Miami 2015 Day 6

We had to get up really early because we were going to take a day trip to the Bahamas and the pick up was at 5:45am. This trip is done through a ferry ride to Grand Bahamas. The ferry ride takes about 3 hours. The ride to the ferry terminal in Fort Lauderdale area took maybe half an hour and then we went through check-in at the ferry port. That was quick but very low tech. I have to say this now though we didn’t discover it until much later. I think either the security people or the couple in front of us stole my wallet and credit cards during the security line while the man in front of us took forever to go through the metal detector. It was something I didn’t discover then but after we got to the restaurant on the other side of the ferry ride. It is also possible they were stolen from our bag while we were sleeping on the ferry but that would be unusual based on where we placed the bags.  I am quite pissed about it but there isn’t much we can do but cancel the cards and such. My license was already expired and I was working with a temporary until I got home. Will hit the remainder of the saga for day 7.

The terminal wait was like 1 and half hours which begs the question why we had such and early arrival but it was uneventful. We bought some bad instant coffee stuff from a machine while we waited. We boarded and found a spot on the boat that allowed for us to stretch out and as I said mainly slept the whole ride. I bought a ham and cheese sandwich and a muffin and some coffee and orange juice which we ate quickly before we departed though. The ferry was enclosed and there wasn’t really much to see so we slept the whole trip through really.

When we arrived we disembarked and were checked for our passports again and then it was pretty much through to the parking lot where our shuttle to the beach area had not yet arrived. We waited for them for about 10 to 15 minutes which I think is kind of sad.  They know what time the boat is going to arrive so they have little excuse for being late. Still the driver was funny and explained a small amount about the Bahamas and the island.  The ride was maybe 15 minutes or so.  He dropped us off and said he would take folks to a great restaurant he suggests called the Afterdeck. We needed rest rooms to change and such so we followed him to the restaurant. We got changed in their bathrooms and then decided to eat there anyway.

I had to two of their Kalik beers which is local Bahamas and the fish and chips. Daniela had grilled grouper which she really liked. The fish and chips were nice too. This was where I figured out my stuff was missing.  Still we were in the Bahamas and there was not much we could do about it there. We had not time for it to happen in the Bahamas so it had to happen at the terminal. I have no doubt it happened in the security line.  In any event after lunch we walked around and did quick souvenir shopping then headed to the beach and spent the rest of the afternoon basically in the water in front of a hotel that let us use their beach chairs.  It was a nice afternoon. The water was just cool enough to counteract the heat out. We saw a ray and some other fish in the water. It was amazing how crystal clear the water was. Honestly I couldn’t believe how easy it was to see to the bottom even at a depth where I was standing in shoulder deep water.  We finished up and got back to the restaurant where we changed in their bathrooms again. The power was out so it was interesting. Apparently the power was down in the whole town of Lucaya which is where we were.  We met the really drunk Brazilian at this point. From San Pablo he was very loud. He had limited English but it was funny. He was rather loud the whole shuttle ride back to the ferry. I do not think it was obvious to everyone he was gay though because he appeared to be hitting on the German girls that were on the trip.  Still it was funny all the same though maybe it got a little bit old by the end.  Boarding the ferry back was a lot quicker. They had no power so the security lines were quicker and they just had us go right out and get on the boat from the car entrance (I suspect because they couldn’t work the gate stuff.  We waited only a little while before we got going and then bought some snacks from the duty free shop (nuts, chips, cookies, candy) then fell asleep for a large part of the return trip.  When we returned we had a quick shuttle ride and were the first stop back.  We stopped at the quick mart in the gas station across the street to get some water and food then we headed to the room.  That was where I started canceling all my credit cards before we went to bed.  It was a long day when all was said and done.