Family in Guantanamo - Beach Days, Seaglass & Farewell

WOW what a week it has been! Exciting! Oh, wait, that was only three days? OK. It felt more like a week. We have done a lot in such a small place and now showing off the next 2 days before departure.  It's time to head to the beach, yet again, except this time we are going Seaglass hunting.

It's Monday and today we visit Glass Beach.  Some say that a bar was located on the bluff just above the waters.  Prior to environmental concerns the liquor and beer bottles were tossed over the edge.  These now wash up on the shorelines of Glass Beach.  One will never really know the true origin of a piece unless it has a distinct label, either way, they are pretty and fun to collect.

We enjoyed our time on the beach with several other friends.  The evening was complete with more settlers of Catan, Zumba and Tennis. Oh and I can't forget to mention the ride up JPJ (John Paul Jones) where we stood just under the wind turbines to watch the city lights, ours and the Cubans.

Tuesday we visited Girl Scout Beach. Another seaglass hunters dream beaches here in Cuba.  Like Glass Beach, this beach is littered with seaglass and other artifacts.  Here we found bigger pieces of coke bottle green and a few blues.  We spent two hours digging in the rocks before rushing back for our lunch date with the kids.

At home we did a quick changeover, picked up the kids from school and met Emily, Michelle and Giovanni for lunch at the Windjammer Restaurant.  The food wasn't bad.  My Cuban Sandwich was delicious. A quick trip to the library, drop off the kids at school and we're off to another sightseeing afternoon.

We stopped by the Golf Club and driving range which looks a little dry. We like to call it "challenging" because only the holes are green, everything in between is dry and rocky.  However, it's what we have and it gets used plenty.

Our last afternoon together we they spent playing ... you guessed it, Settlers of Catan.  After two exhausting games we walked with Honey to the Jerk House to pick up dinner.  I'm told the food is spicy but delicious.  I have burgers as my back up plan.  It was a nice walk and after the week we've had, it was well deserved.

Michael, Mom and Aunt Helen went to see "The Fighter" at the Lyceum, I stayed behind and fell asleep on the couch.  I must have been really tired....nah! That's me every night (with or without company :-)

At 0600 on Wednesday I dropped Helen and Toots off at Ferry Landing; the Fery was already there.  The flight, scheduled to leave at 0800 appeared to be on time.  While it was a long day for the travelers, they will have ample opportunities to rest once they're home.

I hope the experience was memorable.  I hope I captured all the highlights of what we did, at least enough to help us remember our week with Family in Guantanamo!  I loved it!

Anyone else ready for a vacation in Guantanamo Bay? See you soon!

Terie

Family in Guantanamo - Brunch, Lighthouse, Sailing

It's Sunday and day four of this great adventure.  We have great plans for today and everything went smoothly, as if I had requested a perfect day from the weather goddess :-)

First we went to Sunday brunch at the Bayview.  This is a restaurant with a great view of the bay.  The brunch is not spectacular but it's not bad either.  We chose to sit outside and enjoy the weather, the nice breeze, and a little sunshine.  We know we shouldn't eat all we can eat but it's hard not to, especially in the dessert section.  We finished off the morning with delicious mimosas.

After brunch we picked up Michael and went to see the Lighthouse and the boats that were once used by Cubans defecting to the U.S.  It is unfortunate that these relics and even the lighthouse are in such poor conditions and with no money for repair or maintenance, it is unlikely they will be around much longer.

We finished the day with our friends Henry and Michelle sailing in the bay waiting for the sunset.  The wind was perfect for sailing, the food was delicious (empanadas, finger sandwiches, chocolate covered strawberries, and sangria) and the company could not have been better.

Thank You Michelle and Henry for a lovely afternoon.  

Family in Guantanamo - Fitness, Fun, Tennis, ice cream

Saturday was designated as the exercise, fun, games, and ice cream day.  Today we broke up into groups.  Two of us went to the Aerobothon sponsored by MWR.  That is a 2.5 hour long event filled with different fitness classes.  I had to teach one of them so we chose to participate in my class and the Zumba class.  That was fun.

Michael took everyone else to see Natalie's basketball game.  They won.  Great job Jazz!  After our fitness challenges we took a lunch break and went to our little coffee shop and Tennis courts to play, eat ice cream, and read in the courtyard by the bay.  My girls are not confident players even though I'm paying a weekly fee to get them trained.  Makes me question whether I should continue the training.  Oh well, at least they are getting exercise. We all had a great time and the weather, once again, was perfect!

Later we went to the Navy Exchange to pick up dinner and breakfast items.  There I showed them the little friendship garden in front of the NEX.  It bloomed very pretty flowers, wish they were in my yard.  They also purchased some seaglass jewelry items from Mark's  kiosk.

Michael went fishing with his mom at the Admiral's dock while the rest of us prepared a fabulous dinner: Grilled BBQ chicken, oven-baked home fries, salad, and wine.   We finished the evening with a game of Settlers of Catan.

Another great day in Guantanamo Bay!

Family in Guantanamo - Windmill Beach

Today we gathered up our snorkeling gear, coolers filled with drinks and food, beach bags with towels and water sandles, called my girlfriends and invited them to join us on a trip across the bay to Chapman Beach. This would be an adventure because we would all have to get our vehicles on the Ferry at 9:30 am. Well that adventure didn't happen because the ferry was particularly full on this Friday Morning. No worries, there are plenty of beaches on this side of the bay. So we headed to Windmill Beach. A beautiful beach on the North East side of the island. The colors of the water range from deep blue to emerald green. This beach, like most others, comes equipped with cabanas, grills, showers and restrooms. Can't go wrong here.

After we settled the children and laid down the gear we headed for the water. It was just cool enough to make me want to jump right in. So clear you could see everything in it. Michael went searching for a place to throw the fishing line, I went looking for my snorkeling spot. It was a great afternoon. The kids played in and out of the water, some of us went in search for pretty fish under the water (to look at, not to eat) and then we just sat and relaxed, had lunch, and took in the sun.

After spending the afternoon relaxing, we played some board games and headed for the Galley. I so prayed they would have a good menu. They usually have something worth eating and saying it was worth the $4.25 we had to pay. Not tonight. Not even good dessert. Ugh... I felt a little embarrassed but decided to just say "It's GTMO" my least favorite thing to say to anyone but it's the truth. Sometimes you really just don't know what you're going to get. Oh Well. On the bright side, my cooking will always be phenomenal :-)

We went to the movies after dinner to see Rango. Was really no impressed by this movie. Not sure why it's number one in the states. It was slow moving, a lot of adult humor, and the snake was too scary for children. It was just OK.

All in all, it was another great day in Guantanamo Bay!

Family in Guantanamo - Kayaking

On their second day in Guantanamo Bay we went Kayaking in the bay.  The water was perfect for this little adventure.  At the Marina we met a few other friends who were also visiting.  Kayaking here is super easy and really inexpensive.  We rented 4 double Kayaks for 8 people and 1 single. We traveled through a mangrove tunnel, down a little canal and back.  Along the way we spotted several bright red star fish.  Beautiful creatures on the bay floor feasting on grass and other organisms I'm sure.  Cost of this mini adventure $10.00.

After kayaking we took them on a driving tour of the base.  It really doesn't take long but we took our time and went up JPJ, the tallest peak and home to our wind turbines.  It was nice to be able to see as far as one can see.  The Atlantic Ocean looks impressive from this point.

We later went out for lunch at the Cuban Club.  Food was delicious and eating outdoors was nice.  Kind of reminds me of home, Dominican Republic.  We met up with my friend Michelle and her little man Giovanni.

We spent some time just lounging and digesting before taking our dog Honey to Ferry Landing Beach.  She can chase that ball in and out of the water like a pro.  A trip to the beach wouldn't be complete without a small collection sea glass and sea shells.

We finished off the day with dinner and then off to a wine tasting party with friends.  That was a lot of fun.  I love the people I've me here.  Seems we can get together without much notice and without drama we can have a great time.  I will miss this when I'm gone.

I feel like we did just about everything there is to do all in one day but no, there's more.  This was only day one.  I believe everyone had a great time, maybe asking for a little down time.... hmmm, I don't know about that.

On to another great day... good night!!

Family in Guantanamo - The arrival

We are so excited to finally have some relatives in town --- Yay!!! So to detail what it takes to get here, from anywhere and if you are not military dependent or accompanied by a retired military person.

First we have to settle on dates and make sure that the one (1) airline has available seats on their flights.  Air Sunshine is a chartered service that travels from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Naval Base Guantanamo several days a week.  One flight in, one flight out...if you miss it there is no other flight until the next day.  The ticket costs $550 round trip. There are no discounts, off peak season, military specials, nothing... it's a flat fee.  Don't  complain about it.  It is what it is.  

Once we secure the flight we have to fill out a form requesting permission to bring guests on board the base.  That process is painless and as long as the host/sponsor and guests have a clean record you will have an approval in less then 5 days.  Send that form along with a copy of the ticket receipts to the guests.  They will need to pay their way to Fort Lauderdale and need to be there at least 2 hours prior to departure.  For many that means flying in the night before, staying in a hotel and all that comes along with spending one night in a different city just to catch a flight out the next day.  My family didn't have to do that but they did have to get up at 5 am, fly from DC to FL and then wait a few hours to get on their flight to GTMO.

Airplane is small and moves slower then your average Jet but they arrived at 6:00 pm.  Once in Cuba they go through several layers of security, which I thought was strange since they are already here.  Anyway, just when they think they're done we tell them we need to get on a crowded, hot bus to go catch a Ferry to cross the bay.  It's lie Planes, Trains and Automobiles... one big comedy after another.  Thankfully they have a good sense of humor and are seasoned travelers.  They just flow with it.  I think they were really happy we were there to pick them up.  Someone told them they'd miss the Ferry.  Not sure why people feel the need to scare others who are new.

Coming in late is so deceiving.  They can't see any landmarks or the water and so we just drive home and eat a very late dinner.  

We are going to hit the ground running.  If the flight wasn't late we would have gone to the movies on the first night to see True Grit in an outdoor theater but it didn't happen. 

I hope to detail all we do here so no one forgets.  Busy days ahead! Stay Tuned!  There really is a lot to do here in Guantanamo Bay!

Terie

A quiet afternoon

I know, I know, it's been a long time since I updated. I really love to write about everything and anything and most times I have great ideas in my head that I want to share but those usually come at the wrong time, like in the shower or while I'me driving or grocery shopping. Hardly the right time or place jot things down as I used to.

Today is a quiet afternoon in Guantanamo. After a busy morning at church, cleaning up at home and contemplating what to make for dinner, everyone decided to just chill. Jonathan is watching TV and Nate is on the computer (I know, the horrors of electronics.) Emily is out boating with a friend and Michael is somewhere between working on yet another gorgeous Jewelry Box and cutting the weeds out front. I am taking advantage of the recent drop in temperature.

Just a few hours ago we had 95 degree temps with humidity about the same and suddenly it became cloudy, a cool breeze swept through the bay and the temperature now reads 85 degrees. It's not as cloudy but the humidity is much lower.

I'm sitting out back facing the bay, my mango tree and all the little mangoes growing on it, my dog Honey just hanging out and my treats, Sangria, Cheese, Triscuits and Pepper Jelly. I truly feel like I'm at a vacation house just taking it easy. Love, Love, Love days like these.

So what's happening in Guantanamo Bay? I guess a lot of little things. There's hardly ever a weekend when we don't have an event to attend, mandatory or not. Sometimes we have farewell parties, others just fun birthday celebrations. We celebrate kids and adults birthdays or accomplishments; we get together for a reason or just because. When we're not busy running to a sporting event, either to participate or as a spectator; we're running, just because someone thinks running 10 miles at 6:30 am is fun. I've been fortunate enough to run with some really amazing women several times and each time they add a mile or two... we're up to ten!

This month I am busy helping to plan the Seabee Ball and the CEC Birthday, all of which is happening March 5th. I do enjoy planning these events but with limited resources it can be quite the challenge. We have been fortunate, my friend Michelle and I. Hasbro donated 20 Tonka trucks to help with decorations. The Seabees are building old fashioned tool boxes which we are filling up with toy tools and everyone in the community is helping simply by participating in our fundraising events. We expect to have a full house at the Ball, we all ordered our dresses or found something to where on island; tickets and seats have been reserved and in a few more weeks the party will go on as planned. I can't wait!

Tomorrow we will go sailing with some friends. It's a valentines day celebration on a sail boat which will cost us nothing. Again, vacation or real life? Not sure. Hopefully the bay wont be closed due to weather concerns.

Boating, Kayaking and Sailing is really not that difficult to do here. Getting the captain's license is easy and quick, renting a boat easier, costs=priceless. Actually, it's about $10-14 per hour plus gas. Really inexpensive.

This year I decided to cut back on how many classes I teach, so I'm down to 4 regular classes and a few others that come up when a sub is needed. On the other hand, I'm training quite a few people on the side and I'm training myself, working on me on my own time. I plan to do more diving, hopefully soon with Michael once he gets certified and more outdoor fun stuff. Sometimes we get stuck in the daily activities of everyday life and we forget to have fun. This place may be secluded and limited in resources but the beaches are practically private, the wather is always perfect for water activities and then there are days like today, cool, quiet and enjoyable.

It is like this everywhere and with everyone, we get comfortable where we are and with our busy lives and forget to look outside our windows and just enjoy life. The life around us without having to travel anywhere or spend any money. I know, it's easy for me to say, look where I live but I believe I said the same thing when I went for a cold brisk walk through a snowy park and when went for a run in the rain.

Really looking forward to our family visit in March, can't wait!!!!

Until next time,
Terie

Updating...updating

I probably said this before and I'm going to say it again, Guantanamo Bay is a busy little place. I can't seem to get back into my writing, reading and relaxing routine but I am working on it.

I have a lot of updating to do here, from Thansgiving with the Latino Community, the thousand plus- mile trip with the kids, Christmas and New Years so I better get busy. I like to update with pictures so I'll be back. Please stay tuned!

Terie

Back in the Bay

"Home: Honey, a Blue Crab, the back yard view and new garden plants."

On our summer vacation, 

we went to the beaches,

played by the pool,

not much difference you see,

but the company was cool.

Vacation time is over,

we are back in the bay,

it's good to be home

through we still have to play.

School is not in session,

what will we do?

Go back to the beach,

the park and the pool.

We are starting to plan

our vacation next year,

we're thinking the mountains,

a fire-pitt and some beer.

But now, we must first

live life day by day,

life really is special

in Guantanamo Bay.

OK I'm no poet.  I typed the first few lines and thought "hmmm that sounds like the beginning of a poem." So there  you have it, my weak attempt after only 5 hours of sleep and a very long, hard, busy week.

We are definitely back and we all hit the ground running.  Working, studying, reading, planning "parties" and other events.

Our trip home was uneventful.  It was so sad to leave everyone again.  The difference this time is that when we leave our family in the states, we join our family in GTMO.

Our time in VA Beach was great.  I have to admit that sometimes I missed not knowing someone when I walked into a store or a restaurant.  When we checked in at the airport in Jacksonville, it was like being back in GTMO again.  We knew everyone, everyone knew us.  We immediately became relaxed about where the kids were because it's likely someone knows them and we all keep an eye on each other.  It was like being with family.

On the flight to GTMO, once again, we were surrounded by many of the people we work and play with and that was a really sweet reminder of the place we now call home and a comforting feeling.  I did not want to leave my family, my son, the accessibility of stores, open air markets, etc. But after being in the company of our GTMO family leaving wasn't quite so bad or so sad.

Michael took a few days off to finish another one of his jewelry boxes, Emily took one day off then went back to work at the Coffee & Ice cream shop, I went back to work the very next day--no sense in postponing my workouts. Nate and Jonathan spent a few days visiting friends, sleepovers, beach and pool fun times.  Now they are back in a routine with Jonathan attending play dates and pre-school a couple of days a week and Nate attending a camp program called D.E.F.Y (Drug Education For Youth) in which the kids learn about more than just avoiding drugs.  It's pretty neat, she's there all day, they provide food, fun, entertainment and best of all, it's free.

Now we're all working full force.  I am subbing for another instructor which leaves me teaching 11 classes in one week.  Thankfully he's coming back next Wednesday so he can take his classes back.  The good thing about all these classes is that they are all different and I get to burn off my vacation weight gain.

Honey is doing great but I must retrain some things she had just learned, however, our sitter did a great job with her.

Another little surprise was my yard.  Our land people must have come across some goodies which they put in my yard.  It looks so pretty. We have more work to do but for now I have garden areas, some pretty plants and manicured lawn.

Yes, life in Guantanamo Bay is pretty special.  So glad to have the opportunity to explore and enjoy this little patch of heaven :-)

Until next time!
Terie

Pictures coming soon! I promise!

It's life...in GiTMO

I feel detached from our world in the U.S.

We lived where we could pick up the phone and call anyone, anytime, anywhere without giving it a second thought.

To call my family I need a calling card. It should be a staple on my grocery list but I forget and once I'm back from the store I'm not likely to go back.

Shopping...ha! That's laughable. What I need now is not going to happen so I must adjust my radar so I know what we'll need in the next ten days that way I have time to order online.

I have internet but it's slow, unpredictable, and sometimes non-existent.

Dust has to become my friend or it will drive me crazy to be in it's company on a daily basis. Once a week dusting, that's it, no more!

OK enough of the whining.... where the real wine!!

Here in the land of constant sunshine, iguanas, banana rats, mosquitoes and no-see-ums life is not as terrible as I make it sound in my whining, although, I admit I do miss all the luxuries of living in a "developed" country.

But here I have instant friends-- just add wine.

Let me share what I mean.

Last week I asked around for a book called Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. It's my new attempt to get more veggies into our meals. Anyway, within minutes I had several e-mails of people I know and some I haven't met offering to lend me the book and the best yet, one from someone who happen to be in the states on vacation offering to purchase the book for me. A week later and she's back in Cuba with my book.

Try doing that in a place you've only lived in for less then 90 days.

The beaches are always welcoming, almost always warm, and always beautiful.

There are so many social activities I can hardly keep up, never a dull moment.

So while I may not have my Khols, JC Penny's, Farm Fresh and Costco; here I have friends, a safe environment for the kids, and a lot of fishing (if you're into that stuff).

Soon we'll have our boating license and that is one activity I think we'll enjoy quite a bit. Can't wait!!

Pictures coming soon, until then, take care!!

Terie

We are here, finally

Well, we have finally arrived in GiTMO and I have to say that it is most definitely beautiful here. Speaking strictly from the two-day experience I can safely say that it is an easy place to love if you don't mind waking up to a view of clear blue water, mango trees in the back yard and a rope swing. The breeze is very tropical, translation very warm and sometimes humid; however, I have not been uncomfortably hot yet. It is still winter. The temperature ranges from 70-90 degrees and we have had some rain, nothing much to speak of but enough to water the trees.

I have had the opportunity to meet some of my neighbors in my housing area and some that live in other areas as well. We've been to a party, the kids made it to the Lyceum (the outdoor movie theatre), the "mall" where we realized that online shopping will become our best friend, a place that "serves Starbucks coffee" and has free WiFi and Breyers ice cream, and Subway which also serves rice, beans and pizza. We hope to make it to the Marina, the beaches where we can collect sea glass, and many other activities throughout the base.

We did have a tour of the base which did not take long and while we drove around I kept looking for "the fence line" everyone warned us about and tried to get a peak at the prison camps too; however, I'm here to tell you that was not possible, at least not without a military escort and a really good reason to go there - none of which we had.

While we may be confined to the base and what little it has to offer, we realize that we can leave as long as there's a flight available, sometimes we pay a lot for a secured seat, other times we get lucky and pick the right times and dates and we can fly for close to nothing to the States or Puerto Rico - so it is not impossible to leave and when we do we will hit to malls because I do miss the ability to pick and choose where I get my shoes, underware and food.

The house is one floor, extremely spacious and with 12 foot ceilings. The problem with that is the echo - will have to work on that. On the bright side, we face the bay, we will fit everything we brought and more, we have an nice sized, enclosed back yard. All the walls are white-- ouch! If you know me well enough, you know that's a problem for me. I can paint but then I have to paint back to white before I leave. I may opt for painting one wall for accent that way I don't have much to change back later. Anyway, nothing lots of pictures and color window treatments can't fix.

I look forward to sharing pictures, stories and adventures of our tour here. This is going to be a great tour, I already know it!!

'Till next time!

(I have pictures but it won't let me insert them for some reason, must work on that!)