Oh and I am not done with the mistakes, unfortunately! So we finally find a cab to Rhodes Plantation..ok here we go...$70 to get there! The guy started out at $90...Les was saying..NO..thats too much ... and I was saying to Les..but I need to see if there is snorkeling there!! A guy..(owner of Samsara???) came out and started yelling at the cabbie.. I guess the problem was that this cabbie was going to have to wait for us there and therefore the large fee..This guy that was yelling at him just said "Its simple...you take them there, and then you come back and keep working til they are done and go get them.! Cabbie not liking this guy very much..and I just want to get to Rhodes!! Finally, Les says .."Ok lets go." So we hop in .... When we get to the gate at Rhodes..we get charged $10 to get in..I honestly think it was $10 a piece but Les remembers it at $10...which is plenty..We didn't want to ride horses, or take a tour or anything..just wanted to frikken snorkel..Quite confusing there..We found the beach area and it has markers..not too far out and I am thinking..I won't see anything on this side of those markers..I assumed that was for the people using the beach area..I remembered the map of the beach area and where it said it was good to snorkel and I thought..Just grow a pair and get in!..I got in and swam around the little island..there were only 2 snorkelers there and I wish I would have buddied up with them because maybe they saw more..I am kind of leary about swimming all alone far out..in case of a leg cramp or something..and Les cannot swim.. His Dad always told him..dont go in the water and you won't drown. He took his advice and has never felt comfortable in the water unless its just bobbing up and down. Took him snorkeling quite a few years ago and it was more hassle then it was worth..Then I had an unfortunate incident on a beginners scuba lesson and thought that I understood how my husband felt about the water...so I don't push him anymore and he enjoys just sitting and keeping an eye on me snorkeling..(I really don't know what he would do if I ran into a problem!)..Anyhoo, I swam around that island and it was beautiful..again not an abundance of fish but did see a cute little trunk fish..a couple of starfish and some random fish..again..it was a cool terrain to snorkel around in..When I got tired we went up to the little restaurant and had lunch.. I had the grilled chicken quesadilla and Les had the jerk fish quesadilla..and we shared a fruit plate of papaya, banana, pineapple, and watermelon, soo good. We then tracked down our cabbie who was sleeping in his car and went back up to the cliffs..We really didn't feel like eating dinner..we were just going across the road to Ciao Jamaica..to get some icecream..so we had Shrimp garlic pizza and a piece of the best Key Lime Pie...ok..then we were stuffed!....Every morning I sat on the balcony drinking my blue mountain coffee made from the little travel coffee pot I bought for vacation..that was the best buy EVER!..Its very quiet at Samsara so its peaceful there in the morning and also all day... We ended up eating at Pressas also across the street from Samsara the next evening..The lady there was very gracious..She enjoys talking to everyone that comes there and it really added to the experience...I had the fried chicken w/fries and Les had the jerk chicken..It was the first time we had the caloloo..(sp)..never thought I would like it but really did! As we got to know the lady she asked me if I could give her a pair of my jean shorts...I said sure..when I was leaving I would give them to her..She talked us into coming back on Monday for breakfast.. We said we would be there.. We went back to the hotel...we had made reservations at Presleys and realized that was a bad decision to have such a big lunch..nap time...The trip up the cliffs the day before led to us making the reservations at Presleys..Holy Mackeral..if we had known how big the meal would be..we would have skipped lunch and the sweet rolls we had for bfast..I actually have never eaten a fish that big in my life... Les had the fish as well.. Sooooo gooood! We will definitely go back there next year and try the shrimp..we saw the food the other patrons had ordered and its a win-win...its ALL good! When we got to Samsara we walked around a bit...(flashlight)..We saw some divers..under the water..the glow of their flashlight was eery but so cool! A lot of firsts on this trip.. The next day was a beautiful day...again...every single day was beautiful..I decided, ladder or no ladder I was going to snorkel at Samsara to day..I just lack the strength in my arms to go straight up a ladder..(I have the same problem with a deer stand ladder..if it has a little lean, I can do it..but straight up..NO! This is the main reason I don't go out on snorkel tours anymore..The last few times we have snorkeled (with my daughter in Belize) we have made sure that the white bumpers be placed between the boat and the lower part of the ladder so when I start climbing the ladder doesn't pull straight out..that is harder yet..A few years ago..the guy that took us snorkeling in Belize (someone we knew) actually had to leave us out there and go back and get a different ladder..I thought I had a story for readers digest at that point but it all worked out..But thats why I am skiddish about the ladders..Anyway, at Samsara over by the rooms on stilts I found the perfect ladder..wasn't too tall..and all I had to do was get my gear on and wait for a swell in the ocean and plop right over..I did, it worked.. all was well...So I am snorkeling around there..various fish...a rock fish.. or stone fish..not sure what they are called but saw one of those...I am in heaven at this point..Suddenly here comes two of the biggest barracudas I have ever seen snorkeling..giving me the EYE..So I put EYE right back at em..and turned around as to not let them be behind me..They just stared at me with that steely look..From my left side my eye caught something moving..it was soon apparent..a spear fisherman..Yay, I felt like the cavalry just arrived..Those barracuda took off so fast with the hunter in pursuit..Whew..Ok I think..lets travel on..I went to the border of Samsara toward the Blue Cave Castle and noticed 3 rather large barracuda dead on the bottom..not sure what was happening..but it was sad to see them..Heading back to the place I entered the ocean..I got a little lost.. I didnt know it at the time because I thought I was right where I came in..Just waiting for a swell to deliver me..when the swell came and I entered the cliff area..oops..that is not where I came in..no ladder..Got out of there in a hurry..ididn't want to touch any sea urchins on the walls of the rocks. I swim out and look up at Les like..Where the hell is the ladder???? He shrugs..doesn't know how to read my mind..Now I am agitated..and yell, wheres the damn ladder. Ok he heard that and pointed it out...I was quite aways away from it..So I righted myself and let the swell bring me in..No problem!.. After getting out Les said that spear fisherman almost ran into me.. I said I was glad that he saw it to as I was thinking it was a duppie..mentioned in 'Walk Good', of someone that was destined to chase barracuda for all of eternity..PS Loved reading that book while on vacation..absolutely perfect!
