Day Three of the Cruise~Nassau

This was the day we were probably both the most excited about. We have been settled in one spot for a long time (for us) now and we were thrilled to be visiting a new place that we thought might be so very different than where we were. We discussed what we wanted to do since we only had one day here and wanted to make good use of it, and decided not to do commercial things like Atlantis or things that would limit our exposure to what this place was like by doing things like boat tours.



When we got off the boat, Nathan somehow got sucked into talking to a local vendor immediately even though I told him the "no eye contact-no slowing down and definitely don't smile at them" rule. Actually I do know how he got sucked in the more I think about it-the guy had goods that Nathan was interested in. No, not that. Although he did tell us where we could buy that if interested. He was offering a scooter rental. Nathan looked giddy at the idea. Nathan rarely does giddy so I could not say no. Ok, let's do it! So we ditched our plans and rented a scooter for the day.



There were some pros and cons to this idea. The cons hit me after we were on the scooter and then panicked me for the next half an hour while I figured out what to do about them. Nathan got to ignore this because he is not the expedition planner-he leaves the details of those plans to me-so he got to enjoy the scenery while I worked. The cons we did ok navigating and many we can avoid completely the next time we do it because we will know better. I can honestly say we did not feel unsafe or completely unequipped at any point and time. Any more so than we would if we were in some of the larger cities in Florida at least. Probably the biggest downside to this plan was people drive like they are in downtown Miami. If you've driven there, it was pretty much just like that. With lots and lots and lots of roundabouts thrown in for extra fun!





Little side note: Roundabouts are not Nathan's friend. Neither are 4-Way stops. He is an excellent driver until he hits either one of those and then he is a bit more Rainman-ish than I am comfortable with as his passenger. Basically he spends far too long trying to analyze when it's his turn to go, randomly decides it is NOW and jets out in front of others and throws every other person's timing off! If you ever see a cluster of total chaos mainly comprised of tires screeching and violent horn honking and hand gesturing in a roundabout, you can safely assume that we are at the root of that fun. And no, I'm not embellishing how bad it is. It really is that bad. To be fair, this time I was digging my nails into his side and screeching into his ear with great intensity and yelling words my Mother would not be proud of, so he was having equal amounts of discomfort during the experience!



Even without this handicap, the traffic is intense and it's a little intimidating if you are the one on a scooter and they are mostly in cars and trucks and buses. Oh and we got lost. In Nathan's words, "Only about five or six times." To further explain the differences in our personalities, that multiplied the fun for Nathan and that multiplied the stress for me. We will reverse this process when we are going over how much we spent on this trip because Nathan is the planner in that area and I leave the details of how it actually works to him, so it'll come out even in the end.



The pros were we got to zip around the island on a scooter and we got to see the entire island. And truly that was a huge pro. It made for a pretty incredible experience!





I read reviews online before our visit that said this island was not worth the trip. It was dirty. It was uninteresting. I recommend those people not visit SE Florida or NY city or Chicago or DC because they would say the same thing there I'm guessing. We pretty much found it to be the same as SE Florida as far as its actual flavor. Maybe the entire island was not the Boca version of S Florida, but it was still interesting and well worth seeing. There were commercial things like Starbucks and McDonald's. And there were the beautiful mansions alongside of the middle class and poverty stricken homes. There were clean places and there were littered filled places. It was real in other words. Which is what we wanted to see.



Mostly though, there was this incredible view of the water almost the entire drive around the island.





Speaking of views, when you are short and sit behind someone on a scooter you can only see things like an infant in a car. By looking directly up, or seeing it as it passes by quickly on your side view. So at some point I asked if we could stop and get my camera out to use. I then held that out over Nathan while we zoomed around and snapped away. I had no idea what I was shooting but it was so cool when I got home and looked at what was on those shots. I could see why Nathan found the scooter thing so much more exciting than I did. I am getting my own scooter next time! Because seriously, how great is this view?







It started to rain at some point, so we pulled over at Stuart's Cove and put the camera away and ate lunch there. I got to chat with the lady who cooked our lunch. She is from Haiti and we talked about our kids. We chatted like Moms everywhere can and beamed with pride over our babies. She had two girls and two boys so we were close in numbers and genders. Her kids were roughly the same age as ours. She was facing empty nest syndrome too. She told me that she came to Nassau to send her son to one of the schools there. She liked it ok there but she missed her family including other kids back home. I told her I understood that all too well. She said Haiti more like "Aiti" so it took me a minute to figure out what she meant. She was the deepest brown that contrasted her whitest teeth and she had the most beautiful smile that reached all the way to her eyes. I wanted to hug her goodbye by the time our food was ready and we left to go eat. She was awesome.



This encounter made the entire day worth it to me. I live for experiences like that. It is what I take from every place we visit and they all become a part of me in some way and change who I am because I realize each time how alike we all are in some way. It is good stuff. Oh, and get the fish sandwich if you eat there. It was incredible!



When the rain stopped enough we could head out again, we did. W drove and drove some more and visited the caves that the scooter guy told us about. Not tons to see here but enough to make it worth the stop and the history is really neat.





After this we hopped back on the scooter and finished our island tour until my back and bum could not handle any more. We took the scooter back to our buddy who boldly begged for a large tip. We then did a walking tour including a trip to the Straw Market and the Pirate Museum. I will share more about the museum in a separate post. To the Straw Market I say a big no thank you to if we go again. Ok to do one time. Don't need to see it again.





This was a super day and left us so tired that we actually took a nap when we got back to the ship. Which is a good thing because we had tons of fun left for the night and since we did nap we stayed up really late to enjoy it!

Cycling Shorts: Care and Rotation

The process of laundering padded bicycle shorts has confused me for as long as I've worn them. Over the summer I cycled pretty much every day, which meant having to wash the one pair of shorts I owned every night (the shorts were wool, but the chamois still had to be washed). After several months of this the shorts looked like they'd been dragged through the hedge backwards, and I am sure the frequent washing and wringing caused this at least as much as the wear. The same happened in the fall/winter season with my synthetic tights. I've tried different techniques, washing by hand in the sink in the most gentle manner possible. I also try to wash just the chamois area and not the entire short, which speeds drying time and decreases wear on the rest if the fabric. Now that I have a new pair of special club-embroidered shorts, I don't want them to meet the same fate as my old ones. Is there a special soap I'm supposed to use? Is there a way to dry the shorts overnight without wringing them out?



The other day I received the packing list for CORPSCamp - my upcoming 5 day trip to Death Valley - and this list says to pack 5 pairs of cycling shorts. As in, one for each day. I was kind of shocked to see that, and suddenly felt like that kid at school who gets made fun of for wearing the same outfit every day. Are you seriously telling me that cyclists own that many shorts? What about the people I ride with who always wear their club's kit - do they own multiple pairs of identical shorts, so it just looks like they're wearing the same thing?..The logistics are mystifying.



So let me ask this straight out: Assuming you are a roadcyclist, how many pairs of bicycle shorts do you have in rotation at a time? And how do you launder them?

The Flying Tigers and The Tampa Rays

In our attempt to find interesting things to do while staying in one location for a year, we have been visiting the stadium where the Detroit Tigers do their spring training. During the summer, the farm league named The Flying Tigers plays here. The prices can't be beat for a game and food combo. One night a week they offer tickets for $1.00 and you can buy hot dogs, peanuts, and a drink for $1 each. Another night they do a ticket and all you can eat food combo price. Both nights make for a cheap date night and we get to mingle with the locals. Well, the somewhat locals since Lakeland is not exactly local to Wauchula. We've had a lot of fun listening in on the conversations of those who obviously are devoted fans to the team, and their ease in sharing the rest of their lives too. Since we have not lived in "only one place" for some time now, it is a fascinating thing to us to remember how the rest of our society lives!



We were also lucky enough to see a Tampa Rays game thanks to Nick and Tonyia. We were spoiled at this game, getting to sit in the section down near the field, with tons of great food and drinks. We owe them something special after this nice treat!



Living the life in HOT FL!

Day One on the Monarch of the Seas

Happy Birthday to me (and Aric!). Today was my second favorite birthday gift ever. Aric being the first and ultimate best of course! He was 21 today, and it was odd to celebrate without us being together. I still think of Aric being like this:



Wait a minute, I still think of *me* being like this until the mirror sets me straight. Not sure how he became an adult so quickly though, but he is! We will celebrate with him after the cruise.



We work up early today and headed over to the place where we parked the car. They drove us to the port and that was the last we did any work for the next four days. We were there early enough that we boarded the ship very quickly and easily. We headed up to the buffet first thing so we could eat before it got super crowded. Then we walked around the ship to explore and take pictures while it was still fairly empty.



There is a lot to see on a ship this size. Each deck has different things and each one looked like lots of fun would be happening there.



We then headed to our room. We laughed as soon as we saw it because online people commented on how tiny the rooms are on this particular ship. We thought it was huge! I mean you can actually walk alongside the bed completely on the one side. There is room for a desk and there is a big closet. And we did not have to duck down while getting out of bed. I guess this is one time our low maintenance living gives us an advantage in living in other spaces. On the other hand, we get weirded out a bit when trying to stay in regular size houses so there is that trade off.



We went to the pool deck, sat in lounge chairs and read and watched the boat leave from there. We stayed there until dinner. Dinner was a wonderful experience. Our waiters were Putu and Dwight and they were the best.



When we were back from dinner, we met our room attendant. His name is Arson and he was fabulous too. We took it was a very good sign that the staff we encountered so far were great and we hoped that it would be the case across the board. I'm happy to say that it was.



Our nighttime fun for the first night was Karaoke and listening to the cover band Eclipse. We were very impressed with them! At the end of day one, we decided if this is what cruising is like, count us in. We decided we may still want to do cruises even after we get back to our vacation free life. It is a great experience even if not being used as a "vacation". We said we'll see what we think at the end of the cruise. We headed to bed somewhat early because I wanted to be on the first tender that headed out in the morning. It was a wonderful first day.

Good Morning

My morning glory flowers are now doing great. The tiny spots aren't camera problems but are pollen.

Sunset at Big Lagoon

By the time I returned to the campground Sunday evening, a chill had set in and the wind had picked up. It was downright cold compared to early afternoon. But it was a nearly cloudless sky and there was already an orange hue enveloping the night. You didn't think I'd let it pass without taking a few pictures, did you?

Across the water, signs of “civilization” abound. In fact, condominiums, houses, and businesses are on three sides of the state park, but somehow it stills seems isolated and distant.

Clouds dancing above the observation tower.

Yes, I know, it is similar to the one above, but zoomed in and from a different angle. I like how the colors reflect off the railing and the water. The color changes in the sky during sunset never ceases to amaze me.

Santa Fe Beaches, Bantayan Island

The road to Bantayan Island is long, and I mean really loooooooooooong. Unfortunately, it’s not one of the easiest islands in the Philippine archipelago to get to, perhaps, the reason why it appeals, well sometimes, to adventurous travellers like me.


There are a few ways to get to Bantayan Island but they only come by land and sea. Bantayan Island actually has a small airfield and the reason why it is left to rot is, well, you can surmise, that certain individuals want some grease but helaas are not getting it. If the airport in Bantayan Island is further developed and opened commercially to the public, I am sure this is going to be the next Boracay. It has lots of potential.

Anyway, we chose the land and sea combi option, which is the best choice as you get there faster. I think the drive from Cebu City to Hagnaya, San Remigio took about 4 hours. It’s amazing to see how traffic has developed in Cebu when back then there were very few vehicles on the streets, this was some 25 to 30 years ago when we regularly go on road trips to the north. And on the way we saw 2 accidents! A big lorry truck went down the ravine and a small truck carrying water jugs drove straight to a tree. The roads are good but the more north you drive, the more crisscrossed the roads are which is dangerous when you drive too fast. Some drivers never learn at all.

So we finally arrived at Hagnaya port where we bought our boat tickets and in the process gotten bombarded by aggressive porters (baggage helpers) which I thought was unnecessary as we have 3 abled men who can more than handle all our baggage but I guess these people need to earn a living as well. The boat trip to Santa Fe, Bantayan Island took an hour, it was uneventful and luckily the waves were calm.

We stayed in Santa Fe. The town is probably the most developed area in Bantayan for tourism. Aside from the pier which is very handy as it is nearby, you can find several modest accommodations, facilities, restaurants and shops in town. Here is a quick map reference of Santa Fe (click) on resorts, restaurants and entertainment. For more information on holidaying in Bantayan Island, go here: wowBantayan.com (its a personal/commercial site but it has the best information on the island so far where the department of tourism has failed to deliver)

All fotos were taken on different days so some have blue skies while others have cloudy skies. Top to bottom: A surfer patiently waiting for that little wave to come; two fishermen fishing on the shores, that was a first for me to see something like this; and some beach shore and boat scenes.

More beach scenes here:

Top to bottom: Fisherman tinkering on his boat and I just like the idea of the colourful laundry hanging beside his boat tent; more beach shore line fotos and moi in a restaurant on the beach; on the last foto on the right you can see an islet called Hilataga-an Island.

I am sure the beaches are lovelier, clearer, bluer during the summer season. We were there in July, not really the best time to go as it is rainy season in the tropics.

And here are more of the barrio scenes:

Top to bottom: Typical scene in the barrio, a trike driver taking a nap; sari-sari store; more trike drivers waiting for customers, sometimes they pester you to great lengths; barbecue scenes on the corner street of the main road; fresh coconut drink; pawnshops thrive in the provinces in the Philippines and the island have implemented their green environment program.

Top to bottom: Historical Spanish pre-war house that badly needs a face lift; 2 girls climbing to get some biyatilis/ipil-ipil fruit; house with pretty patchwork, banana tree with a banana cluster and banana heart/inflorescence hanging at the tip; Philippine flag; schoolgirl in the tricycle; vendors outside the school and school girls cleaning the street; halo-halo iced snack and chili crab; proud rooster; fresh catch of the day - take your pick and they will cook it for you; and us chilling the night with San Miguel beer.