Cape May and Atlantic City

It was a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning. We started off early and drove down to Fisherman's Wharf, Cape May. I managed to get a few good snaps. Green grass. Blue sky. Fluffy white clouds. Bright orange billboards.

We reached Cape May around half past noon, so we decided to have lunch before we hit the water.Lunch was at Lobster House. This is an establishment with a difference. There is a seafood restaurant for formal dining, next to a bustling fish market. There is a raw bar, and even a coffee shop ! You get a wonderful view of the marina if you decide to eat outside. The sound of the waves crashing on the boulders, and the smell of the sea.An incredible experience. A bit too crowded for my taste though. About as touristy as it gets.We had seafood platters, served with french fries. The crab cakes were by far the best.The seafood was fresh and delicious. The freshest fish I've had in a very long time. The shrimps, scallops and fish were cooked to perfection. The oysters could have been better, but I am not complaining.Right now, Lobster House is at the top of my food guide to NJ.

After lunch, we headed back to the harbor. The tide was out and so jetskiing was ruled out.We found "Hell Yeah Watersports", offering wakeboarding, wakeskating, waterskiing, tubing, kneeboarding, and boogie boarding.Their boat would be back only by 5 p.m. We decided to roam around Cape May and return to Hell Yeah at 5.We went looking for a wineyard, and ended up in a house, with some grapevines fighting for survival in the backyard.There was a board which announced wine tasting, in a small garden shed, with hardly space enough for 5 people !Suffice to say our wineyard experience was pretty sour.

Our next stop was at an Alpaca farm - the Bay Springs Farm, of the Nuessles. Alpacas are South American in origin and produce one of the world's finest and most luxurious natural fibers. The fiber grows very thick and woolly, and the alpacas are sheared once a year. Apparently, the alpacas in the Bay Springs Farm were shreared just the day before. Unfortunately, We missed the Alpacas in all their woolly glory.The fiber is used in a wide range of apparel and textiles, like scarves and sweaters. We saw quite a few stuffed toys made of alpaca fiber, in the small shop set up by Barbara Nuessle in their patio.There were some pouches, wall hangings and table mats on display as well.

On our way back from Bay Springs, we saw a signboard which pointed to Higbee Beach.It sounded exotic, and we took a detour only to reach a dead end as soon as we turned into the side road.There was a small clearing, just about enough for parking 3-4 cars. After the clearing, there was grassland, with a small path leading to nowhere.From the main road it looks as if the sideroad will lead on to the beach, the hedge deceptively limiting sight.Just as we were leaving, another car drove up into the clearing, looking for the beach, no doubt. At least we had company ! We went to the Cape May beach and had a photo session, trying out different settings on the SLRs.

At around 5, we returned to Hell Yeah and rented the boat for an hour. We met Mario,the captain, in the boat. There was also this other guy in the boat, who was giving us the hardsell on Captain Mario and his exploits on water.See it, to believe it at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-L1C1bHVdYIt was amazing, sitting out on the front of the boat, with the wind sweeping through my hair. The ride was bumpy in patches, when we ran into rough waves at intervals. Then we got into the tubes, which could seat two at a time. And boy, was it fun or what!Mario would whip up a wake and swerve, sending the tube flying over the crests, and plunging into the troughs.It was fantastic. Too soon, it was time to head back. We were drenched from head to toe, but grinning ear to ear.

On our way back, we went back to the beach for another photo session. We also stopped at the Light House. There was a beautiful promenade near the light house.You could spend hours looking out at the sea. It was getting dark, and there was a nip in the air. So we bundled back into the car, steering towards Atlantic City, for my first shot at gambling.We spent the night casino-hopping - Bally's, Caesars, Borgata et al. I even spotted an Irish pub. Though we didnt gamble, it was still a lot of fun watching the tables. There were people from all over the world, from all walks of life.An interesting study for anthropologists. And economists - it definitely doesnt look like a recession.

Phew, what a fruitful weekend.

Bobo and the White Rabbit

The Panda family lived in a tree house in the Forests of Timberland. The tree stood tall, with branches spread far and wide. Jango the papa panda, Lala the mama panda and Bobo the baby panda loved their house and were very proud of it. Every day Jango would go around the house, clearing the fallen leaves and dusting the window sills. Lala would scrub the floors until it squeaked. Bobo also did his bit in keeping the house neat and tidy. He kept his room clean. He kept his toys in the hole-in-the-wall, when he was not playing with them. He was careful not to drop any crumbs when he was eating biscuits or cake. Jango and Lala were very proud of their son.

One day Jango and Lala took Bobo to the lake side. The lake was very far away from the treehouse. This was the first time Bobo had seen the lake. The water was green and there were trees growing along the banks.There were swans and ducks, and when Bobo looked down, he could see fish swimming in the water. Bobo was very excited to be at the lake. He liked the flowing water and the cool breeze.

Jango and Bobo went swimming while Lala watched from the banks. Bobo did not know how to swim and this was his first time in the water. He was a bit scared in the beginning but soon was splashing alongside Jango.He became confident and began swimming in circles, taking care not to go too far out into the lake. After some time, Lala called from the bank. It was time for lunch. Lala had packed lunch - delicious sandwiches and strawberries with cream. She also had brought some orange juice.

They sat under a big tree, and were about to start eating, when Bobo heard a small squeal from above.He looked up and saw a big bird on a branch high above them, a small white rabbit in its clutches. The bird had HUGE wings, and a beak which looked very cruel. The rabbit was squealing with terror. Bobo acted quickly. He climbed the tree with amazing speed, and reached the bird in a jiffy.The bird saw the panda lunge at her, and with a loud screech, flew away into the sky. In its hurry, the bird dropped the rabbit, which fell all the way down to the ground, right into Lala's favourite pillow. It was a very soft, fluffy pillow, and the rabbit was not hurt at all. Lucky rabbit, don't you think?

Jango and Lala were still shocked at the turn of events. So was the rabbit. It couldn't believe its luck! The rabbit looked up at Bobo, squealed "Thank you", and scurried off into the bushes. "Hey, stop ! Wait !" shouted Bobo, but he was too late. The rabbit had disappeared down a hole. Bobo was about to run after the rabbit, when he realized he was high up on the tree ! He could see the forest stretch for miles and miles around him. There was greenery all around. Far away, he could see the green broken by the silver of a river. It was beautiful. For a moment, he wished their treehouse were on this tree. He looked down and saw Jango and Lala looking up at him, and carefully climbed down to join them.

Lala ran over and hugged him. "What a brave little thing to do!!", exclaimed Lala. Jango patted Bobo on his back, and ruffled his hair. "I am very proud of you, Bobo. You are a brave Panda", said Jango. Bobo glowed with pride. He was very happy, but he was also hungry. After a very delicious lunch of sandwiches and orange juice, they decided to take a siesta.While Jango and Lala lay asleep beside him, Bobo was still awake, wondering where the white rabbit had gone. Do you know where the white rabbit went? Do you think Bobo will see the white rabbit again ?Keep wondering, and while you are at it, keep smiling !