Trip report Part 2 Bleep, is that a shark?
Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 5:39 pm
To Coden and Toni: the barracuda were some of the highlights of our trip. No sweat! They check you out and that's it. Of course, I can say that now that I'm in landlocked Colorado right!
Ok, this was our second full day on the island.
We’re up early, 6:30ish, which is 3:30 back home. I don’t know how we’re doing it! Breakfast on the deck is great because of the breeze and all that life out there. We’d bought a cantaloupe that tasted like wet nothing but the rest of the breakfast was good.
How to Catch Birds 101: put some sugar on a tray for the birds per instructions posted on the fridge. Have rainwater at night make a sugary soup that they are loving in the morning. Black hummingbirds too, what a breakfast treat to see them so up close! Let the sun dry the water up until there is thick, sticky syrup on the tray and voila, birds will be stuck to the tray before you even leave for the beach. We rushed more water out and that released them. They seemed fine as they flew off, thank goodness! While drying off the tray altogether, I’m thinking what next?
So maybe we’re boring but we loved Francis so much that we hit it again this day. Surprisingly it was deserted almost the entire day (a Saturday) and was more crowded the previous day (by crowded I mean there’d been about 10 other people!). For my husband who was raised going to overrun Ocean City this was a huge and wonderful shock! We grab “our” picnic table and again hit the water. So glad the boys are snorkel addicts now! We go out pretty far on the right of the bay and are in a dense cloud of fry when the enormous tarpon zoom by. We’re pretty new to snorkeling and I had to try to chill so as not to scare the kids but I gotta say, my heart was thumping like mad! Hubby gestured that it was all cool so we watched. When the tarpon are just cruising along you might think they are slow creatures. Then they dash, and like the barracuda, the speed is incredible! You really only see a shadow and get the sense of big movement.
At one point my oldest son and I were on the edge of the fry and the tarpon were rather still in the clear water to our left. As the fry moved over them, one bolted upwards about three feet from our faces and my son got freaked out and said “let’s get the hell out of here, those are sharks, I’m sure of it.” I laughed, hugged him, and we head for the beach. My husband and littlest (age
stayed out with the tarpon for about another half hour!
We see a turtle on the way back trying to shake the fish off its back. It uses its flippers to swipe at its back and the remora just swims round to its belly. Then the turtle would settle in the sand and wiggle like it was trying to just squash that bothersome fish, which was of course up on its back again! Funny to watch for a while and I particularly like when the turtles come up for a breath right next to you, after looking you over to make sure you’re kosher. Back to swimming at the beach for all of us and we notice that husband has a “remora” of his own! It’s actually a skinny 6 inch black fish and we really laugh watching him try to lose it. The boys play a while by having whoever has the fish leave the water and the fish then darts to the other person. Back and forth, they are easily amused I guess!
Off for showers at around 3 then on to Coral Bay. We aren't burnt and I think applying sunscreen at the villa and then hitting the beach is the trick. Those darn bottles do say "apply 20 minutes before sun exposure" afterall! We see Skinny Legs signs and pull in. The meal was ok, I think you people who love it must drink a lot (no offense meant, if kids weren’t on the trip we’d love it like that too!). Lunch was $42 bucks, two burgers, one hot dog, one mahi, and sodas. Moe is really cool and we all talke a while.
Then we go to Crabby’s for some goop to clear up the snorkel masks. My spit ain’t what it used to be I guess! Don’t buy goop like that, we later tried the forum tip of J&J baby shampoo for $1.99 that worked like a charm!! Lilly’s market next for Ting and other essentials. Ting really is just da ting isn’t it? We met some interesting characters at the bayside bar in that plaza and had fun conversations. They all said RENT A BOAT!!! We've lined up a dinghy for Thanksgiving Day. Home again by way of the smoothie stand on the 20 and 10 intersection. The mango and sour sop smoothies are so good!
At home we nap, lazy time, then wake for snacks that take the place of a real dinner. The boys are thrilled by this, ah the little things. Next day is hike with picnic to Waterlemon.
Ok, this was our second full day on the island.
We’re up early, 6:30ish, which is 3:30 back home. I don’t know how we’re doing it! Breakfast on the deck is great because of the breeze and all that life out there. We’d bought a cantaloupe that tasted like wet nothing but the rest of the breakfast was good.
How to Catch Birds 101: put some sugar on a tray for the birds per instructions posted on the fridge. Have rainwater at night make a sugary soup that they are loving in the morning. Black hummingbirds too, what a breakfast treat to see them so up close! Let the sun dry the water up until there is thick, sticky syrup on the tray and voila, birds will be stuck to the tray before you even leave for the beach. We rushed more water out and that released them. They seemed fine as they flew off, thank goodness! While drying off the tray altogether, I’m thinking what next?
So maybe we’re boring but we loved Francis so much that we hit it again this day. Surprisingly it was deserted almost the entire day (a Saturday) and was more crowded the previous day (by crowded I mean there’d been about 10 other people!). For my husband who was raised going to overrun Ocean City this was a huge and wonderful shock! We grab “our” picnic table and again hit the water. So glad the boys are snorkel addicts now! We go out pretty far on the right of the bay and are in a dense cloud of fry when the enormous tarpon zoom by. We’re pretty new to snorkeling and I had to try to chill so as not to scare the kids but I gotta say, my heart was thumping like mad! Hubby gestured that it was all cool so we watched. When the tarpon are just cruising along you might think they are slow creatures. Then they dash, and like the barracuda, the speed is incredible! You really only see a shadow and get the sense of big movement.
At one point my oldest son and I were on the edge of the fry and the tarpon were rather still in the clear water to our left. As the fry moved over them, one bolted upwards about three feet from our faces and my son got freaked out and said “let’s get the hell out of here, those are sharks, I’m sure of it.” I laughed, hugged him, and we head for the beach. My husband and littlest (age
stayed out with the tarpon for about another half hour! We see a turtle on the way back trying to shake the fish off its back. It uses its flippers to swipe at its back and the remora just swims round to its belly. Then the turtle would settle in the sand and wiggle like it was trying to just squash that bothersome fish, which was of course up on its back again! Funny to watch for a while and I particularly like when the turtles come up for a breath right next to you, after looking you over to make sure you’re kosher. Back to swimming at the beach for all of us and we notice that husband has a “remora” of his own! It’s actually a skinny 6 inch black fish and we really laugh watching him try to lose it. The boys play a while by having whoever has the fish leave the water and the fish then darts to the other person. Back and forth, they are easily amused I guess!
Off for showers at around 3 then on to Coral Bay. We aren't burnt and I think applying sunscreen at the villa and then hitting the beach is the trick. Those darn bottles do say "apply 20 minutes before sun exposure" afterall! We see Skinny Legs signs and pull in. The meal was ok, I think you people who love it must drink a lot (no offense meant, if kids weren’t on the trip we’d love it like that too!). Lunch was $42 bucks, two burgers, one hot dog, one mahi, and sodas. Moe is really cool and we all talke a while.
Then we go to Crabby’s for some goop to clear up the snorkel masks. My spit ain’t what it used to be I guess! Don’t buy goop like that, we later tried the forum tip of J&J baby shampoo for $1.99 that worked like a charm!! Lilly’s market next for Ting and other essentials. Ting really is just da ting isn’t it? We met some interesting characters at the bayside bar in that plaza and had fun conversations. They all said RENT A BOAT!!! We've lined up a dinghy for Thanksgiving Day. Home again by way of the smoothie stand on the 20 and 10 intersection. The mango and sour sop smoothies are so good!
At home we nap, lazy time, then wake for snacks that take the place of a real dinner. The boys are thrilled by this, ah the little things. Next day is hike with picnic to Waterlemon.
