We had spoken with
Peg Leg the night before and he would be meeting up with us on the beach to watch the baby while we went jet skiing.
Good times ahead!
As I continued to set up camp it was apparent that we had great stock in high SPF sunscreen but the oil was no where to be found.
Crusher and I both love our Banana Boat oil, although I loathe banana’s. It’s a Carlin thing I guess…not necessarily for tanning purposes…not sure if you’ve noticed but I am a red head and don’t tan...but for the smell…it’s intoxicating and not a day at the beach without it. Plus, it’s not too shabby helping each other rub it on either….so he “ran” back to the ship to get it. While I waited
Peg Leg and said Lass found our camp site.
DH got back just in time to get oiled up and head over to our tour site. We left our precious offspring in the hands of my father hoping all would be ok. The tour met at the beginning of the family beach essentially. As I sized up the others in our tour I soon realized how unprepared we were. These people had water shoes, specialty necklaces that held their Key to the World cards, water cameras, you name itÂ…it was a diving magazineÂ’s marketing dream. DH and I had ourselves in swimsuitsÂ…not even a towel! What can I say, we travel light!
Now the description for the tour read as follows:
Hold on tight for a fun-filled ride through the tropical paradise of
Castaway Cay. Pilot your very own personal watercraft and follow your guide on an exciting one-hour excursion through turquoise-blue waters while learning all about the history, geology and marine life that surrounds you at every turn.
Port of Call: Castaway Cay
Activity Type: Nature
Activity Level: Moderate
Duration: 1 hour total, 45 minute ride
Price: Adult: $95 for a single rider
Child: $95 for a single rider Ages: 8 And Up
Additional Information: This tour is guided and includes a 10-15 minute briefing.
Maximum weight capacity per one-person personal watercraft is 375 pounds.
Guests are recommended to wear water shoes or sandals, as well as eyeglass straps.
To ride, you must be at least 8 years old. To drive, you must be at least 18 years old.
Guests ages 16 or 17 years old who wish to drive may do so with written authorization from a parent or guardian.
Guests board watercraft from the water.
The tour consisted of the two of us, another couple and a man along with the tour guides. As we all checked in there was a women briefing us and giving us instruction on how to properly use the watercrafts. I was distracted though, I was trying to listen but – not sure how it is for other women – have you seen the movie “What Women Want” with Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt? That’s me, always talking, thinking in my head….always…and at this point I was thinking about this woman and envying her job. I would love to live in the Caribbean, sitting on a beach all day, giving instruction out to tourists then talk about them when they leave, not having to wear anything but a swimsuit to work….wonder if she can drink on the job, she doesn’t appear to have to operate any heavy machinery.
Wake up, itÂ’s time to get in the waterÂ….in the CaribbeanÂ….in December. Yes, it is cold, no not just coldÂ…but
COLD. And the bottom of the ocean is not nice and sandy but rather rocky and those water shoes I was eyeing earlier would have come in handy. They so donÂ’t go with a bikini though.
I boarded my water craft and immediately felt invincible.
“Gentlemen, start your engines!” We headed out around the ship, single file. I was really bummed that I hadn’t thought ahead to bring a throw away water camera…..as we passed the ship I noticed all the cabins that had our
Geek signature pirate flag on them. I could see my fatherÂ’s as he was next door to the infamous ToddÂ…did I mention that my father was UPGRADED? He booked within the 90 day period before the cruise took place. I called him when Florida resident rates came out and saved him $800. They had booked a category 9. I had been constantly checking the
DCL site and one day noticed they had been upgraded to a 6Â…yes a SIX! No, I wasnÂ’t jealous in the least.
Back to the tour…the water was a bit choppy…I soon become conscious to the fact that I was the dead weight in this tour…even the old lady was a better jet skier than I! The guides had to “come and round me up” several times….and my dear, love me to the end, husband was the lead of the pack not even worrying about where I was in shark infested waters. The basic jist of this tour was a jet ski ride around the ship and around the adult beach area of Castaway Cay.
Yes we stopped every now and then, probably more so, so I could catch upÂ…and wow, when those moments happened I was allowed to SPEED!! AWESOME! We learned of mangroves, sea grapes, etcÂ…pretty much everything native to the Bahamas is also native to Florida, who woulda thunk?
“V” tip ~ for the Eco Tour….if you are skiddish, do the double rider…and if you don’t like rocks, sea life or fish, don’t go. The tour is basically the ability to jet ski around Castaway Cay, nothing more. Unless of course you don’t know anything about plant life at the beach.
So we got back to shoreÂ….and luckily the lady I was envying earlier had towels for us fools who didnÂ’t bring them! We headed back to the camp site to find thisÂ…
What an angelÂ…..!
And yes, dad did good! He said she passed out about 10 minutes after we left. The beach does that to youÂ…well, to the four of us, lulls us right down.
One thing I could not believe was how empty the family beach was. I mean emptyÂ….
We decided to go get some lunchÂ….from
CookieÂ’s which I usually get for all of us and bring back to the beachÂ…
CrusherÂ’s got it good. So we ate and drankÂ….I admit, I am not a Konk Kooler fanÂ….I mean, yes, I order it and drink it, but it isnÂ’t the highlight of my trip or anything.
We hung out a bitÂ…
Soon we were paged that Samantha wanted her familyÂ…..go figure. We collected her and came back to find dark skies aboveÂ….