Sandy's Great Adventure (Part 1)

This will actually take a couple of posts, but I gotta start somewhere, and the beginning seems like a good place, so...

After leaving school on Friday, completing errands that evening, driving all the way to Washington DC with Nana and dogs on Saturday, and flying into New York on Sunday morning I boarded the beautiful Norwegian Dawn in New York city.

The ship was huge and beautiful and very state of the art. We were given key cards that had all of our information on it and a picture so that we never had to carry money on board ship (they didn't take cash anywhere on ship even) we just used our card/key to charge our personal expense accounts. The ship had 3 main dining rooms that were full service and we could eat at for all meals (inside a wide time allotment... Dinner was 5:30-10:00 PM), an all day buffet, 5 specialty restaurants (reservations only and some had a cover charge) and there were snacks and special events all over too. There were also pubs, bars, lounges and an all night short order place too. There was live music everywhere. Pools and hot tubs, saunas, gyms, a spa to die for and a full theatre and cinema. It was like a floating resort/hotel/amusement park/retreat. Oh my!

Two days at sea while we got out of the cold US and into the Caribbean. Then our first stop was Jamaica. We went to Ocho Rios (which no one could explain to us. It means 8 rivers, but there are only four there...) There we saw the Green Grotto (a underground cavern system) and Dunn River Falls, a 900 feet high set of cascading water falls that you climb up. This day was an adventure for a few reasons.

My friend Mark was my traveling companion on this trip. We have been friends for years. Never more than that, nor will we ever be. We met in college at the Baptist Student Union and at our church there in Gainesville, Florida (home of the Gators, you know the Basketball Champions!!!!) He is now a dentist in the US AF out of Little Rock. This was our first trip of this caliber together. Anyway.

So we are climbing through the caves (they were so beautiful) and he says to me, "Sandy, stand here and I'll take your picture." And so I did and he kneels down to take my picture and the guide sees us and yells out, "Hey look everyone he's proposing!" and I spun around and was like "NO!" and this couple (elderly) behind us look at each other and the gentleman says to his wife, "Poor guy, to be rejected so publicly like that..."

Then we climbed the falls. They make you take off your shoes and put on these useless rubber shoe/sock things to protect your feet. Then we have to form a chain (in the tour group) holding hands and we follow the guide up the river. Only he got to be bare foot! Anyway, the guy ahead of me, he was French (lots of internationals on this trip, so cool) and traveling with his fiance. He looked kind of like Brian Austin Green but darker, cuter and shorter and he holds out his hand for me and I laughed and said, "Okay, but if I fall, you let go. I'm a big woman and I'll take you all down with me otherwise." He smiles and says, "No, mademoiselle I will not let go and I will not let you fall." Poor man. So up we started and I was doing okay. Then the falling began. The first fall I got a nasty bruise on my knee and shin (and after that the French guy learned to let go), then I fell and nearly broke my ankle. So after that I kind of struck out on my own. It was still jolly fun and I was still with the group, I just quit following the guide and was making my own way up. So I'm coming up and I turned to see how far I had come and my feet wooshed out from under me and I landed on my but! But I was laughing about it and the rest of the group was cheering and no big, right? So the guide hops over and shakes his finger in my face and says, "This what happen when you not follow the guide. Now you learn!" I just laughed and kept going. Then at the end, when he faced us and humbly asked us to remember him kindly and "treat" him well (this is the request for tip) I laughed, wagged my finger at his outstretched hand and said "This what happen when you are rude to customer, no tip!" He grinned at me.

The next day we swam with sting rays on the sand bar next to the reef of Grand Caymen Island. What amazing creatures. They were so graceful. The guide laughed at us and said, "If one touches you ladies and you scream, is okay, they underwater, they can't hear you!" They came at us like a huge dark cloud as we cast out anchor. Their skin felt smooth and slick and soft, but not slimy. They just glided around us and in between our legs. It was such a simple joy. One gentleman was feeding them some squid and then was standing next to his wife. He must have rubbed his hand over her back because the next thing we knew she was screaming and a ray had swum up her back sucking gently on it. Apparently these things can smell even the faintest trace of squid for up to a mile. The guide had warned us about "Sting Ray Hickeys" but there was nothing on her back, and she was fine, though her husband kept apologizing, loudly the whole way home.

Everyone on this trip was so polite and so friendly. I met several people and they were all so nice. On board ship I began taking yoga classes. Yoga is hard! Especially on a ship! Even the instructor grabbed a wall at one point. The ride itself was pretty smooth, but every once and a while there was a big toss. But the yoga was wonderful and while a workout was actually very relaxing in the evening.

I talk more about the other days later. For now, school calls.