The Sabbatical – Page 6 – Wanderlust

New Orleans

Welcome on the bayou! A field trip to New Orleans earns us Junior Ranger badges and a real pirate story!

Sunday was a travel day again. We’ve packed our stuff, folded the tent, got the bicycles on the rack and left Fort Pickens before noon. The three hours ride was rather smooth and after crossing three state lines (Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana), we’ve arrived at the Fontainbleau State Park on the north shore of lake Pontchartrain. The weather was still very nice, so Agnieszka and the kids went to a water park, while I was setting up the camp. To my surprise, the whole campground is covered with strong WiFi signal, a playground and clean bathrooms, which coupled with rather inexpensive price tag, lifts the park to the top rank of places visited so far.

The park itself is very popular and busy, especially on the weekends. It has nature trails, suitable for bikes, a lake front, couple of small alligators and other attractions. On the south side of the lake is New Orleans, but instead of going around the lake, we were able to cross it on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, which according to Guinness World Records is considered to be “the longest bridge over water”. With almost 24 miles it’s a rather boring ride, unless of course there are strong crosswinds and you happen to have a faulty roof rack installed on your vehicle.

The city of New Orleans, or the French Quarter at least, is as wonderful as we remembered it from our last visit here eleven years ago. We haven’t seen any remains of the devastating force of the 2005 hurricane Katrina. Apparently though, the French Quarter or the Garden District that we’ve visited yesterday were not the ones hit the hardest. We chose Tuesday for our field trip, which meant no school for Nadia yesterday (yipee!). Instead, we’ve been to Jean Lafitte Park, where Nadia and Alex became Junior Rangers and got badges to prove it. They’ve learned about a French privateer, a pirate and slaves trader, who despite numerous robberies and acts of violence against the USA, became it’s national hero. Apparently, he had a sudden change of hart at some point and became a maritime version of Robin Hood. He stole from the bad guys, mostly Spanish and gave to the poor people of Barataria and New Orleans. Most important though, he supported Andrew Jackson against the Brits in 1815, which probably accounts for most of his heroic life.

18-Oct-2011 12:03, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 13.0, 135.0mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 200

18-Oct-2011 12:19, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 108.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 200

18-Oct-2011 12:11, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 13.0, 28.0mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 200

18-Oct-2011 12:29, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 6.7, 28.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 200

18-Oct-2011 12:54, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 9.5, 28.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 200

18-Oct-2011 13:33, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 108.0mm, 0.011 sec, ISO 400

18-Oct-2011 13:36, OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. u850SW,S850SW , 4.5, 11.45mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 64

18-Oct-2011 15:01, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 28.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 200

18-Oct-2011 13:59, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 5.6, 28.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 200

18-Oct-2011 15:12, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 5.6, 200.0mm, 0.022 sec, ISO 800

18-Oct-2011 15:20, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 6.7, 85.0mm, 0.011 sec, ISO 400

18-Oct-2011 15:33, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 4.0, 28.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 800

18-Oct-2011 15:23, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 6.7, 70.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 200

18-Oct-2011 16:33, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 3.8, 28.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 800

18-Oct-2011 17:14, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 6.7, 55.0mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 800

Greek Festival

Greek street festival in Pensacola draws a people from all walks of life. For one night we all were Greek.

On the last day before leaving Pensacola, we’ve gone downtown to a Greek street festival. Obviously, it’s only curiosity, not an actual affection that drove us to that place. Unless you count baklava, which my wife is truly passionate about. Unfortunately, the one served was a bit too sweet for my wife’s taste and way to expensive for mine. On the flip side though, the Greek know how to party, and our kids felt very comfortable dancing with the natives. All we knew about traditional Greek dances, was limited to a distant memory of an old movie. Turns out Sirtaki, which is the proper name of a dance commonly associated with Zorba, the Greek is not even a traditional folk dance anyway. Did it stop our kids from making new friendships…? Not at all.

15-Oct-2011 17:49, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 28.0mm, 0.167 sec, ISO 800

15-Oct-2011 18:03, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 3.8, 28.0mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 800

15-Oct-2011 18:12, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 3.8, 28.0mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 800

15-Oct-2011 19:12, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 3.8, 28.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 800

15-Oct-2011 19:26, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 4.5, 55.0mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 800

15-Oct-2011 19:30, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 4.0, 28.0mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 800

15-Oct-2011 19:25, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 3.8, 28.0mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 800

15-Oct-2011 19:18, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 3.8, 28.0mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 800

15-Oct-2011 19:27, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 4.5, 55.0mm, 0.125 sec, ISO 800

15-Oct-2011 19:27, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 5.6, 55.0mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 800

15-Oct-2011 19:27, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 3.8, 28.0mm, 0.1 sec, ISO 800

15-Oct-2011 19:34, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 3.8, 28.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 800

Naval Aviation Museum

We’ve visited the military base in Pensacola, walked on board aircraft carrier and piloted a few planes. Well, almost…

Today we’ve finished school early and took a field trip to the Naval Aviation Museum. The exhibition is just across the bay from Fort Pickins, on the premises of the military complex. The base is so close, that every morning we hear the soldiers’ reveille and yet it takes about 40 minutes to get there by car. At the entrance to the Naval Air Station Pensacola, or the cradle of naval aviation, we are greeted by a cop asking for my driver license and whether we have any weapons. The entrance to the museum, the lighthouse and few other places in the base is free, but they need to know who are they letting in.

Even though we had about four hours to see the exposition, it was not enough. Even though it is smaller than the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum we have visited last year, it seems more interesting. There are things to touch and play with, not just boring exhibits. The kids mostly appreciated the loony tunes played in a 1940’s theater. We walked down a WWII american street, saw a few typical stores, examined food stamps and food items from that era. There is a lot of interesting stories about pilots and sailors. Walking aboard replica aircraft carrier, we were able to imagine life on the ocean with 2796 other crew members. Well, to a point at least…

Fort Pickens

Another week on a dreamy island proves that life on a beach is not bad at all. Sometimes windy, but overall very pleasant.

We’ve arrived at Fort Pickens early afternoon on Sunday. The park is located on an island, right off the Pensacola Beach. There is nothing, but miles of white sand, ocean on one side, bay on the other. And obviously there is the fort at the tip of the island.

Overall, there isn’t much to do in the park. There is a daily guided tour in the fort, but other than that we’re on our own. With no other interpretive programs, we have plenty of time for homeschooling in the morning and ride bikes and play in the Ocean in the afternoons. Every other day we do the school at a local library, and sometimes there are story times to keep everyone entertained. Libraries also provide for free Internet access, which means I can do this updates and work on my Customers’ websites.

Chattahoochee to Pensacola

Chattahoochee and Fort Pickens are two completely different places, but for some reason we like them both.

Just as the name suggest, we stayed in Florida’s outback for a couple of nights. We’ve left Jacksonville on Friday morning, just on the brink of an upcoming storm. As we learned later, it was a rather large one, therefore I’m glad to report that our timing was impeccable once again. We escaped west far enough to stay dry and we left Chattahoochee just before the storm caught up with us. We’ve packed the car last night and after folding the tent, we’ve left before breakfast. When we stopped at a nearby Micky Dees for a bowl of cereal at a curb, it started to rain.

08-Oct-2011 01:13, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 108.0mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 400

08-Oct-2011 01:14, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 6.7, 45.0mm, 0.022 sec, ISO 400

08-Oct-2011 15:55, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 6.7, 28.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 200

09-Oct-2011 00:55, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 5.6, 200.0mm, 0.067 sec, ISO 800

09-Oct-2011 00:37, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 5.6, 135.0mm, 0.033 sec, ISO 800

09-Oct-2011 01:29, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 3.8, 28.0mm, 0.022 sec, ISO 200

08-Oct-2011 15:56, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 28.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 200

08-Oct-2011 15:56, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 5.6, 200.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200

09-Oct-2011 00:55, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 6.7, 55.0mm, 0.022 sec, ISO 800

09-Oct-2011 00:55, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 5.6, 28.0mm, 0.05 sec, ISO 400

09-Oct-2011 01:20, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 3.8, 28.0mm, 0.25 sec, ISO 800

09-Oct-2011 01:30, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 3.8, 28.0mm, 0.7 sec, ISO 800

Couple of hours later, we got out of the wet zone. The sky started to clear out as we approached Pensacola, but the wind picked up a bit. Right now it’s blowing so hard that our mesh tent is bending over half way down to the ground each time there is a harder blow from the bay. We are straying at the Santa Rosa island, at Fort Pickens State Park. We plan to stay here for the entire week, which according to weather.com is supposed to be sunny and warm.

I think there is really no need for us to complain about the weather at all. Yes, we got wet, real soaking in fact, but only once in Rocky Gap near Cumberland, MD. We also didn’t time properly our departure from Cheraw, SC and left the campground in rain and in a hurry. We’ve learned from these mistakes and now we’re packing the night before departure and keep observing the weather forecest changes to react appropriately. In fact, rain and sun dictate the direction and speed at which we’re moving. After all, our journey is a a true wander…

If I was to rank the places we’ve visited so far, I would have given Smith Mountain Lake State Park in Virginia most points for their interpretive programs, their facilities and very friendly, dedicated and knowledgable staff. Hunting Island ranks best for the weather and the overall vacation-like setting. Buckaloons in Pennsylvania still holds the 1st position for their bathroom standards. In fact, I have to say that in this category, the cleaningness and features are adequate to park’s latitude. North ranks much better than the South.

All the places we’ve visited so far had their own highlights and all of them had their problems. Too moist, too hot, too many raccoons, ants, skuns, armadillos, you name it. But all of them were really fascinating and I’m glad we had a chance to visit them all.

This morning, we’ve crossed a timezone line. We are leaving the East and will be travelling along the gulf coast. If there only was a ferry from Florida to Yucatan, it would have saved us a lot of time, and probably money. In fact, apparently there used to be one, back eight years ago. Unfortunatelly it failed to attract enough interest to stay in business for too long and left the owner with a USD $Million hole in his pocket. There might be another one launched as soon as early next year, but it’s not sure. We’ll take the long road and start learning Spanish along the way.

Hanna Park

The Zen of life and how a broken wheel bearing can ruin your life.

Yesterday I got distracted. Instead of enjoying our terrific vacations, I started stressing up again. Why? The culprit might be a broken wheel bearing, unlocked GSM phone or maybe a fact, that when the money runs out, the dream life of ours will burst like a soap bubble.

We knew all along that our car had a bit of a problem. There was this grinding noise coming from underneath the car, quiet at first and getting louder and louder as we moved south. Obviously, it’s not the direction, but rather the distance that made the problem sounds worse and worse. I’ve been putting off a visit to a repair shop until we got to a bigger city. Jacksonville was big enough for that.

I checked on Google all the reviews of local service garages. Authorized Nissan dealers around here didn’t have much to offer, beside rants of furious customers who complained about the service. Instead, I chose a small, privately owned shop nearby. Unable to describe the problem, I invited the mechanic for a ride. Couple hundred yards later his diagnosis was clear – bearing in the front right wheel was shot. They offered to do the repair right away, and gave us a ride to a nearby library. It took about three hours to get the part from the dealer and get the repair done. It was just enough time for a daily dose of homeschooling.

While Agnieszka took care of our kids’ education, I decided to take a walk to a nearby plaza to get a Pay As You Go SIM card. Since we’re traveling all together, we decided to suspend my wife’s cell phone contract and communicate with our friends and family only through internet. I have to admit, this setup works very well for us. We live like on a sailboat, always close to each other. Since we only have one car, whenever we separate it’s mostly within walking or a bike ride distance. An old fashioned walkie-talkie works great in such proximity. Heading towards less populated areas and being somehow responsible parents we decided that we will need a cell phone for emergency situations. It doesn’t make sense to pay $50 a month just for an ability to make a phone call. Therefore we’ve decided to get a Pay As You Go SIM card for the old phone (which happens to be a CDMA/GSM hybrid device). For some reason, we’ve decided that T-Mobile would be the best choice, even though the rates between operators are quite comparable. I think it’s got something to do with the commercials we’ve seen back in Poland suggesting that T-Mobile subscribers around the World can talk for free within the network. I got the card and I’ll let you know if it works once I unlock our damn Verizon cell phone.

Anyway, after spending $540 for a single wheel bearing and wasting four hours searching the internet for cell phone unlocking instructions, I realized that I was stressing out again. It’s been almost three months now since I quit my job and frankly speaking I’m not any closer to know what I want to do when I grow up. On top of it, I have some commitments towards my paying Customers, which I don’t have the time to fulfill. Around midnight I realized that instead of enjoying the ride, I let such comparatively minor issues ruin a perfectly nice day.

Fortunately, the next morning we took the bikes and went to a nearby park. During the week and probably already after season, the park was rather empty. Great! That gave us the opportunity to enjoy all its’ amenities without the usual crowds and hustles. And the Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park has indeed much to offer. First there is the beach, probably over a mile long and pristine. There are lakes and over 22 miles of bike and hiking trials, picnic shelters, playground and much more. Everything we needed was there. Including the peace, quiet and picturesque views, that attracts multitude local painters. We’ve seen probably a dozen artists throughout the park, contemplating nature and working on their masterpieces. Or the fishermen on the beach, standing still with their fishing rods, waiting for the big catch. They all seemed at peace with their life, happy with what they have and what they are doing – living life – not chasing the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. We tend to overcomplicate things, but in fact life is indeed very simple. It’s about being present and enjoying every moment, rather than stressing about the future. After all, the social security system is almost bankrupt already and the economy is going down the drain. We may as well enjoy our retirement right here, right now, as we’re still young and our children still value us more than their videogames.

Sitting at the ocean, I realize that the car repair bill might seem expensive and will definitely shorten our trip, but on the other hand, this could have led to a much bigger problem or even a disaster on the road. The cell phone is not a necessity; we are still in urban areas. And after all, WalMarts are at least every 30 miles apart throughout the entire United States – we can always get a cheap device. And right now, I’m done thinking about the future. My kids are at the beach and really, really do need me right now!

04-Oct-2011 19:06, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 200.0mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 800

04-Oct-2011 19:09, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 11.0, 28.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200

04-Oct-2011 19:17, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 6.7, 85.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200

04-Oct-2011 19:21, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 4.5, 28.0mm, 0.011 sec, ISO 200

04-Oct-2011 21:50, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 9.5, 45.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200

04-Oct-2011 23:02, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 200.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200

04-Oct-2011 22:25, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 11.0, 45.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200

04-Oct-2011 19:12, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 200.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200

04-Oct-2011 21:50, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 45.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200

04-Oct-2011 21:57, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 70.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200

04-Oct-2011 19:16, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 200.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200

04-Oct-2011 21:49, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 9.5, 70.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200

Jacksonville

First impressions after couple of days in Jacksonville.

While enjoying the luxuries of a civilized World, yesterday morning we’ve watched the weather forecast. Apparently, the summer is over in Florida and with the first day of October also came in autumn. Indeed, we’ve noticed quite substantial temperature drop – from high 80’s to just shy of 80 degrees during the day. At night, the temperature drops to 60’s or sometimes even high 50’s. It’s terrible!

Looks like everyone got terrified by such gloomy forecast and instead of the beaches, crowds hit the malls. We decided that instead of a regular school, on Saturday we’ll go to a book store, where the kids can play and read books, while I can work a little on the websites business of mine and Agnieszka can go shopping bargains and end of season sales. Sounded like a lazy early afternoon, but I have to admit, it’s been a while since last time I had problems finding a parking spot in a shopping center! And Jacksonville is just packed with commercial activities. It seems as there are malls and plazas at every street corner. All of them packed and looking real busy.

After couple of hours at Barnes and Noble, we bought some groceries at a local Wegmans equivalent (Publix) and headed downtown to Arts Market for a picnic. The market was already closing, but the place was being prepared for an evening movie show. “Alice in Wonderland” was on the menu, so we decided to stay. Since we had a spare hour, we took a stroll downtown on the riverside walkway. Contrary to Savannah, we were really sorry, we didn’t take our bikes this time. Instead, we saw some manatees and enjoyed the late afternoon on the water. It was a Philippines Pride Day and downtown was packed with street vendors, shows and plenty of people. Unlike Rochester, Jacksonville makes an impression of a very lively city.

Tomorrow, I plan to visit a service garage and do some maintenance on the car. Today however, learned from yesterday’s experience, we hit the beach. Right now, while typing these words Agnieszka and the kids are finishing building a sand castle. I think they may need my help with the towers. Enjoy this “unseasonably cold” fall..!

Savannah

I wish we had more time to waste in Savannah. It’s a truly marvelous city – laid back and very friendly, even though not really bicycle friendly.

We’ve left Hunting Island on Friday morning. We headed south towards Jacksonville, where we’re about to spend the next seven days. Today is the last day of September, a month during which we’ve only spent couple of nights in actual beds. I’m proud of us all, but mostly of Agnieszka, for whom the camping experience seems to be the most difficult. Especially as the last few weeks have been rather damp and moist. Sometimes cold, other times hot, but always wet. I think we’ve deserved a break. The next week we’ll spend in a clean and dry hotel downtown, with such luxuries as cable TV and 24/7 high-speed internet.

On our way to Jacksonville, we’ve decided to visit Savannah, which we’ve heard is a beautiful town. We’ve arrived around 1.00 PM and fooled by a “Bike Route” sign next to our free parking decided to explore the city wearing helmets. First we had fix them though – a week of sand and salt water proved to be lethal for the chains. Once I got them all fixed we hit the streets, only to realize that this otherwise gorgeous downtown wasn’t built for bicycles. Cobblestone streets with tram cars near the river are as picturesque, as they are uncomfortable. We’ve ended up walking the bikes most of the time.

At some point, we stopped next to a small statue and wanted to take a picture with all of us in it. We asked a bystander for help, only to be answered in Polish. Turned out we’ve asked a lovely lady from Philadelphia, who happened to be originally from… Chorzów! Among other things, they also showed us a way to the City Market, which is a great place for lunch, especially if you’re a fan of New York style pizza…

OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. u850SW,S850SW , 3.5, 6.7mm, 0.005 sec, ISO 64

OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. u850SW,S850SW , 3.5, 6.7mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 64

OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. u850SW,S850SW , 5.0, 20.1mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 100

OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. u850SW,S850SW , 4.5, 6.7mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 64

OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. u850SW,S850SW , 5.0, 20.1mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 64

30-Sep-2011 20:07, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 135.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 400

30-Sep-2011 20:05, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 200.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 400

30-Sep-2011 20:05, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 28.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 200

30-Sep-2011 20:09, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 28.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 200

30-Sep-2011 20:09, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 28.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200

30-Sep-2011 20:12, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 9.5, 45.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200

30-Sep-2011 20:19, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 6.7, 28.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 200

Janina i Zbigniew z Chorzowa!

Janina i Zbigniew z Chorzowa!30-Sep-2011 20:33, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 4.5, 28.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 200

30-Sep-2011 20:28, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 9.5, 28.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 200

30-Sep-2011 21:52, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 6.7, 28.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 200

Crabbing

For the first time in our life, we had to fight with our lunch before consuming it. An interesting experience indeed.

Half way through the week, we’ve realized that seven nights in such a wonderful place as Hunting Island is not enough. The trouble is that it’s difficult to get a spot for any longer. Especially around weekends the park starts to be really busy. And people come here from all over the World. Our direct neighbors were people from as near as Hilton Head, or as far as Wisconsin and Germany. The park has some interpretive programs, not as good or diverse as those in Smith Mountain Lake State Park, but interesting nonetheless. Most people come here mostly because of the beach. We have decided to take advantage of an opportunity to learn to catch crabs. Who knows when it will come in handy during this trip?

On Thursday morning, we’ve met with a few other students at the parks Nature Center. The ranger assigned the responsibility of teaching us was a twenty something kid. After collecting $5 from each of us, he handed us four circular nets suspended on long rolls of string. To encourage the crabs to crawl into the nets, he suggested we should use some meat – preferably boney, to let them chew on it for a bit, as crabbing is apparently just a waiting game. You attach the bait in the net, throw it down from a pier into murky water and wait ten to fifteen minutes before pulling it out again. The theory is that the meat in the net will attract at first some small crabs, then over time it will draw some larger ones. And those we are interested in, of course.

In reality, our kids don’t have the patience to wait that long. Alex was pulling his net out in just a few minutes after throwing it in. Nadia could wait any longer either. The funny thing is though, that both of them pulled out some crabs! They both were females (recognized by red pinchers and a battery-like compartment at the bottom where they store eggs), which means there isn’t much meat in they claws. We decided to keep them anyway.

We all had lots of fun pulling our nets out and chasing the crabs on the pier. You should know that trying to get the creature out of a net and into a bucket is much more exciting than waiting and starring at a piece of string dangling from a pier. Once it’s out of the net, it starts crawling towards the edge of the boardwalk and if successful jumps right back into the ocean. If you’re quick and brave enough, you will step on it and pick it up by its back side. If you’re slow and clumsy, or if you hesitate for even just a fraction of a second, the crab will pinch you. It is said that, the bigger the crab, the more ferocious it is. It is definitely true, and let me just add that they fight for they dear life like crazy.

24-Sep-2011 19:00, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 200.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200

24-Sep-2011 19:00, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 200.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 200

29-Sep-2011 17:28, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 55.0mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 200

29-Sep-2011 17:33, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 108.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 200

29-Sep-2011 17:34, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 6.7, 55.0mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 200

29-Sep-2011 18:17, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 28.0mm, 0.008 sec, ISO 200

29-Sep-2011 18:20, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 70.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 200

29-Sep-2011 18:18, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 4.5, 28.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 200

29-Sep-2011 20:00, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 3.8, 28.0mm, 0.022 sec, ISO 400

We’ve spent the entire morning at the pier dancing around and jumping over crabs, letting the females back into the ocean and risking life trying not to let the males escape. After a few hours in the unforgiving sun and heat, we had just enough crabs to fill one of our bicycle baskets. Our kids wanted to continue, but I assessed that we’ve caught just enough for lunch and to justify the $20 we’ve spent on it.

When we got back to the campsite, the challenge was to get the beasts out of the basket and into a pot with boiling water at its bottom. I have to admit, this part was the most difficult for me. During the countless duels I had with those little dudes, I started to respect them for their intelligence and fearlessness. I think the same is true for Nadia and Alex. The three of us refused to eat their meat, and cooked sausages with sweet potatoes instead. Agnieszka had a great lunch!

Beach Bums

Being a beach bum is a state of mind. It does really help to have a beach to bum on, but many of us can’t do that year round. We enjoy our time right here, right now.

It’s been five nights on the island so far. Three of them in the middle of a jungle, the other two in a more civilized camping spot with own water and electric supply. Dealing with the pesky, but apparently very smart raccoons (we’ve heard horror stories about them opening zipped coolers, working in gangs and invading tents), carrying food in and out, and walking miles to the restrooms or even to get some water proved to be very tiring. It’s one thing if you come just for a night or two, like most of our local neighbors, but it’s something completely different when it’s your permanent living space.

Therefore on Monday morning, after a night rain, we’ve packed our stuff and went to the Rangers to see if there are other sites available. Past weekend several options opened up. We’ve chosen a sunny, well ventilated spot with people all around and a promise of a more comfortable life. Couple of hours later most our stuff was moved to the new place, but we’ve decided to use this opportunity to return the Coleman tent to the store and exchange it for a simpler, Ozark Trail model. For some reason we like the second brand better. Their tents tend to be far less complex, well made and far less expensive. They also seem to dry quicker, but that might be just my perception.

During our stay on the island, we’ve been spending most of the time on the beach, mostly swimming in the ocean and sunbathing, but also riding bicycles to a nearby historic lighthouse. On a clear day, the view from the top is spectacular. You can see form miles and except for trawlers catching shrimp, there are no man-made structures on the horizon. One could imagine that the landscape here didn’t change in a million years. Except of course for the progressing erosion of the shoreline, for which hundred years ago the lighthouse had to be moved about half mile inland. There is also a beautiful park in between the beach and the main road running parallel to the ocean. It’s densely covered by all kinds of vegetation with only a few paved roads running through. Around noon time, this is the best place to be, for riding bikes in the tropical forest‘s deep shade is a great alternative to heat and humidity nearing three digits.

24-Sep-2011 18:45, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 200.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200

24-Sep-2011 18:56, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 11.0, 28.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 200

25-Sep-2011 17:53, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 70.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200

25-Sep-2011 18:11, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 70.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 200

25-Sep-2011 18:51, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 5.6, 28.0mm, 0.011 sec, ISO 200

25-Sep-2011 18:55, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 4.5, 28.0mm, 1.5 sec, ISO 800

25-Sep-2011 19:00, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 28.0mm, 0.006 sec, ISO 200

25-Sep-2011 19:10, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 4.5, 28.0mm, 0.3 sec, ISO 800

25-Sep-2011 19:16, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 28.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200

25-Sep-2011 19:17, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 4.5, 28.0mm, 0.011 sec, ISO 200

25-Sep-2011 19:24, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 200.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 800

25-Sep-2011 19:27, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 108.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200

25-Sep-2011 19:32, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 28.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200

25-Sep-2011 19:33, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 28.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200

27-Sep-2011 22:13, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 5.6, 45.0mm, 0.001 sec, ISO 200

27-Sep-2011 22:13, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 9.5, 108.0mm, 0.002 sec, ISO 200

27-Sep-2011 22:13, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 55.0mm, 0.004 sec, ISO 200

27-Sep-2011 23:18, PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K100D , 8.0, 28.0mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 200

Over the weekend, we’ve met a couple of families from Europe. There were Germans from Munich, living in Greensboro, South Carolina who invited us to a fresh shrimp barbeque and an evening in fun atmosphere. There were also Poles from Warsaw, also living in South Carolina, with whom we’ve spent time on the beach and learned a few things about the state. We’ve exchanged contact information and hope to stay in touch, as both acquaintances were really very interesting.

Thanks to them, Nadia discovered surfing, apparently her new passion. We had no choice, but to buy her a body board (a small surf board) and now we just can’t pull her out of the water. It doesn’t matter that she got smashed by the waves several times, got underneath them, drank salt water and lost her hat (yep, that’s a second one lost during this journey). If we only let her, she would spend whole days in the ocean. Alex isn’t too shy of the mighty sea either. He loves to run in and out of the water, jump waves and chase seagulls. He also considers the body board his own, which obviously leads to numerous conflicts between them.

With the limited space we have, we can’t afford to accumulate any stuff on the way. For the board to come with us, a pillow had to go. It’s a “one in, one out” policy, which I hope we will maintain also after our return to civilization. For now, the van is our home and we need to keep in shape. Speaking of which, couple of days ago Agnieszka lost the key to the van. You can only imagine the frantic and hopeless search through millions of cubic tons of sand in a progressing high tide. The other key was locked safely… in the car, so for a few moments we were seriously considering that breaking into our own car will be the only option. Fortunately retracing our steps of the day led us to a camp recycling station, where we’ve found the keys. Since it’s been several long hours between us losing the keys and finding them again, my only conclusion is that recycling isn’t very popular down here in the South…