Dave Horn and the Shark

Dave Horn and Ailene came in today on the Holland America cruise ship. I picked them up at 8:00am, Grand Turk time, which happens to also be Neal time so it works perfectly. I was thinking that I would not be able to fill all the time they were here. But in fact, we barely had any time at all.

I drove them around the island showing them a couple sites I like, then we went over to our house and went snorkeling off our beach. We went in the water about 10:30. I thought we had been in the water for about 30 minutes, but I was getting exhausted from swimming so I began to think that we had been in for longer than I thought. I was right.

It was a great day off the beach. I saw a trumpet fish and a four foot long cow fish. The water was very clear today. Anyway, when got out of the water and went back to house it was after 12:00 noon. They had to be back at the ship by 1:00. We went to the museum to look around for 30 minutes, then I g0t them back to the cruise terminal. The day was too short. But it was very good to spend the morning with friends. I think they had a good time. I hope that our excursion on Grand Turk will be as good as any of the others that they experience on the cruise.

I am sure you are asking, "what about the shark?" Well that is a different story.

I told you we have turned the corner here. Today was the first day I could really cook in the house. This afternoon I went to the fish market (a plywood table on the beach where a couple of local fishermen clean their catch) to try and get a grouper. The grouper was very expensive, but there were two sharks sitting on the beach. I asked about shark steaks. I got a whole shark cut into about 15 steaks for ten bucks.

Tonight I had Deborah and Thomas over for grilled shark. I grilled the steaks with a jalapeno chutney, and we ate them with a papaya and peach salsa over rice. I have experienced many things in my life, but two-hour old fresh shark steaks are now at the top of my list of unbelievable.

We just got done with dinner, it is about 11:30Pm. This has been one of the best days I have been here. I now have a new plan for when we have visitors: go to the fish market and get the strangest thing they have caught that day. By strangest I also mean the cheapest. It is still me that you are visiting after all.