1ST PORT – GRAND TURK ISLAND

This is going to be a short stop. In reality everyone who comes this route agree, Grand Turk is not a necessary stop, other than Carnival owns the Terminal and the adjacent Margaritaville bar & pool, and it’s very short stop - 7A to 2P - just time enough for them to extract more cash at the pool and duty free store.  It would be far more palatable to skip it to spend more time in La Romana or Aruba.

But it was a good time to test the snorkel gear, swim goggles and nifty underwater camera pack, and of course a trip to Jack’s Shack.

Getting off the ship is the usual cattle call at security and then the long trek off the pier since they park two ships on either side; you have to walk the length of the pier just to get to the entrance of the “Carnival Cruise Terminal” {Duty Free Store –double price for everything but booze} 
And of course... in her hurry to get off the ship, she forgot her hat and just has to stop in the terminal to buy one {so many hats, too many choices}.
Of course OUTSIDE the terminal - at the straw market - hats are ½ the price of those in the terminal. Oh wellllll.

Ok… since it’s 11AM, just try to find an empty beach chair anywhere on the Carnival controlled property… Aint happenin’. 

After slogging the whole beach in the soft sand {out of shape calves screaming all the way}  Chucky decides they might as well head on down to Jack’s Shack and find a less crowded spot on the beach there and maybe a chair.

Half-way to Jack’s -which, in the distance - 500 meters from the cruise pier - seems to be at the end of civilization - And after passing several other Tiki Bars -
“It’s gonna be a looooonnnng walk back!”

she huffs & puffs looking back to the ship.

“Not to worry dear… just stay by the water the sand is harder,” he chuckles…
{calves REALLY starting to complain loudly}

Jack’s Shack ß{read the story} is pretty much that… a shack for a kitchen and a tiki bar, and a tchotchke shop [built much later than the original shack] the Highlight of which is Tofer, the crab digging dog, good Fish sandwiches, Cold Beer and that special concoction “The Sandy Vagina”.

Yeah, you read that right.  In addition to getting one on the fine sandy beach, the ladies can drink a Sandy Vagina, 
the guys can too J.  Very tasty, though the sandy look in the cup spooked the Dragon Lady until the bartender explained:
"the sand is the Vanilla seeds in the Vodka."
.
Beach Chairs were available @ no Cost and it was time to get wet and try the gear.  Of course Chucky forgets to take the shape forms out of the fins and couldn't figure out why he couldn't get his foot all the way in…Duh Uhh!

Snorkel gear, Check

Swim goggles {for his new Contacts} Check

Underwater Camera case… NOT!

Well, it is water proof, but the glare and thick plastic make it impossible to see what your shooting so you have to just point and click away, hoping something gets framed right.  And if you don’t have the lens zoomed slightly, you get a circle around the pic from the expandable water proof lens, sorta like looking through a porthole.  Oh welllll it was worth a try.  We'll try it again on Saona Island.

Time for a break, some drinks and food, and while waiting for her to exit the too nice to leave water, Chucky hears:

“Come here often Sailor?”

Michelle has arrived with Dan, Nick, Kathleen, Mike & Mary {hereafter referred to as MD-NK-M&M since I’m not typing all that every time} and we adjourn to the Shack to fuel up.

1/3 of MD-NK-M&M is in the tchotchke shop taking advantage of the A/C and the Free Wifi to catch up with family issues and work issues -
"Hey guys… you’re on VaCay… they can do without you for a week"
– says the Dragon Lady who, believing in her own in-dispensability, put in 15 hrs a day for MaBelle [at&t] who somehow managed to survive her retirement. {don’t get him started}

As noted above, 
Fish Sandwich -  Good
Beer  - Cold  
Sandy Vagina’s - well… very tasty 
{depending on your point of view J}

And yes… it was a long trek back to the ship but not as bad down by the water’s edge {calves not screaming as much}

Agreeing to a 6:45 meet for dinner, except Nick who HAS to head for the hot tub in the Gym, everyone else heads for hot showers and a nap {that sun was HOT}. 

Chucky and Dragon Chic, stop at the Lido Buffet for some Cheese, Fruit & Baguettes to go along with some Wine they brought to relax on the Balcony.

A 6:15P, call from Michelle to meet for Cocktails before dinner and we head to the Atrium for a perfectly mixed Bone Dry Dewar’s Rob Roy – Straight Up, Stirred, NOT shaken, Lemon Twist Please - and some Fruity Drinks for the others 

{a little schooling of the bartender the night before paid off} .

Because of the time, the only table left at “Our Time” was a large 10 top by the hostess stand, so we got to spread out a bit.

Dinner was done well, Chuck’s Braised Brisket in Burgundy with root Veggies was done Perfectly, unfortunately his Dysfagia kicked in mid-way and half the meal was left, which distressed the poor waiter who begged to get him something else, until Chucky convinced the poor guy it was HIM not the food.

The customary trip to the Alchemy Bar for after dinner Funny Drinks {Daniel was ready with a bottle of Dewar’s and Snifter for Chucky} before heading to the Piano bar to Harass poor Seth some more. Kathleen delights in heckling him {all in fun} and he handles her VERY well {as all good Piano Bar Guys can}  She and Michelle even awarded him with Bourbon Street Beads, Guitar Sun Glasses and inducted him into the “Kathleen’s Loyal Order of The Flashing Star” with a necklace of the same.

By now it was time to crash… the next day called for an early GET off The Boat call 7:30A in the Millennium Lounge for the ROLL CALLers who were taking the Seavis-Saona Island Tour.

Maybe the Waterproof Camera pack will work better there.

Ciao 4 Now,

Uncle Chuck & The Slowly Fading from Fruity Drinks

Dragon Lady