Paradise: day 3

I like to think of this as the day I found Jesus.

Like, literally.

The ship docked in Nassau, Bahamas, and I felt the need to at least walk on the pier, maybe even go into town.

Ah, but the sun was so very hot at 10 AM...

still, I made it to the entrance to the city...

then remembered I had no photo ID with me.

Nope, that wouldn't do!

So, back I walked to the Paradise, maybe a little slower, and that pace allowed me to spot the image atop one of the yellow concrete posts on the sidewalk.

What is the message inscribed on that pink sash he wears?

"I AM WITH YOU"

Admittedly, I have not felt alone on this vacation though I travel solo.

Mama's presence has been with me from the start, partly due to the luggage I bought in 2001 with some of her insurance money.

Mostly, though, it's because she always travels in my heart, so there's that.

I know she would have enjoyed this cruise with my first niece and her little girls!

And just where were they on this port day?

They took one of the day trips to go swimming with pigs.

I'm absolutely serious!

I knew the deadline to be back on board was 3:30 PM, so I started hanging out at their door (4024, Deck 4 Fwd) around 3 PM.

Finally, I heard her voice rising from Deck 3 Fwd and went down the hall... and there they were, at last.

The time was 3:41 PM.

It was his fault, though, that they were late, as he broke his dad's walker.

He said he was going backward in it and hit a rough place and bent the wheel.

That'll make the trip easier on him, as the ship is letting him borrow a wheelchair.

I'm glad I decided to forego that side trip!

I'm just as glad to have been viewing Nassau from the windows in Euphoria.

All of those colorful buildings remind me of River Street, as well as Nice, France, which I'd visited in 2002 on that Mediterranean cruise.

Did I say what I did while they were gone?

I hung out in the Euphoria Lounge, up on Deck 8 mid, sipping on a free Frozen Lemonade while I watched Jimmy Buffett sing in a long-ago concert in Memphis!

I was there for Arts & Crafts with Melinda and Kaylee, but that didn't happen, so we chatted instead.

Then I popped up to the Mexican Cutie Cantina for lunch, then back down to Euphoria for "Guess The Flag" Trivia, a la Sheldon's "Fun With Flags".

Guess I should have paid more attention!

After that, I'd stood watch on Dec 4 Fwd until I was assured that Christina had safely returned, then I'd bounced back to Euphoria for "90's TV" Trivia with Mohammed.

I managed to get 15 out of 20 on that!

My score was only 5 of 14 on the flags.

Pete the Parrot came strolling by for a meet and greet, but the family was still getting clean from their swim at a beach with pigs.

High Five to Pete from me!

We all met up again for Fins Dining - we had to, a'ight? - though their appetites were a bit off from a day in the sun.

I started with Caribbean Cauliflower Soup, which was more like potato soup.

The Santa Cruz Fish, however, was fabulous, fresh, and fancy!!!

Want to guess what I ate for dessert?

Of course I had the Key Lime Sponge Cake - it's delish!!!

Christina had the Margarita Bars, but they were too sweet on their own.

So we took it with us to the High Tides Market up on Deck 10, after dropping off Miyah and Chloe at the Parakeet Club on Deck 8.

(Yes, there's a lot of bouncing up and down on elevators! Now, imagine it with a man in a wheelchair and that just adds to the fun! LOL!)

Christina had the Fins Dining dessert with a glass of milk and that made it perfect enough that she had a bit of salad and pasta, too.

That was good, as she'd eaten hardly any dinner and none of them had lunch while they were on the island.

We played some kind of Rummy game with cards until time for my first niece to go fetch her girls.

Then they all had chocolate ice cream and I had Margherita Pizza - ah, yes!

We'd missed the 'clean' show by the comedian at 7:30 because we had been late going to Fins for dinner...

and the girls couldn't go to his 'dirty' later show...

but they were all tired from their day ashore with the broken walker.

 

Time to head back to our rooms and call it a night...

especially as it was already after 11 PM.

And what had my room steward, Mohamed, left there?

An elephant in my room!!!

Hahahaha!