Cruising the West Indies

Our flights to Aruba took us through Panama and then onto Oranjestad. We spent the night in a small boutique hotel in town. The courtyard and pool offered a respite from the noise and confusion of the resort area. We boarded the Star Breeze, a Windstar yacht which carries about 200 passengers, the next day and were pleasantly surprised by the excellent quality of the accommodations and food service.

14 Islands aboard the Windstar Sea Breeze

Our first island visit on the cruise was Bonaire. Morning offered a kayak paddle to a snorkel site. While we enjoyed the paddle, strong winds were a challenge. The fish at the snorkel site were varied and beautiful, and the water was ultra clear. The big drawback, however, was that the coral was dead or dying. When I mentioned this fact to the owner of the kayak/snorkel company, he shrugged his shoulders and said that the water is warming and, yes, the coral is dying. Then, he shrugged again and said, “There’s nothing we can do about it.” To which I replied, “There are things we can do about it; we just aren’t doing them.” What a sad state of affairs we are leaving our children and grandchildren! I had always heard that diving and snorkeling in Bonaire is about as good as it gets in the Caribbean. Later, we spoke to some folks who snorkeled in another area. They mentioned that the coral on that reef was in better condition. Now, I want to know more about what’s happening to the coral on the other islands.

Bonaire offered double fun. After the morning kayak and snorkel, we enjoyed the festivities of ‘Carnival’ with a  parade in town. The music was beyond loud with vibrations that rocked your body and brain. Everyone was in a party mood (beer, beer, and more beer), and the costumes of the parade participants were colorful and extravagant. I think it is safe to say that a good time was had by all.




Next on the agenda was Curacao. It should be mentioned that these Dutch islands are only a few miles from the coast of Venezuela. Since oil was discovered in Venezuela, these islands have served as transfer points with refineries being built on most of them. The oil is either piped or shipped in, then refined and sent out to purchasers. The town of Willemstad was an interesting walking destination, but we were disappointed that the oldest synagogue in the western hemisphere was closed that day. We had hoped to visit it and the accompanying museum.

Curacao Waterfront with Venezuelan Market Sellers' Boats

Colorful Buildings of Curacao

                   















Now, we have a ‘small world’ story. Years ago (1999), on another Windstar cruise we took in the Mediterranean, we had a cruise director named Amanda. Amanda then left Windstar and was a manager with her husband, Steve, at a small resort on a remote atoll in the Pacific Ocean called 

Aitutaki. You guessed it. We were at this resort in 2011 and discovered the connection. Now, the plot thickens. When we had our first briefing on this cruise, it was done by Steve, the destination manager. Dave looked at me and said, “he’s the same person we met on Aitutaki—Amanda’s husband”. I said, “no, I don’t think so”. Yesterday, while exchanging excursion vouchers, Dave asked him about it. And, yes, he’s the same person. The husband of Amanda, whom we met in 1999 on the Med cruise. The couple at Et Tu Moana Resort in 2011 on Aitutaki, and now in 2019 on a Caribbean cruise! We learned that Amanda is back working on the Windsurf again.

During the following days, we spent a day on Grenada, the spice island. A walk through the market in town was an olfactory event. Nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves, among other scents, wafted through the air and were for sale everywhere. We took a market and gastronomical tour here and were not disappointed. A tasting of our collective culinary efforts revealed lightly spiced fish, plantains, squash and okra.

Grenada--here is nutmeg in the market with its outer coating of mace.

More Spices (cinnamon) and Local Fruits

On Tobago, the smaller partner of Trinidad, we enjoyed a ride on a glass bottom boat to view the coral and tropical fish. We could have snorkeled, but rainy weather was setting in, and the boat carried too many passengers to make this activity enjoyable. On following days, we visited a few other islands in the Grenadines. All in all, we had a pleasant time.

In Barbados, about ¾ of the passengers disembarked and others came on board for the second week of the cruise. We walked around Bridgetown, and when the sun got too hot, we returned to the ship for lunch and a restful afternoon. In the coming week, we will be sailing north to visit other islands and enjoy some watersports. The next cruise is named “the Saints”, since most of the islands have the word ‘saint’ in them, ie. St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, St. Bart, St. Maarten, and the British Virgin Islands.

Northern Gannet Juvenile

Northern Gannet

Northern Gannet

These gannets followed our ship and flew parallel with us for an entire day!

We enjoyed several catamaran cruises along the coastlines of some of the islands with snorkeling and swimming as side highlights. Two events were assured on all the catamaran sailings. First, calypso music blared from the speakers as we set sail and lasted the entire time. Second, after snorkeling, we could always depend on a strong dose of rum punch. The farther down the cooler your cup of punch was dispensed from, the stronger it was. Apparently, it was either not mixed up and the rum was put in first, or the rum was so heavy it sank to the bottom.

Snorkeling was fair, with some small, colorful fish, but the coral, mainly brain coral, was so-so, not much color, quantity or substance. Mostly, the fish were eating algae from rocks and boulders on the bottom. What does have color is the sea! Many hues of blue, green and turquoise array themselves in a rainbow of color. St. Lucia was particularly notable for its scenery. Marigot Bay was a sheltered haven for yachts, sailboats, stately homes and hotels. The “Pitons” are the mascot of the island with their twin peaks soaring out of the sea.

The Pitons, St. Lucia

Marigot Bay, St. Lucia

One day, we anchored in the harbor of a beautiful, small French island called Terre de Haut, part of the Guadeloupe archipelago. Only smaller cruise ships can navigate into some of the smaller harbors like this one where the islands are more picturesque and less visited. Also in this harbor was the famous schooner, the “Sea Cloud”. Originally, this ship was the personal yacht of Marjorie Merriweather Post. It currently is a luxury sailing yacht that takes passengers for Caribbean cruises. The island is a little taste of Provence sitting in the clear blue waters of the Caribbean Sea with colorful waterfront homes and French restaurants lining the harbor.

Distinctive House Exterior, Terre de Haut

Waterfront, Terre de Haut

Colors of Terre de Haut

   



In St. Kitts, we occupied our morning with another snorkeling adventure. Again, the coral was deficient, but I honestly don’t know what it was like in the past to make a valid comparison. Many colorful fish flashed around us, and we were lucky enough to watch a green sea turtle and a sting ray. Dave caught most of the action on his underwater camera and will post a composite underwater video after he has  had time to edit the footage at home.
  
Later in St. Barts, we thought we were in Monte Carlo; the yachts were the stuff of billionaires. Prada, Hermes, and many other famous brand-named shops lined the waterfront street. Diamonds and other jewels glittered in store windows. We were told that many celebrities have homes here. One of our fellow passengers was sure he saw Charlize Theron walking her dog. A look in the local real estate brochure revealed homes averaging 7-10 million Euros for a 3-bedroom hillside home with a pool but no beach access. Since the island is mountainous, most homes perch on hillsides, and beaches are limited. St. Barts is also known for beautiful yachts, like the “Q,” a 52 meter Sailing Yacht, owned by Kim Vibe-Petersen, who invented the first fully automated Cappuccino system, Scanomat.

St Barts--off the Glitsy Waterfront Street were these older homes.

The "Q" Sailing Yacht

   



Our last stop was Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands. This island, like many others is still recovering from Hurricane Irma. Hurricanes may sweep through in a matter of hours, but the devastation and destruction they cause take many years and lots of money to rebuild.

We disembarked in St. Maarten and headed to the airport for the trip home. It was certainly a beautiful trip with many memorable moments.

It’s All about the Birds—Nature and NASA

Merritt Island, a large nature reserve and home of NASA, is one of our favorite locations in Eastern Florida.  A large wetland near the coast, Merritt Island is home to many shore birds, wading birds, ducks and an assortment of tree birds.  The wildlife drive weaves through the wetlands and ponds, and offers some trails to walk, too.  It’s easy to spend a whole day here just marveling over the vast numbers and types of birds.

 

Roseate Spoonbill

Great Blue Heron Eating a Giant Salamander

 

Also located on Merritt Island, it’s easy to while away a whole day at KSC, Kennedy Space Center.  There’s a bus tour which goes out to the building  where the rockets are constructed, a mind-boggling huge interior space.  The launch pads are visible, and the vehicle that transports the rockets to the launch pad is on view as is the reinforced path that the vehicle follows. 

 

Back at the complex, there is an IMAX theatre and many exhibits showing what NASA is currently working on, ie. MARS!  Watching the presentations and going through the exhibits, I couldn’t help thinking that the science fiction of my childhood and even the Star Wars Movies are becoming a reality in a short time.  I remember coming from home from school as a young child and watching “Flash Gordon” before starting homework.  Now, it’s no longer fiction, science or otherwise!

 

 

 

It was explained to us that SpaceX and other contractors are taking over the work of putting satellites into earth’s orbit so that NASA can concentrate on the Mars missions.  As if this information wasn’t timely enough, the day following our visit we were privileged to see an actual SpaceX launch from our hotel in the evening.  The rocket carried an Israeli satellite and possibly 2 others.  Even more impressive, the rocket returned to the launch pad for future launches!  Yes, truly, the future is here.

Serendipity and Swamplands

 

During our visit to the Florida panhandle, we found that some of the birding trails and boardwalks to view wildlife had been damaged in the hurricane last October, so we decided to cut our visit short by a day.  So, we hit the road and ended up at Jekyll Island, Georgia, for a night.  What a pleasant surprise!  Before entering the island, we noticed miles upon miles of wetlands which serve as valuable real estate for fish nurseries and promote a healthy environment for wildlife.  As we entered the island, the first impression was huge live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss.  The island has a few hotels but is mostly residential.  It seems to be one of the few resort islands that have not been over commercialized, which makes it much more appealing to us.  There is a historic district which features “cottages of the industrial scions of the early 1900’s.  There are miles of lovely beaches that are uncrowded, including one beach with photogenic driftwood.  We were glad to have made this serendipitous detour!

 

Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island

 

Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island

Abstract Patterns in the Sand



"Cottage", Historic District, Jekyll Island

Live Oaks with Spanish Moss

 

Back on the itinerary, next stop was the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.  The refuge is a huge area of swamplands, waters, and upland forests.  We spent two days here taking the wildlife drive, walking the boardwalk over the swamp and boating through the canals and shallow water.  There was wildlife, but due to the vast expanse of area, most of the birds were too far away to photograph.  We saw them flying, however—one large flock of sandhill cranes flew overhead squawking and screaming.  We were able to find some hawks and a few tree birds closer.  The closest sightings of wildlife were alligators and turtles which ambled out of the water and mostly lay inert on the surface of the banks.

Canal, Okefenokee Swamp

 

Red-shouldered Hawk

 

Gator

 

Blue Corporal dragonfly

Belted Kingfisher

Spiderwort

 The swamp is mostly uninhabited, but there are remains of a homestead from the early 1900’s.  The family had to keep the yard swept clean of brush and grass with only a sandy surface so that the children would be able to see and avoid any of the 5 venomous snake species in the area. We never saw even one snake.  Our guide mentioned that it’s not easy to see snakes.  The hawks and other birds eat them, so that it’s more likely to see a snake flying through the air in a bird’s mouth than on the ground in the swamp.

 

 

Damaged Home, Mexico Beach 

Beautiful Beaches/Toppled Towns

 

After spending three weeks traveling through 17 states and visiting family and friends in 7 of those states, we recently entered the 18^th state on our winter break—Florida, for some fun and sun.  We are currently staying in Apalachicola, the ‘Oyster Capital of the World’.  We’re not sure if that claim is still valid, however, since the oyster industry has been degraded in the last several years by approximately 85%. Decades of water wars with Georgia has lowered levels and increased Apalachicola bay’s salinity.  Climate change has brought more storms, including Hurricane Michael, and the Apalachicola river has fallen victim to oil spills and sewage.  Tomorrow, we are visiting the Estaurine Research Center, so we will likely have a better idea of the current status of the oyster industry.

In the meantime, today we spent a sobering morning viewing the devastation that Hurricane Michael wrought in and around Mexico Beach this past October. It was the most intense hurricane ever recorded, the most intense hurricane to hit the United States, the most expensive and deadly hurricane ever, and the largest hurricane in diameter.  The first hint of destruction was the trees.  Millions of them, mostly pine trees, were either all bent in the same direction or snapped off at the same level.  Some were bent or snapped north to south, others east to west, and the rest south to north.  It all depended on which direction the cyclonic winds hit them. 

After seeing the tree damage, we soon started passing through small towns where many homes were draped with those ubiquitous blue tarps while waiting for new roofs.  Piles of debris from homes and trees were piled up near the streets hoping to be collected by the authorities.

The ultimate in destruction, however, was in Mexico Beach and the area surrounding it, including Tyndall AFB.  Words are hard to come by when you see peoples’ homes destroyed and their lives turned upside down.  It’s only been about 4 months since the hurricane.  Many dwellings are still in their post hurricane state waiting for insurance claims to be processed and for demolition and rebuilding to take place.  We decided to take photos so that we could share with you our observations.  As a final footnote, the worst damage appears to be with dwellings either on the barrier islands or very close to the beach.  Why oh why are people still building homes in these precarious locations?    

Trees Snapped off in the Wind

Debris Blown by the Wind from Homes

Destroyed Gas Station

One House is Missing, Mexico Beach

The Rubble was Once a House, Mexico Beach

Mexico Beach

Mexico Beach



There used to be Homes on these Stilts

Mexico Beach

Beautiful White Sand Beach 

Mexico Beach

Mexico Beach

Electrical Appliances on the Curb Waiting for Pick-up

Steps and Deck with No House



Car Damaged in Storm, Sign on it Says "Do Not Move"