Catching up on my spring break? Start with the Bahamas- Day 1 post!
Harvesting conch! so cool~
Today was glass boat kayaking, but it was so early, since we had to wake up and be at the harbor at 8:30am! Everyone was half asleep by the time we got to the harbor, but we found out that we were at the wrong harbor!! With some calls, we got a taxi to the other side of the bridge and were dropped off at the harbor.
It was cold, windy, and rainy, and we were all shivering and huddling for body warmth. >_< Finally, we spotted a boat chugging towards the dock. Sure enough, it was the "Blue Manta!"
The Blue Manta
See the Blue Manta's size compared to the cruise ship? Cruise ship is SO BIG! O_O
We hopped on and were told to sit on a bench until several groups of people came from the cruise ships. Then the ropes were untied, and we were off-- shivering and miserable from the rain pelting down from the sides of the boat.
A sign of happiness in the cold-- a rainbow!~
Finally, the sun peeked out of the clouds, and the azure water sparkled ^^
The crew took the ship out in a ten minute boat ride, passing a row of mansions by the shore. They were ginormous! The guides stated that people like Tiger Woods and Oprah owned some of these mansions :O When we were at the island, we all got placed into glass boats and were told we could play around in a certain area near the island.
Snorkeling and glass boat kayaking
Josh and Debra synchronized
So many people!
Book and Daniel ready to head off
Coolest dude ever
One of our guides (I'll call him paddleboat man) was so funny! He was rowing around to make sure no one got lost or if anyone needed help. When Elaine and I were kayaking around, he told us to follow him so he could show us fishies :D Using fish food, he lured tons of fish below our kayaks where we could see through them through the glass. It was kind of difficult to see, but I appreciated how nice he was^^ Also, he cracked jokes about how he was getting a nice tan :P
It was my first time in a 2 person kayak, and Elaine was my captain! It was really relaxing to hear the paddle slicing through the water with each stroke. There was a little cay that we paddled into where the water was literally 2 feet deep. In other places, I couldn't see the bottom of the ocean, so it was a fun adventure! ^__^b
My captain sitting behind me!
A shot of what was below our glass kayaks
Paddleboat man! :D
My favorite couple ^^v
Looks like Daniel's going to make Book do all the work, tee hee
In shallow waters
When our time was up, we got back onto the boat with the help of the crew. While we were waiting for the rest of the people, Book jumped back into the water to swim around. Here he is terrorizing an innocent pair of passerbys! ;)
*Jaws music here*
We stood on the top of the boat on the way back to dry off. It was sunny and warm ^_^
My favorite mansion-- looks like the some Roman emperor's home on a lagoon!
Atlantis looks like a giant sandcastle!
We were dropped off in downtown Nassau and decided to eat lunch at Hard Rock Cafe! (haha, not Bahamian... but at least I've never been before!) ^^
I ordered a pulled BBQ pork sandwich, was was big, but it was definitely not comparable to the sandwich I had in Texas on the side of a highway from Austin! :P That was sooo goooood *drool*~ But anyways, the burgers looked super delish, and Josh's legendary burger was steaming even when he was halfway done with it! O_O Nom nom nom~ Next time I'll get a burger :3
Elaine and Debra also got their hair braided at the Bahamas! They got their hair done while the boys and I went to explore the nearby shops and stands :) I bought some jam and spices for Anna and Sean!
Elaine getting her hair done
Oh, here's a snapshot from inside Hard Rock Cafe
Afterwards the group split-- Debra and Josh headed back to the hotel to get ready to pack and leave for the States, while the rest of us wandered around downtown. we found a Bacardi shop filled with pretty liquids. There was a Grey Goose bottle half my size for $300! I asked if anyone actually bought these, and the managers said people sure did. Why... why not just drink water which is so much cheaper... and more delicious? @_@
Unnaturally pretty colors! Bahama Mama, haha~
I went to Tortuga to look for rum cake, and the coconut rum cake sample was pretty good (more coconut than rum flavor!). I bought a box for my sister and we walked back to the hotel for a nice nap before the dinner cruise.
:D
The dinner cruise left from the port on Paradise Island, so we just walked there and hopped onto the yacht. It was the first time I've ever been on one! :) There were maybe twenty people total, and we all sat on the stern and enjoyed the view. The wind was pretty strong, and my hair was going crazy so I probably just looked like the girl from the Grudge. Awesome... :P
Photographer at rest
Elaine and Daniel also enjoying the winnnnnnd~
Lotsa people + families!
Daniel said "it's weird to see old people having fun." I thought that was kind of silly, since we're getting old quickly ourselves too T_T Haha~ It kind of makes me worry that I haven't traveled enough yet. There's so many places I want to go, and I only have a year left...
Sun set on a yacht
Other dinner cruise boat
Daniel enjoying the view ^^
So much water!
That's Atlantis! Can you tell? :)
The boat took us to the same place where we went glass boat kayaking, so it wasn't *too* exciting, but at least the view was pretty~ We nabbed seats in the cabin, where there wasn't any wind whipping at our faces, and dinner was served! The menu was a buffet of BBQ ribs and chicken, salad, pasta salad, lima beans and rice, and rum cake. The ribs were SOOO good, and we went back for more :3 Nom nom nom~ There was so much left when everyone was done, and I was tempted to take a doggy bag back to the hotel to chow on ;)
Elaine grabbing dinner
We headed back to shore with full bellies and just chilled as we listened to the music playing on board. This dinner was kind of expensive ($60!), but it included the boat ride there which would have been even more spectacular had we not gone glass boat kayaking. But it was our last full day, and the dinner cruise was a nice end to our little trip! :D When we stepped onto land, Book joked about getting Ben & Jerry's again, and the rest of us almost pushed him off the dock for it :P
Back at the hotel, we showered and went straight to bed. Book wanted to wake up SUPER early for sun rise!
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