Cruise Day 7 & 8 -- At Sea and Curaçao

Not much to say about the at sea day, except that we swam at ate (and repeated many times).

As I already mentioned (boo! hiss!) I forgot my underwater camera when Joce Z. and I headed over to Jan Thiel Bay for a morning of snorkelling. This was really unfortunate as it was without a doubt the best snorkelling I have ever done. Schools of fish and super healthy coral. Go on to youtube and search for Jan Thiel -- there's a couple really beautiful videos (unfortunately, about how this area is under threat for development). I would go back here in a heartbeat.

Rich spent the morning running up the coastline and the headed over to the town to take some snaps. As it was Good Friday, most of the stores were closed, but Willemsted is a very pretty town.

On the run

Flamingoes!

Willemsted

The famous pontoon bridge 

Cruise Days 4 and 5 -- Barbados & Grenada

Barbados
Been there, done that.This was a relaxed day for us ... visited Brandon's Beach, did some shopping and hung out on the ship.

Brandon's Beach

Carlisle Bay

Grenada 

Our plan for the day was hike through the rainforest. On the way we crossed a nutmeg plantation and went down a very steep and long (25 minutes down) hill to reach the waterfalls. Sooo worth it though. Grenada is a very beautiful island, and of course, being the spice island, I stocked up!

A representation of the flag of Grenada (note the nutmeg on the left) 

A view of the island

 

A rainbow mahogany tree

Highest point on the island

Beautiful flowers and plants

On the way down ...

Our guide, Rooster, telling us all about the spices grown in Grenada

Pineapples

The falls

On the way back up

A beautiful butterfly

Pictures of St. George's

Cruise Day 3 -- St. Lucia

Back to one of my favourite Caribbean islands for March 29. This time we decided to visit the Pitons and mineral baths heated by the Soufrière volcano.

Shot of Castries and our ship

Marigot Bay

Banana plantation (and immature bananas)

Mineral Baths

How the other half lives ... (mom and dad's next boat ???)

The Pitons

Do you recognize this from the "Pirates of the Caribbean"?

Cruise Day 2 -- Sint Maarten

March 28 -- nothing planned really for the day, but shopping. (Can you think of a better way to spend my first 39th birthday? :) I got a couple new silver bracelets (so did Rich) and we bought some clothes as well. Rich gave me a gift certificate to a local spa -- can't wait to indulge!!!

Rich did a little jog around the town and then we hooked up with Joce Z. (Rob was diving again) to hit Front and Back Streets for a little duty and tax free shopping. Gotta a little wet on the walk over, but then it got steamy! Here are some snaps of Sint Maarten care of Rich's jaunts around town.

Cruise Day 1 -- British Virgin Islands

Okay, technically, Day 1 was San Juan, but we've "been there, done that" already...

As you may recall, we were on the cruise (Celebrity Millennium) with our friends Joce and Rob from the neighbourhood. To avoid confusion (or thinking I'm talking about myself in the third person, I am me, and Joce (our friend) is Joce Z. Clear enough?

Day 1 - British Virgin Islands (Tortola and Virgin Gorda)

So we arrived in Road Town the morning of March 27.

After quickly saying good-bye to Rob at the ship (he went diving), Rich, Joce Z. and I, and our snorkel gear headed down to the dock to catch a ferry to Virgin Gorda. Our destination? The famous "Baths" of Virgin Gorda.

We managed to hook up with Egbert on the docks who is a private boat operator running tourists back and forth from Tortola to the Valley (our landing point in V.G.). For $35 each, we got there and back, and Rich had all the rum punch he could handle (note: do not let Rich EVER try to keep up in the rum punch department with a former professional football player. Geesh!)

Anyhow, after a lovely 30 minute boat ride, we arrived in V.G., boarded a transfer trolley and shortly found ourselves walking the Baths. Words do not do this area justice ... the area is beautiful and the snorkelling was awesome. The pictures speak for themselves.

Postcards from camp

If we have never mentioned it enough (and yes, we do refer ALL our friends there) we and Bogey love having him go to "camp" at Oak Meadows Pet Resort.

Here are some candid shots of his time at camp.

Apparently, this was supposed to be a golden retriever shot... (Bo never one to miss the excitement ...)

Bo and an english pointer ...

 

Bo and his new friend Alex ...

Handsome boy!

On terra firma

What a great vacation ... I will be posting lots over the next few days as kind of a travel journal, but suffice it to say, I already want to go back :D Number one priority? Curaçao -- the best snorkelling I have ever done (but of course, I left my water camera on the ship. D'oh!).

Bogey had a great time at camp while Raz was "vacationing" with Heather at Nuthatch. Hopefully all has gone well and we should be expecting little Raz-muffins in late May / early June. We're off to collect her on Saturday so Bogey will have a few weeks of big sister before her due date.