Today we stopped at Castaway Cay. Feels odd being here at the start of a voyage instead of the end, but one does have to make do. We made do just fine!
SWMBO had a manicure/pedicure/massage appointment in the morning, so I trudged off by myself, bound and determined to see all the things we normally missed -- namely, everything but a beeline to Serenity Bay!
I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Games pavilion wasn't electronic games as I had feared (okay, I did sorta hope there was a mechanical pinball or two, my weakness). Instead the games there were giant chess, giant checkers, some mini-basketball courts (the courts were tiny, not the ball), skeeball, pool, and the smallest mini-miniature golf course I've ever seen ... one hole!
My hike continued out to the runway and on to Serenity Bay. I was surprised to see that the runway was being repaved -- over it's entire width? Asking a cast member about it later, and wondering if the full width were being maintained so that emergency landings could still be had, she explained that there would be three separate lanes down the runway in future: for walkers, bicycles, and trams. It seems some guests can't handle complex directions like, "Keep to the left."
The tide was as low as I've seen it in my eight visits to the island. For the first 50 yards, it was perhaps no more than six inches deep! This made for great wading without wetting one's suit. It also made it easy to spot the few creatures swimming about.
Most noticeable this trip were the nudibrachs. Those are sea slugs for those who don't *do* Latin. If you've never seen one, they're an odd looking beast. (Nutz, they're odd even if you have!) About the size and shape of a sweet potato, and in a variety of colors and markings. They move and think about as well as you'd expect of something called a "slug".
Their activities today were mostly to slowly graze on the sea grasses that poked up above the sand. I spotted at least three varieties, one pale cream with black rings, one black/brown/cream rather like a calico cat, and one I thought was covered by sand until it moved and I saw it was speckled. Someone then poked it with a toe, and it promptly curled up to wait them out and stayed that way for at least 20 minutes.
And like anything so easy to catch, they are not good eating. Trust me on this one!
At dinner we were joined by our Palo friend, but the other family was MIA. Our server informed us they had moved to the first seating to be with another family they knew. So from 8 we're down to 3! Good thing we all talk a lot. Another family was supposed to have replaced them, so we may have a new group tomorrow. Ah well, more bread for us if not.
Our cabin attendant, Aldo, is quick. Not just on cleaning, but after once mentioning that we didn't appreciate the chocolates (SWMBO's diabetic) and wanted clean wine glasses for an evening nightcap, he got it right immediately. We like! Shows that skills in English help -- some trips we just stacked up the chocolates into a pyramid and the cabin attendant never did catch on.
As we relaxed in the cabin before the show and dinner, we passed an island to port. It was Greater Abaco, and marked the last land we will see for six days. As we rounded the point, we set a course that would take us all the way to the Canary Islands. Woof!
More tomorrow!
Zazu