Grand Turk . . .

Off the boat and into a brand new shopping center . . . the old one having been removed by Mother Nature. The problem was that it really hadn't any island flavor. I can hit RonJon's here in Florida and the other stores were equally as boring. So I dragged the 9TS over to the taxi stand and we head into town. Town seems to consist of one building on one side of the road and four little shops on the other, but still we wandered and met the locals:

and some more:

and these guys:

and this sleepy fellow:

and bedroom eyes:

and these high level snoozers:

but other than the locals, there was so much beauty here:

and here:

and oh! my Lord, this:

which more than makes up for this disaster:

hee hee hee. snort.

And so our cruise comes to an end. Well not really but I didn't take very many shots on the last sea day thinking it so much more wonderful to lay out on deck all day with my favorite sloth and enjoy. Oh, yes we did!

Dominican Republic . . .

There was quite an uproar among the natives on the ship concerning the stop at the Dominican Republic. For whatever reason . . . and I think safety . . . the only way to go to the mainland itself was on one of the ships tours. Otherwise, you were tendered to the island of Cayo Levantado. We opted to putter out to the little island and walk around. Like checking into a large hotel in Las Vegas where you can't get to registration without passing through the casino, here too, you could not reach the beach before running the gauntlet of doggedly determined stall vendors. Basically, you need to put your head down, muttering no no no no until the far side of the path had been reached.

Somewhere about midway, I faltered and stopped to look at the trays of goodies. I was immediately embroiled in a bidding war for something I was not even interested in. The fur between vendors escalated and the Spanish became louder and more vehement. Thankfully, the 9TS inserted one big paw into the fray and pulled me to safety. But darn, there was a cute necklace.

On to the beach and a quick see around. The grounds were gorgeous:

and oh so photographic:

but the hotel itself, was off limits to all but its guests:

that didn't phase the 9TS, we made friends with the locals:

and after rescuing me from here:

we headed back to the ship. Tomorrow I will tell the tale of my return to the fray.

tortola . . .

I liked Tortola. I really did. But sometimes when I look at the shots taken, I wonder why they don't match my memories. I remember it better than these pictures. Much.

Off the boat, we walked past the shanty shops and the local transportation, all offering tours of the island.

and the old man with his donkey, selling photo-ops for a buck:

and then we headed off to find Pusser's which every website touted as a must see:

and since they served you know what, the 9TS was happy:

and then we passed this confusing sign:

and opted to adventure down the back streets:

and fell in love. I had to buy a bumper sticker of this. Yes, I am a tourist . . . and if you look carefully, you can see me in the reflection, taking the shot. The only shot of me you are likely to see in the next 4792 years . . .

and take shots of workers, like this:

and then we did some damage in the duty free shop. And waved goodbye.

antigua . . .

Not my favorite place. The poverty is distressing. I felt intrusive. Guilty. The streets are filthy. The sidewalks full of holes. The people incredibly poor. Who am I to be so lucky in life? There is a feeling of resignation not found in St. Lucia. It frightens me.

Things started off well:

charming:

authentic:

and then as we are want to do, we wandered away from the tourist district.

and downtown to take some shots of people and found this woman:

and this one:

and finally, we left the 'exotic' Antigua:

and sadly, this is the best view of St. John's:

from the back deck. Leaving.

St. Lucia . . .

St. Lucia was amazing. Let me say that again . . . St. Lucia was AMAZING!! I signed us up for a zip line tour. Hee hee hee. The 9TS was leery. I don't know why???? Off we went with our fearless guide 'G', out of town and high into the mountains to rain forest numero dos.

We got the 9TS and I all geared up:

and off we went:

zip, and no, ladies and gentlemen, it is not your TV set. I screwed up the color. Royally.

zap:

the 9TS loved it. Said it reminded him of his old repelling days. He was such a happy camper. Whew!

and while we were headed home, 'G' showed us this goodie. Recognize it? The Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed here. I'm going to blame the not so perfectness on shooting through a jitney window. Yes, I am!

and the amazing 'G' told us we couldn't leave the island without experiencing the market. Half being crafted items and half being food. And because I always follow the rules, cough, we stopped for lunch:

and ate THE best plate of chicken, red beans and rice EVER! Wanna see where our meal was cooked? I thought you did.

the alley was crammed with little nooks like this. Best, best, best food. Ever.

And then we went back to the boat and had our beer, because you know we had to have one. And, sometimes the color is so bad, you say, "off with its head" and with one fell swoop, no more color:

and then we relaxed on the veranda:

and said, "Good night, St. Lucia."

The end? Nope, I need to share some 'G' stories.

The poverty in St. Lucia is at a critical level and there is no government support. He works as a tour guide three days a week because he has seniority. The other four days are parceled out to other guides so that everyone has at least some income.

A hurricane blew through in October and left 'G's' home under water. There is no insurance.

If you get sick, there is very little in the way of affordable medical help.

So how do people get aid you ask? They help each other. If you have food and someone else doesn't, you share. If you lost all your possessions, your neighbors will help. If you are sick, your friends will supply food, friendship and what little medicine they have. Amazing people in an amazing land.

Roseau, Dominica . . .

hello Dominica.
goodbye Dominica.

we went tubing down the Layou River, and since we were in a rain forest, and since it was raining, and since I kinda wanted my Canon 50d to stay dry, and because I brought an underwater throw-a-way that needs to be developed, and since Walmart has to send the film out, and because it is only Monday and it won't be back for a week . . .

we'll be back Dominica.

st. bart's . . .

St. Bart's reminds me of Oranjestad in Aruba. Perfect little town with sky high prices and personal yachts bigger than anything we saw in St. Tropez or Cannes. EEK!! But first, the 9TS had to have some cop food:

But it was gorgeous with its anchor downtown:

its little shops:

with odd models:

and colorful houses:

and mailboxes:

and our way to Shell Beach:

and then back past little churches:

and their gardens:

and up the hill:

and around a corner to Cheese Burger in Paradise, yes we did:
and just one more parting shot: