I woke up around 6:30am—or rather, that’s when Puck woke me up. The cats tend to let me sleep a whole half hour longer on the weekends, before they let me know that they are about to starve to death. I fed them, watched a bit of TV with Puck on my chest, got online to check my classes (dear student: you’re doing poorly because you can’t put a noun and verb together to save your life, and if you do manage that you spell at least one of them wrong), then loaded up the car, which didn’t take long. I hated to leave the cats (I always do), but I’m sure they’ll be fine.
I stopped for breakfast at McDonalds, and headed north into the fog. Not bad fog, granted, and it was actually nice to keep the sun out of my eyes. I stopped in Blountstown to buy a gallon of water, then again south of Tallahassee (I cut down on 267 to catch 98 south of Wakulla) to pee. I bought lunch east of Perry, since I decided to head over instead of taking the rest of the scenic route, which I should have done.
I got a bit lost in High Springs and then finally got to I-75 at Gainesville, ready to get away from the stoplights and speed limits of the small towns I drove through, and then I ran into traffic.
I don’t know why I didn’t think that driving through Orlando on Good Friday might be a bit heavy traffic-wise, but I ran into nasty nasty traffic between Gainesville and Ocala. Normally it’s a really busy stretch of road (I mean, everything headed west of Atlanta drains out of South Florida this way—not just Orlando but Miami and Tampa as well), but this was ridiculous. Stop-and-go with three lanes of traffic; it took about 40 minutes to go 15 miles. I escaped off as soon as I could, got gas, and headed around east of Ocala to catch the Turnpike. Well, here there wasn’t as much traffic, but there was construction. And then I went by The Villages, where I think the median age is 82 and everyone drives well under the speed limit, and basically I spent about two hours being really unhappy.
Once I hit the turnpike, all was well. The traffic moved quickly, it wasn’t too heavy, and I got through the construction/rush hour in Orlando with little problems. In the empty stretch around Yeehaw Junction (no, really, that’s the name—look it up!) I almost hit a bald eagle that was eating roadkill (well, no, I didn’t almost hit him, but he did startle me when he took off), and happily exited at Ft. Pierce.
Where I couldn’t find the Motel 6. I mean, usually, you trip over the damn things, but I turned onto the road I was supposed to, which dead-ended into the sun. I turned around, pulled into another place’s parking lot, and called the motel. I managed to dial the fax number first, then I made a mistake and got “this number has been disconnected”, which made me really cheerful, then redialed and found I was supposed to turn right onto a side road that looked more like an access road to an abandoned strip mall, but which eventually led to the Motel 6 (which was quite visible from the Interstate—just not the Turnpike).
The first room I was given looked like it had been through the war. Clean, but VERY well-used. I went back to the office to pay for WiFi, and found that they had to move me to another room, since the WiFi only works in select rooms. The good news is, this room was in much better shape, with the possible exception of the bed, which has all the support of a hammock. Luckily I have a good back!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
April 3--To The Ship!
I’m on the ship!
I slept OK, although I woke up a lot. The room was remarkably quiet, given the location between the interstate and the turnpike. I woke up very early (5am my time) and couldn’t get back to sleep, so I watched Law and Order for a bit, then drove to McDonalds (stopping on the way to get some of the bug juice off my windshield—the Apalachicola National Forest is missing a lot of bugs today) for breakfast, which I ate in the room. I checked my online class one more time, then headed out.
I had decided to take the scenic route again, going through downtown Ft. Pierce and then driving down AIA to Stuart before getting back on the interstate. Downtown Ft. Pierce is very cute, although a lot of the rest of the town is pretty run-down. There was a flea/farmers/artists market, but I didn’t stop.
The island was nice, with not much traffic and a well-kept two-lane road much of the way. I didn’t see the ocean much, not because there were condos in the way (at least at first, there wasn’t) but apparently this island has a healthy dune system that I couldn’t see over! Much of the island was park, although in the middle of the park there was apparently (and I’ll have to check this) a nuclear power plant! Somehow, a barrier island off Florida isn’t quite where I’d think to put a nuke plant.
Right about the time I got impatient I got back on the interstate, but not before someone almost took me out by turning right in front of me. Luckily I was watching and got to honk my horn at her several times, which made me feel better if nothing else. Driving the Interstate was also fun; I decided at one point to just go along with traffic, which meant I was breaking the speed limit by a not insignificant amount. But since everyone else was going faster, oh well!
I turned onto 595 at Ft. Lauderdale, and realized that I could see several cruise ships from there—these suckers are big! The park-n-go place I parked at was very nice—I got picked up at my car, dropped off right at the cruise ship “gate”, and given a phone number to call when I got through customs. Not bad! Although I am parked right by a bunch of gas storage tanks—then again, if those blow, the whole area will go up, and I suspect we’ll be docking in Miami! (I don’t know why I’m so negative today, but I am—poor Mom had to listen to me make Bermuda Triangle jokes, which she didn’t appreciate at all)
After being turned around a bit (and after riding to the port with a couple that had been on at least 60 cruises, and more than 25 on Princess Cruises alone!), I got in line. Everyone had been told to arrive at 2pm, and in fact there were still lots of people leaving the ship, but it only took me about half an hour to go through security, get processed, walk on the ship, and park myself at the pool (we couldn’t get into our rooms until 1pm). I then called Mom to gloat.
A bit after one to went to my room, even though it wasn’t quite done, unpacked, and headed out with my camera to take pictures of everything, which I’ll probably post later. We’re parked along the shore in the Intercoastal Waterway, which runs from Virginia to the Keys, so there was lots of traffic, particularly since it was a lovely day—warm and breezy. There were seven cruise ships, that I could see: two Princess ships, one MSC ship, one Holland America ship, one I didn’t get to identify, us (Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas) and Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, which is friggin’ huge. It’s the largest cruise ship, like, ever, and although I didn’t really have any good basis for comparison, I can’t argue.
After the lifeboat drill (for which I had to congregate in the lounge, without life jackets—they’re getting slack!) I headed to the bow to watch the boat traffic. There were small ships of all kinds—power, sail, little Zodiacs and huge yachts—and it was fun to watch. Then the police boats started zipping around, because it was time for everyone to leave.
I got a great view of three ships leaving, right in front of me, to head out the inlet into the ocean. Then the Oasis began drifting out a bit, but it would need to turn around, and we left first. On either side of the inlet people gather to blow horns and whistles and wave flags and everything else as we leave, which is nice of them! I suspect a lot of this was for the Oasis, and not us, but oh well! The Oasis followed us closely, and about a half-hour later pulled right beside us while a helicopter zipped around; I suspect they were filming a commercial or something, although I couldn’t tell because I was at dinner.
Ah, dinner. It turns out I’m seated at a table with six other people, all members of the same family. Given that I’m not necessarily that social anyway, it was rather like one of the circles of Hell for me (and I’m not sure it was that much better for everyone else!). I left after the dinner course, found that the same food (or much of it) was available at the buffet, and vowed that I wouldn’t go back. I suspect they won’t miss me. Besides, I’m too impatient to wait for food, and I missed all kinds out cool things outside (boats and such) by sitting inside.
After I bolted, I changed into my bathing suit and headed for the pool. The pool has a nice area for adults only, with a small pool (that is deep at one end—I suspect it’s where they do the scuba diving tests they tout here) and seats at a bar that I might commandeer to read at. There are also hot tubs that extend out over the side of the ship, so you can look all the way down to the water. I sat in one and watched the sun set over Florida (which was very far away at the time). I did go into the larger pool, although the wind is blowing like mad and I didn’t stay long—it may be a warm wind, but still. I then wandered a bit more, had a snack (since I didn’t have dessert at dinner) and then came back to the room to shower and write this.
I was thinking about going to bed, but it looks like we’re going to go THROUGH the Bahama banks, which I thought was pretty damn shallow. I love the map on the TV that tells us where we are! And yeah, we seem to be going to cut through the Bahamas, which I may have to be up on deck to see (even if it is dark). The ship is kind of shimmying now a bit, not enough to be uncomfortable, but I wonder if that’s coming from the banks? The water depth (which the TV also tells us) is all over the map, so that may not be it. We could be leaving the Gulf Stream, which might be enough for some jostling—we seemed to tilt a bit when we entered it, although since I was stuck at dinner it was hard to tell. Hmmm. At any rate, it’s been a good start!
I slept OK, although I woke up a lot. The room was remarkably quiet, given the location between the interstate and the turnpike. I woke up very early (5am my time) and couldn’t get back to sleep, so I watched Law and Order for a bit, then drove to McDonalds (stopping on the way to get some of the bug juice off my windshield—the Apalachicola National Forest is missing a lot of bugs today) for breakfast, which I ate in the room. I checked my online class one more time, then headed out.
I had decided to take the scenic route again, going through downtown Ft. Pierce and then driving down AIA to Stuart before getting back on the interstate. Downtown Ft. Pierce is very cute, although a lot of the rest of the town is pretty run-down. There was a flea/farmers/artists market, but I didn’t stop.
The island was nice, with not much traffic and a well-kept two-lane road much of the way. I didn’t see the ocean much, not because there were condos in the way (at least at first, there wasn’t) but apparently this island has a healthy dune system that I couldn’t see over! Much of the island was park, although in the middle of the park there was apparently (and I’ll have to check this) a nuclear power plant! Somehow, a barrier island off Florida isn’t quite where I’d think to put a nuke plant.
Right about the time I got impatient I got back on the interstate, but not before someone almost took me out by turning right in front of me. Luckily I was watching and got to honk my horn at her several times, which made me feel better if nothing else. Driving the Interstate was also fun; I decided at one point to just go along with traffic, which meant I was breaking the speed limit by a not insignificant amount. But since everyone else was going faster, oh well!
I turned onto 595 at Ft. Lauderdale, and realized that I could see several cruise ships from there—these suckers are big! The park-n-go place I parked at was very nice—I got picked up at my car, dropped off right at the cruise ship “gate”, and given a phone number to call when I got through customs. Not bad! Although I am parked right by a bunch of gas storage tanks—then again, if those blow, the whole area will go up, and I suspect we’ll be docking in Miami! (I don’t know why I’m so negative today, but I am—poor Mom had to listen to me make Bermuda Triangle jokes, which she didn’t appreciate at all)
After being turned around a bit (and after riding to the port with a couple that had been on at least 60 cruises, and more than 25 on Princess Cruises alone!), I got in line. Everyone had been told to arrive at 2pm, and in fact there were still lots of people leaving the ship, but it only took me about half an hour to go through security, get processed, walk on the ship, and park myself at the pool (we couldn’t get into our rooms until 1pm). I then called Mom to gloat.
A bit after one to went to my room, even though it wasn’t quite done, unpacked, and headed out with my camera to take pictures of everything, which I’ll probably post later. We’re parked along the shore in the Intercoastal Waterway, which runs from Virginia to the Keys, so there was lots of traffic, particularly since it was a lovely day—warm and breezy. There were seven cruise ships, that I could see: two Princess ships, one MSC ship, one Holland America ship, one I didn’t get to identify, us (Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas) and Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, which is friggin’ huge. It’s the largest cruise ship, like, ever, and although I didn’t really have any good basis for comparison, I can’t argue.
After the lifeboat drill (for which I had to congregate in the lounge, without life jackets—they’re getting slack!) I headed to the bow to watch the boat traffic. There were small ships of all kinds—power, sail, little Zodiacs and huge yachts—and it was fun to watch. Then the police boats started zipping around, because it was time for everyone to leave.
I got a great view of three ships leaving, right in front of me, to head out the inlet into the ocean. Then the Oasis began drifting out a bit, but it would need to turn around, and we left first. On either side of the inlet people gather to blow horns and whistles and wave flags and everything else as we leave, which is nice of them! I suspect a lot of this was for the Oasis, and not us, but oh well! The Oasis followed us closely, and about a half-hour later pulled right beside us while a helicopter zipped around; I suspect they were filming a commercial or something, although I couldn’t tell because I was at dinner.
Ah, dinner. It turns out I’m seated at a table with six other people, all members of the same family. Given that I’m not necessarily that social anyway, it was rather like one of the circles of Hell for me (and I’m not sure it was that much better for everyone else!). I left after the dinner course, found that the same food (or much of it) was available at the buffet, and vowed that I wouldn’t go back. I suspect they won’t miss me. Besides, I’m too impatient to wait for food, and I missed all kinds out cool things outside (boats and such) by sitting inside.
After I bolted, I changed into my bathing suit and headed for the pool. The pool has a nice area for adults only, with a small pool (that is deep at one end—I suspect it’s where they do the scuba diving tests they tout here) and seats at a bar that I might commandeer to read at. There are also hot tubs that extend out over the side of the ship, so you can look all the way down to the water. I sat in one and watched the sun set over Florida (which was very far away at the time). I did go into the larger pool, although the wind is blowing like mad and I didn’t stay long—it may be a warm wind, but still. I then wandered a bit more, had a snack (since I didn’t have dessert at dinner) and then came back to the room to shower and write this.
I was thinking about going to bed, but it looks like we’re going to go THROUGH the Bahama banks, which I thought was pretty damn shallow. I love the map on the TV that tells us where we are! And yeah, we seem to be going to cut through the Bahamas, which I may have to be up on deck to see (even if it is dark). The ship is kind of shimmying now a bit, not enough to be uncomfortable, but I wonder if that’s coming from the banks? The water depth (which the TV also tells us) is all over the map, so that may not be it. We could be leaving the Gulf Stream, which might be enough for some jostling—we seemed to tilt a bit when we entered it, although since I was stuck at dinner it was hard to tell. Hmmm. At any rate, it’s been a good start!
April 4--Sea Day
Some things I’ve learned today:
1. If your bed is made up of two twin beds put together, don’t sleep in the middle. There’s a big crack there that became obvious during the night.
2. The “Adults Only” pool in Royal Caribbean isn’t actually “Adults Only”, it’s “No Unsupervised Children”, which is really quite annoying.
3. Lights on cruise ships are too bright to see the stars with any clarity. I have yet to see the Bahamas, but I did see the lights of one of the islands reflecting off clouds in the distance
4. The current crop of people on American Idol are not nearly talented enough to do cruise ship shows, which are very well done even if they are cringingly cheesy.
5. Always bring a jacket or sweater or flannel, even to the tropics; it’s been really, really windy out (between the speed of the ship and the ambient wind, the winds have been around 35-40mph since we left port, and even when it’s warm out, that’s chilling.
6. I prefer salt-water pools to fresh-water; the salt water is nicer to my skin. I’ve been drinking water like a fish but my skin is still dry.
7. The TCM feed to South America is not the same as that to the US; I’ve yet to see “Police Academy” or “Lethal Weapon” or “Fantasy Island” on my TCM. I kind of like it. And the coming-attractions commercials have writing in both Spanish and Portuguese.
Otherwise, nothing interesting (to anyone other than me, anyway). I sat outside and read, ate and read, walked around the ship to refill my water bottle, watched people try to surf the Flow Rider and pretty much fail, sat in the hot tub and swam in the pool, and didn’t get too badly sunburned. I also bought tickets for a couple of snorkeling expeditions and bought a “water safe” that’s big enough for my ID and cruise key, which makes me feel better about going snorkeling. I may also do one more snorkel, if I’m up to it; I’m going to wait to see if I burn myself to a crisp and/or get sick of snorkeling before I commit.
1. If your bed is made up of two twin beds put together, don’t sleep in the middle. There’s a big crack there that became obvious during the night.
2. The “Adults Only” pool in Royal Caribbean isn’t actually “Adults Only”, it’s “No Unsupervised Children”, which is really quite annoying.
3. Lights on cruise ships are too bright to see the stars with any clarity. I have yet to see the Bahamas, but I did see the lights of one of the islands reflecting off clouds in the distance
4. The current crop of people on American Idol are not nearly talented enough to do cruise ship shows, which are very well done even if they are cringingly cheesy.
5. Always bring a jacket or sweater or flannel, even to the tropics; it’s been really, really windy out (between the speed of the ship and the ambient wind, the winds have been around 35-40mph since we left port, and even when it’s warm out, that’s chilling.
6. I prefer salt-water pools to fresh-water; the salt water is nicer to my skin. I’ve been drinking water like a fish but my skin is still dry.
7. The TCM feed to South America is not the same as that to the US; I’ve yet to see “Police Academy” or “Lethal Weapon” or “Fantasy Island” on my TCM. I kind of like it. And the coming-attractions commercials have writing in both Spanish and Portuguese.
Otherwise, nothing interesting (to anyone other than me, anyway). I sat outside and read, ate and read, walked around the ship to refill my water bottle, watched people try to surf the Flow Rider and pretty much fail, sat in the hot tub and swam in the pool, and didn’t get too badly sunburned. I also bought tickets for a couple of snorkeling expeditions and bought a “water safe” that’s big enough for my ID and cruise key, which makes me feel better about going snorkeling. I may also do one more snorkel, if I’m up to it; I’m going to wait to see if I burn myself to a crisp and/or get sick of snorkeling before I commit.
April 7--At Sea, St. Maarten, St. Thomas
Yeah, I kind of skipped yesterday. And the day before, too—but during sea days I mostly eat, drink, read, walk around, and watch people. Not too exciting.
Yesterday I was exhausted from the snorkeling and the walking, so now it’s Wednesday noon, I just got back from shopping in St. Thomas, and I’ve about a half hour before I need to go eat so I can be do my next snorkeling adventure.
Yesterday we got to St. Maarten around eight am. I had gotten up early to eat and be ready, and to see us get into port. St. Maarten is a mountainous island; when I first got to the observation deck I saw a low mangrove island and thought that was it (it turned out to be Anguilla), until I saw the mountainous island up ahead. I thought the islands might be volcanic, but the bit of rock I saw looked very sedimentary. I guess it could be both, with ash/lava flows being laid down over centuries, but it might also have been limestone. Something else for me to look up when I get a chance.
I got off at the stroke of 8am to look for my group (which wasn’t to meet until 8:15, but you know me) and wandered around for 20 minutes until I found my group. It turns out that two groups got merged into one big one, so we all marched off to the water taxi dock to get onto the boat.
I was only a bit pushy and wound up at the front of the right-hand side of the catamaran; I thought about going into the netting, but it looked like it had a weight limit, it was full of kids, and I was happy playing figurehead where I was.
We took off (no sailing this trip) to the snorkeling place two bays over. I hopped into the water at the other end of the boat (no ladder for me!) and the water was wonderful! Just cool enough to be refreshing, and the color of the water was astonishing. Just lovely blues and greens (I still have never seen a color like that of the ocean far out at sea—a royal purple that is just mindblowing to me), although the coral underneath had been beaten to hell. There was some live coral here and there, brain coral and some softer corals, and there were some fish. I have to say, I’ve seen better around Key West, although I suspect this place gets enough traffic that it’s better to keep the crowds (who will be impressed by anything) here and keep the other pristine places more pristine. We did see a turtle, and our guide grabbed him for a closer look; he was about the size of a dinner plate, and not happy at all—when the guide turned him loose, he took off for the territories at a high rate. There were also two wrecks: one with little left other than the engine and some beams, and the other a near-complete sailboat (plus two truck chassis that somehow ended up nearby). Both were in about 15 feet of water, and I could dive down close enough to touch them (although I didn’t—I didn’t want to disturb any coral or anything). I spent more time bobbing happily in the water on my own than I did following the guide around, and I really didn’t want to get out of the boat. But I did.
Then the rum punch was handed out (I didn’t want any) and we took off for a short trip around the south coast of St. Maarten. West past the industrial bay (where the island’s diesel (I think) generator was located) to another more populated bay, around the boats anchored there (ranging from megayachts to small catamarans) and back. The guides were trying their best to be happy and get everyone singing and such, but we were a bunch of party-poopers and most didn’t go along. We didn't get near the airport--you want to see something amazing, go to YouTube and watch the videos of the planes landing at the St. Maarten airport--they literally are just feet above the beach on approach. People get knocked over by the exhaust. Not that we got that close, but still.
After we got back, I showered, grabbed a quick burger, and caught a water taxi to Philipsburg (since I didn't want to walk through the construction). I wanted to go to Marigot, on the French side (the island is peacefully divided between the Netherlands Antilles and France), and caught a very scary private van. There’s legions of these things, and you just wave them down wherever, pay your fare (I paid $2, although I think St. Martaan natives paid a dollar—everything is in American currency on the Dutch side), and hang on. I was sitting next to the driver, and saw a part of the island that I don’t think tourists necessarily see. Although, since there’s only one road, maybe they do. It’s a scrubby island, not forested or jungled or anything, and whatever was level had houses on it, in various states of disrepair.
The French side was little different, although the houses had more of a “New Orleans/Key West” vibe, and everyone spoke French and the prices were in Euros (none of which I had). The “high” point was probably when I went into a VERY small store a block off the waterfront looking for a Pepsi. I didn’t find one, but I did find some incredibly old cans of fruit cocktail that were swollen to the point of explosion. Just think, all the botulism you can ever want for 1.49 euros! I wandered a bit around the port (it was hot and people drive like maniacs—which is true all over the island), and then caught a more bus-like bus to go back, in which I believe a group of French-speaking schoolgirls kind of made fun of me a bit, since I don’t think tourists much take these things. They were talking in French, and then one started saying “Ooh, the dump, beautiful! Ooh, the Home Depot, beautiful!” I ignored them, and they stopped. Eventually. I was tempted to say something back to them in French, but I thought discretion was the better point of valor. And I thought my accent would just make them laugh more.
After I got off the van back in Phillipsburg, I tried shopping. Very hard sell, very expensive, and other then some free “sunset topazes” and two Cokes I bought nothing. Then back to the ship to watch for late-comers, where I talked to a pool attendant who was VERY unhappy that the Independence was going to be based in Southampton permanently after this trip. Between simply not being in the Caribbean anymore, and the fact that they get paid in dollars so they get to lose money on the exchange rate, people aren’t happy. I was exhausted, so I watched St. Maarten vanish into the dark (along with another island, the name of which I don’t know, but which I called Bali Hai because that’s what it looked like—I’ll have to look it up later), then ate, and then went to sleep. I didn’t sleep well, for whatever reason; I kept dreaming that the ship was really pitching and tossing and then bad dreams and oh well. Hopefully I’ll sleep better tonight.
I woke up early again this morning to St. Thomas. Not as mountainy, but otherwise it looks similar. And when I took a group taxi to Charlotte Amalie, the shopping district was very much the same. I got there before everything opened, which gave me time to find a Pepsi and an Internet café and check my mail (I had tried to check it on the ship, but between the program hanging and the huge delay, I wound up paying lots of money for almost no access—grr. ). Then I dodged barkers trying very hard to drag me into their shop and did a bit of buying—I now have ammolite earrings, a lammonite necklace, two rainbow topazes (I think), a shell and bead necklace, a pearl pendant, and a whale tail pendant (other than the first two and the last, these were free—trying to get me to buy something in their store by giving away free stuff—yeah, that’ll work), plus a headache and a hatred of barkers. I figure getting out of here for $50 isn’t bad. I am upset that they didn’t have bamboo sheets in full size, since they felt amazing. I’ll have to look online. Another taxi back, a bit more shopping, and now I’m going to get dressed, grab another hamburger, then off to snorkel again!
And now it’s later. I was a bit tired before the snorkeling, but we all trooped down the (very hot) dock and sidewalk to the catamaran. It was run by three guys in their 20’s (who all looked exactly like stereotypical California beach bums) and one older guy. We headed out, after I parked myself in roughly the same place in the boat. The wind had picked up (it seems to be calmish in the morning, blow like bloody hell around noon, die down again later in the afternoon, and then pick up again after dark—it’s done that both yesterday and today) and since they’d put both sails up we were moving right along, and I was only a bit concerned about flipping. We also had some serious swells, that hit us sideways and didn’t help my fear of the pitching. But we got to a little island off the coast just fine, and pulled into a sheltered bay (I was worried, and quite glad that I didn’t take the other tours I was considering, since both would be open to the wind and probably didn’t go well). I got to jump into the water from higher up (whee!) and saw, among other things, another shipwreck, a few fish, and a bunch of squid about a foot long that stopped when they saw me (I was wondering whether little squid ever attacked everyone), then turned purple and fled. They really did turn purple—it was cool! I didn’t want to get out of the water (again); I think in Labadee I won’t go on the snorkeling, since it’s not supposed to be that good anyway, and just float in the water like a seal. And if I burn myself to a crisp, hey, it’s the last shore day.
On the way back things weren’t nearly as windy and wavy, and I could look at the island. Lots of houses on the scrubby hills, which all cost more than I’ve made in my whole life. And I finally saw a flying fish! I’ve been looking for them while we were cruising, since last year they were jumping all over the place to get away, and haven’t seen any—maybe we’re too big, or they just don’t hang out in this water. It’s good to see one. And I also spent a lot of time staring at the water as it went by—again, I just can’t believe the color.
I got back on the ship, showered, and then headed to the top deck to look at the harbor. It had filled up with anchored sailboats, and the sun was setting and lighting up the hills and the whitewashed houses, and it’s good that I didn’t discover this place before I got cats or I’d be moving here. Oh well. It’s lovely, but too far away, like Hawaii was. When the ship pulled out, we kicked up a lot of sand, which made me wonder just how deep the water was that we were in (our draft appears to be around 90 feet, if I’m reading the marking correctly—which I may not be, because that sounds like way too much). We also got perilously close to some sailboats when we were backing up—yes, backing up to turn around like an incredibly huge bus.
And then I went to the spa. I had made an appointment for a “Happy Hour”, which included a back/shoulder rub, a facial mask, a foot massage, and a scalp massage. It was lovely, particularly the backrub, well worth the hard-product-sell that my therapist tried to do. I looked fascinated and nodded and then threw out the list after I left. It was interesting that she told me, among other things, that people with type O blood should stay away from dairy and wheat and ham (?) but that we can eat all the meat we want. That’s actually sort of what I’ve figured out myself is best for me—hmmmm.
Then I ate dinner, watched the lights of St. Thomas a bit as they receded slowly—very slowly; I don’t know how we’re going to stall getting to Puerto Rico—hell, you can practically throw a rock from St. Thomas and if the wind is right you can hit PR with it—but we’re just meandering along with about eight hours to kill and not far to go at all. Some serious swells, but luckily I don’t get motion sick. I’m trying to decide if I want to go to the Adult Dance Party or just go to sleep. It’s a tough choice.
Yesterday I was exhausted from the snorkeling and the walking, so now it’s Wednesday noon, I just got back from shopping in St. Thomas, and I’ve about a half hour before I need to go eat so I can be do my next snorkeling adventure.
Yesterday we got to St. Maarten around eight am. I had gotten up early to eat and be ready, and to see us get into port. St. Maarten is a mountainous island; when I first got to the observation deck I saw a low mangrove island and thought that was it (it turned out to be Anguilla), until I saw the mountainous island up ahead. I thought the islands might be volcanic, but the bit of rock I saw looked very sedimentary. I guess it could be both, with ash/lava flows being laid down over centuries, but it might also have been limestone. Something else for me to look up when I get a chance.
I got off at the stroke of 8am to look for my group (which wasn’t to meet until 8:15, but you know me) and wandered around for 20 minutes until I found my group. It turns out that two groups got merged into one big one, so we all marched off to the water taxi dock to get onto the boat.
I was only a bit pushy and wound up at the front of the right-hand side of the catamaran; I thought about going into the netting, but it looked like it had a weight limit, it was full of kids, and I was happy playing figurehead where I was.
We took off (no sailing this trip) to the snorkeling place two bays over. I hopped into the water at the other end of the boat (no ladder for me!) and the water was wonderful! Just cool enough to be refreshing, and the color of the water was astonishing. Just lovely blues and greens (I still have never seen a color like that of the ocean far out at sea—a royal purple that is just mindblowing to me), although the coral underneath had been beaten to hell. There was some live coral here and there, brain coral and some softer corals, and there were some fish. I have to say, I’ve seen better around Key West, although I suspect this place gets enough traffic that it’s better to keep the crowds (who will be impressed by anything) here and keep the other pristine places more pristine. We did see a turtle, and our guide grabbed him for a closer look; he was about the size of a dinner plate, and not happy at all—when the guide turned him loose, he took off for the territories at a high rate. There were also two wrecks: one with little left other than the engine and some beams, and the other a near-complete sailboat (plus two truck chassis that somehow ended up nearby). Both were in about 15 feet of water, and I could dive down close enough to touch them (although I didn’t—I didn’t want to disturb any coral or anything). I spent more time bobbing happily in the water on my own than I did following the guide around, and I really didn’t want to get out of the boat. But I did.
Then the rum punch was handed out (I didn’t want any) and we took off for a short trip around the south coast of St. Maarten. West past the industrial bay (where the island’s diesel (I think) generator was located) to another more populated bay, around the boats anchored there (ranging from megayachts to small catamarans) and back. The guides were trying their best to be happy and get everyone singing and such, but we were a bunch of party-poopers and most didn’t go along. We didn't get near the airport--you want to see something amazing, go to YouTube and watch the videos of the planes landing at the St. Maarten airport--they literally are just feet above the beach on approach. People get knocked over by the exhaust. Not that we got that close, but still.
After we got back, I showered, grabbed a quick burger, and caught a water taxi to Philipsburg (since I didn't want to walk through the construction). I wanted to go to Marigot, on the French side (the island is peacefully divided between the Netherlands Antilles and France), and caught a very scary private van. There’s legions of these things, and you just wave them down wherever, pay your fare (I paid $2, although I think St. Martaan natives paid a dollar—everything is in American currency on the Dutch side), and hang on. I was sitting next to the driver, and saw a part of the island that I don’t think tourists necessarily see. Although, since there’s only one road, maybe they do. It’s a scrubby island, not forested or jungled or anything, and whatever was level had houses on it, in various states of disrepair.
The French side was little different, although the houses had more of a “New Orleans/Key West” vibe, and everyone spoke French and the prices were in Euros (none of which I had). The “high” point was probably when I went into a VERY small store a block off the waterfront looking for a Pepsi. I didn’t find one, but I did find some incredibly old cans of fruit cocktail that were swollen to the point of explosion. Just think, all the botulism you can ever want for 1.49 euros! I wandered a bit around the port (it was hot and people drive like maniacs—which is true all over the island), and then caught a more bus-like bus to go back, in which I believe a group of French-speaking schoolgirls kind of made fun of me a bit, since I don’t think tourists much take these things. They were talking in French, and then one started saying “Ooh, the dump, beautiful! Ooh, the Home Depot, beautiful!” I ignored them, and they stopped. Eventually. I was tempted to say something back to them in French, but I thought discretion was the better point of valor. And I thought my accent would just make them laugh more.
After I got off the van back in Phillipsburg, I tried shopping. Very hard sell, very expensive, and other then some free “sunset topazes” and two Cokes I bought nothing. Then back to the ship to watch for late-comers, where I talked to a pool attendant who was VERY unhappy that the Independence was going to be based in Southampton permanently after this trip. Between simply not being in the Caribbean anymore, and the fact that they get paid in dollars so they get to lose money on the exchange rate, people aren’t happy. I was exhausted, so I watched St. Maarten vanish into the dark (along with another island, the name of which I don’t know, but which I called Bali Hai because that’s what it looked like—I’ll have to look it up later), then ate, and then went to sleep. I didn’t sleep well, for whatever reason; I kept dreaming that the ship was really pitching and tossing and then bad dreams and oh well. Hopefully I’ll sleep better tonight.
I woke up early again this morning to St. Thomas. Not as mountainy, but otherwise it looks similar. And when I took a group taxi to Charlotte Amalie, the shopping district was very much the same. I got there before everything opened, which gave me time to find a Pepsi and an Internet café and check my mail (I had tried to check it on the ship, but between the program hanging and the huge delay, I wound up paying lots of money for almost no access—grr. ). Then I dodged barkers trying very hard to drag me into their shop and did a bit of buying—I now have ammolite earrings, a lammonite necklace, two rainbow topazes (I think), a shell and bead necklace, a pearl pendant, and a whale tail pendant (other than the first two and the last, these were free—trying to get me to buy something in their store by giving away free stuff—yeah, that’ll work), plus a headache and a hatred of barkers. I figure getting out of here for $50 isn’t bad. I am upset that they didn’t have bamboo sheets in full size, since they felt amazing. I’ll have to look online. Another taxi back, a bit more shopping, and now I’m going to get dressed, grab another hamburger, then off to snorkel again!
And now it’s later. I was a bit tired before the snorkeling, but we all trooped down the (very hot) dock and sidewalk to the catamaran. It was run by three guys in their 20’s (who all looked exactly like stereotypical California beach bums) and one older guy. We headed out, after I parked myself in roughly the same place in the boat. The wind had picked up (it seems to be calmish in the morning, blow like bloody hell around noon, die down again later in the afternoon, and then pick up again after dark—it’s done that both yesterday and today) and since they’d put both sails up we were moving right along, and I was only a bit concerned about flipping. We also had some serious swells, that hit us sideways and didn’t help my fear of the pitching. But we got to a little island off the coast just fine, and pulled into a sheltered bay (I was worried, and quite glad that I didn’t take the other tours I was considering, since both would be open to the wind and probably didn’t go well). I got to jump into the water from higher up (whee!) and saw, among other things, another shipwreck, a few fish, and a bunch of squid about a foot long that stopped when they saw me (I was wondering whether little squid ever attacked everyone), then turned purple and fled. They really did turn purple—it was cool! I didn’t want to get out of the water (again); I think in Labadee I won’t go on the snorkeling, since it’s not supposed to be that good anyway, and just float in the water like a seal. And if I burn myself to a crisp, hey, it’s the last shore day.
On the way back things weren’t nearly as windy and wavy, and I could look at the island. Lots of houses on the scrubby hills, which all cost more than I’ve made in my whole life. And I finally saw a flying fish! I’ve been looking for them while we were cruising, since last year they were jumping all over the place to get away, and haven’t seen any—maybe we’re too big, or they just don’t hang out in this water. It’s good to see one. And I also spent a lot of time staring at the water as it went by—again, I just can’t believe the color.
I got back on the ship, showered, and then headed to the top deck to look at the harbor. It had filled up with anchored sailboats, and the sun was setting and lighting up the hills and the whitewashed houses, and it’s good that I didn’t discover this place before I got cats or I’d be moving here. Oh well. It’s lovely, but too far away, like Hawaii was. When the ship pulled out, we kicked up a lot of sand, which made me wonder just how deep the water was that we were in (our draft appears to be around 90 feet, if I’m reading the marking correctly—which I may not be, because that sounds like way too much). We also got perilously close to some sailboats when we were backing up—yes, backing up to turn around like an incredibly huge bus.
And then I went to the spa. I had made an appointment for a “Happy Hour”, which included a back/shoulder rub, a facial mask, a foot massage, and a scalp massage. It was lovely, particularly the backrub, well worth the hard-product-sell that my therapist tried to do. I looked fascinated and nodded and then threw out the list after I left. It was interesting that she told me, among other things, that people with type O blood should stay away from dairy and wheat and ham (?) but that we can eat all the meat we want. That’s actually sort of what I’ve figured out myself is best for me—hmmmm.
Then I ate dinner, watched the lights of St. Thomas a bit as they receded slowly—very slowly; I don’t know how we’re going to stall getting to Puerto Rico—hell, you can practically throw a rock from St. Thomas and if the wind is right you can hit PR with it—but we’re just meandering along with about eight hours to kill and not far to go at all. Some serious swells, but luckily I don’t get motion sick. I’m trying to decide if I want to go to the Adult Dance Party or just go to sleep. It’s a tough choice.
April 8--San Juan, Puerto Rico
I chose sleep. And slept until 7am, give or take—I did have some more bad dreams, but other than that, all was well.
We were already parked at San Jose by the time I got up. I ate breakfast, put suntan lotion on my arms and nose, and headed out. It was mostly cloudy, and in fact it rained (lightly) twice during the day, but I only needed to duck under an awning once when the rain got too hard. I had torn out the AAA guide’s walking map, which turned out to be well worth it, particularly since the tourist office was closed when I first got off the ship.
San Jose has more statues than any other place I’ve been, I think. I took pictures of most of them, so we’ll have to see if they come out (I did drop my camera on some concrete and buckled the case a tiny bit, but it still seems to be working).
I headed west outside the city walls, which are high and pretty imposing. I walked around underneath (well, sort of—it was above me behind the walls) the Presidential palace, and to the main gate, then up a hill past a lot of feral cats to the big Fort. I didn’t walk to the fort, because I’ve seen forts elsewhere, but I did walk over to one of the walls to see a very ornate cemetery below. I then took a short rest sitting on a building that turned out to be the first mental asylum (how appropriate!), then past the second oldest church in the Western hemisphere, then down narrow roads paved with blue glass-like bricks to the Cathedral. I had heard that Ponce de Leon was buried there, but I looked and couldn’t find it. I then wandered to the Presidential palace, which is damn big and very fortified, then to a shrine built to hopefully prevent deaths via horseracing (some guy raced his horse right off the cliff) which also housed a plaza dedicated to pigeons—I didn’t feed them, because it apparently is like something out of “The Birds”.
A lot of the buildings looked similar to those in New Orleans and Key West: built for ventilation with lots of windows/doors on all the walls (most of which were now glassed in, presumably due to air conditioning and exhaust fumes from the constant traffic). I walked to City Hall plaza and sat there for quite some time, enjoying the shade and watching people go by. I used the restroom at a Starbucks (I had to wait until someone left, since the door locked, but I did get to read the local paper while I was waiting), then headed east.
I stopped again at a plaza or two, plus another church (I went down into the crypt, but it was a bit too creepy for me so I turned and fled), then to Columbus Plaza (with a big statue of guess-who), where I bought a ocarina carved out of a caroda (spelling?) nut. I didn’t want to go back to the ship and still had a couple of hours, so I walked back to City Hall plaza and watched a couple of kids run the pigeons all over the place. Then back to the ship, where I ate and watched for the “running of the tourists”, since the captain had said that he wouldn’t wait for stragglers. I did see a couple run, but nobody at the absolute last minute. We then left and headed out past the fort (which is why the fort was put there) and headed east toward Haiti.
And this is when I saw the ice skating show. Yes, ice skating. Independence of the Seas has a tiny rink low and centered on the ship, but it’s large enough that the dozen skaters (that I think double as the dancers on days they’re not skating—one Canadian, three or four American, the rest Russian) could get up some good speed. There were a number of jumps that I would swear were triples, but they were doubles at least. And I got the answer to: what do skaters do when the ice has moved since they went up into the air: they fall down. We were rolling pretty well, and a couple of skaters wound up on their butts. They then got up and continued like nothing had happened; I suspect it’s not uncommon. A nice show with music throughout the ages, ranging from Mozart to Charlie Daniels (there was a violin/fiddle motif); my favorite was when they played “I go to Rio” from the Broadway recording of “The Boy from Oz”—gotta love Hugh Jackman singing! I wonder how much royalties he makes from this? They put another voice singing along with him to make it less obvious, but it was him! I have no idea, by the way, what they were skating on; it was cool but not cold in there. I enjoyed the show very much—more than the stage show, I think.
When I went back on deck, for the first time, really, it was hot. I don’t think it was the contrast from the ice rink; before, there was always a wind, which makes it bearable, but at times after we left the wind died down (we’re now headed the same direction as the wind, which cuts down the breeze considerably) and it felt very humid and warm. So I found a nice spot in the shade with a view of the ocean (another flying fish spotting!) until dinner, where I went back to my room, showered, and sat to write this. I’m tired again, so it’s going to be another early night. Not a bunch of fun, am I! But it is restful. And I may need it tomorrow, where I will likely burn to a crisp. I thought seriously about buying a jug of aloe, and didn’t; I may regret that.
Lots of rocking and rolling of the ship! I’m glad I don’t get motion-sick.
We were already parked at San Jose by the time I got up. I ate breakfast, put suntan lotion on my arms and nose, and headed out. It was mostly cloudy, and in fact it rained (lightly) twice during the day, but I only needed to duck under an awning once when the rain got too hard. I had torn out the AAA guide’s walking map, which turned out to be well worth it, particularly since the tourist office was closed when I first got off the ship.
San Jose has more statues than any other place I’ve been, I think. I took pictures of most of them, so we’ll have to see if they come out (I did drop my camera on some concrete and buckled the case a tiny bit, but it still seems to be working).
I headed west outside the city walls, which are high and pretty imposing. I walked around underneath (well, sort of—it was above me behind the walls) the Presidential palace, and to the main gate, then up a hill past a lot of feral cats to the big Fort. I didn’t walk to the fort, because I’ve seen forts elsewhere, but I did walk over to one of the walls to see a very ornate cemetery below. I then took a short rest sitting on a building that turned out to be the first mental asylum (how appropriate!), then past the second oldest church in the Western hemisphere, then down narrow roads paved with blue glass-like bricks to the Cathedral. I had heard that Ponce de Leon was buried there, but I looked and couldn’t find it. I then wandered to the Presidential palace, which is damn big and very fortified, then to a shrine built to hopefully prevent deaths via horseracing (some guy raced his horse right off the cliff) which also housed a plaza dedicated to pigeons—I didn’t feed them, because it apparently is like something out of “The Birds”.
A lot of the buildings looked similar to those in New Orleans and Key West: built for ventilation with lots of windows/doors on all the walls (most of which were now glassed in, presumably due to air conditioning and exhaust fumes from the constant traffic). I walked to City Hall plaza and sat there for quite some time, enjoying the shade and watching people go by. I used the restroom at a Starbucks (I had to wait until someone left, since the door locked, but I did get to read the local paper while I was waiting), then headed east.
I stopped again at a plaza or two, plus another church (I went down into the crypt, but it was a bit too creepy for me so I turned and fled), then to Columbus Plaza (with a big statue of guess-who), where I bought a ocarina carved out of a caroda (spelling?) nut. I didn’t want to go back to the ship and still had a couple of hours, so I walked back to City Hall plaza and watched a couple of kids run the pigeons all over the place. Then back to the ship, where I ate and watched for the “running of the tourists”, since the captain had said that he wouldn’t wait for stragglers. I did see a couple run, but nobody at the absolute last minute. We then left and headed out past the fort (which is why the fort was put there) and headed east toward Haiti.
And this is when I saw the ice skating show. Yes, ice skating. Independence of the Seas has a tiny rink low and centered on the ship, but it’s large enough that the dozen skaters (that I think double as the dancers on days they’re not skating—one Canadian, three or four American, the rest Russian) could get up some good speed. There were a number of jumps that I would swear were triples, but they were doubles at least. And I got the answer to: what do skaters do when the ice has moved since they went up into the air: they fall down. We were rolling pretty well, and a couple of skaters wound up on their butts. They then got up and continued like nothing had happened; I suspect it’s not uncommon. A nice show with music throughout the ages, ranging from Mozart to Charlie Daniels (there was a violin/fiddle motif); my favorite was when they played “I go to Rio” from the Broadway recording of “The Boy from Oz”—gotta love Hugh Jackman singing! I wonder how much royalties he makes from this? They put another voice singing along with him to make it less obvious, but it was him! I have no idea, by the way, what they were skating on; it was cool but not cold in there. I enjoyed the show very much—more than the stage show, I think.
When I went back on deck, for the first time, really, it was hot. I don’t think it was the contrast from the ice rink; before, there was always a wind, which makes it bearable, but at times after we left the wind died down (we’re now headed the same direction as the wind, which cuts down the breeze considerably) and it felt very humid and warm. So I found a nice spot in the shade with a view of the ocean (another flying fish spotting!) until dinner, where I went back to my room, showered, and sat to write this. I’m tired again, so it’s going to be another early night. Not a bunch of fun, am I! But it is restful. And I may need it tomorrow, where I will likely burn to a crisp. I thought seriously about buying a jug of aloe, and didn’t; I may regret that.
Lots of rocking and rolling of the ship! I’m glad I don’t get motion-sick.
April 9--Labadee, Haiti
I got up at 7am, ate quickly, and was ready to go about a half hour before the doors opened. Labadee is a small peninsula west of Cap-Haitien, and it looks like there are no roads leading to it—big mountains cutting it off. I headed to Nellie’s beach, named after a woman who used to live there who ran a trading post—there are still ruins of stone buildings standing, which are theoretically hers. The water was fairly clear and warm, and I went out and floated in about seven feet of water for at least an hour. There weren’t many fish, although two tiny fish decided I was something interesting and hung around me for a while; I think they were using me as cover. They were cute; they’d swim right up to my mask without apparent fear. They did occasionally check out other people who came near, and eventually they joined two people on a raft, who did make a much better cover. I then went snorkeling along a rock wall, and actually there was a lot more there than I thought there would be—hard and soft corals, lots of urchins, and a few fish.
After two hours in the water I got out and wandered over to the artisan area, which is full of Haitians doing a seriously hard-sell on all sorts of crafts and such. There was some neat stuff, although apparently the wood items might be full of worms, and the woven bags were incredibly rough. I did buy an anklet that was woven from an incredibly non-natural material, with a couple of beads. Then I found a hammock in the shade, read for a while, and then sort of napped. The cruise ship had set up a cookout, and I grabbed a hamburger and some pasta salad, and then went snorkeling again, at a different beach. This one was rougher, and had a zip line running over it (which was a bit disconcerting, having people zipping overhead, even if it was far up), but lots and lots of coral and urchins, and not a few fish. Some of the coral was spectacular, considering how much use this area must have from the cruise passengers. I also found some sea urchin tests, and took a small one with me, along with a little piece of dead coral (both probably illegal, but oh well).
I got tired of worrying about swimming in shallow water over coral, so I headed back over to Nellie’s beach and again spent an hour and a half or so just floating around. It was very restful, and very nice. I got back to the ship around 3:30pm, showered, and went up on deck to watch us sail off and take lots of pictures.
I also saw another show, with pretty much everyone on stage. It was nice, except for the little girl in my row who coughed until she vomited partway through, which wasn’t much fun. Now I’m continuing my party-pooper reputation by getting ready for bed at 9:45. I’m tired, I’m on vacation, and I don’t want to do all the cruise stuff. Maybe tomorrow
After two hours in the water I got out and wandered over to the artisan area, which is full of Haitians doing a seriously hard-sell on all sorts of crafts and such. There was some neat stuff, although apparently the wood items might be full of worms, and the woven bags were incredibly rough. I did buy an anklet that was woven from an incredibly non-natural material, with a couple of beads. Then I found a hammock in the shade, read for a while, and then sort of napped. The cruise ship had set up a cookout, and I grabbed a hamburger and some pasta salad, and then went snorkeling again, at a different beach. This one was rougher, and had a zip line running over it (which was a bit disconcerting, having people zipping overhead, even if it was far up), but lots and lots of coral and urchins, and not a few fish. Some of the coral was spectacular, considering how much use this area must have from the cruise passengers. I also found some sea urchin tests, and took a small one with me, along with a little piece of dead coral (both probably illegal, but oh well).
I got tired of worrying about swimming in shallow water over coral, so I headed back over to Nellie’s beach and again spent an hour and a half or so just floating around. It was very restful, and very nice. I got back to the ship around 3:30pm, showered, and went up on deck to watch us sail off and take lots of pictures.
I also saw another show, with pretty much everyone on stage. It was nice, except for the little girl in my row who coughed until she vomited partway through, which wasn’t much fun. Now I’m continuing my party-pooper reputation by getting ready for bed at 9:45. I’m tired, I’m on vacation, and I don’t want to do all the cruise stuff. Maybe tomorrow
April 10--A Quiet Day at Sea
We began by paralleling the coast of Cuba pretty closely, but late this afternoon we pointed more toward Florida. I swam in the morning, without sunscreen, although after I showered I did put some on my face. This was a good thing, because I spent about half an hour up on deck at noon watching us being overtaken by a Celebrity cruise ship, and now I’m quite toasted about the shoulders. The rest of me is OK though.
I did got on a tour through the backstage of the theatre, which was all right—it was more fun listening to the dancers and techies talk about how the shows run. I was going to play bingo, since the jackpot was around $6500, but they wanted $48 dollars for a sheet of six cards, and no way was I going to lose that much for fun, so I read for a while instead.
The sea was flat today, and there wasn’t much wind, so I did spend a lot of time on deck reading in the shade. And I began eating more realistic portions at meals—just in time to leave!
I did got on a tour through the backstage of the theatre, which was all right—it was more fun listening to the dancers and techies talk about how the shows run. I was going to play bingo, since the jackpot was around $6500, but they wanted $48 dollars for a sheet of six cards, and no way was I going to lose that much for fun, so I read for a while instead.
The sea was flat today, and there wasn’t much wind, so I did spend a lot of time on deck reading in the shade. And I began eating more realistic portions at meals—just in time to leave!
April 11--Headed Home
I woke up early this morning--really early, like 4am. I went outside to see if I could see anything, and saw the lights of South Florida up ahead--maybe Key Largo, most likely Biscayne Bay and such. I went back to my room but couldn't fall asleep, and wound up back on deck around 6am. The sun wasn't coming up yet, but the sky to the west was lit up from Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. I also saw a few other cruise ships waiting to come in, including (I think) the one that passed us yesterday in the Old Bahamas Channel off Cuba.
I ate a hearty breakfast at 6:30, when the buffet opened, then went back to watch the pilot boat come in. I didn't watch us be guided into harbor (although it probably would have been cool; there's not a lot of room in Port Everglades for these big ships), perhaps because I didn't want the trip to end. I finished packing and tidying and made sure everything was done, and then began to wait.
Those of us who were unloading our own luggage were supposed to meet at 8:30, but I got bored and went down at 8. Which was good, because I found people already lined up at the elevators to leave. I went down the stairs and walked right off the ship, walked right up to customs, said hi to the customs guy and was waved through, and called the ParknGo people. It took a while for them to get here, and I was getting hot (it was cloudy but about 76 degrees and humid--hi, South Florida!) and a bit grumpy, but all was forgiven when I got to my car.
Which was FILTHY. Dirt and pollen and sand and (probably) salt all crusted on the car so badly I could barely tell what color it was. I checked the tire pressure (which was fine), cleaned the windshield as best I could, paid the attendant, and headed out.
I got right onto 595 and then 95; very little traffic. I wanted to get past Orlando as quickly as possible, but wound up stopping at Ft. Pierce (the same place I had stayed at a week ago) when transferring from the Interstate to the Turnpike, to use the restroom, get a drink, and call Dad to tell him all was well. I then kept driving.
Very little traffic; much less than I thought there would be. I did run into a bit of a jam after joining I-75, and I immediately thought "oh damn, it's the same thing I ran into coming down!" but it turned out to be a temporary gaper delay of people looking at an accident, and then it was smooth sailing pretty much all the way home.
It took me 9 hours and 10 minutes to drive 584 miles--not bad, particularly considering the last 100 miles was non-interstate. Yeah, I kind of drove fast, but not too fast, and the car performed beautifully. I was very happy to get home, and I think the cats were happy too. Puck was fine, but Nell has some hair loss on her ears; I'm not sure if it's allergies (the pollen here is thick enough that it's forming its own clouds), or stress, or not getting the lysine I normally put in their food (for the herpes eye infection that both have--but it also works on the immune system and the skin). She seems to be better now; maybe she missed me!
All in all, a very good vacation. Although we seem to have gone from early spring to mid-summer in one week; the tree outside my window that was barely in leaf when I left is now fully fledged, and the temperatures have gone from the 60's to the 80's. So much for spring!
At this moment (although things of course change) I'm planning a trip to Alaska this summer, beginning around May 9. So stay tuned!
I ate a hearty breakfast at 6:30, when the buffet opened, then went back to watch the pilot boat come in. I didn't watch us be guided into harbor (although it probably would have been cool; there's not a lot of room in Port Everglades for these big ships), perhaps because I didn't want the trip to end. I finished packing and tidying and made sure everything was done, and then began to wait.
Those of us who were unloading our own luggage were supposed to meet at 8:30, but I got bored and went down at 8. Which was good, because I found people already lined up at the elevators to leave. I went down the stairs and walked right off the ship, walked right up to customs, said hi to the customs guy and was waved through, and called the ParknGo people. It took a while for them to get here, and I was getting hot (it was cloudy but about 76 degrees and humid--hi, South Florida!) and a bit grumpy, but all was forgiven when I got to my car.
Which was FILTHY. Dirt and pollen and sand and (probably) salt all crusted on the car so badly I could barely tell what color it was. I checked the tire pressure (which was fine), cleaned the windshield as best I could, paid the attendant, and headed out.
I got right onto 595 and then 95; very little traffic. I wanted to get past Orlando as quickly as possible, but wound up stopping at Ft. Pierce (the same place I had stayed at a week ago) when transferring from the Interstate to the Turnpike, to use the restroom, get a drink, and call Dad to tell him all was well. I then kept driving.
Very little traffic; much less than I thought there would be. I did run into a bit of a jam after joining I-75, and I immediately thought "oh damn, it's the same thing I ran into coming down!" but it turned out to be a temporary gaper delay of people looking at an accident, and then it was smooth sailing pretty much all the way home.
It took me 9 hours and 10 minutes to drive 584 miles--not bad, particularly considering the last 100 miles was non-interstate. Yeah, I kind of drove fast, but not too fast, and the car performed beautifully. I was very happy to get home, and I think the cats were happy too. Puck was fine, but Nell has some hair loss on her ears; I'm not sure if it's allergies (the pollen here is thick enough that it's forming its own clouds), or stress, or not getting the lysine I normally put in their food (for the herpes eye infection that both have--but it also works on the immune system and the skin). She seems to be better now; maybe she missed me!
All in all, a very good vacation. Although we seem to have gone from early spring to mid-summer in one week; the tree outside my window that was barely in leaf when I left is now fully fledged, and the temperatures have gone from the 60's to the 80's. So much for spring!
At this moment (although things of course change) I'm planning a trip to Alaska this summer, beginning around May 9. So stay tuned!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
