Winding down...

I haven’t made very many blog posts this time around because we haven’t done much except read, work, nap and a few dips into the pool.

Yesterday, we went out on a catamaran, though – the Cool Runnings III.

They picked us up at 8:15 am.  We were on time for once, but still the third of 3 couples going from The Crane.  We didn’t make any more pickups.  WooHoo!

So, we set off from the Careenage. This is an inlet into Bridgetown where several ships, boats and catamarans make berth. The “bridge” in Bridgetown is over the Careenage. There are two bridges now. The original is now a foot bridge with the newer, wider one for vehicles.

On any of these ships, they have an open bar and start off with yummy banana bread for a morning snack. After they clear the Careenage, they put up the sails and we’re off.

Tom on mobile – of course!

Our first stop of the morning was Payne’s Bay where Tom swam with the giant sea turtles.  A woman taking pictures was talking kind of snootily to someone that “In Hawaii they gave them flippers…”  I barged in and told her that they couldn’t have flippers at this stop because of the turtles but they would have them at the next.  ”So?!?”  I told her the turtles were an endangered species and didn’t like being kicked in the head with flippers.  Sheesh!

Turtle at Payne’s Bay, Barbados

The second stop was Folkstone Marine Park. All these ships stop there because it’s home to a sunken barge. This creates a home for lots of marine life. I’m not very good at recognizing fish but I always know when I see a school of sergeant major fish.

School of fish, taken from the deck of Cool Runnings III

Our last stop was a swimming stop off Alley’s beach. During this stop, we had a typical Bajan tourist lunch. The main dishes in this are flying fish, barbecue chicken, peas’n'rice, green salad, potato salad, a lo-mein sort of dish and rolls. Sometimes a sweet coleslaw, macaroni pie or beef stew is added but not today. Today’s dessert was carrot cake with cream cheese. Just like at home!

I didn’t get in the water this time but that’s ok – I just love being on the boat.

Back home and into the pool.

The next post will be the one where I list what I’ve been reading on this trip.  It will be fewer books since I’ve been working more than usual…

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Cruisin' With Susan, 2013

I'm so excited!  Just over six years ago Susan M, one of my Cushie friends, invited me on a cruise to Bermuda. I was delighted and excited to go. Then I found out I had kidney cancer and had to bow out at the last minute - the cruise embarked the day I left the hospital. My surgeon said that there was no way I could postpone my surgery for another 5 or so days so someone else went in my place.

So, that was it for my first (and only!) Bermuda cruise.

Then in 2008, I heard from my friend again, asking me if I wanted to do the cruise then! Of course, I said yes… She said she was celebrating and upgraded the whole cruise to the Western Caribbean. We had a superior balcony stateroom and I could wear some of the clothes I got for the non-cruise.

You can read all about our 2008 cruise here: http://www.cushingsonline.com/cruise/cruise.htm and see a slideshow of pictures at http://www.cushingsonline.com/cruise/cruise.html

Last year, September of 2011, we went on a land trip to Gloucester, MA.  Blog posts and pictures for that trip start here http://maryoutandabout.posterous.com/last-trip-for-awhile.

I was at work today when I saw Susan's name pop up on my cellphone and knew she wanted to go on another trip.  As soon as I got in my car, I listened to her message.  YES!  Another cruise!

We talked on the phone and decided on this trip:

Then, Susan booked the cruise and called back to say it was even cheaper than we thought it would be.  Major WooHoo.  And, we have the all-important balcony.

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Sailing, Sailing...

Over the years, we went on several Windjammer Barefoot Cruises.  We liked them because they were small, casual and were fairly easy on the wallet.

They sailed around the Caribbean to a variety of islands, although they sometimes changed itineraries depending on weather, crew, whatever.  One trip we were supposed to go to Saba but couldn't make port.  A lot of people got off at the next port and flew home.

The captains were prone to "Bedtime Stories" which were often more fiction than true but they added to the appeal of the trip.  We didn't care if we missed islands or not - we were just there to sail over the waves and enjoy the ride.

The last trip we took with them was about two years before I started having Cushing's problems.  (You wondered how I was going to tie this together, right?)

The cuise was uneventful, other than the usual mishaps like hitting docks, missing islands and so on.  Until it was a particularly rough sea one day.  I was walking somewhere on deck and suddenly a wave came up over the deck making it very slippery.  I fell and cracked the back of my head on the curved edge of a table in the dining area.  I had the next-to-the-worse headache I have ever had, the worst being after my pituitary surgery. At least after the surgery I got some morphine.

We asked several doctors later if that hit could have contributed to my Cushing's but doctors didn't want to get involved in that at all.

The Windjammer folks didn't fare much better, either. In October 1998, Hurricane Mitch was responsible for the loss of the s/v Fantome (the last one we were on).

All 31 crew members aboard perished; passengers and other crew members had earlier been offloaded in Belize.

The story was recorded in the book The Ship and the Storm: Hurricane Mitch and the Loss of the Fantome by Jim Carrier.  The ship, which was sailing in the center of the hurricane, experienced up to 50-foot (15 m) waves and over 100 mph (160 km/h) winds, causing the Fantome to founder off the coast of Honduras.

This event was similar to the Perfect Storm in that the weather people were more interested in watching the hurricane change directions than they were in people who were dealing with its effects.

I read this book and I was really moved by the plight of those crew members.

 I'll never know if that hit on my head contributed to my Cushing's but I have seem several people mention on the message boards that they had a traumatic head injury of some type in their earlier lives.

 

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Jammin' Cat

See the full gallery on Posterous

What a nice - but early! - day.  The taxi picked us up at 7:30 am for the Jammin' Cats catamaran.  Along the way we picked up a couple young women from Holland, then another from Australia.

We arrived at the Careenage, paid our bill, took off our shoes and got onboard.  We found a nice little place in the shade for a while before leaving the dock.

Not long after we got onboard, we started motoring out of the careenage into the Caribbean for thesbille first snorkel site, the one where folks can swim with the hawksbill sea turtles. People coudn't use fins here because the turtles are endangered. Due to Tom's puncture wound, we had decided not to go in the water on this trip but it was fun to see the others swimming with the turtles.

We countinued along to a snorkel site over a scuttled French ship, the Berwin.  The Berwin is a World War I French boat scuttled in 1919 by her own crew. Her captain thought that they were being followed by a German U-Boat and decided to abandon ship first. The Berwyn sits between 7 and 10 feet below the surface depending on the tide. We could see her outline from onboard ship. Because it's so calm in the bay and because the wreck is nearly 100 years old, it is covered in marine life, such as coral, and lots of fish.

When we left the Berwin it was time to hoist the sails and head north to Payne's Beach.   In this calm bay we were close to land and it was pretty shallow so people could have fun swimming, floating on mattresses or going into shore.  This catamaran also had the luxury of drink delivery to the mattresses and swimmers!  Next time, you'll find me relaxing on a floating mattress!

After a bit, it was lunch time.  Those of us onboard got to eat while the swimmers were still climbing on board.  It was a pretty standard Bajan Tour lunch - peas'n'rice, flying fish, curry chicken, salad, macaroni pie...  I'm not complaining at all, though - I love it all :)

After lunch, a bit more swimming, then heading south again.

We disembarked about 2:30 or so and got home about 3:30.  It was a beautiful day, no rain, but I was exhausted.  I fell asleep and didn't wake up until about 8.

We got a call from the front desk - someone from the Sunday non-catamaran had called.  Tom got the number to call back on Tuesday.

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24 hours...

...and we'll be at the airport for our trip to Barbados.

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More about St Maarten / St Martin

St. Maarten is the smallest Island in the world to be shared by two sovereign governments-namely the Dutch and French. The Dutch side, with Philipsburg as its capital occupies the southern 17 square miles of this 37-square-mile island; St. Martin, a French dependency, occupies the northern half. The dual nationality adds variety to this most unique of island gems in the Caribbean Sea, in the Antilles. Both Dutch St. Maarten and French St. Martin have maintained a peaceful coexistence for over 350 years, the longest of any two bordering nations. The two territories have enjoyed harmonious relations through their history and have shared the prosperity of many years without dispute. The Treaty of Concordia executed on March 23rd 1648 established this coexistence and has the unique distinction of being the oldest Treaty still in force today.

St Maarten is truly unique as it is home to distinct cultures, the French and the Dutch.

Although both sides share claim to wonderful beaches, underwater delights and great duty and tax-free shopping with an abundance of upscale designer boutiques and  jewelry shops, each side has special pleasures awaiting the visitor. The island is also known as the Gourmet Capital of Caribbean. There is a complete range of first class restaurants to satisfy all. Trendy and hip discos, clubs, bars and casinos make it also one of the most exciting places to party in the Caribbean. St Maarten is a fabulous mix of French, Dutch and Caribbean charm and hospitality.

Located on famous Cupecoy Beach in Saint Maarten, the Wyndham Sapphire Beach Club & Resort boasts beautiful Ocean and Beachfront views from your private terrace or balcony. The secluded beach is a prime spot for swimming, snorkeling and watersports. Opportunities abound for day sails to nearby islands, scuba diving, deep-sea fishing, shopping, casinos and the best dining in the Caribbean. Situated on the Dutch Side, and just minutes from the French Side, the Wyndham Sapphire Beach Club & Resort is only miles from Princess Juliana International Airport.

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Heading to St Maarten / St Martin this summer

Eventually I'll make a page for this like I have for other trips but I just wanted to make a little start here.
We'll be staying at Wyndham Sapphire Beach resort

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The Wyndham Sapphire Beach Club & Resort is a modern Caribbean style resort, which is located between the Caribbean Sea and the expansive Simpson Bay Lagoon. Thus all rooms offer stunning views of the Ocean or the Lagoon. The resort is also conveniently located near some of the island's best upscale shopping areas, trendy bars, nightclubs & casinos. The best beaches are also within walking distance of the Resort. The resort offers a large Tropical Fresh Water Swimming Pool, a Kids Pool, Two Outdoor Jacuzzis, a Health Club, Internet Cafe, Duty-Free Superette and a Car Rental Desk. The Sapphire Café is an open-air café serving international cuisine set amongst the lush tropical gardens with nightly scheduled entertainment.

All guest accomodations boast elegant Caribbean Style décor, luxurious spacious Italian marble bathrooms, a private terrace, a fully fitted kitchenette (equiped with coffee making facilities), Satellite & Cable TV, VCRs, and direct dial telephones. In addition, each room offers a spectacular view of either the Caribbean Sea or the Simpson Bay Lagoon.

All guest accomodations facing the Ocean have a private Jacuzzi on each of its balconies. The resort also has luxurious villas and penthouses each fitted with its own private swimming pool overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The resort is fun, friendly and full of Dutch and French Antillean hospitality and is perfect for small groups, couples, families and senior travellers.

From another site:




Sapphire Beach Club consists of three towers along the road and thirteen villas along the shore of Cupecoy Beach. In between is a beautiful garden, this lovely freshwater pool, and a lively restaurant and bar. Below that is a gated, underground parking garage. The marble lobby has a concierge/activities desk and a jewelry shop. The lower level has a suprette, a mini-gym, a hairdresser, and a spa/massage center. Most of the villas are in whole ownership and about 15% of the towers are also. The rest of the property is timeshare. Many owners (and some timeshare owners) rent their units at attractive rates

The villas were the first units to be constructed, followed by tower number one, in the center. Tower two, to the east or left when viewed from the road, was finished in 1995 and tower three was completed around the turn of the century. The villas are typically numbered 0xx, with xx indicating the unit number 1 through 14. The towers are numbered xyz, where x is the tower (1, 2, or 3), y is the floor in the European style where 0 is the ground floor and 1 is the floor above that, etc, and z is the unit number on the floor, again starting at 0 on the left and proceeding along the Caribbean side of the building, ending with the units along the road, called lagoon view units, as they have a view only of the lagoon, not the Caribbean. Moreover, they do not have hot tubs on the deck, as all other units do. In total, there are 180 units with many floor plans, but basically all units have a kitchen with granite countertops, a sleeping area with a kingsize bed, a living room with a sleep sofa, and a dining area. The floor plans vary from building to building, but here are some samples:

1 BR Floor through, Caribbean and lagoon views | 1 BR Caribbean View
Studio | Lagoon Studio | 2 BR Floor through | 2 BR tower 3 | Villa

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