One Last Word

We are safe home again. Too many delays in airports. Too many screaming children on the planes. From equatorial heat to -30C has been a bit of an adjustment but what else can one expect in January in Saskatchewan?  Our last 2 days on the ocean were spent in the company of new friends. We lounged in the sun and swapped stories from our various homes and livelihoods. We even made plans to meet up once again.  There was also that morning where Dale invented the "Sock-tail" with Keith's sock and Fred  hung it filled with ice as punishment for its sins...

Well, we don't expect you to understand but here is the photographic proof:

The sock in question

The Sock-tail

The hanging.

And that was our trip to the Amazon. Thanks for following along. Who knows where the next adventure will take us?  Bom Dia.

CHAOS!!

10 January 2012

Chaos.

I was pretty thrilled at the idea of stopping at Sint Maarten, mostly because it is part of the Netherlands and less so because it is pretty and the ocean is the most amazing colour. Naturally – I would be showing you pictures of that but the glitch continues so you will have to live by my descriptions for now. Suffice it to say – sun, surf, white sand beaches and aquamarine water.  But then there is that chaos thing I mentioned at the top…

                                                      Yup - the water really IS that colour

To clarify, the Island of Sint Maarten (or St. Martin) has pretty much only one industry and that is tourism.  The island holds the curious distinction of being the smallest island in the world to be split into two completely separate nations. Two capital cities, two airports, etc. And never the twain shall meet. One side is Dutch (the side we stayed on today) and the other, French.  The whole island comprises less land than we farm and has some 75 000 permanent residents. And now for the chaos…

We pulled into port at 9am. There were already 3 ships in port ahead of us. Another one pulled in after us. We were by far and away the smallest. Between 8am and 9am these ships disgorged what we estimate to be 12 000 tourists plus an undetermined number of crew. Now you understand the chaos part.

Yet despite the teeming masses we had a great day. In Sint Maarten you take a water taxi most places so we hopped aboard and had ourselves a wander through town. We actually did our only shopping of the whole trip and found things that we liked and will look at again amidst the reams and reams of standard tourist crap.  We looked into tiny cheese and chocolate shops, beautiful linen shops and even the World’s Smallest Bar (about 8 square feet).  We walked along the beach, dipped ourselves in water that was the perfect temperature, found some sea washed shells and had fruit smoothies in the shade of an umbrella.

Dale was a little disappointed that he missed a chance to go sailing on an America’s Cup class yacht. Friends of ours made the trip and had a blast. Oh well, there will be other sail boats somewhere for us to board.  We then compared days with friends and are now getting ready to join them for fine dining in the steakhouse and learn some more about each other.

We have 2 more days at sea and then we reach Ft. Lauderdale and the end of this adventure. I am running low on expensive satellite internet minutes so this will likely be the last posting before we get home. I promise to  post more pictures from there.

To those of you who have followed along throughout the trip – thanks for taking the time to travel with me. I love doing a little writing and it is nice to know there are a few people out there who don’t mind reading it.

So I bid you adieu from the islands. Wish for us smooth sailing to Florida and we will tell you all the details upon request once we are safe at home.

Marsha

Whales and dolphins and pirates, oh my!

9 January 2012

Castries, St. Lucia

We docked in the capital of St. Lucia this morning just after 7am. You can tell we are now in the Caribbean proper as there were 2 other larger cruise ships in harbour within the hour from other companies. It makes for a crowd on any of the islands. Thankfully, our goal was not the island itself but the waters around it.

Christopher Columbus is given credit for stumbling upon St. Lucia (but then again, they give him credit for North America too – and he never set foot there). Apparently there is some argument about that but I am not inclined to join the debate. Suffice it to say, someone found it, someone else (namely the French and the British) fought for it, dragged slaves across and ocean and made them grow  sugar cane and other things.  In this instance, the French took first victory and it looked like a done deal until there was more fighting for the West Indies as a group and eventually the Treaty of Paris (1802) ceded the island to the Brits and it remained with them until 1967 when it became a protectorate and finally in 1979 – it became an independent nation within the British Commonwealth. At a brief glance they sell a lot of jewelry, tourist crap and cruise holidays here. Looking deeper there is fishing, tourism, oil and cane, cocoa and other agricultural products.

It is a beautiful island with many hills and valleys and no real rhyme or reason to its design. There are many small bays and harbours and hidden waterfalls and spectacular rock formations as you look along the coastline. Apparently people are known to get motion sick when driving across the island because of the constant curves and hills. Great views from many of the locations though.

We were off the ship and down at the docks by 8:30 to board a small fishing vessel and start the hunt for whales (well, not hunting them – just seeking them!).  It was a fun rock and roll ride as we were riding on the 2^nd level of a small boat (people prone to sea sickness ought not to read this bit) and bouncing happily through and over the waves around the island. There was some minor concern amongst the 6 of us that we had been booked on a “three hour tour” (reference to Gilligan’s Island for those of you who did not pick up on that!) but Captain and crew seemed genial enough in an island sort of way. They were happy to demonstrate they had everything we needed for a pleasurable outing – a sturdy boat, a radio, life jackets and lots of rum punch…hmmm.

The first hour progressed with no sightings of any kind and some people were getting grumpy though you are always warned on whale watching tours that nature schedules the sightings, not the people wanting to see whales. Still there are those who argue the point.  Anyway – at the hour and a half point we were rewarded for patience by a brief yet exciting view of 2 pygmy sperm whales. Sorry – no photos thanks to the whales’ speed and whatever the glitch with this stupid internet thing is all about.  Suffice it to say – we saw them and there are those who would corroborate that statement.  Shortly thereafter we ran into a large school of dolphins that were more than happy to play around our boat for the next ¾ hour or so. They leapt, they played, they raced us, they surfed in our wake and then they did it all again only this time synchronized with up to 20 of them in a row in the wave behind us. Dolphins are always a cheery sight – though they did make us think of Rupert back at home. If re-incarnation exists we are pretty sure he had a previous life as a dolphin or some such similar ridiculous creature.

Unfortunately, that was the end of the noteworthy sightings. Moby Dick declined the invitation to have his photo taken though we were assured that sperm whales had been sighted the day before. Ah well, the ride, the views of the island and the sun and surf all made for a great morning.

Back ashore we retired to a spot with table, umbrella, local refreshments and good company and swapped stories of world travels. Interestingly, 4 of the 7 of us at the table had been to Antarctica and we are pretty sure that we convinced the other 3 that they were missing out on something grand indeed.

Well there WERE quite a few of us...!!

We did not get time to explore the island itself. That will have to wait for another holiday somewhere in the future. For now we shall dream of whales, reggae music and breezes under palm trees.

Wish you were here?? 

postscript - tonight our British friends dined dressed as pirates - complete with cutlasses, hooks for hands and parrots. We laughed much and added some years to our lives.

Hey Mon - come join da party!

8 January 2012

Ahhh – the Islands – paradise in the Southern Caribbean! This morning we docked at 7am at Scarborough, the capital of Tobago. Tobago is the smaller of the two islands in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.  It is about 26 miles long and only 6 miles across but 55 000 or so people call it home – 33 000 of which live in Scarborough.  Tobago runs on agriculture (cocoa, coconut and sugarcane), oil and tourism. It has an unemployment rate of over 25% and the untold commentary if you ask your local guide carefully is that many of the people who make up that 25% earn a living dealing in illegal drugs. There were warnings all over the ship and our information sheets about not bringing drugs back on board even though they would be readily available and cheap to obtain.  Needless to say, we avoided any pharmaceutical touring. 

                                                               10 inch bug anyone?

The islands are in the West Indies and were encountered by Christopher Columbus on his 3^rd voyage to the New World (1498). So – Tobago started colonial life in Spanish hands but then changed hands more than TWENTY times between the British, French, Dutch and Courlanders with Britain being the final colonial overlords.  Trinidad on the other hand stayed Spanish until 1797 but ws largely settled by the French. The two islands came together as a crown colony under British rule in 1888. In 1962 a bloody war of independence was fought and in 1976 the islands became a Republic.

We started our day with a bang by doing some laundry. Even ocean-going layabouts need clean undies every so often. That chore complete we headed off the ship with a couple from England’s scenic Lake District who dine beside us in the evening (not the crazed lunatic Brits I have mentioned in other posts). We decided to hire a cab for a drive round the city and the island and had a lovely time at a quarter of the cost of a ship-sponsored tour and saw everything anyway.

Our driver was a lovely gent by the name of Myron who took us to shopping (we disappointed him there by showing no interest and buying nothing) and then took us to the sites such as Pigeon Point ( a beautiful spot that was once a gun battery to protect the island from invasion) and Fort King George (a well-preserved French built British Naval port from the 18^th century.  We also saw a curious grave marker (also 18^th century) known locally as “The Mysterious Grave” as the inscription is difficult to comprehend – part of it reads as follows: “She was a mother without knowing it and a wife without letting her husband know it except by her kind indulgences to him”. Apparently she was a slave who died in childbirth and not much else is known about her. You have to love quirky things like that.

                                                With Kath and Barrie Russell at Pigeon Point

                                                          View from Ft. King George

                                                                   Ft. King George

It was pouring rain when we arrived at the island and the sun came out as we left the ship and stayed out while we toured. We saw such diverse things as cocoa and breadfruit plants and the world-famous turtle beach where sea turtles climb out of the ocean to lay their eggs (again, made famous through various documentaries). The turtles are smart enough to do this by moonlight meaning they are not bothered by tourists and the tourists are not bothered with having to stop and take pictures of turtles.

At one point our guide stopped on a side street and said no trip to the island was complete without a taste of Caribe – the local lager. So, he hops out and trots off returning a few minutes later with beer for Dale and Barry and no beer for the ladies (apparently he thought it wasn’t proper or something). Kath was given a weird malt drink that she said tasted like drinking molasses and I was given a ginseng energy drink. We didn’t enquire – it just seemed easier that way!  Oh – did I mention that Myron bought himself a Caribe and proceeded to drink it while driving us around the rest of the island. We also did not question the wisdom or legality of this move and figured that as long as he kept it to one we were probably Ok.

After our tour we returned to the port where Dale made our largest purchase of the whole voyage and splurged on a $15 t-shirt. It’s pretty cool – bright orange Trinidad and Tobago. Once back on the ship we returned to our customary table on the back deck, had some lunch and watched the world go by. Mysteriously, as we left port at 5pm the cloud and rain returned. We thought it a very civilized nation that could manage the sunshine for the tourists in that fashion! 

                                               Colourful boats in harbour at Scarborough

We are now back at sea and headed toward St. Lucia. Tomorrow we go whale watching (one of my favourite sports). I have great hopes for this as apparently the most likely whale species to see there at this time of year are grey whales (second only to blues in size) and Sperm whales (one of the top 5 in size and very rare to sight). Wish us luck.

The internet gods remain angered with me for reasons known only to them and some computer geeks. I remain unable to upload pics at this time. I do promise to upload the missing pictures once we get home and I get it sorted out. At this point the internet access is too expensive to do much fiddling. So my apologies.

And yes Terri – we got your comments. Thanks much. No, we are not ignoring you just out of easy communication.

Until the next day dawns …

another day at sea in the company of Mad Englishmen

January 7, 2012

There is not much to report in terms of activities today as it is another day at sea as we make our way over to Scarborough, Tobago.  Dale and I have discovered that we are “Mad Dogs” – at least if you believe that “only mad dogs and Englishmen stay out in the noon day sun”. That hour of the day found us on the very top deck in a pathetic shuffleboard tournament with the crazed English crew with whom we have thrown in our lot.  We guess it was in the mid-40s Celsius and very glaring. Needless to say the match did not last long. I am happy to report that the ladies won though the gents are still arguing the point. Everyone retired for refreshments followed by a pub lunch which is an adventure when you are accompanied by six mildly drunk and or sun-crazed Brits. Needless to say, many people on board do know the eight of us on sight – some even move out of the way. Ha ha.

This evening dining is formal so we have to brave the penguin suits and glittery bits once again. It looks faintly ridiculous with the sun-burned noses and arms but what the heck, it is a proud maritime tradition and who are we to stand in the way of tradition?

all dolled up with our wait staff Ana and Jacek

                                                  Our UK friends in full formal regalia

You will note by the following pictures of our British friends that they are not shy, retiring types. The photos are of how they arrived for the 5 course dinner last night. As their table is opposite ours, it was quite distracting especially at the soup course when their table looked like a flock of birds pecking at their soup bowls.  It was a refreshing change from too much stodgy and we are only aware of one offended woman so all is well.

                                                  John, Margaret and Keith - not so formal

                                                                  Farmer Fred goes native

Till tomorrow and the islands I shall read and enjoy the company of others. Dale is napping after trying to keep up with three veteran English beer drinkers. Hopefully it will not kill him within the remaining week!

Prison in Paradise

6 January 2012

Isle Royale, French Guyana

Today dawned clear and sunny – and hot and humid – but no surprise there. We awoke at anchor in the harbour off of Isle Royale, Ile du Diable and Isle St.Joseph – collectively known as the Salvation Islands.  The French government under Napoleon III opened the penitentiary and it remained a prison until 1952.  Escape was either into the ocean or into the jungle. Neither was a particularly survivable option.  It is said that 80 000 prisoners were sent to the island and only 30 000 survived.  Most prisoners were  returned to France at the closure of the Prison but if you had been incarcerated for greater than 8 years you were not allowed back to France but were given land and a wife in French Guyana.  Today, tourists wander amidst the solitary confinement cells, the 2 lunatic asylums and the chapel and nunnery. Interestingly the tiny islands are also a base for the launch of nearly half the commercial communications satellites circling the globe.

We left the ship early to try to beat the worst of the heat and took a small boat in to Isle Royale. It is a picture postcard kind of island with swaying palms along sandy beaches. Colourful macaws flit through the trees and monkeys and cicadas make noise deep in the forest. You can look out across impossibly blue lagoons and see the mainland and buildings of the city of Cayenne (capital of French Guyana). And then you go inland and there are the reminders of what this island was once mankind got hold of it.  18^th century prison blocks in the midst of terrible heat and humidity. Cemeteries and decaying infrastructure of guard posts and a catholic church to save your soul providing you had one left after your time here. What is sobering is knowing that humans are still holding others imprisoned on idyllic islands in less than humane conditions.

                                                                 the hospital building

                                                                    the size of the cells

The jungle is encroaching on the remains of the prison and has softened the edges of it but you can still stand in a solitary cell and you can still imagine the horror of being abandoned here. You can also understand the need for 2 lunatic asylums as a very short time in such confinement in this climate is easily enough to make one’s mind want to take a very long holiday.

                                                                       Agouti

                                                               Yes - these are wild birds

It was very interesting to see and there is also lots of native wildlife running and flying about the place – we saw agouti, iguana, macaws and more.  Agouti are a mid-size member of the rodent family. They are about the size of a housecat, do not have a rat tail and look very similar to capybara – only smaller.  The hike around the island was challenging in terms of unstable and uneven footing on cobbled and stone pathways as well as some seriously vertical stone stairs amidst the vines and randomly falling coconuts.  By the end of our visit we were seriously overheated and ready for some cooool showers and a refreshment or two. 

This afternoon we weighed anchor and are now on a northwesterly course for Trinidad and Tobago which we are scheduled to reach on the 8^th. Tomorrow will be a day at sea so time for reading, visiting and maybe getting some postcards written.

We are informed in the vaguest of terms that there will be some unspecified dinner entertainment this evening courtesy of our British friends. I will take my camera and may or may not share the results with you tomorrow!

Adieu from the Islands -

Out on the Ocean

5 January 2012

The open ocean at long last stretches all around us. The water has changed from café au lait to sea green with white topping. We are now reminded that we are on a small vessel that does not have stabilizer technology. It is a good day’s entertainment watching people attempting to find their sea legs. Both of us did a little swaying and staggering but on the whole are not as badly affected as many around us. We have also noticed the seasickness aids showing up – bracelets, patches, hypnosis and more. Thankfully, neither of us has ever suffered from seasickness and we have no intention of starting any time soon.

We are now off the coast of Brazil headed northwest toward Isle Royale and Devil’s Island off French Guyana.  Isle Royale was a notorious French penal colony that had prisoners in residence until 1952. Stories that emerged from surviving prisoners were terrible and disturbing. In fact, the penal colony boasted not one, but two lunatic asylums plus a children’s cemetery just to name some nasty features of the island.

Today was another day completely at sea with no sight of land. Rumours are starting to filter through that we will not be able to land at Isle Royale because of forecast weather that is supposed to drop in excess of 2 inches of rain on the region with accompanying winds. Isle Royale is what is called a “tender port” meaning there is no dock and the ship anchors offshore and smaller boats called tenders, transfer people between ship and land. The boats ride hide in the water and the ride is less than pleasant when the seas are high. But, we shall see what tomorrow brings when tomorrow comes.

We ended up spending the day on the aft (back) deck which is our favourite spot on a ship. This was the first day we were allowed out on that deck since leaving Manaus. It had been closed off because there were too many insects and movement of people in and out meant bugs in the buffet amongst other places. This far out from the Amazon there were still a fair collection of grasshopper and cricket-like insects in bright colours still in residence as stowaways but we were allowed out and spent a lovely day in the sun watching the ocean go by and solving world problems with our friends from the UK. It started as a comparative discussion on the actions of governments during the UK and Canadian BSE crises and then morphed into discussions on the state of the EU, what’s up with China, are corporations ruining the world and other such topics of note. It may all sound very dull but if you add in the range of British accents, the addition of beer, spirits and wine, demonstrations by a waiter on napkin folding and a lot of very funny jokes – all in the mid-Atlantic sunshine – well, you get the idea. We weren’t suffering.

There is also a conspiracy theory aboard the boat that the Captain is either not on the boat or has been carousing in his cabin and ignoring his duties. There is very little foundation for this theory beyond a non-appearance by said Captain at his own Captain’s Cocktail Party and an alleged CIA employee with an alleged story about the captain and a woman of low repute on a different voyage.

As you can see – we don’t just go on these holidays for the pure pleasure of the thing. There are things to be worked out and pursued and we gamely partake when we are not reading or lounging about or eating… it is a true hardship but we soldier on.

Real news tomorrow provided the rumours of a no-show at French Guyana are incorrect.

Oh – I did manage to paint a little portrait of a sloth…

And climb some stairs.

Now, perhaps a little nap before cocktails.