Curacao: Special Edition

I have finally finished editing the videos that Chris and I took while visiting Curacao. I broke them into two separate videos, one for the land highlights and the other for the snorkeling highlights.

Curacao on-land highlights are above and snorkeling highlights are below. 

We had fun while on Curacao.

I still have not completed the video of snorkeling on Grand Turk, we took too much video and it takes a long time to get through it all; and I have just begun to work on the Aruba snorkeling video.

All of my videos are available on my YouTube channel.

-- Bob Doan, aboard the Carnival Conquest in the Caribbean Sea

Aruba Rocks

Shopping District
Oranjestad, Aruba

The final port of call for my cruise occurred yesterday with a few, too short, hours in Aruba.

I can say that Aruba has stolen my heart and of the three places that Chris and I visited during the cruise, it is the one that we want to return to the most. Maybe next April!

Cuttlefish
Aruba

We started the day by taking a taxi to a beach for a couple hours of snorkeling before the crowds appeared. The highlights of our time in the water off Aruba were a sharptail eel and many starfish. There were also a lot of cuttlefish!

Chris has a special place in her heart for cuttlefish.

Starfish
Aruba

We have enjoyed the snorkeling everywhere we have stopped, but I have state that it has not been "reef" spectacular. By that I mean, we did some fantastic reef snorkeling a few years ago while staying in St Lucia, and none of the areas we have snorkeled on this trip have come close to the reefs there.

Even so, the snorkeling was rewarding because there was something different or special at every stop. 

Yesterday was nice because we were able to return to the ship and change before going out shopping in Oranjestad. That was nice because the dive bag gets heavy after a short while of dragging it around into and out of shops.

Sharptail Eel
Aruba

I prefer snorkeling and reclining on a beach to shopping, but it was fun to shop as well. 

We had a nice lunch and made it back comfortably to the ship before our 4PM departure. I was later told, by an eyewitness, that the announcement we heard calling out a number of our shipmates names at about departure time was because they were not yet onboard and the captain was preparing to cast off just as a taxi came screaming up to the quay, just in the nick of time. I suppose worse things could have happened than being stranded in Aruba.

Cuttlefish keeping a close eye on me

It was sad that all of our port calls have been completed, but we still have two sea days remaining.

I will be catching up on my pictures and editing the movies. Oh yea, and sitting in the sun by the pool.

-- Bob Doan, writing from the Carnival Conquest currently somewhere in the Caribbean Sea

Reflections of Curacao

Willemstad, Curacao from the Ship

I spent the entire day in Curacao yesterday. Chris and I departed the ship promptly at 9AM and did not return to the ship until after 7PM. 

The excitement of being on one of the islands that I have read so much about and have longed to visit was rapidly met by the reality of life. 

Knip Public Beach, Curacao

We took a tour that covered most of the west end of the arid, poor, and trash clogged island. We visited plantations and learned of the history of the slave uprisings resulting in the eventual abolishment of the practice. In a strange evolution, we photographed flamingos living and eating on the same salt flats that the slaves used to work.

Chris and I visited three beaches and the National Park to watch the waves crash onto the north shore of the island. It was impressive.

Smooth Trunkfish, Curacao

The snorkeling was excellent right along the beaches with many interesting animals.

We had a lot of fun, but could see the poverty at every turn in the road from our seats in the open air tour bus.

I have more images to share, but it is an early departure for Aruba this morning and so this will have to do for now. I believe I have some great videos to share as well, compliments of my GoPro.

Another vacation day is at hand!

-- Bob Doan, writing from the Carnival Conquest just docking in Aruba

Sea Days mean Fun Days

Towel Animal

One of the things that I enjoy about cruising is that as we travel from location to location, we take our room with us. Normally, travel days mean moving luggage and climbing into various forms of transportation. 

On a cruise, travel days, or sea days, are a relaxing time aboard the ship to enjoy the activities and lay in the sun beside the pool.

Chris with the Drink of the Day

Yesterday the most exciting thing that Chris and I accomplished was to watch the sea birds and a young boy try to infuse some enthusiasm into the crowd. 

Mind you, there is nothing wrong with relaxation, but in retrospect, watching sea birds fish for hours, and even taking video of them diving into the Caribbean Sea seems like one of the lowest forms of entertainment.

And writing of infusing excitement into the crowd, we spend almost 30 minutes yesterday watching a 2-year old spice up an otherwise absolutely uninspiring performance in the atrium of the ship. 

The entertainment aboard the ship is mostly amateurish at best, and at least those watching are attempting to add some value to the performances. 

Today, however, we are in Curacao! A whole day of beach wandering and enjoying the island. Tomorrow Aruba! It is the mid-point of the cruise.

-- Bob Doan, writing from the Carnival Conquest preparing to disembark on Curacao

Onto the Sea after a Shore Day

Today marks the seventh day of my vacation and sadly, by this time next week I will be back at work and everything that I have been and am doing will be but memories and images. 

I am glad that I have been away as the Presidential Olympics continues to become more fractured and disturbing.  The more thuggish candidates are presently climbing to the top of the polls. Apparently they appeal to some dark side of the American electorate that has hitherto been untapped.

Snorkeling off Grand Turk

There is something appealing to waking up and having breakfast delivered to the door and then heading out to the balcony to watch the ocean pass by. Even the news channels on the TV have poor and almost unusable connections with forces me to focus my mind upon the plan of the day and not continue to be amazed by the state of the political disarray found across our nation.

Nurse Shark off Grand Turk

Yesterday was a short stop in Grand Turk for some snorkeling and shopping.

Me Waiting to go Snorkeling
on Grand Turk

The snorkeling was good and there was, yup you guessed it, another nurse shark alone with many other beautiful fish. I was able to view the great drop off again where the ocean depth drops from a few feet to a few thousand feet.

Today is another sea day--which means relaxing on the ship. 

Enjoying another vacation day and making another set of memories while life goes on, elsewhere!

-- Bob Doan, writing from aboard the Carnival Conquest in the Caribbean Sea

Monday Musings - July 27, 2015

Carnival Conquest from the Stern

1. Waking up surrounded by the ocean is a great and humbling experience. I forget how big and vast is the Atlantic Ocean.

2. I wonder who will be Donald Trump's next target. it is too bad that people are positively responding to his negative message.

3. The Orioles managed to win a series on the road! They are still seven games out of first place.

4. Glaciers of frozen nitrogen? Where else but Pluto?

Chris at Lobster Dinner(s)

5. The U.S. Men's Soccer team took the Jamaica team far too lightly during their 2-1 loss. It is too bad that the men could not win the tournament.

6. It is hard to believe, but this is the last Monday in July! August is sneaking up on us.

7. Today Turks and Caicos! I'm headed to Grand Turk. I love vacations.

8. Two lobster dinners? Chris ate the whole thing!

-- Bob Doan, writing from aboard the Carnival Conquest nearing Grand Turk

Good Morning from Sea

Chris Looking Out Over Port Everglades
Exploring the Ship

Chris and I are officially on vacation! Well, we have been on vacation since last Wednesday, but are on the cruise portion of the vacation about the good ship Carnival Conquest.

We sailed from Fort Lauderdale yesterday under the cover of an afternoon thunderstorm and still enjoyed seeing the coast slip past and cell phones go dead!

Out the Stateroom Window this Morning

It was a bit scary for me, personally, when my phone gave up the connection ghost!

Yup--no calls for a week!

That is a good thing, I'm told.

OK, I did buy the internet package so that we can stay in touch a bit. But I'm not planning on answering email.

We have enjoyed the partying and even though the sail away party had to be brought inside, Chris managed to dance up a storm.  Yes, I filmed it wrong! I can't believe that I did it, but I take full responsibility because it just seemed to fit better.

We are preparing for a fun day at sea. And of course, more relaxation. 

-- Bob Doan, writing from the Carnival Conquest somewhere in the Caribbean (The Bermuda Triangle?)

Shark Encounter in the Water

Fish off Jupiter Island

Two days on the beach and two shark encounters.

Yesterday was a snorkeling morning. The water was calm and clear. Chris and I had a lot of fun. We also used the GoPro in the underwater mode for the first real run of the vacation. It takes great video even while being attached to the head strap, but we need to learn how to use it a bit better to get more viewable videos.

Juvenile Angelfish 

My underwater camera was also very useful and documented the really impressive things that we viewed during our event filled outing. 

The big event during the outing was the shark encounter. While we were snorkeling we came upon a small nurse shark, a pup, that seemed to be in a unique position--belly up. This caused us great consternation, as you will see from the video. We spend a good deal of time trying to decide what, if anything, we should to to help this small shark. 

Nurse Shark Belly-up in the Rocks

Of course there was a great difference of opinion. And in watching it further, I began to wonder if it was dead, I could see some fin movement, but I wasn't sure if it was caused by the undulation of the water. 

Our desire to assist a fellow inhabitant of the planet finally won out over common sense, and of course knowing that it was a nurse shark coupled with its small size contributed to the decision that it clearly needed assistance.

A rescue attempt was made, which ended with a great amount of laughter when the shark, startled a lot more than I was, took off never to be seen again.

Did the shark really need assistance? Probably not! But, we felt better about it when it was over because we made a rescue attempt.

Moray Eel

And then we were on our way for the neatest find of the day, and one unfortunately that the camera did not fully capture--a medium sized moray eel in the open, hunting. 

It is a good reminder why I never reach into dark areas while snorkeling. You never know what is there!

A great day in Florida. And the entire snorkeling adventure lasted only about an hour, leaving a whole day to get sunburned on the beach.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Jupiter, Florida

Shark Encounter at the Beach

Measuring in at 95 Inches

With all of the news about shark attacks this year, we had our own shark encounter on the beach. We were spending the day at the beach in the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge and some youthful fishermen near us on the beach hooked a large, 95 inch, nurse shark and brought it to shore.

Nurse Shark

It was awesome to see such a beautiful creature up close and personal. Really up close. 

They were very gentle with the shark, which did not even attempt to attack anyone, but only wanted to get back into the water. 

Getting the Shark back into the Water

They measured the catch, removed the hook as best a possible without hurting the animal and released it back into the water so that the shark could get back to living. 

I have seen these sharks in the water, but seeing this large specimen up close was really a treat. Even though I know they are generally docile in the wild, I still give them a wide berth.

Everyone was very excited and the shark was treated with the utmost respect as an apex predator who was definitely out of his element.

I love the ocean and I enjoy mutually beneficial encounters between myself and the creatures which inhabit it.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Jupiter, Florida

Clouds, Sunsets and the Lighthouse

My return to Jupiter, Florida, it had been two years since my last visit, embodied almost everything that I have come to expect and appreciate.

Cloud with Halo

There was a unique cloud formation, preceding a fairly ferocious thunderstorm, in which a cloud appeared to have a halo above it. I found the clouds fascinating--and I even was able to get a fairly good representation of it from my camera.

It was a beautiful and hot afternoon and we were enjoying happy hour at a local establishment as the storm made its way toward us. 

Sunset in Jupiter

As the evening progressed we transitioned to another establishment, right on the river and were able to be impressed by a spectacular sunset. I just can find a sunset framed by palm trees in Maryland. 

Jupiter Lighthouse

The sunset last evening was truly special. Why? Because I was able to enjoy it with friends and I am on vacation! It seems that the sunsets I see on vacation are always better than those back home. 

And then there is the signature feature of Jupiter, Florida. The Jupiter lighthouse.

I enjoy looking at the lighthouse and knowing its history makes it even better. 

The site was selected before the Civil War and there was collaboration between two eventual opponents on the field of battle: Mead and Lee.

Welcome back. It is vacation time again!

-- Bob Doan, writing from Jupiter, Florida