Catalina !!!

After a long time, Me and M finally took out a day together to the Catalina Islands. We always wanted to go there but because of our different geographical locations , we dint want to spend time in additional travelling. Well , blame our enthusiasm levels too. 

So , this long weekend we finally boarded on to the ferry to the beautiful Catalina Islands. Honestly , I had imagined the beaches to be magnificent and huge like never seen before. Nevertheless, I was disappointed in that regard. But the disappointmene ended just there.

It’s a very small island but has a feeling of comfort and warmth to it. It boasts of a very good weather all through the year. And it was indeed very pleasant. The setting of the entire place was very bohemian. The people were much laid back and easy going. Nobody was in any sorts of hurry (except yours truly who was paranoid about almost everything –yes even on a vacation! Example? Getting hyper in the queue for getting the perfect seats on the ferry , for all the rides and activities we did etc) People came up proactively and asked if they could take pictures of us whenever they saw us clicking each other. Sweet !

So , as planned , we got up very early and took the first ferry toward the island (Avalon). Reached in about an hour. This journey was quite uneventful , thankfully, unlike I had imagined. No matter how “not a morning person you are”  , the experience of witnessing the darkness of night vanish into the first morning sunrays is always refreshing – a coffee helps too :p .

The first thing we did after landing was took a quick stroll to realize that the island was still waking up. The shopkeepers – all along the ocean side , were cleaning , wiping and waiting for the day’s madness to kick in. We chose a small café at the corner to grab our breakfast. Being a vegetarian I was kind of worried that I might not get anything to eat or could not survive the smell of the sea food – but to my surprise nothing of that sorts happened. We got a sumptuous breakfast that consisted of mashed potatoes , French Toast and freshly squeezed Orange Juice.  Sitting there waiting for our order in itself was so relaxing , somehow. And I could already get a feeling that yes , we were on a far far land – away from all the worldly insanity.

After another walk , surprisingly we both agreed upon what activities to choose from all the available options. The first thing we chose was “Parasailing”. Since it was just 9 am , we dint have to wait for our turn and got the first ride. Well, with M , I had been on a lot of roller coaster and the scary rides before so I wasn’t in particular scared until ofcourse we were hooked to the bar – pushed – away from the boat at the mercy of the parachute and the guy who operated it. All of you who aren’t scared of heights or water should definitely try this once . Heck! You should try it otherwise too. It’s a very calming activity. You go up slowly and come down again equally slowly.  And all the time that you are in the air – you can feel the fresh , cool breeze and enjoy a breathtaking view only ofcourse if you keep your eyes open.  Theres nothing between you and the air outside. It’s a feeling as if you have gotten wings for a while or like you are on one of those very high swings in your backyard. It was a very soothing activity. Okay all said and done , there was a point where I was scared and had some negative thoughts peeped in as in “what ifs.. “ But then whats the fun without that tiny adrenaline rush right ?And after you come down that’s certainly not what you are going to take with you for the rest of your life.

 When you are on the Island you cannot rent any cars or other vehicles except a Golf Gart and drive through the island. We rented one for an hour. The guy handed us a map of what all places to cover in that one hour , where not go and what not to do. Keeping in mind all of that , we headed for a ride on the island. The map was very confusing and we could see everyone with a question mark on their faces looking for the right direction. Since the time was very limted – just one hour – the entire ride kind of became a thrill ride and it was like playing a game of treasure hunt. If you ever happen to visit this place , make sure you rent the it at least for an hour. You can get to see all the interiors of the  island and a panoramic ocean view.

We took a break for lunch – had already walked the beach side 2- 3 times.  For such a small place tgere are a lot of food options. You can find everything – from sea food to  Italian , Mexican , American etc. We chose an Italian Pizzeria and went for a classic Penne Pasta with Garlic Bread.  

We also experienced an unsuccessful attempt of snorkeling (M enjoyed it though) – darn , it required swimming ! Since we were too tired, we decided to get on an earlier ferry than we had planned .  

Watching the kids play in the sand and water , lazing around on the beach  - with or without a book , just sitting together and watching the sea waves , walking around with no particular agenda in mind – was so refreshing than checking the emails every 10-15 min or that Facebook update or browsing your iphone for that matter. You realize that the day has indeed enough hours for us to do so many things. Waiting in the queue for 10 -15 min with sleepy eyes and tired body we took the next ferry and a lot of memories back home. 

Here are some random pics for you  ->