Barbados

We had planned to walk to the beach as it looked very close to the ship, but when we ended up in an industrial area and guys were yelling at us from the bus that we were lost, we gave up, went to Plan B.

That involved flagging a car that said "taxi". We're not sure when it was last a taxi, but the Rastafarian driver with the impressive dreadlocks told us he would give us a ride, negotiated a fair price and, made a modicum of effort to move the stacks of styrofoam take-out boxes so that we could get into the back seat. Tom had to negotiate a pile of belongings to get into the front and commented that the entire seat moved as if it wasn't bolted down. Still, we made it in one piece and apart from him asking if we had any "Bill Clinton green" to which we just smiled--not having a clue until after we got out, we rode to the beach!

I had forgotten until we arrived at the beach that Malibu Beach, Barbados was the site of my infamous face plant in the sand last time we were here. According to Fritz I rolled off the beach chair face down in the sand--the result of too many rum punches and too much sun! Luckily Fritz was there to grab the back of my hair so that I didn't suffocate.

Today was much more mellow--for one, the price of rum punch had gone up from $5 to $10 and, the quantity and strength was significantly reduced. So, we limited ourselves to the one that came with admission and will use our rum punch allotment elsewhere! Since we were here last, about 5 years ago, the Malibu factory (for which the beach is still named) has been taken over by Cockspur Rum. They still make rum there, but no longer do any tours--or give out any samples!

The beach is still gorgeous and the water warm and turquoise and we had a lovely day bobbing in the surf and lounging under our umbrellas.





Fritz stayed on the ship because he wasn't completely up to snuff, but seems fully recovered this afternoon. Perhaps he overdid it last night!

And, speaking of last night, it was quite the event. We were invited to join the Chief Engineer, Konstantinos Zanikos, at the Captain's Table for dinner. There were the four of us, a couple from England, Nigel & Gillian--can you get more English? Plus a couple from Winnipeg, Canada.

We started in the wine bar with champagne and hors d'oevres. Then we moved to the dining room to the big round table in the circular overlook, on the mezzanine of the dining room. There we posed for photos which were presented to us at the end of the dinner. We had a fleet of waiters, hand lettered place cards, white wine with the first course, red wine with the second course and roses delivered to the ladies with our cherries jubilee!


We told the men that the bar has been set pretty high now--especially when the ladies all got the three kisses on the cheek, as is Greek tradition, when Konstantinos had to leave a bit early to go and get ready for the Captain's cocktail party. Oh, did I mention--more champagne at that event!

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San Juan, Puerto Rico

This was the turn around day for the ship, and the day that we were meeting Tom & Francie at the entrance to Fort San Cristobal at 9:30am. Enter Plan B! Just as we arrived at the Fort by taxi we received a text from Tom "At the hospital with an eye emergency, will contact you at 10:30".

Needless to say we spent an hour worrying while paging through Spanish language newspapers at a coffee shop. We did take advantage of the "Free Hugs" being offered in the main plaza!

Tom & Francie made it back at about 11:30 and then we heard about the horrors of their experiences since leaving home!

Tom had woken from a nap on the plane to no vision in one eye. Being a nurse, Francie flew into action at their first stop in Charlotte and started tracking their Opthalmologist. By the time their connection was boarding, as Tom was somewhat improved, they decided to continue on to San Juan.

However, just after checking into the hotel, it happened again prompting them to set off for the Emergency Room! At the advice of the hotel desk manager they went to a private hospital but, it turned out that they didn't have a specialist so they referred them to a specialty clinic--who sent them to the major trauma hospital. They spent the next 17 hours in what sounds like a bad movie: endless waits, a CT scan which irradiated half the corridor as well, hard flat gurneys without even a sheet---in a freezing cold cubicle, a guy across the aisle handcuffed on both sides to the gurney being guarded by two cops, endless people lined up in the corridors in various stages of distress. No food, no water, no pillows or blankets (the locals bring their own), not even a plastic chair, and no specialist until the morning!

Luckily it wasn't a detached retina which could have caused a permanent vision loss, but, they believe a mini-stroke which caused blood vessels to burst. After many texts and emails to his doctors at home Tom is set up with a follow up appointment when he gets home. In the mean time, we have offered to get him a white stick or dog. He is doing his best to look suave as he wears his sunglasses everywhere!


By the time we met up with them T & F had been up for three days and hadn't eaten in 24 hours. We were planning to go straight to eat, but we did meet them at their hotel armed with a cold beer and Twix bar--just to keep them from collapsing.

After some sustenance we spent a couple of hours wandering Old San Juan and marveling at the beautiful architecture.


It was nice and warm and I think T & F were just glad not to be in "a big concrete building".

Once on the ship we did our life boat drill. Not quite as useless as last week. We did know enough to get there early for a seat, but you would think that this was the first time that the ship had done this drill, not something they do week in, week out! In addition, we had the same screw up at dinner. Despite my having spoken to the Maitre D at dinner the night before, we arrived at our assigned table for 8 and it was set for 6--with 4 people already at it! The 4 of us said we would take any table, but it still took them 15 minutes to figure that out. To be fair, we did discover that 2 of the people at our table were friends of the other 2 who had decided to sit together even though they were not assigned to the table--plus, they didn't offer that up until the waiter started checking cabin #s against table assignments--good grief!

We will not have that problem tonight as we have been invited to sit at the Captains Table with some of the Senior Officers! Last week we got friendly with the woman who manages the Captain's Club and she called to invite us. When I said that our friends were now on board, she extended the invitation to all of us!

We should be bursting at the seams tomorrow as today is also the "at sea" brunch which we just munched our way through on Thursday! It consists of every food known to mankind---stations for pasta, omelets, fish, sushi, meats, cheeses, breads and of course desserts! They have two large chocolate waterfalls for swirling fruit under and, my personal favorite, a crepe Suzette station--with plenty of liqueur in the sauce!






We are trying to pace ourselves, so this morning we just ordered a light breakfast of fruit and pastries, accompanied by mimosas and coffee--served on our balcony. I know, I know---such restraint!!!



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St Thomas USVI

Having been to St Thomas before, we figured that we knew the routine. We should know better than to get cocky because that's when things tend to go off the rails!

Turns out that the cruise port that we have come into before is at the other end of town, so we had to completely reorient ourselves. And, the store that we were specifically looking for has long since left town! OK so it was 28 years ago, but still...

We did find our favorite place downtown for an ice cold freshly squeezed lemonade (it was only 10am and we are trying to mend our ways).


We contemplated going with the hordes to Magens Bay,but it was sooo hot and we would have had to go back to the ship for our gear-- so we decided to do a "cultural tour"!

We visited the 2nd oldest Jewish Synagogue in the U.S. It was the only place that welcomed Jews during the war--when the US and Canada and other countries were turning them away. It has a traditional sand floor and they invited bar mitzvah kids to come here when their synagogues were destroyed by hurricane Katrina.



From there we visited the Dutch Reformed Church, but they must have been practicing their Klompen Dancing because it was closed.



Then our final stop was at the Lutheran Church. They must be conserving energy because all of the lights were off, but it was interesting just the same. The pews were all little boxes.






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Grenada

The Perfect Day!

A day spent like this:

Eggs Benedict
Water Taxi to Grand Anse Beach, Grenada (the Spice Island)
Miles of white sand beach
Rum punch
Reading sappy novels on a padded chaise under an umbrella
Snorkeling in bath tub like water with a mask that doesn't leak (and actually seeing cool fish, coral, anenomes and other things you can't identify)
Rum punch
Chatting with interesting people in the next chaises who do curious things like "rendering chicken feathers into protein that boosts milk production in cows" (more reason I'm sticking with almond milk!)
A sandwich delivered to you under your umbrella
Beer
Bobbing in the gentle surf
A water taxi back to the ship where the man next to you says "you're never that age" (he almost got a kiss) and his wife is in the credit card business so we traded war stories for 15 minutes!
Lemonade and cold towels on the pier
Lemon pie on the way to the cabin!

Life is very good and I am grateful for every day-- especially ones like today!















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Dominica

Today we were in Dominica (Dom-in-eek-a) home to about 70,000 people including the 3,000 remaining Caribe Indians. Today we also went with plan B when our charming taxi driver, Chris, convinced us to go on his tour rather than straight to the beach. So we started with the Botanical gardens, where the most interesting sight was a truck squashed by a large tree in a hurricane-- the tree is still growing!


From there we journeyed up the long, winding, potholed mountain road into the rain forest.


Dominica is a volcanic island covered with amazing vegetation. They grow lots of fruits and vegetables and spices. So, while it is one of the poorest Caribbean countries they eat pretty well.

In the National Park we hiked down to Emerald Falls where some folks even went swimming. While white leather flats weren't the most appropriate shoes for a rain forest jungle hike, they weren't the silliest foot wear that we saw!


Our guide, Chris, was telling us that the local unemployment is about 20% yet the government has signed all kinds of agreements with the Chinese to build roads and bridges, schools, and a brand new $27 million white house government palace. The Chinese bring all of their own equipment---and workers! In fact we passed a group of Chinese workers painting crosswalks. I suggested that perhaps the current prime minister wouldn't survive the next election as a result, but he said that all kinds of "new residents" arrive just before the elections, vote him back in, and then disappear!

Our guide was a really interesting guy who was also very double jointed. He could grab his hands behind his back and bring them up and over his head still clasped. Fritz suggested that it wouldn't make sense to put him in handcuffs if he could do that--very PC Fritz! I hope this video works so that you can see for yourself.
After the rain forest we did end up at the beach, although it was too rough for snorkeling. The sand is crushed volcanic rock, so it is almost black. Following ou tradition, and because we were thirsty after our hike we sampled the local Kubuli beer which came in very dainty 250ml bottles.





One note about our table mates. The Swedish couple informed us tonight that they believe that they can take 20 liters of liquor EACH back with them to Sweden and have been shopping accordingly! The other four of us just sat with our mouths open! I hope for their sake they're right.

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St Kitts

Having purchased new snorkeling equipment in St Croix yesterday we headed for the beach in St Kitts today. And, yes, we did buy new snorkeling gear last year, but it is at home and it was cheaper to buy than rent repeatedly. Plus, snorkels are like shoes--you can never have too many!

We tried to go to Sand Bank Beach as recommended by the guide book, but the taxi captain wouldn't take us. He first suggested it was private, then switched to it was a Nude Beach, then said we would be the only 2 there and they couldn't take responsibility for putting tourists in a dangerous position. I believe he just needed to fill a van going to Cockleshell Beach, so that's where we went. Our taxi driver did say that Sand Bank Beach was nice, but didn't have any services (beer and bathrooms) so we were happy to end up where we did.

Our driver, Aldopho (call me Dolly) was driving his friends old Toyota van with no headliner, ripped seats, limited a/c which had to be turned off going up hill and questionable brakes. He told us that St Kitts is 68 square miles, 35,000 people and provides free schooling from age 3 through high school. All classrooms have computers and each child is given a laptop at age 12.

He also explained that, as there are 4 women to each man on the island, the men here feel obligated to have multiple girlfriends! He, himself, at age 56, had four! He also had 8 children but had never been married! The men in the van-- a rowdy group from New Jersey, cruising on The Explorer of the Seas, were very interested in the logistics of 4 girlfriends--especially on the return trip after a day in the sun and multiple cold beverages! They wanted such details as "does each one have a day of the week, or does it depend on how they treated you yesterday" (the latter)! "Do they know about each other"? Yes, but they don't come over to the house? "Are they young"? Maybe, but not below the age of consent (18) YUCK! And trust me Aldopho was no catch!

I'm wondering if these taxi drivers sit around and dream up outrageous stories to tell to gullible tourists so that they won't notice how atrocious the potholes are and how lacking the suspension!

I don't have any photos of the beach as someone, who shall remain nameless, forgot the camera! But, suffice it to say, it was gorgeous--white sand, turquoise water, puffy white clouds, adequate snorkeling, a nice shady tree for the wimps from the Northwest who shied away from the rotisserie approach of the New Jersey clan. Couple that with some cold Caribe Beer and some Reggae music and Life is Good!

There were some interesting local additions at the beach: a group of enterprising people wearing surgical scrubs offering Aloe Vera massages. They had big chunks of dripping Aloe, which grows locally, and they would slather it on you and rub it in. Also, Wilbur the pig was a 500lb tusked pig who was comatose under a tree. Apparently he does wander around and paddles in the water, just not today. There were also guys with those little monkeys wearing clothes that they would have jump on to you so that you could have a photo (maybe some other time). We were told that the French brought 2 monkeys many centuries ago and they escaped and there are now 50,000 monkeys. I don't know about that, but they were everywhere you turned!

Here are a couple of guys who looked just like the guys in our van!


When we came back from the beach we grabbed a bite, showered and went into town. Not much going on, but we did taste some of the local Rums--this one was Lime! Don't knock it until you've tried it!



A quick update on the dining issue--we are at a new table with 2 new couples--one from Malmo, Sweden and one from Virginia--both first time cruisers and lots of fun!

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St. Croix USVI

We arrived safely in San Juan, Puerto Rico yesterday afternoon and made it to the ship, the Celebrity Summit around 3:30. Not much time to grab a quick bite and head to the mandatory muster drill. We think that Celebrity must have taken their drill training from Costa because it was the most disorganized, useless, drill that we have ever attended! It was in a lounge without enough seats, with no air conditioning and we were in the corridor so you couldn't even see the person putting on their life vest. Thankfully we have done enough of them to know the routine, but it did not strike confidence in your heart that all would go smoothly in the event of an emergency.

After dinner (seated at a table for 2 instead of 6-- promised to be rectified by tonight) I went to the salon for a much needed trim and color! Ilene from South Africa must be a fan of the 1960's show Mad Men because I think the resulting "do" is very 60's retro!



Today we docked in Frederiksted, St Croix--86 degrees, sunny skies. They have the most organized taxi shuttle service that we have ever seen! Walk off the ship, buy your $16 pp RT ticket, get in the bus and let Griffin whisk you the 17 miles to the other side of the island to the bigger town of Christiansted--all the while he is regaling you with 600+ years of history! The island is part of the US Virgin Islands, a US territory, purchased from Denmark in 1917 for $25 million in gold. 26 miles by 6 miles, home to 51,000 people. They fly 7 flags representing all the countries that have owned them. Curiously, they drive on the left, but the cars are from the US. They have voted down changing three times.


In Christiansted you can catch the ferry to Bucks Island which is a National Monument and has phenomenal snorkeling, but we chose to stay in town, stroll the boardwalk and visit Fort Christiansted and the Steeple Building Museum. We felt guilty not paying the $3 entrance fee, but Fritz's National Park pass got us in for free and the Park rangers were delightful, knowledgeable people. One note, don't sit on the yellow walls in black shorts--it's like milk paint and comes right off making a terrible mess-- and trying to rub it off makes it worse!


Because it was Sunday there wasn't much open, except the churches and because they have been run by so many countries they have every denomination you can imagine. We chose to visit instead a delightful little harbor side bar to refresh ourselves. We sat at the bar, overlooking the water and listened to the steel drum duo. I had a wonderful concoction, described on the menu as the "house special" made from: Cruzan Coconut and Banana Rum (distilled on the island) with Blackberry brandy, grenadine, sour mix, pineapple juice Topped with a float of black strap rum! YUM Fritz had a beer!


Formal night tonight, so had better go and refresh my humidity enhanced "do".

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