Parasailing over and Snorkeling under Castaway Cay

We set a wake-up call for 7:30 - my granddaughter was a little hard to wake up, but she did get up and get dressed. Our snorkeling excursion was to be at 9:30, so we got up and went to breakfast. I had the waffle sandwich which had creme fresh as the filling. It was too sweet to eat.

Waffle sandwich

granddaughter's breakfast

ceiling

But the ship had not been cleared yet. So we went down and got dressed for snorkeling and by the time we finished the ship had cleared.

I scootered off and went to check in at Marge's Barges which was where the snorkeling was.The catamaran took us out to a little reef and we snorkeled.



Unfortunately my granddaughter's mask didn't fit right and she kept getting water in her snorkel.

Also one of my diopters had slipped up to the top of the mask so I was having a problem actually seeing what was going on. But there were a lot of pretty fish and some coral.

My granddaughter got another mask, but it wasn't much better. The people running this snorkeling excursion were not nearly as good as the ones in Mexico who don't work directly for Disney. So we went back to the boat and got on a little early. At least this time the camera batteries had been charged.
After we got off the snorkel boat I took the towels to sit on (because the black scooter seat got hot in the sun) and we went and ate lunch.

grandaughter's lunch and my lunch

Then we rode the tram back and forth.

My granddaughter was feeling hot, so we went back to the ship - I left the scooter by the ramp and we went back to the room where it was A/C and got cool. Then we went back to the gangway and retrieved the scooter, and went down to Marge's Barges again. This time they showed me how I could ride the scooter up onto the deck instead of walking up the stairs.

They took us out to the parasailing boat and we left our shoes (and my cane) on the dock. We were all riding double and it was the last trip of the day. Each pair was put into a harness seat and had life jackets attached. My granddaughter was in front of me. We had intended to ride double as my granddaughter was too light to go alone, but I don't think all the rest of the group had intended to do that.

Parasailer from another boat

They warned us that if we had any cameras or glasses or hats and we lost them they would not be recovered. I had my glasses secured and the camera was around my neck. It was windy up there, but we didn't lose anything.


We came down and retrieved our things and scootered back to the ship. As usual, the scooter hung up on the ramp and had to be pushed up. My granddaughter parked the scooter and I got a shower. Then she got one.

After dinner, we finished packing and the cabin attendant helped me zip mine closed and we put them out in the hall. The next time we see them, they will be in Houston airport (I hope). We returned the computer. They have let us eat later tomorrow morning

22 June 2013 Leaving Fantasy for Reality

We ate breakfast late (at 8 instead of 6:45) but we were still off the boat well before the 9:00 deadline. Since we had no bags to collect, we walked and scootered through customs with barely a pause, and out to the bus. I had the black computer bag plus I had water bottles and jackets in a Del Sol bag and my cane. We put everything except the Del Sol bag under the bus.

When the bus was loaded, the driver started the videos which consisted of cartoons and Disney trivia. I was sleepy as I didn't sleep well because of going over all the things I had to do in the morning in my head all night.
So I dozed. When we got to the airport about 9:45, I asked for a wheelchair but there didn't appear to be one forthcoming. The driver left and I sat on my cane and we waited. The wheelchair person found us eventually.

Orlando airport at 10:30

Flag in the atrium

The wheelchair guy wanted to know where we wanted to go. Since our flight wasn't until 5:30, we had a LONG time to wait. There wasn't even a gate listed for our flight yet. So I went to the Hyatt and asked for a room for the day, and they said "Of course" and gave us room 8022 for $99.00. The airport wheel pusher left and the bellman pushed the wheelchair to the room. (You had to use your key to get the elevator to go up to the upper floors).

catching up with friends on the phone

view from the Hyatt - 8th floor

Hyatt bathroom

I lay down on the bed and went to sleep and my granddaughter called her mother and all her friends. Then it got to be lunch time. The only places open in the hotel were the pub, which she said she didn't want to go to, and room service. So I ordered the things on the menu that were gluten free (chips and chili, a chicken caesar salad and a gluten free chocolate tort. I got pizza. It came on a fancy wheeled tray and cost $64.00.

gluten free lunch from room service

Chili and chips

Gluten Free chocolate torte

My granddaughter ate her food and she completely finished off the pie, and I tried to get the tomato off the pizza

Pizza

and just eat the crust and cheese. Then I had another nap and she watched the Disney channel.

Granddaughter in the tram

I set a 3:30 call to the bellman to come and get us. He wheeled us back to the Air Tran people who took us through security and to the gate. Here we waited until just about 4:45 when my granddaughter suddenly said "I'll be back" and went running off. Just about then they started boarding. She came back about 5 minutes later - she had bought a watch.

waiting in the airport for our plane

on the plane finally at 1705

They were asking for one person to give up a seat and fly the next day for two tickets on AirTran to anywhere they flew because they were oversold by one seat. Eventually and east Indian family came on which included a lap child whose mother sat in front of us. That child and a couple of other children cried alternately and together for much of the flight.

When we got to Houston, and got off, the wheelchair hadn't gotten there yet, so I went back on the plane and used the bathroom - the pilot was in the bathroom so I had to wait a bit. By the time I was done, the wheelchair was there. We went to the luggage carousel and waited for the bags. They didn't appear. Beth sent my grandson in to help us and he didn't find us right away. The wheelchair pusher took us to where the abandoned bags were but ours weren't there. So as we were going back to the place where the Orlando bags were to be, My granddaughter spotted her bag on the Nashville conveyer. My grandson was looking for my granddaughter and couldn't find her but he spotted me, and just about that time, my bag also came around the Nashville conveyor.

He took my bag, she took hers and the wheelchair guy pushed me to the wheelchair pick up point and my daughter Bethcame around and we loaded the car up. We stopped at Chick-fil-A for something to eat.

Granddaughter at home with her guitar

My grandson worked with my computer and got it working. We got my pictures from my camera downloaded and also from the dive camera. I separated them by the day they were taken into folders. My granddaughter gave people her presents. We tried to look at the photos in my granddaughter's camera on the TV but they were mixed up and not in the order they were taken.

I said I would sleep in my youngest granddaughter's room, so my son-in-law Bill put an air mattress on the floor in the TV room for her.

I took them all out to dinner at Babins

Babins

bread

Fish in Babins

Granddaughters broccoli

Sister eating mac and cheese

And on June 27th , I flew back home

Leaving Houston

Taking off

My only other trip in 2013 was a cruise to Bermuda on Grandeur of the Seas