My Two Favorite Places on the Boat Trip (I have many, but this is the top two)

Hi! How have you been?

So, Colette here (duh) and I'm here to tell you about my top two favorite places.

I am sad to say that this will be my last blog - this is a me signing off kinda thing.

BUT I am SO excited to see you all in NZ (well, apart from you, Hitesh and/or Cassie, you won't be in NZ, but you know what I mean.)

My first is the GSPCA:

So, Nikau (Mick wasn't there, but Karen, Liv & Isla were) and us went to set out to the SPCA in Grenada.

We took a taxi/bus (it was a bus pretending to be a taxi) to this...store thing, and walked from there.

It took us say...half an hour?

We knew the general direction, but we weren't sure where the entry was, so we were scrambling up leafy hills, slipping down the same leafy hills (which was a pain), hyperventilating, complaining, walking (naturally) and et cetera.

We walked down a busy main road, with NO PATH, SO WE HAD TO WALK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. And it was a busy road.

I swear, I nearly went, "I am done," but I didn't and we finally found the entrance. Yay!

When we got in, there were pooches everywhere, all shapes and sizes.

We were greeted kindly, shown around, and me, Liv, Isla and Karen were sent with the little puppies - super cute. There were four of them - perfect, because there were four of us - but only two of them were unavailable (I'll tell you why later) and everyone took one apart from me.

So when I say, two were unavailable, that means they were six puppies, not only two left between the four of us.

And you may be thinking, but, Colette! Have you ever been to school? You should know that 6 minus 2 is 4 so you should also have a puppy! Yes, that is true (not the school bit, the puppy bit). But I'll also get to that later - as in after I've described the puppy kennel.

Anyway, the puppy area was small; there was a dog kennel (with a ramp to get up into it colored a nice shade of blue, almost cyan or dark teal) pressed against the metal bars, and basically, in between the kennel and the cage wall, was a little brick, and there on top of the brick was the fourth little puppy, hiding from our grasps, Koppa.

Yeah...That's why I didn't get a puppy. One was hiding (tbh, he looked like he was sunbathing on that brick, but whatever.)

Honestly, I have no idea how he got up there, because it had to be...like, at least 2 feet high, and he was just chilling there, on a brick.

Obviously, Koppa is my favorite, and I 'spose that says a lot about me. Eventually, he decided to get out, but he got stuck. But he managed to reverse out and I had to put my hand out to stop him from falling. Koppa's a big (well, small) cutey. He's beigy colored, with brown eyes and a dark muzzle. He has that a face that says, Yeah, I'm cute. What's it to you? Now PET ME!!

Typically, he looks a bit like this emoji: 🐕‍🦺 minus the leash.

At the beginning, we didn't know there names, and I named Koppa Teddy, and Isla named Savannah Cucumber, and Liv refused to co-operate, because she said that, "I need about a decade to think about it!"

We socialized with them for a while, and then left, to go back to the boat.

While me, Isla, Liv and Karen were cuddling, Mum, Nat and Dad were walking the other dogs - and ohmygosh the other dogs were so cuuuuute! - and cleaning the kennels. Especially two little puppies called Chardonnay and Prosecco (yes, they named all the animals in a theme - Guess if you can find this one: Koppa, Stag, Savanah, IPA, Bow, Guinness.)

Walking the dogs was HOT work.

The puppies got parvo virus (didn't catch it from us, chill) the next day, and Nikau didn't come. They eventually recovered (they were getting old and strong).

So it was just us and the older dogs while they were sick. And it was AMAZING.

Can you imagine, just walking, feeding socializing with dogs and cats? So fun.

We walked them in the park, and guess what? That park has vicious biting ants.

But it was great anyway.

We fostered four dogs in our time there, because our boat was hauled out and we got a small house to rent for a while.

The first dog we fostered was a little dude called Victor.

He was adorable, with pale fur with darker speckles dotting his back and face with an orange splotch on his face and butt.

But, he got hit by a car.

Before you panic, NO, NOT WITH US, HE DID NOT GET RUN OVER IN THE TIME WE HAD HIM.

He got hit by a car waaaaaay before we fostered him, so he had a limp and could mostly walk straight - sometimes just spin in circles for a while.

He was pretty small, up to your knee, maybe shorter.

We only fostered him for one day and then he got adopted straight after.

Next dog was Wiggle, who was skinny and sorta small, with vibrant ginger fur.

She was a great dog to go for a walk with because of her exciting attitude and willingness to explore.

So we did go for a waterfall walk with her - she could swim a bit, but didn't really like to. We brought hiking sticks because they came with the walk and Wiggle tended to growl at the sticks a lot, so whoever was holding her leash had to not have a walking stick.

We could drop the leash sometimes, but we didn't like to risk her escaping and send that lovely note to the SPCA:

Oh, by the way, we lost your dog - sorry!

Have a great day!

Yeah...that wouldn't go down well.

We fostered her for two days.

The third dog was an amazing dog called Midnight.

Sadly, Midnight was abused and a street dog before he got taken to the GSPCA so he had trust issues - but we walked him all the time so we were fine with him.

Oh, he was lovely!

Giant, up to your waist, a little smaller, but just gorgeous.

He was black (hence his name) with brown eyes and adorable pointy ears.

We fostered him for three days.

But, there was one flaw.

Well, maybe three, but one giant flaw about him.

He.....got carsick.

We took him to the beach - vomited on Mum's leg while she was driving.

Next time, we had towels and put him in the front - vomited on Mum again. This time on a towel, though.

He was a good dog, because when he always vomited on a towel when there was one, so we could clean it up easily.

Fourth dog was a small puppy called Badger - we fostered him on the boat because he was so small, that it was okay.

Oh, he was just the cutest.

Had to drink milk he was so young.

We fostered him for about 5 days.

He really melted all our hearts, he was amazing.

The first day we kept him up on the table, but the next day we set him out on the floor and he explored the boat.

We eventually left Grenada and Mum and Dad told us while we were getting our yellowfever vaccine that we were gonna adopt Badger!!

Then, he got parvo.

Then, he died :(

Yep.

Just like that.

LETS ADOPT HIM - oh, woops, he gone.

On that joyful subject - let's move on to my next favorite place!

Venice.

Full. Stop.

AMAZING!!!

The bridges (anyone who has Gephyrophobia, never go to Venice) are everywhere, they had candy shops everywhere and - I kid you not - in the chocolate shops they had LITERAL CHOCOLATE FOUNTAINS :D

CHOCOLATE FOUNTIANS 🍫⛲

CHOCOLATE FOUNTIANS, PEOPLE!

PEOPLE DREAM OF CHOCOLATE FOUNTAINS!!

BUT WE SAW IT IRL :D

They also had hilarious shops, with portraits of famous people drawn as cats - and they had amazing glass shops, too.

Not much else to comment on Venice.

So this is were we must part.

Thank you for being patient with me and such good listeners!

Shout out to Jemima, because I miss her so much and she's my best friend, Penny, because I also miss her and because she's a rainbow pooping unicorn (Penny, if your listening, that's what Mum calls you because your so joyful and it's been really fun calling you from time to time - especially playing Chef Showdown - we will get that sushi place eventually!!!) Juliet, because (obvs) she's my friend and I miss her (and she's my twinsie!) and Sylvie, because I now realize how much I miss doing French lessons with her and just hanging out.

I 'spose I also miss our French teacher too!

And, of course, all my other friends, such as Conny, Coco, Deane, Liv, Isla and (weirdly) my teachers Lisa and Ching!

Of course, I miss all of you, all my friends and family, even if I have not mentioned you, YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN!!!!!

Colette out----->

PHOTOS:

The great Venice Bridge (watch out, Gephyrophobia's)!

The docks, were those fancy shmancy boats come from (don't be alarmed by our faces, We were looking into the sun)

How busy it is (in Venice there are so many weddings!)

Wow, a bunch of old buildings!

Midnight: Ooooh, smile for the camera!

Huh? Wha?

Pardon me for the big Wiggle picture

Hello. Is it me your looking for?

The peaceful moment before we figured out Midnight got carsick.

Wiggle sitting majestically

Wiggle being too cute for her own good

Chardonnay (Left) and Prosecco (Right)

See how they match the people holding them?

Introduction to: Victor!!

(I am not strangling him)

WHO THIS?? WHATS THAT?

Liv, (the only human looking at the camera) me, (To distracted to even notice we were taking a picture) Isla (The one patting Victor) and Victor (The dog, the cutest one there, the most loved😭)

Ah, look at this very nice water were we're all doing breaststroke in

Camera, Wiggle. Wiggle, Camera.

The only dog with depression.

She's thoroughly confused.

Bringing the Puppies in the Puppy Bus to their night enclosure.

Aww, Midnight is so cute

Batshit crazy Elroy on a waterfall walk.

Crumble the little puppy

Little Pancake (Littermates: Waffle, Macaroon, Eclair) having a nap.

Our precious Badger muffin 💖💖💖💖💖🦡🦡🧁

MORE CRUMBLE 🐕🐕🐕‍

Wiggle and a stray we found in the park.

She had Tar all over her and we brought her back to the SPCA to get healthier (we named her Tara) and she died the next day - somebody had sprayed tar all over her and then given her poisoned food. Apparently, that's what happens when the locals don't like dogs :(