After a brief technical glitch, dharmamonkey is once again up and running, and the timing couldn’t be better. So much to write about, but realizing that there really is beauty in brevity, I’m going to pass along the most important highlights.
I am also happy to say that I’m going to have my first guest blogger. Scratch that. Shawn said he would be my guest blogger yesterday, but when I just asked him what he wanted to write about, he’s said he isn’t feeling any inspiration. And yet, just 24 hours ago, I stood with him in a room full of tourists crying their eyes out. But more about that in a later post.
We spent the day yesterday in Curacao. If you’ve never been there, it’s a beautiful tropical place. Lush mountains that seem to spill into the sea. Friendly people who are very, very laid back. This is in stark contrast to Barbados, my favorite Caribbean island, but it wasn’t until I came to Aruba and Curacao that I realized the Bajans are pretty wound up. Barbados moves at a much faster pace compared to things in the ABCs.
If I were to build my own island using the computer game Sim City, it would be Curacao. The capital of Willemstad straddles a deep water habor mid-way down the leeward coast. Beautiful beaches and palm tress frame the city, and to the north, jagged peaks covered with clouds and mist create a sense of island mystery, not unlike the television show Lost. It’s the first place Shawn and I have ever visited that I think he would really like to come back and explore.
The highlight of yesterday – and the best part of the entire vacation so far – was the Curacao Dolphin Academy. The photos below speak for themselves. We spent about 40 minutes swimming with a pair of dolphins. The one kissing me in the picture below played the starring role in The New Adventures of Flipper! I’ve posted some photos from the day here.
As for today, right now the Brilliance of the Seas is about 10 miles off of Barranquilla, Colombia, sailing toward Panama. My head cold is a distant memory. We slept in this morning after I cleaned up at one of the roulette tables last night (started with $20, walked away with $132). The sky is light blue, it’s 77 degrees on deck with a slight breeze. It’s gonna be an awesome day.
