Horizon / Live / Solo - Sep 21-29-2019

[sid_9169]

Finally, we had arrived! It didn't quite look like the nicest beach in the world, but at least I was off that boat. Here are a couple of pictures that I took upon our arrival, after I had cleaned my hands with a handy wipe, after handling that life vest that smelled like it was from WWI...

 

[sid_9169]

I'll post a few more pictures before I continue.

More of beautiful (but, not really spectacular, Sanoa Island...)

 

[tkportersat]

20 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

Soon, we were off towards beautiful Sanoa Island. We went very slowly until we were out into open water, and then sped up once we were out a bit... The front end was raised out of the water once we got up to speed, and came crashing down after every wave, which was approximately every three seconds. The cushion I was sitting on was probably about an inch thick when it was new, but in it's current condition, was about 5 millimeters in thickness. Now, I have recurring lower back issues, that have luckily not been so bad lately. This pounding up and down every three seconds wasn't going to do my back any good. Did I mention that Sanoa Island is about a thirty or forty minute boat ride from Bahibe? So, were going along, and the boat is pounding, and my back feels like someone is hitting it about every three seconds with a giant sledgehammer.

So Sorry, I really hope your back is alright 😞

[sid_9169]

Here's the "speed boat" that brought us to "beautiful" Sanoa Island...

 

[sid_9169]

I explored for a few minutes, and took a couple more pictures... There are several cats that live on the island. Interesting thing about the cats. You know how most cats go to the bathroom, then cover it up afterwards? Well, I actually witnessed this cat dig a pretty deep hole in the sand, and then proceed to do his (or, her) business, then carefully fill the hole back up with sand...

 

 

[Slainte57]

Yikes😧Not what I consider a speed boat

[sid_9169]

I needed to use the restroom after the long boat ride, so I asked where it was... "Over there" the lady told me... So I go "over there" and came across a small rickety building. Now, I've been all over the Caribbean, and I've been in any number of questionable bathrooms... Keep in mind, I'm barefoot at this point... They made us take off our shoes prior to boarding the "speed boat"... My feet were covered in sand, so I didn't want to put my sandy feet inside my relatively new Keen water shoes... Anyhoo, I get over to the restroom, and go right in...

 

I was just glad that I didn't have to go "number two" under these circumstances... I did my thing, and went over to wash my hands. Well, as my luck would have it today, there was no water whatsoever coming out of the faucet. This basically means that everyone who works on the island, including the people cooking our lunch over there, have washed their hands since who knows when... Luckily, I brought with me an adequate supply of handy wipes... Here's a picture of the outside of the bathroom building...

 

 

[sid_9169]

By this point, after the long pounding boat ride, and the restrooms with no running water, I was just waiting to head back to the ship... This is about twenty minutes after we had just gotten there... About an hour or so later, lunch was ready. I only had a very small breakfast this morning, and I could use a bite, but do I dare even think of eating on an island with no running water, where no one there had washed their hands since who knows when? They brought out the food to a large picnic table area. There was chicken, pork chops, vegetables, fruit, and something that looked like spaghetti with canned tomatoes poured on top. I ended up getting a small serving of rice, a piece of chicken, a pork chop, and some veggies... I said a prayer that I would even survive this... I also hoped that they didn't put the cooked chicken on the same plate as the raw chicken...

[Mutumbojimbo]

I hope you're recuperating at the Alchemy Bar while writing this. I think I need a drink and I'm just reading about this excursion.

 

[Greenpea2]

Sid, sounds like a big disappointment of an excursion. That no water thing is so nasty!

Edited September 24, 2019 by Greenpea2

[sid_9169]

A short while later, it was time to get back on the "speed boat" to go check out the mangroves and some other place where there were lots of starfish... I made it a point this time to sit further towards the back, and hopefully my back would survive the ride. I still had to put on the stinky life vest from the civil war era... We arrived at the mangroves, and I wasn't able to get any pictures, as I was on the opposite side of the boat. We also passed the set where they had been filming the next season of Survivor... That was pretty interesting, as I have been watching since season 1... I wasn't able to get a picture of that either, because I was on the wrong side of the boat. Awhile later, we arrived at the place where the starfish live, and they said that you could get out and swim there, but I wasn't really in the mood for swimming, and I didn't want to lose my seat.

[Amadawn1]

2 hours ago, RenoNanaOz said:

We just got off the Vista a couple weeks ago and ate at Bonsai Sushi 3 times. it is awesome. Ask for Suttelila(spelling) she's a doll.

That's great news!  Thank you so much for the recommendation, too.  I hope Suttelila is still there when we sail the first week of December.  Thanks, again!

[sid_9169]

3 minutes ago, Mutumbojimbo said:

I hope you're recuperating at the Alchemy Bar while writing this. I think I need a drink and I'm just reading about this excursion.

 

I am actually sitting near the Alchemy Bar, but I'm not drinking yet, as I have the Chef's Table coming up soon... I'll be drinking wine there, and don't want to go too crazy with tequila on a nearly empty stomach...

[missholly24]

10 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

A short while later, it was time to get back on the "speed boat" to go check out the mangroves and some other place where there were lots of starfish... I made it a point this time to sit further towards the back, and hopefully my back would survive the ride. I still had to put on the stinky life vest from the civil war era... We arrived at the mangroves, and I wasn't able to get any pictures, as I was on the opposite side of the boat. We also passed the set where they had been filming the next season of Survivor... That was pretty interesting, as I have been watching since season 1... I wasn't able to get a picture of that either, because I was on the wrong side of the boat. Awhile later, we arrived at the place where the starfish live, and they said that you could get out and swim there, but I wasn't really in the mood for swimming, and I didn't want to lose my seat.

I think I need a drink after that excursion....

[reeinaz]

I’m not the least bit of a germaphobe... but that bathroom 🤢

 

I would’ve copied the cats and did my business in a hole in the sand. 

[Amadawn1]

11 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

I am actually sitting near the Alchemy Bar, but I'm not drinking yet, as I have the Chef's Table coming up soon... I'll be drinking wine there, and don't want to go too crazy with tequila on a nearly empty stomach...

After the start of that excursion story, I'd definitely have at least one awesome margarita before Chef's table.  Wow, I hope your back is doing okay.

[sid_9169]

I want to try and knock out the rest of Sanoa Island before I have to go to the Chef's Table...

 

After the people finished swimming with the starfish, it was finally time to start heading back to La Romana... They said that it was a bit rougher going back than coming over. Great! So, we start on our way, and I'm sitting on the 4 millimeters of cushion, and I'm wearing the stinky life vest from the war of 1812... The boat is pounding down after every wave, which was about every three seconds. Whenever the boat pounded down, saltwater blew into my face and eyes... My back was starting to hurt, and I just wanted to get back to the ship. Of course, I still had about thirty or forty minutes of this pounding and salt water in my face to look forward to... Eventually, the light at the end of the tunnel was in view... We were actually about to make it back to the beach where it all began. I said another prayer, and hoped my back would survive.

[lasvegascruising]

After reading this account of the excursion(and it's not even over yet), I have now remembered why I only like excursions that are about 2 hours long, food not needed(rather would eat on the ship), rum punch not needed(have cheers and will get my drink on when I return to the ship) and lastly, don't want my husband looking at me with "what the crap" have you got us into look.

[sid_9169]

We finally made it back to shore. My back had survived, and I could at least take off the stinky life vest from the American Revolutionary war... This was the awkward moment where they come around with a hat asking people to fill it with tips... I'm sorry to say that there would be no tip from me this day... I just wanted to get in the taxi and head back to the ship, so I could take a shower... We finally got loaded up in the taxi, and the driver insisted that I sit in the crummy middle seat again, with my legs scrunched up against the dash... I didn't even care, just get me back to the ship!

[katstoy]

12 minutes ago, reeinaz said:

I’m not the least bit of a germaphobe... but that bathroom 🤢

 

I would’ve copied the cats and did my business in a hole in the sand. 

Nope, you take a leisurely stroll out into the ocean about waist deep . . . . .

 

[Von & John]

57 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

 Now, I've been all over the Caribbean, and I've been in any number of questionable bathrooms... Keep in mind, I'm barefoot at this point...

 

 

 

Thanks for the bathroom shots...

I knew you wouldn't let us down...

& Ewwww barefoot & no running water...

The good news is, it looks like you were one of the first in there...

Did you go wash off in water afterwards?

[mommio]

33 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

A short while later, it was time to get back on the "speed boat" to go check out the mangroves and some other place where there were lots of starfish... I made it a point this time to sit further towards the back, and hopefully my back would survive the ride. I still had to put on the stinky life vest from the civil war era... We arrived at the mangroves, and I wasn't able to get any pictures, as I was on the opposite side of the boat. We also passed the set where they had been filming the next season of Survivor... That was pretty interesting, as I have been watching since season 1... I wasn't able to get a picture of that either, because I was on the wrong side of the boat. Awhile later, we arrived at the place where the starfish live, and they said that you could get out and swim there, but I wasn't really in the mood for swimming, and I didn't want to lose my seat.

I just knew you'd get to the civil war!

[JandPB]

1 hour ago, sid_9169 said:

I needed to use the restroom after the long boat ride, so I asked where it was... "Over there" the lady told me... So I go "over there" and came across a small rickety building. Now, I've been all over the Caribbean, and I've been in any number of questionable bathrooms... Keep in mind, I'm barefoot at this point... They made us take off our shoes prior to boarding the "speed boat"... My feet were covered in sand, so I didn't want to put my sandy feet inside my relatively new Keen water shoes... Anyhoo, I get over to the restroom, and go right in...

 

 

I was just glad that I didn't have to go "number two" under these circumstances... I did my thing, and went over to wash my hands. Well, as my luck would have it today, there was no water whatsoever coming out of the faucet. This basically means that everyone who works on the island, including the people cooking our lunch over there, have washed their hands since who knows when... Luckily, I brought with me an adequate supply of handy wipes... Here's a picture of the outside of the bathroom building...

 

 

I am just not a barefoot in the public bathroom guy. I couldn't have done that. Information like this is why CC is helpful. This is an excursion I will not be doing . Sorry it wasn't amazing for you.

[Von & John]

Sid  --  After the day you had, I hope you have a Most Amazing Chef's Table w/ great wine & people to share it with!

[mommio]

I loved your story telling!  I was waiting for you to end up with a couple of coconuts strapped to your chest as the most primitive floatation devise