Vacation!!!
Mark and I had a week off in late October - we took a cruise to the Bahamas!
Here we are on the deck of the ship....the beautiful Charleston bridge is behind us
(PS - so nice to drive to the port in Charleston, SC - no flying involved! Thanks to Matt and Lauren for the bed and transportation!)
Our ship, in Nassau
Sunset view from the deck
Halloween was just around the corner. They had lots of decorations on board, and a costume contest. Dessert one night included 'batman cake' and this pumpkin cheesecake with a pastry ghost.
Of course, the towel animals greeted us in our cabin every night. :-)
The waterslide
Our first port of call was in Nassau. We had been before, on our honeymoon cruise - at that time, we visited Atlantis. Here it is, across the bay.
This time, we decided to go snorkeling. The water was great, even in October! We booked an excursion that stopped at three snorkeling sites. The first was a beautiful reef, where we got to feed the many fish. I promise to post pics from our underwater camera soon.
Halloween was just around the corner. They had lots of decorations on board, and a costume contest. Dessert one night included 'batman cake' and this pumpkin cheesecake with a pastry ghost.
Of course, the towel animals greeted us in our cabin every night. :-)
The waterslide
Our first port of call was in Nassau. We had been before, on our honeymoon cruise - at that time, we visited Atlantis. Here it is, across the bay.
This time, we decided to go snorkeling. The water was great, even in October! We booked an excursion that stopped at three snorkeling sites. The first was a beautiful reef, where we got to feed the many fish. I promise to post pics from our underwater camera soon.
Me, on the boat before the reef stop
View as we pulled away from the shore
The final stop on the snorkeling tour was the 'shark site'. They lower a cage of bait to the ocean floor, which attracts the reef sharks. There were probably 10-12 sharks, all about 5-6' in length. We then slipped into the water to view them from above with our snorkel gear. We stayed right near the boat, hanging on to a rope. We were reassured that they would not notice us if we were not disruptive - thankfully, this was true. :-)
View as we pulled away from the shore
We took one of these boats
The final stop on the snorkeling tour was the 'shark site'. They lower a cage of bait to the ocean floor, which attracts the reef sharks. There were probably 10-12 sharks, all about 5-6' in length. We then slipped into the water to view them from above with our snorkel gear. We stayed right near the boat, hanging on to a rope. We were reassured that they would not notice us if we were not disruptive - thankfully, this was true. :-)
After we were all safely back on the boat, they brought the bait up and all the sharks came to the surface for pics.
Waiting for the ride back to the ship
Our 2nd port of call was in Freeport. Our excursion was a visit to Lucayan National Park, which is known for its multiple different ecosystems. We drove through the Caribbean pine forests, and arrived at our kayaking site.
We kayaked through the mangrove forests.
The baby mangroves
Waiting for the ride back to the ship
Our 2nd port of call was in Freeport. Our excursion was a visit to Lucayan National Park, which is known for its multiple different ecosystems. We drove through the Caribbean pine forests, and arrived at our kayaking site.
We kayaked through the mangrove forests.
The baby mangroves
After more than an hour of kayaking, we stopped at this bridge and walked to the beach.
The water was beautiful, and the beach was framed by pine trees and driftwood. Apparently, many scenes from 'Pirates of the Caribbean' were filmed off of this beach.
After the beach, we took a hike and learned all about the native plants and their different uses. We stopped at two underground caves, mostly filled with water. There is an underwater cave network encompassing 6.5 miles....
When we arrived at the beach, we had a quick lunch. We were greeted by the island racoons, who knew we were coming apparently. :-)
The water was beautiful, and the beach was framed by pine trees and driftwood. Apparently, many scenes from 'Pirates of the Caribbean' were filmed off of this beach.
After the beach, we took a hike and learned all about the native plants and their different uses. We stopped at two underground caves, mostly filled with water. There is an underwater cave network encompassing 6.5 miles....
We spent one more day at sea, and then (sadly) came home. :-/ We did get to spend one more day on the coast.....we drove up to Wilmington, NC and had dinner with Dana P, my college roommate, who was in NC with her mom while her mom attended a conference. It was nice to catch up, and eat some more seafood. :-)
Beautiful pictures! Looks like such a relaxing and wonderful time away. Now back to the trenches...we are so excited to see you both in a few weeks!
ReplyDeleteLooks like such a relaxing and funfilled well deserved vacation!! Glad you could do this!
ReplyDeleteyou are crazy for being so close to the sharks..I remember them from Australia but they were much farther down! The kayaking looks like a blast..and the mangroves are beautifull!! Also- love your new swimsuit sissy - wish you had a full picture!! Glad you got some relaxing time. Love you both!!
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures! Love how you documented your whole trip-very cool! Looks like you guys had a lot of fun. Can't believe you went swimming with sharks!!! Never ever would I get in that water!!!! Glad you got to relax and have a nice vacation and great seeing you guys!
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