Dominica March 22,2017

We arrived on the 22nd and had a tour booked with Viator for seeing Trafalgar Falls and Emerald pools.We were picked up and proceeded to the rain forest.

Our ship Serenade of the Seas

Rainforest trail

Lots of people got in the water but you had to be careful climbing down to the water.It was beautiful there.

We continued on to Trafalgar Falls.There are 2 falls one small and a larger one. I wasn’t able to get both at once.

Back to town and the ship.

Our next stop was Antiqua and Sam and I had been here before so I did a tour to the dockyards.My sister wanted to go do the zip line so she did that. Antiqua has 365 beaches so you can go to one a day for a year.The first settlers were British in 1632 and they planned to grow tobacco.Admiral Nelson was sent here to establish a naval base at the dockyards. The has been designated a Unesco Site and this is what I wanted to see.We took a tour at the Dockyards and went to a interpetation center.We also went to Shirley Heights where we had great views.

Dockyard Bay

Interpetation Center

Next we went to Shirley Heights which has magnificent views of English harbor.This was a restored military lookout but has turned into a restaurant and they have picnic tables and music on Sunday evenings.

One of the beautiful beaches in Antiqua

Colorful buildings

Our last port was Phillipsburg St. Maarten

Welcome to St. Maarten

St. Maarten is unusual as there 2 nations on one island.French occupy the north and the Dutch occupy the North.

Today we’re just going  into town and explore on our own.

The court house is one of the historical buildings in town built in1793.

Methodist church built 1851.

Water Plantz Square,filled with gingerbread houses.

Old street is a pedestrian street that connects front street to backstreet.Lots of shops.

After walking around town we decided we walk up to Ft. Amsterdam.We stopped to ask directions and was told we should take a taxi. We continued walking and stopped to ask a policeman and he pointed the way and said about 15 minutes.It was hot and we kept walking up hill and stopped at a hotel and they its up the hill and back down and to the right.We continued on.By the time we got close we had to go through a gate of a huge resort.We continued in and up and finally found the fort.We were so tired and hot when we got ready to leave we agreed we would take a taxi back to town.Here’s some photos of the fort.

And so our cruise ends in 2 days. What a great time we had.It was great to be able to share this time with my sister.

Carribean cruise March 17 2017

  My sister and I arrived in Ft. Lauderdale March 16 and boarded our ship RCL Serenade of the Seas for a 10 day cruise. Since was St.Patrick’s Day we decided to dress for the occasion. We donned on our t-shirts,earings and Shamrock hairbands.

                    

  Kathy                                                                                                Me

When we arrived at the ship we went up to the Windjammer for lunch and then went to the pool bar to meet up for our sailaway get together with cruise critic members. We met several of the people on cruise critic forum.They have several things planned for activities. Such be fun.

 

 

Our outside room

Pool an spa

The next 2 days we were at sea.We did activities and enjoyed the pool.Our cruise critic group had a slot pull and they also had a pub crawl with a poker run.The ship also gave us a meet and mingle party and gave away prizes.Didn’t win anything this time.Let the fun begin.

On 3/20 we arrived in beautiful Tortola.Tortola has some of the best beaches around and is known for it’s great snorkeling.Tortola was also known as in the past where pirates such as Bluebeard and Sir Frances Drake hung out.They would hide in coves waiting for treasure ships to come by and attack them for their booty.

My sister and I decided to do a Catamaran and snorkel trip out to Norman Island and Indian Island.I had made a reservation with Aristorcrat tours before leaving home.This was a fantastic trip.The catamaran was beautiful and the snorkeling was unbelievable. We saw so many varieties of beautiful fish and coral.Peter and Jody did a outstanding job and presented us with a great lunch.We would highly recommend Aristorcrat tours.While all the ships excusions cancelled their snorkel trips we were able to go.The water was calm and beautiful for snorkeling.

Our next stop was St. Kitts.The town of Basseterre is one of the oldest in E. Carribean.St. Kitts was rich in volcanic soil and tropical climate, perfect conditions for booming sugar plantations.Around 1727 the world became in love with sugar and cane became king.Although all the plantations are gone you can still find remenets of them.

We went with Thenford Grey tours and again I booked before we got on cruise.This was a really good tour for $55. Thenford gave us a great tour and he is a encyclopedia of information

Thenford telling some history of the gardens.

Entering St.Kitts

We arrived at Romney gardens where Carabelle Batig is made.The  gardens are very nice and we saw the unusual palms and a flower plant called the Lobster Claw.

 

Beautiful batik material.They have dresses purses with lots of other things made with paint. We watched some of the women paining the material.Very talented.Of course everyone was buying things.

 

Next we moved onto Brimstone Hill fort.This was a Unesco World Heritage Site.When traveling with my husband or others I always try and go to all the Unesco sites.A little history of the fort.The first cannon was mounted  in 1690 by the British. The British reconized that the hill had potential for defense and fortified it.It was built by African slaves.In 1782 French soldiers attacked and besieged the fort.They took over the fort and a year later the Treaty of Versailles returned the island and fortress back to the British.

We proceeded to Timothy Hill where you can overlook the Atlantic and the Carribean.Beautiful view where they come together.

Right side Carribean and left side the Atlantic. Next stop beach and beach bar.Not too great of a beach

Another great day in the Carribean.