Vacation 2014: Grenada - The Spice Island

John

After breakfast we lined up for the tender to check out St. Georges, Grenada. As we waited, John, Jay and I joked about John's tendency of stepping off the ship, getting through customs control, spending about 30-60 minutes ashore, then heading back to the ship for a steam or massage. Luckily, as we passed through the visitor's area, before John could change his mind, we were approached by one of the many van drivers grouped around the port exit and decided to have an adventure.

Glenn

Jay

We settled on a ridiculously inexpensive price for a 2-3 hour tour. After the Barbados adventure I was eager for a repeat performance. First stop was a spice shop. A decidedly shy and possibly uninterested sales lady took us through the spice demonstration. We got to see what the spices look like before they are processed and had a few tastes of raw cinnamon and cocoa. Just enough to loosen our wallets to buy bags full of spices that will more than likely still be in my pantry when it is cleaned out after my death: tumeric, paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, bay leaves, curry, mace, nutmeg jam, and hot sauce. So much for that extra half pound I had in my luggage weight limit.

Next stop, Arrendale falls where we were greeted by the "banana women." Yep, that's what they called themselves. We were greeted by smiling women with fruit on their heads asking if the "handsome gentlemen wanted to take pictures with the banana women?" How can one say no to that?

$2

$2

$2

Then there was the $2 ticket to see the falls. We laughed about the touristy commercialism, but then we saw the gardens leading to the falls. The gardens were both peaceful and spectacular consisting of multiple small trails highlighting blooming plants native to the island, huge specimen plants, and trees draped in vines and orchids (not yet in bloom).

 

It was like our own private garden, but with jumping boys. For $20 USD these jumping boys would climb to the top of the falls and jump into the pool below. When the high pressure salesman / jumper approached me and told me the price, my response was that for $20 I would gladly jump off the cliff into the pool myself. John, however, decided to practice his generosity and gave the $20 to the local jumpers instead of his friend. This is what John got for his money.

On the way back to the van, John showed us a spot he had found along a trail that made him feel peaceful and happy. We all took a moment to enjoy the view from the secluded, trail side bench and the feeling of peace emanating from the gardens. We were soon once again stimulating the local economy through our support for necklace makers, spice stringers, and professional smilers.

Our next stop was the top of the volcano to see the lake that supplies St. Georges with its fresh water. We just started driving up and around and back and forth around blind turns and always up through the cool misty rainforest. Peter, our driver, turned off the van's air conditioner and opened all the windows. The temperature continued to drop as we advanced up the side of the volcano. Upon arriving at the top, to our surprise (not), there was yet another gauntlet of fruit-hatted women and spice salesmen to traverse before paying another $2 USD for the pleasure of seeing the lake and climbing to the top of the volcano's rim.

The lake was a little disappointing, but after a 10 minute hike we arrived at a rickety lookout platform that was still under construction (i.e. no handrails) from which you could see a wide swath of the island including the Atlantic shore. I jumped up the stairs to the top of the platform. John gingerly made his way up. Jay stayed on firm ground. 

That's it - the lake.

He sang us a song with lyrics including,"they are so handsome, they must be movie stars."

It's safer down here.

But so wonderful up here.

From the top of the tower a strong, cool breeze laden with the aromas of the cool moist rain forest lifted our spirits. It was a pretty awesome experience. I took a moment for myself as John made his way down to fully appreciate the moment and make a dedication of happiness.

The hike back down was a bit more energetic and less whiny than the hike up. After a bit more local economic stimulation, we descended back through the rainforest and discussed with our driver the possibility of finding a local dining establishment that served traditional dishes. We were soon dropped off in front of a harbor-side seafood grill.

Only the best

Beside seafood, chicken, beef, and pork, there was also armadillo, possum, and iguana to choose from. As I have said, I am quite "epicurious," but I was a little worried that I would end up with an upset stomach by going too exotic. So we all chose from the list of curry specials. My curried fish stew was delicious. The fish was White Marlin, which I think of as a sport fish rather than an eating fish. The texture was a bit like a tenderized pork cutlet, but much more tender. One more fish checked off the "to eat" list.

Food Porn! Curried fish stew with yams and rice

Jay got the whole plate - I think it was pork.

In the harbor across from the restaurant was a monstrously huge yacht - I talking James Bond Villain Huge. Due to the distance, it was difficult to gauge the yacht's size accurately. It was not until the "boat garage" opened to lift in a 20 foot speed boat that we could appreciate the unimaginable wealth required to purchase and maintain such a large ship. We asked the waiter if he knew who owned the ship. Apparently, a Mr David Geffen is the proud owner. Well done Mr. Geffen, well done.

After a great day on the spice island, a delicious local meal, and a harrowing walk through a tunnel shared by cars and pedestrians, a stop at the mall, and a tender ride we were back on our ship.

Two-way car traffic, no guard rails, no safety, but thrilling nonetheless

Later at the sunset / sail away party I overheard John describing our day as the best day ever. I can't wait for tomorrow.

The sunset party is quickly becoming one of my favorite times of day on this trip.

Vacation 2014: Isla Margarita - Venezuela

Venezuela - put a pin in it!

Safe Harbor
The floors have stopped bucking.
The bed no longer feels like a mechanical bull ride (in the bad way).
The sun shines a little more brightly.
I am hungry.
Potato Croquettes are just a fancy name for poorly prepared (dry, crumbly) Tater Tots. There are protests in the streets to overthrow the Venezuelan President.
As John said, "I'm here on vacation. I don't want to be a story on CNN."


Because of the political unrest and planned protests in the main port city of Isla Margarita, our ship was diverted from the original port to Guamache, a fenced-in pier / shopping area / cafe / beach spot. The passengers who booked excursions were off early in the morning. We, however, lingered over coffee and then had a casual stroll down to the beach followed by a little time stimulating the local economy by purchasing post cards, necklaces, magnets, souvenirs and gifts - the normal tourist fare.

Approaching Isla Margarita

La Isla bonita es muy grande

Welcome to Guamache, Venezuela

This will always be our Venezuela! No tourists allowed beyond the watch tower.

Mai Tai - the drink of the day!

While we were not spending the day in a touristy South American city as expected, the ground was mercifully stable, the vendors were friendly and the goods were obscenely inexpensive. It was sunny, hot, and humid, my favorite type of weather. My slight sunburn from Barbados had also healed enough for a long soak in the pool, which in turn lead to a few Mai Tais before the sail away party and sunset watching.

Although the day did not turn out as expected due to our diversion, it proved to be a fun day with no pressure, no schedule, no agenda - just vacation. Also, while soaking in the pool, we made a few new acquaintances. During the sail away/ sunset watching party we met Bob and Tom from Norfolk who are both quite knowledgeable about sailing having served in the Navy and Coast Guard.

After dinner there was a pajama movie party with the Rocky Horror Picture Show - complete with re-enactors. After such a relaxing day, I decided to skip the movie and make it an early evening so I turned in around 9:30. I heard the pajama party and dancing afterwards were great fun. 

It was a good day.

Vacation 2014: If this boat's a rocking....

Giant waves, general queasiness, hangover.
Small, enclosed spaces = bad idea.
The waves are huge. The boat is rocking from front to back and side to side. It is like a ride at the state fair that lasts all day.
The waves occasionally wash across the portholes in the dining room.
Queasy continues.

Various sea-sick home remedies are being passed around the ship including:

• Don't eat anything.
• Keep a full stomach
• Get drunk
• Avoid alcohol
• Lie down
• Stand up and look into the distance

Whatever I did, it worked - still sea sick, vomit free for 51 years. Plus I got to ride in the netting at the front of the ship with a new fiend, Tom. Not my most flattering picture, but proof I did it, nonetheless.

Of course a general feeling of queasiness was not enough to keep us from dressing in our best sunburst colored costumes for a bit of dancing. We are civilized and on vacation after all.

Tastefully sunbursty

Dance of the flowers

The lovely and talented Miss Amy Armstrong

And, yes, they ran through the crowd in slow motion

YOLO - bitches!

Vacation 2014: Embarkation

Tapas with Lanny, Jay, Glenn, and John

Someone asked before I left home, "Why do you keep going on these cruises?" The easy answer is that everyone should get away from the winter if they can. the more complicated answer is that each year I get to travel with my best friends as well as some people I see for only one week a year and others I have yet to meet, but want to know. In many ways, it is really like going to a family reunion. This family, however, is not uptight, judgmental, prudish, or unfriendly. Instead, it is a group of people who do not take themselves too seriously, who are not afraid to laugh out loud, dress up in silly costumes, and get away from their real lives for a week in the sun.

At the kick-off party, I was delighted to see John and Jay who arrived on Friday, but were staying at another hotel down the beach. The party also gave me a chance to catch up with other people I had not yet seen due to our island tour. Cocktails, tapas, (OMG - deep fried green olives - YUM), gossip, hugs, cocktails, and more laughs. Despite the kitchen having a difficult time keeping up with 200 hungry guys, it was fun evening.

Poolside recovery location

Our travel agency, Concierge Travel, made all the arrangements for 200 people's arrival, airport transfers, hotel rooms, kick-off party, and ship transfers. These guys are great at what they do. Everything is taken care of, so all you have to do is keep an eye on your watch and be where they tell you. All I had to do Saturday morning was drop my luggage off in the lobby, check out of the hotel, and spend the rest of the afternoon by the pool, pool bar, and beach until my name was called for the 3:45 transfer to the ship. Considering my slight hangover, that was a perfect way to relax a bit before embarkation. 

James' shipboard roommate, Corey, arrived Friday evening. James met him just before the kick-off party. As a single traveler, James took the roommate roulette option and took a chance on being paired with a stranger. So they spent the day on the beach getting to know each other before spending a week in a tiny ship cabin. From the looks of it, Concierge did a great job pairing the two of them. It looks as if they will get along and have a great vacation.

Dockside

Yep - this is the right ship

Safety first!

The transfer to the ship was skillfully executed. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Chi Chi Rones, welcome-aboard cocktails, and a table full of snacks. After completing the paperwork it was time to check out our cabins. Once again, the reveal was a pleasant surprise - spacious (150 sq ft) with a human sized bed. Not much storage, but plenty of room for my more-than-adequate supply of day, evening, and party wear. 

My home for the next seven days - complete with towel pet.

My port holes

The remainder of the day was filled with continued greetings to both new and old friends accompanied by cocktails, the sail away party, dinner, cocktails, Amy & Freddy, cocktails, dancing, and bed. 

Sail Away Party

This was one of the days that I had to remind myself that I am living a life I never even dreamed of living. I am so grateful and excited about our upcoming adventures.

Bruce, Glenn, Lanny, Jay, and John

More vodka please!

Vacation 2014: Barbados by Bus

Beach stop

As our first evening in Barbados wound down, we settled down for a last cocktail with a few of our fellow travelers. Brian suggested we rent a van to explore the island, visit a nice beach, have an authentic Barbadian meal, adn see where Rhianna lives. The front desk manager lined up the transportation, we agreed to a departure time of 10:00 AM. After a long day of travel, it was time for bed. 
The next morning our van driver, Kevin, arrived right on time. Poor guy, he had five curious, loud, and lively guys in his van who continuously peppered him with non-stop questions about Barbados, its economy, agriculture, views on homosexuality, and food as we made our way through Bridgetown. I am afraid we threw him off his tourism script, but we were eager to learn more about his country.

Selfies: Marty, Brian, Glenn

Selfies: James and Glenn

To be honest, there was nothing particularly interesting to see from the van as wound our way through the city, but I think a historical / architectural tour of the downtown / harbor area would be quite interesting. There are many colonial era government and trade buildings clustered around the port. Learning more about the buildings would be a history geek's dream come true. But now time for that, Rhianna's Mom's house was waiting.

After a quick stop at the beach, we headed to the more tony side of the island. Like all wealthy areqs the homes were walled-in on the street side while all the rooms faced the ocean. Not much to see. Then we stopped at the first Anglican church on the Barbados and had a nice tour before continuing our trek across the island.

Precarious perch

Each stop along the way was better than the last. Once we go to the northern tip of the island where the Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean we were gobsmacked. The ocean had cut into the cliffs and the huge waves were splashing so high that droplets of sea spray blew into our faces as we stared in wonder. We spend about 20 minutes picking our way along the edge of the stony cliff, trying to find the perfect spot for the best picture. Of course, in our haste, we completely missed the safe, perfectly placed observation deck built in the best possible place for photos.

Safely behind the barriers

After a few more pictures, I headed to the other side of the lookout. While the first vista was impressive, the other observation point was awe inspiring. The cutouts stretched far into the distance. It was both a spectacular and humbling sight. After a few private moments, I dashed back down the path to drag the guys over to see this view.

I was speechless when I saw this for the first time.

Kevin, our driver, was patiently waiting for his "five fabulous men." Our next planned stop was lunch, but first we drove through a mahogany reforestation project, an observation point at the top of the island, an operational dutch-built windmill, and then back to the shore for lunch.

The Atlantic side of the island

18th century, Dutch-built, windmill - still operational

Being an "epicurious" sort of tourist, I had requested a lunch of traditional Barbadian food. Kevin selected a nice cliff-side restaurant where we had a few big blue (gay) drinks, some locally sourced seafood, and some delicious goat while enjoying the beautiful view of the blue Atlantic coastline.

Along the north shore

First round - yes, there was a second round.

Alex and his big, blue drink!

Free Wi-Fi ended all conversation for a few moments

Our lunch as delicious and filling. There was one less, locally grown goat on the island once we finished up, but it was a perfect end to our tour. We were soon back in the van for the ride back to the hotel followed by a quick shower before the planned tapas and cocktails kick-off party where we met up with the Friday arrivals and my best friends and traveling companions - John and Jay.

It was the best day ever - until tomorrow. 

VACATION 2014: Barbados and the Grenadines

Accra Beach, Barbados

No matter how well I am prepared or how early I get up on a travel day, it seems that I am always barely making it to the airport on time. Thursday morning the stars aligned and all went well. I had a 7:00 AM flight. There was little traffic on the road when I left the house at 5:15. The transfer bus pulled into the satellite parking area right behind me so there was no waiting for the bus in the dark. There were no long lines to check luggage and the security check point was fully staffed. Smooth sailing.
I realized on the way to the airport that I forgot to pack sunglasses, but that was the only packing tragedy that came to mind and it was quickly remedied in the Miami airport. Although I had no intention of adding to the sunglasses collection on this trip, a week in the Caribbean without eye protection would be tortuous for both my vision and crow's feet. Plus, in all honesty, sunglasses are part of my public mask. Sure, they help to protect my eyes from damaging UV rays, but also I feel safer behind them. They let me watch without being seen, they hide my subtle reactions, and they look pretty cool.

James on the beach

In Miami I grabbed an empanada in addition to a new pair of classic Ray-Bans, then headed to the gate where I ran into friends from previous voyages. It was like arriving at your high school reunion and seeing only people you like. While waiting for my boarding group to be called, I started chatting with James, who I had briefly met during our Greek Island cruise. He, too was a single traveler. Perhaps the next few days in Barbados would be more exciting than just sitting on the beach getting sunburned???

Despite the fact that our fancy friends in first class drank all the liquor and ate all the food before the refreshment trolley got to the cheap seats, it was an uneventful, but beautiful trip.This is one of the few times when sitting by the window actually paid off, particularly as we were flying over chains of uninhabited islands surrounded by sandbars and reefs. Besides a few problems completing our customs forms, we made it to our buses and to the hotel without event and in time for a few hours on the beach before dinner.





James and a few of the other early arrivals (Brian, Marty, and Alex) proved to be great fun. Food, cocktails, laughs, and some twerking by James made for a great first day of vacation.

An over-committed weekend...

When I made this year's resolution to have at least one blog post per week for 2014, I thought that between the books on the list and the minutiae of my life, I would have no difficulty coming up with post topics. If nothing else, I could always ponder some deep thoughts that no one else would have any interest in reading. Fortunately, this past week was chocked full of story-worthy events.

Ready for action

The first story began last week during a routine visit to the dentist. I mentioned to the hygienist that I had noticed something that felt like a blister on my gums. Upon examining it, she proclaimed that I had an abscess. Since the infection was located near some teeth that had already been tagged as having to eventually be removed, the decision was made to go ahead and take them out. Unfortunately, after four painful attempts, the dentist could not get me numb enough to actually extract the teeth, so I was sent home with an antibiotic prescription in hand and a return appointment the following week. Fast forward seven days and it was like Ground Hog Day. After four more attempts and a sparking nerve, I now have an appointment to see an oral surgeon. I guess those two teeth were determined to accompany me on vacation at the end of month.

Friday night, my dear friends Cathy and Arjay hosted an "Opening Ceremonies, Ceremony" party in honor of the Winter Olympics. The invitation was to choose a country and bring a dish representative of your country. Somewhere I got the ideas that this was a costume party, so while the Chipotle Lime Chicken Thighs with Jamaican Rice was finishing up, I put together my costume. In honor of Bob Marley's Birthday, I was going dressed as the Jamaican Bob (Marley) Sled Team. And you guessed it - I was the only one in a silly costume. Regardless, the party was great fun. There was Borscht, Swedish Meatballs, Cheeses, Sausages, Potato Skins, and Toblerone accompanied by White Russians and Arjay's delicious homemade Beer.  Based on the tiny little headache I had all day Saturday, I think it is safe to declare the party a great success.

Staging Area

But a tiny little nagging headache was not going to keep me down - especially since my most politically active friend, Clodagh, had extracted a commitment from me to attend the Moral March on Raleigh to protest recent laws passed by our legislature. After a hearty breakfast at Big Ed's, which has probably never had that many liberals dining at one time, we headed to the march's staging area. We were surprised to see people with signs lined up in front of my condo, which is three blocks from the staging area. However, once we arrived on Wilmington St, it was pretty obvious that the staging area was not large enough to accommodate the attendees.

While the only unifying aspect of the protest was last year's legislative agenda, it was quite refreshing to see people showing up on a cold winter day to stand for their beliefs. The event was well-organized, ran smoothly, and exceeded all expectations for attendance. The original permit request was for 20,000 people. Estimates on actual attendance are around 80,000.

As free-lance protestors we were able to navigate through the crowds and close to the stage. The red arrow points to where we were standing.

After the protest march, I attended a will writing seminar then celebrated my niece's 19th birthday with the family.

Thank goodness for Sundays. I am exhausted.