JOLLY ROGER DINNER CRUISE

Calling it a `Dinner Cruise' is a misnomer. They do not serve dinner. They will sell you lobster, if there is sufficient supply, without anything else. Mind you for $10 you get a plate filled with two complete lobsters.

There is a punch that is served for free but beer is extra.

The dinner cruise and the snorkel cruise leave at different times. The snorkel tour goes out in the morning and the dinner curies goes out on the same boats when they return from the snorkel cruise.

If you opt for the full cruise then you go out on two separate days.

I took the full cruise and left on a Friday afternoon.

BY THE TIME THE BUS STOPS AT ALL THE HOTELS THE FIRST PEOPLE ON ARE ON FOR AN HOUR.	IN B.C. IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO CONVERSE WITH THE DRIVER THE SIGN IN THIS BUS SAYS THE SAME THING. HOWEVER THERE IS A CANADIAN FLAG ON THE SIGN, MAYBE IT ONLY APPLIES TO CANADIANS.

As we arrived on the dock we were separated into groups, I think it had to do with which hotel you came from.

As I was the only one from my hotel I was put with a group of young couples from the most Westerly hotel on the island. I didn't get all their names but there was: Darren & ? from Surrey; Craig & ? from Langley; and Scott & Amanda from Edmonton. I also met people from Ireland, and England.

There were two catamarans, one slightly smaller than the other. I was put on the larger of the two.

Our boat left the dock first. Shortly after, the smaller cat. passed us as we went out the channel.

	I BELIEVE THIS ISLAND IS OFF THE EASTERN END OF VARADERO.

I thought I heard someone say that it was going ahead to prepare dinner. I somehow got it in my head that we would all meet on an island and have dinner.

Later, we passed the other boat, it was anchored at an island. I assumed it was preparing our meal.

We went further, to a island and tried to get in close to an old fort.

	THE COMPETITION GAVE US A TOW.

Our boat got stuck on a sand bar. The captain tried to get everyone to the back of the boat but few of the passengers were paying attention and the captain couldn't get the boat loose.

A boat from a competition company was in at the old fort and eventually it circled out around and came up behind us.

Using a stout rope they managed to pull us off the sand bar.

After that the captain didn't try to get closer to the fort but sailed for home.

Our other boat was still tied up at the little island.

I was to learn later, the next day, that the little boat had run into a piling.

THE SMALLER CAT. STOPPED TO BUY SOME LOBSTER FROM THE FISHING BOAT.

As we were getting closer to home and the sun was still high we tied up to a piling in the middle of the ocean and they began to cook lobster while we waited for the sun to set.

Eventually the little boat passed us as we were heading home, into the sunset.