Merry Christmas

December 25

Cabo San Lucas

Santa arrived by ship in Cabo!!  It was a beautiful, sunny Christmas Day. Wishing everyone a lovely Christmas. 

Journey's End

November 25

Miami

It's been a great trip, but happy to be back home. Will deliver my collection of baby caps that I knit for the premies--one of which was done by our cabin stewardess with yarn I provided. 

In the U.S.--sort of......

November 21

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Yipes, bought a souvenir ornament and paid 11.5% sales tax. Maybe that's how they plan to solve their financial woes!!

Walked through Old San Juan with its lovely 16th and 17th century Spanish Colonial buildings. We also walked the El Morro national trail, part of the U.S. National Park system. 

Island Boy

November 20

Virgin Gorda, BVI

Out on a catamaran today to do some snorkeling and cruising the British Virgin Islands. Rick looks just like he belongs. 

Marvelous Martinique

November 19

Fort-de-France

Martinique is part of the Lesser Antilles, and is considered an overseas region of France--a French Department. 

We watched their Chef's Festival at the public market, dancing in the street, and iguanas at the beach. There is a lovely library designed by Eiffel. 

Barbados and Baobabs

November 18

Bridgetown, Barbados

Barbados celebrates 50 years of independence this month. All the buildings are festooned in blue and yellow and many people are wearing special celebration shirts. 

There is a baobab tree here that may be a thousand years old. Its trunk is 81 feet around. 

On the eastern side of the island there is great surfing and mushroom rocks. 

The Devil Made Me Do It

November 16

Devils Island, French Guiana

Visited the former French penal colony on Devils Island. The prison really exists on three small islands. They were made famous by the movie Papillion, which we watched the night before our arrival--you know, Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. It really made the place come alive. We walked among the ruins of the cells, church, hospital, etc. There is a new hotel on the main island. 

The European Space Launch center is on the coast of Fr. Guiana, so they have to evacuate Devils Island when they do a launch because of the trajectory of the rocket. There is actually a launch scheduled for Nov 17th, to put GPS satellites in space.