INTERMISSION

Yep we are taking an intermission from our trip.  We are currently at home in Bahama, NC and the boat is still in the Man O War Marina.

We decided after knowing and cruising with  Jim and Barb Thompson for 25 years we needed to be at the memorial service for Barb.

We left Saturday morning to head home.  What a trip!

First we took the Aubury Ferry to Marsh Harbour.  It was blowing to 30 kts and it was rough on the Sea of Abaco.  The driver worked very hard trying to steer around the roughest waves but it was a rough ride for about 20 minutes -- I actually got a little queasy.

We then took a taxi to the airport and checked in.  We traveled light with no check baggage but still it took 20 minutes to get our boarding passes.  We then went through security which is always a trial.  Karen got selected for extensive pat down.  It was just the unluck of the draw.  We then left on a Silver Airways twin engine prop Saab plane.  The wind was still very gusty so it was a rough ride to cruising altitude.  It only took an hour to get to Fort Lauderdale.  This plane stops on the tarmac and we have to take a bus to the terminal to go through customs.  Man this is a BIG airport.  There must have been 70 folks ahead of us in line to pass through customs.  First we have to go to a machine that takes your picture and compares it to the passport after asking a few questions.  Then its on to the interview again with a line of 70 in front of us.  Then they turn us out to the entrance so we have to go back through security before getting to our gate.

I failed inspection because I left my wallet in my pocket.  They took the wallet to pass through the xray machine and I had to undergo the extensive pat down.  They asked if I wanted to do that in privacy and I said NO -- I would not be embarrassed.  Then onto the gate for a 4 hour layover till our flight back to RDU on a Jet Blue plane.  That went well.  It was crowded in the terminal and I mean everyone is on a smart phone looking intently at who knows what.  They had good WiFi there and there were charging stations everywhere to plug your phone in..  Unbelievable.

The flight home was uneventful and we arrived around 7:40pm.  Wow the travel time through the airports was 7 and half hours with a 4 hour layover.  We did our trip in reverse in less than 4 hours travel vs the 6 weeks it took for us to get  to Green Turtle Cay in December.

Fortunately we made it back in time for Barb's memorial service on Sunday.  It was a fine event and we met many folks that knew her over the years.

We are going to take a couple of weeks here at home to undertake some personal business then return to the Bahamas to explore a little the northern Islands above GTC then return to the USA.

So no more posts till we return to the Bahamas.