Day 73: St. Kitts

We had another mostly sunny day today, but still oh-so-windy.  I offer as proof a photo of that huge Bermuda flag on the back of the ship:

Our plan had been to go to Shipwreck Bar on South Friars Bay beach today, but some cloudiness and rain showers early in the day, not to mention that wind, deterred us. I had another mission to accomplish, and so, with a fall back, we talked ourselves out of the beach. 

Shortly after we returned to the cabin after breakfast in the DaVinci Dining Room (still wildly busy), during one of those brief morning rain showers, we heard an announcement for a man overboard drill. These are always interesting to watch, so we headed down to the Promenade Deck to see what we could see. The rescue boat was already deployed, running a zig zag pattern across the harbor of Basseterre. On deck was a member of the medical team instructing crew members about spinal injuries and the recommended handling of anyone rescued after going overboard.

Unlike last year when we watched this, there wasn't an actual dummy in the rescue boat; it was more a conglomeration of weights and life vests.  The rescue boat was reattached to the launching wires and pulled back up (that has to be a rush, to be swinging in the air seven decks off the water).

The rescued...whatever you'd call it was put on a back board and transported to the Medical Center for "treatment". 

Meanwhile, the sun had come back out to stay, so we walked off the ship, me carrying a plastic CVS shopping bag for my hunt. After stopping for a few minutes to use wifi at Del Sol, I took off (alone!) and walked left along the waterfront past the Saturday market, the bus depot and the ferry dock to where some fishermen were cleaning fish on the beach. You know, I guess I'm just one of those people who love seafood but only when it's served hot on a plate with a lemon wedge on the side. 

I had received some great information from fellow sea glass collector Jane that, instead of going to the right when I got off the ship in St. Kitts, I should go to the left, along the beach there to find some treasures. Well, this is truly a black sand beach...

...but what I'm showing photos of is the cleanest part of it. However, I've learned that, to find sea glass, you really have to look in the trashy areas the surf rarely reaches. And so there I looked, all the way down the beach. At first, I picked up every piece of sea glass I found (sadly all white or shades of green...no blues or reds), but, after I had several pounds worth, I started to get more fussy. I was thrilled to find several bottle necks, and a couple of pieces with specks of a deeper hue of green. 

I was never far from the ship, and thoroughly enjoyed my hunting-gathering.

On the way back to the ship, I took some time to look at the produce stands along the way, and particularly enjoyed seeing this old- really old- scale. Mom and Dad had one like it for years in the basement and I used to love to play with it when I was a kid. 

 In response to my question, I was told this was sorrel:

And I was intrigued by this homemade cure-all sold in recycled bottles:

Once back on the ship, I couldn't wait to wash my hands. And feet. And Teva sandals. And hands. And hands. And hands.   And then I washed the sea glass, and what a pile of it I had!

I will pick out a few of my favorite pieces and recycle the rest in the glass recycling container on the ship. It was a true treasure trove of sea glass, and I want to get back there again before the winter is over. 

I met up with G in the buffet for lunch (we call the little desserts there "dessertlets" because they don't seem so fattening that way), and then went to the MUTS pool to chose my chair for the Saints v. Seahawks game. G is not so interested in this one, and so is going to dinner in the Michelangelo Dining Room. However, I'll have to leave by half time to get cleaned up for tonight's Most Traveled Passengers cocktail party. Thank God 1000 times that the party's not being held tomorow night, because we'd end up with a photo of Captain Nick...and G. I'll not miss tomorrow's games for anything. I'll be back out poolside as soon as the party is over to watch whatever remains of the first game and then the second game. Tomorrow, the entire day revolves around football, but we might visit the beer garden at Pointe Seraphine and use some free Internet before we settle in pool-side for the games. 

I doubt I'll sleep much tonight; my stomach already hurts!! ;-)