Too soon, the people from the Navigator of the Seas are being called back to return to the launch. We all troop onto the launch, and we sit there for about 15 minutes while the photographer woman walks around showing everyone their photos. I’m pissed off, cause that’s 15 minutes of my time on the island that they took up. And yes, I did note it on the comment card.

Above, there are some unfriendly looking clouds forming.

The road from the island launch back to the ship SUCKED! I noted this on the comment card, too. I also said that Allejandro rocks, and that he should be given a big, fat raise.

OK, so not a proper picture – I just took it just now, and didn’t even take them out of the bag, which explains the glare. There’s branch coral in there, too. I’ve not really unpacked all the way. It’s one of my most hated chores – that and emptying the dishwasher and folding/putting away the stuff from the dryer.

Above, we have a little playground for the kiddies. That’s a trampoline in the background.

More little tiki places

You can jump up and down on that yellow floaty thing above, and then slide down the little slide.

OK, enough with the amenities, we’re going shelling again. Allejandro told me that sometime bigger shells come to Passion Island, but it was the wrong time of year, and also the locals will go out and get there first before the tourists do. I still had a wonderful, relaxing time wandering up and down the beach in the shallow, calm water.

I think I should mention that Allejandro spent a bit of time with me at lunch. He saw that I was by myself and decided to plop down and have a chat. I’m pretty much fine by myself, as long-time readers know, but that was awfully nice of him, and I found him to be very personable and kind.

Above we have someone selecting a temporary tattoo from a thick binder of them. I do hope she wasn’t contemplating the decorating of her belly…

Above, the massage-on-the-beach tent

Above: Really cool beds just hanging out on the beach!

Above, hammocks swinging in the quasi-shade

First, I went shelling. I forgot to mention earlier that while in Fort Lauderdale, there were a bazillion surf shops on the strip, and I stopped into one to get a shell-net-on-a-stick. It was a plastic children’s model, so the handle wasn’t as long as my nets at home, but it did the job. I still can’t believe I forgot it; I have like three of them in the garage, and should have grabbed one and stuck it in the big suitcase, but I forgot. I did, however, remember the mesh bag, so all was not lost. Most of what I found on the beach at Passion Island was exceedingly small, but I found enough of it to fill a small jar – small, as in, about the size of a Yankee Candle sampler.

So, above we have the view from my table at the big tiki hut; after patrolling the shore a bit, I decided I was hungry, and gave the food a try.

You don’t have to hang in the big hut – there are smaller tiki umbrellas dotted around that you can go and have a seat at.

Here’s my lunch. Chicken quessadias (did I spell that right?), and all the fixin’s, plus veggies and fruits. Also, rum punch! My idea of a good meal on a beach day!

Since I was doing this excursion alone (despite the hovering presence of Clarke), I imposed a two drink minimum upon myself. If I’d had some of my sistas with me, I might have indulged more, but I felt the need to keep my wits about me in a strange country, sitting next to a strange if goofy man on the bus…

My attempt at an artsy fartsy shot, totally no composition to speak of. There was this Mayan archway and they made you stop and get your picture taken whether you wanted to or not. It slowed up the line to get onto the beach! I was behind a couple and asked them if they were going to buy the picture and they said no. So we got our pic taken together, thus speeding up the line a bit.

This is the dining facility. The meal and unlimited rum punch or beer was included in the excursion. There’s Clarke waving at me like I was taking HIS picture. He was such a clown!

Inside the big Tiki Hut. I counted the chairs, it could seat about a hundred people at a time.

The food line.