 
字體：小 中 大 |
|
|
|
| 2009/11/09 16:30:04瀏覽2111｜回應9｜推薦88 | |
 在過去十天的佛州與加勒比海之旅中結識了一對非常棒的越裔夫妻。雖只是萍水相逢，卻已然相見恨晚。我們之間似乎還有些令人驚奇的雷同之處，真正無法解釋。因為彼此相約除電話、地址之外還在部落格聯繫，所以使用英文。
Caviar and I first met Peter and Kimberley at Samana, Dominican Republic, on the third day of our Caribbean cruise on board the 93,502 ton Norwegian Pearl, embarked two days before from the port of Miami, Florida, on a sunshine drenched October 31.
Samana is the capital of Samana province of Dominican Republic, located at 19°12′N 69°19′W, has an annual mean temperature of 26.5°C, thus it was quite like summer when our ship arrived in the Samana Bay.
Anyway, after being ferried ashore, we were immediately surrounded by vendors trying to sell us some souvenir and safari-style taxi drivers soliciting sightseeing tours.
There was even an impromptu group of dancing kids holding boxes asking for tips.
As the main street outside the marina is quite messy, and being on our own since we didn't book any ship-arranged excursion, we pretty much had no place to go but had to follow a small crowd haphazardly formed by visitors off the ship, all trying to find something interesting to look and see.
Gradually people dropped off and dispersed into nowhere as the area was filthy to be exact. Caviar and I found we only have four persons left, each pair trying to follow the other. After some casual conversation, we got acquainted with this fine couple Peter and Kimberley, somewhat of our own age, well-mannered and apparently highly educated. So we strolled along into this slightly better shopping compound, where we conversed a bit more, in an easy, friendly atmoshpere.
Peter is a NASA retiree, met his wife Kimberley in the U.S., both have been in the States for well over thirty years. After Peter retired from NASA (in Houston! That's where I got my graduate degree in the late 80's), they hauled their Wellcraft 23' (that's my favorite fishing boat!) to Tampa, Florida, rented a slip and lived on boat for two years before they settled down in a town house first and then into their current single family residence on the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. Theirs is not exactly Tampa, but a nearby township right along the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. Through Peter's description, it probably looks somewhat like this:
I couldn't believe my eyes and ears! This gentleman is a fishing aficionado like myself, a PADI certified diver like myself, plays guitar like myself, opts for a simple life style like myself, owns my dream boat, does not have to work like I have always wished, has a waterfront property with his boat docking along his backyard pier (hoisted out of water, too!) again as I have always been dreaming for, except he does not play golf! We didn't see each other again during later days when our ship sailed to the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, but on the last day at sea after the ship skipped Bahama due to choppy wave conditions and beaching craft difficulties, we met again in the library,
and at the pool side afterwards, both on deck 12.
By this time, I have already felt that we will almost certainly move to Tampa a few years from now and do exactly the same as Peter and Kimberley did. They graciously invited us to dine at this fine restaurant called "Summer Palace" on the 7th deck.
Then together we went to the Stardust theater for a nice show performed by the Russian cabaret singer/artist Tatiana Alekseeva,
then hit the Bar City for more of our favorite music and future plans.
Even after the ship has docked at the port of Miami, we bumped into each other again while streaming out toward the harbor custom. I really felt privileged and honored to have this opportunity to meet Peter and Kimberley, everything about them are so refined and graceful, even their ambient surrounding oozes class. It is my wish and hope that one day, I'll be able to also move to Tampa and live out my retire life just like them. Needless to say, this Nut will eventually convert them into golf nuts, with a lower case 'n', and in plural form, naturally. 後記： Peter 寄給我幾張相片，這是後院放船的小碼頭：
這是從小碼頭通往墨西哥灣的水道 :
|
|
| ( 休閒生活｜旅人手札 ) |
