Days 13-16: We be on Island Time!
Once again, I thank the Cards, Mills, Larsen and anyone else here on the trip keeping this thread fresh with pictures! I, on the other hand, have been on 'Island Time' out playing in the water (snorkeling and diving when able).
Day 13 (Thursday, 2 June): We met the dive boat at 0900 for a 2-tank dive. We spent time at ~65' checking out a sunken barge. My dive partner Mike "Keys" Brewton has a new toy (video camera that straps on his head) and was able to get some fun video of the dive. There was some excitement down below when our boat mooring broke and we had to reset the anchor. I believe I blew half my air for that, whew! I'll try to get a video link here.
After diving, we were back to the resort where many of us spent the rest of the day around the pool relaxing. Dinner was a short walk to the 'Fish Fry', an area of several very small business (read small, small wood buildings) where we had a great BBQ dinner (thanks to Tanya for taking pictures here previously posted in this thread). Here's Seismo, Dave Huhman (a co-worker/diver) and me;
I heard rumor Ron Lee had arrived on the island, possibly pictured here (not yet confirmed ;-)
Here's the way a typical late afternoon after dinner starts out and ends late into the evening, visiting with friends;
Day 14 (Friday, 3 June): The morning dive was cancelled due to high winds so I was able to sleep in till 0830 (usually up at 0700). Gary and Carolyn Zilik are training for a triathalon. She asked if I could join her for a swim as she knows I love being in the water. I tell you that I had on my dive fins and could
not keep up with her. She is a speed-demon in the water. She swam well over a mile and just plain wore
me out! Back to the room for a short nap to recover then back to the pool to hang out with the gang.
We got a call that there
was going to be an afternoon dive in the protected harbor at a site called "The Blue Hole". It starts out as a hole that takes you down to about 80' then travels for miles across the islands to another hole (the islanders did a test with dye to verify the holes were connected). In the morning, the water flows one way through then in the afternoon changes direction. You can only dive the site when the water is in transition, in the afternoon. We entered the hole then traveled down the 'tunnel' about 40 feet, very cool! This was Scott & Tanya Card's first salt water dive since the ink on their dive cards was still wet from diving in the mud holes of Texas ;-) Dave Huhman joined me on this dive, thank you very much!
We arrived late afternoon then it was back to the pool for awhile then to dinner at Augusta Bay, a few doors down. We are sharing a 2-bedroom suite with Gary & Carolyn so our night's end sitting around the front room visiting.
Day 15 (Saturday, 4 June): Flying Day! We'd been briefed by the Dive shop that they would be 'down' on Saturday so Jimmyb arranged a special luncheon at the site of the first 'Alpha Flight' ten years ago to
Pittstown Point.
Even though I awoke to a light rain, I knew that we could wait awhile and the weather would change ;-) We all piled into the taxi's for the 10 minute drive to the airport where it was still raining (Bryan tried to keep dry) while the Mills' and Andrew elected to stay under cover:
While waiting, I walked out to the ramp to get a picture of the planes on the ramp; the most RVs they've ever seen on the ramp I'm sure;
As I said earlier, wait long enough and the weather will change which it did. You'd think with pouring rain that wouldn't fly but it never lasts for long.
Alpha flight was airborne first, and I asked Jimmyb if I could break the gaggle to fly over the resort for a picture (permission granted). The resort is in the middle of the picture, on the beach, all rooms are light blue or yellow with white roofs;
Our room is in the building farthest right with the pool area on the left.
This pictures shows the two-story units that also had great views of the bay;
We departed Great Exuma for Long Island (and trying to catch up with Jimmyb). This is the island where we stayed for the second half of our
Bahamas trip in 2004 and is home to
Stella Maris.