Report # 5 First Full Day in Ft. Lauderdale January 2, 2014 Thursday

Our day did not turn out exactly as we had envisioned.........sleeping late, lounging around the pool all afternoon, or eating three meals leisurely. Actually, we only had two meals today. But it still was a productive day at that, without all the lazy stuff.

The Renaissance Hotel

Close to our hotel

Yes, we did sleep in later than we would have at home. But we had an unexpected knock on the door at 8:45am. NO ONE we know would even be up yet, or dare to get us up unless there was a fire somewhere close. It turned out to be the housekeeping staff. Why that early, we never did find out, but it also happened to another guest we know in our group. The staffer must have gone from floor to floor looking to clean rooms earlier than normal. Many convention-type people seem to be here for meetings, so they may be the ones that get up with the chickens. We did answer the door when she tried to come inside. Good thing we had the bar lock engaged at the top of the door. Part of the problem was that we failed to turn the deadbolt last night, so she probably thought nobody was in the room.

Ham, eggs, & potatoes

Brioche french toast with bananas & strawberries

Breakfast in the hotel's restaurant was really good, which was a surprise. There were so few people in there last night, we were a bit cautious about trying it. While we were waiting for our orders to arrive, two good friends found us and dropped by for a quick chat to say hello. They were off and running for shopping chores and had rented a car to do all that. Great idea. Our food arrived, they left, and we enjoyed every bite.

We knew there was free wifi available in the lobby, so we sent emails off quickly. This is a treat for us, because we are used to slow and slower internet at home with dial-up. Will take full advantage of this perk while we are here. Once on the ship, we have to pay for internet time, which happens to be slow for the most part once again. While sitting in the lobby, another cruise buddy of ours pointed out that the bright white Christmas tree had been removed. With the lighting dimmed in the lobby last night, the tree was a beautiful, welcoming site. Looking around, we noticed the tree was moved down to the reception area for the banquet rooms. Perhaps they will be there for our party on Friday evening.

Getting directions from our waiter, we headed for the nearest mall with a Publix, Florida's version of Safeway. It was only about a mile away. Besides the grocery store, there was a big office supply store and a large chain discount clothing store, with plenty of cafes and fast food-type restaurants. Publix had what we were looking for, and our four carry bags were full of healthy snacks (really) and drinks. We considered eating a lite lunch somewhere here, but with the ample breakfast, we decided against it. Time to walk back.

This week happens to be big with football games. The Sugar Bowl was in progress, so it was easy to get hung up watching it in the comfort of our room for awhile. We had planned to spend some time at the pool, but looking out our window, we noticed the lounges were full and lots of little kids were jumping in the water. Maybe it would be better to wait until naptime for the little ones. 

Looking from the hotel's patio

The walk along the waterway

By the time the pool area cleared out, so had the sun. A strong wind had come up, so we took a walk on the nearby canal that flanked the freeway. A sign posted by the walkway stated that this area had been planted for a natural setting for flora and fauna. 

Tree-lined canal

 

Blooming reeds

The lake behind the hotel

More buildings share the property

Lake fountain

A small lizard

We did see many birds, butterflies, and iguanas and lizards. The largest iguanas take refuge in the trees overhead. If you watch long enough, you can spot them twisting their long bodies up the branches. A strange sight for us, because we are used to seeing tree squirrels. Some huge fish were jumping in the canal, although we never did see what they were. A lone man was fishing for them way up the walkway.

Iguana finds safety in the tree

Ducks in the reeds

A muscovey duck

The DHL building on the lake

Resting up for the walk back

Inviting swimming pool

By the time we got back, we sat around the pool and cooled our feet off in the tepid water. Most everyone had left by now, since it was getting close to dinner time. 

Interesting pottery fountains

That's as deep as I got

Same for Bill

That sounded like a good plan for us too. Since the food was so good last night, we decided to walk back to the sports bar and grill for some boneless chicken wings. We shared those and split another hamburger. Dessert looked good, but we know many of those will be coming our way on the ship soon, so we said thanks, but no thanks.

It was dark by the time we got out of the grill, but at least we knew the way back easier tonight. Tomorrow will be a busy day, so getting to bed early was a priority once again. So far, the jetlag has not plagued us too badly.