I *love* to snorkel! This is the fourth time I've gone snorkeling. The first time, in Barbados, was boring - only a boat that had been sunk on purpose and a few bland fish. The second time, at the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns, Australia, was beautiful and exhilarating! The next time, in Hawaii, was like swimming in a warm aqua aquarium filled with yellow and orange fish.
So this trip was nice, but not as wonderful as trips 2 and 3. The water was quite choppy, so I had to keep checking that I hadn't floated off! Some of the reef had been damaged by the hurricane, so there weren't many fish or pretty coral at first. However the last 20 minutes or so of swimming took us into a beautiful area with lots of coral and fish. Of course, I had used up most of the film in my underwater camera by then!
Look closely above to see some pretty blue striped fish!
And a few more fish are hidden in the picture below.
I wish I had pictures of some of the fish that I saw later in the trip - they were so close! Oh well. Anyway, hopefully these pictures will give you a sample of what our snorkeling experience was like!
No chocolates on our pillows, though.... :-(
In the afternoon we returned to shore. There was a pretty pool surrounded by shops and a pretty beach area where you could relax. My brother found a spot under a palm tree to check his Blackberry while I did a bit of shopping. I thought these little turtles with wagging heads were cute, but overpriced:
Quite the view from under the palm umbrella!
I wish I had pictures of some of the fish that I saw later in the trip - they were so close! Oh well. Anyway, hopefully these pictures will give you a sample of what our snorkeling experience was like!
Most of the surrounding area was severely damaged by Hurricane Dean a few years ago. Little foliage is left - only trees that were killed by the storm surge. Few houses. The dock that we traveled to for our snorkel trip was marked by this sunken sailing ship. Obviously the economy hinged on the cruise ship business.
Eating - lunch in the Windjammer Cafe.....
Eating again - dinner in the Great Gatsby Dining Room
Now, the whole goal of this trip was to put together a bargain cruise. So we booked an inside cabin. Even though small, I thought it made good use of space, and was comfortable. The bathroom was tiny and the beds were a bit stiff, but it had lots of storage and mirrors everywhere to give the illusion that it was bigger than it actually was. And the best part - twice a day someone came in and cleaned the room for you! Can't beat that!
I did think of you all back in the snow and cold. I really did!
Sunset over Tampa as we leave port.
