This is for the Birds…Trinidad (5/29/17)

We docked at the cargo pier in Port of Spain as the cruise ship terminal berth was occupied by a transport ship that was unloading.  During our stop, we took on fuel from a barge; nothing like the smell of petrol in the morning.  Today was very busy for the ship’s staff as we will be at sea for three days, then enter the Amazon for the next week.  All supply replenishment had to be complete before we leave port.

Our tour today was to the Caroni Bird Sanctuary.  The bus ride was uneventful, what was surprising as we left the port was that, other than the palm trees, we could have been in a large city almost anywhere – high-rise buildings and congested traffic, especially the traffic on the opposite side of the highway.  Our driver said it was normal morning rush hour traffic, with an almost 10 mile backup to get into the city.

After a short drive – against the rush-hour traffic – we went by rice fields that stretched as far as we could see, then entered the Caroni Bird Sanctuary in Port of Spain.  Our tour group quickly boarded an open boat that held the entire group, seating 4-5 persons on each bench.  The driver/guide provided a quick introduction, then we started the trip (no safety briefing or life jackets).  It was a bit disconcerting at first, as we were heading into the sanctuary with thick trees and vegetation on one side, we could hear and see flashes of traffic on the other.  After a few minutes, we turned directly into the waterway leading into the mangroves.

While looking for birds, which were elusive at first, the guide stopped to point out a tree boa in a tree directly overhead!  We all passed under the low hanging branch, but none of us tourists had noticed.  Great picture opportunity, but all were glad to move on before it awoke from its slumber and asked to hitch a ride (not likely since this snake is nocturnal).  Not much further down the channel our driver spotted what he called an anteater sleeping in a tree (our post tour research leads us to believe it was really a Southern Tamandua).  We also passed numerous huge termite nests.  We eventually found the birds – it was challenging to get up-close pictures as they were quick, alerted by the boat engine . . . probably used to “ducking” tourists.  (However, every picture posted so far has been wildlife in their natural habitat.)

During the two hours we were in the sanctuary, there were a number of brief rainstorms.  These did not interfere with the tour or picture taking and we dried out quickly.  The guide was prepared for these “pop” showers with a large tarp that was played out from the back of the boat by handing the leading edge to row in front of you.  We were in the very first row, so we were the last to be covered by the tarp.  It would stop raining and the tarp was retreated one row at a time.  Then rain would start again and the tarp would start it travels to the front again.  I would have enjoyed seeing a video taken from the shore as this was taking place!

Back on the ship, we took advantage of the daily afternoon tea.  With a different theme each day, today was featuring all things “choux” which refers to the type of dough used for eclairs, cream puffs, etc.  Satisfied my sweet tooth (Mary)!  Then on to Trivia where our six man team took second place (again)!  We are quickly gathering points for playing trivia and other various games (called participation events).  At the end of the cruise they can be redeemed for Regent “bling”, we have our eye on a new t-shirt.

Link to Trinidad photos:

Trinidad photos (5/29/17)

 

Another day, Another island...Grenada (5/28/17)

Well known for the USA led invasion in 1983, spice production and bananas, Grenada is another mountainous island where the driving is better left to professionals.  Horns are used to notify other drivers that you are coming around a curve, often “hairpin”, since you frequently cannot see the oncoming traffic and roads are often not wide enough for two.  Over 35% of the island’s land is dedicated to the production of bananas and spices.

Europeans first discovered what is now Grenada when Christopher Columbus noted it in his travels and named it Conception.  Although it was deemed to belong to Spain, there is no evidence that any Spaniards every landed on the island.  Both England and French attempted to settle the island, were driven off by the local inhabitants, the Caribs.  Great Britain was ceded the island in the Treaty of Paris in 1762 and it was under English rule until it was granted independence in 1967.  Hurricane Ivan devastated the island in 2004; 90% of the buildings lost their roofs including many of the downtown churches and government buildings.

The weather was overcast and generally dreary as we arrived in the capital city of St George.   Grenada is divided into parishes much like Louisiana, with each parish delineated by the rivers that run throughout Grenada creating natural borders.  As we made our way to our tour bus, there was a brief rain shower - so brief that it stopped as we climbed aboard the bus.

The first stop on our tour today was the Annandale Waterfall.  The fairly small waterfall was surrounded by lush vegetation.  A few men, dressed in bright yellow with red and green highlights (the colors of the nation’s flag) put on a show by climbing up to the top of the waterfall and jumping/diving into the waters below the falls.

As we drove along, our driver/tour guide identified many of the trees along the roadside.  Most are used in the production of spices or are included in diets of the local citizens.  The middle portion of the tour focused primarily on spice production, including the processing of cocoa, nutmeg/mace, cinnamon and other less common spices.  First we visited Dougaldston Spice Estate.  Used mostly to education tourist regarding spice production, it does produce a limited amount of cocoa.  After hearing about the labor intensive process used to harvest and process spices, it was easy to understand why they are so expensive!  We also visited the Nutmeg Processing Plant.  Here we learned how the nutmeg is dried, then the outer shell is removed (a manual process), and each nutmeg is sorted according to a strict grading system.  Grenada produces 30% of the world’s nutmeg.

Our final stop was to the Grand Etang, the lake that is the main fresh water source for the island.  The Grand Etang is actually a crater that was formed from the volcano that was responsible for the formation of the island of Grenada.  As the volcano erupted over time, the peak collapsed in on itself leaving a crater that filled with rainwater.  This same volcanic activity is the reason Grenada has mostly black sand beaches.  The drive included views of the island’s highest peak, Mount St. Catherine.  We also noted that many homes have goats in the yard.  Our driver explained that they are frequently pets for children, help with landscaping (eating the ever growing grass), but mostly they become part of the island’s national dish!

One good thing about the intermittent cloud cover is it can contribute to a great sunset.  Tonight we enjoyed our balcony as we contemplated what we wanted to do later while watching the sun go down.  Dinner tonight was the Regent special Grand Bar-B-Que.  Unfortunately, the frequent rain showers hampered the set up and many were forced to eat inside rather than around the pool area.  The food was great and included a roasted pig.

Link to Grenada photos:

5/28/17 Grenada photos

A long, but fun tour..St Lucia 5/27/2017

Our visit to St Lucia began in Castries, the capital.  St. Lucia is part of the Lesser Antilles, located closest to Barbados and Martinique.  It is larger than St. Barts, covering 238 sq. miles with a population of 165,000 (2010).  Originally founded by the Spanish, It has been under both French and British rule seven times each.  Eventually it became a member of the Federation of the West Indies in 1958 and finally, in 1979 it became an independent state of the Commonwealth of Nations associated with the United Kingdom.

 

We found St. Lucia is markedly different when compared to St. Barts.  Where St Barts tended to more arid, St Lucia was covered in lush vegetation of all kinds; it gets 120 inches of rain annually.  It is green with great splashes of color – flowers everywhere!  We also found St Lucia to not be as upscale and expensive.

We took a very long tour (so long, we missed the all aboard curfew, causing the ship to be a few minutes behind schedule for our planned departure time!)  We toured a number of the small fishing villages; they have small downtown areas that border the ocean.  The buildings were very colorful as were many of the small boats found on the beaches; fishing is a common livelihood for many in St Lucia with bananas being their primary export.  Most of these go to the UK.

Like St Barts, tourism is very important to the local economy.   We visited Morne Coubaril Estate.  Originally a sugar cane plantation, they produce cocoa and educate tourists about the local culture and history.  We learned about cocoa production along with enjoying a local meal of stewed chicken, a rice dish and breadfruit.  The estate still has a functioning mill used in the processing of sugar cane that is run by Donkey Power.

The next stop our tour was the Botanical Gardens which were pretty awesome.  Laura, our guide, pointed out plants/trees of great variety all growing very closely together.  Located within the gardens were the sulfur spa and mud baths/spa.  The Diamond Falls River has a very unusual gray color due to its origin in an inactive volcano.  It contains many different minerals that sometimes change in concentration, causing the color of the river to change as well.

The last stop on the land portion of the tour was the town of Soufriere (meaning Sulfur in Air) to board our catamaran back to Castries.  The drive there provided a good opportunity to view the Twin Pitons.  Our catamaran was not like any catamaran we have been on before... it was more like a party boat!  After a stop for a quick swim, they began serving the rum punch, and the dancing began, continuing all the way back to the Navigator.

Link to St. Lucia photos
St Lucia photos (5/27/17

Land Ahoy (St Barts) 5/26/2017

After two sea days, we made it to our first port of call on the lovely island of St. Barthelemy; named for the brother of Christopher Columbus.  This island is a volcanic island fully encircled by shallow reefs and is VERY small and VERY pricey.  We did the brief island tour by taxi which lasted only about 45 minutes with highlights including several views of the island's airport and an appreciation for fully functioning brakes on the taxi.  The island has very narrow streets that wind up and down fairly steep mountainous roads.  Being part of France, French is the primary language on the island, but we found everyone we encountered spoke English.  However, during it's history, St Barts was also owned by Sweden, which influenced the naming of the capital Gustavia.

After our tour, we walked the main drag window shopping (every VERY high-end store can be found on the main street) until we found an open air local restaurant for lunch.  We returned to the pier area and changed into our swimsuits in preparation for our afternoon tour.  This tour, aboard a catamaran, sailed up the east coast of St Barts to a cove on the north end of the island for an hour of beach time.  A few brief rain showers did not dampen the enjoyment of anyone.  Being an extremely arid island with little fresh water, the rain was welcomed by local vegetation, including the cactus.   The lack of fresh water has restricted St Barts' tourism on a large scale. . .instead they choose to cater to the rich and famous especially over the winter holidays.  During the high season, the population of the island grows from 10,000 to almost 20,000.

The evening was spent sharing a dining table with the onboard Smithsonian lecturer Michael Scott.  Not only did we learn more about our cruise location, but learned about the northern lights, living in Scotland and the remote island of Tristan Da Cunha (you might want to google it!)


Click below to view photos:
St. Barts photos

Food and Art Deco...a fun combination

Today was our bonus day in Miami as we like to arrive at our debarkation point a day early in case we encounter any travel issues.
We opted for a walking food tour of South Beach.  The tour is offered by Miami Culinary Tours and not only visits various restaurants, but includes local history and lore.
Traffic over to South Beach was incredible, but I guess normal for Miami.  Unless you live around Chicago, most of us Midwesterners don't deal with this kind of traffic.
The tour started at Bolivar, a Columbian venue where we met a our guide Mirka.  She has lived in Miami for over 40 years and has a wealth of knowledge about not only the local restaurants, but different types of cusine and can recommend a place loved by the locals for almost any genre.
The second stop was to a restaurant owned by Gloria Estefan and her husband.  Of course, Cuban food was on the menu at Larios.  Our third stop was the Naked Taco, a Mexican themed venue owned by Ralph Pagano.
During the tour we discussed the history of South Beach and how it has changed since WWII when it was basically appropriated by the US government for GI use.  Since then, it has been a preferred location for speakeasies during prohibition, home to the Rat Pack and a favorite for fashion photo shoots.  We visited a roof top bar with a great view of the beach, heard about the history of the Versace Mansion, talked about the filming of the Birdcage at the Carlyle and learned which hotels are owned by the heirs of ther Jordache jeans empire.
Because transfers to port are included in our cruise, after the tour we dropped the car in thr parking garage at the port where it will remain until the conclusion of the cruise.  After returning to the hotel, we picked up our pre-cruise documents from the Regent rep set up in the lobby.

Link to photos:
May 22, 2017 Miami/South Beach

And it continues . . .

Longest driving day today - initially unable to enjoy the scenery due to dense fog, though as we started the descent to lower elevations, the views were great - though somewhat eerie with the fog layering in the valleys below.  As we continued southward, we crossed over the Eastern Continental Divide in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina (2700 foot elevation).
We decided to leave I-95 and take a scenic route for part of the ride through Georgia (Butler Island Plantation pictures) - first glimpses of the Atlantic - at last!  Staying at a hotel whose mascot will be familiar to some people who have visited Titusville before - everything reflects an association with the nearby Kennedy Space Center.


Click link below to view photos:
Asheville to Titusville

And so it begins . . .

On the road at 0715 - heading from Indy to Asheville, NC.  Took I-74 down to Cincy and across the Ohio River.  We encountered no traffic as we passed Lexington and rolling paddocks filled with horses enjoying a lazy morning.  However, as we monitored the route ahead, it became apparent that our otherwise uneventful ride was about to change.  As we monitored Apple's map app, it appeared a major event had occurred on I-40 E between Knoxville and Ashville.  We watched as the "red" traffic back up continued to grow.  We re-routed around the congestion, but spent 60 miles on a windy road with almost no chance to pass slower traffic.  We later discovered not only were there several minor traffic accidents in a construction zone, but a truck hauling liquid asphalt had flipped (YUK!) leading to a major clean up and the closing of I-40 eastbound.  As of this posting, the road remains closed.

Click link below to view photo:
5/19/2017 Indy to Asheville

All my bags are packed - NOT!

Making a list and checking it twice, or more.   I will probably over pack, but not needing to check luggage at the airport allows that freedom!

Planning for most healthcare contingencies, I have packed a mobile pharmacy.  Should be able to treat most minor ailments without looking for a drugstore or visiting sick bay.

We have completed all sewing projects (a pair of linen slacks, evening jackets, shortening the sleeves on a new top, etc).

One recommendation was to apply permethrin to the clothing we will be wearing when hiking around the Amazon.  We completed that today as the weather conditions were finally favorable.  Both low humidity and calm winds are a rare combination in Indiana this time of year!

I think we have finished shopping.  The list seemed never ending as items were being added almost daily during the last month.  But with the purchase of additional memory cards for the cameras, extra batteries, and a couple Misson Towels, all items have been crossed off.

The challenge of getting it all in the suitcases still awaits.  Only two more days left to complete this task as we are leaving Friday morning!  Also need to get a pre-cruise haircut and set up my "out of office" notice on my e-mail.

Click link below to see photos:
           May 16, 2017 Packing progress 3 photos