I’ve been quiet lately, but it’s because I was getting ready for our cruise and then taking it! 🙂 The two of us had earned a free cruise, thanks to the points accumulated on our credit card, so we took off for the southern Caribbean. Summer temperatures in that area are low, compared to the desert where we live, but the humidity is so thick that you can almost cut it with a knife! I’m so used to a dry heat that the humidity was a real change; getting off the ship at each port blinded me briefly each day as my glasses fogged up at the first exposure to that humidity. LOL!
This first photo shows part of the interior of the cruise ship — it was really beautiful!
Our itinerary began and ended in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and included stops at five islands: Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Maarten/St Martin, and St. Croix. This last one is part of the U.S. Virgin Islands, though most of the others are independent countries.
When we reached Barbados, part of our sightseeing included a visit to an orchid “farm”, where we saw orchids growing in thin air! There were some planted in the ground, but most were simply hanging from wires, and they were all colors of the rainbow — just gorgeous.
BTW, all of these photos are “clickable” so that you can see them a little larger.
This is a photo of our ship, taken from quite a distance away; we were docked in Castries, St. Lucia.
We also saw what looked like a replica of a pirate ship. 😉
Our next port was Antigua, where we toured an old British fort overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. This photo shows part of the ruins; another step back, and we’d have been over the edge. 😉
St. Maarten/St Martin is very interesting, as it is half Dutch and half French. We did a bit of looking around on both sides of this island, but the most interesting part for me was a visit to the home of a former governor and its outlying buildings, many of which were shacks that had been inhabited by slaves. This signpost was fun to see. 🙂
Our last stop was in St. Croix, U.S.V.I. This island and the previous one were my favorites. The water around St. Croix is such a gorgeous shade of green/blue!
Here we are, ready to get back to the ship for our last night aboard before heading home. Look at that beautiful water!
One thought on “I’m back”
What beautiful places you saw! Now I’m dreaming of the beach. Maybe we’ll see an ocean themed quilt out of you soon? Glad you had fun and that you’re back.