After we got off the boat, we stayed in Miami a few more days. I wouldn't really recommend Miami as a great place to vacation, but we managed to have a lot of fun. On our first day in Miami, we drove down to Biscayne Beach and spent a few hours soaking up the sun and resting. Somehow I didn't get any pictures here, maybe it was because of the distractions of the frolicking men on either side of us :) After we left the beach we drove down by South Beach. I can't begin to describe the many flavors of people we saw, and all the fancy cars. It was fun to just people watch, it really felt like we were in a whole new world, without doughnuts.
Our last day there we decided to go over to the Everglades. This was really fun!! I would love to take Beau back there. We went on an air boat ride and saw a few alligators. The ride was really loud, fast and pretty fun. After the ride we went to an animal show, and as you can see, got to handle some of the animals (this was my favorite part).
After the Everglades we headed down to Key Largo. I really would have liked to see more of the Keys, but we didn't have the time. We went to a State Park and bought tickets to go out on a boat and snorkel on a reef. This was the most beautiful reef I have ever seen, okay so it is the only one. We all had a great time. Jeanna, who was terrified of sharks, was the lucky one who got to see one up close and personal.
We finished out vacation by eating dinner at a great little diner in Key Largo, rocking our 10 passenger van around, and driving the wrong way on a one way road. What fun times! I will never forget this trip and all the fun I had with my family.
Our last port was St. Maarten, also part of the Virgin Islands, but not U.S. This is where we were suppose to do our 2 open water SCUBA dives. We took a boat out to our dive site. The visibility was not very good, but our instructor wanted to at least try. We got all our gear on and learned how to "walk" off the boat. Once we were all in the water the first instructor went down, then Clay and I, then Jeanna and Jeremy, then our other instructor. The visibility was so bad that I didn't see a submarine wreckage until I cut my leg on it. Unfortunately the instructor had to call the dive off. Now we just need to find somewhere that we can finish our certification. We were all disappointed, then to make matters worse, the boat broke down taking us back to the dock. So we had to bob up and down in the ocean for an hour until another boat came out and got us. I was quite sea sick by this time, so I was glad to get on land again. After getting all our gear taken care of, we had lunch on the boat and went out to see the island. Another beautiful island with more shopping than St. Thomas. Clay and I just wandered around the shops and toured the island. Even though we didn't get to SCUBA dive, we had another nice day.
We had two days at sea, getting back to Miami. I relaxed a lot with a good book. The guys were really into the surfing on the boat. They were pretty ticked that they could only stay up for about 30 seconds. By the last day they were finally getting the hang of it though. I played a game of miniature golf with the Hansens and Dad and Kathie - I got the highest score like usual :) The guys also got to play a game of dodge ball against some crew members, they were killed! I think the best part was hitting the poolside ice cream machine a few times a day. Clay and I were lucky to get an invite from the captain to tour the bridge. I can't believe all the technology that goes into driving the ship. I really enjoyed the captain, he was a very friendly man. We had a really great week on the ship, but were ready to get off to solid land again (we were all just glad that we were heading to a different hotel this time).
We started out in Miami where we spent a sleepless night in the worst hotel ever! The sheets were filthy, the toilet ran all night, and the shower didn't even work. To add to the experience, we had a room with 4 beds, so all my sisters and spouses slept in the same room. Of course there was never a manager to complain to. We now look back and laugh, but it wasn't pleasant.
Here is our instructor, Jorge. He was from Venezuela. He hopes to open his own dive shop one day, and I hope to be able to go and dive with him again. Our last day training in the pool, he saved a baby that fell into the pool. It was amazing how fast he reacted. Amy and Jeron gave him a Book of Mormon our last night on the boat. We all hope to keep in touch with him.
Our first port was in Puerto Rico. We got in late in the afternoon and the weather was not very good, so this was not my favorite stop. We were able to walk around and see some cool sites. We went up to this cool old "castle" and got a great view. After we just wandered around and shopped. There was a lady who sold the most beautiful jewelry, and very well priced too. I think all of us got at least one piece from her.
