Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 11:09:31 EDT
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 8, chapters 39 - 40

The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 8 - by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 39 -- Many Firsts.

Once Sammy and Ted were alone, Sammy got out the condoms and lube I had
each of the older groups take and keep in their room.  He took his time
lubing Ted up and made certain Ted was loose, before he slipped on a condom
and lubed it up as well.  Once both of them were ready, Sammy had Ted get
on his hands and knees, so he could enter him from behind.  He knew this
was the easiest way for a first-time experience, at least as far as Ted
would be concerned.

Slowly, Sammy eased his way inside Ted, while taking all precautions to
avoid hurting him.  However, Ted had practiced by inserting items with a
greater girth into his rectum, and because Sammy did not possess a thick
penis, Ted accepted the intruder without any difficulty.  When Sammy was
seated completely within his love canal, Ted urged him to continue.

Without needing further encouragement, Sammy began to rock back and forth,
so his penis slid in and out of the warm tunnel.  Sammy started very
slowly, until he was convinced Ted was feeling no pain and enjoying the
encounter, and then began to speed up.  It didn't take long before Sammy
started to feel the familiar tingling sensations radiating from his loins,
so he knew his release would be close behind.  For a brief time he was able
to resist the urge to speed up, so he could experience the ultimate high,
but he delayed it for as long as he could.  When he could no longer deny
his sexual fulfillment, he quickened his pace, and within minutes spewed
his seed into the condom's reservoir.  At that point, he collapsed on Ted's
back and they fell, prostrate, onto the mattress.

After regaining their wits about them, Sammy rolled off of Ted and looked
into his face.  "Well, how was it?" he wondered, since he also wanted
confirmation he had performed adequately.  "Was it as good as you'd hoped?"

"Oh, yes," Ted gushed.  "It was wonderful.  I figured it would be good, but
it made me tingle all over, especially back there."

"But you didn't cum," Sammy observed.

"No, but I feel as good as if I had," Ted confirmed.

"That may be," Sammy confirmed, "but I want you to enjoy that part too.
That's why I'm going to let you make love to me now, so you can cum too."

"You don't have to do that," Ted responded, since he felt Sammy felt
obligated to return the favor.

"I know that," Sammy acknowledged, "but I want to do this for you.  It's
the least I can do, after you let me be your first."  Teddy blushed after
Sammy pointed out the fact that Ted had just lost his virginity.

"Okay, if you're sure," Ted agreed.  "I won't tell you I don't want to do
it too, but I just don't want you to feel you have to do this for me."

"I don't," Sammy confessed, "but I do want to."

Ted rapidly accepted the offer, as well as the condom and lube that Sammy
held out to him.  Ted eagerly prepared himself, while Sammy did the same,
and then they got in the same position they had used earlier.  Ted's penis
was as hard as a diamond, but he still had a bit of difficulty entering
Sammy, until Sammy told him to hold the base of his penis, as he inserted
it.  This seemed to help, so before long Ted penetrated Sammy's tunnel of
love.

Ted was so aroused that he nearly spewed as soon as he entered, but he held
steady for quite a few seconds, without moving a muscle, until he felt the
urge subside.  As soon as that happened, he began easing back and forth,
until he built up a rhythm.  Since he had already been on the brink of his
orgasm, it didn't take long for Ted to reach that point again and he filled
the condom with his seed.  Emotionally spent, Ted collapsed on Sammy's
back, which forced Sammy to collapse onto the mattress.

It took more than a few seconds for Ted to realize Sammy was uncomfortably
pinned beneath him, but when he did, he rolled off and thanked him for what
he had just experienced.  He was now satisfied and sated, at least for the
time being.  Once they recuperated, Ted and Sammy showered together, before
emerging from their room and locating the rest of the family.  I was just
returning with a group, after we finished our tour of the bridge, and Jake
was ready to take the next group up.  As soon as I saw them, I could tell
by the expressions on their faces that the experience had gone well, so I
didn't question them about it.  However, Sammy did fill me in about how
things went a little later and I was pleased Ted's first experience at anal
intercourse had gone so well.

Getting back to other matters, all of the boys enjoyed their time on the
bridge, especially since the Captain allowed each of them a chance to steer
the boat briefly.  I surmised they weren't actually in control of the
vessel, although most of them believed they were.  I felt the ship was more
or less on autopilot at that point and the ship's computers were
responsible for its progress, rather than any of us.  Regardless, it was a
memorable experience and we thanked the Captain profusely before we left.

This was our last Fun Day at Sea until the return voyage and the next three
days would be spent enjoying one of our three tropical destinations.
Tomorrow we would arrive at St. Maarten, Nassau, where we would stay for
several hours.  I spent the evening discussing our itinerary with Jake and
we ironed out the details of what we were going to do.  I had changed my
plans slightly, after listening to the Captain's suggestions about what we
should do, but now we were ready for fun in this exotic location.

We disembarked at 7:00 the next morning, since we were among the first
allowed to go ashore.  I had told the boys to wear their swimsuits under
their shorts, because we'd probably have a chance to go swimming in the
ocean, and they were all eager to go along with my suggestion.  We then
began our time in St. Maarten with a tour of the beautiful French/Dutch
Island and quickly discovered the charms of both cultures.  We started our
excursion in Phillipsburg, the capital of the Dutch side of the island.  As
we traveled along Perimeter Road, we were able to view many of the historic
homes and businesses located there, as we headed to our objective, lookout
point.  From there, we enjoyed some spectacular views of both the island
and the ocean and I even contemplated what it would be like to live there
all year long.

Once we grew tired of taking in the scenery, we went to the French capital,
Marigot.  We spent quite a bit of time exploring the quaint little shops
lining its main thoroughfare and discussed how the various businesses
hadn't changed much over the past couple of centuries.  Sure, they had
electricity now and added indoor plumbing, but the overall appearance was
basically the same.  The main difference was in the type of items they
offered, although quite a few of them were the same as well, except for the
fact they were now packaged differently.  During this time, the boys bought
some souvenirs, to remind them of their time here.  Once we finished up our
little spending spree, we walked past the resort areas and luxury hotels,
when the boys began to tease me about going swimming.  I thought it was a
good idea, so I stopped a couple of the locals and asked where we could
find a nice secluded strip of beach.

I did this because I wanted the boys to totally enjoy themselves, without
worrying about making too much noise or bothering other tourists.  I
quickly learned there were a couple of locations close by that would meet
our needs.  In fact, both locations were only a short walk away and I was
intrigued by the descriptions I was given about them.  After hearing the
locals out, I thanked them for the information and took the boys on a quick
walk to one of these spots.  When we arrived, I told them they were on
their own for a while, before I disclosed the fact that this particular
stretch of beach was clothing optional.  The boys quickly began to look
around, to verify my statement was correct, and beamed when they noticed a
couple of other people sunbathing nude.

A few of them immediately began shedding their clothing, although most were
in no hurry to do so.  They did strip down to their swimsuits and began to
head toward the water, while I helped Andrew cover his cast, so he could
also share in the fun.  Dustin, Barry and Jesse had all agreed to stick
close by and watch over him, so after making sure his cast wouldn't be
damaged, I sent them on their way.  Now, Jake and I could also enjoy the
beautiful surf.  The water was very calm and crystal clear, and the white
sand seemed to extend forever.  The mountains loomed up in the background
and created an exquisite backdrop to this lovely setting, and we spent the
next half hour or so thoroughly enjoying the sun, surf and beach.

A few minutes after we arrived, I scanned the area to make certain everyone
was doing all right and enjoying himself.  That was when I noticed nearly
all of them were naked now, including Ted and the three youngest.  The only
ones still wearing their swimsuits, beside Jake and I, were Carlos and
Cole.  I understood later that Carlos was a little shy about exposing
himself to the other visitors on this beach, so Cole kept his suit on so
Carlos wouldn't feel he was the only one who wasn't participating.  Cole
told me Carlos had admitted to him that he felt self-conscious, since he
didn't think the size of his penis measured up to that of everyone else,
especially after he'd been in the water.  I could understand why he felt
this way, since some of the boys were quite well endowed.  Even Jesse and
Barry were nicely hung for their age.

Once we finished up our swim, the boys air-dried, by lying on the beach or
just walking around in the sun, before putting their clothes back on.  Once
they were all decent again, we made our way back to the Dutch side of the
island.  After enjoying a quick lunch, I led the boys to where we would
start our next outing.  It was called the 'Rhino Rider & Snorkel
Adventure."  I had to do a bit of persuading to get the person in charge to
allow me to include Andrew, since it was a requirement that all
participants be adequate swimmers.  Seeing Andrew was sporting a walking
cast, it was deemed he didn't meet that requirement.  Since I didn't want
everyone to miss out, if I opted to bypass this activity, or Andrew to feel
badly because he couldn't participate, I tried to negotiate.  After some
pleading and agreeing to sign a waiver of liability to protect the
operators of this site, Andrew was given permission to go.  However, that
wasn't our only problem.

The next situation arose because we had an odd number in our group.  There
were twenty-three of us and there is a strict limit of two persons and 400
pounds per boat.  Besides making it clear that Jake and I couldn't go
together, it also meant someone would have to go alone.  We were discussing
this problem when a couple we met on the ship offered a solution.  They
wanted to go on this adventure too, but if they rode together, their son
would have to go alone, so they had hurriedly decided to have the mother
and son ride together, while the father went by himself.  However, after
hearing we had a similar problem, they thought we could help each other
out.  After discussing the situation with everyone, Pat offered to go with
the couple's son, who immediately agreed with the arrangement.  In part,
his rapid consent was due to the fact that he was feeling badly that he was
going to be responsible for splitting up his parents for this activity.
Since he knew they really wanted to do this together, his going with Pat
meant everyone was now satisfied with the arrangements.

Since I had promised the organizers I'd keep Andrew with me, when I vouched
for his safety, Dustin said he'd take Jesse and Jake agreed to have Barry
ride with him.  Since Jesse also met the minimum 10-year old limit, we had
no other problems.  The rest of the roommates had agreed to stick together
for this outing as well, so now that those details had been seen to, I
turned my attention to something else.  Quickly, I checked to see that
Andrew's cast was still wrapped up and wouldn't get wet during the ride and
then we set off.

Each pair quickly decided who would pilot the ten-foot Rhino Ride
motorboat, since whoever operated it had to be at least sixteen.  When all
of those details had been seen to, we took the short ride from the pier to
Simpson Bay Lagoon, where we were given a brief orientation and safety
briefing.  After everyone agreed they understood what they'd been told, we
navigated the water and dodged the private boats and mega-yachts that were
anchored in the area.  Once we had cleared those obstacles, we exited the
lagoon and rode along the picturesque coastline, until we reached our final
destination, Happy Bay.

Upon arriving there, we were given the choice of hiking, swimming,
snorkeling or just laying on the beach for the next hour, before making the
return trip.  The vast majority of the boys wanted to go snorkeling, so I
gave them my blessing, after advising them to be careful and no horseplay.
Once they agreed, they followed the guide for a quick briefing.  Some of
the others went swimming, which left only the three youngest, Jake and I.
We had decided to take a short hike, to look around the area, since the
boys felt they had done enough swimming earlier.  Andrew insisted he could
walk, but Jake and I offered to alternate carrying him, piggyback, so we
could go farther and see more.  Andrew seemed to like the idea, so we took
off.

It was quite lovely, as we hiked along the trails.  The path was surrounded
by thick tropical vegetation and we also took our time and stopped to look
at whatever creatures we encountered along the way.  We spotted many
different types of birds, a few lizards, spiders and various insects as we
traveled along, and we also spotted a couple of turtles.  Fortunately,
though, we didn't see any snakes.  The boys were disappointed about that,
but I insisted it was probably for the best.

The hour went by quickly, especially for the group that went snorkeling.
After a brief safety lecture, they followed their guide to Shipwreck Cove
and investigated the wide variety of vessels that had sunk there.  Of
course, when snorkeling you can't go very far below the surface or the
breathing apparatus would become filled with water and you wouldn't be able
to breathe, so the boys couldn't dive down and investigate the wrecks.
However, they were able to spot several of them.

During this outing, the group spent some of their time treading water, so
they could listen to their guide when he shared many details about what
they had seen.  He told them about the various wrecks and pointed out the
different species of fish swimming around them.  He also provided the boys
with packets of items they could feed the fish, and surprisingly, the fish
seemed eager to approach them and accept the handouts.  In fact, some of
the fish became quite bold at letting the boys know they wanted something
and each of them was thrilled the fish weren't shying away.  Once everyone
tired of doing these things, they spent the rest of their time
investigating the rest of the area, before returning to shore.  From there,
they moved to a sundeck, where they were encouraged to make themselves
comfortable.  During this time, they listened to Calypso music and sipped
the rum or fruit punch that had been provided, depending on their age.
From the looks on their faces when we returned to join them, I'd say they
experienced a truly memorable time.

A short time later, we all boarded our motorboats and made the journey back
to our starting point.  Although it seemed as if we had just begun, nearly
three and a half hours had passed since we set out on this portion of our
cruise.  It was now time to head back to the ship, so we could set out for
our next port of call, which would be Barbados.

We had dinner on the ship that evening and the boys eagerly discussed the
day's experiences with each other.  I merely sat and listened in on their
joyful recounting of what they had done.  I was pleased to note this
vacation was meeting their expectations and earning their approval.

It was a very quiet evening, after we returned to our rooms, because
everyone was fairly exhausted from the day's activities.  While we slept,
the ship sailed to the next port and we arrived the following day, around
noontime.

Sunday morning started out with a quick breakfast and a non-denominational
church service, before we docked at Barbados.  We disembarked shortly after
noon and immediately went to our first activity.  I was taking the boys for
a ride on the submarine, Atlantis, and it worked out that Jesse exceeded
the minimum height of three-feet, which was required to be able to go on
this adventure.

As we entered the sub, we took up nearly half of the available spots on
this forty- eight-person vessel.  While we settled in, I noticed Jesse and
Andrew were carrying on a very animated conversation.  When I inquired if
there was a problem, Andrew informed me Jesse was concerned about traveling
underwater.  I was about to try calming Jesse down, but Andrew started
speaking instead.

"I know it's a little scary when you think about going under so much water,
but they do this all the time," Andrew explained, but Jesse didn't look
convinced.

"It's really safe," Andrew continued.  "People have been using submarines
for over one hundred years and we aren't going to be going very far down,
so it's all right."  Jesse still looked skeptical and I was ready to jump
in and assist him, but Andrew spoke again, before I had the chance.

"Do you believe Dad loves us?" he asked.  Jesse sat stunned for a couple of
seconds, as he looked between Andrew and me, but then he began to nod his
head energetically.

"Then do you think Dad would let us do this if it wasn't safe?" Andrew
followed.  Jesse only took a second to think about this, before he began
shaking his head in response.

"Then relax and enjoy the sights," Andrew advised him, while glancing over
at me.  I was very proud of the way he handled this and smiled in approval.
What he had said seemed to do the trick, so our journey began a few minutes
later.

The cabin was surprisingly spacious, as well as air-conditioned, so the
time we were aboard was quite pleasant.  I think we all felt a little giddy
as we looked out the observation windows, when the submarine began its
descent to fifty-five feet.  This was so we would be able to view a coral
reef, along with the multitude of colorful fish and other aquatic life that
thrived here.  Afterward, we dropped to somewhere around 150 feet, so we
could view a shipwreck that was lying beneath the crystal clear water,
before we leveled off.  That was as deep as we were going to go.

When we surfaced later, the boys couldn't stop talking about everything
they had experienced and Jesse was just as excited as anyone else.
Although he had initially been hesitant about going, he was probably more
impressed than the others and couldn't stop thanking me for letting him go.
I was thrilled to see him so animated about this experience and enjoying
himself so much that I bent down and picked him up.  I gave him a big hug
and kissed him on the forehead, before I set him down again.  It was a
truly wonderful moment.

Later, as we were enjoying our dinner, I announced that I was going to give
everyone a choice for his next activity.  They could either take a tour of
Barbados, with Jake and I, or try their hand at scuba diving.  I knew only
the most adventurous would select the latter option, so I wasn't surprised
when I heard their responses.  It ended up that only eleven of the boys
opted to try the scuba diving, but making this choice didn't happen without
some problems.  As it turned out, some of the couples didn't have the same
interests and selected different options.  Dion wanted to go scuba diving,
as well as Kevin, but Trey and Vinnie weren't eager to try it.  It also
split up some roommates, because Little Ricky wanted to give the scuba
diving a go, but Graham was reluctant.

After some discussion, Trey and Vinnie agreed to become partners for the
tour, so their lovers could go diving, and Graham said he'd spend time with
Andrew, Jesse and Barry, so Little Ricky could go too.  I was happy they
had worked this out for themselves, without getting me involved.

About this time, I began to also feel Jake wanted to try the scuba too,
since Shannon was in the group that wanted to go, so I urged him to join
them and I'd take the others on the tour.  After some slight reluctance, he
finally agreed it might be best if he went, so he could keep an eye on
those who wanted to do it.  I merely smiled, nodded and gave him a good-bye
kiss, before I watched him lead Danny, Brandon, Dustin, Shannon, Nick, Pat,
Dion, Kevin, Little Ricky, Ricky and Peter to where this would happen.

Barry had been eager about trying this too, but I was hesitant about
allowing him to go, without his parents' expressed consent.  Since Jesse
was opposed to trying it and Andrew couldn't, Barry finally gave in and
agreed to go along with them.  In addition to the three little one, Trey,
Vinnie, Graham, Sammy, Ted, Cole and Carlos would also be going with me.



The Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening --Book 8 - by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 40 -- Much To Do and So Little Time.

The first stop my group made on this tour was to see the old Sunbury
Plantation.  The house was constructed in 1660 and built to last.  It has
two and a half-foot thick walls and the sash windows have jalousies
(coverings with adjustable slats) on the outside and shutters on the
inside.  These can be closed up quickly during a storm, to protect the
windows and lessen the impact.  The plantation has withstood several
hurricanes, yet suffered only limited damage.  The worst damage was done
when the roof was blown off, but it was later replaced and made as good as
new again.  The fact that the house has withstood so much adversity is
definitely a testament to the quality of the work done by the craftsmen
that built it.  After viewing the interior of the 'great house' and seeing
the collections of household furnishings, it also gives credence as to how
wealthy its former owners must have been.

"What type of a plantation was it?" Sammy asked.

"I believe the main crop was sugar cane, although the estate grew other
things too," I replied.  "It is my understanding that they most likely
planted root crops, such as yams and carrots, as well as other foods, like
corn and fruits.  Most of these items would have been used to feed the
people who lived and worked here, rather than being exported.  The owners
also planted the first Teak and Mahogany trees, which thrived in this
climate.  The wood they later got from these sources had many uses and
brought in nice returns."

"Did they have slaves?" Trey followed.  I knew he was thinking about Dion
when he asked this question, but it was a valid point.

"They did and it began when the first settlers brought their slaves with
them.  However, the slaves revolted several times during the next couple of
centuries, with the final two such occurrences taking place in 1816 and
1823," I replied.  "Slave revolts were very big events when they happened
and many slaves were often killed before it was over.  Unfortunately, they
didn't become free as a result of the uprising, but slavery was finally
abolished in the mid-1830s.  That, however, didn't mean the former slaves
weren't still taken advantage of, since many of them then became indentured
servants.  In some cases, the indentured servants didn't receive any wages
and merely worked for their room and board.  It took a few more years
before laws were passed to prevent this from happening too and other
statutes were enacted so persons of color were no longer discriminated
against."

Trey looked a bit disappointed after I told him slavery had flourished
here, as it had in the States, but I think he was also grateful Dion wasn't
with us to learn about it as well.  Shortly after this discussion, we
turned our attention back to the tour and went off to see the collection of
authentic old carts and machinery that had been used on the plantation, as
well as an impressive assortment of antique horse-drawn carriages.  Once we
had viewed all of these items, we finished our tour and moved on.

After leaving the plantation, we went to the restored signal station at Gun
Hill.  Originally, it was constructed in 1818 to warn of approaching ships
and signal slave rebellions, after the big Bussa rebellion of 1816.  The
Barbados National Trust has recently restored the site and it consists of a
small building, with an impressive cannon standing beside it.  There is
also a large stone lion, which the boys wanted to know more about.

"Man, that is really beautiful," Andrew observed.  "Do you know anything
about it?"

"A little," I replied.  "During my research, I learned this lion was hand
carved from a single rock by one of the men stationed here."

"Wow, it must be he didn't have much else to do then," Trey quipped.

"He was an officer, but he didn't work on it while he was on duty," I
responded.  "He sculpted the lion on his own time."

"How long did it take him to do it?" Barry followed.  I think he wanted
Andrew to know he was interested in this too.

"That I don't know," I admitted, "but judging from the primitive tools he
would have had to work with, I assume it took him quite a while."  My
answer seemed to satisfy the boys, so we continued looking around.

>From the station, we were also able to enjoy some breathtaking views,
since you could virtually see all around the island from this vantage
point.  The station was located so you could observe various happenings for
miles in every direction.  When the station was in use, I'm certain the
surrounding land was kept sufficiently clear so you could see anyone
approaching on foot or by horseback as well.

>From there, we journeyed to St. John's Church, which is a gothic style
Anglican Church.  Its history goes back to 1645, but the present structure
only dates back to 1836.  It was constructed to replace the previous
building, which was destroyed by a hurricane in 1831.  That may have been
the primary reason stone was used to construct the present edifice.
St. John's features a large tower, beautiful stained glass windows and has
a grand circular stairway in the rear, which leads to the choir loft.
Apart from the church, the site is taken up by an impressive churchyard,
which contains the graves of many notable people.  There is also a large
sundial adorning one end of the cemetery and it is amazingly accurate,
considering the technology.

"What's uh Aag-liken Church?' Barry wondered.  I looked at the others
quickly, to ensure they didn't make fun of his pronunciation.

"Maybe you learned in one of your history classes that England broke from
the Church in Rome when Henry VIII was king," I began.  "Therefore, it is a
Protestant sect which is headed by the King or Queen of England.  Since the
British Isles were first settled by the Angles and Saxons, it is referred
to as the Anglican Church."  I think my response was more than Barry really
wanted to know, but I elaborated for the sake of the others as well.

After concluding this portion of our tour, we proceeded to our next stop on
the Caribbean side of the island by traveling along some very narrow and
winding roads.  Our route was surrounded by some of the most beautiful
scenery you might ever see, which made the return journey very enjoyable
too.

Our next stop was Pelican Village, but we wouldn't be spending much time
here.  I had made plans to whisk the boys off for another unusual treat --
which would take place at Lucayan National Park.  The park was named for
the now extinct Lucayan Indians and I was going to take the boys kayaking.
I figured the boys would enjoy this little diversion, before we returned to
the ship.

Oh, it's probably not what you're imagining, because the kayaks we were
going to use were wide-bottomed, two-person crafts that are very stable.
There is also no white water or rapids involved, and we would only be using
them to tour the park.  Still, I figured it would be a pleasurable and
unusual way to investigate the area.

After splitting up and putting each of the younger boys with someone older,
I discovered it left Graham by himself.  I hadn't realized we had an odd
number of people in this group, eleven including me, but this time it
wasn't a problem.  It worked out that Graham was able to ride in the first
kayak, behind our guide, and Graham seemed fine with this arrangement.  Now
that everything had worked out, we set off to check out our surroundings.

This National Park isn't anywhere as expansive as the National Parks in the
United States, but it is still very lovely and well kept.  Over the next
hour, we navigated the crafts through a vast collection of orchids, groves
of mangrove, palm and pine trees, and a wide variety of other tropical
vegetation.  We were also able to see many flamingos and numerous other
tropical birds, as well as a few aquatic creatures.  When we returned to
our starting point, we turned everything in and got ready to leave.  It had
been a nice change of pace and I think everyone in my group was satisfied
with the experience.

When we returned to Pelican Village, everyone picked up some small reminder
of our brief, yet wonderful, stay here.  Once the boys had what they
wanted, we went to our rendezvous point, which was near the ship and where
we were going to meet up with the other half of our family.

The group that went with Jake started by filling out a medical
questionnaire first.  Once it was deemed each of them met the requirements
to participate, they were instructed in the basics of scuba diving next,
before they were given their equipment.  Not only were they acquainted with
the breathing apparatus and tank they would use, but they were also given
brief lessons on air pressure, air consumption, breathing compressed air
and the risks inherent in scuba diving.  Once this was completed and each
of them understood the information, they were ready to move to the next
level.

A short time after finishing the class, the group took their first plunge
into Carlisle Bay.  It was just a trial run, but it gave them a feel for
what they were about to do.  Some of the boys did have a little difficulty
remembering to breathe through the apparatus in their mouth, rather than
trying to breathe through their nose, but they eventually caught on.  After
this first quick dip, their guides answered any questions they had about
what they had just done, as well as about what they were going to do next,
before they were allowed to participate in the main dive.

This time, they dove to a depth of around eighteen feet, but never went
deeper than forty feet, as they began to explore the exterior of several
shipwrecks.  The boys had been advised that they shouldn't try to enter any
of these vessels, because their gear might get snagged or punctured, which
could in turn lead to serious injury.  Everyone heeded this advice, yet
still managed to have a very enjoyable time exploring these wrecks.

Jake's group also got a close look at a coral reef, which was similar to
the one we'd seen during our ride on the submarine.  However, this time
they got to examine it in more detail.  The boys were warned that the
ecosystem was very fragile, so they had to be extremely careful to keep
from damaging it.

You may already know that coral reefs only exist in equatorial regions,
roughly contained between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
Corals are living creatures, and when they die their exoskeletons become
the basis for forming these reefs.  Many other creatures inhabit these
areas as well and are dependent upon the reef for their survival.

After spending time investigating the wonders underwater, that group
returned about a half hour after my group reached the rendezvous area.
After chatting with them briefly and sharing our experiences, we headed
back to the ship.

It was after 9:00 when we boarded and most of the boys were quite tired.  A
few of them were also hungry, so they went to get something to eat before
going to their cabin, but the rest of us went directly to our rooms.  I
made sure the three little ones showered and were tucked in first, before
Jake and I went back to our cabin to do the same.

While we were with the trio, they made sure to thank us again and let us
know what a great time they'd had.  Even though Andrew appeared happy too,
I think he was still trying his best to hide his disappointment about not
being able to go snorkeling the previous day.  Even though he understood
his injury limited the things he could do and was coping with it, this
didn't mean his inability to participate in certain activities didn't
bother him.  I was glad he was handling it as well as he was, but I also
understood part of the reason he was doing even this well had to do with
the fact that Barry and Jesse were helping to distract him most of the
time.  I'm not sure what it would have been like for him, if the other two
were not by his side most of the time.

The following morning, we docked in Martinique, which is part of the French
West Indies.  Since I wanted to get started as soon as we could, I talked
the boys into having an early breakfast and then hustled them off to catch
our bus.  It took us on a short ride to our starting point and we were
ready to participate in the 'Fort de France Walking Tour.'

The tour started at La Savanne Park, which is twelve and a half acres of
lush tropical landscape and located near Fort de France.  Although it is
quite beautiful, the boys weren't really in to it, so I shortened our time
there.  Once we left the park, we went into the city, which is filled with
colonial homes and numerous church steeples.  Although this is the island's
capital city, I have to say I found it to be a bit on the grubby side.  We
saw a lot of peeling paint and sagging frameworks, which definitely
detracted from our impression of the place.

>From there, we went to Fort St. Lewis.  This is a naval base that was
first established in 1638 and has a long and storied history.  It has gone
through several transformations over the years, as it developed into what
it is today.  After leaving the fort, we viewed the War Memorial and
Empress Josephine's statue next.  She was Napoleon's first wife and is
revered here.  Some say that is because she was born and raised on the
island, even though there is some dispute about that claim.

We went to the Bibliotheque Schoelcher after that, which is a library that
was built to house the books left to the city by Victor Schoelcher, upon
his death.  He had lived in Martinique and was most noted for helping to
end slavery there.  The building was constructed entirely in France and
then shipped to its present location, where it was assembled.  Its design
is often referred to as a Byzantine-Egyptian- Romanesque style, which is
not only unusual, but also quite unique to behold.

We then went to see three other historic buildings, the prefecture, Maison
Bougenot and the old municipal theater.  Even though they are all quite
nice looking and part of the local history, they weren't overly impressive.
I am glad we took the time to check them out, but we didn't stay at any of
those places for very long.  After that, we made a stop so everyone could
taste sugar cane juice, before moving on to see the farmers market, the
courthouse and our final stop, the St. Louis Cathedral.  This is a Baroque
style church, with a 200-foot high steeple, and was designed by the same
gentleman that designed the library.

As we finished this tour, I noticed it was only 10:30.  It was hard to
believe it was still so early, since we'd already done so much, but it was
still a little too soon for lunch.  Since we really didn't have another
option, we stopped for a snack instead.  I didn't want the boys to wait
until after our next stop before they ate anything or they might get very
irritable before they were able to chow down again.  Once we finished up
there, we moved on to take the 'St. Pierre and Island Tour.'  This outing
began at the ruins of the old city, which triggered the first question.

"What is that?" Sammy asked, while pointing at the ruins.

"It is all that is left of what used to be known as 'Petit Paris,' or the
Paris of the West Indies.  It's the remains of the original city of
St. Pierre."

"What happened to it?" Sammy followed.

"It was destroyed when Mt. Pelee erupted in 1902," I informed him.  "The
volcano," I stated, while pointing at the mountain looming in the distance,
"released large quantities of hot ash and poisonous gases, which killed all
but one of its 30,000 inhabitants and destroyed the buildings.  Even though
the city was later rebuilt, around the ruins of that disaster, it has never
regained is former glory."

As we viewed the ruins, I think we all felt more than a twinge of sadness.
It's not everyday that you stand in front of such a reminder of how fragile
life can be and how quickly nature can snuff so many out of existence.  It
doesn't matter whether it happens as a result of a volcano, earthquake,
tornado, hurricane or even a tsunami.  They can all be devastating to those
caught up in one.

>From there, we made our way through several coastal villages and saw the
spot where Christopher Columbus supposedly landed in the New World.  We
then made our way up into the mountains, where we were able to witness some
magnificent views.  This included a long-range look at Martinique's
rainforest.

After descending the mountain slope, we returned to Fort de France, where
the boys eagerly picked out some items to indicate they had been here.
They also filled out a few postcards for their friends, aunts and uncles,
to let them know what they had been up to and that they were doing fine.  I
felt this was extremely thoughtful of the boys, so I praised them for being
so considerate.

We returned to the ship around 1:45 in the afternoon, which was cutting it
close.  The ship was scheduled to leave port around 2:00 and then we'd
spend the next two and a half days at sea, on our way back to Fort
Lauderdale.  Our time on board would be much the same as it was on the way
to these tropical destinations, but this time the boys would be winding
down.  They would be swapping stories about their time at the wonderful
places we had visited and thinking ahead to what we would do once we got
back, but I had one final activity planned for them.

Little Ricky's birthday was on the 17th, so I spoke to the Captain during
one of our visits to the bridge and asked him if he'd mind if I threw a
birthday party for him on the way back.  The Captain seemed thrilled when I
made this request and immediately granted his approval.  In fact, he also
had me explain to his staff what I was hoping to do and then they took care
of most of the details for me, which included arranging for a huge birthday
cake.  That's why, when we went to lunch that afternoon, I led the family
to the Captain's dining hall.  The only one confused about this was Little
Ricky, because I had told the others what I had planned.  I also warned
them not to mention it to him, because I wanted Little Ricky to be
surprised.  Oh, and was he surprised.

We were actually holding the party the day before his birthday, because we
would be disembarking for the final time at 8:00 the following morning.
Therefore, I felt this would be our best opportunity to do it, since I
wasn't sure what I could arrange, once we reached Miami again.  Not only
that, but by holding his party onboard ship, I figured it would also help
to make it more memorable.

When we entered the room, the first thing all of us noticed was a huge
banner that read, 'Happy Birthday Richard.'  Several members of the staff
and crew were also present and sang to him as we entered.  Of course, the
rest of us joined in, but if you could have seen the expression on Little
Ricky's face, it was priceless.

In addition to those I've already mentioned, the Captain also made an
appearance, plus he had allowed me to invite some of the other passengers
we had made friends with during the cruise.  This included a boy and a girl
Little Ricky had spent time with and were both close to his age.  I think
he was surprised, yet very pleased, to see them here as well, so even the
guest list was a success.

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch first, after which we were each given a
portion of Little Ricky's cake, but not until we sang to him again and he
blew out the sixteen candles.  We were also served a dish of ice cream to
enjoy with our cake and the party went off quite nicely.  It is still hard
for me to accept that Little Ricky is this old already; because I tend to
think of him as the young boy we first met several years ago.  However, he
will be a high school senior in the fall.

I told Little Ricky he'd receive his presents when we returned home, but I
did hand him a card.  He opened it and read what I had written inside and
then turned and hugged me.  I had jotted down that it was time for my son
to get his license, so we'd make an appointment for him to take his driving
test, right after school started.  Then, he, too, would become a member of
the group that enjoyed a little more freedom and responsibility than the
younger family members.

Little Ricky thanked all of us, especially the Captain, for making his
birthday so special.  He also thanked us for remembering his special day,
before admitting he thought we might forget it, since we were having so
much fun on vacation.  I instantly assured him that would never happen,
because I enjoyed celebrating each of their birthdays as much as they did.

The Captain also saw to it that we were well catered to for the rest of the
day and into the evening.  First, he had a couple of his junior officers
give us a tour of some of the other areas of the ship that few other
passengers ever get to see.  After splitting us into two groups, we got to
see the galley, engine room, crew quarters and other areas that are
strictly off limits to anyone not working for the cruise line.  Not only
that, but after dinner we were invited to attend a private show.

You see, during one of our previous conversations, the Captain asked what
things we liked the most during the cruise and somehow remembered what we
told him.  Using this information, he then got a couple of the performers
we had mentioned to agree to do a show that would only be attended by our
family and the guests we had invited to the party.  The entertainers then
geared what they did specifically to us, by including references the
captain had provided them about things only our family, or those we had
filled in about them, would know.  They mentioned Little Ricky several
times, which made his special day even more special, and I know we all
really enjoyed and appreciated their efforts.

I made sure to thank the Captain and his staff for everything they had
done, before we went back to our cabins for the remainder of the night.  I
understand Graham gave a very special treat to the birthday boy as well, by
letting Little Ricky make love to him.  This wasn't an activity Graham did
very often, and when he did, it was only with others he really cared deeply
about.  I think Little Ricky understood what an honor and privilege Graham
was bestowing on him, which made it even more enjoyable.

When we reached Fort Lauderdale Thursday morning, the boys were a bit sad
the cruise was over.  They'd had a great time, but our vacation wasn't
finished yet.  They understood we would be spending three nights here,
enjoying the beach, the hotel pool and taking walking tours around the
city, before returning to Miami.  >From there, we would take off to visit
our next set of exotic locations.

Sunday morning we took a bus back to Miami, because we had to catch our
next cruise ship that afternoon.  This time we'd be going to a different
part of the Caribbean, so we'd be able to enjoy more unique experiences.  I
hoped the boys weren't growing tired of what we were doing, but we wouldn't
be gone for very long.  This would be another short cruise and last only
eight days.  We wouldn't be spending as much time at sea either, since our
destinations weren't as far away, so I felt the boys would be fine.  We'd
return from the cruise the following Sunday and then catch our flight home.

Peter was scheduled to leave us a short time after we got back to
Pennsylvania, which I suspected would create a rough period for all of us.
We've grown very attached to him, because he is an exceptional young man
and we've enjoyed having him with us, so his departure wasn't going to be
easy.  I knew he felt just as close to us, so he'd also find the parting
difficult and would probably be very emotional when it came time to leave.
Therefore, I was trying to think ahead and determine how I could handle
this situation, to make it easier on everyone involved.  I considered it
important to lessen the profound impact his departure would have on both
Peter and my family, without making promises I couldn't keep.