Sunday, December 31, 2006

Parasailing @ Clearwater Bay ....

Day 2 of the trip to Tampa was spent at Clearwater Beach. We rented a cabana on the beach - this is like a half tent with some lounge chairs where people can relax. After paying $20 for being able to sit on these chairs for 4 hours, we decided to have fun in the water. The waters at this beach were surprisingly clear ... It was a deep green hue that greeted us as we waded in. The first reaction on wading in was the coldness of the water. It felt soooo cold, but we soon got used to it and started playing in the water. Every wave would make us shiver with the cold, but it was fun jumping over them and watching them break. In the afternoon, we stretched on the lounge chairs by our cabana - and totally chillaxed !

Later in the afternoon, we decided to go parasailing. This was an awesome experience where we got into a speedboat that took us about a mile off the coast and launched us into the air. Since we'd requested for a dip, the captain ensured that we had a freefall into the water where we got our legs wet and then pulled us into the air again. It was an awesome experience. I thought that the winds higher up would be gusty, but they were not. It was a surprisingly serene and quiet sail through the air. The Tampa skyline and the green waters of the Gulf of Mexico below us, and the sky above - it was phenomenal. The sun was setting, and I regretted not carrying my camera up with me to get a few good shots. Had I known that the air above would be so peaceful - I would have definitely carried it along.

After parasailing - it was time to head to Britts cafe for a quick bite before driving back to our hotel to end a long day. Fun in the sun - chillaxed to the core - this was a day that I will not forget for a long long time ...

Friday, December 29, 2006

Florida for some fun n' sun ...

Here I am - a few hours away from my much awaited vacation to Florida. A few days of fun in the sunshine, away from the chilly Chicago winds - sounds heavenly. Although, in all fairness, I must say that winter has been quite nice so far.
Florida - I envision a warm tropical breeze, glorious sunshine, beaches as far as the eye can see, palm trees, and those umbrella drinks that look so good in pictures. Well, will write more about it when I actually get there!
Ciao...!