Day 06: Catching Wahoo with a Button

Up before the sun today, we are set for eastern time now! First dive at 'Inside Out' named because there is a mini wall inside the main wall. We passed through a sand channel where our guide picked up a stray diver - Scuba Barbie. Swam along the outer wall hoping to see a reef shark in the deep, saw several groupers, an invasive lion fish speared for dinner and a good variety of reef fish. We came back up the wall to the inner channel and shortly afterward the resident Carribean Reef Shark made an appearance. Second dive at 'Cayman Keys', lots of coral islands with a sandy bottom, great shallow dive for taking pictures and exploring the coral. After lunch we drove to Long Beach to see the bluff but decided to do the full walk another day when we have better footwear and more sunscreen. On our way home we stopped at a little shop called NIM Things (Native Island Made) where we met Tenson Scott, a 74 year local fisherman and jewelry maker. We enjoyed stories of fishing and island life before it became a tourist destination. He's a fisherman first and told us how he catches Wahoo with a button and about the special knots for his hooks.

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Day 05: Little Cayman & Cornhole

Seas were good this morning and the group decided to head over to Little Cayman Island to enjoy some diving in the Bloody Bay Marine Park. Our Guides took us to two of their favorite sites, Lea Leas Lookout and Jackson Wall. The first dive took us into a swim through to about 90 feet where we came out on the edge of the wall. Enjoyed the coral formations and worked our way along the wall and around a pinnacle to find a Tiger Grouper at a cleaning station. The second dive we descended to a sandy bottom covered with garden eels and the odd conch. Headed out for a tour along the wall around 60 feet but had the best time around 25-30 feet exploring sand channels and

coral formations inside the wall. Saw a large variety of fish, a turtle and a couple eels. The trip to the island was an hour each way and we had rougher seas on the return trip. Got back for a late lunch around 2:15 then reviewed our 200+ pictures to find the best ones.

Drinks buy the pool, a game of  Cornhole, and jerk chicken n' pie with the neighbours to round out the day.  On for two boat dives again tomorrow.

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Day 04: Lively Lobsters

We were happy to wake up before the alarm clock this morning for our 2 dive day. The first dive was at 'End of Island' where we saw several lobsters out walking on the coral (usually you only get to see heads out in the daytime). Second dive at 'Tarpon Reef', named for the group of Tarpon seen there. Saw a large variety of fish at this site and many juveniles within the coral. The wind was light today and we were able to enjoy the colours of the ocean while we had lunch.

Had a siesta in the afternoon and spent a couple hours with our neighbours at the pool. Headed out for a drive to see the sunset from a different location then to Island Star Restaurant for a delicious seafood dinner. Have two dives scheduled again tomorrow.

AN2 - today I perfected the coconut blender beverage and got a good start on the hand tan :)


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Day 03: Coconut Bread

Got out for our first shore dive today. Checked out a few sites and found one with a great sheltered entry point (really windy so was essential). Saw 5 barracuda, a southern stingray and a variety of reef fish. The best part of the dive site was it's location - directly across from the Pioneer Bakery. Grabbed a cinnamon bun, some 'white' buns for lunches and a loaf of coconut bread. Gary suggested we slice it, I figured we could cut it back at our place.

Of course we had to try it while still warmish - should have had it sliced, after a few smallish samples, we were left with only half a loaf. I think it will make delicious french toast so will report back on that. Two boat dives planned for tomorrow morning.
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Day 02: Red Rocks

Feeling a little groggy this morning but sat up to see the ocean through the front door and instantly felt better. A couple cups of coffee and a couple hours later, we were ready to head out. We headed over to the dive shop which was closed for lunch so we decided to drive up the south coast to the end of the road. Saw many well  marked hiking trails and got our first view of the bluff (Round-trip 15 min, 14 sq miles is even smaller than you think). Still had some time to kill so drove across the island and up the other side as far as we could.
On our way back to the dive shop I noticed a red rock on the side of the road marked 9 (14) Plymouth Reef then noticed several others as we drove back down the coast - the shore dive sites are marked! Though they are a bigger swim out to the reef than Bonaire we will give them a go as diving on our own schedule is great. We met with Liesel at the Brac Scuba Shack, who recommended a site for us to start with. We got tanks/weights and then headed back to the house. Sat in the sun for a bit with a coconut drink (yes, coconut cream was acquired in our first shopping trip-it is an essential). Pizza for dinner and a movie....still feeling a bit out of sorts with the time change.

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Day 01: Odd Coincidences

All flights were on schedule except for the last one which was delayed by 30 min because of a medical transport. Flight 2 (Portland to Atlanta) we sat with a university student who spent his childhood vacations on Cayman Brac and was designing a quad helicopter drone for a military competition. Gary's been discussing doing that lately for work..Jeff...(always comes around to tech talk). We were in the Brac Airport and a woman sent her rolling bag out to a friend to receive, I caught and directed it into the corner; turns out they are with the group staying downstairs in the rental house we are at...
Odd coincidences...
It was long haul to get here - just over 24 hours in transit to where we sit now. Unfortunately we arrived in the dark so will need to do the overview island photo on the way back.  Took a wall picture at TGI Fridays where we had a big breakfast/lunch (for you JT).

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Day00:The Journay Begins

Started the day with a 45 min wait at Waneta border. Then an uneventful sunny drive to Spokane. Picked up BDay/Xmas present at Best Buy (new  GoPro..thanks mom dad). Fueled up on Panda Express (just for Tia) and Starbucks. Followed by a rousing game of musical gear trying to achirve the magical 50.9 lbs( 1 keen shoe = 0.7lbs, 1 dive safety sausage = 1.2 lbs). Awaiting  first of 4 flights to our destination -Cayman Brac.

NYC Day 05: Parks and Museums

We strolled through Central Park again on our way to the MET where we enjoyed several displays, of which Arms and Armour was our favorite. We also saw some stringed Antler instruments from Africa that were really interesting. Next we headed to Madame Toussaud’s for some photos with the celebrities then on to Macy’s to ride the old wooden escalator and enjoy the window displays along with 1,000’s of other people. We had a bit of spare time before the Blue Man Group so we headed over to Bryant Park to check out the outdoor rink, Christmas Tree and holiday shops. We were back at the hotel at 7:30 to pack and relax after an action packed trip.

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NYC Day 04: Museums and Lights

After a late start to the day (photos to download and a little sleep in), we hopped on the subway back to Manhattan and took a stroll through Central Park, grabbed lunch at a street cart and wandered around the Natural History Museum. There were many displays of animals, biodiversity and dinosaurs but one of the coolest things was a large 75:1 scale model of a mosquito. We had a spare hour until the city Christmas lights bus tour, so we went to Spy: The Exhibition. We arrived at the bus stop to quite a long line of people but still managed to get on the second bus and enjoyed some of the spectacular store light displays. Harry Winston, Cartier and Bvlgari buildings were decorated beautifully,

but one of the most spectacular things to see was the UNICEF snowflake which is strung between buildings and is 23 ft wide by 28 ft tall and covered with 16,000 crystal prisms. During the tour we got to stop at Grand Central station which was also amazing. After the Tour we made our way back to Time square and on the subway to the Hotel.

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NYC Day 03: City Sites

Took the NYC Water Taxi from Battery Park Terminal to 84th Street with a photo opportunity stop at the Statue of Liberty. It was here we spotted a celebrity; he was at the back of the boat having his photo taken. We approached his travel companions and camera crew and they asked if we’d like to have our photo taken with him. We were pretty excited to meet the famous Travelocity Gnome - who was just starting a world tour. After the water tour we headed to Rockefeller Centre to see the tree and take the elevator up to the observation deck for a spectacular view of Central Park and the city skyline. We grabbed lunch at Juniors but the portions were so large we needed to go back for their famous cheesecake. We did a portion of the Downtown Tour on the open top bus but after several stops we were too cold to continue and found a Starbucks to grab a hot chocolate and warm up. We made our way to check out Ground Zero - 911 memorial center. The site is still under construction and partially closed due to Hurricane Sandy. The memorial was amazing/shocking all at the same time. Next we were off to Time Square to check out the action, lots of bright lights, people and of course cheesecake for dessert. We waited until dark to head up the the 86th floor of the Empire State Building and take in the city lights. Afterward we explored the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum which was full of oddities.

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NYC Day 02: Rockefeller Center

We headed into Manhattan to pickup our New York Passes (3 days of bus transportation and attractions). We opted to activate the bus passes and do some tours as the weather was good (sunny but cold). We jumped on the Uptown Tour and saw the sights from an open top double-decker bus. It was pretty chilly but we stuck it out. Tour guide was very entertaining (the best we had) singing and interacting with the passengers. We learned historic information, where movies were filmed and where the stars lived. We got off the bus at the Plaza Hotel (where Home Alone was filmed) and headed over to FAO Schwartz to check out the big piano where Tom Hanks danced in ‘Big’. After freezing our butts off on the tour we decided more layers were needed for the tree lighting so we headed back to the hotel to layer up. We arrived back at Rockefeller around 6 for the 7 o’clock show start and ended up on a side street without a view of the tree but we had a great view of the monitor broadcasting the show.
We stood for 2 hours and ebbed and flowed with 500,000 other people who also wanted to see the tree. At the end of the show we were told to come back tomorrow to see the tree – WHAT? There was no way we were leaving the area without getting a look at the tree. Security was tight and we were turned back from a few different entry points but a simple ‘Yes, we are with them’ as we tagged along on the coat-tails of a couple who had a pass got us through security. After photo-documenting our success, we grabbed a hot chocolate and jumped on the subway.

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NYC Day 01: Arrival

Made our way down from Niagara Falls, checking out the US Falls and then on to Buffalo airport returning the rental car and to catch our flight to NYC. Flight was uneventful, arrived in New York 7:30, got our subway passes and with a couple of wrong turns to start out we managed to find the best way from JFK to our Hotel in Brooklyn. Google Maps had a little problem predicting damage from Hurricane Sandy :). Two subways, 162 steps later (determined on a night when our feet just couldn’t take anymore steps) and we arrived at our Hotel. After a few hiccups with our reservation, we ended up in a queen room with a view of Manhattan. Relaxing evening and too bed early getting ready for the next 5 days.

Toronto 2012

Arrived Friday night around 10 pm. A relaxing evening and morning with some shopping and exploring on the Subway. Second night in TO we headed to Blue Mountain Ski area. We left sunny, brisk TO and headed north into cold blizzard conditions. It was a bit of a dicey drive but we had a professional at the wheel and arrived safely. The plan was to hit the Scandinave Spa Blue Mountain then go for dinner, apparently everyone else had the same plan and we were put on a wait list and told to call back in an hour. We checked in at the resort and headed for pizza at the Firehouse, ironically it was closed due to a fire. We had a delicious Greek meal instead then headed for a soak in the pools. Unfortunately we didn’t have the camera so here’s a link to the website. A few different hot pools, a cold pool, relax areas, sauna and steam in a forested setting. Then it was back to the room for a rousing game of Cranium where Gary and Amanda dominated the Green and Blue deck, Mark and Vicky dominated the Red ending in a draw at 1 game each. Next morning back on the road, a quick stop at the outlet mall then on the subway for Raptors vs. Spurs Basketball game. So exciting, double overtime then disappointment as they lost. Thanks so much for the tickets Amanda. We walked back to Eaton Centre and took a few pictures of the Christmas decorations, shopped a little and spent a mellow night in, catching the end of the Grey Cup. Final day in TO we slept in and had a relaxing morning.
Headed out in the afternoon with a mission to find Vicky a winter coat and make our way to Niagara where M and A were meeting us after work. Explored Niagara on the Lake, Niagara Falls and an amazing Christmas light display along the boardwalk around the falls. Met M and A and checked into the Sheraton on the Falls, our room had an amazing view of the both falls and was a great place to spend a 40th bday (thanks to M and A). A great dinner at the hotel and most of you have already seen the kids playing for the rest of the BDay night. :). An action packed 4 days. Had such a blast, can't wait until the next adventure.

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Day 21: Rockin' and Rollin', Banana Donuts and Coco Popsicle

Up before the sun this morning to catch the catamaran back to Roatan. The seas were not with us today, it was a pretty rockin' and rollin' ride between the islands, the last 40 minutes being the best when we could get out front and enjoy the sun without getting wet. We took our gravol but there were a couple people who did not and spent some time hanging off the back. Arrived in West End around 10 and checked into the Splash Inn for our last night. Took a water taxi down to West Bay because the ATM in West End wouldn't give us any money and had lunch at the local deli (A&N-we had to go for another pulled pork wrap again followed by what will likely be Vic's last Coco Popsicle). Another stroll along West Bay beach with banana donuts, then back to the hotel for the 51lbs bag re-balancing act for the flight home.
Enjoyed our last sunset with a stroll on the beach then dinner and dessert at Creoles Rotisserie Chicken, the #1 recommendation from Trip adviser where you get a 1/4 chicken dinner with two sides for about $5. We decided to share the 1/2 chicken dinner and both enjoyed a warm brownie sundae for dessert. It exceeded expectations and certainly deserves the #1 rating.
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Day 20: Last Dive Day

Last day of diving for the trip. Set out for Pinnacles on the north side in Turtle Bay, but another boat beat us to the site so we made a last minute change to Duppy waters. No major highlights, all the usual suspects cruisin the reef amongst some amazing fan corals again. Vic was feeling a little under the weather so she spent the day on the boat chatting with Captain Joe. Relaxing afternoon in the hammock and 2 for 1 pizza for dinner and lunch tomorrow for Captain Vern's Catamaran  ride back to Roatan.

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Day 19: ATV in the Afternoon

Two dives in the morning and an ATV for the afternoon. With only two days left on the island we figured we better get out and see it. After hearing that some of the roads could be muddy we opted to get an ATV over a scooter and it's a good thing we did. We ventured down pretty much all the dirt tracks we could, checked out a freshwater cave and happened upon a single fisherman who was fishing with a Sprite bottle as his reel. We ran into a group of 5 children who were playing on there toy ATV and were ready to have a little chicken fight with us. Lots of smiles, high fives and waves as we passed. Saw the ironstone shoreline on the other side of the island and drove down past the first main junction to see what was on the west side of the bay. Dinner at RJ's BBQ again with some delicious Tres Leches for dessert.

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Day 18: Sandy Valentines Channel and Nurse Shark

Our first trip to the northside of the island and hopefully we'll be diving there for the next couple days. They only make the trip when the seas are calm and it's where you go to see whalesharks, so our fingers are crossed. No luck with that today but we got to see more of the island and some of the Cays while we were enroute to the dive sites. A couple of the cays have a single house and can be rented for about $130 a night, so you can say you stayed on your own private tropical island. During our surface interval we stopped at the 'first settled' cay for fish burgers and were lucky to detour through the settlement (the boat typically stops in front of the restaurant but today tied up to a different wharf). Unfortunately the cameras were chilling in the freshwater rinse tank on the boat, otherwise there would have been some cool shots of fish drying in the sun and the kids playing during recess. Our first dive was really great, lots of sandy channels to break up the coral heads. This is by far the best, most intact coral we've seen and really vibrant colors in the shallows with the natural light.

Underwater highlight of the day was a nurse shark resting in the sand between the coral heads and the eagle ray cruising around our hotel. Gary headed out for a night dive and Vicky stayed back to read in the hammock and enjoy the beautiful sunset.

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Day 17: Sideroad and Spiders

Two more dives this morning. The weather wasn't looking too great but when we finished the first dive the sun was starting to break through and after the second the clouds had parted and the sun shone for the rest of the day.  Nothing new and noteworthy for today, some garden eels on the first dive and a large school of fish at the start of the second. We walked up the sideroad to Thompson's Bakery to pick up some fresh cinnamon buns for afternoon iced coffee and on our way back down the road we stopped at the Jade Seahorse (aka the house of spiders). There's so much to look at but you really have to keep your eye out. There were a few times where Vicky detoured or walked very quickly as there was no other option than to pass below. Late lunch and swinging in the hammock for the afternoon. Away from the ocean is really hot so we've picked a great spot to stay. While looking over the deck today an eagle ray cruised by, Gary called down to some snorkellers to zero them in on it (an eagle ray is an amazing thing to see diving but to see one snorkelling is pretty lucky).

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Day 16: Awake with the Roosters

Roosters were up early today and so were we. Two great dives this morning. The seas were rough on the way out and into/out of the boat but they have a great double ladder to get people out of the water quickly. The reef here is really different than Roatan. We thought of it more of an 'old growth forest' where the various coral heads are the 'trees' and the leafy coral and grasses are the 'moss'. On the second dive we saw both an Eagle ray and a Southern Stingray, a free swimming Garden Eel and ... While looping back to the boat we saw what looked like fog rising from betwen the coral, the southern stingray had looped up into a sandy patch and was really stirring it up. We stayed a little behind the group hoping that it would emerge and as we were about to give up, out he came from the 'fog' the biggest we've ever seen. Gary got a great picture of the fog but only a video clip of the stingray as he took off pretty quickly.

We got back to the wharf around noon then showered and ventured out for lunch. The food portions are really big so we split a quesedilla and had a couple drinks for $7. For dinner we went to RJ's Barbeque where there are about 10 items written on the board - all served with fries, coleslaw, garlic toast and rice (we'll be sharing next time). You need to get there early for the best selection because as the night goes on items just erased from the list. Back to our temporary home and to bed early (earplugs in) for another 2 dive day.

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Day 15: To Utila we go

We said good-bye to Andy and Noha around noon and took a water taxi down to Coconut tree divers to board Captain Vern's Catamaran.  We got there early so Gary went to buy a couple drinks and I sat out of the sun on the boat. A motorbike comes driving down the wharf and off hops Captain Vern. After boarding the 9 passengers and securing the bike we were underway. Smooth seas and full sun for the 3.5 hour journey. We were dropped of just beside 'The Lighthouse' where we are spending our last week and greeted by Thelma with her golf cart to take our 140lbs of gear over. We have a great corner room over the ocean (top left in the picture) with comfy beds and a kitchenette. The eats are really cheap so I don't imagine doing any of our own cooking, but we'll keep some drinks and a few coconut popsicle close at hand. :)

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