Back to the USA

On the way to Phoenix from Miami we had numerous mini-lightshows of 4th of July fireworks while ascending and descending. We had a very short night after arriving in Phoenix at 10:30pm. We woke up at 4:45am were out the motel door by 5:00am. We had to catch the 6:20 to Seattle. What a thrill to be served beans and tortillas in First Class. Best breakfast EVAAAH!!!

We arrived in LuRue favorite place in the Seattle airport, the N gates. We did a lap around the airport. Walked and "trained" to the C, S, A, and B gates and finally returned to C gates where our plane to Fairbanks leaves (and where there is a Freshens!)

Nearly home again after tropical Belize, stifling Phoenix (reached 118 last week!), and now headed to cool Alaska.

A Day of Surprises

We had time to spare before our taxi came to take us to the airport. So, in those couple hours, we struck modeling poses from Vanity Fair Magazine, which we found in the apartment. Here are two pictures of the women destined to be models.

Our plane landed in Placencia to pick up extra passengers, but there was not enough room for all, so one of the workers told Montana to go sit in the co-pilot's seat. Both LuRue and Montana were very surprised. So, on the way back to Belize City, Montana rode shot gun, watching how the pilot flew the plane. She can now fly an F-16 with no problems.



When we arrived in Belize City, and got settled back into our room, and found a soft, cuddly elephant on our bed. We dealt with it as if it was a normal everyday thing.

The B&B hostess gave us the letter we had been hoping for. It was an official notification from an ichthyologist saying, "You have indeed identified the rare tomato fish. We are thrilled that you have been able to capture an image of an entire family of tomato fish...that is extremely rare." They also said we should put our photo into National Geographic; there's no question that it would win the photo contest. Here is our picture of the rare tomato fish family:

To learn more about this rare fish, go to en.wikipedia.org/tomato_fish

What a day we've had! Ready to leave now...not sure we can take any more of this excitement!

Special Edition-Big Falls Adventure

Montana Zip Lining

LuRue ready to take off

At the Warm Springs Pool

Some Mayan Women Bathing and Washing Clothes

Montana Feeling the Pain of Getting Her Picture Taken

LuRue River Tubing

An Almost Debut

Today was a day full of getting packed. We walked downtown and went to the first, and best Chinese restaurant we have been to. We both got sweet and sour chicken con ensalada. YUM!

After lunch we stopped by the Snack Shack and got an Oreo mint milkshake, which we both decided was the best in town. However, there aren’t many places to get milkshakes in Punta Gorda.

Yesterday, Ray from the Drum School had called and suggested that we come this afternoon to his place to work on Montana’s song. He and his brother, Ivan, were getting ideas on how to combine the song with Garifuna drumming and liked the challenge of combining two different types of music. Ray said, “Once I get started on something, I don’t want to stop.”

We went to Ray’s place at 4 o’clock, as planned, but as we were driving up, he pulled up in his motorcycle and started doing something with a sunflower, almost as if to say,  “I’ve been here all along, you did not just see me pull up on that motorcycle.” They tried to get a hold of the third guy, the guy who plays keyboard, but he was just getting home from work and wasn’t quite ready. We suggested that maybe we should just forget the whole thing, but Ray refused to give up just yet. After we talked it over more, Ray suggested that we should meet at 7 at the Sea Splash restaurant, after their performance at another hotel. The Sea Splash restaurant had a music room with drums, piano, etc., which they were allowed to use.

However, the restaurant turned out to be closed on Tuesday nights, and the man with the key never showed up as promised. We waited for over an hour, but then our hope started disintegrating. Montana introduced Garage Band to everyone else at the table, INCLUDING LuRue. They all seemed very interested in it, but LuRue was too old for that kind of stuff, so she just sat back and asked questions about the Garifuna culture, which is much more interesting than Garage Band!!!  We finally said good night and took a taxi home.

 Some good pictures from yesterday, but too late tonight, so there will have to be a special edition of July 1st photos!

Big Falls Adventure

We’re getting to be regulars on the 8:00am James bus that comes along just a block from the Blue Belize.

Today we were headed for the Big Falls Extreme Adventures. This was the same place we had gotten off before when we went to the Living Maya Experience. Yesterday Montana had called to make arrangements for a combination tour—zip lining, river tubing, warm springs swim, and dinner.

We were the only two guests so got very specialized attention. There were 6 lines to zip across…twice across the river, then we were driven to a location up river to put in with the tubes. As we floated along, we had to dodge some low-hanging trees, but some were good for grabbing & spinning ourselves around. Though we splashed each other, it didn’t matter much as it began pouring rain.

While floating along, we watched women on the river edges, bathing themselves & their children, as well as washing their clothes. Some ignored us, but others waved and called out as we floated past. About half-way through the float, we stopped at the pull-out for the warm springs. A small pool a bit warmer than the river, but nice to splash around in. Back to the river for the rest of the tubing trip. It took about an hour in all.

We finished up at the lodge where we ate lunch…something new & different—chicken, rice & beans, salad, & soda. At least this time there was a strip of fried plantain across the rice.

The bus was due anytime so we left the lodge & got to the bus stop just before another downpour.

It was a day of adventure in more ways than one. A good day we’ll remember!

**No pictures for now, because the internet is being annoying and not letting us post any pictures. 

Before the Drumming (The Making)

We did nothing exciting this morning, before our second drum school. We got our duffels packed as much as possible and LuRue, with some help from Montana, got her money organized, and Montana made the reservations for tomorrow. LuRue said, “She felt so tired, she would need to be carried home if she went into town.”

At 2:45, we went outside to wait for our taxi, but it didn’t come. We figured out that the taxi never got notified, because she wasn’t answering any of her calls from Esmé, the assistant for Kate while Kate is gone. Esmé finally called another taxi and we arrived at the drum place only 5 minutes late.

Today, the drum school was about making drums, which we decided neither of us would want to do in our free time. Ray, the instructor, had us open up the inside with a hammer and chisel. Part of it was already done though, so it was much easier than it would have been to do from the start. Also, this particular tree, termites ate their way through the center to make a home, so that made it easier too. Ray also had us plane and sand the outside. Planing is when you use a planer to take off the bumps on the outside of the drum. We never did finish a drum completely though.

After he taught us how to make drums, Ray and his younger brother, Ivan, worked with Montana on a song she sent them earlier in the week. LuRue had fun watching them work and it looked like Ray and Ivan were having a good time helping Montana. So, everyone seemed to be having a good time.

At around 5, we called a taxi to pick us up and he drove us back to Blue Belize.

Ranger for a Day

An early bus meant setting an alarm for this morning. We caught the bus around 8:00am & headed for the Ya'axché Conservation Trust...about a 2-hour bus ride.

A couple from Britain was on the bus for the same trip. We met briefly with two wardens who explained the protected areas in the Toledo district & how there was some encroachment from Guatemala for some decorative leaves.

We were split into two groups, each guide starting from opposite ends of the trail--we met & passed in the middle. The other group had a young boy with them. Apparently they had stumbled into three boys & their dogs poaching animals. Two boys ran off & the other tried to hide, but his dog was barking to protect him, so he was caught. The ranger eventually took him home to his village, where the village elders will deal with him.

There were lots of plants, vines, trees, and other vegetation to see, but little in the way of animal life. We did see a few butterflies, a hummingbird, some caterpillars, some insects, spiders, and ants, and also heard some bird songs, but the most interesting thing was the brown basilisk. Montana devoted herself to taking lots of pictures, while LuRue quizzed Coy on his life.

Doesn't that look inviting?

This is what rich caterpillars look like

This is the Basilisk 

One of the things he mentioned was the interaction between his people (Mayan) and the Amish/Mennonites in the area. He said that things are better now, but not long ago, the Amish/Mennonite people would have nothing to do with the Mayans as they believed that the Mayans were cannibals. He told about one time that he approached a house to try to make friends, but since the man of the house was gone, the women and children locked themselves in the house & refused to answer the door.

After the tour was over & we were waiting for the bus back to town, the English couple told about seeing a snake trying to eat a lizard...but it was unsuccessful. Their walk had more action than ours!

After coming back to town, we cleaned up from head to toe...lots of mud since it had been raining when we started the walk. Into town to the bank, the grocery store, and an extremely noisy Chinese restaurant. Food was good, but neither of us cared for the Saturday night crowd.

Boat Bound for BCE

Today, almost right after breakfast, we headed out on the boat, back to the mainland. We got to the mainland and had to wait for a taxi for about 15 minutes. The taxi drove us to the bank, so LuRue could get money out of the bank account to pay everyone she needed to. She had been told, from this bank, you could draw at most $800 out of it. So, LuRue tried to draw $800 out, and it seemed like it was working, but no money or receipt would come out. So, we went to get assistance, but no one could seem to find out what was going on. We were shown to almost every station at the bank, until, finally someone tried a dollar and it worked. It turned out that you could only draw $500 BZ from the bank, each day. Whoever told LuRue you could draw $800, was misleading.

The taxi driver had been patiently waiting outside and he drove us back to Blue Belize. We got in for, like, the third time. Right after we got in, we went into town again to look for a lunch. We went to the Snack Shack, but it was not as good as we were told, or remembered. We ordered a burrito, coleslaw as a side (only LuRue ordered that), an oreo milkshake and a mango smoothie. The coleslaw side was actually mixed in with the burrito, which made it look disgusting to Montana. The burrito tortilla was too spicy for LuRue and the mango smoothie was not at all what Montana had remembered. The only thing that was good was the oreo milkshake, which LuRue ordered and let Montana have a few sips.

After lunch, we walked over to the Belize tourist center. The real Mayan paddle was on display. We thought the paddle was pretty cool, and how similar the 3D replica was to the real paddle. The lady archeologist we had met before was there & told us exactly how she & her team had found it. A dedicated team who ducked into mucky waist-deep water time after time, holding their breaths so they could dig us posts.

This is the 3D replica

This is the real paddle

After looking at the paddle, we walked over to the nature center to figure out if we could do the “Ranger for a Day.” It turns out they had not planned for us, so a young woman got on the phone & LuRue talked to the head ranger. He said, No problem & that three other people are coming, too. So, we are all planned for tomorrow. We went to the grocery store and bought some snacks for tomorrow, before going back to the apartment.

When we got back to our condo, both of us took showers and LuRue tried to figure out how much cash she had left before going out for a birthday dinner. Montana got curried chicken with white rice and LuRue got fried chicken with white rice. We both got the pumpkin cake as a dessert, which, both thought was really good. We walked back to Blue Belize and got ready for the next day.

Now that we are posting the blog, we are frustrated that we forgot to take a picture during Montana's birthday dinner. Her camera was there, but apparently we were distracted by a large group of young people  who might have been Peace Corps volunteers. I guess posing next to a 1400-year-old Mayan paddle will have to do instead.

Diving, Dissecting and PIE!

We woke up at 6:30. While the others were snorkeling, we walked around the island, LuRue took more pictures of the island to show Mark and Teresa, because when they went to ReefCI, it was on another island. After breakfast, we went out for a snorkel and did a lap around the island. We saw two triggerfish, which is pretty unusual to see. We saw all three kinds of angel fish, queen, grey and french.

We had lunch and at around two, Simon took us out for our last scuba dive for this trip. We were gone for about an hour. There wasn't much unusual to see, but we still enjoyed being down under the water. Simon pointed out a few things, but sometimes neither one of us knew what he was pointing at.

Right after we got back, Jason, the marine biologist, was dissecting some lion fish as part of the work of Reef CI. A few of us were helping. Lisa and Montana took turns measuring, checking for "noodles" (small projections that indicate a juvenile), then filleting. The next step was the interesting part. After prying out the stomach, you had to see if it had gonads or eggs, then the stomach was removed and the contents were analyzed. Montana says that LuRue was too much of a wimp to try it, but LuRue has gutted her share of chickens and fish & preferred to be the photographer. It was amazing how the things could be identified even though they were extremely tiny, such as a quarter of an inch long. A log was kept and will be sent in to a group that collects information for Belize.

Montana joined a game of volleyball while LuRue visited with some of the other guests. They served some delicious curried lobster for dinner.  And then after the meal was over, everyone began singing Happy Birthday to both Montana and to Harry, who is the nephew of the owner & works on the island. A scrumptious lime cream pie was brought out for each birthday person & was quickly devoured. What a great way to end the day!

From Sharks to Shrimp

Today was a day quieter than yesterday. Most of the people were out on dives, so Montana and LuRue photographed things around the island and played some games.

After lunch we were on the boat heading out to look for whale sharks. A very bumpy ride, but just when we thought there was nothing to see, Snake (the boat driver) spotted the signs he was looking for…a bunch of birds circling close to the water & diving in. As we approached, we were told to get ready to jump in off the edge of the boat. We all jumped when we were given the sign,,,all 11 of us, so we made quite a splash. Montana and LuRue had to orient themselves after they surfaced to see which way to go. We followed the main swimmers and LuRue saw some spots disappearing into the deep, but no shape of anything. Montana was a couple of feet behind me & didn’t even get to see the spots. We got back onto the boat & several more times Snake said to get ready, so we were all ready to spring, but each time the whale shark we were creeping up on outsmarted us and dove right away. We had to head back so that the divers could stay on schedule. We did get to see a couple of photos taken by the front swimmers, but even they weren’t as great as what we were hoping for. Lots of excitement & anticipation, but both Montana and LuRue have decided that it’s not worth a second trip if they go again tomorrow. Neither of them got pictures too.

A short time after lunch, Simon took us scuba diving again, this time around the other half of the island. We saw lots of colorful fishes & corals. Simon had to help LuRue one time with the buoyancy release valve because she was beginning to float to the surface. Both Montana & LuRue felt pressure in their ears, very similar to ascending or descending in a plane, but it was just more annoying than anything. We stayed at about 9 feet in depth, but it is amazing what a different feel there is compared to snorkeling. You kind of feel like you are flying--going in, around, & through coral formations.

At around 6:30, Montana and LuRue went out for a night snorkel. We had to stay around the grassy area, and didn't see much until we got to the dock. We saw lots of sea urchins, brittle stars, red and white shrimp, lobsters, an eel and much more. 

Finally....a real scuba dive!!

No one needed to set an alarm this morning. At 5:30am a simultaneous lightning flash & clap of thunder had everyone practically jumping out of bed this morning. Everyone was thinking, oh no, another day with hardly any snorkeling or scuba diving, but the weather changed and it turned out to be the best weather day since we got here.

When everyone else was taking their 7:30 dive, LuRue and Montana and another woman, Lisa, walked around the island counting how many sooty tern chicks there were. They counted around 14, but are sure they missed hundreds of them hiding in the coral rubble.

After breakfast, Simon gave a fish ID talk. Then he took Montana and LuRue out for their first scuba dive! We both thought it was very fun and interesting, and quite the experience. We only went down to seven feet, but got to take a short cut, by not learning all the needed things to go deeper. In other words, we kind of cheated our diving lessons. We both agree that it was easier than we thought. Once in the water, it was just swimming around. We both had different problems, however nothing serious. Montana's ears refused to pop and LuRue had troubles clearing her snorkel mask.

They got back right around lunch time. We had chicken salad for lunch with lots of lettuce. YUM!

After Lunch, LuRue, Montana and Lisa went out for a snorkel. Lisa just came to try out her new underwater camera, and she left early. Montana and LuRue stayed in the water about two hours. We saw some new species of fish, some of which are very unusual, such as a cowfish or a queen angelfish.

That was all for the water that day. After getting back LuRue and Montana just relaxed and did a quick edit on the pictures they had taken.

The group is very congenial & meals are enjoyable with everyone exchanging diving information, sharing stories of where they live or work that they do. After a late dinner, some stay up until the wee hours, but Montana and LuRue are usually back in their room, writing this blog and getting ready for bed about 9:00pm.

No Scuba, Still Snorkeling

We had a late start to our day. Instead of the ReefCI people picking us up at 9, they picked us up at 10. Then, instead of going to the snack shack, we arrived at a boat dock. We met the owner of the dock, an iguana.

It took a while to load the boat, but we finally got going. This week, we have three new ReefCI guests, substituting the three that left last week. There is a couple from Croatia/Lower Slovenia and a women from California.

Even though from the docks the sea looked calm, but on the boat, a short way from land, the water got really choppy. It was like we were riding a roller coaster. The front of the boat would ride high out of the water and slam down, spraying everyone, but the people in the back, us, definitely got sprayed the most. Both of our fronts and backs were drenched and LuRue's hair was like she just took a shower. Montana's hair was like a rat made a home in it. It was about a two hour boat ride.

About an hour after we got back and settled again, we went out for a snorkel. The sea was pretty choppy and water kept leaking into Montana's snorkel. However, there was lots to see. The best viewing was, by far, the queen angelfish.

















Everyone is settled into their old routine's from last week. Isn't it nice to get back into our wet bathing suits and wear it around all day!?! The new comers are being introduced to the history and philosophy of ReefCI.

Drumming, Dancing & Dining

A lazy morning of catching up on emails & getting repacked for tomorrow with a little laundry thrown in. After finishing off our leftover chicken, we hung out until it was time for the taxi to take us to the drumming lesson. Taxis here might be anything with wheels…a local woman living up the street picked us up in her van accompanied by a young woman & her baby sister. The driver told me not to close the van door, & since no one here seems to bother about seat belts, I hung on to the overhead handle in case we took a fast corner.

We were met at the Warasa Garifuna Drum School by a young man with a wide smile named Ray. The “school” was a covered shelter with a floor of sand next to their private home. Also there was Ray’s parents & younger brother in addition to Ray’s Scottish wife. He gave us a quick background of the culture, which mainly consists slaves who were cast out of Honduras by the British as undesirables. With no one strong cultural identity, the Garifunas now are a mixture of Africans with some other cultures mixed in as well, French, Mexican, etc.

Montana and LuRue were given the beats for the large drums, while Ray played the smaller more complicated drum. Montana asked to try the smaller drum & surprised Ray by picking up one of the more complicated rhythms right away. In the meantime, LuRue struggled with one of the basic beats on the larger drum, never quite getting it right.

Then the troupe put on a performance for us of several Garifuna songs, using drums, shakas (like maracas), and song. The last part of the afternoon was the dancing. At least LuRue could shake her hips enough to get a smile and thumbs up from the mother. Ray worked with Montana on how to shake her booty. We’ll be going back next week for a drum-making exhibition.

We got back to Blue Belize in time to head out to Asha’s for dinner—Montana having BBQ ribs & LuRue trying the lionfish. We have eaten there twice now & still can’t see why it’s so popular. We think it’s just OK.

We were surprised when Simon & Tracy from ReefCI came in. They pushed another table up against ours & said they were expecting more. Before we left, we did meet three new divers, a woman from the US and a couple from Croatia/Slovenia.

More lightning & rain tonight. Sure hope we don’t get another tropical depression moving through.

Once on the island, LuRue’s computer went completely dead. Then it beeped for awhile & eventually came back to life. Now Montana’s computer has gone into permanent hibernation. We keep trying to nurse it back to health, but for now we’re expecting the worst, but hoping for the best.

If our blog suddenly stops, you’ll know the reason why.

Nectar of the Gods--Chocolate!

Today was an opportunity to do some random things. A day to wash out some clothes & get creative on how to dry them in this humid climate—thank goodness for fans.

As soon as we left the apartment, it started to rain, but it was an off & on thing that doesn’t seem like another mini-hurricane moving in, in spite of thunder & lightning last night. First stop was the fruit market…a series of tables set up along Front Street for the mornings only. A nice selection of about any kind of tropical fruits imaginable. Montana picked out a fresh-looking bag of cut-up mangos.

Next stop was toward the end of Front Street at the Chocolate Factory. We went in for the free tour advertised. The shop is small, but the whole process is done there, from the beans to the finished products. One other couple was with us the young woman walked us through & demonstrated each step. Taste tests were great! Of course we had to make a few purchases for our fridge in the apartment!

On the way back to town, we ran into Heather McKillop, whom we had met yesterday at the Chocolate Factory while asking about the tour. Heather is with Louisiana State University & with a team that discovered an ancient Maya Canoe Paddle. She pointed out the small building just up the street that has a full-size replica from a 3-D printer. The original is going to be presented there next Friday, so we’ll be getting back from Sapodilla Cayes in time to see it before it is officially presented to the government of Belize. The paddle was discovered in 2004 in mangrove peat and has been been preserved for its safety since then. For archeologists, this is a huge discovery. Heather really encouraged us to come. Today we did go to the building & looked at the 3-D replica, a marvel in itself.

We went to a grocery store & picked up a few supplies, but we’re planning to eat dinner at Asha’s tomorrow night, so we didn’t want much.

More off & on rain on the way home, but we think the storm has passed. LuRue cooked up some chicken to have in the fridge for whenever anyone gets hungry. Otherwise the afternoon was very quiet & lazy with reading, music,  and maybe a nap or two.

There's No Place Like PG

We got up at 6:45 again and ate breakfast. After breakfast, we got packed and ready to leave to Punta Gorda for the weekend. 

The boat, however, did not leave until like 11, so we hung out on the hammocks and inventing strange games, such as I Spy and tossing rocks into shells. In other words, we pretty much wasted an hour of our life. 

We then got into the boat and left to Punta Gorda. It took over 2.5 hours to get back. LuRue talked to Lindsey, but other than that we just listened to Caribbean, Reggae, music remixes. It was a bumpy ride and the boat driver was spinning the wheel like crazy to stay on course. 

We got to Punta Gorda and LuRue made a couple of phone calls to figure out our weekend. While LuRue ate lunch, Montana took her first shower in a week, which LuRue will take in a few minutes. Montana says it felt like she forgot how to take one.

They then went into town to talk to a wildlife conservation center about the program, “Ranger for a Day.” On the way, we stopped into a chocolate factory to ask about the free chocolate factory tour. We got to the wildlife conservation center, but figured out we couldn’t do the “Ranger for a Day” this weekend, so we planned it for next weekend and decided to do the chocolate factory tour tomorrow. On our way back, we stopped at Asha’s Seafood and BBQ and ate dinner. It was not as good as everyone had said, but they were out of all the foods we wanted to order, such as lionfish, BBQ pork ribs and sweet potato fries. They also had no good desserts. First day of the trip, we think, where for sweets, we only had a tiny taste of chocolate from the chocolate factory.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

We got up at around 6:45. We ate bacon, eggs, and bread. After breakfast, Simon had us and two other men watch a PADI learning how-to-dive video. After that, Simon had a talk on identifying coral, then all the divers went out to identify coral.

LuRue is sure she overheard Simon say to someone that then he would figure out what to do with Montana and LuRue. But no one came and Montana & LuRue were stuck on the tiny island with nothing much to do. For awhile they looked at reference books on coral to try to identify the different types. Then they went up on the roof of the main building & tried to take a panoramic picture. From the roof one can see all the shores of the island. Worse yet, one can see all this inviting Caribbean ocean practically inches away from anywhere on the island.

They were getting desperate to get into the water. LuRue asked one worker if we could swim where we had been a couple of days ago, but he said no, that the sea was too rough & the current was too strong. Right at the dock, there is an enclosed marina about the size of a large pool. The guy said it would be OK to swim in there, so we did. About half of the area is so shallow, our stomachs practically rubbed on the bottom. Then we swam over a sunken tire, some soles of old flip-flops, the guts of a lion fish, but we did spot the rare tomato fish (a half-slice of a tomato). But eventually we found a deeper part where there were actually a few fish. It was also deep enough that we could practice some of our diving skills learned on Tuesday. OK, so it wasn't the snorkeling experience that you would want to write a post card about, but at least we got away from the confines of the island and into the water!

After our "swim", everyone came back & just as the lunch bell rang, Polly, Simon, & some others came over to discuss our dilemma. Everyone feels very badly that the weather has been so lousy & that no one has had the diving experience they expected. We agreed & said we understood, but were hoping that we would think of some solution, such as snorkeling in one safe section. But Polly explained that the currents around the island can be strong enough to carry even the strongest swimmer away. But they had all discussed the situation & saw that it would be safe for one of the guides to take us snorkeling that afternoon. We jumped at the chance & after lunch got to go snorkeling for about an hour with Harry.

Montana joined another game of volleyball & they played until almost dinnertime. LuRue talked with some of the others, particularly a woman from California & another from Wales.

Dinner tonight was fresh-caught lobster from just offshore, finished off by desserts.

The Water is Alive

We thought we were going to sleep in, but island life begins early. Both of us were up & dressed before 7:00, just in time to attend the meeting for the early dive crew. Since one of the students has only until Friday to complete his course, he & another guy got a condensed lesson, while Jason gave us a slide show on fish ID. He then took Montana and LuRue out for a snorkel. The weather is still a bit rough, which roils the waters, but we still got to see several things. Most things we had already seen in Bonaire, but we did get to see our first Gray Angelfish.

Breakfast was about 10:00 because the divers' boat broke down temporarily. Food is generally good and is plentiful.

Polly gave three of us a mini-course on underwater photography. She has some absolutely spectacular photos of reef corals, fishes, & creatures. She has perfected her skills over the years, using different settings to enhance the details she wants, & uses strobe lights for the deep water pictures. She commented that Montana's is the best point-and-shoot camera you can get.

Since the seas were too rough for an afternoon dive (and even an evening dive later), Montana and LuRue decided to take a walk around the island. Montana wanted to walk faster because LuRue had on  uncomfortable crocs. We timed ourselves. It took LuRue 3 minutes, 10 seconds...Montana strode along in her sandals & was back at the starting point in 1 minute, 27 seconds.

We were also given a talk on corals. It got a bit technical, so some were not as interested as the rest, especially when it became political about regulations, their enforcement, and the encroachment by neighboring countries.

Before dinner, a volleyball game started & Montana held her own with the rest, including a 6-foot college girl who plays on her school team.


We covered some interesting talks at dinner...most of the guests are college students--three from Wales. Besides us, there is a young professional couple, and two middle-aged women. We are 10 guests in all.