Originally Posted by
SuperBunches
I am trying to keep up...
On Sunday night we had dinner at Ike's Bistro at Manchebo. The service and food were both fantastic! We sat right by the pool. The weather was absolutely perfect. We were back at LeVent before 9 for an early bedtime.
On Monday Tom and I headed to the Varadero Marina to join the crew at JADS for some diving. The current on the first part of the first dive was VERY strong, which made for some challenging diving. The visibility was good, but it was really a fight to stay on course. Everyone agreed that it wasn't the best of conditions. The second half was better and we saw a beautiful octopus. The second dive was also a bit challenging during the first part, but then Tom felt a pop and a sharp pain and thought maybe he perforated his eardrum and we had to surface. So far, he feels ok but he won't be able to dive again until he visits the clinic. It was a disappointing end to the dive day, but we are hopeful it isn't a serious perf. This would not be the first perforation for Tom.
After diving, we went back to Levent to finish packing and move on to our next accommodation, the Marriott Ocean Club. Our main portion of the two bedroom was ready at 5 pm, but the second bedroom was not ready until almost 6 pm. This was a bit disappointing, as check in is supposed to be at 4, and they knew we were already on island and would be there at 4. Oh well. It's still vacation! Dinner was at Yemanja. Again, the service and food were excellent. We all crashed by about 9 pm.
Tuesday: We were settled in to our condo at the Ocean Club. We got a palapa on the beach using the new online system, which was a breeze. Unfortunately, it was next to the activity hut on the beach, so it was a busy spot, but not a big deal. The day was breezy and beautifully warm, with an occasional cloud tossed in for effect.
Dinner on Tuesday was at Faro Blanco. I know it gets mixed reviews, but we visit every year and find it to be a lovely atmosphere with very good food. My only observation this year is that the music was WAY TOO LOUD for me! It was definitely not "atmosphere music," unless that's your thing. It's dinner, not a nightclub. Just before dinner, we climbed to the top of the lighthouse. The view from up there was amazing and I highly recommend taking the walk up the 117 stairs.
Wednesday I was back on the boat and Tom stayed behind with his daughter. I had two really nice dives over near the airport. We saw another beautiful octopus, a stingray, several large green moray eels, a scorpion fish, and lots of the other usual ocean critters. After diving I joined Tom and Amy back at the beach. We had a nice, quiet palapa this time! We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and reading.
Amy requested a special dinner during her visit (she lives in Wyoming and we live in Pennsylvania) so I wanted to do that for her. It is a tropical stir fry dish served in a pineapple boat. I love to cook and I travel with my own knives. It's a little work, but it makes her happy and that makes me happy.
Today is Thursday, and it is departure day for Amy. We spent the morning by the pool, and came up in time for lunch and packing for Amy. We dropped her off at the airport earlier this afternoon.
I was able to talk my sweet husband into visiting Urgent Care to get his ear checked. We went to the location in Noord, near the police station. They were quick and very kind. Good news and bad news.... No perf, but also no diving for 10 days. We are (blissfully) alone again for the next few days until my sister and her partner arrive. I am not sure what the rest of the day holds, as we didn't make a dinner plan yet. The beach, my latest book, and a cooler of Balashi sounds pretty good, though!
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August 20 to September 5
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