Advertisement
Published: December 22nd 2008
Photo 1
Me on the cruise ship leaving Miami.“Nature nurtures the soul”. Printed on one of the sign boards at Everglades National Park.
Well, the last couple weeks have been interesting as they were in many ways complete opposites:
• One week I am sleeping in a clean bed with a mint on my pillow each night (except the night Larry and Barry stole my mint!). The next I am sleeping on the ground with specs of dirt on my pillow each night.
• One week I am taking a hot shower at least once or twice a day. The next week I am cringing every time I have to step in the cold shower where the soap never really rinses off.
• One week I am relaxing in a lounge chair soaking up the sun rays. The next week I am relaxing in a camping chair soaking up the Deep Woods Off.
• One week I crave to just find one moment where I could find some peace and be alone. The next week I crave to see another human being and to hear some voices.
They were two completely different experiences, but I loved them both!
First … the cruise. Thanks to Barry and
Photo 2
Majesty of the Sea (our ship) Larry who organized everything, all I had to was show up and pick them up at the airport in Fort Lauderdale on December 7th. Barry just handed me my papers said “sign here” and I was able to just walk on the cruise. But wait … I am jumping ahead … they arrived a night early so I had to responsibility to find a cheap place to stay for all of us. Barry and Larry wouldn’t go for the hostel idea. I can’t understand why, especially after I just told them that my last night there was a major party night for the guys in my room and when I woke to shower and brush my teeth, there was the pleasant odour of barf in the bathroom and sink. Geeze … some people are just so dare picky!
So I found the next best option. A motel with a pool in the heart of South Beach Miami … where all the action is and where my little Mazda 3 has no place being amongst the BMWs and Mercedes . Ok … so it was an old run down motel where you wouldn’t touch the pool with a ten foot
DSCN0867
The gang (Larry, me and Barry) as the ship leaves Miami port heading for the open seas. pole and the room stunk of smoke even though it had been a year since the room was a smoking room. It took 10 minutes to convince Barry that we should stay … as it was this or a Best Western 40 blocks away for the same price. Given it was only one night, we survived and just appreciated the luxury of the cruise more.
And when I say luxury, boy was it ever. We had a room with a balcony, vanity, desk, flat screen TV, huge closets, a love seat that opened into a bed, a chair and coffee table and the one thing that any of you who have cruised before and have stayed on the bottom deck inside cabin dream about … a full size bath tub! After we finally closed our mouths and cleaned up all the drool, we unpacked, ate some lunch, went for our lifeboat drill, then hit the top deck, ordered three “drinks of the day” and waved “Bye Bye” to Miami and “Hello” to the ocean. After dinner we enjoyed a comedian by the name of Tony Daro. If that wasn’t enough entertainment, we went to the disco where the theme
Photo 4
Larry, me and Barry ... having fun in Bahamas. was 70s music … I actually got the boys up to dance but they may deny it to death! When they had enough, I found a nice Albanian friend (from New York) who would dance with me.
Dec 9th … our first stop was the Bahamas. We went out and wandered the shops and streets during the morning. I was kind of hurting as I was up pretty late dancing and stuff while the babies were in bed. I decided to stay on the ship and lounge in the chair for the afternoon (after our lunch at Johnny Rockets were we had all you could eat for $3.95) while L & B headed off to explore some more. This evening was formal so it was nice to see the guys in suits. The evening brought more of the usual shows, dancing etc. I didn’t stay out too late as most of the places shut down at 1am which sucked. Only the lounge with the crappy music and smoke was open so it was time to go to bed.
Dec 10th … the stop was CocoCay .. .the private Island for Royal Caribbean. Here I just lazed on the
Photo 5
Some of the chairs on the island of Coco Cay beach and then played volleyball for a couple hours. We had to be back to the ship by tender at 3:30 so there was plenty of daylight hours left. It was time to conquer the 100 foot rock wall (ok, it wasn’t really that high … I think it was about 20 feet)
Barry and I climbed the wall while Larry had the important job of holding the drinks and taking the pictures which was just as challenging. I climbed first and went up in record time, while Barry on the other hand … he got all nervous, legs started shaking and he took forever and the guide had to hold him up and force him to keep going. Did you buy that story? Ok … didn’t think so … it was really me who got stuck on the wall for what seemed to be an eternity where Barry went up it like a “REAL MAN” … I forget, was that what you wanted me to say Barry?
Dec 11th … Our last stop of Key West. Knowing I was coming back to Key West, I wasn’t too worried what I saw so I let L & B
Photo 6
Barry getting artistic with his camera ... that is our ship in the background. lead the way. We stopped at Hemmingway House, Butterfly Conservatory, and walked to the southernmost point in the US. We also had lunch at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville and that was cool. I have all of a sudden become a big Jimmy Buffett fan … where has he been all these years? That evening we were blessed with the comedy of Tony Daro again. This was an “adult” version which was hilarious. At the disco, it was the music of the 80s. You couldn’t peel me off that dance floor.
After the 80s music ended, I headed to the piano bar. I sat there until 2am enjoying the music of Carlos and making friends with Kathy and Scott. After we closed Carlos down, we decided to go up to another lounge (which was closed) and socialize some more. Kathy went to her room to get her champagne that she smuggled on the ship and came back with a bucket and glasses and 4 Corona as well. I occasionally remembered that I had to be up at 6:30am for breakfast to disembark around 7:15 but I quickly put it out of my mind. Carlos came to join us, and a couple
DSCN0958
Me on the Rock Wall security guards came by for a visit. Carlos was a sweetheart and made a CD for Scott and myself of his gospel music. He does an awesome version of Amazing Grace. It is 4am and now it is time for Kathy and me to get to bed. It was a great ending to the cruise …. but by the end, I felt like I needed a vacation from my vacation … and that is exactly what I did.
Camping in the Florida Everglades
After I dropped the guys off at the airport, I headed straight for the everglades. I had booked a hostel for a few days before camping as I knew I would need some time to get organized, get food etc … oh … and check emails. The hostel in the Everglades was nice. I had a roommate for one night, then was alone for the rest. While there, a local guide was offering a tour of the Everglades with canoeing and walking in a Cypress Dome so I decided to do it as I didn’t think I would get a chance to do those things while I was camping.
The tour was fabulous. It
Photo 8
Plate after lunch at Jimmy Buffett's Margarittaville. started with a walk on a couple of trails to observe wildlife. We walked along a boardwalk with alligators literally 3 feet away. And there were birds galore! I couldn’t help but to keep thinking of my brother’s friend Penny as she is a bird watcher … she would LOVE this place.
After that, it was time to wander into the Cypress dome. I didn’t have a clue what that meant but I soon found out. We literally walked in the swampy waters (where the local resident alligator was resting on the other side of the road) and into a bunch of Cypress trees that formed a shape of the dome. At different parts of the walk, there were sudden drops. There was one point where it almost went up to my chest. At one point, my sandal got stuck on the bottom and Graham (our guide) came to my rescue and pulled it out. Once we were in the dome, it was so beautiful. It was so calm and the water was so clear.
After the dome, we stopped for lunch and then went canoeing in the mangroves for a few hours. My canoe partner was Rene
Photo 9
Barry, me and Larry at the Southermost point of the United States - Key West from France who spoke very little English. So needless to say, we didn’t communicate very well on the steering. To top it off, he constantly hummed or whistled. I asked him at least 6 times to stop … but I just don’t think he understood. Needless to say we didn’t see much wildlife on the canoe ride as Rene would have scared them all away. I still thoroughly enjoyed it though ... it was way too cool paddling through the mangrove trees.
The next day (Dec 15th) it was time to venture into the Everglades on my own and camp. The first words in my journal for that day were “PEACE AT LAST!” It was a national park campground, but this is the slow season (it gets busy the next week) so there was barely anyone there … maybe 5 tents the most on one night. I slept with my head to the door side of the tent and kept the window open (but the screen closed.) It felt like I was sleeping under the stars as I could see them all so clearly. It gets dark by 6pm so that was the time I was in my tent
Photo 10
Me singing with Carlos at the Piano bar on our last night each night as that is when the hungry little mosquitoes would come out. When the sun rose in the morning, it was in the direction of my tent opening so I enjoyed looking at that most mornings.
I don’t really need to go into a day by day account of this trip for a couple reasons: One, I pretty much did the same thing everyday (relaxed and read) and Two, they just all blend together. Here is a point-form synopsis:
• Read Woman’s Health magazine while lounging in the camp chair
• Went down to the Marina to watch the crocodiles and buy some ice (for $3.50 a bag) … it is either that or the next closest store was 45 miles away.
• Went on a canoe trip with Daniel - the ranger, on Nine Mile pond. Gita from Germany and her dog Mags were my canoe mates … and she was GREAT!
• Enjoyed a cold shower
• Read another Woman’s Health magazine while lounging in the camp chair
• Went on a walk with Ranger Daniel to learn about the trees, flowers etc. This time, it was just Daniel and me as no one else showed
Photo 11
Had to get at least one of the professioanl pictures. up.
• Read another Woman’s Health magazine while lounging in the camp chair
• Started to learn T’ai Chi from the DVD I recently bought with the laptop balancing on the hood of my car. I am sure the few people there were watching with curiosity … this chick alone doing weird movements right beside her car.
• Walked a trail about 2 miles long each way … where I heard lots of wildlife, but didn’t see too much as they left quickly as soon as they heard me coming.
• Enjoyed another cold shower.
• Watched and videoed a 5 foot Yellow Rat snake slither by me.
• Went down to the Marina to watch the crocodiles and buy some more ice.
• Read MacLean’s magazine (yes … I bought this before leaving Canada … before the election so it was a little outdated)
• Did a strength training exercises from DVD in my tent where my laptop battery finally died.
• Sat quietly and did some thinking (did lots of this!)
It was now time to pack up and be on my way to Key West where a bed and hot shower were waiting for me. But
Photo 12
Alligators in Everglades National Park before I left, I had to fully enjoy my last cold shower … what a treat!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.09s; Tpl: 0.023s; cc: 11; qc: 49; dbt: 0.0439s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Mark and Sara
non-member comment
Merry Christmas!!
Hey Jules! Your pictures and stories are amazing ... making us just a wee bit jealous with the neverending snow here in London. Wherever you end up Christmas Day ... Merry Christmas!