[mou] Back from Bahamas
Michael Hendrickson
smithville4@charter.net
Wed, 14 Jul 2004 09:54:50 -0500
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Well I am not a good traveler as my hands get wet every time at take off =
and landings. My wife thinks its funny and teased me a lot. We landed in =
the Bahamas and we were chartered to the Radisson Hotel in Cable Beach =
north of Nassau. I had thoughts that the Bahamas would look like =
Gilligan's Island but it looked a lot like Florida in some ways.
First Day: Checked into motel and layed on of the thousands of beach =
cots and slept.
Second day: I felt like Evil Knevil and rented a scooter and my wife sat =
behind me. I had to remember that I drive on the other lane and not the =
lane I am accustomed to. I forgot some times and my wife scream when she =
saw oncoming cars coming at us. OOOPS I yelled as I got back in the =
other lane. Oh the guy who rented us the scooter his name was Killer. We =
drove into Nassau and noticed the tank was almost empty and had to get =
gas and than we headed over to McDonalds to eat. I had to get my fast =
food fix. I noticed there was a security guard at McDonalds. I assume =
this security guard was for us tourist since downtown Nassau is not a =
safe place at night and maybe during the day as well.
We than found the highway to Paradise Island and my wife laughed and =
hoped that this scooter had enough horse power to scale up the incline =
as the road went up than curved back down. I was nervous knowing I am a =
big guy and I didn't want this scooter to die trying to get my chunky =
white body up over the bridge! We got on Paradise Island and visited =
Atlantis Hotel/Casino to cool off and see how the extreme rich people =
vacation. This hotel is all marble and full of richy shops, statues and =
many other beautiful things to see. We than headed back on the scooter =
and search for Versailles Gardens and the Cloister. We found it and =
began to walk around. My wife was soaking wet from the heat and sat =
under a shade palm and I began to bird! I found the following birds.
Red-legged Thrush, Bahamas Mockingbird, Bahamas WordStar, Blackface =
Grassquit, and Bananaquit. I got some ok pictures of the Grassquit and =
Bananaquit. I got some great pics of the woodstar and thrush.
We got back to the scooter and I struggle to start the scooter and =
eventually it started! We headed straight to some air conditioning and =
beverages. We bought some stuff for the kids and headed over to the main =
island and our next destination was the queen's staircase. We found it =
and we also drove by the homes the residents live in and was appalled by =
thier living conditions, very sad. We got to the place and stood above =
these average looking stairs and asked this guy, " where's the =
staircase?' and he said " your looking at them". So we walked down the =
steep flight of stairs and bought more stuff for the kids at the =
bottom.
We headed back home and gave the scooter back to Killer and went in the =
hotel to cool off with some more drinks.
Next day we sat on the beach and got really tan and did nothing most of =
the day. In the late afternoon we took a walk in this long garden in =
between the two one ways and saw a lot of wildlife. We found assortment =
of lizards and geckos. I got a lot of photos of them and some =
butterflies. Some birds found were: Smooth-billed Ani, Kestrel, Yellow =
face Grassquit, Grey Kingbirds, Common Ground Dove and Greater Antillean =
Nighthawks giving this froggy Blip calls. They look like a smaller =
version of our Nighthawks but he calls were froggy/Virginia rail kid dik =
type calls. That night we took a nice walk on the beach an watch the =
sunset. There were Yellow-crowned Night Herons stalking crabs on the =
beach. I got a some great pics of them.
Next day we headed over to the Adastra Zoo and Gardens to watch the =
world famous marching flamingos! I was there to look for other tropical =
birds but found none. I refound some of the birds I already mentioned. =
We headed home and noticed there was many messages for us to call the =
Mayo Hospital. My wife cried as she found out her dad was put in ICU for =
preventive measures and she wanted to go home. So she took a 7pm flight =
out and I had to stay back one night by myself. I said good bye to her =
as she headed back to Minnesota and I slumped back to the beach and =
worked on my tan.
Next day I got back to Minnesota and drove back to Duluth. (Yesterday). =
Monica is still at the Mayo with her family. My father-in-law has Lupus =
was born with it and it flared up big time. The doctors are trying so =
hard to fight off the infection, fevers and low O2 levels in his blood. =
They told the family that he might have this syndrome called "Hughes =
Syndrome" which is some off shoot of Lupus. So hopefully they are right =
and they go into some treatment to get him back on track.
I am glad to be back home.=20
Mike Hendrickson
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Well I am not a good traveler as my =
hands get wet=20
every time at take off and landings. My wife thinks its funny and teased =
me a=20
lot. We landed in the Bahamas and we were chartered to the Radisson =
Hotel in=20
Cable Beach north of Nassau. I had thoughts that the Bahamas would look =
like=20
Gilligan's Island but it looked a lot like Florida in some =
ways.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>First Day: Checked into motel and layed =
on of the=20
thousands of beach cots and slept.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Second day: I felt like Evil Knevil and =
rented a=20
scooter and my wife sat behind me. I had to remember that I drive on the =
other=20
lane and not the lane I am accustomed to. I forgot some times and my =
wife scream=20
when she saw oncoming cars coming at us. OOOPS I yelled as I got back in =
the=20
other lane. Oh the guy who rented us the scooter his name was Killer. We =
drove=20
into Nassau and noticed the tank was almost empty and had to get gas and =
than we=20
headed over to McDonalds to eat. I had to get my fast food fix. I =
noticed there=20
was a security guard at McDonalds. I assume this security guard was for =
us=20
tourist since downtown Nassau is not a safe place at night and maybe =
during the=20
day as well.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>We than found the highway to Paradise =
Island and my=20
wife laughed and hoped that this scooter had enough horse power to scale =
up the=20
incline as the road went up than curved back down. I was nervous knowing =
I am a=20
big guy and I didn't want this scooter to die trying to get my chunky =
white body=20
up over the bridge! We got on Paradise Island and visited Atlantis =
Hotel/Casino=20
to cool off and see how the extreme rich people vacation. This hotel is =
all=20
marble and full of richy shops, statues and many other beautiful things =
to see.=20
We than headed back on the scooter and search for Versailles Gardens and =
the=20
Cloister. We found it and began to walk around. My wife was soaking wet =
from the=20
heat and sat under a shade palm and I began to bird! I found the =
following=20
birds.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Red-legged Thrush, Bahamas =
Mockingbird,=20
Bahamas WordStar, Blackface Grassquit, and Bananaquit. I got some ok =
pictures of=20
the Grassquit and Bananaquit. I got some great pics of the woodstar and=20
thrush.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>We got back to the scooter and I =
struggle to start=20
the scooter and eventually it started! We headed straight to some air=20
conditioning and beverages. We bought some stuff for the kids and headed =
over to=20
the main island and our next destination was the queen's staircase. We =
found it=20
and we also drove by the homes the residents live in and was appalled by =
thier=20
living conditions, very sad. We got to the place and stood above =
these=20
average looking stairs and asked this guy, " where's the staircase?' and =
he said=20
" your looking at them". So we walked down the steep flight of =
stairs and=20
bought more stuff for the kids at the bottom.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>We headed back home and gave the =
scooter back to=20
Killer and went in the hotel to cool off with some more =
drinks.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Next day we sat on the beach and got =
really tan and=20
did nothing most of the day. In the late afternoon we took a walk in =
this long=20
garden in between the two one ways and saw a lot of wildlife. We found=20
assortment of lizards and geckos. I got a lot of photos of them and some =
butterflies. Some birds found were: Smooth-billed Ani, Kestrel, Yellow =
face=20
Grassquit, Grey Kingbirds, Common Ground Dove and Greater Antillean =
Nighthawks=20
giving this froggy Blip calls. They look like a smaller version of our=20
Nighthawks but he calls were froggy/Virginia rail kid dik type calls. =
That night=20
we took a nice walk on the beach an watch the sunset. There were =
Yellow-crowned=20
Night Herons stalking crabs on the beach. I got a some great pics of=20
them.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Next day we headed over to the Adastra =
Zoo and=20
Gardens to watch the world famous marching flamingos! I was there to =
look for=20
other tropical birds but found none. I refound some of the birds I =
already=20
mentioned. We headed home and noticed there was many messages for us to =
call the=20
Mayo Hospital. My wife cried as she found out her dad was put in ICU for =
preventive measures and she wanted to go home. So she took a 7pm flight =
out and=20
I had to stay back one night by myself. I said good bye to her as =
she=20
headed back to Minnesota and I slumped back to the beach and worked =
on my=20
tan.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Next day I got back to Minnesota and =
drove back to=20
Duluth. (Yesterday). Monica is still at the Mayo with her family. My=20
father-in-law has Lupus was born with it and it flared up big time. =
The=20
doctors are trying so hard to fight off the infection, fevers and low O2 =
levels=20
in his blood. They told the family that he might have this syndrome =
called=20
"Hughes Syndrome" which is some off shoot of Lupus. So hopefully they =
are right=20
and they go into some treatment to get him back on track.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I am glad to be back =
home. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Mike =
Hendrickson</FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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