After shoving off from Miami Harbor at 6am on Tuesday morning, we bucked our way out of the harbor and settled into the rhythm of our trip. Settling seas and wind unfortunately on our nose (Andy constantly reminded me that gentlemen do not go to weather, and yet…), we plugged along and made it out of the Gulf Stream and to the bank by about 3:30pm. Coming back onto soundings so suddenly is an amazing thing- thousands of feet to 20 in a blink of an eye. Deep blue all around to startling turquoise with views of the bottom makes for a serious change in scenery. Starfish, grass, and best of all, dolphins! We had a visit by one in particular, who played in the bow wake for quite a while before zooming off. It was amazing to watch it watching us, and I imagine that after a bit it was thinking “These slow pokes have boring bow wakes. I’m off to find some sport fishermen.”.
In other news, I read two books, did puzzles, taught Violet how to make a friendship bracelet, which she picked up quickly and voraciously, we played hangman, ate like it was our job, and watched Fantastic Mr. Fox in the cockpit just after sunset, which was a treat. I captured my new favorite line for the kids, thanks to Meryl Streep’s delivery which cracks me up so much: “If what I think is happening is happening… it’d better not be.” I can barely think of a situation that this does not apply to.
Ruach beat us to the marina, but saved us a slip right next to them, and as soon as we were checked in with customs and the marina office, we went off into Atlantis’ world of overstimulation and glitz. Violet and I did a river rafting trip in an inner tube while Lily, Martin and Maeve repeatedly did a nearly-vertical water slide that ended in them shooting through a shark tank before dumping them into a pool. It looked ridiculously unnecessary, but they were more than charged up to do it again and again. Of course, I ended the day on a water slide that gave me a sinus enema I wasn’t quite prepared for and spent the rest of the night trying to stand up straight within the confines of my roiling head, but hey! This stuff is a blast, right?!
It poured last night, which was a blessing in that it was a free and easy deck wash, and today is grey and windy. We’ll go check out the aquarium and inner workings of the resort, before likely being dragged back into the water park components by our dogged daredevils.
First though- school for the minions!
**Wordpress is trying my patience with a new update encouraging photos not to rotate when asked. Stand by while I harangue them for assistance…