bucket list

I would recommend renting the movies "the Bucket List" and "Up". Both of these movies are "family friendly". They inspire you to think about all the things you want and should do before you "kick the bucket".
The top of my bucket list was to dive with whale sharks.
On July 25th 2008, I fulfilled that dream.
I went with "Blue Water" film maker, Jonathan Bird's dive group, to Holbox, Mexico to see these magnificent giants during their migration season.
It was bit of an arduous journey. Well, at least for me. I'm a big baby and I do not do well traveling. Boston to Atlanta then to Cancun. We stayed over night in Cancun then took a 3 hour bus ride up north where we then took a ferry ride to the island of Holbox.
The one thing that stuck me odd about Mexico was the dogs.
The dogs roamed freely with no leashes. They had sores all over them, they were dirty and none of them were neutered. I saw countless dogs dead on the side of the road. It was pretty unsettling to see that especially coming from a country that pampers dogs.
The other thing that was odd was that no one knew what ginger ale was. gaseosa de ginger ale, por favor?
I totally butchered the Spanish language while I was there. When I tried to impress my husband by testing out my language skills one day we had breakfast at the hotel. Deme una huevos.
The waiter handed me an egg (!?) When my husband just pointed at the photo of breakfast food the waiter made him an omelet. (!)
I was sick most of the week with the worst migraine that just would not leave. I was popping zomigs left and right plus dramamine so I wouldn't get seasick out in the rough seas. Although, I ended up puking all over the boat one day despite all of my preventive efforts. It was the 'perfect storm" of setting myself to being sick: a nasty migraine, rough seas, no food in my stomach and the stench of engine gasoline.
At last, we did see the whale sharks.
They were gigantic.
Despite of everything it was worth it.
A few giant manta rays hung around the whale sharks as well.
You get so excited seeing these creatures that you blindly jump in the water with them and swim like your ass is on fire to catch up to them that it doesn't occur to you that, "oh my God! These are really huge sharks and those are really big manta rays swimming really close to me!"
I got in the water four of the assigned five days with the whale sharks. I was amazed that we had such good luck finding them. When we made an attempt on a earlier whale shark expedition in Utila, Honduras we never saw a single whale shark. That trip pretty much sucked and it was outrageously expensive.
Another trip that was on my bucket list was to go to San Francisco and see the "wild parrots of Telegraph Hill" (after seeing the movie "the Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill"). After, climbing up Coit Tower and hiking around Greenwhich street we did see the wild parrot squawking loudly making their appearance. San Francisco is such an unusual city. It seems to be of a more European city than American in my opinion. I also met Mark Bittner the author of the "Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill" while I was snooping around the cottage's back yards in pursuit of the parrots. And of course, I visited the church of my patron saint, Saint Frances.
What's next on the bucket list?
Hmmmm...
I would like to go to Belize , dive the blue hole and go on a jungle tour to see wild parrots.
I'd also like to see the Atlantis hotel in the Bahamas. Or perhaps a visit to the Vatican or Scottish highlands. There are so many places to visit and to explore.
What's on your bucket list? Hmmm?