Thursday, January 31, 2013

Our Caribbean Ports




Our fist stop was Jamaica....in Falmouth, not Kingston.  We have visited Jamaica before, toured the countryside and been to Dunn's River Falls....so this time, we decided to just relax in the port area which was very clean, modern, spacious..... 




Then we decided to walk a bit further in to Falmouth.....which was not so nice, modern, clean nor spacious......



Read this sign carefully!  Some things in the Caribbean are very inexpensive......and others AREN'T!!!!




Decided to return to "open" area and taste a bit of the Jamaican rum and/or beer......suddenly, Tom BOLTS from his chair, and runs to where, I'm wondering....(as many of you know, this is not typical behavior of my husband).....he found friends and neighbors, Ray and Peggy Geist and Bob and Norma Hammett!!!!!  They were in the same port, same day, same time....different ship!  A worn out, but true cliche......small world!  so you better behave everywhere!  cuz what happens in _____________, may not STAY in ____________!


Our second port is Bonaire, a very small Dutch island with only 16,000 residents on 22 square miles.  Tom has wanted to scuba here for many years.....and did so, reporting that it was a good dive....only one dive but they were down 55' for a full hour with good visibility.....beautiful coral, parrotfish, moray eels.  While Tom was under the water, Kathy toured the island by bicycle.....how i missed my rusty ole Granny bike from home....had to use hand gears and brakes....and mine was the only bike without any numbers on the gears....I have several scars on my left shin from panicked "stops".  One time gushed blood and their first aid box had a 10 yr old band-aid that blew off immediately!  we only rode 10 miles, but it took 4!!!! hours......"you in the islands, mon!"  These two were our very talkative guides......




Our final stop in the Caribbean was Aruba, a larger, more wealthy Dutch island.  We hired a private taxi for ourselves and four of our dinner table "mates".  This is "Casibari" rock, seen from the road below.  It is where the Arawak Indians, a peaceful, farming tribe, would meet to negotiate their differences.


View from atop the Rock

The following are a few snapshots of upper middle class homes in Aruba......cost approximately $150,000 with a property tax of $1000/year. 







The oldest church on the island....800 years old

A real slice of culture, our guide, Rocky (the one on the left!).....one of only 400 LEGAL cab drivers on the island who told us that he just "f________ lucky" to get the license....also manages upscale homes for wealthy snowbirds.....Rocky's mantra is:  "money talks, bullshit walks"!  And now a sea day or two before we transit the Panama Canal.