We grabbed our usual breakfast buffet... Tyler was particularly impressed by the size of the Frosted Flakes!
Then we walked around on deck until the kids found the open air sports courts and stayed to play ping pong. They had so much fun!
We headed back to our rooms to get our suits on and pack up for our shore excursion. Our concierge, Rodrigo stopped by to refill our chocolate milk and bring us new movies. While visiting he got a call saying our submarine had mechanical difficulty and our tour would be cancelled. Thank you God that we weren't on it for the mechanical issue.
We grabbed some lunch, packed a bag, and decided to head ashore for our own adventure. We decided to take a cab to the Green Monkey preserve with hopes of seeing some animals.
They sent us to a group cab... An A/C 14-passenger van filled with other tourists. Just to be sure, I confirmed with the driver and one passenger that we were going to the monkey preserve. It was only 15 minutes when he stopped the van and pointed for our family to get out. We were at a beach... No, we are going to the monkey preserve... This is it, monkey beach... Ahh there lies the error. Our driver was pretty insistent that the preserve was too far and likely not worth the trip. So we decided to make he most of it and hit the beach. Luckily I had thrown in our suits, but no towels, etc.
We grabbed some chairs and an umbrella and headed in to the beautiful waters. The surf was very strong and the waves could knock a grown man over (seriously, many adults fell down).
While we were sitting in the chairs, I noticed something fury dart under my chair... Seriously, I almost screamed. Turned out we did get to see a monkey... This guy:
Scott and I both came out of the water with blood dripping down our legs from where the waves knocked us down into the rocks below.
We dried a little in the sun before it was time to head back to our taxi.
We dried a little in the sun before it was time to head back to our taxi.
When we arrived back at the pier, the kids insisted on taking pics with the photo boards.
We all were in need of a good shower after we got back on board. The kids were covered in sand and Sammy literally had chunks of sea shells stuck in her hair.
We got cleaned up and Sammy I told Sammy that I was going to blow dry her hair (she hates it and only has allowed me to do it a handful of times). And then, I curled it (she's never let me do that) and then she asked for makeup. It was again a very sweet time that she let me pamper her. Boy, is that girl gorgeous!
Once we were all ready, we headed down for a concierge family gathering. They had an amazing spread of hot and cold appetizers.
They even arranged for Captain Mickey to visit!
While in the party, the boat began to vibrate and we knew that we were leaving shore. We headed outside to watch and caught the ship coming to pick up the local pilot. Most ports have a pilot... He drives each large ship while in his port, navigating the unique currents of their port and handling docking arrangements.
We were scheduled in the Animators Palette for dinner tonight. We were all pretty full from the concierge reception but were told it was one not to miss. And it certainly didn't disappoint. Captain Mickey came out and danced with our servers in the aisle ways. The kids had so much fun!
Then it was off to see Toy Story the Musical. The kids loved it! Great show.
On our way back to our room, we shared an elevator with a middle aged couple. The man wore his hair long. The typical awkward silence ensued... You know when you are in an elevator. Suddenly Sammy said, in her authoritative tone, "excuse me... Sir" (me thinking... Oh no, what's she going to say?) "If you have long hair, you should wear it in a braid, a pony, or a bun." (Me: oh gosh, what do I say, what do I say?). The awkward silence was palpable. As the elevator doors finally open, the wife says "I totally agree." Phew, we made it... As the doors closed us in again, Scott and I busted out laughing! Wow, autism sure keeps us on our toes!!!
The kids were in bed again around 10:00 pm. Scott and I stayed up to watch Everest. We all fell asleep quickly... It was a big day!
