Curaçao is an island nation in the Caribbean (64km long and 16km wide) that is actually a territory of the Netherlands. Curaçao and the neighbouring islands are considered to constitute the southwestern arc of the Lesser Antilles.
The lesser Antilles are usually referred to as the ABC-islands (Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao) as they sit side-by-side (although not alphabetically). Curacao consists of two islands (Cuaracao and Klein Curacao) with the main island having the majority of its 160,000 population. The territory sits about 60 km north of Venezuela and the capital is Willemstad. Unlike Aruba the day before, Willemstad has retained much more of the Dutch characteristics.
The north coast of the island is characterised by a rough coastline with many limestone cliffs, while the southern coast is full of small bays, beaches and inlets.
We landed in the capital, Willemstadt and fell back into our usual pattern of getting up early and hitting the tourist highlights.
The first thing that strikes you is the Dutchness of it all. From the clogs on the street to the narrow houses and colourful facades, the place just screams as to its roots.
The Queen Emma Bridge is a pontoon bridge across St. Anna Bay in Curaçao. The bridge sits on pontoons and is hinged at one end, opening regularly to allow vessels through. An operator controls two diesel engines that turn propellers that are mounted perpendicular to the length of the bridge and allow it to swing open.
The bridge was named after Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, who was queen consort of the Netherlands during its construction. Due to the importance of the function of the bridge, the people of Curacao have found a good way of overcoming the ubiquitous Love Locks issue.
Love Locks are a ridiculous phenomenon that has been making their way around the world for decades. This is where people put a padlock with both people’s names on it and attach it to a local bridge, fence, gate, or monument and throw the key into the water…to symbolise their love.
Originally thought to have begun on the Paris’ Pont des Arts it has now spread globally. The issue is that the combined weight of so many locks compromise the structural integrity of the bridge, which is a risk for the bridge and anyone who walks across it. The practice has been banned in many places for this reason. The people of Curacao have built love heart shaped frames on the banks of the river that keep the heavy locks off the functioning bridge.
The main thing that gets you about Curacao is the brightly coloured narrow houses lining the waterfront. True to their dutch roots it is very reminiscent of the Amsterdam canals. The main heart of town is relatively unremarkable with the usual tourist and jewellery shops dominating. That said, it feels safe, is clean and everybody is very friendly.
Curaçao is the home of the oldest continuously inhabited Jewish community originally formed in the 1500 by emigrants from Portugal. The Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue in Willemstad was completed in 1674.
The Chichi is a colourfully painted, vibrant female figure. She represents the eldest daughter of the family, who binds the family together in a loving and caring way. She is a much-appreciated female role model in the Caribbean community of today and a very live part of its colourful heritage.
If you are brave enough to venture beyond the usual tourist blocks you will find yourself in some of the back blocks where the local street art scene tends to kick in.
Curacao was nice. Our ship stayed here overnight which gave us two full days in port which, based on what we saw was probably a little long. But we did not venture out to find or explore some of the beaches. By all accounts the snorkelling and diving around Curacao is amazing and if that is the case then maybe the extra day should have been spent exploring those sort of options.
What was clear to us, was the water. On our second day we did some computer work on the 6th floor of the boat. From up here Jill was still able to get footage of this turtle swimming in the crystal clear waters 6+ floors below.
Curacao Mark II
The second time on Curacao we decided to bum around on the beach so for the post we decided to summarise some of the beaches that are around. The first thing that you must realise is that many of the beaches are private and therefore come at a cost. They have all of the cool things that you would expect if you were paying for the service. But my Australian sensibilities remain offended at the thought of private beaches.
Avila Beach is one of the closest to town but is privately owned. The palm trees offer plenty of shade and parasols and palapas are available (for a price).
Bluebay Beach is the other way from town and for another fee you can avail yourself of the palm trees, lounge chairs, umbrellas, bar, restaurant, water sports center (diving and sea kayaking!), playground, pool, and showers.
Caracasbaai Beach is not as nice as the first two but it is free. The beach is made of coarse sand and pebbles and is popular for snorkeling and diving because its part of the underwater park.
Daaibooi Beach is again close to town (with a fee), but this beach has good snorkeling along. Pergolas provide shade and there is a snack bar. To the west of the beach, a small trail leads into the countryside.
Klein Curacao is another island about 2 hrs away with white sandy beaches and diving. While it is free, you will have to pay for a boat to get there and back.
Mambo Beach is the most popular and most equipped beach on the island. While there are fees here they are reasonable with it only being around $4 for entry with chairs etc extra.
There are many more beaches on the Island but they involve going much further afield and would be best explored with your own vehicle as the public transportation is infrequent and unreliable.
Our ship stopped at Cozumel in Mexico, but due to the proximity to the UNESCO listed Chichen Itza, we decided to skip Cozumel almost entirely. This may have been a bit of a shame as by all accounts, Cozumel is a beautiful place to kick back and hang.
More accurately, Isla Cozumel is Mexico’s 3rd largest island and is with countless activities both below and above the waves. It is about 30 miles long and 9 miles wide. The name in Mayan translates to “Island of the Swallows” due to the birdlife. The place has been a long time dive Mecca and has white sand beaches, coral reefs, modern amenities and lots of wild areas.
But given that this was not our goal, we had a 7 am start that saw us hopping on a very bumpy 45-minute ferry ride.
The ferry took us from Cozumel over to the mainland Mexican town of Playa del Carmen.
This is a coastal resort town, along the Yucatán Peninsula.
Playa del Carmen is known for its palm-lined beaches and coral reefs. The Quinta Avenida pedestrian thoroughfare runs parallel to the beach, with shops, restaurants and nightspots ranging from bars to dance clubs.
But this wasn’t our goal either, so from here we hopped a bus (well more of a mini-van) for a 2 hour drive through the Mexican countryside. And sure enough, we arrived at our intended destination, Chichen Itza. Chichen Itza is one of the 7 wonders of the world and is a former Mayan city dating back to as early as 250AD. At its peak around 35,000 people would have called it home. It was one of the most important Mayan cities in Latin America.
Chi means “mouths” and chen means “wells” and Itzá is the name of the Maya tribe that settled there. Chichen Itza means “At the mouth of the well of the Itza.” Chichén Itzá is the Spanish spelling and Chichʼen Itzaʼ is the Mayan spelling.
Possibly the most notable thing about the city is the ancient temple Pyramid of El Castillo (Kukulcan Temple). It is the most famous and recognisable of Mexico’s monuments but it was not built by the Mayans but rather in the 10th century by foreign invaders.
The Pyramid of El Castillo rises 24 metres above the Main Plaza area. Each of its four sides has 91 stairs that face north, east, south, and west. Including the step on the top platform, there is a total of 365 steps. This is the same number of days in the solar year.
Beyond the pyramid at the centre, the site contains the remains of the entire city. The site of Chichen Itza occupies an area of around 10 sq/km. And everywhere you go there is more to see. Carved walls pyramids, buildings, sports courts, virtually everything you would expect to find in a major (ancient) city.
The earliest structures built include the Akabtzib (“House of the Dark Writing”), the Chichanchob (“Red House”), the Iglesia (“Church”), the Casa de las Monjas (“Nunnery”), and the observatory El Caracol (“The Snail”).
On the site are caves and sinkholes in limestone formations, known as cenotes. These are natural wells that form when limestone surfaces collapse and expose water underneath.
Tlachtli was a Mayan game that involved keeping a grapefruit-sized rubber ball in the air with the use of thighs, hips, and chest.
It was known by various other names including pok-a-tok, pitz, tlacho, and ulama. In some variations, the goal became knocking the ball through hoop-like stone rings.
And the losers were often sacrificed to the gods.
The most revered beast in the Mayan world was the jaguar.
It was thought that at night the sun slipped into the underworld and would transform into a jaguar.
The animal was linked with warriors and hunters, and became a symbol of the might and authority of the rulers.
The kings and rulers desired the power and spirit of the jaguar.
During the spring and autumn equinoxes (around March 20/21 and September 20/21), the light hits the earth on the equator. When this happens, the shadows cast by the setting sun give the appearance of Quetzalcóatl (a feathered serpent) slithering down the steps.
The Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) is a Mayan Tradition going back to 1800BC that celebrates life with food, dances, and skull masks.
It is believed that the souls of the spirit realm can visit the land of the living, not to haunt people, but to lovingly reconnect with their family and friends.
Chichen Itza was good and we were both glad that we made it here. But it was impossible not to compare this experience with other major places that we have seen around the world, most notably Siem Reap in the Khmer Empire. The two experiences were remarkably similar but the concept of comparison sits poorly with me.
Having looked around the site we had some time to look at some of the trinkets that were available for purchase. I must admit that I actually enjoyed them and would have liked to have got some. There was an amazing carved Mayan Calendar that I loved but the weight and bulk just did not lend itself to ongoing travel.
As we traveled around we were dodging a weather front virtually the whole time. As we arrive the weather clears (to give us a nice experience) before closing back in again. It got so bad that the day after our trip to Coco Cay other boats could not dock and the day after Cozumel, the seas were so rough that the ferries could not run.
The Bahamas are a chain of more than 3000 islands, cays and islets in the Atlantic Ocean. They are part of the West Indies and sit just north of Cuba.
The Bahamas boasts some of the Caribbean’s most beautiful, clear blue water, white and pink sand beaches, warm temperatures and attractions galore. For these reasons, the Bahamas is one of the industry’s leading cruise port destinations, with the capital city of Nassau being one of the world’s busiest ports of call.
According to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, in 2024, the Bahamas is expected to host 5.6 million cruise passengers. This figure exceeds the 5.4 million the port hosted in prepandemic 2019. Nassau’s cruise port capacity increased from 20,000 passengers per day to more than 30,000 in May 2023, thanks to a $300 million renovation. The project expanded and revitalized the Prince George Wharf port and added a new berth, allowing it to accommodate six ships per day.
Nassau
Our first foray into the Bahamas was part of our 50th cruise with Jimmy and Claudia, where we set down in the capital Nassau on the island of New Providence. We were just one of several cruise ships to arrive on that day.
Nassau’s history is closely tied to the Caribbean pirate era of the 17th and 18th centuries. The town served as a pirate sanctuary until 1718 when British Governor (Woodes Rogers) expelled the buccaneers. Today, the downtown district offers 20 square blocks featuring architecture and monuments dating to this era, most within walking distance of the cruise pier.
The islands of the Bahamas were mostly deserted between 1513 and 1648 after almost all of the native residents were forcibly removed and enslaved or died from diseases brought from Europe. In 1649, English colonists arrived establishing settlements.
During the day, Nassau is incredibly safe with thousands of tourists, high police presence and hundreds of tour operators. You are safe to walk about uninterrupted and (apart from a few overzealous touts) unmolested. Sadly this situation does not continue once the sun goes down. Gang-on-gang violence has resulted in a high homicide rate primarily amongst the local population. But violent crime (burglaries, armed robberies, and sexual assaults), occurs in both tourist and non-tourist areas.
We hit the streets, chased the tourist things, climbed the Queens Staircase up to the fort and then wandered along to the other fort. We even had time to stop and sample some of the local brews.
The Queen’s Staircase, commonly referred to as the 66 steps, is a major landmark that is located in the Fort Fincastle Historic Complex in Nassau.
It was carved out of solid limestone rock by slaves between 1793 and 1794
Fort Fincastle was built in around 1793 and was constructed of cut limestone.
It was placed on Bennet’s Hill to protect the Nassau town and its harbour from pirates.
Fort Charlotte is the largest battlement at 100 acres in size. It is so large that within the grounds are three different forts: Fort Charlottein the east, Fort D’Arcy in the west, and Fort Stanley in the center. These massive stone structures feature cannons, moats, bridges, and other elements that make them fascinating to explore.
Fort Charlotte, It sits on a hill overlooking the west end of the harbour a mile west of downtown Nassau. From the fort you get an impressive view of Paradise Island, Nassau, and the harbour.
Fort Charlotte was built in 1788 and was named after the wife of King George III, Queen Saharia Charlotte. The middle bastion, Ft. Stanley and the western portion, Fort D’Arcy were added later. The fort has a moat, dungeons, underground passageways, and 42 cannons, which have never been fired in an act of aggression.
Nassau Mark II
Being a go-to port for the Caribbean, Nassau pops up frequently on many of the itineraries. Once you have done the big blitz (like we did on the first foray) there really isn’t much left to see or do in the main arrival part of town.
That said, beach lovers and travellers who enjoy water sports, diving or snorkelling will find any number of excursions and activities to suit their tastes. These tours can include glass-bottom and jet boat excursions, catamaran sailings, reef snorkelling, deep-sea fishing, scuba diving, encounters with sea lions, dolphins, stingrays and even swimming pigs. And of course, exclusive beach days with private cabanas.
Our second foray saw us arriving after the (Prince George Wharf) port redevelopment. $300 million had been invested into 11 acres of waterfront land reimagining the waterfront. This meant that the once dingy port had been significantly upgraded.
Guests to the new port are now welcomed by a modern arrivals plaza, theatre, entertainment venues, a museum, art gallery and new green spaces. Importantly there is an organised ground transportation area, and state-of-the-art security. Oh and don’t forget the retail, food and beverage outlets.
Junkanoo Beach is the closest walk (about a 15-minutes) from the cruise port and
The Nassau Straw Market was once an authentic market selling plaited, braided, and woven items synonymous with the subsistence lifestyle. Now it is a tourist trap selling straw craft souvenirs(hats, bags, mats, dolls etc) along with conch shell jewellery, and wood carvings.
Coco Cay
This time around we found ourselves being delivered at a place called Coco Cay. It is an entirely manufactured island that is owned and operated by the Royal Caribbean company solely for the use of their ships. It is advertised as Perfect Day at Coco Cay, and surprise surprise, that is the first thing that you see.
Looking back from the pier we saw our ship next to one of the newest and biggest ships of the Royal Caribbean fleet. The difference was incredible, especially when you think that our (little) one is 13 floors high. But the new one is about twice the width too.
From here you enter into the world of waterparks, theme parks, shopping and beach walks where the tourist is king. Everything on the island has been put there to amuse, entertain or fleece the clientele from a cruise ship.
Being a company island, the food and drinks kick in on the company coin. So unless you are after something extra, everything else is free. There are some individual, over the water, cabanas for rent at a price of around $2000 USD per day. But a beach chair ranged from free to $20 depending on where it was. The trinket shops were extra but the food and drink (mostly) went on your cruise card.
The calm side of the island had a kid’s paddle beach sheltered on all sides. In the centre lives the largest pool in the Caribbean. This has the obligatory swim up bar and places to sit. But the private DJ playing tunes was the bit that did us in. Our beach time is preferred quiet and not with somebody else’s choice of music doing our heads in.
Coco Cay was a nice touch and a very clever commercial decision by the company. They have found a way to build a whole tourism network that purely feeds funds into the corporate machine. They feed the machine with at least one cruise ship arriving every day and more often than not two.
Not something that you would want every day, but as a change it was quite nice.
Royal Beach Club Paradise Island
Cleverly, our most recent foray into Nassau revealed that the company (Royal Caribbean) had also bought the (17 acres) strip of land (on Paradise Island) opposite the port.
The intent is to develop the ultimate beach day – The Royal Beach Club Paradise Island. Like Coco Cay, the area will offer private beaches taking in the turquoise-blue waters and white sand beaches, cabanas, pools, activities, live music, and local artisans.
The last time we came to Miami (with Jimmy for our 50th) we had the opportunity to catch up with a long-time friend of mine (Brad) from back in the late 1980’s and beyond.
We were idiots together back in the day when there was no photographic evidence of the stupidity that we got up to.
This sort of relationship has a solid and unrelenting basis and when we have come together several times before, after long periods, and time had stood still. This is the way for many of my long-term relationships with the boys. So over time Brad had turned himself into a superyacht captain and has been running his world from Fort Lauderdale (with the odd stints in the Mediterranean) for the last 20-plus years.
Upon arrival, he picked us up and took us for a tour around his office for the last 7 or so years. The ship was in dry dock and was undergoing a full refit, but it was clear that he had truly been doing it tough.
Other than just catching up with an old mate was the pure envy of being able to hear about his recent holiday.
Brad and his wife Keri had spent the preceding month or so touring around South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
They bounced around the Okavango Delta, various Game Preserves and National Parks, even taking in the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls.
So the opportunity to hear first hand about this trip was to be amazing.
The idea of doing a South African safari has been a long-time bucket list item that keeps getting benched due to the extreme prices charged. I have friends who have done this and the prices have been in the $35,000 range for a couple of weeks holiday. Needless to say, this is way beyond a grotty backpacker’s budget. The extreme prices pay for a good and reputable operator, and having heard some of the stories, it is better to pay than go with a cheaper cowboy-style operator.
Add to this the fact that Brad had spent the last decade or two teaching himself to be an amazing photographer. We got to see his Rolls Royce shots and not just the snapshot sample that I poached from his and Keri’s Facebook posts. It truly was an amazing trip and by all accounts was worth the money, as a once in a lifetime experience.
OK so back to our bit, our first port of call (after our boat tour) was to Pompano Beach, a trendy beachside area of Fort Lauderdale. We sampled the local beers from a little microbrewery that will be burned into my taste buds. I have never been a fan of fruity microbrewery beers made by hipsters with man buns…and it seems I am still not.
Sadly, this is where the wheels fell off the plans that Brad and Kerry had for us.
We had a good catch-up on the first night where we sampled a fine Nicaraguan sugar free rum.
Waking up a little dusty Brad and I had a quiet sort of day until he took a COVID test and set the thing off like an alarm.
They had planned all of this stuff for us to see and do but it all went out the window with that one positive test result. This did not upset us at all as we were happy to just chill and catch-up, and do our domestics (the dreaded travellers laundry curse). Add to this that they both cook very well so we kicked back and ate at home rather than hitting the town. But they had concert tickets to people they really wanted to see and had been planning trips to show off Fort Lauderdale and surrounds.
That said, we still managed to get out and about and see things, just not to the level that they had hoped. We got to the beach, walked along the pier, checked out some local artworks, sampled some restaurants and bars. We just did it in a masked up and avoiding all others, COVID safe sort of way.
We headed into downtown fort Lauderdale and checked out the riverfront walk while generally just soaking up the beauty of a town built on the water. On one of our drives I asked how far Boca Raton was (mainly from hearing about it in TV shows), so we drove up there and bounced around too.
As we were on the leadup to Christmas, the town lighting displays had started. There was one home that had taken this to the extreme. So while nobody was in good shape, we made the short hop to see the most ridiculous house in the area.
While our time in Fort Lauderdale was not what Brad and Keri had planned, a good time was still had and it was fantastic to catch-up with a mate. We will be transiting Miami a few more times before we leave, so maybe we can get another catch-up when everyone is healthy.
Florida’s Space Coast
Florida’s Space Coast is a stretch of land that runs almost 120 km (72 miles) taking in a range of beach communities. All American space launches carrying NASA astronauts have departed from here.
For us, it felt almost exactly like a carbon copy of what the Gold Coast of Queensland looked like back in the 1970’s and 80’s (before the wall of high rises took over.
We stayed at a place called Cocoa Beach, about 24 km south of the space centre. It had been a small town since the 1920’s but had its major population growth during the 1950s-60s when it spiked 1000% as a result of the US space program. Cocoa Beach was the setting for the 1960s sitcom ‘I Dream of Jeannie’, although no episodes were actually filmed there.
There is a main highway running along the middle with a couple of blocks of 1-4 storey buildings fronting the beach. The larger buildings are the start of major tourist developments, but thus far have been staved off, meaning the place has kept an old-world charm.
On one of our cruises, we met a couple of sisters (Iris and Lee) from Florida, who we stayed in touch with over Facebook. When I posted that we were headed that way, Iris reached out and the next day they came and picked us up from our hotel and amused us thoroughly over the afternoon.
The first stop was to the infamous Walmart, for a shopping experience of a lifetime. Jill bought a huge (50oz) sippy cup and I got a couple of stupid logo shirts.
From here we were off on a local’s tour of the area. This saw us having lunch on the docks, cruising the beaches, sipping beers at some local beachside bars and getting key lime pie from a famous venue. Apparently, the key lime pie place has a 5 foot 11 inch, blind alligator (Sweetie) out front on the weekends (we were there midweek). Sweetie was sworn in on August 22nd, 2020 by Brevard County Sheriff Sheriff as a Deputy Sheriff.
Port Canaveral
Port Canaveral is a deep water port in central Florida that tries to serve as the Central Florida maritime gateway for the import and export of consumer goods. Despite this, 80% of the Port’s revenue is generated from the cruise business. This ensures that it has state-of-the-art facilities to service even the largest and most sophisticated cruise ships. that now homeport or make a port call for the day.
Entry to the port is past the Exploration Tower. This is a 7 storey structure with educational setups on each floor. These are both marine life and space-related (go figure).
The top storeys are viewing decks for both the port facilities and also the space launches when they are on.
Five different cruise lines use this area as either a base or a port.
Port Canaveral also has fishing charters and one-of-a-kind, waterfront dining that serves some of the freshest seafood in Florida.
Space launches
The earth rotates west to east and is at its fastest at the equator. To launch a vessel into space takes a lot of energy, so if you launch in an easterly direction from near the equator, you can use this rotation to gain speed, thereby increasing the fuel efficiency of the rocket. Add to this that not all launches are successful, launching from an empty area and into the ocean minimises the danger to people. For all of these reasons, this area was chosen and has served as the primary launching site for NASA since 1961.
Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral is a beachside community on Florida’s ‘Space Coast‘. The city lies between family vacationers and cutting-edge space travel technology. It has warm weather (hot and humid) almost all year round, beautiful scenery, outdoor amenities, and one of the largest deepwater ports in the world.
The main attraction for the area is obviously the Kennedy Space Centre Visitor Complex. The complex is organised chronologically using mission names for the various zones – Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Space Shuttle, and beyond. The centre started in 1963 when NASA allowed self-guided tours and later funding was approved for a full-scale visitor centre.
Today the Complex sits on 42 acres and is America’s front-row view of space travel and its evolution. The centre offers historic artifacts, tours, astronaut encounters, rocket launches, models and simulations of future space travel.
Needless to say, the experience does not come cheaply ($75 USD per person admission), especially if you want to tack on any of the additional goodies. The add-ons are on top of the entry and may include:
$70 for a launch ticket viewing
$50 (plus tax) to chat with an astronaut
$30 Walk on Mars through VR
$30 weightlessness spacewalk in the Microgravity Simulator
$150 live and work on Mars (simulator)
Being so close to Cape Canaveral, the first thing we did was to google a launch schedule, only to find that the official NASA site listed no launches in the time we were there. Enter our saviours, Lee and Iris. They pulled up the Space Monkey site which lists all launches and not just the NASA ones. Lee pulled it up on her phone and found a launch taking place at 4:52am the following morning. We would have missed this all together.
Just as importantly as finding the launch, she talked us through what to expect. This proved critical as we would have left after the initial launch and would have missed the best bits.
For anyone reading along, this was a truly amazing experience, and both Jill and I want to come back to see more.
We wandered out of our hotel and walked down to the beach, before the scheduled launch time. From a totally free ($$$) spot on the shoreline, we stared at some flashing lights that we guessed would be the launch site.
All of a sudden the entire sky lit up as a ball of flames slowly rose from the earth.
It disappeared behind some clouds, reappeared and then disappeared out of the atmosphere.
At this point I would have thought that it was all over, but Lee and Iris told us to wait.
About 3 minutes after the light show ended, this low rumbling noise started to grow until your entire chest was rattling at the noise of the rocket (physics in action – light moving faster than sound etc).
After this you would think it was done, but no, keep waiting.
After about 7 minutes the booster rocket detaches from the rocket and reenters the atmosphere as a flaming, plummeting fireball.
Once again, it was time to go, but no. About a minute later the sonic boom from the booster rocket shook you to your very core.
Oh my, what an experience.
Having done all of this, the show was finally over and it was safe (without missing out) to go.
I cannot express just how good an experience this was.
I want to come back and do it again, and again.
From June to October, the waters of the Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River, and Indian River Lagoon come alive with bioluminescence – light produced by chemical reactions in the bodies of living things.
Glittering dinoflagellates and pulsing Comb Jellies, create mystical light shows that you can see for yourself via kayak excursion. Structures within these algae ignite with light when disturbed. This acts as both a shield against predators and a lure for prey. But as kayakers slice through the night water, their movements spur the dinoflagellates to burst into light.
Orlando
Only 45 minutes away is the major city of Orlando. Cited in the heart of central Florida it is mostly known as the home of the theme parks (there are over a dozen here). There are four theme park resorts in Orlando over a dozen different theme parks and sub variations.
Walt Disney World Resort Theme Parks is the largest theme park resort in America. It has four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom), includes 22 hotels, and two water parks.
Universal Studios features four theme parks (Universal Studios, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Islands of Adventure, and Volcano Bay) along with a Water Park and eight hotels.
SeaWorld has the usual marine attractions, rollercoasters and other theme park rides.
Aquatica – another water based zoo
Fun Spot America – all rides
Icon Park (including the SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium)
Magical Midway Thrill Park – rides
Gatorland – 3 guesses
Dinosaur World – 3 guesses
Safari Wilderness – and about 4 other zoo style parks as well
Legoland
Peppa Pig Theme Park
Tank America – drive in a tank and run over cars.
We looked at attending one of the theme parks but on closer examination, it would have cost us the better part of $1000 Australian for a one day pass to one of the major theme parks. Neither of us really being that much into rides, and having seen so much of the world already, we chose to keep our cash and pass on the parks.
I am certain that they would have been entertaining, but in your 50’s the idea of seeing Mickey Mouse is not as interesting as it may have once been.
Aruba is officially known as the Country of Aruba but is captured within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It sits in the south Caribbean about 29 km north of Venezuela and 80 km northwest of Curaçao.
The first people to settle on Aruba were the Arawak Caquetío, who arrived around 850 to 1000 AD. The Spanish arrived in the 16th century enslaving the Caquetío for use in their other colonies. But the Dutch seized Aruba during the Thirty Years War.
Unlike the Spanish the Dutch had a relatively hands-off approach to colonialism and used the island to raise livestock, a job they delegated to the Caquetío already living there. This allowed the native Arawak culture to survive through the colonial era and leading to a hybrid culture with Spanish, Dutch, and Arawak characteristics.
The first thing that really needs to be known is that there is no ‘bad’ time to visit Aruba as it sits outside of the hurricane belt and is protected from the major storms. The island itself is relatively flat with the highest point on the island being Jamanota Hill with a massive elevation of 189 meters. The Southside of the island is typically for swimming and the North side of the island is for scenic views.
Our entry was into the capital city of Oranjestad named after ‘Huis van Oranje’ (Orange House), the name of the Dutch Royal Family in 1824 during the Dutch colonisation.
The town features some Dutch Colonial architecture but has mostly been Americanised with the usual suspect chain junk food stores ubiquitous. Oranjestad is most famous for its historical landmarks, which have been carefully restored to give visitors a sense of what the city looked like during its colonial-era past.
Our usual plan is to check out the town and get all of our tourist photos out of the way before hitting the other things (the problem of being a slave to this blog). But this time we did it a bit differently. Hooking up with Patrick and Anna (from dinner and Cartagena fame) we hopped in a cab and headed straight to the beach.
Now as Australians we usually are greatly disappointed by overseas beaches as they seldom even come close to what we are used to. But Aruba is an exception. These beaches have the fine white sand, long stretches and even have some of the beach umbrella amenities that we generally don’t have. Yes they are for hire or are part of a resort, but there is so much beach that it really doesn’t matter as there is plenty of room for everyone.
Along the beaches are a steady stream of resorts and hotels that (typically) offer all-inclusive drink packages. This meant for us blow-ins buying a beer in the heat was not as easy as you would have thought. But being the dedicated and persistent souls that we are, we were able to find a venue that could sate our needs.
Cold local beers and cocktails, in a nice venue, right on the sand were not entirely terrible. As the timing would have it, after our first round the 5pm bell rang for happy hour making every subsequent drink two-for-one. So our cocktails and beers continued as we watched a relatively impressive sunset over the Aruban sand and sea.
Fort Zoutman is the oldest building on the island, originally built in 1798 by African slaves. It is regarded by UNESCO as a ‘Place of Memory of the Slave Trade Route in the Latin Caribbean’. The Willem III Tower was added in 1868 and the whole place was restored and re-opened in 1983 as the Historical Museum of Aruba.
Having taxied to the beach we had wandered our way back to town and the ship (admittedly pausing briefly). At this point, we did the tourist shopping run and looked around the area. As we knew we would be coming back (in about 2 weeks) we didn’t exactly bust a boiler to see everything, leaving some things for our next visit.
Aruba Part II
Having only been in Aruba a few weeks ago this trip was just a pop-in for us. Last time we got off in Oranjestad and turned left to head up to Eagle Beach. So this time we decided to turn right. This saw us wandering along the shoreline, through the city centre and checking out the statues, shops and stores.
We walked for a fair way coming across very little of note but did find a city with a generally nice feel. There was no aggression or angst, just a really nice place to kick back and have a beachside holiday.
Clearly, going left and taking in the beaches is the option. But from everything that have experienced in Aruba it confirms that it is just a great spot to visit.
So when we started this leg of the journey, we set off from Brisbane on the 6th of December 2022. We have now ticked over a full year away and it seems like a good time to reflect on what we have done in this time away.
To start with, lets look at where we slept during those 365 days:
We were lucky enough to be able to stay with family and friends for a bit over a month of the time away, while two months were spent on cruise ships of various types. There were 83 hotels or hostels that housed us for 253 days. The remainder was spent in typically uncomfortable trains or on overnight flights.
In moving about to see stuff we travelled around on planes, trains and automobiles. Ignoring the little commute stuff around town we travelled enough by plane to almost circle the earth 3 times, we sat on trains enough to cross America ( or Australia and a bit eat to west), and we rode buses for almost the entire length of the east coast of Australia.
Having done this we then move on to what we saw along the way. We were able to visit 56 different countries or territories and visited or slept in 127 different cities. To do this we needed to access and use 33 different currencies.
The first thing that we did was to leave Brisbane and head to Sydney where we joined up with the cruising crew and took an Australian cruise that saw us in Sydney, Hobart and Adelaide with a side trip up the hills to Hahndorf. From here we headed to Perth (via Melbourne) and up to our block of land at Jurien Bay (I had bought it and Jill never even saw it so we went for a looky loo).
Leaving Australia we transited through Kuala Lumpur on our way to a leisurely month spent kicking Back in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Here we climbed up and down temples and just generally relaxed while Jill got destressed after her year of working.
After my time in Emu Park, I was already pretty chill.
Keeping up the relaxed pace we headed to Thailand for a general poke around. Having done southern Thailand and the beaches before we decided to head up north into the mountains.
From here we went to the Philippines for another month. It was our first port of call when we took off last time but we really only saw Manila and the Taal Volcano. So this time we thought we would do it properly, bouncing around several of the islands and taking in many of the sights. What our month in the Philippines told us was that we need to come back and we need more time.
From the Philippines we headed to Vietnam for a yet another month where we took in the cities of Ho Chi Minh, Danang, Cham Island, Hanoi, Cat Ba Island and of course Ha Long Bay. We caught up with old friends, met new ones and revisited some old favourites and got to share our love for the place to some who had never been before.
The next thing was a quick 4 day cruise around Asia, leaving from Singapore and touching upon Penang in Malaysia and Phuket in Thailand before returning back to Singapore. Doing an Asian cruise was a very new experience for us. Usually the bars and pool decks are packed but not on an Asian cruise. The Casino on the other hand is standing room only.
Our next stop along the way was the Maldives. Oh my lord, what an amazing place to be. The colours of the ocean were truly awesome and the swimming and snorkelling was something to behold. Our trip saw us here during Ramadan so we had an alcohol free fortnight. Importantly, this was the place that saw my stupid ass jump in the water with about 25-30 sharks with the biggest one being around 3.5 meters.
Malaysia was next. This is a regular transit point for us and Penang is one of my favourite cities on the planet. But this time around we got off the beaten path and explored a little more widely than usual. This broader exploration saw us taking in Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Tioman Island, Kuantan, Jerteh, Pulua Perhentian, and Kuala Besut.
We swam, we snorkelled, we ate amazing Malaysian food and had a very leisurely month kicking back. It is a good thing that we did as this marked the end of our relaxation. We popped home briefly (to satisfy a travel insurance requirement) and we entered into the whirlwind that was to be our European leg.
A monster flight took us from Australia to the Greek capital of Athens where we took in the sights for about a week before hitting the Greek islands of Syros, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Santorini, and Crete. Our month in Greece was amazing taking in the history, scenery and food. Sadly, the usual tourist spots (Mykonos and Santorini) were our least favourite. Granted they are beautiful, but the volume of ignorant tourists (yes I see the irony) are ruining them.
Next was the Czech Republic, a place I had been to before and thought Jill would love. And I was not wrong. We spent a fantastic week wandering around the city of Prague taking in the castles, churches and the huge abundance of statues. Not to mention being able to sample some of the best beers on the planet.
From Prague we did one of what would be many stops into the Netherlands (more specifically Amsterdam) as this became our European transit hub. The reason for the first visit was to board a cruise ship to Iceland that would also take in Northern Ireland, England, Ireland and deliver us back in the Netherlands.
Coming from Australia, Iceland is possibly the most different place that you can visit, which was the attraction. Waterfalls, glaciers, volcanos, the Northern lights…why would you not want to come here. And we loved it. Apart from being brutally expensive, the place was fantastic and we are both so glad that we made it.
The other stops on the cruise took us to Northern Ireland, England (Liverpool) and Ireland (Cork/Cobh). They were not our main goals but we still got to see some iconic tourist attractions that included popping in to the Giants Causeway.
After the cruise it was back to Amsterdam to transit to journey on to Hamburg Germany to catch up with family. This was an amazing time catching up with my cousins and spending quality time together.
Sadly, my cousin Uwe was taken by cancer a few weeks later, but our memories are of a great fortnight hanging, laughing, eating and seeing the sights of northern Germany. Our arrival saw the whole family getting together and spending quality time with Uwe in his last month. If nothing else, our memory of him was great times, fun and laughter. And we are both glad we got to spend this time with him.
And just as importantly, the rest of the family could not have been more welcoming, friendly or generous. A great time was had. We even got to do a day trip up to Denmark taking in two more cities and adding a tick box to my countries visited list.
At this point, we did the inconceivable and flew almost 7,700 kilometres from Europe to Vancouver in Canada.
The reason for this was to meet up for Claudia’s 50th birthday celebration. This celebration would involve great friends taking a cruise from Alaska down to Vancouver in Canada.
But if we were here, we were going to see as much as we could. So Vancouver was first. This is one of the world’s best harbour cities. Even taking in the Sydney example, Vancouver offers at least as much and possibly even more. We met new friends and were treated to some views of the city from the water thanks to Paul and Francesca.
From Vancouver it was up to Anchorage Alaska where we would spend a few days before training on to Seward to catch the cruise ship back to Vancouver. Once on the ship we headed to and stopped at the Hubbard Glacier, Juneau, Skagway, Haines, Icy Straight Point, Ketchikan, and the Inside Passage before being delivered back in Vancouver.
On this cruise, in Alaska and the various ports we for to see moose, bears, and eagles at almost every turn. Add to this the stunning scenery, rivers, lakes, glaciers, mountains and harbours. You are virtually guaranteed to have good time, and having done on of these trips, we would both happily do another.
After the cruise was a few more days in Vancouver seeing the bits that we missed and then another 7,700km flight back to Amsterdam to begin what was to be the biggest whirlwind trip that we have ever done. Starting in the EU we raced through eastern Europe at a pace that left us and our poor readers heads spinning.
In the 44 days from 19 July to 31 August we were to go to 20 different countries, visiting 29 different cities. It started on trains until they ran out and we then found ourselves on buses and just generally making a mess of the map and my poor little mind while I tried to work out where I was and where I had been.
In this period we went to:
The Netherlands – Amsterdam
Belgium – Ghent and Bruges
Luxembourg – Luxembourg
Switzerland – Zurich and Sargens
Lichtenstein – Vaduz and Balzers
Austria – Vienna
Slovakia – Bratislava
Hungary – Budapest
Slovenia – Ljubljana
Croatia – Zagreb, Knin, Split and Dubrovnik
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Jablanica and Sarajevo
Serbia – Belgrade
Romania – Bucharest
Moldova – Chisinau
Bulgaria – Sofia
North Macedonia – Skopje
Kosovo – Pristina
Montenegro – Podgorica, Kotor and Budva
Albania – Tirana
Greece – Athens
While we saw all of the tourist sights, we saw them at a pace that made it almost impossible to keep track of what it was that we saw and often even where we were.
We saw thousands of years of European history and evolution. We wandered in and out of various Old Towns around the continent and observed the remnants of the flow of conquering civilisations and the effects that they had on the landscapes, cultures and food across the region.
Thanks to the Romans and the Turks it is virtually impossible to find a nation that does not sell pizza, pasta and kebabs as one of their staple foods.
And statues, so many statues.
The sheer number of statues of all shapes and sizes, honouring every national hero or contributor to national identity.
They were everywhere and had us researching and reading about a bunch of people that we had never heard of before.
We saw so many castles, churches, forts, cathedrals, galleries, edifices and amazing architecture that our heads just swam. We walked through slums and palaces, inner city squares, parks and gardens.
After the whirlwind that was Europe we did a quick few stops in the Middle East stopping originally in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Here we sweated more than we had in months and got to experience the pure arrogance of Saudi Arabians. This is where we found that Saudi’s treat all other nationalities with absolute disdain, particularly if you have any form of south Asian heritage.
From here we popped into Qatar (Doha) and the UAE (Abu Dhabi and Dubai). Here we took in the sheer opulence of the Middle East where millions of dollars have been poured into the desert. It truly is an amazing example of what can be achieved when you have the will to achieve something and the funds to make it happen.
And despite all of the incredible things to be seen, it really did not appeal to us that greatly. The exception to this was the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque which was truly incredible. We officially hit our highest ever temperature that we had been in (52 degrees centigrade) and found ourselves hiding from the heat most of the day. On the up side, we managed to get upgraded to a suite in almost every city.
Oman for us was the exception and standout for the middle east. It was actually genuine. Our foray into Muscat saw us eating local foods (not the US chain stuff that many of the others had on offer), visiting old fortresses, and palaces. It was more than a huge bucket of money that had been dumped in the desert.
Heading home (for our obligatory insurance check-in) we pulled into Sri Lanka and Malaysia on the way in. Sri Lanka was once again incredible and we were fantastically looked after by Ruwan and Dilani. Ruwan had been tracking our progress in the earlier adventures and had planned something completely different for us. So we found ourselves glamping in the middle of a national park and photographing wildlife like elephants and leopards.
This was our second foray into Sri Lanka which has left us looking forward to and trying to plan our third. Apart from the sheer ineptitude and corruption of the previous government, the rest of the place and the people are fantastic. It is a shame that the poor residents need to pay the price for governmental misuse.
A very short transit in Australia gave us the opportunity to catch up with friends and family and even meet the newest addition to the Pieper clan.
Family feasts, chats and fun before dashing off to Samoa, and Fiji the next places on the list.
To say that the Pacific Islands are beautiful is an understatement and in reality, is probably pretty redundant. But a couple of weeks each in Samoa and Fiji was a fantastic way to recharge the batteries, especially after the flurry that was Europe. The hospitality that we received from Fiame, Pam and all the others we met was incredible.
A quick pop back to central Queensland and we were off again. This time it was a flight from Brisbane to Rome for a few days before we commenced what would become the cruising leg of our journey. This started with a 13 night Trans-Atlantic crossing (stopping in the Canary Islands) before a back to back Caribbean adventure that would see us going from Miami to 10 of the island nations and back and even included a pop into Colombia in South America.
We went to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St Kitts & Nevis , Barbados, Aruba, Martinique, St Maarten, Grand Cayman, Jamaica and Curacao.
But unlike Europe, we had the time between stops so that we could actually soak up the feel of each of the places. Our 12 month anniversary ticked up on the last day of the cruise as we rolled into Miami.
We met up with old friends and we made new friends, we shared good times and laughter, and all the time we kept seeing a little bit more of the world.
The year at a glance – by the numbers:
56 countries
127 cities
33 different currencies used
How did we get around?
Flying – we took 44 flights with 19 different airlines travelling over 106,000 kilometers. Frighteningly we spent over 160 hours in the air getting between one place and the next.
Trains – we took 17 trains travelling 4710 kilometers including two overnight sleepers
Buses – 18 buses travelling 3181 kilometers
Oh and by the way, this may surprise some of you but…I managed to sample the odd beer or two from around the world as we travelled around.
Colombia has been on my bucket list for a very long time now.
The country is more than double the size of France with almost 50 million people living here.
And the government has gone a long way to throw off the mantle of its narco-terrorism roots.
The nation has about 1,600 km of coastline to the north onto the Caribbean Sea, and a further 1,300 km of coast to the west onto the Pacific Ocean. The northern border is Panama, which divides the two bodies of water using the infamous Panama Canal. Venezuela and Brazil sit to the east and Peru and Ecuador to the south.
Cartagena
Our entry was a couple of days into the port city of Cartagena, on the Caribbean coast. Oh my god I love this place.
Before I even get into the rant about how great this place is, let’s take a moment to explain the introduction that you get to the town when you get off a cruise ship. As you walk through the port the first thing that you are met with is a FREE aviary and tourist park. This is just there. There are trinket shops, cafes and restaurants right here at the entry point. Within this, the first thing that you see is a grassed area with about 20-50 flamingos in it. Around them are about 10 parrots, some macaws, various waterfowl and the odd tree rat.
Quite literally, if you went no further than this then you would have had a great day out in Cartagena. But there is more. Keep walking around the corner and you come across the ubiquitous “I Love” sign coupled with about another 50 macaws of varying colours. A bit further I got to see my first ever live toucan. From here there were some tortoises and I even ran across a giant anteater.
And all of this for free before you even leave the port, how good is this?
Getting out of the port, we were told it would cost us $20 each in a cab to get to the tourist area. As we walked out we found a dude with a minibus who offered us a 4 hour tour of the sights (including return) for the same price as a one way cab. So off we went.
Cartagena is a major city of about a million people, with a fantastic mix of modern city and down by the ocean is the historic walled Old Town.
The first stop was the seaside suburb of Manga. This is a leafy residential neighbourhood with a park, seafront promenade and nice views of the new city skyline across the bay.
The next stop was the old city walls and some of the fortifications of Old Town.
This olden section of town was founded in the 16th century and now has the historic squares, cobblestoned streets, colourful colonial buildings, and of course all of the tourist hustle and bustle that you would expect. Fair warning…the touts here can be pretty full on so be prepared for a total assault on the senses.
The main entrance to the old town is through the Puerta del Reloj. This is the original and historic main gate to the centre of the fortified city, Cartagena de Indias.
As usual for us, it was covered in scaffolding.
OK…before I step you through the gates into old town, lets talk about the coolest thing in this entire city. Right in the heart of Cartagena city is a small unassuming park surrounded by yellow walls. It is officially called Parque del Centenario and on first glimpses you would probably just walk straight past. But you would have seriously missed out as within the park there were 7 sloths (as of November 2023) living in the trees in and around the park.
In addition to the Sloths, there are also tamarin monkeys, red squirrels and several iguanas in the park. The monkeys are tree rats that annoy you and carry diseases (but the tourists still try and hand feed them) while the Iguanas are usually found lounging on the grass soaking up the sunlight.
The park is located between the squares Plaza de Independencia and Plaza de los Coches. Both of these were in full Christmas decoration phase when we were there. The place just feels right, from happy vendors, beautiful streets great little restaurants the place is welcoming. Admittedly the touts can get a bit much after a while but for the most part they are friendly and just trying to earn a living.
Once you step through the gates you are in full tourist mode (in case you had not already noticed by all of the touts etc).
The Cathedral of Cartagena de Indias was built in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. It is in the heart of Old Town and is dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The original structure of the cathedral has been preserved today almost unchanged.
Cartagena is just a lovely city. The care and pride shown in the homes, the parks and the neighbourhoods give the place a really great feel. As our ship stayed here overnight we learned a trick that we should have done. Some people got off the boat and paid for a night’s accommodation (under $100) in the heart of the action. This will be us for sure, next time we come.
Within the walls of the old city is the suburb or area of Getsemani this is the bohemian-style neighbourhood where everyone is welcome. Poor or wealthy, tourist or local? Back in the day, it was the neighbourhood for prostitution, drug, and violence. But today it is the home to awesome street art, food, bars and music.
The street art in this part of town is truly something to behold. What was once probably a pretty sketchy to walk through is now an absolute delight. At no point did we feel nervous or concerned for our safety, even amid the mad tourist throngs.
As part of our tour on day one we hit the usual haunts but also had a couple of entries into some museums around town. The first was an art gallery that focussed on the faces of the pandemic and the losses that were felt in Colombia. The next was the local cultural museum.
The last was the Emerald Museum. Colombia is one of the world’s largest producers of emeralds (supplying about 90% of the world’s supply), and as such they are on sale everywhere. And we went through the museum (and shop) that told us all about this.
We were paired at dinner with a Swedish couple (Patrick and Anna) who were fantastic. So on our second day in Cartagena, we decided to head out together to explore the various areas. They took us to the flash cocktail bars and we took them to the dodgy neighbourhoods. They were such good company that we also spent the next day in Aruba with them kicking back by the beaches.
Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas is the castle/fortress that was built on the Hill of San Lázaro in 1536. It was placed in a strategic location where it could dominate approaches by both land and sea. It was built by the Spanish using African slave labour and was involved in several battles between the late 17th to early 19th centuries between the European powers.
We did not get there this time around but we are due to return to Cartagena in about 6 weeks time for a second stint. We will update these photos and give a much better viewing soon.
Once you get a bit further afield there are other little gems that look they should also be added to the things to see list. Some of these include the islands.
Isla de Barú, with white-sand beaches and palm trees.
Isla del Rosario, known for their coral reefs.
Tayrona National Park has long stretches of beaches lined with coconut palms and a dense rainforest with lots of day hikes.
The Lost City (La Ciudad Perdida) was built around 800 CE and contains 169 terraces carved into the mountains, as well as a network of tiled roads and small plazas. The site is older than Machu Picchu!
The last thing that I have to mention about Cartagena is the absolute idiocy of the American tourists. They (almost without exception) all hated it. Clearly Colombia’s troubled past (cartels, paramilitaries, poverty, and petty crime) has cast a long shadow that for many will not go away and danger lurks around every corner.
They felt unsafe and one comment was that they were walking around in groups of 10 or more so that they didn’t get kidnapped. For us, this was truly one of the safest places we have ever been to. I am not sure exactly what they thought they would be ransomed for (maybe their vintage chewed gum collection from high school).
We loved the place and cannot wait to come back (which thankfully we will be fairly soon).
Saint Martin is an island in the Northeast Caribbean that is split approximately 60/40 between the French and the Dutch. The French side calls it Saint-Martin while the Dutch side is called Sint Maarten. The whole island is about 87 square kilometres. While the French side is bigger in size, the Dutch side is more populated. That said, the whole place only has about 75,000 people on it.
The oldest treaty in effect in the Caribbean is the Treaty of Concordia which was signed between the Dutch and French for the partition of St. Martin in 1648. The partition was based on the economic needs of each state and the proximity to nearby colonies. With this treaty, both parties agreed to share resources, and protect one another. It was violated over a dozen times before truly being enforced and respected. Nevertheless, today both sides enjoy the cultural and economic ties, strengthened over centuries.
The Dutch side has the capital, Philipsburg, on it and is the main entry port for those arriving on cruise ships. The area is highly tourist friendly with shops, bars, cafes aplenty. On the day we arrived there was 5 very large cruise ships (around 15,000 people) that were all in town on the same day. The area has a cobblestone promenade with colorful, colonial-style buildings lining the main street and shopping area.
The French side has one of the most famous airports in the world for the Instagrammer crowds. With international and regional flights landing every 15 minutes, Maho Beach is the only place in the world where the planes quite literally land directly over the top of your head.
While having planes landing directly overhead is impressive enough, it has also prompted a phenomenon that has become known as “fence-surfing.” This is where visitors to the beach line up along the runway end’s fence, hold on and ride out the jet wash from the engines of departing aircraft. The pilots know this so ham it up, overly revving up the engines before taking off.
The surfers white-knuckle through a high-powered pelting of tiny rocks and sand for about one minute. But as you would expect, not all are able to hold on through experience and people have been killed as they are blown backwards. The most recent was a New Zealand woman who was blown backwards striking her head on the concrete blocks dividing the fence and the beach.
We came here the first time when we had the joint 50th birthday celebrations with Jeremy and Claudia. We hopped on a tour to the airport, had a few beers and lunch while we watched the planes landing before having a dip in the cool waters.
Not being idiots, we did not try fence surfing but did get a minor version of being sandblasted as the planes arrived and left. Our meal and drinks were at the Sunset Bar and Grill.Later examination determined that there was a sign that read that “topless women drink for free”. Research tells me that this is true and if the ladies are willing to whip them out, then the bar tab for each round is halved.
I’m not sure if Claudia or Jill saw the sign or not, but I can say that Jimmy and I paid full price for our rounds of drinks.
We enjoyed St Martin, both sides of the island. It had a really nice feel to it, the people were friendly, the streets were clean and safe. The shops, cafes, restaurants and bars were relaxed and there was no angst anywhere you went. And importantly, nothing was particularly overpriced, a fair price was being asked for goods and services without the usual (stupid) tourist markup.
It does have the pay for beach seating (that offends me as an Australian) thing but the prices are not ridiculous. $20 will get you two sun loungers, an umbrella and a few drinks each. This is basically the cost of the beers, so I can wear that cost.
I have found now that I have way more pictures than I do superlatives for how nice St Martin is. So here’s some random pics.
And of course, you are in the Caribbean, so there is the obligatory and ubiquitous rum distillery.
Here they will try and convince you why their particular brew is better than the ones you tried on any of the preceding islands.
St Maarten is pretty nice, on both sides of the island. We enjoyed our time here the first time and did again the second time around. It is well-priced, the people are friendly and for the most part, there is a good time to be had here.
Jamaica is a Caribbean island country and is the third largest (after Cuba and Hispaniola) of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. It was originally inhabited by the indigenous Taíno people.
The island came under Spanish rule after the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1494 with many of the original inhabitants either killed or died of diseases. After this the Spanish brought large numbers of African slaves to Jamaica as labourers. In 1655 England conquered it and named it Jamaica where it became a leading sugar exporter.
In 1838 the British emancipated all slaves, many of whom chose to have subsistence farms rather than to work on plantations. The island achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1962.
Kingston is the capital of the island of Jamaica, lying on its southeast coast and is the home to many of the attractions that include the Bob Marley Museum which is housed in the reggae singer’s former home.
Devon House is a colonial-era mansion, the Hope Botanical Gardens & Zoo showcases native flora and fauna. Surrounding the town are the Blue Mountains, some of the most renowned coffee-growing areas that are full of trails and waterfalls.
But we didn’t go here…
Our cruise ship dropped us at a place called Falmouth. The main thing to do for tourists in Falmouth, is to leave. Literally, there is nothing to do here. The main tourist things to do in Falmouth involve going to Montego Bay. I have absolutely no idea why we were dropped off here.
You come off the ship into a manufactured shopping mall that has massively overpriced trinkets and little else. As you walk out there is an interesting tourist walk that depicts a bunch of posters outlining the history of the country.
When you pop out from there you hit a pretty dingy slum, full of people so stoned that they can barely stay upright. The filth and stench reminded us of some of the worst places in India (still hands down the filthiest place we have ever been). The trinket shops had a ton of wooden gear (that you could never get into Australia).
Our market runs saw us being offered a singlet shirt for $44.90 USD, weed, and any other form of ridiculous things that you can imagine. The Rasta spirit is strong here, but if it was not for the odd ship that arrives, there really is very little reason for this town to exist.
The thing that amused Jill the most was this sign which was trying to urge people to stop dumping their trash everywhere.
The signs were an attempt, but they were failing dismally.
The smell emanating from the waterways was truly putrid.
Jamaica was one of my least favourite of everywhere we have visited so far. It gave a feeling that you were not safe, even in the touristy bits it saw me having cannabis, cocaine and sex offered within 10 minutes of landing. Beyond the offers, there was a very uneasy feeling that purveyed. The first three blocks from port was neat and calm, but if you kept walking there was an overwhelming sense that you were about to be mugged.
I would love to come back to Jamaica, but head to one of the other centres to try and really get a sense of the place as this little foray was not it.
Jamaica Mark II
After our first dud foray into the port of Falmouth the second time around we decided to do things a little differently. We came the next time and skipped town entirely choosing instead to head to a private resort (fee-paying beach), it felt better but was a full-on party beach. We paid for the transport and a beach chair and settled in for some sun, food and drinks.
The enclosed resort option is beautiful and feels much safer, so if you are happy holidaying in a compound then it can be lovely.
Jamaica Mark III
After two fairly ordinary forays into Jamaica, we were both left feeling underwhelmed by the nation as a travel destination. It was dirty, full of drugs and slums and the only real option for the tourist was to stay in an enclosed resort. Don’t get me wrong, the resort we visited was lovely, with good facilities, friendly staff, nice beaches and cool clear waters. It was perfectly OK if you like living in a compound.
So round three we once again landed in Falmouth and decided to take on one of the tour options, A day trip to Montego Bay.
This is one of the world’s best-protected marine parks with snorkelling and diving at coral reefs, numerous beach resorts, golf courses, and an amusement park.
The Cayman Islands are an independently governed British overseas territory in the Caribbean. It is made up of three Islands (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman), that are renowned for their beaches, reefs and trekking.
Grand Cayman is the largest of the Islands and is home to the capital, George Town. The city is a major cruise ship port and the site of the ruins of colonial-era Fort George.
The reality is that there are not really any fort remains and it is little more than a roped-off cannon. More like a children’s playground than a historical sight.
The Cayman Islands are a tax haven. This has spawned a thriving financial services industry, which is a major part of the local economy. In fact, George Town is the world’s fifth-largest financial centre. There are about 250 banks registered in the Cayman Islands.
Grand Cayman’s main claim to fame is the undersea world that surrounds it. The coral formations are almost everywhere and they are home to large populations of sea creatures. There are also the numerous shipwrecks making both diving and snorkelling amazing. Add to this very clear water, with underwater visibility reaching up to 30 meters in the right conditions.
The USS Kittiwake was formerly a Navy Submarine Rescue Vessel. It was sunk on January 5th, 2011 in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands to create an artificial reef and shipwreck attraction for scuba divers and snorkelers.
The Crystal Caves offer guided walking tours of around 90 minutes through the tropical forest to see 3 caves and the associated stalagmites and stalactites.
Sting Ray City is an attraction where guests can snorkel and swim in shallow water in close contact with numerous sting rays. The blurb shows isolated images but the reality is more like this.
Grand Cayman to us was a very long strip of resorts. We came on a Sunday, which meant that most of the shops were shut. We did the long hike to 7-mile beach, expecting a long stretch of sand.
However, what we got was small 50-200 meter stretches as you hit private beach sections where the resort of the day had locked you out of their little section. This meant you had to wade through the water to the other side or go back to the road and walk around.
Beyonce bought a super mansion here and we walked past it. We were warned about it but I strolled by oblivious, Jill managed to get a photo of the gates. Needless to say the rest was hidden away.
Grand Cayman was nice. It felt safe and fun and the walk around was interesting enough. I am certain that on any day other than a Sunday there would have been more going on, and if you are looking for a resort style holiday, then this place would be tough to beat.
The clarity of the water and the various shades of blue are exactly what I imagine when I get to a tropical island. And this place delivers that at almost every glance. The snorkelling that we saw looked a bit “trampled on”, but we were in the main tourist area. I am sure with a bit of effort and more time you could find some untouched spots that would deliver the ideal snorkelling.
Travelling the world in a pre and post COVID state
