Written November 29, but posted December 11 when we finally got wifi!
There is no greater joy than to see the smiling face of your child. She may be 23, and not a child anymore, but she will always pull my heartstrings like no one else. Ok, Kenny and Erica will do the same, and Jenna too.
We ran to each other when she stepped off her plane and onto the tarmac. The ancient security guard shouted “Get Back! We will send her right back to the US”. There was a fence between us, and we couldn’t even talk through the fence. Torture.
Finally, she emerged from the Customs area of the airport and we could hug and begin our mile a minute chatter to catch up on everything we missed in the two months apart. Even though we text regularly, there is nothing like face to face blabbering.
We adventured in the stormy weather every day
Luckily, Lindsay is a great sport. Learning that we may have fifty knot winds that night and that the boat might sound like a helicopter while we try to sleep, and that we may not be able to sail, or snorkel, or go anywhere, didn’t really bother her. She is always up for an adventure.
The Water Taxi guys were great!
We had a great ride back to Alembic on the water taxi. Our dinghy probably would have flipped in the wild winds so we opted to splurge for the ten buck ride. We laughed the whole way across the harbor with these local guys!
True to her promise, Lindsay slept well, with only one late night excursion on deck to stop a rope from flailing above her berth. It sounded like an erratic drumbeat that wouldn’t stop. Once that was quieted, she was back to sleep. A few hours later, she woke again to find her berth soaking wet. The hatch above her head was open a bit and the driving rain pelted in. How she slept through that soaking is beyond me! Many people don’t fare so well on a noisy, wet boat in a storm with winds up to fifty knots.
After watching the wind speed indicator hover around 38 knots and the seas curl around the south end of our island, causing Alembic to rock fitfully, we decided to venture off in our dinghy. Who cares if we got soaked; we needed to stretch our legs! We hiked across Stocking Island to the windward shore where the waves pounded the beach. We got a bit lost, trying to follow overgrown trails, but found our way again.
Taking a rest during a hike
Beautiful palm fronds
Lindsay has always loved hermit crabs
This plant reminded me of the man eating plant in Little Shop of Horrors!!
Poisonwood was everywhere. Either we are not allergic, or we got lucky, and never developed the rash.
Playful cats at Chat N Chill
We headed to Chat n Chill for Conch Fritters and a cold drink.
We stayed at ChatNChill till the sun set
Here we met many people we have gotten to know this week. Friends on Zippadeedodah welcomed us to their table in the Tiki Hut. They proceeded to tell us endless stories of their antics on boats and in foreign lands, validating Lindsay’s understanding that cruisers are game for anything. Realizing that this day was Thanksgiving, we all hatched the plan to take the water taxi to GeorgeTown and splurge on a dinner and dance night out. The food was decent, but the music was excellent. Calypso tunes played by Nigel and his band were perfect for dancing. Lindsay was spun around the dance floor all night by several people. An older local took turns with every woman present and really got the party started. Then our taxi driver arrived and showed her a few moves. Lastly, a young man she had met on the plane showed Lindsay how to swing quickly and gracefully for hours.
Friday proved to be the sunniest day of Lindsay’s visit. We hiked on the northern end of Stocking Island and ran into Lindsay’s friend Emily from Northeastern.
Belizian friends know how to party!
Emily and Lindsay take a leap
Enjoying the only sunny day of Lindsay’s visit at Hamburg Beach
Emily was with her family and close friends, all Belizean. They were a hoot and filled us with great stories of Belize, making us look forward to this country more than ever.
Saturday was rainy again, but we hiked anyway. Bill had a bruised foot, and Lindsay and I had blisters from sand grinding at our skin, but we were all determined to leave no trail on this island unexplored. Satisfied we had walked every inch of the wonderful trail system, we headed to St Francis. This is an establishment which caters to the cruisers. Saturday is Cheeseburger in Paradise from 2pm on. Bahamians start early. Lindsay’s new friend Katie from her flight in was there with her family.
We met Ric and Sherry, friends of Rick and Amy
Ric and Sherry, friends of UVM friends, were there and we finally connected in person. People we had played volleyball with last Sunday were there. A great afternoon for all.
Lindsay’s flight was Sunday at 2, so we had to make the best of every moment remaining. We motored over to Kidd Cove to be closer to town.
These dolphins were so friendly
As soon as we dropped anchor, dolphins came into view. We jumped right in! Amazing! They allowed us to frolic with them for a long time. They seemed to enjoy us and somersaulted exuberantly within arm’s length. Their bodies were blubbery smooth to touch, and their endless squeaky chatter was spectacular. Finally, sufficiently exhausted, we got into the dingy and rode over to a snorkel spot.
Lindsay snorkeling
Unfortunately, this was a let down, as the fifty knot winds, three nights in a row, caused the reef to be cloudy.
Showered and ready to fly, Lindsay had one last adventure. We explored George Town as a ghost town.
Lindsay took it slow to call the cats out of their hiding places
Lindsay shared her drinking water with the Library cats
The liveliest place was the Library, where the cats greeted us, hoping we had food. We learned that everyone celebrates on Sunday and shuts down all of the stores and straw markets. I was disappointed that Lindsay couldn’t pick out a treasure to take home, but knowing Lindsay, this was not a priority at all.
Saying GoodBye at the airport was sad, but we all have things to do which require our parting. Lindsay’s final flight would put her in Boston two hours before her med school lab begins, and we have preparations for our departure from George Town the next day.
Thanks Lindsay, for helping us to see that stormy weather for four straight days does not mean you have to stop playing! We love you and look forward to many more adventures together.