Saturday March 19
Day 2 coming from your favorite twin duo Sarah and Savannah! We woke up this morning after getting a much needed rest at 7:30 for breakfast. Afterwards, we said adios a La Quinta and our driver, Gui, drove us to the Executive Center "airport" in Ft. Lauderdale. The airport was just a small room much like a doctor's office waiting room. We spent nearly 2 hours waiting to board our charter, but we got to play with two very large Great Danes named Deana and Bailey.
When we were finally able to leave, our large group was split in half to board 2 different seven passenger charter planes. For an hour, we flew just barely above the clouds, watching in awe as we could see bright, clear turquoise waters awaiting us. We could see the reflections of the clouds and the edges of the coral reefs. Everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy the experience!
We landed after an hour of travelling and quickly passed through customs. We left our luggage with the custom officials and got into taxi vans to drive to Forfar. Very quickly, we learned that they drive on the left side of the road, sometimes even the right side or on the shoulder to avoid the gigantic pot holes. The drive astounded us as there is not much around here as far as buildings. We did notice some forest fires as we passed by.
We finally arrived at Forfar and we met the incredibly friendly staff that we will get to know over the week. We couldn't snorkel until our luggage arrived from customs, so instead we did some exploring, played volleyball, took a short hike to see some of the small locally-owned shops, and got eaten alive by the bugs. When we returned, our luggage was here, but it was too late to snorkel. Instead, we checked in to our cabins which we appropriately named "Petit a La Quinta."
We ended the day with a taco Saturday dinner followed by an informative coral lecture by our friend Dale. Before heading to bed, we played ping pong and headbands. We are excited to see what tomorrow holds.
Madre and padre, love you both very much. Everything is going well here, I'm having a great time! My ears aren't very plugged any more. My underwater camera also works well, can't wait to use it! I've already taken lots of pictures. See you in a week! ~Sarah
To the knuckleheads back home, I've been taking lots of pictures and I am greatly enjoying the warm weather out here. The water is beautiful and the breeze is amazingly comfortable. Hope you guys are doing okay, have fun in the snow ;) ~Savannah