Back to St Vincent and the Grenadines

January 22, 2024January 22, 2024 loisjjohnsonLeave a comment

On my cruise last year, one of my favourite islands was called Bequia, and it is one of the Grenadine islands in St Vincent and the Grenadines. On this cruise we are visiting the smallest of the inhabited islands of the Grenadines, Mayreau. And by small, we’re talking .46 sq miles and a population or approximately 400. The hilltop town of Station Hill is the centre of the population where a Catholic Church (more on that later) as well as a Pentecostal church and an elementary school. At one time salt was harvested from the island for export, but now is just used locally. There is an area popular with yachts to harbour and a small resort area at Saltwhistle Bay.

And today, it’s beach party time on Mayreau! The amazing Windstar staff set up beach chairs, a beach bar, lunch and the water toys from the hold of the ship on a white sand beach. The ship was anchored in the bay and we could shuttle back and forth as many times as we liked between 9 and 4:30 (well that was the plan, read on). Drinks were served to our lounge chairs and we could dip into the warm sea as often as we liked.

But before we sat back to enjoy the leisure, we decided to work for our leisure and lunch by hiking to the top of the tallest point on the island. Our main interest was in seeing a charming Catholic Church, Church of the Immaculate Conception at the heart of the town. The original wooden church on this site was built in the early 1800s by settlers but it was replaced several times after being destroyed by hurricanes. In the 1930s, a Benedictine Monk decided that the people of the island deserved more than the tent that they were using after the last church was destroyed, so he set about learning how to build a decent church for them. He had no knowledge of building techniques and so travelled to Belgium to learn the masonry skills necessary. When he returned he taught others his newly learned skills and a new simple but beautiful church was christened on May 12,1930. It was well worth the pilgrimage up the hill to see as well as the view from the top.

The road up was very steep and we were thankful that there were some shady spots to stop and rest before carrying on. The locals we met along the way were so welcoming. By the time we got down to the beach party site, we had earned our swim in the warm and buoyant sea and I spent at least 30 minutes bobbing around!

We enjoyed some cool beverages, the scenery and some great company for some time and then the smells coming from the lunch tent became overwhelming and so we move over into the picnic tables in the shade to enjoy our barbequed lunch of Mahi Mahi Tacos, and a multitude of salads and desserts.

Many times you’ve seen a version of my painted toes in pictures of my travels. Today I decided that I needed to get a picture of them with our beautiful Star Pride in the background. Unknown to me, I was giving some of the loungers on the beach some entertainment in watching my antics as I tried to get my toes and the ship in the same frame, both in focus, all while waves were crashing down on me on the beach. In fact one of the observers took a picture of me in action which I thought I’d managed to get from her today, but it didn’t come through. So I’ll have to share it with you tomorrow. Apparently some of the observers comments indicated they thought I was aiming for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition shots!

After a bit I decided to go back to the ship, and I am very glad I went when I did. Thirty minutes or so later a squall went through and the rain was being driven sideways by the wind. So the afternoon was cut short but by then it was 3 pm or so and pretty much everyone had enough sun already. Once everyone and everything was aboard, the Captain high-tailed it out of there and outran the storm and into calmer waters for our voyage to our next stop. Back on ship our agenda was full, with a nature talk on reptiles, a general trivia contest and dinner. So much to do, so little time.

But I haven’t told you much about St Vincent and the Grenadines yet. So here goes…….

The island of St Vincent makes up most of the land mass of the country, with a small percentage being spread over 32 islands and cays, only 9 of which are inhabited. The islands are the products of volcanic eruptions and St Vincent is hilly with rich fertile valleys and interior rain forests.

St Vincent and the Grenadines has a slightly different history than the other islands in the Caribbean. There were inhabitants called Siboney’s who were there up to 7000 years ago. Then they took the normal route of Arawak invasion and then Caribs. Although the Spanish tried to invade, it was more or less the Carib’s last stand and because of the the sheer number of Caribs who had escaped to there from other islands they were successful in warding them off much longer than in the other islands.

The English and French invaded at different times and the English eventually took over the islands under the Treaty of Paris. They ejected the Caribs to the Honduras and used the islands for plantations, but they were not terribly successful. Finally after the abolition of slavery, two volcanic eruptions and several hurricanes, the British agreed to independence for St Vincent and the Grenadines in 1979. The plantations were broken up into smaller farms and plantations which still grow bananas for export.

Tourism is growing but slowly compared to the other nearby islands of Barbados and Grenada. There have been some questionable decisions by the government in selling crown land to international investors which has made the investors wealthy but the locals have not benefitted.

The environment is something the government has grappled with ahead of some of the other islands being among the first to ban styrofoam. They have implemented programs to recover reefs and fish stocks destroyed by overfishing and pollution, funded by charging all hotel room visitors with an environmental surcharge. Water is of big concern in the whole country. Collecting runoff, desalination plants and wells are minimal and while it can supply the local inhabitants tourism is a drain on their supply. In the southern Grenadines there is no government water source and residents must save their own rain water for their use and resort to buying bottled water which is obviously expensive to ship.

Fun Facts:

-The Caribs called St Vincent and the Islands “Hairouna” which translates to “Land of the Blessed”.

-The listed most popular religions are Christianity and Rastafarianism

-the islands of Mustique, Palm Island and Union Island have been frequented by the ultra-wealthy as well as the British Royal Family.

-Like other Caribbean islands, a volcano on the island, La Soufriere, erupted in 2021 after lying dormant since 1979. The ash plume went 20,000 ft into the air and it displaced thousands of people.

-Several scenes from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies were filmed in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

-The Saint Vincent Botanic Gardens were established in 1765 in Kingstown and are the oldest botanical gardens in the western hemisphere.

-Citizens of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are known as Vincentians or colloquially as Vincies.

-There are said to be at least seven species of whales and 11 species of dolphins in this area, so we’ll keep our eyes open.

2024 Caribbean Cruise

The interesting island of Tobago

January 21, 2024January 23, 2024 loisjjohnson2 Comments

As promised, we travelled overnight to the country of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) which is located southwest of Barbados closer to and northeast of Venezuela. Tobago is one of the two main islands of the archipelago of Trinidad and Tobago and is home to only approximately 4% of the population (52,000). Trinidad used to be part of South America and sits on the continental shelf whereas Tobago is part of a sunken mountain chain. The archipelago is safe from the hurricanes of the region sitting south of the hurricane belt in the shadow of South America.

Tobago originated from volcanic action leaving a hilly terrain with elevations up to 640 meters (Pigeon Peak), but there are no active volcanoes. Much of the island is covered in forests and the coastline is irregular with bays, beaches and mangroves. There are several satellite islands surrounding Tobago.

The history of the islands is similar to others with settlement happening through colonization and slavery and indentureship or apprenticeship systems. As a result, the current population consists of people of African, Indian, European, Middle Eastern and Chinese descent.

The original inhabitants of Trinidad were the Arawak and Caribbean speaking peoples (called Amerindians) and the first European visitors (Christopher Columbus) arrived in 1498. Columbus apparently promised to name his next discovery after the Holy Trinity, and thus the name Trinidad. Although in Spanish control until 1797, Trinidad was largely settled by French colonists but control of Tobago moved between the British, French, Dutch and Courlanders (early day Latvians! ). In fact it changed hands 32 times and is nickname the “Gem of the Caribbean” as a result. In 1704 it was declared neutral and the pirates moved in and used it as a base for the exploits. It ended up in the hands of the British in 1814 with the Treaty of Paris and they established sugar, indigo and cotton plantations using slave labour. Have we heard this story before? Non-violent protests in 1834 started the process of abolishing the “apprentice” system and emancipation was accomplished by 1838. Tobago joined Trinidad in 1889 and despite growing anti-colonist sentiment, it didn’t become independent from the UK until 1962 and a republic in 1976. And yes, their government is based on the Westminster System but also on a two party system.

With T&T sitting next to Venezuela, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that oil was discovered on Trinidad in the early 1900s and it remains a major industry in the country although with help from government programs, it is moving toward LNG from oil and it is one of the largest exporters of LNG in the world, supplying a huge percentage of the US Market. Tourism and manufacturing also play a role in the Trinidad economy.

The mangroves near where the boat we took was moored.

Fun Facts about Tobago

⁃ famous for its pre-Lenten Carnival including J’Ouvert where revellers get up in the middle of the night, cover themselves and throw paint, chocolate and mud and dance along the parade route.

⁃ Birthplace of the limbo which was originally performed at wakes!

⁃ Also, as you may know, it is the birthplace of the steel pan drum. But some said that drumming, was banned by the slave overlords because of a fear that it would be used to “drum up” protests over slavery. And the development of the steel drum from used paint pots, oil drums and biscuit tins is a result.

⁃ The first black winner of Miss Universe in 1977, the then 24 yr old Janelle Commissiong, was from T&T

⁃ Tobago is only 26 miles long by 7 miles across

⁃ Trinidad and Tobago is a leading member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) an organization of 15 countries in the Caribbean whose objective is integrate the economies by lowering trade barriers and increasing cooperation among its member states.

⁃ It’s said the sea around Tobago can be as warm as your bath. Guess it depends on how warm you like your bath, but you get the idea.

⁃ Tobago is known as one of the best Caribbean destinations for drift diving.

⁃ Bacolet Bay Beach on Tobago is famous as the location for the movie Swiss Family Robinson (1960 so some of you may not remember it 😂) and because the Beatles hung out there in the 1960/70s.

⁃ There is a bay called Bloody Bay, which was named after a bloody naval battle, that supposedly turned the waters red with blood, however it’s entirely likely it’s because of the red earth deposits which stained it. (Like in PEI).

⁃ Of course cricket is not only popular in T&T but rather an obsession. But football (NA Soccer) and basketball are also played and watched.

⁃ The Moruga Scorpion pepper from T&T has a heat rating of 1.2 million Scoville heat units (SHUs). According to the experts that makes it the third hottest chilli pepper in the world.

⁃ Because it was once part of South America T&T has the greatest abundance of wildlife in the Caribbean. Over 400 species of birds (including 17 varieties of hummingbirds), 600 butterflies, 100 species of mammals, 85 species of reptiles, and 30 species of amphibians. Not to mention over 700 orchids species and thousands of other flowering species.

When I awoke this morning after a great sleep being rocked gently in my ever so comfortable bed, we were docked in Scarborough, (no, not the one in the GTA), the main city of Tobago. This was the alternate stop because the swells in our original destination, Man-O-War Bay, were too high for us to tender. Before I’d grabbed breakfast on the upper deck, a much larger Costa ship had docked right beside us and I’m reminded why I like the smaller Windstar ships.

On my schedule for this port was reef viewing on a glass bottom boat, snorkelling and a swim stop on a sand bar for those who wanted to swim in shallower water. Our group (and several others both from our ship and our dock neighbour it turned out) loaded on to buses and headed to the crude dock where the boats were moored. On our way, we drove through Scarborough and many little fishing towns along the way to get to the Atlantic side of the island. I always love to take excursions because they get you on to the island and to sometimes see the places where real people live and not just the tourist spots.

On our drive I saw more goats per square mile than I’ve ever seen in my life. Everyone seemed to have a few in their yards. Turns out that during Carnival, known here as the “Greatest Show on Earth” they have all sorts of activities, including goat races! Each goat has a jockey, but instead of riding on the goat, they run along behind. I can just imagine the chaos. After a few years of races, when the goats are grown… well, I’m sure you can imagine the reason for their demise.

The reef where we were supposed to drift in the boat was the Angel Reef on the other side of the island where there is one of the world’s largest corals. But we ended up at Buccoo Reef, which was still interesting with lots of corals, sponges and fish.

There is a barrier reef along the east coast of Tobago which we could see, and the water colour with the white line of waves breaking on the reef and the dark clouds made for a gorgeous view. The swells were quite high, the weather a little threatening, and since we’d seen the reef through the glass bottom window, only 4 of our group snorkelled, and I wasn’t one of them.

After the short snorkel spot, our next stop was the opportunity for people to swim in the warm, waist-high, turquoise water with a beautiful white sand floor. It turns out this swimming spot has a name and a history! “Nylon Pool” is a shallow white ground coral pool in the sea off Pigeon Point, near Buccoo Reef. Princess Margaret named it Nylon Pool in 1962 because it felt to her like a swimming pool. The locals claim if you swim there you will look 10 years younger, or live 10 years longer and if married couples swim there they will stay married forever, and then something about if you kiss underwater, but I missed the last part of that one!

Now I can vouch for the fact that the water is as warm as a bath tub.

Once back, lunch was an immediate necessity, since it had been a few hours since breakfast, and then a nap might have happened. But my alarm was set to attend the talk by the on-board naturalist, from Costa Rica. She spoke really knowledgeably about the Rain Forest, the Panamanian Land Bridge, and Ecozones. She had done research in the rain forests of Costa Rica for many years so she knew her stuff, both academically and hands on. She is going to speak about sloths, butterflies and other things in the coming days.

Taken from inside our boat today. Can you see the sail surfer?

We have now departed Tobago under clear beautiful blue skies and our next stop will be Mayreau, on Saint Vincent and the Islands. It’s our beach party day tomorrow, so no excursions, but rather beach chairs set up on the beach with a BBQ lunch and bar set up for everyone. Looking forward to chilling under an umbrella tomorrow sipping iced tea.

2024 Caribbean Cruise

Sailing away from Barbados

January 20, 2024 loisjjohnsonLeave a comment

The hotel pool where I spent the morning

This morning I awoke in my hotel in Barbados to grey skies and puddles as it had rained overnight. The forecast was for rain today and I didn’t look forward to starting off on my cruise in the rain. However, before I had my second cup of tea at the bountiful breakfast buffet provided at the hotel the skies had brightened up and the humidity had come down about 20% and the clouds had disappeared. (And yes, I’ve given up even trying to control my hair already).

I spent a lovely couple of hours in the shade at the hotel pool, reading and people watching (and doing some research for my blog). Then it was time to transfer to the ship. Although the cruise ship terminal was a bit chaotic, all worked out and by 1:30 I was aboard and settling in to my cabin.

I didn’t end up going in to Bridgetown to explore because there was just too much on the agenda for the afternoon! Lunch had to be had, suitcases had to be unpacked into the most ample sized cabin imaginable, snorkel and fins had to be picked up, excursions had to be planned, and naps had to be had.

So the day was spent pretty much getting settled into the rhythm of life on the Star Pride. I haven’t mentioned yet that I know two other solo travellers on the cruise. Turns out a friend on Facebook saw my itinerary and reached out to let me know she was on the same cruise! And there she was on the same bus that shuttled us from the passenger check-in location at the cruise ship terminal to the ship. What are the chances of that? And one of the travellers I spent time with last year on my cruise, (who lives in Colorado in the winter and Wisconsin in the summer, but with roots in Canada) and I planned ahead to be on the cruise at the same time again this year. She also encouraged a neighbour to join her so we had to spend some time catching up and enjoying the tropical breeze on the top deck of the Star Pride, iced tea in hand.

Cruises are pretty much works in progress, as the seas don’t always cooperate with where we want to go, and already tomorrow we’re being slightly diverted from one side of Tobago to another, and our excursion has been changed from one reef to another for snorkelling. Too bad but I’ll roll with the punches and really who can complain about 28 degrees, sunshine, sea breezes and snorkelling in the warm Caribbean.

At 6 pm we were manoeuvred away from the dock in Bridgetown by a local pilot tug, and slowly left Barbados behind. The Sail-away is a tradition done every time we leave port and while it’s more effective on the sailing ships when the sails are unfurled, the flag raising ceremony still brings a lump to my throat. The ship’s flag is slowly raised to the sounds of Vangelis’ Conquest of Paradise with much pomp and circumstance and many of the passengers on deck cheering it on.

This is not our little ship but rather one of the other huge ones in port today, and you can just see the lights of a Star Clipper tall ship.

After a busy day, and a great tasting dinner with interesting and engaging conversation, I’m ready to let the Star Pride rock me to sleep so that I can get up refreshed for another day of fun and adventure.

Stay tuned for more on Trinidad and Tobago and our adventures tomorrow.

2024 Caribbean Cruise

And I’m off! First Stop Barbados

January 19, 2024 loisjjohnson7 Comments

Friday, January 19, 2024

This evening I arrived into the capital city of Bridgetown, Barbados from Toronto where I overnighted last night so as to avoid a hellishly early flight from Ottawa to the centre of the universe. I planned my trip to have one night in Barbados in advance of the start of my cruise, just in case there were bad weather delays or cancelled flights. I’m getting soft in my old age! The travel logics were uneventful, which are the best kind when travelling. Everything was on time, the reservations worked out, and the transfer to the hotel was flawless.

The customs area was efficient with dozens of electronic kiosks to input data.

Also with the chaos of travel these days I decided not to chance checking baggage on this trip and went with only carry-on. With a couple of trial runs, I managed to get almost everything I thought I’d need in to my luggage and backpack. I have a laundry package on the ship, and they do an excellent job of it and getting it back to you same day. So, we’ll see how I make out and whether it’s my new go-to or if I go back to checking a bag.

And what a great place the Accra Beach Resort is to spend a night before boarding the Star Pride. Right on one of the white sand beaches Barbados is famous for, and a big pool area. It’s a little tired but very clean and the people are incredibly friendly.

It took me just minutes to get changed and out to the beach after arrival, put my toes in the white powdery sand and go for a walk in the surf. I didn’t spend too much time in the sun, with my fish-belly white skin, but watched the sun go down from a comfortable lounge chair in the shade.

Before I start posting for this trip, I will remind you that I try my best to research info that I put into my blogs, but I do screw up and misconstrue info sometimes, so please take all this with a grain of salt. And all opinions expressed are mine. (Who else’s would they be?)

I started my Caribbean cruise last year from Puerto Rico which is in the north central part of the Caribbean Sea, but I’m starting at the other side of the Caribbean this year. Barbados is a single island country in the south east part of the Caribbean, well actually the most western part of the Atlantic Ocean (although it is still known as a Caribbean island). It is quite small, at approximately 25 by 32 kilometres, and is the most easterly and first island you come to when sailing from Europe and Africa which of course influenced its history and culture. It is not part of the Lesser Antilles which is to the east and north of it, but we will head for this archipelago for some of the stops later on our cruise.

Like other Caribbean islands I’ve visited, the aboriginal people, the Arawaks, were driven off Barbados in 1200 by the Caribs from South America. The Caribs left around the time that the Europeans were starting to explore the area. Barbados is unlike many of the other Caribbean islands I have visited however, in that after being discovered by the Portuguese, then claimed for the British by Captain John Powell in 1625, and the British establishing a colony here in 1627, it remained as a British possession for 300 years rather than bouncing back and forth between other nations. (How’s that for a run-on sentence!) The British settlers deforested most of the island to first plant cotton and tobacco and then sugar cane. The sugar cane crops were labour intensive so they imported enslaved Africans to work in the fields. In 1834 slavery was abolished but the wealthy colonists continued to own the majority of the land. By the 1930s, the black majority was able to influence political outcomes and Barbados gained its independence from Britain in 1966. Today people of African and a mix of African-European descent make up the majority of the population with just a minority of the population of European descent as well as some expatriates of the United States, Great Britain and other countries. Although sugar cane continues to be a profitable crop, since independence the economy of Barbados has transformed from an agricultural one based on sugar cane through some highs and lows to one based on tourism and international finance. I saw sugar cane crops on the way from the airport to my hotel today.

Not surprising given its history, the government, headquartered in Bridgetown, is similar to our Westminster-style Parliament with bicameral Houses of Senate and Assembly.

Fun facts about Barbados:

⁃ Although a small island, there are more than 50 white-sand beaches around the island, mostly on the southern and western coast (nicknamed Platinum Coast for all the luxury resorts there)

⁃ superstar Rihanna (full name Robyn Rihanna Fenway) is from Barbados and in 2018 she was named as “Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary” for Barbados. She was declared Barbados’ first billionaire by Forbes and she has given millions of her wealth to the country, and has a Foundation specifically to invest in the island.

Posters of Rhianna in the arrivals customs area.

⁃ Harrison’s Cave is a 2.3 km long system of caves under the island and you can explore the larger ones by an electric tram or for the more adventurous by crawling and squeezing through smaller passages (that wouldn’t be me).

⁃ Duty Free shopping in the air conditioned, North American style malls is popular.

⁃ the people of Barbados are officially called Barbadian but more commonly known as as Bajans (Bay-Juns).

⁃ Although English is the official language, the majority of the residents speak Bajans, which is English influenced by West African roots. Some examples of words are “rucka-tuk” which means a loud noise, or a “tie goat” which is the name of someone who is married.

⁃ Known as the land of the flying fish as they can be seen gliding through the air for up to 45 seconds at speeds of more than 70 km/hour around the island. The national dish is flying fish and cou-cou (made from cornmeal and okra). Often served on Fish Fry Friday.

⁃ The national sport is cricket, like in many other Caribbean countries, and there is a cricket museum you can visit that is the most extensive in the Caribbean.

⁃ It is just on the southern edge of the hurricane zone, and 1955 was the last time it has been hit by one.

⁃ Is apparently the birthplace of rum (although I think I’ve heard that about other islands as well). The internationally known Mount Gay Distillery was founded in 1703.

⁃ Two real-life pirates known to use Barbados as their home base were Sam Lord and Steve Bonnet.

⁃ The happy mix of a sweet orange and pomelo fruit here in the 17th century created the grapefruit.

⁃ George Washington lived with his brother in Barbados for a year in 1751.

⁃ Music is key in this country, where unique styles such as Soca, and Rapso are popular. (I wish I’d know this last week doing the NYT Connections about dance styles!)

Unfortunately, given my late arrival and boarding the ship tomorrow, I may not have a chance to explore much of Barbados. However, after I get checked in at 1pmish, I’m hoping to explore nearby Bridgetown as we don’t sail til 6 pm. Most of downtown Bridgetown was designated as a UNESCO site in 2012 for historical value, as well as a nearby Garrison Savannah area built by the British that houses the largest collection of 17th century canons in the world.

Overnight Saturday, the Star Pride will head south to Tobago (part of Trinidad and Tobago) where I have a glass bottom boat and snorkel adventure booked. See you there!

2024 Caribbean Cruise

Windward Islands and Spanish New World

January 8, 2024 loisjjohnson4 Comments

Those of you who follow my adventures on my blog or Facebook know what this picture means. Yes, I’m preparing to blow this popsicle stand!

It’s hard to complain about winter in Ottawa this year, as most conversations so far have centred around how terrible it would be if the world famous Rideau Canal skating rink didn’t open again this year. We only received (a minor amount of) snow this week after a mild fall and winter so far. However, it doesn’t mean that I’m any less anxious to be preparing to be elsewhere next week.

Last fall, I was about the same amount of time out from a planned cruise to Italy (Rome, Sicily and the Amalfi Coast) and Malta, when I injured myself and was not able to take the trip. It wasn’t serious and I have healed completely, but there was no way my body was going to put up with the flights and tromping all over the various ports so I sadly had to cancel. As a result, I feel like I should wrap myself in N95 masks and cotton balls so as to actually make it on this cruise!

My first trip with Windstar was just before the pandemic, on the Wind Spirit, one of the smaller sailing class ships in their fleet, in the south Pacific. I took my second cruise with them in the Caribbean last February, and I loved it so much that I’m going back, on the same ship, the Star Pride, but on a different route this time. The Star Pride, a super yacht class, carries a maximum of 312 guests which means guests are spoiled with remarkable service, and no waiting for anything and her small size allows her to get into smaller harbours and narrow waterways. And the food….

As the title “Windward Islands and New Spanish World” suggests we will be hitting a few of the southern most Windward Islands and then heading across the north of South America and Panama, through the Panama Canal to Panama City. I’ve been to a couple of the islands before, but many, many years ago. I’m excited for the warm air and waters, snorkelling, and exploring new places, especially Cartagena.

I’ll try to keep up my blog as best I can. I am overnighting in Toronto on the 18th to avoid a middle of the night wake up call for the Ottawa to Toronto flight and going a day early in case of cancellations etc. The cruise heads out from Bridgetown, Barbados on the 20th.