I recently counted the times I've either flown, ferried, or come in on a cruise ship to Sint Maarten in the last two months; my arrivals and departures added up to 14 times (interesting considering I had never visited the island until late 2015)! During my stops in Sint Marteen, my eye has caught glimpses of the intriguing, mysterious and prominent shape of Saba (a municipality of the Netherlands) in the distance, sometimes clear, sometimes … [Read more...]
Another Beach. Another Bar. Another Bottle.
Another Beach. Another Bar. Another Bottle. Perhaps, but this place is a bit more special than that generic statement. The gentle lapping of the surf languidly caresses the golden sands of Pigeon Beach on the southern part of Antigua. I find myself here along with a few locals, a scattering of tourists and a few yachtie's who are anchored off shore. Along with the natural beauty of the bay and surrounding hillsides part of the attraction of a … [Read more...]
Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
There is a private island where the wind blows in the beach pines and the gentle surf laps on the silky white sand. A place that is much loved for moments that can be counted as too short and then left to it's natural state just as quickly. This place is Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, a private island. Holland America Line has a 99 year lease from the Bahama government to manage the island and their ships exclusively anchor off shore and … [Read more...]
Upcoming Cruise, Holland America Line Caribbean & Sweepstakes Offer
Holland America Line recently reached out to me to join them on their first Caribbean cruise of the season. For whatever reason, the Caribbean is one of the last parts of the world I have not spent much time in. That will change after this trip as I am taking much of October to explore some additional islands with my brother who is flying in from Verona Italy (where he lives). I went on a River Cruise in Europe earlier this year but this will … [Read more...]
Where to Sleep Tonight – Trinidad
After sleeping in the car the past few nights - I was ready for a change. Night one I hid the car behind a large pile of dirt next to a small road in the middle of the rainforest. Night two, a frightful sleep was interrupted by dark shadows at my driver side window by two guys carrying scary looking weapons. Apparently my choice for my spot of rest was too close to a military base. They were nice and motioned me to move on. Night three I didn't … [Read more...]
In Search of the Elusive Trinidad Moruga Scorpion
After languidly hanging out on the beaches in and surrounding Maracas I headed across the island of Trinidad. This was no easy feat - I was told to expect treacherous roads and this was certainly a correct assessment. The first sign I reached said 18 km to a small town of Arima (my destination). After navigating this steep, wet, extremely narrow road - which was full of pot holes, some seemingly the size of small golf carts - and branches and … [Read more...]
First day on the Island of Trinidad in the West Indies
It is always a challenge and at times stressful just to show up in another country without any advance planning. Such was the case with a recent trip to Trinidad and Tobago - on the island of Trinidad. I found some wifi at the airport, called around a few guesthouses, and found one quite cheap. The 30 minute taxi ride was nearly the same price as the room. Upon getting dropped off, some old guy peeked out the gated door in a bad part of town and … [Read more...]
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
It was nice to tour Old San Juan. The old part of this city is truly made for walking. At only 1x2 miles you can easily cover most of the old town in 1/2 a day. This is the location to the oldest "western" history in the New World. Buildings date back to the 1520's. The Cristobal Fort is a highlight with fantastic views overlooking the ocean especially when those big tropical billowing white clouds build up in the distance. Construction on this … [Read more...]
Culebra Island, Puerto Rico
Semana Santa can be a crazy time in Latin countries in April - especially on beach destinations or on airplanes where seating sometimes becomes quite limited. Yesterday we experienced the craziness on small Culebra Island, 18 miles off shore from mainland Puerto Rico and only 12 miles from St. Thomas and the US Virgin Islands. Flamenco Beach has been voted one of the top beaches in the Caribbean by several publications. Usually its pure white … [Read more...]
Hacienda Campo Rico – Puerto Rico
We visited Hacienda Campo Rico today minutes from central San Juan in Puerto Rico. This 2000 acre plus "ranch" is home to several companies offering a variety of activities. After hopping on ATV's we ripped through the ranch, screaming through tall grass fields until reaching hills. Rocky, limestone, steep and rough were key components of driving here. We thought we had received our adrenaline boost for the day. Wrong, the Argo Amphibious … [Read more...]