11/29/13 Moalboal Day 8

Friday, November 29, 2013

We woke up around 6:30 again today.  Per our usual routine we headed down to the restaurant and sat and enjoyed the morning until the girls arrived at 7:30 a.m.  Eric worked on some video on the computer and then Jordan joined us a little bit later.  We ordered breakfast around 7:30 and then got all the cameras and gear ready to go for our 9 a.m. dive.  It was just the three of us and our guide, Albert, this morning, so we got to choose where we wanted to go.  

Our first dive we went to Pescador island and dove the south side again.  We did this dive the other day and it was really nice, so we wanted to take Jordan to do this dive.  This time we were about the only boat at the dive site so we had the whole place to ourselves.  The south side is sheltered from current so it was very calm and we took our time and had a nice relaxing dive.  I got a bunch of footage of a turtle and of course tons of little fish everywhere.  We also found a stone fish and a few nudibranchs.  

After our first dive we had a rather rough crossing coming back across the channel to get back to Moalboal.  The winds had picked up a bit and there were some small white caps so we got splashed a bit, but nothing we have not experienced before.  Our second dive was at a site just across the channel from Pescador island.  

The second dive was rather shallow so we stayed down for a good length of time and there was lots to see.  We found the largest green turtle we have seen yet.  It had to be at least 5 feet in length and 3-4 feet across.  It was just laying on a ledge and I got some good video of it turning around and then yawning.  

Toward the end of the dive Eric found a bright yellow juvenile box fish.  I got video of it and then later Eric said it was eating or nipping at a flatworm.  I of course never saw this part while I was filming it, but I managed to get it on video.  At the end of the dive we also saw a school of large needlefish hanging out near the surface.  

We then made our way back to the resort and had some lunch so we could head back out about 2:30 p.m. for our third dive.  One of the other guests, Anna, joined us on this dive.  Since the water was a little rougher today we headed just a little way down the shore to the spot that we really like.  This spot is nice because you can stay really shallow and there are lots of things to see, including more turtles.  

After this dive we made the short trip back to the resort and got cleaned up and had some dinner and started the process of sifting through photos and video—the usual nightly routine.

11/28/13 Moalboal Day 7

Thursday, November 28, 2013

HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

It was another beautiful morning.  The sun was shining when we got up and headed to the restaurant around 6:45 a.m.  We sat and enjoyed the morning and talked with Cyril and Claire.  They were leaving around 9 a.m. this morning to head to another island before heading back to Cebu City and then back home to China.  

Eric and I both ordered a mango and I ordered two eggs with toast.  After breakfast we got our gear ready to go diving at 9 a.m.  We were heading out to Pescador island for the first dive.  We had a full boat with 11 divers.  We broke up into two groups and Eric and I brought up the rear as usual.  It was a very beautiful dive.  Tons and tons of colorful fish and beautiful hard and soft corals and sponges everywhere.  There was not much current for most of the dive, which made it nice.  Right at the end we got a pretty strong current but by that time we were ready to head up to the surface.  

By the time we made it back to the resort it was about 11:45 so consensus was to have lunch and a break and then go back out around 2 o’clock.  Right about the time we got back from the first dive Jordan arrived via car from Cebu City.  So after putting his stuff in his room he joined us for some lunch.  

After lunch Jordan headed back to his room to get his stuff together so he could join us for the 2 o’clock dive.  We had another full boat with 13 divers for the second dive.  We went just down the shore to check out the sardines.  The reef is not really very good there, but the main attraction is the sardines.  However, I did see quite a few nudibranchs, a banded pipefish, and a turtle amongst the millions of sardines that were blocking the sunlight at times.  

After we got back to the resort Eric and I got cleaned up and then headed down to the restaurant to check out our photos and video and had a nice visit with Anneliek (proper spelling this time).  She is the young Dutch doctor that has been diving with us the last few days.  She is quite the world traveler and very fun to talk with and share stories.  

Eric and I ordered our vegetarian spaghetti carbonara to split for dinner again and of course our ice cream bars.  Then Jordan joined us a bit later.  He got cleaned up after diving and laid down on his bed and fell asleep.  I can’t blame him.  We were really tired the first day we got here too, but boy did we sleep good that first night.

11/27/13 Moalboal Day 6

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

We got up around 6:30 a.m. and headed down to the restaurant to hang out and enjoy the morning before the girls showed up to serve breakfast.  It was another beautiful morning.  The sun was shining and the water was like glass.  I took a nice silhouette photo of Eric sitting in the restaurant with the water behind him that he posted to our Facebook page.  

After our breakfast of fresh mango slices, Belgian bread with butter and mango jam, and mango juice we sat and enjoyed the morning for a while before getting our dive gear ready for the first dive of the day.  We headed out on the boat about 9 a.m.  It was Eric and I, Analique (a Dutch doctor) and Cyril (whom we have dove with the last two days) and our German guide, Albert.  

We went to a site where they have a small plane that was placed as an artificial reef.  Just to the side of the plane there is a small patch of garden eels.  Eric set up Tim’s camera and got some good video of the garden eels.  Eric also got some video of a pipe seahorse carrying eggs on its belly.  Not too far from the plane wreck was a large purple/pink barrel sponge.  I swam over to look down inside and what did I see in the bottom but an anemone with a clownfish living in it.  That is something I will probably never see again.  

After we all swam away from the wreck to explore the rest of the reef I came across an anemone with some very protective clownfish.  As I approached they both swam up and were looking me in the eye and swimming in front of my face.  One of them actually nipped at the front of my forehead (on my beanie).  Eric got photo of them looking me in the eye.  

Right at the end of the dive Cyril pointed up in the shallow water and at first I saw something which I eventually figured out was a large squid.  I then looked to the right of it and there was a line of about 20.  Of course we did not get any video or pictures as they know how to stay just out of camera range.  Cyril said he actually counted them and there were 20.  They were the largest squid I have ever seen.  When I saw the first one I thought it was a cuttlefish.

After that dive we headed back to the resort.  We all decided to take a break and have some lunch and then head out in the afternoon around 1:30 for an afternoon dive.  We had our standard lunch of garlic rice, Belgian fries, and chicken sandwich with my mango juice.  Unfortunately, we discovered last night that they also have ice cream bars (dipped in what else but Belgian chocolate).  So we of course had to have one of those after lunch.  

The afternoon dive we went back to the spot we went yesterday where we saw the ornate ghost pipefish.  It is a very pretty spot with lots of healthy colorful coral and tons of fish.  We must have seen at least five or six large turtles too.  

We then came back to the resort.  As we were taking off our dive gear to rinse and hang up I looked up in the tree above the bench to see a very large beautiful yellow-backed spider.  It was very large and sitting right in the middle of a very ornate web with the sun glistening through the tree and illuminating the web.  Eric got some good photos of it.  It is not something I would want to find in my room, but beautiful to see in its natural habitat.  

They were actually doing a night dive tonight but Eric decided to sit it out and relax and work on photos, etc.  We ended up talking with a lot of the other guests and the next thing we knew it was dark and time for dinner.  For dinner tonight we decided to try spaghetti carbonara (vegetarian).  Eric and I split it (the servings are very big) and it was really good.  After dinner we of course had to have ice cream, again.  I will probably come home 10 pound heavier.  The food is so good here.  Of course I will have mango running through my blood too.

11/26/13 Moalbual Day 5

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

We kept the same schedule as yesterday as far as diving.  We got up and headed to breakfast around 7 a.m. and ordered a couple of fresh mangos and I also ordered some Belgian bread with butter and homemade mango jam.  I have also been keeping up with my schedule of mango juice with every meal.  There are no words to describe how good these mangos are.  

After breakfast we got our gear together and headed out to do two dives around 9 a.m.  This time we had a full boat again.  The Australian family of four went with one guide and Eric and I and Cyril went with Albert (our guide).  We saw quite a few turtles but not as many as everyone else as we had our heads stuck in the coral (of course).  Apparently our group saw about nine turtles in total.  There is lots of small stuff to see too.  

On the second dive we also saw a few more turtles and a huge school of leaf fish and some type of scorpion fish.  We also saw the biggest octopus either one of us has ever seen.  I got quite a bit of video of him, but most of it was of him playing hide and seek in and out of his hiding holes.  

After the two morning dives we came back and had some lunch.  Eric had garlic rice and I had my chicken sandwich and we split some Belgian fries.  The food has been really good.  Of course it can’t hurt that you are sitting by the ocean in the fresh air enjoying the food.  

After lunch we headed out for our third dive of the day.  This time it was just Albert, Eric and I.  So we took a short boat road down the coast a little ways to a spot that Albert said not many people go because there is no buoy there.  It was a very beautiful spot with very healthy coral and lots of colorful fish.  We saw a small ornate ghost pipefish, a pair of banded pipefish, another scorpionfish and tons of clownfish of all colors and types.  I swear on top of the reef there is an anemone with a clownfish in it about every 2 ft.  

The third dive was nice as we poked along at our own pace and did our own thing.  We actually stayed down for about 70 minutes and still came up with anywhere from 1000-1300 PSI.  

The weather was pretty nice again today.  We had a little rain shower as we were getting on the boat for the first dive, but other than that most of the day was sunny and nice.

11/25/13 Moalbual Day 4

Monday, November 25, 2013

We woke up around 6 a.m. this morning and checked e-mail and text messages and then headed to the restaurant for breakfast.  Eric decided to order Belgian pancakes and I ordered mango pancakes.  They were good but way too much for one person to eat.  Next time we will order just one plate.  

After breakfast we got all our camera gear together and headed out for two morning dives about 9 a.m.  Our first dive we went to Pescador Island.  It was a very nice dive with lots of colorful coral and fish all the way around.  It was a drift dive but there was very little current which made it nice for photography and video.  After we got out we then motored to the next dive site which was where the sardines had moved to.  They are actually now right in front of one of the resorts down the beach a couple miles.  

It was amazing to see so many sardines so close to the shore.  The groups were so big they actually blocked out the sunlight and there was no way I could possibly get all of them in one frame.  After we got our fill of sardines and other critters we got back on the boat and made the short trip back to our resort, the Asian-Belgian Dive resort.  

We got somewhat rinsed off and made our way back to the restaurant to have our lunch.  At breakfast time I had gone ahead and ordered our lunch for around 1 o’clock when we got back.  That way we would not have to wait so long for our food.  It does take them a while to prepare meals here, but then again they cook everything from scratch and they have a very extensive menu compared to most places.  So far everything we have had has been very good.  Both days so far I have had the chicken sandwich.  They obviously bake their own Belgian bread also, which is very good.  

After lunch we got the camera equipment ready to go out again at 2:30 p.m.  This time we had a full boat with an Australian family doing their open water diver course and another person in addition to Eric and me.  We got to go off on our own with our dive guide, Albert.  He pretty much lets us do what we want and just hangs back and watches, which is nice.  As anyone that has dove with us know, we like to poke along and stick our head in every hole we find.  

The visibility on this dive was not so good, but we were looking for small stuff anyway.  We found a ton of clownfish of all types and colors, including the famous Nemo (ocellaris clownfish).  This dive was fairly shallow so we were out for about an hour.  After everyone made it back on the boat we headed back to the resort.  

After we got all our gear rinsed and hung up we went back to our room and took a shower so we could head back to the restaurant to get some dinner and check e-mails and of course type up the all-important blog.  I think so far I have had a mango juice/shake with every meal since I got here.  I also had another tomato salad for dinner and Eric ordered the vegetarian Bolognese again.  

The weather so far has been beautiful.  This morning the ocean in front of the resort was like glass.  There were a few clouds around today, but it was sunny all day with very little wind.  Another beautiful day in the Philippines.

11/24/13 Moalboal Days 1-3

Friday, November 22, 2013

We headed to the airport about 6 a.m. for our 8:45 flight from Phoenix to Seattle.  This was our first time both using the TSA precheck line for security.  Boy was that a breeze.  You can keep your jacket and your shoes on and you don’t have to get out your liquids or your laptop, etc.  You pretty much walk up, throw your bags on the conveyer, and walk through the metal detector.    No body scanning either.  We wondered how it would go with all of our camera gear, but they didn’t even bat and eye.  The whole security check took about two minutes.  Definitely worth the money for sure. 

We headed to the US Airways lounge and got something to eat for breakfast and then headed to our gate.  This whole trip we are flying first class/business class.  So of course we are first on and off the plane too.  The trip from Phoenix to Seattle was uneventful.  It was quite a change leaving rainy Phoenix and landing in sunny Seattle.  Once in Seattle we then went to the Asiana gate and changed out our boarding passes for Asiana boarding passes for the rest of the trip.  Then we went and hung out in the Delta Lounge until it was time for our flight.  Asiana uses the Delta Lounge for their business class passengers.  

We then boarded the Asiana flight from Seattle to Inchon South Korea.  This 12-hour flight was uneventful.  The seats on this plane were not the lie flat seats like we had the last time we flew Asiana business class, but they lay almost flat (more of an incline).  I think we got some sleep intermixed with eating and watching movies, etc.  

After landing in Inchon we made our way to transit security and got through there relatively quickly and then went to the transit hotel to confirm our reservation coming back for Eric and I and Jordan and cancel Jody’s reservation (as she decided not to come on the trip).  After we had that all straightened out we made our way to the Asiana Business Class Lounge.  As of the end of October they actually moved the location a few gates down from where it used to be.  

We hung out in that lounge for a while before make our way to the gate for our last leg of the trip to the Philippines, the Inchon to Cebu flight.  This flight was about four and a half hours.  It was just Eric and I and another couple and their child in the entire business class section.  Needless to say we had plenty of attention from the flight attendants on this flight.  However, I think both of us slept most of the flight, so it made their job easy.  

We landed in Cebu a little late as there were some pretty strong headwinds.  We landed just after midnight.  Eric and I were the first people off the plane and thus the first people at the Immigration counter and I think the first people to get their bags.  We were out the door in nothing flat.  We had requested a car from the Hotel, but never heard back from them so we were giving it a 50/50 chance that they would have someone there to pick us up.  Of course there was not, so we decided to walk since the hotel is directly in front of the airport.  However, this involved a lot of zigging and zagging and going up ramps and over curbs.  It was not very far, but they don't exactly make the pathway pedestrian/luggage friendly.  

Nevertheless, we made it to the lobby and got checked into our executive suite.  The room was huge.  It had a separate living room with sitting area and dining table and a separate kitchen area along with a half bath in addition to the bedroom and huge bathroom.  We pretty much crashed into bed and set the alarm to get up around 7 a.m.  Our plan was to get up and shower in the morning and then head down to get breakfast before our driver picked us up around 9 a.m. to take us to Moalboal.  

We woke up the next morning to the sun shining and beautiful weather.  I looked out our fifth floor window and you could not tell there had been a typhoon come through a few weeks ago.  We went down and had our breakfast and then our driver came to pick us up right about 9 a.m.  We loaded all our bags in the car for the approximately three hour trip to Moalboal.  As it always is in the Philippines it was a wild ride of weaving in and out of traffic, crawling along and then going as fast as we could, and of course involved a lot of horn honking.  We could find no evidence on the entire journey that there had ever been a typhoon in the area.  Everything looked as it should for the Philippines.  As our driver told us, most of the damage was North of Cebu City, which is what we had heard.  

We arrived in Moalboal just after noon and got all our luggage into our room and headed over to the restaurant to get some lunch.  I ordered a chicken sandwich and a Mango shake (of course) and Eric ordered a coke and Belgian fries (of course).  Then we made plans to go out for an afternoon dive around 2:30 p.m.  Eric got busy after lunch putting together all the camera gear and then we got all our dive stuff together to take down to the dive shop.  By that time it was 2:30 p.m.  We just went out and dove the house reef.  

The house reef was very pretty with lost of fish and lots of hard and soft corals.  I have never seen so many pipe seahorses in my life—they were everywhere you looked.  We also saw a really big turtle and I got some good video of him swimming right at me.  The house reef is nice because it is not very deep.  A lot of the dive was between 15 and 35 feet.  We stayed out for about an hour.  

After we got back we got all our gear rinsed out and made plans for tomorrow.  I think we are doing three dives tomorrow, two in the morning and then one after lunch.  After we got cleaned up we headed back to the restaurant to get some dinner.  They are very accommodating and so far the food has been very good.  I had a tomato salad and Eric had some more Belgian fries and then we split some chicken Bolognese.  

It is only 7:30p.m. by the time I finished typing this blog and Eric already headed off to bed as he could not keep his eyes open.  We are both pretty beat tonight, so I think we will sleep well for sure.

Bahamas 9/7/2013 - 9/14/13

Friday, Saturday, Sunday

My dad picked up Jody, Eric, and I around 8:30 p.m. and we headed to the airport.  We all checked in our bags and made it through security.  There was actually no one in line at security.  Then we headed to the US Airways Lounge to pass some time before our flight to Philadelphia.  Unfortunately, it was at this point that Eric discovered he had forgotten a couple key items, his Club Card and his credit card.  Fortunately, most of the trip was already paid for and Jody and Tim said they would cover us for any other expenses we would have.  

So after a slight bit of panic and some disgust at forgetting these items, we managed to move on.  Eric, Tim and Jody had some drinks at the bar and then we headed for our gate to board the plane.  Our flight left Phoenix at 10:45 and was about four hours long.  Eric and I slept pretty much the whole flight.  

After we got to Philadelphia we all headed to the United Lounge.  Eric was able to get in there without his card because he has his United number memorized.  So the four of us hung out there for a couple hours and had some light breakfast items before boarding our flight to the Bahamas.  The flight to the Bahamas was only a little over two hours.  I think Eric and I slept for most of this flight also.  We arrived in Bahamas around 1 p.m. on Saturday.  

After deplaning we made our way outside to the Taxi stand and managed to fit all of our bags and ourselves in one taxi.  Our taxi driver was not quite sure where she was taking us.  Everyone kept asking us if we were going to the yoga retreat and we said no.  As it turns out, the yoga retreat dock is the same place where the Carib Dancer is docked.  Anyway, our taxi diver found a spot to drop us off and we hauled all our bags over to the boat.  Fortunately, we were able to drop off our bags so we did not have to haul them around with us.  

We were all very hungry by this time and the Carib Dancer did not board until after 4 p.m., so after dropping off our bags we headed out in search of food.  We wandered quite a ways down the street before we started finding places to eat.  There were a lot of souvenir shops up and down the street, but not much in the way of eating establishments.  We finally settled on eating at the Hard Rock Cafe because it was pretty much the first thing we came across.  

We all split some nachos and then Eric ordered a chicken sandwich, and Jody, Tim, and I all split a chicken club sandwich that was huge.  It was either really good or we were just really hungry.  Either way it hit the spot.  

After having lunch we headed directly across the street to the Starbucks where Jody and Tim each bought a coffee so that they could get WiFi access.  There happened to be a lady standing out in front of Starbucks eating an ice cream that looked really good.  I asked her where she got it and she said just down the street.  So Eric and I headed down the street in search of ice cream.  There we found an ice cream shop and a souvenir shop combined.  We split three scoops of amazing ice cream and then checked out the T-shirts in the souvenir shop.  

We headed back to Starbucks to see if Jody and Tim were still there and they were.  I told Jody about the souvenir shop so the two of us headed back down the street to check it out.  Eric and Tim hung out at Starbucks.  We did not see anything overly exciting at the shop, so we headed down the main street to check out some more shops.  Eric and Tim finally found us quite a ways down the street.  By that time it was almost time to board the boat so we started working our way back toward the marina.

We got back to the boat and they said they needed about 15 more minutes before they were ready, so we headed to the bar/sushi restaurant right there on the dock to have a drink and pass some more time.  By the time we were done with our drinks people had already started to board the boat, so we headed back down.  

As soon as we got on the boat we picked out some dive stations and got to work setting up our dive gear and taking the rest of the stuff to our room.  Our room was surprisingly spacious for having four bunks in it.  I think we were a little worried there might not be enough room for our stuff and all our bags, but there was plenty of space to unpack our stuff and put it in our individual cubbies and then put the bags under the two bunks.

The bathroom attached to our room is a wet-room type bathroom.  It is not the most attractive bathroom, but t serves it purpose.  I soon discovered, though, that when you flush the toilet you get a nice shower as the water line to the toilet must have a hole in it and it sprays up from behind the toilet every time you flush.  I also discovered that you want to be careful when you get up from the toilet not to bump the lever for the shower.  I did that and got a nice shower with my clothes on.  Right after I did this Jody came in the room and I told her to be careful about this possible situation.  So what does she do but go in the bathroom to use the toilet and then I hear her screaming as she accidentally bumped the shower lever.

After getting everything set up and unpacked we all met in the lounge for the boat briefing and introduction to the crew and the other divers.  Not too long after all the introductions we set off on the way to our first dive site for the next morning and then dinner was served.  They boat has a new chef.  He has only been on the boat for about a week or so, but boy is he good.  He made us the most amazing chicken for dinner.  I had made note when we booked that we only ate boneless and skinless chicken or turkey, so when everyone else is having beef, pork or fish, we get to have some type of chicken dish.   

We were all beat and headed to bed around 9 o’clock.  Our bunks are not very wide, 30 inches I think.  I think we are all a little spoiled from sleeping in our big beds at home.  Jody was whining and carrying on that her bed was too small and she made Tim get out of his bed to try it to see if it was any bigger, which it wasn’t.  Even though we were all beat, I think it took us all a while to get to sleep, but then we slept pretty good.  Jody woke me up in the middle of the night and told me to roll over because she thought I was snoring, but I think it was Eric.  Then Tim said Jody woke him up at 2:30 in the morning wanting to know where her light was that the boat might sink or some crazy story.  I guess we shouldn’t have told her the story before bed about the Siren Liveaboard sinking.  

Amazingly we all slept until about 7 a.m.  The first dive was at 8 a.m. so we had to get up and get moving and get our breakfast before we dove.  At 8 a.m. we had the dive deck briefing and them we all jumped in the water.  We did a total of five dives today.  Four dives plus the night dive.  I did all the day dives and skipped the night dive.  We have pretty much started our routine for the week:  Breakfast, dive, snack, dive, lunch, dive, snack, dive, dinner, dive.  So far all the food has been amazing.  The diving hasn’t been too bad either.  The water is really warm, around 84-86 degrees.  Most people are diving just in their swimsuits.  I get cold easily so I am still wearing my thermocline both for warmth and exposure protection.  You never know what you might accidentally bump into.  

So far we have not seen anything new and super exciting.  We have seen a few sharks that have come in fairly close, some silversides, lots and lots of queen angelfish, gray angelfish, filefish, grunts, chubs, big lionfish, a great barracuda, a free swimming remora, and a ton of yellow-headed jawfish.      

Monday and Tuesday

We have been having fun diving and eating our hearts out.  We have settled in nicely to the breakfast, dive, snack, dive, lunch, dive, snack, dive, dinner, dive routine.  Just about everyone has done the five dives a day.  I have sat out the night dives, though.  I think we are settling into sleeping in our microbunks for now, or at least Jody has stopped whining--I think she is too tired to whine now.  

Yesterday we had some really pretty dive sites that we visited with lots of soft and hard coral on the top of the reef.  Today we also visited some nice dive sites.  One dive site in particular had a giant coral head with a cave.  I got some good video of yellowhead jawfish, goldspot goby’s, a juvenile spotted drum, angelfish, a hermit crab in a big shell, and two yellow stingrays.    

Eric and I sat out the night dive but Jody and Tim went.  Apparently at some point during the dive a squid ran into Jody’s chest and inked her.  According to Tim she screamed so loud in her regulator we probably could have heard it on the boat.

Wednesday

Today we woke up to very dark skies, heavy rain, lightening and thunder.  So needless to say we did the first dive in the rain.  It was very dark under water, kind of like doing an evening dive.  The first dive we dove a site they call the Cobia cage which is a giant alien spaceship looking structure they raise Cobia fish in.  There were a couple large grouper, a hermit crab, and a large school of bait fish being herded by a grouper and a barracuda.

Luckily after the first dive the sun decided to make its way out from behind the clouds.  We made our way to a different dive site for the second dive.  The second dive was on a  wall with some coral heads on top.  There was not really much to see there.  The reef was covered with red and green algae and had a lot of diseased areas.  

 We did the third dive at the same site.  Jody and I sat out this dive or I should say we slept it out.  The fourth dive of the day we moved to an area where they feed the sharks,  so we all did this dive and had a lot of fun watching all the sharks.  Many of them got very close.  They seemed to be especially interested in our white fins.  

Jody and I sat out the night dive, but Tim and Eric went.  They saw a shark, a ray, and some of the group saw an octopus.  Apparently there were a bunch of sea wasps when they came back to the boat, so it is probably a good thing Jody and I sat this one out.

Thursday

Today was our final full day of diving.  Tomorrow morning we are getting up early and doing two dives.  I don’t think Jody could take much more.  She has itchy vesicles on her legs, her arms, and all around her neck line, and now one even on her earlobe.  If she gets any more bumps they are going to make her report to a leper colony.  

The first dive of the day was on a reef that was pretty much dead from red algae, green algae, and various diseases.  We did not see anything really interesting.  

The second dive was at the Austin Smith (a sunken coast guard cutter) where we fed the sharks again.  The sharks must not have been as hungry today.  They really were not that interested in the bait in the box.  

The third, fourth, and fifth dives were at the same site.  This was a very nice dive site.  Eric took the GoPro camera down with him on this dive also.  He sat it up to video the jawfish.  We came back from the first dive and got on the boat and Eric realized he had everything but the GoPro.  So he went back out and looked right away and could not find it.  The captain and one of the other guests also went out and snorkeled around looking for it and could not find it either.  

So the fourth dive pretty much everyone was looking for the camera.  We backtracked our path about three or four times and never did find it.  We had pretty much given up and were at the end of the dive when another one of the guests brought it up to us.  Apparently it had fallen out of his pocket when he was getting out at the boat ladder and had drifted away from the back of the boat.  So the fourth dive ended well.  

Jody and I decided to sit out the night dive again, but Eric and Tim went.

Friday, Saturday

Friday we did two morning dives and then we started the journey back to the marina at Nassau.  We made it back to the marina around noon time, after they stopped to gas up the boat ($4500 later).  

The journey back to Nassau gave everyone a chance to start rinsing their gear and getting everything hung out to dry so it could be packed up for the trip home on Saturday.  

By Friday afternoon we managed to have everything dried out and mostly packed up.  The crew was hosting a cocktail party at 6 p.m. on the boat and then it was up to everyone to find their own place to dine for dinner.  After the cocktail party we decided to walk down the street about 15 minutes to a place called the Green Parrot.  Several other people from the boat also joined us for dinner.  We had fun talking with everyone about their past diving experiences, etc.  

After Jody got done dancing and we had paid the bill for dinner we all headed back down the street to the boat.  We were all pretty tired so we headed off to bed.  Everyone had to be off the boat by 8 a.m. Saturday morning so the crew could clean the entire boat and have everything ready for the next group of guests boarding at 4 p.m.

At 8 a.m. we left our luggage in their care and made our way down the street in search of something to do since our flight did not leave until approximately 1:30 in the afternoon.  At this hour of the morning all the shops and stores were still closed, but we wandered by the Straw Market and some of the vendors were opening up already, so Jody bought a couple wraps.  The captain of the boat had told us that there was a pirate museum down the street that was nice, so we headed out in search for that.  

We finally found the pirate museum but they were not open yet, so we made our way across the street to Dunkin Donuts to get something to eat and drink and mainly so we could sit in the air conditioning.  Like most tropical environments, it was extremely hot and humid.  

By this time the pirate museum was open and we wandered over to check it out.  Luckily it was air conditioned inside, so it was well worth the admission price to get in.  The museum took us a while to get through and by the time we were done it was time to head back to the boat.  The boat had arranged for a taxi to take us to the airport around 10:30 a.m.  

We met our taxi driver and got all our stuff loaded in and headed toward the airport.  We had a minor delay on the way to the airport when the taxi driver was pulled over by the police.  Apparently they wanted to write him a ticket, claiming his window tint was too dark.  However, when we looked around at all the other taxis, they all had the exact same tint.  So after some back and forth between our driver and the police officer, he got back in the taxi and we proceeded to the airport.  

The Bahamas has a very nice airport and you actually go through immigration and customs for the US before you leave the Bahamas, which saves a lot of time when you reach your destination in the US.  We all checked in our luggage with the airline and then made our way through Customs and immigration and then had some lunch at the food court in the airport before our flight to Philadelphia.  

Our flight to Philly was uneventful and we spent our layover in the United Lounge before our flight to Phoenix.  The flight to Phoenix was also uneventful and we all got our bags and headed out to the curb to wait for Tim’s dad to pick us up.  We all piled into the truck and Tim’s dad was nice enough to drop Jody off at her house and then Eric and I off at our house.  

We had a very nice trip and met some very nice people.  I think it is safe to say that Jody and Tim are both ready to do another liveaboard vacation.