The day dawned bright and very blue on our last port of call- St. Martin/ St. Marteen. This is our second visit to this beautiful island. We docked in Phillipsburg, the capital of the Dutch side of the island. The other side of the island is French, with Marigot as its capital. Both capitals are large with numerous resorts, beaches, busy marinas, and hillside homes overlooking the sea. Although I tend to prefer the lesser developed islands, there is something I find irresistibly charming about this island. They seem to have somehow kept the charm of a small island while actually being extensively developed. Perhaps the numerous marinas with their scores of sailboats dotting the harbor, or the beautiful cobblestone streets right in the center of Phillipsburg (yet also on the beach), or the small French cafes and bakeries throughout the French side make the island seem personal. And of course those beautiful views everywhere you look never hurt either.

We got off the boat early and boarded a bus for the Simpson Bay Area where we had rented a small 2 person kodiak-like boat, which was just basically a small version of a power boat built for 2. We followed our guide’s boat along the perimeter of the island past the French capital of Marigot and alongside smaller towns with pristine beaches. After a while we stopped at Creole Rock marine sanctuary, which is basically a large collection of boulders rising straight up out of the sea. Around theses rocks, just below the surface we saw fish, coral, and numerous long spines sea urchins. Anytime I get to swim in the warm, clear turquoise water of the Caribbean I am excited, and the view just below the surface made it even better. After snorkeling for a while, we hopped back in our boats for the fun (if bumpy) ride back along the coastline.

With only a few hours left in port, we decided to take the water taxi into the downtown area. I was pleasantly surprised to find palm tree lined cobblestone streets with every kind of shop imaginable just behind the crowded beaches. The festive atmosphere and quaint stores make downtown Phillipsburg a lot of fun.

At last it was time to return to the ship. Our last port of call was a good one, and we sat on the deck for a while trying to soak in the beauty of the sea and the island. We stayed to watch the ship pull away and turn and head directly into the sunset. We spent some time packing and then dinner and magic show made our last night memorable.

The next day started early with the last of the packing and breakfast with a view of Old Town San Juan before heading to our meeting point for debarkation. It wasn’t long before they were calling for us. We left the ship and were quickly through customs and on our way to airport. I hated not staying in San Juan for a little while before leaving, we had such a great time when we were here before. But, alas, reality rears its ugly head and vacations inevitably must end. We had a long wait at the airport (6 hours) since there had been no early flights offered. We made it to Atlanta and what we thought would be a short 1 hour layover turned into much more when not just one, but the first two planes they brought to our gate were found to have engine problems. They eventually moved us to another gate (about a half mile away) where we boarded the third plane. By the time we got to Jackson Municipal and got home it had been nearly 20 hours since my day began. I’m not complaining, I know people like to complain about traveling, but honestly all we had to do most of the day was sit. We just visited a country where a man with a guitar asked our names and then followed us down the street making up a very funny and creative song about us in hopes of getting a couple dollars tip- so sitting in airports all day, while tiring, definitely falls under the first world problems category.

No sooner than we were home did I find myself thinking ahead to the next time we could get to the Caribbean again. I have a few things in the planning stages, of course I always do. But in the meantime it’s back to work to finance the next adventure…..

I had scarcely heard of the French island of Martinique before planning this trip, and I certainly never thought I’d visit it. I like to research a place before I visit, and what I learned about Martinique was that very few residents speak English and the US dollar is not widely accepted, as the currency is the euro. (Most islands accept USD from day tourists although their currencies differ). Well, I forgot to find a place to get euros (surely I could get some at a bank there) and I couldn’t find a dive shop that spoke English with which to set up a dive. So we decided to just get off the ship and see what we could find. Just before going ashore, we found out that the city was celebrating All Saints Day and most businesses were closed.

Ok

So we got off, made our way through the tourist markets on the pier, and found our way to a water taxi that would take us to a smaller town on the other end of the island. If nothing else, we could see more of the island for only $7 each. The ride was slow but the water and the view were beautiful. The island is comprised of small mountains/ large hills covered with green. Not the lush green of Grenada, but still green. The small town where we were delivered looked like a quaint French village just as I would have pictured it, with the addition of a small beach and crystal clear water. Also holding with traditional French village feel was the fact that seemingly no one either spoke English or accepted US dollars as payment. (All on the day the banks were closed) Now, I don’t assume that everyone should speak English or take money they are not accustomed to, but every other Caribbean island I’ve visited does just this. Most rely heavily on tourism and those tourists are mostly American. But Martinique is different, most of the tourists are actually French. And they are a more prosperous island not necessarily depending on American tourists. So I was only disappointed, not angry, when we found a wonderful little French bakery with an owner that did not speak a word of English and was unable to take US dollars. We did find a small open air cafe on the beach where the friendly owner spoke a few words of English and gladly took our US dollars. She was so accommodating and worked so hard to make us comfortable. We sat with our water and mysterious (but delicious) French dish and looked out over the beach. We returned on the next water taxi and since nothing was open in the port city, we returned to the ship.

Martinique was indeed a beautiful island, but it may be one better left for French tourists to enjoy. I’m always glad I’ve seen a new place, but I also know when there is little chance I’ll return.

The day dawned through a cover of light gray clouds. The forecast for the day being intermittent rain until noon. Not surprising for an island that is entirely covered with rain forests. The island itself was a small collection of steep mountains and a volcano all covered with lush, thick vegetation.

We were scheduled for a dive after lunch so we used the morning to take a tour of the island with a local cab driver. On the way up the mountain to the volcano, he pointed out some of the huge variety of trees on the island. We saw mango, avocado, papaya, breadfruit, and nutmeg trees along the side of the road. First we stopped at a roadside spice stand. Grenada is known as the spice island due to the large production and exportation of spices, with nutmeg being central. I had no idea nutmeg was more than the strong, powdered version I buy in the store. There are many layers to the fruit produced by the tree, which are used for a wide variety of things. The nutmeg syrup from one of the outer layers is delicate and surprising, tasting nothing like the spice grated from the inner seed. We continued to Annabelle waterfall, one of the smaller but most easily accessible waterfalls in Grenada – simply beautiful. A team of divers jumped from a 50 foot cliff beside the waterfall, dramatic to say the least. Tips were sought everywhere we went. While slightly annoying at times, when we learned there is 40% unemployment on the island I was able to use a different lens to see all the friendly people doing what they could for tourists in hopes of a tip.

Our next stop was Grand Etang state park. On the side of the volcano with a view of the crater lake created by it, it was also a lovely place. More pictures and more tips and we left for our last stop of the military fort. Perched high on a mountain with clear views of both the Atlantic and Caribbean sides of the island. Our tour guide Alice was pretty unforgettable. She started off with an effusive speech about what she thinks of the USA. She lived through the revolution (as Grenadians refer to it) when Cuba sought to control Greneda. Her genuine gratitude for the intervention of the US was palpable and moving. She lamented the fact that her country continues to have high unemployment and still struggles to fully recover from a devastating hurricane in 2007, but it didn’t dampen her appreciation for her the freedom of her country. She was a sweet lany who I’ll probably remember for a while.

After our tour, we returned to the ship for lunch and to collect our diving equipment. We met our dive group on the pier and headed to the boat docked just on the other side of the pier. The boat delivered us to the dive shop situated right on Grand Anse beach at Coyoba Resort. For a volcanic island, the sand was surprisingly soft and the beach was long and beautiful. We all got what equipment we needed and headed out.

Grenada has a unique dive site in the Molinere Underwater Sculpture park. It was opened in 2006 and sculptures have also been added since. The sculptures were an unexpected site in the underwater environment. The oldest sculptures were already partially covered with coral which only added to the eeriness of the experience. We also ventured outside the reef to a small wreck. Giant lion fish floated beside the wreck while we all rushed to snap pictures of these beautiful but deadly fish.

The end of the dive came all too soon and we were delivered back to our ship. The crew was a lot of fun and added to my impression of the friendliness of the people. Once back onboard we sat on the deck and looked at the colorful city of St. Georges. The houses from this distant perspective was different tHan the close up view our tour offered. From a distance, the lush green mountainside and bright colored houses peeking through gave an impression of a quaint Caribbean Island, but up close the disrepair of many of the hones probably told a clearer story of an island that struggles with unemployment and has not ever been fully able to recover from a devastating hurricane 8 years ago.

When I look out over a city, I often wonder what life is like for the people who live there. Maybe it comes from years of doing home health and learning there are often surprising stories hidden inside normal looking houses. But what about when most of the stories seem to be sad?  When so much of the population is obviously living in poverty? What do I do with that information? The island itself could certainly be described as paradise, but how many of these people feel that way about their lives? As much as I like the lesser developed islands, there is probably a reason they are lesser developed. But the answer is not in staying away. Most of these islands rely very heavily on tourism. And because of this, everyone we meet tends to put their best foot forward. But some things can’t be hidden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The biggest surprise on Halloween was just how seriously so many people take the day. Really, that always surprises me at home also. At home its elaborate yard displays- here it was elaborate door decorations. It felt to me like the door decorating contests in elementary when each class put a lot of effort into adorning their classroom’s door. The door directly next to us even had battery powered lights to top off their Halloween themed door. But it didn’t end there. The majority of the passengers showed up for dinner in costume. Some of the costumes were indeed creative. Zombie- like titanic survivors, beetle juice and his bride, cruising Barbie and Ken dolls (INSIDE the collectible boxes!) We were amazed at the variety and at the work people put into these costumes. We kept saying “how’d they have room to pack all that?”

There was a parade and costume contest at 11pm (which the titanic survivors won). Although most of the contestants were over 70, they clearly have the ability to stay up later than me. We marveled at the costumes before and after dinner, but no midnight Halloween parties for us.

Other than the Halloween distractions, the sea day was restful and of course beautiful. I was able to catch the sunrise (which explains my inability to stay up till midnight) and the sunset both. The Caribbean is beautiful under a bright sun, but it’s an entirely different beauty when the sky is streaked orange, pink, and red over the pristine water. We even got a quick shower followed by an incredible rainbow that continued into the water uninterrupted.

Tomorrow is Grenada, which may be one the few islands that I have no pre-conceived notion of. It will be a complete surprise, whatever the day holds.

 

Even as we approached Bonaire barely after sunrise, it was obvious that it was a smaller island than Aruba, with a tiny pier that stretched only about a fifth of the length of the ship. The captain expertly turned the ship and used the side thrusters to align the “door” to the gangway perfectly in the center of the small pier. From the deck I could see vast blue sky and beautiful water and between the two were small brightly colored buildings stretching several blocks back from the pier. I was glad to see a smaller town with the pier built right alongside it. Our dive was to meet early today on the small pier so we had no time to waste. This was a day we had particularly looked forward to because Bonaire is a world renowned dive spot. But after yesterday’s somewhat disappointing experience in its neighboring island of Aruba, I was a little more guarded in my expectation. We met the dive master on the pier and then hopped onto a dive boat docked just a few yards from the ship. We climbed over a large tire mounted on the pier to protect the hulls of boats and stepped across an expanse of water to balance on the outer rim of the boat and get in. The captain apologized for having to enter the boat in a manner he jokingly referred to as our agility test. But this seemed like the first small adventure of the day and only added to the fun in my eyes. We made a short trip to the “Dive Friends” shop about half a mile down the waterfront and went in to get what gear we’d need. The group was split into 2 for each of 2 available boats and we chose the smaller group (and hence the smaller boat), with the hope that a smaller group would more quickly develop a friendly atmosphere and a more fun trip. After we checked our gear, we dressed for the dive (a small dive boat leaves very little room for that once onboard). We boarded our boat and met our captain Ron and crew Bjorn and Richard, the first 2 being from Holland and the third from England. The boat ride to our first site was breathtaking. With more elevation on this island than in Aruba, we could see small houses perched on hillsides to take advantage of the spectacular view. Missing were large resorts, indeed  there were long stretches of beach with no development at all. From our vantage point, the beaches didn’t look as expansive, but they were also far less crowded. There were few palm trees and the effect was not as lush as some islands. The lack of rainfall here is apparent in the arid landscape and numerous cacti.

What makes diving unique in Bonaire is that the reefs are very close to the shore. For this reason, all water surrounding the island has been declared a Marine Sanctuary and is fiercely protected. Much of the road around the perimeter of the island runs alongside these beaches. Just off the beaches, about 100-300 feet away, yellow buoys are visible. Each of these buoys mark one of the 90+ dive sites surrounding the island. Divers typically carry their equipment in the back of a car and stop wherever the mood hits them to dive. Of course, this diving does require a little familiarity with the island and a good bit of dive experience (along with a dive computer) to do it safely. Since this doesn’t describe a first time 1 day only stop, we chose to go with dive-masters who are familiar with the island, and we took a boat to several sites not accessible by land. The sites are very close to shore, but a part of the shore not accessible by vehicle. Unlike yesterday’s crowded dives at the few dive sites near Aruba, the sheer number of dive sites in Bonaire coupled with the smaller population of both residents and tourists, mean these dive sites felt remote and unspoiled. As if we were the only people diving.

When everyone had equipment on and was ready, we took turns doing backward rolls off the side of the boat. Smaller boats with no open flat decks on the back require this entry method. At 82 degrees, I could have just floated around all day in the clear turquoise water looking at the untouched beach and landscape so close to us. Well, at least until I took a peek underwater. I wish I could find words to describe the beauty of a coral reef in crust all water with several hundred feet of visibility. I’m always struck by the creativity of a creator that has placed things in the water that do not resemble anything on land and that are so strikingly beautiful it takes my breath away every time. The sheer diversity of both the coral and the sea life mean you could do a thousand dives at beautiful reefs and never tire of it because it’s different every time. The underwater landscape sloped gently away from the island and a huge variety of colorful coral was crowded onto it as far as the eye could see. Among the coral are schools of fish so thick you can hardly see to the other side of them and smaller solitary fish of every shape, size, and brilliant color imaginable. My favorite are the fish with 5 or 6 colors on their body, usually in unexpected patterns. Every fish swims in a little bit of a different way, some dart from place to place, some glide smoothly, and some flutter in ways i wouldn’t  normally have even associated with fish. One of the loveliest ones may be the lion fish. Ironically, these poisonous fish are not native to the Caribbean, they are damaging to the reef system and are removed at every opportunity.

I’m always a little disappointed when the dive-master signals that it’s time to ascend. We were all excited and chattered about the dive, I love the atmosphere on a dive boat after a great dive. We were all taken with the beauty of the reef and its residents and were anxious to talk about it. Our surface interval gave us time to get to know some of our crew. Richard (from England) has lived on the island about 5 years. The cost of living is a little high (since everything must be imported), but he has no regrets about moving here. He works as a dive-master and also has a sailboat that he runs charters on. It’s all really just to support his dream of Caribbean living, and he counts it all as being worth it.

Our second dive was no less spectacular than the first. Having seen a reef and the sea life before never takes away from the awe of seeing it again, just as having seen a sunset never makes the next one less beautiful. We were a little sad to see our dives end and to return to the ship, but we were glad to have time to go ashore and see some of the island.

We had to walk only about a hundred feet off the ship to see local artisans selling their crafts. These was not your typical tourist market you see on most other islands. No brightly painted paper mache’ parrots from China or Mexican blankets were on sale. Instead there were bath salts made from the island’s salt mines, alcohol made from a cactus, and gorgeous hand made glass pendants and jewelry. Several painters were also selling original artwork, and giving demonstrations of their technique and talent at the same time. Past the market we walked onto the Main Street. The name of the city and the streets are Dutch and completely unpronounceable to us. As far as we could see were brightly colored colonial style buildings holding boutiques, drugstores, clothing stores, and restaurants. We wandered down the street, in and out of various shops, admiring the buildings. We walked through one long row of shops that led to the harbor. Here, small cafés lined the waterfront, each offering a breathtaking view from their tables.

In case it’s not obvious, I was quite taken with Bonaire. We sat in a small open air cafe near the pier and used their wifi to FaceTime the girls. We waited until the very last minute we were due to return to the ship.

I hope this is not the last I see of Bonaire. With its quaint town, friendly people, and fantastic diving, I’m officially adding it to my wish list of places to go for a longer visit…

Aruba was a little bit of an unusual port day because we would be there from 10-8 instead of the usual 8-5. The first thing apparent about Aruba was that it was mostly flat with fewer trees and there were houses and buildings as far as the eye could see. And even one area of high rise resorts off in the distance. Our dive didn’t meet till 1 so we got off and walked into town. We found a small market and several high end malls with boutiques and retailers like Michael Kors and Kate Spade. We quickly deduced that this was not just a quaint little Caribbean island. We walked along the beautiful waterfront of the harbor with every imaginable size of boat docked in it. No matter what’s on the island, they all have the beautiful water view.

We made our way back to the ship for lunch and to get ready for our dive. Diving is an equipment heavy sport and preparing is not always easy. Sometimes I start to wonder if it’s all worth it, but that only lasts until I jump into the warm turquoise water and see the beauty around me, and the thought never enters my mind again.

Once the dive group got together, we made our way just up the pier to our dive boat. This dive had about 17 divers, which is a fairly large group. We cruised along the perimeter of the island and saw vast white beaches in front of posh high rise resorts and gleaming white villas with terra cotta rooflines, all crowding the waterfront. The boat ride out was beautiful, and it’s always a time when you can feel the excitement in the air like electricity as everyone gets ready for the dive. We all struggled into our skin suits or wet suits and set up our regulator and BCD on the tanks, checked the air and made sure the equipment was working properly, and finally gOT our masks and fins. Everyone loaded their personal amount of weight to their BCD and we all sat back to the inevitable chatter about other dives and dive spots while waiting for the moment we can enter the water. When we arrived the dive-master, with her cool South African accent, did a safety briefing, talking about what marine life we could expect to see, and gave us an overview of the dive we were about to do. This dive was a 400 foot German warship that was sunk during WWII. She warned us that the metal has weakened over the years and part of the ship is collapsing in on itself and cautioned us not to enter the boat at all. We were split into 2 groups and ttook turns entering the water with a giant stride off the back of the boat to follow our dive-master, Manuel.

Although the water here is as beautiful as anywhere in the Caribbean, the visibility was not as good as some islands. So with only about 50 feet of visibility we didn’t see the ship at first, but as we swam further it looms large in front of us. The metal is only visible in spots as coral and saltwater have covered or corroded it. The dive-master in front of us approached the ship and swam directly into it. What?! Is this really the dive-master we were assigned to? Did he not hear the warning about entering the ship? I thought for a moment we had somehow been separated and ended up with another group. I looked around and thought I recognized everyone else from the boat, so I followed him in. It turns out we were only entering a hole in the stern and came right back out through another hole. I’m still not sure if it’s a great idea, but we didn’t enter the interior of the ship. The ship was huge and was indeed partially collapsed. It can be hard, with such a large and old wreck, to make out what I’m seeing. But I recognized the large mast lying on the sand and the deck railing was also apparent throughout. We emerged from the 50- 60 foot dive in about 45 minutes.

After an appropriate surface interval and a short boat ride, we arrived at another wreck. This one was much smaller and more deteriorated than the first. Colorful fish swan around the wreck, taking advantage of the nooks and crannies to hide. The dive was otherwise similar to the first. For me, wreck diving doesn’t compare to reef diving, which is not plentiful here.

The boat returned us to our pier and we spent a little time wandering through the market on the pier and took advantage of the wifi to FaceTime with our girls and for me to post a blog (running a few days behind because of lack of wifi).

We returned to the ship and watched it pull away. We don’t often see this in the dark and the lights on the island made Aruba look like a big city, which I guess it is in some respects. I couldn’t help but find my mind coming back to Natalie Holloway several times today. I wonder now what was the attraction of coming to this island for high school graduates? The beaches look fabulous,no doubt, but one of the main attractions here seems to be the night life, which is exactly where her trouble began.

Of course my impression of an island is unavoidably colored by the quality of the diving. But almost as important is the pace of island life. I prefer the less developed islands with small local stores as opposed to high end retailers in a marble and glass mall. And an island with a very “active night life” also doesn’t impress me. So Aruba, while beautiful in its own way, will not be added to my wish list of islands to return to. Maybe tomorrow our stop in another of the Dutch Antilles, Bonaire, will be different. After all part of the fun is seeing new places and doing things, no matter what the outcome.