Day 13 - 10/25 - Fabulous

Today starts with a nice surprise, my camera actually turns on...more than once and for a while it looks like it will cooperate again. It had actually turned on yesterday when Dave saw the lizard and we took some pictures of that. Before then, Dave and I had tried several things with this camera and we were able to get it to turn on occasionally but then the next time we tried, nothing. It seems like it is a temperature thing because if we take the battery out and leave it in the sun, it seems to turn on after that but once out of the sun for a while, nothing. So, one can understand how hopeful I am that my camera will continue to cooperate.
Breakfast has been cooked, eaten and the dishes are clean.
Beach bag is packed, cooler is stocked and we are headed to Maho Bay. A few people that we spoke with the other day told us that Maho was equal to Francis so we had to give it a go.
Since the camera is working today we also stop at some of the lookouts and take some of the scenic pictures that can only be seem on STJ.

We are the first to arrive but soon we are surrounded by little people waiting for swimming lessons. Good thing this beach is pretty big and we head down to the far end so as not to disturb the little kids while they learn to swim. Of course that is not the only reason that we move far away from the kids but we are getting old and can only stand so much screeching on our vaca.
Onward we travel to the farther end and start our morning snorkel adventure. I am still thrilled that my camera still turns on so I am anxious to get in the water before it decides to crap out again.
I am rewarded with a working camera and two great snorkels today.
Maho is much like Francis in that there are hundreds of smaller bait fish, plenty of jacks and much larger tarpon. Today however we are entertained with so much more. There are angel fish, grouper, trunk fish, octopus and even a green moray eel. Is it so amazing to just hover over a section of coral, look in between the rocks and formations and just see all the magical things that are living there. In one area we hover over the reef and a large sting ray passes below us right over the reef.

When we snorkel over the main part of the bay we see both turtles and rays and then suddenly we come upon a massive conch garden.

Back on shore there is a two foot lemon shark that keeps swimming the length of the beach. He seems to go from one end back to the other so every once in a while he is passing right in front of us. I did get a few pictures from above water but the ripples make it hard to see all his features.

After two wonderful snorkels, some quality beach and water time and a well deserved beer, we decided to head back and get ready for dinner.
Rhumb Lines is the choice for dinner tonight and it is a wonderful little place that you get to by walking through a little convenience store. The setting is a bit Asian inspired with a nice warm feel to it that can make you forget where you really are.
We had Chicken Satay and Duck Dumpling appetizers and Dave got the Cuban Mojo Pork and I tried the Ultimate Pad Thai. Dave liked the pork enough although he said it got a bit sweeter the more you ate but I see that his plate his clean.
Now, I have never had Pad Thai and this one was filled with chicken, shrimp and beef along with veggies and rice noodles and a wonderful sauce. They brought out a huge bowl of this stuff and I was hooked right from the first bite. It was temperature hot but the kick that it had once you ate it made your lips sing....I loved it. It was a bit too much for me to eat so I took a little to go with me and I'll have a snack tomorrow. It was definitely the best Pad Thai I've ever had...even though it was my first.