Smooth Sailing to Providencetown

Yesterday was a most memorable day for the three of us. Having heard so much about the riveting beauty of Cape Cod, we finally decided to make a trip to Provincetown by the cape, which is a 90 minute boat ride from the Boston harbour. 

Tickets are a little steep though... going at $77 an adult, I was sure glad to receive a 50% discount because of my student status!

So here we were on board the Salacia, the fast boat that makes the daily commute between Boston and the Cape. Wanna know how fast? Just see the picture below... there I was holding Doris down because she was almost blown overboard by the wind. And where was Earng Han? Well, he's the one who took this photo, and yes, he still refuses to allow us to publish a picture of him... 

The long foamy wake left behind by the Salacia makes quite a sight, doesn't it?

So here we were, 90 minutes later and bursting at the seams with enthusiasm as the Salacia cut her speed and rolled into the Provincetown harbor.  The tall building you see below is the famous Pilgrim Monument. Don't worry, you'll get a better shot later.

This is a typical street along Provincetown, which certain has a very coastal town feel to it doesn't it? Privincetown has a large population of Portuguese Americans, so it is really common to see American and Portuguese flags and banners displayed all over the town.

Here's a peculiar-looking shop, mainly because of its color. It actually sells all sorts of puzzles, mind-bending toys and games. The shop's color is sure a great way to get a visitor's attention. Amidst the rest of the grey, black or other relatively drab colours, pink certainly stands out from the rest of the pack by a mile!!

Here's quite a view of the Pilgrim Monument, right? It is said to be the tallest all-granite structure in the United States.

How about this shot? This monument commemorates the "first landing" of the Mayflower Pilgrims in Provincetown on November 21, 1620.

OK, so here's some trivia about the monument. The tower is 77 meters tall and rises 350 feet above sea level! It takes 116 steps and 60 ramps to hit the summit. The granite, we found out, came from Stonington, Maine, and each stone is the thickness of the wall. The design is patterned after the Torre Del Mangia in Siena, Italy.

During the climb up, one will see many interior stones that were donated by cities, towns and organizations from all of the United States. Halfway to the top...  another 58 steps to go...!!

And the prize? These breathtaking view of Provincetown... and the strong coastal breeze of course... 

And then we continued our Provincetown adventure with a trip to the famous sand dunes. Was this what Moses and the Israelites experienced when they were wandering in the wilderness?

We made friends with a family from Eastern Europe while touring the dunes. They have such beautiful daughters.

I just had to capture them at this point because they were spotting such sunny smiles... too bad the tour guide's figure in the background of the photo is a little 杀风景!!!

And finally, after a hot day, it's time to chill, so here's our very own Guinness model at the bar... ok, so it's not Guinness, but a light British beer, and it's some restaurant in town after a seafood dinner...

And here's the after-thoughts... you must still be wondering where is Mr Chan right? Same old story... he remains camera-shy and prefers to stay elusive for this moment... but of course, if you want pictures of him at all the unfathomable places, let me know and I'll post it without reservation!