cruise: full day 1 - Half Moon Cay

[rm]

On Jan 5, our first stop was Half Moon Cay, which is a private island in the Bahamas (homosexuality is still illegal in the Bahamas and the private island is as much as I want to be in that country until that changes). It was pretty cold there thanks to the freeze everywhere -- I doubt the temperature ever got above 75 and it sure felt below 70 by the time we left. It was a shame, as the beach was one of the most beautiful we were at, and it was one of our few days with truly blue skies. But we were freezing!





I was testing my camera shooting into the mirror in our stateroom. What you can't see here is out verandah.




Our ship, the Noordam, off Half Moon Cay. This was a tender port and the seas were kinda rough, especially coming back and trying to get back on the boat.




Floaty toys! Floaty shark and floaty lobster!




Check out the ugly fountain thing with the conch shells. Yes, that thing you're thinking? We thought it too. We're still thinking it.




There was a nature walk on the island.




Sea grapes.




Another random plant close-up.




It's a Torchwood tree! Really. Zoom in.




There were also chickens. Awesome, awesome chickens that Patty got the better photos of.




But more importantly, there was a STINGRAY ENCOUNTER. I went in to the water up to my waist, but it was so cold. The stingrays were super friendly and came up and said hi. Patty actually snorkeled and fed them and kissed them and all. This is her. SURROUNDED BY STINGRAYS. Stingrays are AWESOME.




See? Happy Patty says so.

Comments

[bugeyedmonster.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting the pictures. I don't have the money to travel, so I LOVE to see pictures of places I'd like to see someday.

The stingrays! That was such a cool picture! I've seen a similar picture from Corpus Christi, Texas, but it was baby sharks around someone in an inner tube thing, so not as cool.

The Torchwood tree- Hee!

Hm... floaty lobster. (Hear song "Rock Lobster" in head.) And a floaty shark. Ha, I can think of a few practical jokes one could play with a floaty shark. Or maybe use it as a prop in a really horrible B movie.

Oh, that picture of the ship. What a beautiful sky! The sea looks lovely too, but that sky just keeps catching my eye.

Conch shell fountain... what couldn't they use other shells? Or maybe a variety? And why put the conch shells in that position? Unless they were timed to shoot out water into the fountain.

Huh, my grandma made the counter around her bathroom sink with epoxy, shells and little sea themed charms. It looked cooler than that fountain.

Sea grapes... were those edible? Loved the plant pictures. I can google the Torchwood tree and Sea grapes, but what was that red flowering plant?

Like I don't have enough tropical plants already. My lemon tree keeps getting bigger every year. I don't need more plants that have to come indoors for winter.

Were the chickens feral?

And thanks for posting the pictures! I think I'll look at that one of the boat again. Just look at that sky! Or maybe the pretty stingrays. I love the play of light on the water and the shadows under the water in that picture.

Thanks for posting. (This kinda' made my day.)

[rm.livejournal.com]

Don't know if the grapes were edible, but I'll be posting pics from each of the islands we were on over the next couple of days, so hopefully they will continue to amuse.

The chickens were feral and AWESOME. Patty has many more and much better pictures of them. Lots of tiny chicks. So cute!