SPEED BOATING IN ST KITTS
SPEED BOATING IN
St. Kitts
SPEED BOATING IN ST KITTS
LETS GO!!! Someone take me back there right now! From the moment we witnessed the amazing sunrise, we knew we were arriving somewhere special. And you know what? We were right.
This place had some of the friendliest people and some of the most picture worthy sceneries we had come across thus far. So how could we top off this day with? Speed boats! But that is not just it, a second surprise came later on which we will talk on the next blog.
READY, SET, GO!
After a quick ride through town we arrived at this amazing beach where we met Theodore, Simon, and Alvin. No I am not kidding, these were really our tour guides. Super funny and eager to show us an amazing time. We wasted no time and after a quick safety talk… We were off!
We were worried it was going to be a calm ride to our snorkeling location, but as soon as we were all on our boats, Alvin told us all to follow them and that’s when they opened up the throttle and we knew it was just about to get crazy!
SUNKEN SHIP DIVE
WOW… We arrived in record time I bet! I’ve never driven a small boat like this, and although extremely bouncy, it was a freaking blast! Now, we arrived at what seemed to be a sunken ship. We were given Snorkeling masks and fins, and we were told to go have fun. YES SIR! You don’t have to tell me twice.
We jumped in to some of the best temperature water to swim ever and immediately began exploring the surroundings.
FISH, TURTLES, AND… BARRACUDAS?!
After swimming around for a while, we started exploring the sunken boat and that’s were a dark figure, sorta hiding, was lurking inside the boat. Quickly, Theodore informed everyone there was a barracuda in there and to make sure we gave it space since they are known to be A-holes as he put it.
We definitely gave it some space and kept on exploring other areas to avoid a fight against Ursula’s A-hole servant. That’s right, I’ve seen the movie and I am not messing with them.
LET’S HAVE A RACE BACK
Well not really… That’s just what I was hoping Alving was going to say. But nonetheless, after a quick lunch break prepared by Simon, we hauled @$$ back to the beach where we originally came from. We were told to stay behind each other and not pass anyone to avoid collisions. But what they didn’t say was that we couldn’t go as fast as we wanted from side to side and jump some waves…
I had warmed up to the controls of the boat and definitely was pushing it a bit. Sadly, as you look at the video, water from the splashing around had hit the camera lense and was only able to salvage some of the footage as most of it was ruined with a huge blurry spot. This was a sad moment for me as I uncovered it later in the afternoon when transferring it to the computer.
So now, as my friends from Hollow Hill say on their song, I want this place to “Stay With Me” and now we have another great excuse to go back to this amazing place and capture more amazing and fun moments around the island of St Kitts!
Also, all music used on these videos will be from local Utah artists. Check them out and show them some love!
Music: Stay with me · HOLLOW HILL
A PARADISE TOWN
A PARADISE TOWN
St. Marteen
A PARADISE TOWN
Yes, paradise indeed. How can the first half of this tour be toped? I already reached 10,000% joy capacity. So, how could it get better than that in this paradise town? Well… Hold my drink.
BEACHES, JET SKIS, & AIRPLANES… OH WOW!
We have already visited some of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen. We have been playing on jet skis all morning. So what else does JET PARADISE have in store for us? As it just happens, the best was still to come!
Don’t get me wrong, we were feeling like little kids playing on the waves with these jet skis and it was the best time of our lives. We could have kept doing that for the rest of the tour and it would have still been the best day ever. But no, there was still something that could help sky rocket this experience. An ace in their sleeve. Airplanes.
LETS GO!
Lunch was over and it was time to go. Now, the rest of the group had finally caught up with us and we were off onto the sea. At first, a relaxing full throttle ride around the first section of the island. Visited some amazing villas available for rent for small $20,000+ a night. Anyone? Went past Donald Trump’s old $15,000,000 beach front residence. Then finally we reached the trickiest side of the island, open ocean waves.
LET’S GET SOME AIR
I was already having a blast going full throttle. Now, we reached an area of the island where the water became a playground to see how much air we could get. Being my first time on a jet ski I know I was being a bit careful still, but I wanted to push it a bit to see how much air I could get, and I believe, or it felt, that at one point I did get about 10ft. I wish the camera was pointing at my face at this point, cause I can assure you I had a full smile from one ear to the other.
AIRPLANE? WHAT AIRPLANE?
Ok. So we covered the food, the beaches, full throttle fun, and a wave playground. What’s left? Airplanes.
At this point we reached Maho Beach which is home to Princess Juliana Airport. We all just sat on our jet skis floating on the beach when out of no-where we were told to look towards the horizon. The sun was bright and couldn’t really see anything. Then out of nowhere, AIRPLANE!
You could not smack me hard enough to wipe off the smile off my face. Amazing! The sounds of the jet engines as they go literally right above you is indescribable. Pure Joy and the perfect way to end the tour.
After watching a couple landings, it was time to go back. This consisted of a calm and relaxing 30 minute ride through the marinas to let the events of the day sink in. Best tour I’ve ever done and can’t wait to do again.
Thanks JET PARADISE for one of the best days of our lives!
Also, all music used on these videos will be from local Utah artists. Check them out and show them some love!
Music: Get Away · MOWTH
WAS THIS A DREAM?
WAS THIS A DREAM?
St. Marteen
WHERE AM I…?
We have been having a blast on and off the ship this entire time, but, the best was yet to come apparently. I’ve heard about St. Marteen in the past, but never in a million years did I think I would ever make it there, and there we finally made it! At first glance I was like, “ok, it’s a pretty island”, but little did I know the fun day Candice had arranged for us there to see the entire island and beaches.
WAVERUNNERS!!!!!!
Whoever said full 110% joy didn’t exist, has never been on a waverunner! I’ve never been one one before, and to do it here at St. Marteen, well bring that 110% up to 1000%! A bit intimidating at first knowing we were riding straight out to sea, I mean, I’ve seen movies… I’ve seen Shark, I’ve seen The Meg… So I figured, I’ll just go fast and I’ll be good! We went FAST! But not for long, looking at the crystal clear water, I quickly forgot what I was even nervous about.
BEACH 1, 2, 3, 4…
We lucked out that the rest of the tour group didn’t make it on time, which mean, we had our very own tour guide all to ourselves and he made sure we got the Royal treatment by taking us to many beaches to swim, and just enjoy the day.
Every time we stopped, he would tell us to look down at the water. You’d think that would get old quick, but every time was just amazing seeing the clear water and fish swimming under us. What about the temperature you ask? AMAZING! you could jump in and feel refreshed, then jump back out to keep on riding and feel comfortable. Could not get better than that. Or could it…?
DO THEY KNOW THEY ARE LIVING THE DREAM?
By mid day we had already hit 4 different beaches and swam at every single one of them, and you know what? None of them was a bad beach! They literally kept getting better and better. By this time, our tour guide asked if we were hungry… I figured, ok maybe he brought some snacks, or packed some sandwiches and waters, but he then said, “K, follow me.” Follow him where?!
To paradise 2.0, that’s where we arrived! He helped us anchor the waverunners and then taxied us to the beach and told us to wait for him. Couple of minutes later he walked us over to Captain Frenchy right on the beach and told us it was lunch time!
Ok. I love steak. I’ve eaten steak at many places and I have many favorite places to go eat steak. But guys. I never thought I’d be eating the best steak I’ve ever had in my life, and right on the beach to top it off. So remember that 1000%? make that 10,000% full joy complete.
2nd half of the tour coming soon on my next blog!
Also, all music used on these videos will be from local Utah artists. Check them out and show them some love!
Music: Tunnel Vision · The Wanna Go
ST THOMAS
ST. THOMAS
SNORKELING
WOW. JUST WOW.
St Thomas. What an amazing and picture perfect place this is. By day 3 I was making sure to wake up early enough to capture the sunrises and arrivals to each of the ports. Although the initial plan was to wake up, set up the camera, and then go back to sleep… After seeing what was approaching in the horizon, I couldn’t go back to sleep and I started that morning in the most magical way possible.
ST THOMAS VIBE
I don’t know what it was about the town… but immediately I felt like I had gone back in time and I had arrived at this perfect place in the middle of the ocean. Amazing weather, friendly people, and unforgettable views of the island and ocean! I for sure was going to have a blast here with my cameras.
THE EXCURSION
Candice planned an excursion ahead of time and I didn’t know what awaited us for the next few hours. We got off the boat and walked to our designated area to meet up with our group. After walking around to the other side of the marina, we finally got to the Cast Away Girl boat which we then boarded and literally sailed away to an island an hour away from the main port. The island, Turtle Cove!
The boat ride there was relaxing and the crew were just amazing, but even better, sailing through the ocean and hearing the waves as we splashed through them, the 1 hour trip was just not long enough. We finally made it!
IT’S PREP TIME!
We arrived at Turtle Cove! Now, it’s time to get my camera ready and look like a total tourist… I looked around and I was the only one with a camera and selfie stick… Was I really the only person that excited to want to record my experience?! Well, I didn’t care, and from the side of the boat I jumped in the water ready to go explore!
A FORGOTTEN WORLD
Me and my dad used to be scuba certified long time ago, and also used to love going snorkeling. This took us to Phuket in Thailand which I will never forget. Since then, I haven’t done much snorkeling and my scuba certification is long expired. From the moment I leaped from the boat into the water, it’s like a rush of memories came rushing back, and once again I was in the world I had forgotten about!
Temperature of the water was perfect, visibility was amazing, company was the cherry on top, and I just didn’t want it to end. We were only allowed to swim for about an hour, and although we saw plenty of colorful fish, with the name Turtle Cove I thought we would see more turtles… Didn’t matter though, cause just being back in that underwater world was just another dream come true again.
TIME TO PARTY!
So… apparently the crew were not only experts on tours and sailing, but were also experts at throwing parties… Once we got back on the boat, the crew pulled out the blender and turned up the music to get the party started. Although right there and then I was more interested on getting my shots (no pun intended), I continued to photograph and take videos of our journey back, all while people watching the craziness that was unfolding on our ride back.
I guess people couldn’t handle their drinking… soon enough we had a huge line of people trying to rush into the bathroom and acting like they had no cares in this world. Definitely a sight for the ages… Me and Candice also had some interesting conversations with some people willing to share WAY too much info, and we just had a good time and laughs at what was going on around us.
WE MADE IT BACK!
Luckily we didn’t loose anyone on our ride back, which was honestly a surprise… At this point we boarded off and went to the shopping district for a bit before we had to get back on our cruise. Such amazing people and colorful town this was. Although we weren’t able to make it to the beach due to time, St Thomas will continue to be in my mind as an ultimate spot to go back to someday to go exploring more.
Labadee Haiti Zipline
LABADEE, HAITI
ZIPLINING
LABADEE HAITI ZIPLINING
We made it to our first destination, Labadee, Haiti! Unreal how paradise can be found in a place where so much negativity has been unfolding over the years. If I didn’t know a bit of the background and history of Haiti, I would say this was the perfect destination island. Water was warm, clear, and beautiful which made this day just perfect!
With so many things to do there, Candice already had a game plan and we were trying to shake all the jitters off from what was our first stop of the day, Labadee Haiti zipline, stretching from the top of the mountain, over the beach, clear over to a landing zone across the bay. Biggest zipline I’ve ever seen!
SHAKE IT OFF
We walked up and down the bay trying to shake off the anxiety, but hey, I didn’t get my selfie stick, chest strap, and wrist strap for my camera for nothing! So LETS GO!
After a quick 5 minute instructional video about Labadee Haiti Zipline we were ready to start our drive up to the tower on top of the mountain. What are we waiting on?! C’MON LETS GO!
TO THE TOP
about 10 minutes later we arrived to the anxiously anticipated tower which overlooked the entire bay of Labadee, and it was AMAZING! Clear skies, awesome water, and perfect temperature, what more could we ask for.
TIME TO FLY
I’ve been on ziplines before, but never superman style flying right into what seem to be the bay below… Trying to figure out the best approach to get both the zimpline and Candice flying over the bay, I finally decided to wear the wrist strap with my action camera since the selfie stick was not allowed… 1, 2, 3, GO!
The footage doesn’t do justice to just how amazing the feeling and adrenaline rush were right at that moment. Anxiety turned to pure joy and excitement, and a short 45 seconds later, it was done. NOOOOOOOO!
The day was not over yet though and had plenty to do at this amazing place, including taking a well deserved nap at the beach.
IT'S TRAVEL DAY
IT'S TRAVEL DAY
DAY 1
IT'S TRAVEL DAY
Travel Day & Day 1
IT’S TRAVEL DAY. LETS GO!!!
Wherever I go my camera goes, and this trip was no exception. From the moment we woke up to embark on this awesome adventure, whether it was my camera, action camera, or phone camera, I was ready to shoot every moment of it.
Our journey started on a Thursday at 3:30am. Our flight was scheduled to leave from SLC International Airport at 6, and seeing that we were flying with Southwest, well, we were a bit on edge about making it to our destination. This was due to thousands of flights being cancelled by the airline in the previous days, so we were crossing all of our fingers.
Fortunately, our flight from SLC to Houston was right on time, even 20 minutes early, so we definitely started the day right! But then… Houston.
HACKED?
We made it to Houston early, and as we turned off airplane mode on our phones, well, the first sign of trouble emerged. Our next flight, which was scheduled to leave at noon, was delayed to 2:11pm. Ok, we are ok waiting a couple of more hours, no problem. But then… 3:41pm, 3:11pm, 2:41pm, 4:43pm, 2:59pm, 4:00pm, 2:50pm, and so on… This was all in a span of a few hours, and then around 3:45pm we get a message saying, “your plane left at 3:15 from a different terminal.” WTF?!!!
Well, we rushed to the service counter where they informed us the plane was still on its way and hasn’t left yet, but we did have to go to a different terminal. Sign of relief while we were rushing to the new terminal. We get to the new terminal, and the same of time hack starts again with departure times changing every 5 minutes this time. What is going on?! At least one of the times was correct and our plane started boarding at 4:43pm. Miami here we come!
I’M IN MIAMI &%$#!
Finally we made it! Now, you would think this would be the end of our first day adventure, well think again. We had a hotel booked that was supposed to offer shuttle service with transport coming by every 30 minutes. We were exhausted and a big cranky from the long travel day, and after an hour of waiting, no shuttle! Finally, after calling the hotel several times to figure this shuttle thing out, they assured us the shuttle was on its way. Yes that was true, and just as we saw it approaching and we started waiving the shuttle down, the shuttle kept on going and did not stop.
We called the hotel again and they assured us the shuttle would come by again in 30 minutes. ARE YOU %$^#&*@( KIDDING ME?! At this point we decided to get a UBER which said it would be 10 minutes to pickup. 10 minutes turned to 45 minutes, but finally arrived. The shuttle, not so much.
RADISSON RED
K our night is finally over. WRONG! We checked in to our hotel and we just wanted to get the much needed rest we needed to start our day early to get to our cruise. As we entered our room, we were amazed but the awesome architecture and decor. But then we look up… a bandage on the smoke detector…? Your guess is as good as mine.
Let’s just go to sleep.
OASIS OF THE SEAS
We took off bright and early to board our cruise, and this being my second cruise, I thought I wouldn’t be surprised by anything. But, the previous cruise I went on had nothing on the enormous size of The Oasis of the Seas! This Royal Caribbean cruise ship was a floating building that had my jaw on the ground. The experience from the moment we got to the marina sure took all the stress from the previous day away, and our real adventure began!
THE TRAVEL BLOG…
This is not going to be a review of the ship, I am a photographer on vacation, so much of the videos that I showcase here will be of Candice and myself taking the much needed vacation we needed. This will be a collection of pictures and videos of the awesome islands and activities that made this one of the best vacations ever!
I am not here to give specs or history lessons, just me and my camera/s walking around looking like a total tourist. From 5:30am wakeup calls to set the camera up for timelapses, to shows inside this awesome cruise ship, I’ll take you all on our experience on board The Oasis of the around the Caribbean islands of Labadee Haiti, St. Thomas, St. Marteen, St. Kitts, and Puerto Rico.
It’s travel time. Lets go!
Also, all music used on these videos will be from local Utah artists. Check them out and show them some love!
Music: Remedy by Poet Bones from the EP “The Absence of Perspective”