VACATION AFTERGLOW

We've returned from a long-awaited vacation and found everything at home as we left it. Our neighbor Coot was a great house-sitter and pet-sitter. The animals missed us but after our being back one day, they know things are back to normal. Andy and I and the animals took a walk around the property in spite of the cold temperatures (40's).



We got used to warm temperatures from the minute we arrived in Ft Lauderdale. I could have been happy just sitting by the swimming pool at the hotel there for the entire week. But the cruise we took was even better than I expected. Once on the ship, we immediately got settled into our stateroom and sat on the balcony and enjoyed the sun, knowing that the temperatures were below freezing back in Watonga. I now understand why people go to Florida in the winter.



We spent the week eating, reading, sunning, and enjoying the entertainment on the ship. The first day was pretty much spent getting checked in and settled in. The ship departed at 5:00 pm on Saturday, and we spent the next day and evening at sea heading to Haiti.

On Wednesday, the ship docked at a private port on the north side of Haiti. They called it an island, but it was really a pennisula. The port was owned and operated by the cruise line, and they offered several activities -- a zipline, a road tour in a tram, shopping, a beautiful beach, and of course, food. Andy and I stayed on the ship most of the day, sunning and reading, but we did disembark for a walk on the "island" and to get a souvenir -- a couple of pieces of coral rock (I am a cheap date). Back on the boat we had sushi and . . . .

On Thurday, we docked at Montego Bay, Jamaica. It was very different than if we had gone to Jamaica on our own, not on a cruise, because the area we were limited to was pretty much a small shopping area. To get away from the controlled area was expensive -- cab fees and fees to get on the beach. We did buy some Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee but returned to the boat pretty quickly. Everything we needed was on the boat.