As part of our joint birthday gift (in April) from our friend Shivani, Sarah and I were given complimentary tickets to RHS Garden Wisley, so we decided to go today…And what a day we picked! The sun stayed out for us, and the flowers were absolutely stunning.
The flowers were beautiful, but honestly, they still weren’t as beautiful as my lovely wife Sarah. ❤️
Well, this is a slightly different Story Behind The Song… I’ve already written about Sarah’s Tamil Chicken once before, but that was back when it was still just dinner. Apparently, I wasn’t satisfied with simply eating it. I had to turn it into a song. And if you’ve been following my recent musical adventures, you’ll know that this is becoming something of a problem. Give me a good story, a guitar, a few lyrics and a little help from Suno, and apparently absolutely anything can become a song. Including chicken. Especially Sarah’s chicken.
Back in September 2025, I wrote a FitBlitz post called “Sarah’s Spiced Symphony: Tamil Black Pepper Chicken.”And honestly, I think the title gave the game away, because when Sarah gets into the kitchen, she doesn’t really cookdinner. She puts on a show. That particular evening, the headline act was chicken breasts, marinated in a fiery black pepper paste with coconut and seared until they were beautifully golden. Then came the pilau rice, cooked with that deep, wonderfully spiced Tamil-style stock. Then the supporting cast arrived: caramelised onions, fried mushrooms and lettuce. And finally, the cooling turmeric yoghurt seasoning. It wasn’t just a meal. It was an event. At the time, I described it as being like a rock concert, complete with Marshall stacks, guitar solos and enough flavour to make Wembley sit up and take notice. Which, looking back, was probably my first mistake. Because once you start describing chicken like a stadium rock performance… the next logical step is apparently to write a stadium rock song about it.
Fast-forward to 2026. I’ve been having great fun writing my own lyrics and then using Suno to turn those lyrics into actual songs. And somewhere along the way I thought: “Hang on… what about Sarah’s Tamil Chicken?” Why not? It had everything: drama, heat, rhythm, a killer chorus and, most importantly, chicken. So I started writing. And suddenly that original FitBlitz post came back to life. The chicken became the star, the black pepper and coconut marinade became the opening act, the pilau rice laid down the rhythm section, the caramelised onions became the guitar solo, the mushrooms and lettuce wandered onto the stage completely unexpectedly, and the turmeric yoghurt came in for the cooling encore. Except this time, I turned the whole thing into lyrics.
The song takes the original idea and pushes it completely over the top. Because why simply say that Sarah has made a tasty chicken dinner when you can imagine the whole kitchen transformed into Sarah Kitchen Arena? The smoke is rising, the crowd is going wild, the black pepper is hitting like a guitar riff, the chicken is sizzling, and somewhere in the background I’m probably wondering whether we should call the fire brigade. It’s completely ridiculous. And that’s exactly why I love it. The song isn’t meant to be serious. It’s meant to make you smile. It’s meant to make you want to bop along. And, ideally, it’s meant to make you slightly hungry.
Well… sort of. One of the things I’ve really enjoyed about creating these songs is discovering that a story doesn’t have to be huge to become something worth creating. It doesn’t have to be about a life-changing event. It doesn’t have to be profound. Sometimes it’s simply: Sarah cooked chicken. I thought it was brilliant. I wrote about it. And then, months later, I thought: “That would make a funny song.” So I wrote one. And that’s the beauty of creativity. You never quite know where an idea is going to take you. A walk can become a photograph. A photograph can become a story. A story can become lyrics. And apparently dinner can become a rock concert.
So here it is. Sarah’s Tamil Chicken. A song born from one of Sarah’s ridiculously good dinners and my inability to leave well enough alone. The original meal was real. The FitBlitz post was real. The lyrics are mine. And then Suno helped me turn those lyrics into the musical madness now known as “Sarah’s Tamil Chicken.” I think Sarah deserves the credit. After all, without her cooking, there would be no song. Although I suppose technically I deserve a little credit too… because I was the one who ate it. That’s research.
If you want to see where the whole thing started, you can read my original post: Sarah’s Spiced Symphony: Tamil Black Pepper Chicken. That’s where the chicken, pilau rice, caramelised onions, mushrooms, lettuce and turmeric yoghurt all first appeared. Back then, I called it a culinary anthem. I clearly didn’t realise how prophetic I was being. Because now… it actually is one.
And that, my friends, is the story behind “Sarah’s Tamil Chicken.” One meal. One slightly overexcited food review. A handful of lyrics. A lot of imagination. And one very willing AI music generator. Who knows what’s next? At this rate, Sarah had better be careful what she cooks. Because there might be a song about it.
Thanks for stopping by, and remember… Sometimes inspiration comes from the strangest places. Sometimes it comes from a guitar. Sometimes it comes from a walk. And sometimes… it comes with black pepper, coconut and a side of pilau rice.
If this story and song resonated with you, and you’d like to listen again, you don’t have to keep coming back to YouTube. Sarah’s Tamil Chicken is also available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and many other streaming services. Whether you’d like to add it to your favourite playlist or simply listen on the platform you already use, you can choose your preferred service by clicking the link below:
Thank you for listening, for your encouragement, and for joining me on The Blind Sightseers journey. Every share and every kind comment helps these memories continue to travel far beyond the places where they first began. 🙏😀
Hi Friends…
Some songs begin with a melody. Some songs begin with a moment.
“Brighton” began with a memory.
Back in 2014, I surprised my lovely Wife Sarah with a birthday trip to Brighton, England, UK. We stayed at the Thistle Hotel in a special Spa Suite overlooking the famous Brighton Pier, and we spent a few wonderful days enjoying the sea air, the beach, the views and each other’s company.
At the time, I captured those memories through photography. Even though I am registered blind, photography has always been a huge part of how I experience and share the world around me. Through my camera, I have been able to preserve moments, places and emotions that mean so much.
The photographs from that trip became more than just pictures. They became memories frozen in time.
Years later, those memories inspired this song, and the photos were merged into the album cover.
Over the last few months, I have been experimenting with Suno music creation, exploring how artificial intelligence tools can help transform ideas, lyrics and emotions into finished pieces of music. I have been writing my own lyrics and then creating detailed, complex prompts to try and guide the music towards the feelings, atmosphere and stories behind each song.
My aim has never simply been to create songs. It has been about bringing memories to life…Like an audio photo album!
When I write lyrics, I think about the places I have visited, the people I love, the emotions I felt and the stories behind my photographs. I then try to shape the music so that it reflects those experiences.
“Brighton” is part of a much bigger project I have been working on called The Blind Sightseers.
The vision behind this project is to create an album full of songs inspired by my blog posts. Places I have visited, photographs I have taken, adventures shared with Sarah, and moments that have become special memories will be transformed into songs.
It is about taking the stories already captured through words and images on my blogs, and giving them another voice through music.
The cover artwork for “Brighton” was created from photographs taken during that original trip, bringing together the visual memories and the musical journey into one piece.
For me, this is another reminder that creativity comes in many forms. A photograph can tell a story. A blog post can preserve a memory. A song can bring that memory back to life.
I hope you enjoy listening to “Brighton” and that it takes you somewhere special, whether that is a seaside walk, a treasured memory, or a place close to your own heart.
If this story and song resonated with you, and you’d like to listen again, you don’t have to keep coming back to YouTube. Brighton is also available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and many other streaming services. Whether you’d like to add it to your favourite playlist or simply listen on the platform you already use, you can choose your preferred service by clicking the link below:
Thank you for listening, for your encouragement, and for joining me on The Blind Sightseers journey. Every share and every kind comment helps these memories continue to travel far beyond the places where they first began. 🙏😀
You can also read the original blog post that inspired this song here:
Happy Birthday Sarah! A Suite For My Sweet
Thank you for joining me on this journey as I continue exploring how faith, photography, memories and music can all come together. 🙏 😀
One of the great joys of cruising is that sometimes the best photographs are taken without ever leaving the ship. This image was captured from the balcony of our cabin aboard the P&O Ventura (June 2026) as we gently pulled away from Lisbon at the end of the day. Watching the magnificent 25 de Abril Bridge slide past, with the iconic Christ the King statue standing watch over the city beneath a dramatic evening sky, made for an unforgettable farewell to Portugal’s capital. It really was one of those moments where the balcony became the perfect photography platform.
Our first port of call on the cruise took us to the breathtaking island of Madeira, and our very first shore excursion out of seven adventures was certainly one to remember.
We explored the island in a 4×4 Land Rover Defender with huge knobbly tyres, built for tackling the rugged mountain roads and dramatic landscapes of Madeira. Sitting in the middle seats behind the driver, we were thrown around as we climbed higher and higher through the winding mountain tracks, but that was all part of the fun and adventure of exploring this incredible island.
Our journey took us high into the mountains above Câmara De Lobos, reaching Madeira Natural Park and one of the highest points on the island. Standing there, surrounded by towering jagged peaks, deep green valleys, and the endless blue of the Atlantic Ocean, was a truly unforgettable moment.
Here is Sarah enjoying the incredible view, taking in the warm sunshine, the peaceful mountain air, and the vast open space stretching out around us. After the excitement of the bumpy 4×4 journey, arriving at this viewpoint felt like the perfect reward.
It was the perfect way to begin our island adventures, creating another special memory to add to the Blind Sightseers journey. Sometimes the best experiences come from taking the road less travelled, embracing the adventure, and sharing those incredible moments together.
Today was the day I went out and created the ‘Dayle’s Rest Stop’ audio beacon on my Soundscape 3D audio navigation app. It’s located about half a mile away from ‘Nancy & Ken’s Crossroads’, and is in a beautiful location in the trees. 🤔
🥾 Why ‘Dayle’s rest stop bench’:
In a place like Epsom Common, with its uneven and bumpy trails, ‘Dayles’s Rest Stop Bench’ can be especially helpful for:
Sitting and regaining energy on the long and hilly paths.
Giving your legs (especially the soleus and calves) a short recovery.
A chance to stop, listen to sounds of the different varieties of birds, and the wind blowing through the trees.
And most of all…Eating a protein bar, a Sarah stupendous stack sandwich and having a much needed drink.
A photo from my walk yesterday around my local nature reserve…Which is where I have created my ‘Ultra Trail Marathon’ course, and this is on the lap! 😀
I just had to share with you a photo of my Fender Telecaster! 😲
I just had to share with you the amazing pop-up birthday card i received from my lovely Wife Sarah on my birthday in April. How cool is it?? I’ve never had such a cool card like this before so i had to post it on here as a memory for me…And to show you guys too! 😲
I can’t wait until ‘Photo Thursday’ next week!! 😀
This weekend we’re celebrating a brobdingnagian 18 years since the ‘Blind Sightseers’ first met at Sight Village, Birmingham, UK. We’ve been simply stunned how God has joined us together with the incredible love we thought we’d never find, taken us to places we thought we could never go…And He always gives beyond anything we can imagine…And it’s not over yet??!!! 😲 🙏
For this weeks ‘Weekly Photo Challenge‘, i thought i would use my acoustic Ayotte drum kit as my OBJECT & INSPIRATION!
For me, i get so inspired when i can sit among my drums, cymbals and anything else i can clamp nearby, lol… And play them loud! AAWWWW the sound of the ‘PHAT’ 24 inch bass drum is like nothing else i’ve heard, so smooth and boomy it’s like pressing your foot on the pedal of doom!! 🤣
The Ayotte Velvet is made with 8-ply sugar hardened maple shells, and i chose the biggest 24″ bass drum, 18″ & 16″ floor toms with a 13″ rack tom. 💪🏼
it’s such an amazing feeling and i even played (and bought) them on my wedding day!! ❤️
I’ll never get bored of this photo of my lovely wife Sarah relaxing in her fave seat in the world. Sarah sat here every night watching the Bajan sunset during our 2 week long stays at ‘Southern Palms’ in Barbados, and to say that we miss being there is an understatement. ☀️
Bonjour mes amis (Good Morning My Friends)
No way we’re in Corsica! My lovely wife Sarah is going to kill me for ruining this post with another of my digressions…But my fave cars of all time raced here and i can’t contain myself….Yes it’s Group B rally cars!
Awwww i can hear that ferocious engine sound (and the monster dump valve) of one of my favourite cars…The Lancia Delta S4. It had an Abarth-designed supercharged and turbocharged 500bhp 1.8-litre engine, it could hit 60mph in just over two seconds…And this was 1986!
But…After a fatal accident (here in Corsica) Group B rally cars were banned and a FISA investigation later proved that drivers’ reactions were too slow to keep up with Group B cars, and drivers’ eyes could not adjust their focus between the fast corners, which caused tunnel vision. Now that’s fast…And insane!!
They said the cars had so much raw power but with little containment…I have a wife like that, lol! Sorry Sarah! 🤣
View our full day in Corsica
The start line…
I thought the heat was blistering already but it didn’t prepare me for the inferno when we walked underneath the archway and onto the track. 🔥🔥
Sarah said “Steve you’ve got to get a photo of me at the original olympic start line! I’ve only been out of my aircast for a few weeks and it would make a great photo…Zena (Sarah’s friend) will comment straight away and tell me off, lol (she did). 😀
“Here goes” i said “No pressure at all for this shot…It’s only a one off picture” But it worked and Sarah looks fantastic! Sarah had gone for months with an aircast, and now seeing her on the start line looking like a true olympian was another emotional moment for me. She really is my warrior princess wife! ❤️❤️❤️
View our full day in Olympia
I’m not good in the sun but Sarah comes alive in the scorching hot weather. So i sloshed on my sun cream as it was already 36 degrees outside (ouch) I’ve also bought myself a ‘Tactical Sun Hat’ to try and keep myself cooler in the sun and provide a little shade with the wide rim…It worked really well but i was still dripping like a candle in a Salvador Dali painting! 🤣
View our full day in Corinth
We were surrounded by a sea of blue, sky of blue, deck of blue and Sarah’s new “Hokusai” dress …of blue. 😎
⬆ Sarah wearing her new “Hokusai” dress! ⬆
view our full cruise from Croatia
Yay, the plane…
I was excited to be travelling on an airplane again, and was totally surprised i managed to capture a piece of Palma upon take off! 😲
This has to be one of my favorite photos!! I’m glad to see Sarah(The Greatest Warrior” parting some of her knowledge and instruction to an inferior ranked warrior on how to correctly throw a spear! 💪🏼
View our full day in Alicante
My fave place “The Coffee Port” on the Thomson Dream cruise ship (now Marella Dream) for a birthday Cappuccino with a stunning view! 😲
⇧ My fave seat in the Coffee Port ⇧
The 1961 Yellow Unimog…
Awww friends….Let me introduce you to this Yellow, 1961 Unimog…..have you seen the tires, lol! It threw us around like crazy and i still can’t believe that he didn’t slow down for anything. There is no way a vehicle can hit rocks, huge pot holes, climb cracked hills and go around tight bends whilst travelling at break neck speed, it would have destroyed anything else and left them in a pile of spare parts, lol. I’m not sure they issued these with brake pedals! 😎
View our full day (Sarah’s Birthday) at Bonaire
Back at the dock…🛳
After a short boat ride back to the ship, we had enough time to get changed, leave our bags and have a well needed iced-coffee before heading out to explore as much as we can without getting lost before the ship leaves.
We walked up one street and turned right before Sarah stopped and said “Wow, she’s having her photo taken in front of that cool wall art/sign. Quick get one of me” “Ok my lovely, you’re wearing your new yellow Michael Kors t-shirt too, i hope i get everything in”. Sarah had bought this t-shirt for our holidays and couldn’t wait to put on the lovely bright colours and flowers.
This is one of my fave photos as it shows Sarah’s smile is as bright as her t-shirt.
View our full day at Aruba
Speightstown, Barbados…
And speaking of lovely architecture and colonial towns, your first stop is at Speightstown. Here you’ll enjoy seeing historic buildings and beautiful tropical beaches.
The tour guide kept talking about the PRC Bakery at our first stop, and said she was going in to get something for the trip. “OOohhhh maybe we could get a small cake for your birthday” “Yes let’s follow her and see what goodies they have?” As we walked in to the little bakery the guide said “Oh yes a lead pipe” as she picked one up and went to pay for it. “What’s a lead pipe?” i said to the guide “It’s a local cake but it can be used as a weapon too as it’s very heavy”. Sarah then passed me a bag with a cake in and said hold this “Wow this weighs about the same as a 16lb bowling ball” “everything is so heavy in here, nothing has fluffy cream like in England as it would melt instantly, lol”.
Sarah told the baker that we loved coconut and did e have anything with coconut in them? We only got 1 coconut slice as we didn’t know how sweet it was or even if we liked it?! 😋
I never (ever) stop talking about this coconut slice as it’s the nicest cake i’ve ever tasted! The bell on the ‘Blind Sightseers Gastronomic Leaderboard’ was destroyed as this flew to the top of the cakes list! If i’d have known i would’ve stayed in the bakery and continued to eat every single last one of them! But we only had that one and we’ve never been able to go back since this monumental occasion. Oh yes…This monumental occasion is my lovely wife Sarah’s birthday! 🤣
View our full “Barbados 360 Island Tour“
A beautiful tiger taken from a day trip to Chessington world of adventures.
The cool thing is I had no idea this tiger was looking at me until I got home and zoomed right into the image! 🤣
Camera Used ~ SONY Alpha a100
The smell of the locals cooking on the market was amazing, but Sarah had found a sweet little craft stall. The lady created items from the coral found off the shores St Maarten. “Oooooh, i could have a necklace made from St Maarten”. I knew that to mean “i’m getting one, i just don’t know which one yet?!” 🤣
⇧ Sarah’s St Maartens Coral Necklace ⇧
Sarah really was starting to feel at home here, but we had to get back to the bus! We enjoyed our stop in Marigot, and we said we’d love to spend a week here to investigate more! ☀️ 😀
⇧ Me & Sarah at St Kitts ⇧
From stunning, breathtaking views, horse riding in paradise, dancing with dolphins, River paddle boat trip, various island bus tours, 4×4 volcano ride, cable cars, OH…. and Sarah’s medical emergency in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, it’s been an unbelievable few weeks on our cruise holiday to the Caribbean, Azores & Spain (2015). 😲
Please join us (The Blind Sightseers) on this incredible journey:
⇧ My Father in law Steve playing my 1960 Gibson J45 ⇧
A photo taken from our new years eve (Dec 2011) holiday with friends (Rob, Shelley, Tom, Abbie & Ella) in Ilfracombe, Devon, England, UK. It was very windy and very wet! We had a fantastic time as the holiday home was overlooking this bay so we enjoyed lots of coastal walks and enjoyed local restaurants.
Camera used – iPhone 4s (as it was raining i was too scared to take out my DSLR’s) 😨
ablenet
Our Mission…
Our mission is quite simple: we want to get more disabled and visually impaired people enjoying new, fun and exhilarating activities. We want to help people with disabilities feel confident that they can enjoy the same activities and life experiences as someone without a disability.
Hi readers!
Just guess how excited i am right now?? 🤣
I have just stumbled onto the ablenet website and found this…?
⇧ All images supplied by the ablenet facebook page ⇧
Are you ready for the drive of your life for an astonishing 6 miles each per Supercar?
If you love supercars and are visually impaired, our ‘3 Supercar Blind Driving Experience Super Thrill’ is an experience you won’t find anywhere else. It is the best way to get to you in your favourite supercars and experience the peed, and thrill, of a high-performance beast.
Yes, it is true. Whatever your level of visual impairment, you can drive a Supercar with Ablenet. All of the cars are automatic and a super skilled instructor will guide you around the track whilst having access to a footbrake should it be necessary.
So, whether it’s a Lamborghini, Ferrari F430 spider, Aston Martin DB9, Audi R8, Nissan GTR or Porsche 911/997, we put you with the largest fleet of cars in the UK for you to choose from. The hardest part is choosing…
The great benefit to driving on a race circuit is feeling the pure power of an awesome car. You will be with a professional instructor who will teach you the art of driving.
The experience also includes a thrilling hot lap ride when the race driver will show you what a performance car can do around the circuit. Typically in a BMW M3 V8 saloon car or Vauxhall VXV8, both with 3 passengers.
Sarah & i (whilst on holiday in St. Kitts, Caribbean 2015) kept saying “Wow, this is Amazing! How did we get here, it’s like a dream”. The beautiful hot sun shining down, a lovely cool breeze and those stupendous palm trees! ☀️🌴😀
Hi friends and welcome to Day 66 of this monumental, inconceivable and definly memorable blind sightseers tour….!
My ‘Blind Sightseers’ shirt collection…🤣
I wanted to take a photo of all of my shirts that i’d collected whilst on my travels, to show everyone (especially Sarah’s dad) that i don’t only wear black, lol! 🤣
The Gap…
We had a final walk along the gap to say a sad farewell…When Sarah found another way for us to cool down, lol! 🤣
My birthday Bajan towel…🇧🇧
On my birthday, Sarah also bought me this great colourful towel from the gift shop…I wouldn’t stop talking about it! I said “Hey Sarah can you take a photo of me on the beach holding my towel in the wind? I can hold it out like a flag”. I was failing miserably to hold it against the wind…But just as i was about to give up, George and Cynthia walked past and asked if we’d like them to take some photos?! 💪🏼 😀
Then as we were finishing…A kind person asked if we’d like a photo all together? Wow another photo we’ll cherish. 😀
We’d had an amazing time here in our fave place on earth…But it was time for a few more farewell photos before we head back home.
The final sunset…
Just as we were watching the sun fall away for the last time here in paradise…A kind lady asked if we’d like a photo together? Awww what a lovely surprise on our final evening, more precious memories.😀
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Hi friends and welcome to Day 65 of this monumental, inconceivable and definly memorable blind sightseers tour….!
NOPE..I just can’t get bored of the view…Ever! 😀
Breakfast and bathing…💪🏼
NOPE…I can’t get bored of this breakfast either, lol! 🤣
Then it’s time for Sarah to have a swim in the pool whilst i try and not get fried. ☀️
Sarah showed me where to get the lovely ice cold water (with cucumber or lemon) so i could refill while she was in the pool. Once i’ve been shown i’m pretty good at remembering where to go and what to do. The water was on a table underneath a tent like thing…And i could just make out a shape of a palm tree above it but i didn’t know it was glowing! ☀️ 🌴
The beach and Bajan blast…🌊
Wow…I don’t think we’ve ever been anywhere that is so accessible for us. It’s so much easier for us to be independent and do everything that we want to without too much hassle or struggle…And everything is so near by and we find it hard to even leave Southern Palms.
Speaking of which…”Steve let’s go on the beach” Sarah said as she blew pas me! I love this time of day and i’ll never get bored of seeing Sarah run, splash and play on this empty Caribbean beach. My only struggle is trying to point the camera towards the happy sounds! 🤣
After another fantastic time on the beach, it’s time to dry off and cool off…And what better way to cool off than a iced coffee at Sharkey’s! 😀
Sharkey’s Tropical Cafe…
Surf and turf…🍔
And guess what?? It’s time for the ‘Southern Burger’ and the ‘Shrimp Cocktail’ again, Sarah says the shrimp are as big as your face and she’s never seen anything like it before! 🤣
Sarah’s beautiful new green dress…
Sarah was excited to wear her beautiful new green dress, and as our room was right on the front facing the beach i said i’ll stay on the balcony and get some photos…No pressure, lol! 🤣 I didn’t have my ‘Big Burtha’ (Nikkor 80-400mm lens) or any of my DSLR’s but i did have my iPhone and tested the digital pinch zoom range! 😀
Hey look who’s back…? 😲
Just as Sarah was walking back from the beach we heard “Sarah…Hello we’re back” it was George and Cynthia! They’d had a lovely time visiting family in Saint Vincent and you’ll never guess…?
If you remember when we stayed here last year and i had ‘The Coconut Slice’ in Speightstown on Sarah’s birthday island tour…Well obviously i was telling George about it and he said “We have a local one like that can Saint Vincent called ‘Red Belly’ and it sounds the same”.
Then…🤔
George said “Put out your hand” and continued to place a ‘Red Belly’ coconut slice into my hand! I couldn’t believe it…His kindness was ineffable. He continued I went to the bakery on the island and they only had 2 left and were not making any more, i got one for you and one for me”. 😀 I don’t have the hyperbole to describe the coconut slice, and sorry i don’t have a photo as it disappeared so quickly…Not sure where it went, lol! 😋 🤣
The Bajan sunset…
Wow what a relaxing day on this incredible holiday. Thankfully we have 1 more full day at this beautifully colourful place before we head back to Gatwick and the cold, wet and grey London hue!
We’ll meet tomorrow…Same time…Same place for another adventure! 😀
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Hi friends and welcome to Day 64 of this monumental, inconceivable and definly memorable blind sightseers tour….!
Breakfast and braides…🥓🍌🍉🍍🍊
After the consistently delicious, fresh and tasty breakfast we headed off to the salon. It was the same lady from last year, so she knew exactly how we liked our hair and we had a good catch up too! 😀
Our new friends George and Cynthia…
If you remember the 1st day of our cruise in Aruba, we met George and Cynthia at the evening meal when we’d shared a table. We had no idea that they were also staying at Southern Palms for a week too. They had stay here 20 years ago and wondered if it had changed and to get a photo at the same spot they’d had a photo back then. George and Cynthia were going to Saint Vincent to visit family for a few days and we’d meet back up with them for the last couple of days.
But before they left (as they are so loving and kind)for Saint Vincent they knew it was our birthdays and as a complete surprise present they bought us a top each with Barbados written on them. Yes mine is the stupendous blue Carribbean shirt i’m wearing! 😀
Right now we don’t have to fight against the wind all holiday…Let’s see what we’ll be doing on this cool excursion.
Harrison’s Cave…
Go deeper underground with a visit to Harrison’s Cave. All limestone stalactites, caverns and grottoes, it’s like taking a trip to the moon. Add rock pools, streams and some red and orange mood-lighting, and it takes on a volcano-like edge. It’s easy to see why the locals call it one of the seven wonders of the island. Boarding a little electric tram, you’ll take a mile-long tour through the chambers, passing pillars formed by stalagmites and stalactites that have met in the middle. At the bottom, you’ll see the star of the show – a mighty waterfall below the ground.
The hard hat…
First off, take a comedy picture once you’ve put on your hard hat…Check! 🤣
We’d just listened to about 15 minutes of history inside a mini cinema type place before boarding this cool little tram, then it was into the darkness to find some light. 😀
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tEmSnb3H9k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jbqR1XN0lg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Is_dUBJCYk
Wow what a ride! We had a fantastic trip and were very thankful that we’d not had to walk as it would’ve been impossible. But sitting back and relaxing in the tram was fantastic and the guide was knowledgable and we learned lots! 😀
Bac at room 112…
Wow i could stay here for the next 40 years, lol! 🤣
The sea and the sunset…
“Quick Steve there’s still time to play in the sea before the evening meal and sunset” Sarah said as she blasted past me and ran for the sea, lol! 🤣 ☀️
Wow what a sunset on another blessed day! Thanks so much for taking the Barbados underground with us on this monumental adventure. 😀
We’ll meet tomorrow…Same time…Same place for another adventure! 😀
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Hi friends and welcome to Day 63 of this monumental, inconceivable and definly memorable blind sightseers tour….!
Welcome to 🌴 Southern Palms 🌴…!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms6f0NgnzMI
Yay, it’s also my birthday today! We’d managed to book this cruise and stay which covered both of our birthdays, and after Sarah’s ‘Unimog Birthday Blitz” i knew this would be a little more relaxed! After our amazing time here last year…We’d said if ever we had the chance to come back here we’d try and book room 112. Last year we had a side room which had no window at all but 112 faced directly south and looked out over the stupendous beach, palm trees and sea. I’d messaged Southern Palms to ask if they could hold the room for us…And they did! 😀 ☀️ 🌴
Walking into the room was simply breathtaking and we couldn’t believe the view from our room…And also from our balcony…😲
Wow we have a week of this view, i think i’m going to have a hard time leaving the room, lol! 😀
It didn’t take long for us to unpack and make this our new home, then we quickly walked up to the reception to see if we could book ourselves to get birthday braides. The staff were incredibly friendly and knew we’d be back! The on site salon didn’t open until the next day so we didn’t have long to cope with fluffy hair, lol. As we are the ‘Blind Sightseers’ we also booked an excursion to ‘Harrison’s Cave’ tomorrow as we missed doing it last year. 😀
Before we had a walk along the gap to see if our favourite cafe was still there, it was time tfor Sarah to put her feet on the sand and have a paddle in the sea. As you could tell from the photos of our room (above) it wouldn’t take long! 🤣
Sarah and the Bajan blast…🌊
My birthday treat…❤️
I know it looks like Sarah is having all of the fun, but for me to watch (well listen) to Sarah laughing, playing and totally enjoying herself without having her insulin pump attached is one of my best feelings, and it’s certainly a birthday treat for me…Well one of them as i’m hoping they still do the ‘Southern Burger’ tonight. 😀
The Gap…
Right…All of that standing still and taking photos of my lovely wife Sarah whilst being burnt to a crisp is really thirsty work, so let’s go and see if the ‘Sharkey’s Tropical Cafe’ is still there.
Southern Palms…
After a couple of hours on the gap it wasn’t long before the sunset would be blessing us with it’s slow descent, then it’d be time for the evening meal until we could sit on our balcony to watch the sun completely disappear! We did this every night and it was stunning every time! 😀
Evening meal…
DING…DING…DING…BOOM…💥
Although it was my birthday Sarah’s ‘Blind Sightseers Gastronomic Leaderboard’ bell exploded…It was for the best ‘Shrimp Cocktail’ she’d ever tasted, anywhere! 😀
And guess what?? They still did the ‘Southern Burger’ and it was consistently stupendous for the whole week. As you know this burger hit the top of my leaderboard last year so no bell this year for me…Just the amazing taste! 🍔 😀 Oh and it’s my birthday too…What a time to have the ‘Magnum Opus’ of the southern palms.! 😀
Sunset and the rocks…
Now it was time for us to walk off some of that delicious food, and take a lovely slow walk along the Barbados beach until we reach the rocks for the sunset. We needed to get back to our room before the sun set totally as it would be too dark and our eyes really don’t work in the dark! We had just enough time for Sarah to say hello to you guys!
The balcony of 112…
☢️ HEALTH WARNING…😲
I asked Sarah if she could take a monumental birthday panorama for me from the balcony…
After i thanked her and we were sitting down enjoying the sunset, saying hello to the other guests as they walked by Sarah said “Wait a minute…I’ve never seen that before?!” She stood up looking to the right and then to the left. “Steve, the moon is shining over there on the left, and the sun is shining over there on the right, let me try and get them both in a panorama”.
Wow…I have never seen anything like this before! Have you? 🤔
Thanks for joining us today, and What a way to end my birthday and begin our Bajan blessing.
We’ll meet tomorrow…Same time…Same place for another adventure! 😀
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Hi friends and welcome to Day 62 of this monumental, inconceivable and definly memorable blind sightseers tour….!
Sarah & i booked a Catamaran cruise to the Pitons…What a stunning trip. Last year we had booked a trip through the multiple layers of the rain forest (read post) so we thought we would see Saint Lucia by sea this time. Let’s see what we’ll be doing…
Pitons Cruise…😲
Beaches. Mountains. Rainforests. Volcanoes. Springs. When it comes to natural beauties, St Lucia’s in a league of its own. This trip takes you on a tour of some of the island’s best bits and, because they can all be seen from the sea, you’ll get to enjoy them from the comfort of a catamaran.
Setting off from Castries, you’ll glide along the island’s west coast, passing mangrove-lined beaches and lush forests. And then it’s time for the star of the show. As you enter Soufriere bay, the twin mountains of Petit and Gros Piton will rise out of the sea before you. Topping over 2,000 feet each, their summits have only been tackled by the most daring of climbers. We’ll circle the bay for some great photo opportunities, before heading to one of the scenic bays along the coast. We’ll make a quick stop, and you’ll be served snacks, drinks and get the chance to dive into the Caribbean Sea for a quick swim. Last up is Marigot, the most famous cove on the island. This was a favourite battleground of the English and French back in the 18th century and, more recently, was the setting of Dr Doolittle.
The catamaran…
Once again we din’t need a coach as the catamaran was waiting for us at the dock. My main concern was actually getting on board the catamaran. I had movies playing in my mind of the catamarans from ‘JAWS’ an it’d be hard to climb on board, never mind staying on top of the net thingy in the centre as it bobbed up and down. “Wow…That’s massive i didn’t know they made catamarans that big” i said as Sarah expertly guided me (step by step) on board . Now that was over and i was sat down i could simply enjoy the fantastic ride! 😀
The Pitons…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll3Fg_ctrRs&t=7s
The guide was great and told us all about the Pitons (see Sarah’s video above) as we just marvelled at this beautiful creation. 😲
Summer bay…
Upon leaving the Pitons we travelled to a small bay and stopped for about 30 minutes. The guide told us we could have a swim in the water if we wanted, Sarah said to me “Don’t even think about it! You’re staying right here as you’re banned from swimming” We all know why this is!! (read Martinique drama post) 🤣
The guide also told us the locals would paddle up to the catamaran and try and sell you small crafts they’ve made themselves. This was a main income for the people so don’t worry we are not being invaded, lol! 😀
We love getting a small souvenir from each place we’ve visited, so when he paddled to us we said “Wow we don’t even have to move and risk tripping up, the crafts are coming to us”. 😀
Sarah bought a small turtle ‘Timothy The Turtle’ that lives on our sideboard. 🐢
We had a few more minutes to soak up more memories of this lovely bay, when a nice lady asked if we wanted a photo together?!
Leaving the bay…
☢️ HEALTH WARNING…😲
Leaving the bay we had a nice long ride back to the dock…But just when you’d thought you’d finished, Sarah (having already blessed us with a video) surprised us with a stupendous panorama! 😀
Back at the dock…🛳 🌧
As we were here a year ago on the ‘Bread fruit tasting mission’ we knew exactly where to go. This is great when you’re blind as it instantly familiarises you with your environment. We were walking along the right hand side of the road when Sarah spotted a very colourful market stall up one of the side streets. “They might have a Caribbean shirt for you” Sarah said as we stopped in front of the stall to have a look. Although it was overcast the sun was burning as we tried to edge our way closer to the small shade of the stall.
Sarah found a shirt with both her favourite colours but it was tiny as it was for a small child. We said hello to the lady and she told us her daughter was living in England and we got chatting further.
After about 5 minutes…🤔
“Do you have a shirt in his size” Sarah said whilst pointing at me. The lady started looking around her stall and said “Wait a minute, i think i can get one of those. Do you have time to wait here while i’ll go up the road and see?” “Yes of course we’ll wait here” Sarah said as she was stood like she owned the stall behind all of the products. Sarah said as the lady disappeared up the road “Steve, it looks like i own my very own Caribbean shirt stall in Saint Lucia!” 😀 I still can’t believe i didn’t take a photo of this monumental moment! The lady returned after about 10 minutes, nobody came to the stall but the lady did bring back the right size, and it is now Sarah’s favourite shirt! 😀
We walked away from the lovely lady with huge smiles on our faces, my smile as i had a fantastic new shirt and Sarah’s as she’d owned a stall in Saint Lucia for 10 minutes. Then it starts raining but it was nothing like the rain in England. The mixture of the burning hot sun and the slight cooling rain gave it a soothing feeling. “It’s liquid sunshine” i heard a few people saying as we walked our familiar route back to the ship after looking at all of the stalls. Yes ‘Liquid sunshine’ is exactly what it felt like! 😀
On the ship…🛳
We couldn’t believe it was the last day of the cruise, although we’ve had a fantastic adventure and we’ve still got a week stay on Barbados! We had another excellent evening meal and decided to have a last walk around the ship. Sarah had seen these circular seats earlier on the cruse but they were always taken, so she jumped on the cushions and said “Steve take a photo of me on my favourite seats”. 😀
Walking around even further Sarah captured a lovely photo of the dock and the island all lit up at night. This was a perfect image to end our cruise in Saint Lucia, as the sun would rise upon our next week in Barbados! ☀️ 🇧🇧 😀
Thanks for joining us on our trip to Saint Lucia! Have you been here before? 🤔
We’ll meet tomorrow…Same time…Same place for another adventure! 😀
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Hi friends and welcome to Day 61 of this monumental, inconceivable and definly memorable blind sightseers tour….!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-6pkbgL3Ho&feature=youtu.be
One of my first attempts at a Time-Lapse video…
Yay, Safe On The Dock….🛳
Upon leaving the ship it felt like coming home, as we knew exactly where we needed to go as we were here last year (read post). Once we found and boarded our coach ready for our excursion to the nutmeg factory, then on to the chocolate factory, we settled back and enjoyed the view. We had visited the Nutmeg factory last year as it’s Sarah’s fave place, as the incredible smell of nutmeg fills her with warm memories of her Nan Peters when she used it in her legendary rice pudding. And now we knew what to expect…We could find and buy more nutmeg. 😀
The nutmeg and chocolate factory tour…🚌
We were blessed once more with the stunning beauty of this place as we drove around the coast and the luscious hills. ☀️
The Nutmeg Factory….
This time we were the first ones in the gift shop and ready to get some of the amazing nutmeg that fills all kinds of products. Sarah bought an omnifarious mixture of products including…Aloe Vera oils etc (wow nutmeg and aloe vera)…She had missed getting some of this last year when we had a similar tour. We really didn’t think we’d see this place again (never mind the first time) and it was such a blessing to be here…Aawww that smell! 😀
The Chocolate Factory…🍫
This was very educational and interesting. The local guide took us around the beautiful grounds and factory showing us different plants they grow, including the cocoa trees and how they harvest the beans, dry and ferment the seeds, crack the shells to emit the cocoa nibs (the actual cocoa their chocolate is made with)…Watch video below. 🍫 😀
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJIjTbbuKpM
Sorry but didn’t get any photos or videos of the factory. But the local Mango & Lemon punch was amazing and refreshing…But that was a shadow of the ginger & dark chocolate bar! I saved it until we were back in the UK but i now wished i’d bought about 10 of them instead of 1, i think we need to go back next year!!
Thanks for joining us on our trip to Grenada! Have you been here before? 🤔
We’ll meet tomorrow…Same time…Same place for another adventure! 😀
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Hi friends and welcome to Day 60 of this monumental, inconceivable and definly memorable blind sightseers tour….!
Welcome to Bonaire on this fantastic occasion…I wonder what surprise is in store for Sarah? 🤔
Arawak Off-road Safari…
This trip is all about getting to grips with Bonaire’s historic best bits. Clamber aboard one of the 4x4s, and in a couple of minutes you’ll be whizzing along the off-road trails.First, you’ll climb into the Subi Rincon hills, where the convoy will stop at a set of time-worn Indian caves. Then, it’s on to one of the island’s only two towns – Rincon. Keep an eye out for the honey-yellow church tower as you pass through, then hop off the truck when you arrive at pretty Boca Onima. This rocky stretch of coastline is home to some of the best cave art in Bonaire, which gives you a real glimpse of the island’s past.One of the best bits is saved ‘til last – the beauty spot, Seru Largu. This cross-topped monument sits on a raised platform, setting you up with panoramic views of the capital, Kralendijk.
On the dock…🛳
This shore excursion was a second choice as the first choice was sold out weeks before we’d even started our cruise. We were thinking about the 4×4 Land Rover trip we’d done in the Azores(see here) but couldn’t really get excited…As it was much hotter here and the thought of being crammed in the back of a Land Rover really wasn’t doing anything for us today. So what we thought was going to be an anticlimax…Turned out to be the best trip of the whole holiday! Oh and i’d just travelled in my best vehicle of all time! 😎
The 1961 Yellow Unimog…😲
Awww friends….Let me introduce you to this Yellow, 1961 Unimog…..have you seen the tires, lol! It threw us around like crazy and i still can’t believe that he didn’t slow down for anything. There is no way a vehicle can hit rocks, huge pot holes, climb cracked hills and go around tight bends whilst travelling at break neck speed, it would have destroyed anything else and left them in a pile of spare parts, lol. I’m not sure they issued these with brake pedals! 😎
Subi Rincon hills…
Bertrand was our fantastic guide, and even better rally driver, lol. He said he had a PHD(pot hole dodger) although he didn’t dodge anything but drove straight over everything which made the ride so much fun…We were all hanging on for dear life as our bums were ‘getting air’ as they lifted off our seats!!
We climbed higher and higher into the Subi Rincon hills, where the amazing yellow Unimog stopped at a set of time-worn Indian caves. This place had lots of rocks to walk over and Bertrand told Sarah “You’re a fantastic guide” as she was expertly weaving me through the rocks! He told the group how the first explorers crawled through these caves in the pitch black, an inch at a time without knowing what was coming. 😨
Back on the Unimog…
Bertrand put the ladder in place at the rear of the Unimog so we could climb in and out. I was very careful the first time as i was feeling with my feet to find out how many (and where) the steps were. But after a few times i was flying off them! 😀
He kept slowing down and then (klunck) slamming it into low gear as he climbed ludicrously steep and rocky slopes until we got to a high viewing point. Ikept forgetting it was Sarah’s birthday and not mine! 🤣
The Bonaire Donkey’s…
We were screaming down a dirt track when Bertrand hit the breaks. He jumped out of the Unimog and tried to call out to the Donkeys to see if they’d come over. He told us:
Donkeys have been around on Bonaire since the 17th century. The Spanish brought the donkeys for transportation. When modern vehicles became available like pushcarts, donkeys were redundant and left to their fate.
Bonaire is a predominantly rugged and arid island, making it difficult for the donkeys to survive. Nevertheless, there are hundreds of donkeys on Bonaire present. Because the donkeys can move freely on the island this regularly leads to traffic accidents.
Fauna ezel thumbThe donkeys live in small herds of about 20 animals and can be 40 years old. During the day they seek the shade of the trees. In the early morning or early evening the donkeys are usually active.
Since 1993 injured, sick and orphaned donkeys are cared in a shelter, called Donkey Sanctuary Bonaire. Volunteers take care over 400 donkeys in a closed area. The shelter is open to visitors and is located south of the airport on the Kaya Ir.R. Statius van Eps.
I heard “EEEYYOOORRREEE, HONK, HONK, HONK) and Bertrand said “Ok i hear you” to the donkeys and “They don’t want to say hello” to us as he climbed back into the Unimog and drove to our next stop…
☢️ HEALTH WARNING…😲
Wait a minute…How did Sarah take a panorama whilst sat in the Unimog? “Nobody likes a show off, lol” 🤣
Bertrand stopped in many interesting places, he even fed lizards by hand as we stood on a sandy park burning to a crisp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd0phsrO6V4
We’d had a simply breathtaking trip on the fantastic yellow Unimog and we were really sad when we pulled back into the dock.
Back at the ship…🛳
After the incredible and mind bending ride in the Unimog, we quickly went on board and had an iced coffee before heading out into the town to see what goodies we could find.
It was absolutely scorching so the first place was a tiny local bar where Bertrand told us to try the locally (and traditionally) brewed beer ‘Bonaire Blond’. Sarah sat me down at a small table and soon came back with a birthday celebration drink…The 2 bottles of ice cold Bonaire Blond. The bottles were soon empty as the room was just too hot and we needed to get back outside.
Yay, we managed to buy another bauble for our Christmas tree…Oh and i bought another bright and colourful shirt that you’ll see at a later date! 🎄 😀
The Evening Meal…🍽
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Hi friends and welcome to Day 59 of this monumental, inconceivable and definly memorable blind sightseers tour….!
Welcome to day 2 of this ‘Tropical Delights’ cruse. Wow what a colourful place! Let’s see what shore excursion we’re doing today?! 😀
Discover Curacao Island: 😲
You’ll get to see two of the island’s biggest attractions on this tour, starting with a drive past the island’s salt flats and on to the Hato Caves. They were formed below sea-level and today they’re full of stalagmites and stalactites.
Next up, we’ll head over to the Chobolo Liqueur Factory, passing the Queen Juliana Bridge on the way. At the factory, you’ll get to see how the island’s famous Blue Curacao Liqueur is made. The drink is distilled from the dried peel of bitter oranges, and you’ll get to taste it for yourself.
Lastly, you’ll head back to the ship via downtown Willemstad – you can get dropped off if you’d rather stay and have a look around.
On the coach…🚌
After we boarded the coach and met our tour guide, we drove up and over the dock and had a fantastic view of the ship!
Hato caves…☀️
Leaving the air conditioned coach we walked into a wall of fire (i mean heat) and made our way to the bottom of the steps for the Hato cave. After a steep, difficult and gruelling climb up lots of uneven and twisty steps, we finally made it (super sweaty) to the top which is the mouth of the cave. 💪🏼
Upon entering the cave we were quickly ensconced with darkness. Our torch could not pierce this blackened world so we stopped, turned around and let other people squeeze past as we walked back out. We told the guide (who was waiting outside) that it was way too dark and dangerous for me and Sarah, so we made our way carefully back down the steps on a tactical withdrawal.
On the plus side, We found a fantastic small yellow cafe which served local coffee. We walked to a table with a beautiful view (and breeze) and it was so quiet with only a handful of locals sipping their drinks and chatting. 😀 We heard the group arriving and it wasn’t long before we were back in the coach.
The Chobolo Liqueur Factory…🍹
Sarah was excited to learn all about the origins of this drink and how it was made, as she and her friend Caroline used to like this drink back in the day! The guide also gave us little testers of each flavour to see which ones we liked and disliked, then we could buy the ones we wanted in the gift shop. Sarah bought a bottle to send to Caroline as she’s never had one from the actual place before and we thought she’d love it…She did! 😀
Back at the ship…🛳
After a lovely iced coffee and quick refresh we thought we’d have a little walk into the town. It was pure midday burning sun and it seemed to take about half an hour just to walk the length of the ship. But we kept going and finally got to the stunning bridge, and knew we were heading in the right direction.
This was Sarah’s favourite place as she could gaze upon the vivid colours of the buildings that lined both sides of the dock.
The town…🌇
We had a little walk around this beautiful town to see what we could find, and first of all we found a clothes shop! “Ooohhh i wonder if they sell a caribbean shirt for me” i said as Sarah was trying to find the most colourful section. Sarah then pulled out a fantastic orange and black shirt with Curacao written all over it (see image lower down). “Yes i’ll have that one” i said with a huge smile on my face. Sarah also bought a top with Curacao on the front and we left the shop to find more souvenirs. We didn’t have to wait long as we found another bauble for our Christmas tree, yay! 🎄
The sun was burning hot and microwaving my bones as i walked round like the ‘Ready Brek’ man causing a heat haze around me. So Sarah stopped at a small bar and got us a bottle of ice cold ‘Amstel’.
Then…😲
“HOWDY!” Both Sarah and i spun around and faced the american man from yesterday as he continued “Oh Sarah, I love your trainers they’re so colourful” we said “Wow how amazing that you’re here, we thought we’d never see you again. How are you?” He said that his cruise ship had to wait a long time for the big bridge (one we’d just walked over) to lift and let us into the dock, so we arrived a lot later than you. Shortly after his wife turned up and we started chatting for a while, before saying “Maybe we’ll see you tomorrow? I can’t believe you’re here today”. 😀
After parting ways (again) we started on the long trek back, but we did get to walk back over the bridge with the colourful buildings, yay!
On the ship…🛳
We quickly nipped back to the cabin so i could put on my new shirt, then we walked out on deck as i wanted a photo in Curacao whilst wearing my new Curacao shirt. 😀
Towel creature…
On our return to our centre front cabin we found our first towel art. Sarah thought is was a rabbit sniper…Please let us know what you think it is in the comments below?! 😎
⇧ Sarah on her tranquility seat ⇧
And finally we were blessed with a beautiful sunset from our cabin window, wow what a day!
Thanks for joining us at this wonderfully colourful place…Have you been here before?
We’ll meet tomorrow…Same time…Same place for another adventure! 😀
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Hi friends and welcome to Day 58 of this monumental, inconceivable and definly memorable blind sightseers tour….!
Thanks for joining me and Sarah on another Birthday celebration cruise and stay in the Caribbean, it’s great to have you guys along for the ride.
Marella Explorer (Apr 2019)…🛳
Unbelievably this is the Blind Sightseers 6th cruse! We have never been on the Marella Explorer and Sarah had booked cabin 8001 which is dead centre and right at the front of the ship. She chose this cabin as she thought the views from the window would be fantastic….She’s right again! 😎
All it was missing is a steering wheel. 🤣
⇧ View from our cabin Nø 8001 ⇧
Before getting to Aruba we had a day at sea. We were pleased with this as it gave us time to walk about 80,000 steps to find out where we could get Breakfast and the evening meal…But most of all find the Coffee Port to see if they made lovely strong coffee? They did! 😀
🇦🇼 Aruba…
As usual we had booked an excursion for each of the 5 islands we were visiting (you didn’t think you’d come away to rest?!) and todays excursion is: De Palm Island – Full Day, Aruba.
De Palm Island has got it all. Set adrift off the Aruban coastline, this private reef offers up pristine waters and a huge variety of exotic marine life, it’s a first-class spot for an underwater exploration. Your day will start off with a short boat trip over to the island, where the friendly staff will be waiting to meet you. After a short safety briefing, you’re ready to slip on your mask and wade into the warm, clear waters. Expect to meet friendly blue parrotfish and angelfish. Back on dry land, there’ll be time to sprawl out on the sand, take your seat for a banana boat ride or visit the island’s small waterpark before heading back to the ship. Don’t forget that a full buffet lunch and refreshments throughout the day will be included.
On the dock…🛳
We had a short walk around the dock until we arrived at the place to get the little fun boat.
The little fun boat…🚤
Yay, it didn’t disappoint as it bobbed up and down spraying us in the face with nice cool sea water.
De Palm Island…🏝
⇧ My lovely Wife Sarah catching some long awaited sunshine outside the cafe ⇧
When booking this shore excursion we had visions of excitement and adventure from the amazing Xel-Ha island in Mexico, unfortunately this wasn’t like that. This place was tiny in comparison which worked well for us not getting lost but there wasn’t much to do either. The weather was overcast and muggy, until the clouds parted and gave the sun chance to burn a hole through your flesh! 🔥
I was well impressed by the solid wooden walkways that curled around the whole place, and i marvelled on how long it must have taken to construct this very accessible path. When i was fully sighted i worked as a panel beater in a bodyshop so i know a little about sanding etc. I was enjoying the smoothness of the wood when Sarah pulled me from my reverie…“Steve! Come on stop touching everything to see how smooth it is, lol!” 🤣
We found the cafe first (funny how that happens) and use it as our starting reference point. We found a souvenir shop (we’ll be back) then the toilets (useful) and passing the bar and food court (Mmmmmm) we stumbled upon the sun bed area. Seeing that all of the sun beds were taken and we’d only just got here, we walked back to the cafe to see if they had iced coffee?! 😀
Walking around the cafe looking at the assortment of food we suddenly heard an american man with a bright and cheery accent right behind us “HOWDY” Sarah and i turned to face him and he continued “I hope you don’t mind me interrupting? But i saw you have an insulin pump and wanted to ask about it” Sarah talked to him about how long she’d had Type 1 diabetes and how long she’d had the pump. The man was a chemist/Pharmacy person and his niece was debating whoever to get one or not? After Sarah talked about how much of a life saver the pump has been i think his niece will be getting one! The man (sorry forgot his name) had arrived on the ‘Celebrity Silhouette’ cruise ship that we’d noticed towering over ours in the dock, and it was also his first time in Aruba, then we finished up our coffees (no iced coffee, just a machine) and parted ways with the lovely man. 😀
Yay…It was the first time in a while that i’d been able to wear the bright orange shirt i bought in Saint Kitts from our first cruise…Read all about it here.
We quickly figured out that this place was mainly for snorkelers, and that wasn’t an activity the ‘Blind Sightseers’ could do (yes even we have limits, lol). We managed to secure 2 sun bems ( nobody wanted them as they were in the shade) and as i sat down Sarah went to see if she could have a paddle in the sea?! Sarah quickly returned looking sad as they’re were rocks pretty much all the way round and lots of ‘Beware of Jellyfish’ signs. More clouds came and lowered the temperature so we walked into the food court place as it was lunchtime already.
Yay…I was happy as they were mainly serving burger and chips (well french fries which are fake chips) and Sarah said they served salad too! 🤣 Once again (like the sun beds) every table was taken except the only one in the blistering sun no-one wanted…So we sat down and i placed my ‘Tactical sun hat’ on my frying head and enjoyed the burger, although i wasn’t sure which one of us was barbecued, lol! 🍔 ☀️ 😀
“HOWDY” the man said whilst walking past, i said to Sarah “I don’t have to ask who that was as his accent is fantastic” as we waved in his general direction. As Sarah and i can’t make eye contact it’s almost impossible to make friends or start a conversation unless people come over to us. So it felt great to make a friend here who always says “Howdy” when seeing us! 😀
Sarah & i had a great time wondering around this beautiful little island and we found lots of little places until stumbling into….The gift shop! We love to find souvenirs that help us remember the amazing journeys/adventures we have conquered, and Sarah bought a fantastic t-shirt with “Biba Dushi” written on the front. Biba dushi in Aruba means “living the sweet life”. The language is actually called Papiamento and is one of Aruba’s two official languages spoken by many on the island. Papiamento is a Creole language derived from Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English, French, and African languages.
Back at the ship…🛳
After another fun ride on the little boat back to the ship, we had enough time to get changed, leave our bags and have a well needed iced-coffee before heading out to explore as much as we can without getting lost before the ship leaves.
We walked up one street and turned right before Sarah stopped and said “Wow, that lady is having her photo taken in front of that cool wall art/sign. Quick get one of me” “Ok my lovely, you’re wearing your new yellow Michael Kors t-shirt too, i hope i get everything in”. Sarah had bought this t-shirt for our holidays and couldn’t wait to put on the lovely bright colours and flowers.
This is one of my fave photos as it shows Sarah’s smile is as bright as her t-shirt.
Walking back to the ship we finally found a local Bauble maker…Her daughter makes and paints them herself. We bought a beautiful one which even had a cruise ship painted on with the Aruba island and even 2019 on it. 🎄 😀
We’ve started collecting Christmas Tree Baubles since i started going abroad 5 years ago. We love unpacking them at Christmas and filling the tree with all of the places we visit. We think its a lovely idea to fill the tree with our lives journeys and give thanks to God for everything.
Our wonderful new friends…😀
Sarah & i like to share a table with other passengers, mainly to take this opportunity to try and be sociable( being blind and trapped in your very small world & not having any eye contact it’s almost impossible to be sociable. or start conversations). So asking someone to read the menu for you because we are blind is a great ice breaker, lol!
We met 2 lovely couples that night and you will hear a little more about them throughout this trip.
Thanks for joining us on our visit to Aruba! Have you been here before? 🤔
We’ll meet tomorrow…Same time…Same place for another adventure! 😀
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It was amazing to have my friend of nearly 30 years Adie join our “Hard As Nails” team. I thought we’d sit and catch up over a coffee….I didn’t have this in mind, lol! 🤣
After jogging a little, we came to this…….
“At over 2 stories high, this is one of the most impressive obstacles in the UK. It is a giant A-shaped cargo net that you and your team will have to scramble up and over it. Working together will be the only way to overcome”.
This was easily my favourite obstacle of the day as i could get my hands on it. Also it’s where my new trainers just hooked perfectly around the rope and it felt completely solid.
My blindness helped me out for once as i couldn’t see how high i was climbing and scrambling over the top. I heard a lot of fear from other people and a few of them froze going up and were glued to the spot. 😨
Then….When getting to the bottom i hear “Yay, Whoop Whoop, Steve, Steve, Steve” and the sound of the plastic clapper hands were going crazy! What a feeling to know my lovely Wife Sarah and the Crazy Clappers team were cheering me all of the way, a great feeling! 😎
More jogging….Adie and the team were excellent at guiding me when jogging. Moving low hanging branches, telling me of tree roots and pulling me in the right direction. Adie said “I tried running with my eyes closed for a few steps…And there is no way i’d try any of this if i couldn’t see”.
Then…..
“We’ve taken the 10′ Hero Walls and tilted them right at you. By removing the ability for you to climb up and over this wall, you will have to form a strategy with your team, work together and boost each other to the other side”.
More Jogging…..
“This obstacle will have you crawling on the ground, pinned down by a giant cargo net. Working your way through this one will require lots of communication, teamwork and a strong will”.
You’ve guessed it…..More jogging and then….
“The aim of the game is to get your team up and over this stack of super-sized hay bales. There is no right or wrong way so boost, shove or yank every last team member over the other side”.
Next…….
“Can’t go through it, can’t go round it, you’ll have to go over it. Work together to boost and shimmy your teammates up and over this 10′ Tough Mudder staple”.
Yep, more jogging…..
Time to get swinging. Grab on, hold tight, feel the momentum and swing yourself from ring to ring like a regular Tarzan. This obstacle will test your strength, coordination and flow. Hang in there, you got this”.
Really didn’t do well on this one…And i can’t really blame my sight for lack of strength, lol!
After a little more jogging……
“One of the most teamwork-inducing obstacles in the Tough Mudder portfolio, this obstacle is difficult to complete alone. You’re going to have to work together to form a human pyramid and, like its namesake, climb up and over your fellow Mudders on the way to the top”.
As Vini was making everything look so easy…..It was great to look at the photos afterwards and see it wasn’t all too easy and he had to struggle too!! 💪🏼 🤣
AND NOW……MY NEMESIS!!!!
“A true Tough Mudder legend. Everest will challenge participants to run up a quarter pipe to reach the summit. Can’t do it alone? Not to worry – teammates are encouraged to hang over the top to pull their new friends up and over”
I knew this was going to be difficult for me as i needed to try it and get hands on before i could calculate what exactly i needed to do. Adie and Ashley kindly explained the process….But i knew i just had to do it before i would really know….As running at a half pipe wall thingy when blind is going to be interesting!
Here Goes Nothing…..
I thought i’d feel the incline of the ramp and know roughly where i needed to jump and reach out for the top. But i took 1 step too many….And before i knew it the hard wall was in my face! 🤕
“Awwww i was so close to reaching the ledge”.
After hitting the wall i dropped down hard on both knees, and as the obstacle was made of hardish tyre rubber, it simply burned and ripped the skin off both knees….”Wow that stings!”
Time to regroup and recalculate! I could sense the crowd went very quiet, and i heard a couple of people wonder how i’m going to get up there?
“Ok Steve, just do the same (not the face plant and flesh stripping knee thing) but with 1 step less”. Here i go again! 😲
Yay!! Now that’s better, and once i had my talon trainers gripped to the ledge i was solid, now i could just heave myself up. Wow i made it! 💪🏼
⇧ Ashley showing how it should be done! ⇧😎 
The team were fantastic and we all made it up. No-one was being left behind and you could just feel the team growing closer with each obstacle, it was amazing.
Now the final obstacle was overcome, it was time for a short jog to the finish line,Yay!
The Finish Line & The Headbands……
With more than a week past….My knees are still scabbed and bruised…..But i’d like to give an Elephantine amount of thanks for everyone involved! 💪🏼
First…I’d like to give a stupendous amount of thanks to my lovely Wife Sarah….The amount of love and encouragement was mind-blowing! And for the “Hard As Nails” team…..”“my muscles were fading but the sense of team work was overwhelming and no matter what…..We were getting over those obstacles”.💪🏼
Second… I’d like to give a monumental amount of thanks to the “Crazy Clappers” team. “When i’d finished an obstacle and was about to collapse……I’d hear the Cheering Team and you’d put a big grin on my face to remind me it was alright and to keep going! 😎
Third…I’d like to give a gargantuan amount of thanks to all of you guys for your donations to “World Cancer Research Fund” and encouraging me (and the team) every step of the way! We passed (and smashed my target) the whopping £1,000. “Intention isn’t Prevention……And you all have helped me spread the good news with everyone so we can all be aware and empowered to start fighting the cancers we can prevent.”
Finally…A colossal amount of thanks to John and Sarah Atherton (from the Epsom Camera Club) for giving up your Saturday and taking the amazing photos of us all….We’ve got fantastic memories of the day which we simply wouldn’t have without you!
Thanks for cheering me on around the course! Have you done anything like this before? 🤔
Now i need a holiday! Wait a minute…The ‘Blind Sightseers’ havn’t finished yet, Yippeeee! 😀
We’ll meet tomorrow…Same time…Same place for another adventure! 😀
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