Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Tonight's picture was taken in December of 2003. I personally think this photo was a riot. Which is why I probably captured this moment in time when I saw it! Mattie loved the bathtub. Well not originally, but he came to love it because it was another place he could play! Mattie did not limit bath time to just regular bath toys either. He would dump all sorts of toys into the tub, wash them, and make up all sorts of play schemes with them!


Quote of the day: The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Today we visited St. Thomas. Given that we have been doing organized tours for the past four days, we ventured into St. Thomas on our own. Organized tours can be wonderful, but they force you to move and see things at a certain pace. Which can be challenging and also exhausting. We have visited St. Thomas many times before and it is easy to tour on one's own. 

While the prehistoric Ciboney people from South America lived in St. Thomas as early as 1500 BC, St. Thomas was discovered by Columbus on his second voyage and was established as a trading post by the Dutch West India Company in 1657. Seizing the opportunity to establish a trade route in the Americas, agents of the Dutch West India Company founded the first settlement in 1672. 

Reminders of Dutch colonization are peppered across the island. In the 17^th century, the islands were divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish half. 

This is the wonderful sight you see when you pull into the port of St. Thomas! Yachts are everywhere, which was a first for us. Since all the other islands we visited on this cruise didn't have these luxuries in port. 

To me this looks just like a postcard. If I did not take this photo myself, I would think the colors were doctored. But this is what the waters and mountains in the background truly look like. 

This is the port town of Havensight, where cruise ships dock. It is quite a committee filled with shopping and restaurants. In port with us today were FOUR other ships. It is amazing the number of people these ships bring to the island in just one day. 

This is Charlotte Amalie, the capitol of St. Thomas. Specifically this is Main Street of Charlotte Amalie, which is known for its incredible shopping! 

This is another photo of Main Street. It was filled with lots of people and cars, but the architecture was lovely, well preserved, and colorful. 

My mom and I went shopping here and I came home with a lovely pendant in the shape of a Mattie Moon! 

This is Emancipation Square in the middle of Charlotte Amalie. Here a memorial has been erected to pay tribute to the slaves on the island and their emancipation. 

Sailing out of St. Thomas is beautiful given its terrain, boats in the water, and the dotting of houses and buildings in the background.

As we left port, we passed a Carnival Cruise ship and it began to rain. Tomorrow we are at sea for the entire day until we land in the Bahamas on Friday.  

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Tuesday, January 5, 2016 -- Mattie died 329 weeks ago today. 


Tonight's picture was taken in December of 2003. Mattie and Peter LOVE flashlights. Do not ask me what that is all about other than, we have A LOT of them! When Mattie came into our lives, he too gravitated to flashlights. He loved playing with them, opening them up and exploring their insides! To this day we still have flashlights everywhere. Even in our car!








Quote of the day: Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed. ~ Cavett Robert 

Today we visited St. Kitts. I have to admit after visiting several Caribbean islands back to back, it can get confusing to remember what sites and experiences you had on each island. There are great similarities among the islands..... such as the level of poverty, sanitation issues, animals that look under nourished and are roaming the streets, and the importance of the "rum shop." Every tour guide made particular mention to partying, drinking, and how certain herbs or plants native to the island can enhance your love life. Maybe hearing this once or twice maybe funny, but then you have to stop and think about this for a while. Though I have toured the Caribbean before and have heard about the importance of rum, on this cruise we have noticed that tasting rum for free is provided on almost every tour. Again, I am trying to avoid social commentary, but being a mental health provider by nature, I can't help but have feelings about doling out alcohol so liberally on tours. 

St. Kitts and her sister island, Nevis, are the smallest in the Western hemisphere in both area and population. Yet, people have lived here for more than 5,000 years. St. Kitts was the first island in the entire Caribbean to be settled. The French, English, and Spanish wrestled over the island. 

We toured the island using open aired buses today. This was what one of the streets looked like in St. Kitts. St. Kitts reminded us of Antigua and St. Lucia in terms of its development, and the island that most infrastructure and resources seemed to be Barbados. 

St. Kitts originally was a tobacco island, but because of competition from the Virginia colony, quickly turned to sugar cane. Slaves by the thousands were imported from Africa. Romney Manor, owned by an ancestor of Thomas Jefferson, flourished until the 1920s. Today, it’s home of both the famous Caribelle Batik fabric crafts factory and an ancient saman tree that takes up an entire half acre. 

A close up of Romney Manor. We had a four hour tour today, and we spent all of our time around Romney Manor. Which included learning about Batik, the Manor, and then a walk through a rain forest.

This bell tower is on the grounds of the manor. It seems innocuous until one understands that this bell was used like a time clock for slaves on the property. When the bell rang it indicated when they had to rise in the morning, when they had to work, and when they had to sleep.

On the manor, we came across this St. Kitts Cat!

At the Batik store we learned the process of making Batik. Batik is an artist style that is created on all sorts of fabrics. It involves hand sketching designs on material, using wax, color dyes, and then boiling the wax off the fabric. Other than St. Kitts, you can find Batik on St. Lucia and in Indonesia. 

A photo of my mom and I with some of the Batik on display. 

The production of sugar was at one time what made St. Kitts a highly sought after island by the British. The sugar mill was used to separate the sugar from the cane juice. When you boil down sugar cane juice, molasses is formed. Molasses is an important ingredient to making rum. So in essence this sugar mill, which was on the property of Romney Manor, produced sugar and rum.

After we toured the manor and the Batik area, we then went for a two hour walk through the rainforest. A rainforest which was on the Romney Manor property. The cruise line prepared us for a walk in the rainforest, but they didn’t make it clear that it was going to be two hours long, through rough terrain and mud. Despite the walking conditions, it was a very memorable walk.  

We hiked up and down elevations, through the mud, over stones and rocks, and large tree roots. Along the way, our guide showed us various native plants that either were edible or had medicinal purposes. There was a type of almond tree along the way, and literally the tour guide picked up almond pods on the ground, cracked it open with a stone, and let us taste the nuts.

Peter captured my mom and I on camera!

For this aggressive two hour walk, they gave each of us walking sticks! We had a feeling that was indicative of what was to come! We went up slippery elevations and down. It was a royal experience in humidity and of course while walking, it would periodically rain. 


After the two hour hike, they gave us passion fruit juice, plantains, banana bread, and of course what seems to be the trend on every tour.... rum. However, this dark rum to me smells and tastes more like scotch NOT rum. 

Our guide says that the French originally brought black faced vervet monkeys over to the island as pets. But then the monkeys were let free and according to him there are more monkeys on the island than people. He says that the leader of each monkey pack is known to be aggressive and they can even throw things at farmers when determined to get access to crops.  In any case, monkeys in diapers were all over the place for people to hold them and take photos. I happen to love animals but I have a healthy respect for animals in the wild, and it would never interest me to pose for a photo with such a monkey. 

Monday, January 4, 2016

Monday, January 4, 2016

Tonight's picture was taken in December of 2003. This was Mattie's first pony ride. I am not sure whose face was more priceless... Mattie's or Peter's!? Mattie was a bit scared at first, but then grew to love riding on a horse. Any time we would go to a park or zoo that had pony rides, Mattie always requested to ride. 



Quote of the day: I used to have this toy, a magic slate. You wrote or drew on it and then, just by pulling up the plastic cover, everything you did disappeared and you could start new. Maybe everyone feels that on New Year's Eve: They can pull up the magic sheet and rewrite their lives. ~  V.C. Andrews

Barbados floats by itself 100 miles east of St. Lucia, with a population of around 285,000 people. Although the Caribs, Arawaks, and Portuguese had all inhabited Barbados for certain periods, the island was completely unoccupied when the British first settled there in 1627. Gradual social and political reforms led to the country’s independence in 1966.

Ever since the Dutch kicked off Barbados’ sugar industry in the 1640’s, export has been vital to the island’s economy. Reliant upon labor from African slaves, Barbados generated more trade than all other British colonies combined at one point. 

We were greeted this morning by a glorious rainbow when we docked at Barbados. A true Mattie sign!

Gun Hill is one of six signal stations erected in the first two decades of the 19^th century for dual purposes. One was for defense, both internal and external, and the other for communicating with other signal stations located throughout Barbados. The Gun Hill station was created after a 1816 slave rebellion.  This was our first stop and a delight!

This is also of Gun Hill.  The tower is situated upon a hill overlooking many parts of the island.  Not that the fort was built to defend against anything, but it certainly looked as if it could withstand a volley.

This was one of the views from atop the Gun Hill tower, and it really gives you a feel for the topography of Barbados, which is perfectly suited to growing sugar cane, the main reason why the island remained under British control for centuries.

Peter snapped this sign at the entrance of the Orchid Gardens the second stop on our tour this morning, as it is very cute in its message. It was an outdoor tour of the most beautiful flora and fauna containing hundreds of blooming orchids and dozens of beautiful flowering plants.

This was one of the paths at the Orchid Gardens.

We cannot pass even a planter in the shape of Lightning McQueen without thinking of Mattie!

One the dozens of beautiful Orchids in bloom.

And a yellow one...

Sunbury plantation is over 300 years old and creates a vivid impression of life on a sugar estate in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. It contains an amazing collection of antique carriages and memorabilia. 

The interiors of the home were simply gorgeous and a delight to look at.

And of course, being in the Caribbean, you are never too far from rum! We got a complete demonstration (and samples) of local rums by the locals, who also enjoyed it while presenting!  This group was also willing to travel and put on the show again for us, and all they asked for was three plane tickets! Tomorrow, we stop at St. Kitts!

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Sunday, January 3, 2016

Tonight's picture was taken in December of 2003. We took Mattie to one of his favorite spots in Los Angeles.... Travel Town. Travel Town is a paradise for anyone who loves trains... exploring them, walking on tracks and hopping in and out of antique trains. As you can see Mattie and Peter were walking the tracks together. Mattie was a HUGE train affectionato, and always wanted to visit Travel Town!



Quote of the day: If they weren’t good for you in 2015, they won’t be great for you in 2016. Let them go. ~ Robert Tew

St. Lucia is part of the Lesser Antilles, it lies between the Caribbean islands of St. Vincent to the south and Martinique to the north. There are around 170,000 people living on the island. The island changed hands 14 times, tossed back and forth between the British and the French, with Britain being the final ruler of the island. English is the primary language, but French Patois is also spoken. All the towns on the island have French names.  

St. Lucia lives up to its national anthem….. “land of beaches, hills and valleys, fairest isle of all the earth.” From its dramatic black sand beaches along the southwest coast to gardens bursting with color, St. Lucia dazzles with a brilliant palette. This beautiful emerald isle boasts the national rainforest – 19,000 acres of verdant valleys carpeted with giant ferns and brilliantly colored orchids. 

Today's tour was HELLISH. It was eight hours, which is long for a tour in general, but it was the nature of the tour. We were riding in a tiny bus for eight hours on very windy and mountainous roads. It was like being on a bad amusement ride, but the problem was you couldn't get off. The tour was not described well when we signed up for it, because about 85% of it was spent on a bus. When you visit a tropical island you want to be walking and experiencing it, not trapped in a bus on windy roads. 

St. Lucia's two top industries are agricultural, particularly bananas and cocoa (of which 70% of their cocoa beans are sent to Hershey and Nestle in the USA), and tourism. 

Here you can see how they cultivate their bananas. They protect the fruit in blue bags as it grows, so insects and other animals avoid it and there is a colored ribbon around the bag to indicate when it needs to be picked. Once bananas are produced and picked, the tree is destroyed since it is a one hit wonder. 

The majestic twin peaks of the Pitons, a UNESCO World Heritage site seem to rise straight from the blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. Each of these mountains were created from hardened lava, and towers over 2,000 feet in the air. 

We visited Balenbouche Estate briefly. All stops were brief, because in my opinion this was more of a bus trip than a tour. However, to get from any one attraction to another requires major traversing on windy roads. 

We met the owner of this estate. She inherited from her father-in-law. This was an 18th century sugar mill plantation, and she operates it today as a museum, garden, and inn. 

From this look out on the island we could see the Caribbean on the left and the Atlantic on the right. 

St. Lucia has the only drive-in volcano in the Caribbean. The volcano is called Sulphur Springs and upon approaching it you understand why! The incredible rotten egg smell is downright overwhelming and takes adjusting to. But what is fascinating is that a road runs right up and through the volcano’s crater. Bubbling mud pots border steam vents that erupt as high as 50 feet in the air. 

Keep in mind that every thing white is steam from the Sulphur Springs. Not only was this a site to see, but it provided a smell I won't forget anytime soon!

The next major stop on our tour was at Morne Coubaril Estate. We had a traditional creole lunch outside which was memorable and then walked the gardens and saw the cocoa house. This Estate produces cocoa for export and we got to see the process of cultivating cocoa from a pod to beans and also got to see coconuts being husked. 

This is the cocoa house. When the fruit is picked from a tree, it is taken here for the beans to dry (in the wooden structures you see here). As they are drying the liquid that comes from the beans get fermented and turned into vinegar. Basically every part of the cocoa pod is used!

This is the cocoa fruit and the beans are inside the pod. 

When you open the pod above, you don't see beans, you get something that looks and tastes like a lychee nut! This nut is what dries in the wooden structures above. 

Though I typically try not to make social commentaries or view other cultures with my own Western lens, I feel the need to make this observation after visiting Antigua and now St. Lucia today. I saw incredible poverty, sanitation issues that are indescribable, and one of the worst sights to me are the dogs. The dogs are running wild everywhere and are emaciated. Some have sores on them, are not spade or neutered, and look desperate for food as they follow you around everywhere in hopes you will give them something. For islands filled with natural beauty it is hard to see animals in such dire straits, not to mention how such lush and beautiful surroundings are polluted with trash.

I end tonight's posting with a photo of a calico cat I saw today. This is our St. Lucia Patches!

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Tonight's picture was taken in December of 2003. Mattie was visiting Los Angeles and he LOVED being outside and picking fruit off my parent's trees. It wasn't only the picking part that intrigued him but the sorting and stacking of the different types of fruits! You can just see the joy on Mattie's face! 


Quote of the day: For last year's words belong to last year's language 
And next year's words await another voice. ~  T.S. Eliot

After three days at sea, we landed in Antigua today! It was very nice to see land and walk on solid ground for a few hours. This is the view of Antigua as we pulled into port. 

Antigua is formed by volcanoes and it is the largest of the Leeward Islands. It is 108 square miles, 14 miles long and 11 miles wide. Its population is around 100,000. 

Antigua is known to have 365 beaches, one for each day of the year. Its main industries are tourism and agriculture. In 1632, the British colonized the island and Sir Christopher Codrington's arrival in 1684 heralded the development of its large-scale sugar cultivation. In the 18th century, the British Royal Navy chose Antigua as its base (ultimately to protect the sugar manufactured on the island), making a deep and lasting mark on the island's maritime development. 

This outcrop of land, that looks like a finger headed into the water is where Eric Clapton has an enormous house and compound on Antigua. 

In addition, not far from his home is Crossroads, a drug rehabilitation center that Clapton financed on Antigua. This is what Clapton says about the facility:

"As a recovering addict and alcoholic, many people over the years spoke with me about the problems associated with drug and alcohol abuse on the island. Subsequently, around 1993, I began to speak with more and more people about the possibility of founding a Centre on the island for the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. There was certainly a need, and so the dream and the vision were born.

My vision was to create a Centre of the highest caliber to treat people of the Caribbean and throughout the world. The Centre would be staffed with experienced and internationally recognized professionals. The cost of treatment would be held to the lowest possible level, ensuring affordability and accessibility. And most importantly, this non-profit Centre would provide treatment scholarships for people of the Caribbean region and around the world."

Shirley Heights, which is where we were standing to take this photo, was originally built as a signal station to alert troops of approaching ships. 

At Dow's Hill we saw an interpretative video that traces Antiguan heritage and the grounds contain the remains of a 1780's house, gun platform, and observation area overlooking what is in this photo (Nelson's Dockyard National Park). 

Glorious bougainvillea at Dow's Hill. 

My mom and I at Nelson's Dockyard. When Admiral Horatio Nelson sailed into Antigua in 1784, he had little reason to believe that the port would develop into one of the Great Britain's most important military bases in the Caribbean, but it did. This 19th century dockyard that once served as the headquarters of the British naval fleet of the Leeward Islands has been converted into a museum and national park. 

Peter posed in front of the Royal Princess (left) and P&O Cruises' Azura (right). The Royal Princess is 1,083 feet long, with 19 floors! It feels like a sky scrapper and walking from one end of the ship to the other is exercise!