tomorrow, we plan to take a couple golf carts out and explore the little town in the morning and maybe hit the beach again in the afternoon. I think I have been a bit of a downer the past couple days, but I can’t help thinking about my Dad in the hospital back in Tampa. I spoke with Mom this evening and she said he had a rough day. I hope tomorrow is better for him.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Gone Fishin'
Happy Easter! Well, today was a bit trying at times. It started last night when I managed to get on-line and check my e-mail. I had a message from Mom saying that Dad has been hospitalized with chronic Guillane-Barre syndrome. I can’t believe he is getting that again. I feel so bad for him. Mom thinks that it won’t be as severe this time. We are all hoping & praying that she is right. Well, there is nothing I can do about it now, so back to our story…
We got up early this morning so we could get breakfast and be ready to go fishing at 9am. Everything was running pretty smoothly and we were on the dock waiting on time, but our guide didn’t show. I didn’t get concerned until after 15 minutes (typical “island time” delay) had elapsed. Then we started asking around. Someone finally called him and discovered he was miles away on an island called Black Point and didn’t have a ride to Sampson. He didn’t say why, but we suspect he had a little too much fun last night at their Junkanoo festival.
We were all dressed up with nowhere to go, so we decided to be nice and go pick him up in Black Point. I had the portable GPS with us and I was sure I could find it. We launched out of the marina about 9:30 and headed south. It was a beautiful morning and I was having a good time motoring along as we passed the pig beach, Thunderball grotto. Just as we were passing Staniel Cay, the engine sputtered. We checked the fuel guage and, sure enough, it was sitting on “E”. Doh!
We turned toward the Staniel Cay Yacht Club and put-putted our way along, trying to conserve fuel. We were a couple hundred yards away from the fuel dock and I thought for sure we would make it, when the engine sputtered again and died. Double-Doh!
Luckily, I had the “ditch bag” with us that contains all sorts of emergency gear, including a handheld marine radio. We called the Yacht Club and sheepishly asked for help. They promised they would send someone out to us with some fuel. Santos arrived about 15 minutes later with a 5-gallon can of fuel. We were happy to see him! He even came aboard and put the fuel in for us and added some motor oil.
When he was all done, we tried to start it up and…nothing. It wouldn’t start. We suspected that there was air in the fuel line since it ran completely dry, but we couldn’t find the primer bulb anywhere to fix the problem. We tried a few more times with no luck and then he towed us into the Marina. The fuel guy knew right where to look (behind a small round access panel in the stern) and had it fired up in no time. We decided to fill the tank while we were there to make sure we wouldn’t run out again!
It was almost 11am when we finally pulled away from the dock. Picking up our no-show fishing guide in Black point seemed less and less attractive, so we decided to head back to Sampson and regroup. Once there, we told our sob story to “Rock” the dockmaster and he said he knew a guy, John, that would take us out fishing this afternoon if we still wanted to go. OK, we’ll give it one more try.
We relaxed at the house for a little while and then grabbed some lunch in the dining room. At 1pm, we found ourselves ready to go and waiting for our guide for the 2nd time today. This time, John did show up, but he had a few folks with him: Two kids that live on the island (worker’s kids?) and the ship store manager. And he had 1 fishing rod (and a few handline rigs). Well, how bad could it be?
One of the kids was about 5 and was very pleasant, nice kid. I enjoyed having him along. The other kid was about 8 and had some developmental problems. He was more of a nuisance. We started by going to a nearby flats area. John anchored the boat and then jumped overboard and came up with about ½ dozen conch’s to use for bait. Then we motored out to the reef to fish. It was very windy & wavy and it was an effort just to keep our balance on the rocking boat. We used the handlines and pulled in few fish. I think the boys had fun.
When the first spot slowed down, we moved to a second spot. When that spot slowed, we were going to hit a third spot, but the waves seem to be getting bigger. Roland was standing in the front holding on to a rope attached to the bow for balance. He was giving John a hard time saying “come on, go, etc.” for him to go faster. We hit a big wave and Roland fell to his knees, and then flat on his face –his nose to be more exact. Ouch! It wasn’t bleeding, but he was getting red & swollen pretty fast. After that, we asked John to take us back to Sampson.
After getting off the fishing boat, Michele, Brandon, & I got on our boat for one last excursion. We were going to go back to Rachel’s bubble bath on Compass Cay, but it was just too rough & wavy. We were getting soaked and beaten to death. Instead, we pulled into a secluded beach / cove and just hung out for a little while.
We were the only guests in the dining room tonight for dinner. It’s hard to believe our time here is over already. Although I am not looking forward to moving all our bags again tomorrow, I am excited to check out someplace I’ve never been: Harbour Island in Eluethera.
We got up early this morning so we could get breakfast and be ready to go fishing at 9am. Everything was running pretty smoothly and we were on the dock waiting on time, but our guide didn’t show. I didn’t get concerned until after 15 minutes (typical “island time” delay) had elapsed. Then we started asking around. Someone finally called him and discovered he was miles away on an island called Black Point and didn’t have a ride to Sampson. He didn’t say why, but we suspect he had a little too much fun last night at their Junkanoo festival.
We were all dressed up with nowhere to go, so we decided to be nice and go pick him up in Black Point. I had the portable GPS with us and I was sure I could find it. We launched out of the marina about 9:30 and headed south. It was a beautiful morning and I was having a good time motoring along as we passed the pig beach, Thunderball grotto. Just as we were passing Staniel Cay, the engine sputtered. We checked the fuel guage and, sure enough, it was sitting on “E”. Doh!
We turned toward the Staniel Cay Yacht Club and put-putted our way along, trying to conserve fuel. We were a couple hundred yards away from the fuel dock and I thought for sure we would make it, when the engine sputtered again and died. Double-Doh!
Luckily, I had the “ditch bag” with us that contains all sorts of emergency gear, including a handheld marine radio. We called the Yacht Club and sheepishly asked for help. They promised they would send someone out to us with some fuel. Santos arrived about 15 minutes later with a 5-gallon can of fuel. We were happy to see him! He even came aboard and put the fuel in for us and added some motor oil.
When he was all done, we tried to start it up and…nothing. It wouldn’t start. We suspected that there was air in the fuel line since it ran completely dry, but we couldn’t find the primer bulb anywhere to fix the problem. We tried a few more times with no luck and then he towed us into the Marina. The fuel guy knew right where to look (behind a small round access panel in the stern) and had it fired up in no time. We decided to fill the tank while we were there to make sure we wouldn’t run out again!
It was almost 11am when we finally pulled away from the dock. Picking up our no-show fishing guide in Black point seemed less and less attractive, so we decided to head back to Sampson and regroup. Once there, we told our sob story to “Rock” the dockmaster and he said he knew a guy, John, that would take us out fishing this afternoon if we still wanted to go. OK, we’ll give it one more try.
We relaxed at the house for a little while and then grabbed some lunch in the dining room. At 1pm, we found ourselves ready to go and waiting for our guide for the 2nd time today. This time, John did show up, but he had a few folks with him: Two kids that live on the island (worker’s kids?) and the ship store manager. And he had 1 fishing rod (and a few handline rigs). Well, how bad could it be?
One of the kids was about 5 and was very pleasant, nice kid. I enjoyed having him along. The other kid was about 8 and had some developmental problems. He was more of a nuisance. We started by going to a nearby flats area. John anchored the boat and then jumped overboard and came up with about ½ dozen conch’s to use for bait. Then we motored out to the reef to fish. It was very windy & wavy and it was an effort just to keep our balance on the rocking boat. We used the handlines and pulled in few fish. I think the boys had fun.
When the first spot slowed down, we moved to a second spot. When that spot slowed, we were going to hit a third spot, but the waves seem to be getting bigger. Roland was standing in the front holding on to a rope attached to the bow for balance. He was giving John a hard time saying “come on, go, etc.” for him to go faster. We hit a big wave and Roland fell to his knees, and then flat on his face –his nose to be more exact. Ouch! It wasn’t bleeding, but he was getting red & swollen pretty fast. After that, we asked John to take us back to Sampson.
After getting off the fishing boat, Michele, Brandon, & I got on our boat for one last excursion. We were going to go back to Rachel’s bubble bath on Compass Cay, but it was just too rough & wavy. We were getting soaked and beaten to death. Instead, we pulled into a secluded beach / cove and just hung out for a little while.
We were the only guests in the dining room tonight for dinner. It’s hard to believe our time here is over already. Although I am not looking forward to moving all our bags again tomorrow, I am excited to check out someplace I’ve never been: Harbour Island in Eluethera.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Egg Hunt / Compass Cay
Wow, another fun day today! At 10am, all the kids gathered at the Marina for the Easter festivities. There are many more kids this year than last –about 20, including a few we recognized from last year. First up was the egg hunt, followed by sack races, and egg-on-spoon relay. Justin was not in the Easter spirit and preferred to watch from the sidelines, but Brandon & Cameron had fun. Brandon even made a few new friends.
We went back to the house to relax for a little while. Then, we got sunblock on everyone and changed into swimsuits, and headed back down to the restaurant for lunch (burgers). After lunch, we hopped on the boat and headed out for an afternoon of fun. Sandy hadn’t slept well last night, so she stayed behind to catch up on some sleep.
Our first stop was the marina at Compass Cay, to swim with the “tame” nurse sharks. The folks at the marina feed them every day and the sharks hang around under the dock. I got in the water first followed by the rest of the boys after a little coaxing. Soon, Michele was In, too and we were all swimming around trying to get our photo with a shark!
Next, we decided to walk across the island to the beach. We started down the path and soon came to a fork in the road. Michele thought we should go right and I thought we should go left. Brandon sided with me and we started walking…and walking…and walking… OK, so Michele was right and I was wrong.
After a long walk on the scenic route, we finally got there. This beach is beautiful! It has a big rock formation just offshore, there are nice little waves, powdery sand, warm, clear water, and a little shelter to get some shade for Megan. Roland held Megan most of the time while we all played in the surf.
After a while, Megan started to get cranky, so we headed back to the Marina. I held Megan and relaxed with a Kalik, while the boys ran & played on the small island nearby. Finally, we decided to shove off and try to find “Rachel’s Bubble Bath”, a natural pool at the head of a creek where waves from the Atlantic spill over the rocks. We anchored the boat and followed the creek upstream and found the bath. The boys & I had a great time playing the bubbles.
We retraced our steps back down the creek, jumped in the boat, and headed home to Sampson Cay. The GPS was out of batteries, so we had to wing it, but we ended up finding our way home without any trouble. We had lobster & mahi for dinner and it was fantastic. Tomorrow, we are meeting up with a fishing guide at 9am –I hope we catch some big one’s!
We went back to the house to relax for a little while. Then, we got sunblock on everyone and changed into swimsuits, and headed back down to the restaurant for lunch (burgers). After lunch, we hopped on the boat and headed out for an afternoon of fun. Sandy hadn’t slept well last night, so she stayed behind to catch up on some sleep.
Our first stop was the marina at Compass Cay, to swim with the “tame” nurse sharks. The folks at the marina feed them every day and the sharks hang around under the dock. I got in the water first followed by the rest of the boys after a little coaxing. Soon, Michele was In, too and we were all swimming around trying to get our photo with a shark!
Next, we decided to walk across the island to the beach. We started down the path and soon came to a fork in the road. Michele thought we should go right and I thought we should go left. Brandon sided with me and we started walking…and walking…and walking… OK, so Michele was right and I was wrong.
After a long walk on the scenic route, we finally got there. This beach is beautiful! It has a big rock formation just offshore, there are nice little waves, powdery sand, warm, clear water, and a little shelter to get some shade for Megan. Roland held Megan most of the time while we all played in the surf.
After a while, Megan started to get cranky, so we headed back to the Marina. I held Megan and relaxed with a Kalik, while the boys ran & played on the small island nearby. Finally, we decided to shove off and try to find “Rachel’s Bubble Bath”, a natural pool at the head of a creek where waves from the Atlantic spill over the rocks. We anchored the boat and followed the creek upstream and found the bath. The boys & I had a great time playing the bubbles.
We retraced our steps back down the creek, jumped in the boat, and headed home to Sampson Cay. The GPS was out of batteries, so we had to wing it, but we ended up finding our way home without any trouble. We had lobster & mahi for dinner and it was fantastic. Tomorrow, we are meeting up with a fishing guide at 9am –I hope we catch some big one’s!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Island Hopping
Megan slept all the way through the night! We all slept well and I woke to the sound of a rooster this morning around 7am. We took it easy this morning and let everyone rest. Brandon & Justin watched “Sherlock Holmes” on my laptop while I sat on the balconey and read my book.
We went down for breakfast around 9am. It was very tasty and while we were there, we put in a to-go order for lunch to be picked up at 11am. Our plan was to take it with us and eat lunch on the boat. We also collected all our table scraps after breakfast and got them boxed up to feed the wild pigs on a nearby island.
We got sunblock and swimsuits on all the kids, gathered our cooler, beach towels, & other supplies, picked up our lunches and started to load the boat. Sandy & Michele stayed on the boat with Megan while we walked back to the dock for one more load. When we came back, Sandy was all wet –she had fallen in while getting on board! Thankfully, she was not hurt and we soon headed out.
Our first stop was the island with the wild pigs. Legend has it that a bunch of domesticated pigs survived a shipwreck by swimming to this deserted island many years ago. Since then, they have flourished and now they beg for scraps whenever boats pull up to the beach. They are quite aggressive and I always worry that one of the kids is going to lose a finger or toe. It’s fun to visit, but I was happy to leave with all digits intact.
Next, we stopped by Thunderball Grotto, but there were already several boats tied up and it looked very crowded, so we decided to try again later. Instead, we kept heading South and went to one of my favorite beaches in this area, which happens to be swarming with wild Iguana’s. We aren’t supposed to feed them, but some of our scraps may have accidently fallen off the boat. Soon we had dozens of spread out in the sand all around us.
We relaxed on the boat for a while and ate our lunches. Afterwards, the boys & I took a walk down the beach to check out some large rock formations. We walked several hundred yards down the beach and found some cool stuff: Conch shells, and old outboard motor, and a strange pile of rocks that was obviously manmade, but had not appearant purpose. Brandon added one more rock to the pile.
We were admiring the rocks when Justin called out, “the boat!”. We turned and saw that Michele, Sandy, & Megan were drifting away from the beach out into the sea! I think Michele could have gotten the boat started and brought it back in, but I thought it would be fun to conduct a “rescue mission”, so we sprang into action. We ran back to the spot on the beach closest to the boat and then swam for it. Brandon raced ahead while I was a little slower with Cameron & Justin on my back.
The boat was farther than it looked, but the water was very shallow and I could stand up almost all the way out. Finally, we got to the boat and took it back to shore. We stayed just long enough to dry off and then struck out again.
Our next stop: Thunderball Grotto, a semi-submerged cave teaming with tropical fish. We tied up the boat to the mooring ball near the cave and I swam in to check out conditions. The tide was pretty high, so there wasn’t a lot of headroom getting in and the current was ripping through, but I found a couple spots that were protected from the current and called for the others to come on in. We had fun snorkeling around in the cavern and then had to swim hard to get back out to the boat.
Next, we decided to head back to Sampson Cay to rest up a bit after a long day. Megan did great on the boat –she is a Caribbean girl for sure! We got back to the island, secured & unloaded the boat, and headed back to the house. Michele, Megan, Brandon, & I went back down to the beach for a while to relax in the cabana.
We enjoyed BBQ Chicken & Ribs in the dining room tonight and now we are back relaxing in the room. Tomorrow, there are some Easter festivities scheduled for 10am. We will probably take the boat out for a while again in the afternoon.
We went down for breakfast around 9am. It was very tasty and while we were there, we put in a to-go order for lunch to be picked up at 11am. Our plan was to take it with us and eat lunch on the boat. We also collected all our table scraps after breakfast and got them boxed up to feed the wild pigs on a nearby island.
We got sunblock and swimsuits on all the kids, gathered our cooler, beach towels, & other supplies, picked up our lunches and started to load the boat. Sandy & Michele stayed on the boat with Megan while we walked back to the dock for one more load. When we came back, Sandy was all wet –she had fallen in while getting on board! Thankfully, she was not hurt and we soon headed out.
Our first stop was the island with the wild pigs. Legend has it that a bunch of domesticated pigs survived a shipwreck by swimming to this deserted island many years ago. Since then, they have flourished and now they beg for scraps whenever boats pull up to the beach. They are quite aggressive and I always worry that one of the kids is going to lose a finger or toe. It’s fun to visit, but I was happy to leave with all digits intact.
Next, we stopped by Thunderball Grotto, but there were already several boats tied up and it looked very crowded, so we decided to try again later. Instead, we kept heading South and went to one of my favorite beaches in this area, which happens to be swarming with wild Iguana’s. We aren’t supposed to feed them, but some of our scraps may have accidently fallen off the boat. Soon we had dozens of spread out in the sand all around us.
We relaxed on the boat for a while and ate our lunches. Afterwards, the boys & I took a walk down the beach to check out some large rock formations. We walked several hundred yards down the beach and found some cool stuff: Conch shells, and old outboard motor, and a strange pile of rocks that was obviously manmade, but had not appearant purpose. Brandon added one more rock to the pile.
We were admiring the rocks when Justin called out, “the boat!”. We turned and saw that Michele, Sandy, & Megan were drifting away from the beach out into the sea! I think Michele could have gotten the boat started and brought it back in, but I thought it would be fun to conduct a “rescue mission”, so we sprang into action. We ran back to the spot on the beach closest to the boat and then swam for it. Brandon raced ahead while I was a little slower with Cameron & Justin on my back.
The boat was farther than it looked, but the water was very shallow and I could stand up almost all the way out. Finally, we got to the boat and took it back to shore. We stayed just long enough to dry off and then struck out again.
Our next stop: Thunderball Grotto, a semi-submerged cave teaming with tropical fish. We tied up the boat to the mooring ball near the cave and I swam in to check out conditions. The tide was pretty high, so there wasn’t a lot of headroom getting in and the current was ripping through, but I found a couple spots that were protected from the current and called for the others to come on in. We had fun snorkeling around in the cavern and then had to swim hard to get back out to the boat.
Next, we decided to head back to Sampson Cay to rest up a bit after a long day. Megan did great on the boat –she is a Caribbean girl for sure! We got back to the island, secured & unloaded the boat, and headed back to the house. Michele, Megan, Brandon, & I went back down to the beach for a while to relax in the cabana.
We enjoyed BBQ Chicken & Ribs in the dining room tonight and now we are back relaxing in the room. Tomorrow, there are some Easter festivities scheduled for 10am. We will probably take the boat out for a while again in the afternoon.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Getting There
We left Tampa this morning just before 9am and flew to our Bahamian Customs stop in Bimini. I had the form filled out ahead of time and clearing customs was pretty painless. We were back in the air in about 30 minutes for the short flight to Staniel Cay. What a beautiful day to fly: Light winds, sunshine, and clear, blue skies! It wasn’t long before we caught sight of the Exumas, a chain of islands strung out in a long, thin line. We followed the line South to Stanel Cay, landed, unloaded the bags, and secured the airplane. Because of all the people & luggage, the taxi had to make two trips to take our group to the Staniel Cay Yacht Club. We finally got all the people & stuff there and enjoyed a delicious lunch of Mahi-Mahi. Brandon loved it!
After lunch, we got on the boat sent down from Sampson Cay to pick us up. Rock joked about our luggage how we “brought the whole house”, but was very helpful getting us loaded. After a 10 minute boat ride, we pulled up to the Marina. I checked us in at the office and they gave us a golf cart to use this year, which is nice because our rental is at the top of a big hill.
After getting all our stuff up the hill and getting settled in, Brandon, Justin & I decided to hit the beach, while everyone else took a nap. Before heading to the beach, we stopped by the store to pick up a few drinks. I stopped by the restaurant to make dinner reservations and they informed me that it Thursdays are pizza & pasta night and there was nothing else on the menu. Fine for me & the kids, not so good for Michele and her parents, who don’t eat bread.
So, I dropped the kids at the beach, ran back over to the ship’s store before they closed and picked up some frozen chicken, hot dogs, corn on the cob, and marinade for a do-it-yourself dinner later. Finally, I got all that stuff back up to the house and was ready for the beach. As I was heading toward the path, Justin was coming the other way in obvious discomfort. He said he had picked up a rock at the beach and an “orange worm” stung his finger. It didn’t look bad to me, so I sent him inside for some TLC from mommy.
Finally, I was heading for the beach. This time, I met Brandon one the path heading back. He was tired of waiting and I don’t blame him. I convinced him to turn around and go back to the beach with me. The water was pretty chilly, but we got in and went for a quick dip. Justin even came back down and hung out with us. I brought the portable iPod speakers and the boys played “I’m on a boat” again & again and had fund dancing and singing the lyrics.
We left the beach around 6pm and got cleaned up for dinner. I picked up a couple cheese pizza’s for me & the boys and Sandy cooked the stuff I bought earlier. Everyone had a good meal and we enjoyed a fantastic sunset from our balcony. This place is so beautiful –I love it here!
Tomorrow, we are planning to take our rental boat out and visit some of the nearby islands.
After lunch, we got on the boat sent down from Sampson Cay to pick us up. Rock joked about our luggage how we “brought the whole house”, but was very helpful getting us loaded. After a 10 minute boat ride, we pulled up to the Marina. I checked us in at the office and they gave us a golf cart to use this year, which is nice because our rental is at the top of a big hill.
After getting all our stuff up the hill and getting settled in, Brandon, Justin & I decided to hit the beach, while everyone else took a nap. Before heading to the beach, we stopped by the store to pick up a few drinks. I stopped by the restaurant to make dinner reservations and they informed me that it Thursdays are pizza & pasta night and there was nothing else on the menu. Fine for me & the kids, not so good for Michele and her parents, who don’t eat bread.
So, I dropped the kids at the beach, ran back over to the ship’s store before they closed and picked up some frozen chicken, hot dogs, corn on the cob, and marinade for a do-it-yourself dinner later. Finally, I got all that stuff back up to the house and was ready for the beach. As I was heading toward the path, Justin was coming the other way in obvious discomfort. He said he had picked up a rock at the beach and an “orange worm” stung his finger. It didn’t look bad to me, so I sent him inside for some TLC from mommy.
Finally, I was heading for the beach. This time, I met Brandon one the path heading back. He was tired of waiting and I don’t blame him. I convinced him to turn around and go back to the beach with me. The water was pretty chilly, but we got in and went for a quick dip. Justin even came back down and hung out with us. I brought the portable iPod speakers and the boys played “I’m on a boat” again & again and had fund dancing and singing the lyrics.
We left the beach around 6pm and got cleaned up for dinner. I picked up a couple cheese pizza’s for me & the boys and Sandy cooked the stuff I bought earlier. Everyone had a good meal and we enjoyed a fantastic sunset from our balcony. This place is so beautiful –I love it here!
Tomorrow, we are planning to take our rental boat out and visit some of the nearby islands.
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