Showing posts with label beach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beach. Show all posts
Teaser: Ilıca Beach
Sunday, 7 October
I spent many childhood summers swimming at this beach.
A summer like October day … Ilica, Çeşme — İzmİr.
Video: Grand Turk
18 December
Here’s Mui’s point of view of our half day in Grand Turk … he finally got his conch!
Next Up … One Last Day at Sea
Grand Turk: Beautiful by Nature
Saturday, 18 December
We have one more day at sea and then they’re going to kick us off the ship to take on new passengers while we make our way to the freezing temperatures awaiting us at home. But that’s a story that has yet to unfold.
Grand Turk is one of the islands of Turks and Caicos.
(the top inset shows a closer view of grand Turk, while the lower
inset shows where we played in relation to where the ship docked.
the red line depicts our beach walk.)
With so few days at sea on this cruise, I relished our morning at sea en route to Grand Turk, our last port of call. Maybe that’s why I was up at 5:30a this morning … I didn’t want to miss a moment of my quiet time on the veranda. More likely, I was up early because we gained an hour overnight, returning to Eastern Standard Time for the rest of our cruise. It’s now 11:00a and even as I’m writing this blog entry, the ship is slowing down. That can mean only one thing — we’re about to pick up the pilot who will guide us to the pier at the Grand Turk Cruise Center.
most passengers don’t venture past the Cruise Center, a purpose-built
facility with shops, restaurants and bars, and beach facilities.
Anyway, back to the morning. I read on the veranda until Mui stirred and went downstairs to get himself an iced latte from the coffee bar on the Fiesta Deck (#6), the only bar open in the early morning hours. We joined up at the Horizon Court to eat breakfast at our usual table on the aft deck. Very few people were around, and we enjoyed having the area to ourselves.
When we returned to the cabin, it was to find the sun, which had been hiding behind the clouds, shining bright and baking the veranda. Not good! After helping Mui pack some of our belongings (might as well put non-veranda time to good use), I headed up to Skywalkers, the nightclub located in what Princess aficionados fondly refer to as the “shopping cart handle.” Admittedly, the name is fitting.
Skywalkers is on Deck 17… AKA “the Shopping Cart Handle.”
(upper right photo shows the tube that leads up to the “handle”;
that’s where the moving walkway is located.)
As it was only 8:00a, I had the place to myself. Finding a hidden nook, I blogged for a while, polishing up already written entries. Mui joined me briefly to work on his video footage until he ran out of battery power. When he went off to wander around the ship and get his people-fix, I stayed on. Though a couple of people showed up, my little corner remained private. When he came by later with some snacks to tide us over until lunch, Mui jokingly likened my little spot to the slides of our motor home. Not a bad comparison since the part of the “handle” I was sitting in does jut out over the sea.
 |  |
hard at work on a morning at sea.
We returned to the cabin around 10:00a to find the veranda in the shade again. No question about what I was going to do … enjoy the last of this morning’s R&R in my favorite spot on the ship.
Mui has brought some light food from the buffet, so I’ll end my writing for now. We’re going to eat our lunch on the veranda while the ship maneuvers up to the pier. By the time the lines are secured, we’ll be ready to go ashore.
The bow-cam shows us on approach to the Cruise Center.
[from the TV in the cabin]
… Later
A short but satisfactory port of call, with the weather much more comfortable than it was the first time we visited the island. If the temperature reached the forecasted high of 81F (27C), it certainly did not feel like it thanks to the constant breeze and the partly cloudy conditions that shielded us from the sun.
Today was our second time visiting Grand Turk, a small island that is part of Turks and Caicos. Since I am always asked about what Turks have to do with this island chain, let me explain. Nothing! The name Turks is derived from the indigenous Turk’s Head “fez” cactus (see picture below). Caicos, the other part of the name, comes from a Lucayan term, “caya hico,” meaning string of islands.
Our previous visit to the island was in 2008, aboard Caribbean Princess. On that occasion, we hopped into a cab and went to Pillory Beach. I sat in the shade and took frequent dips in the ocean. There was no breeze and the water provided the only relief on a HOT-HOT-HOT day. Mui went snorkeling at a nearby reef. Then, not satisfied with that, he joined an off-boat snorkeling trip that took him out to an area known as The Wall (better for scuba diving, he later reported).
Grand Turk 2008
We were off the Grand as soon as the ship was cleared, joining the throngs heading to shore. Once through the duty free shop (the only way out), we hung a right towards the Point, made our way down to the beach, and left the crowds behind. Our destination was the stretch of sand known locally as the Conch Graveyard.
Welcome to Grand Turk.
(the bottom center photo shows the point and the conch graveyard.
Removing conch shells from the ocean is illegal in many places, but not here. That’s because these shells are on the beach and they have already been “vacated by their occupants!” There were shells of all sizes. Some were broken and eroded by the waves crashing ashore. Others were embedded in the rocks along the shoreline. (Water shoes are a good idea in this area.) Though most of the shells had become calcified over time, there were plenty that were in good shape.
The “Conch Graveyard” is aptly named.
Mui soon had a nice collection from which to select a shell to take home. We ended up with two … a nice big one for Mui’s office; a smaller one for mine. We anticipate that this cruise will be our last one to the Caribbean for a while — we need to dedicate our limited vacation until retirement to travels with our motor home, or as we like to say, to our “condo on wheels.” Hence, these shells will be a nice reminder of our cruise vacations.
Mui’s on a treasure hunt … for conch shells.
With the shells washed and cleaned in the ocean, and stored safely in Mui’s backpack, we strolled to the tip of the point before turning back towards the Cruise Center. Walking under the pier and past the hundreds of passengers sunning and playing in the water at the beach fronting Margaritaville, we continued to the far end of the strip of white sand.
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
Jack’s shack is at the far end (#1); and local village is in the center (#2).
[click the image to see the numbering]
First, we went to Jack’s Shack. We had one purpose for going there — to use the wi-fi to check in with family. As we sipped some local beer, Turk’s Head, we took turns making our calls (free connection inside the gift shop). Then, we strolled back to a quiet spot halfway between the crowds at Margaritaville and Jack’s Shack.
Jack's Shack
There were just a few people at the Local Village Bar and Restaurant, which was perfect as far as we were concerned. Picking our spot, we made ourselves comfortable with a couple of chaise lounges and an umbrella that were free for the price of a drink … in our case another Turk’s Head beer and a fresh coconut for $3.50 a piece. (Cheaper than the $5/beer at Jack’s.) After joining Mui in a dip in the ocean, I read in the shade while he went snorkeling. Though the actual reef is a little ways offshore and accessible by small boat excursions, he saw enough fish close to shore to keep him in the water for most of our time on the beach.
Local Village Bar & Restaurant
How's that coconut, Mui?
Around 4:30p, as the sun dipped low on the horizon, we left our spot on the beach and strolled back to the ship. By the time Grand Princess sounded the all aboard an hour later, we were cleaned up and sitting on the veranda. As the ship swung around to begin the last leg of our cruise back to Fort Lauderdale, the wind picked up and the nighttime temperature fell — a sign of things to come. Undaunted, I put on a sweater and read on the veranda until it was time to go down to dinner.
Grand Princess sails into the sunset … next port, Ft Lauderdale.
Tonight’s menu in the Da Vinci Dining Room featured the “Chef’s Dinner.” Finding nothing to whet my appetite, I chose from the ‘always available’ and ‘vegetarian’ options instead. What can I say, I’m a picky eater.
Mui: shrimp cocktail; Boston lettuce tossed in a shallot dressing; orange roughy poached in a champagne broth and served with homardine sauce.
Me: shrimp cocktail; Caesar salad; potato gnocchi and roasted portabella mushrooms in an asparagus cream sauce (very good).
Palate Cleanser: strawberry and thyme infused lemon sherbet (yummm).
Dessert: blueberry sorbet and Menage á Trois … miniatures of a raspberry panna cotta, gateau opera, and honey-hazelnut semifreddo (both desserts were just OK).
Instead of returning to the cabin after dinner, we checked out the production show that Princess premiered last night … British Invasion. We sat through the show, but later agreed that it was a bit too loud and, for some reason, seemed out of synch. It is a new show, so I imagine it will improve with time and practice.
Scenes from British Invasion, a princess production show.
[collage created from images in the princess flickr album;
click the photo to see more images]
Tomorrow is our last day aboard the ship, and as is par for the course, it’s a sea day. After our marathon of port calls, we’re really looking forward to relaxing aboard the Grand Princess.
Next Up … Video: Grand Turk
Video: St Thomas
16 December
Here’s Mui’s point of view of our boat tour exploring the leeward coast of the island …
Next Up … St Thomas: Panorama
St Thomas: America’s Caribbean
Thursday, December 16
Actually, the US Virgin Islands (USVI) as a group is America’s Caribbean. Since St Thomas is one of the three islands in the group (along with St John and St Croix), I figure the slogan works for this post. After an incredibly windy sailaway from Charlotte Amalie, we’re back at sea. The stiff breezes have calmed down and I’m quite comfortable in my corner on the veranda.
The three-part map shows the US Virgin Islands.
The inset at the bottom is a closer look at the island of St Thomas.
the other inset shows where we played in relation to where
we docked in Charlotte Amalie.
Before I get to today, a quick trip into the past. St Thomas is a popular cruise port; we’ve been here five times prior to this cruise. The first time we visited the island was in 2002, aboard Celebrity’s Infinity. We joined one of the safari truck tours that take people around to the scenic overlooks en route to a beach break — in our case, the world-famous Magen’s Bay. In 2003, we stopped in St Thomas after crossing the Atlantic (from Barcelona, Spain) aboard Celebrity’s Millennium. Mom was with us on that cruise. Instead of staying in St Thomas, we grabbed the ferry to the neighboring island of St John, took a safari truck tour, and went to Trunk Bay for a bit of swimming/snorkeling. It turns out that we didn’t do much of either as it started raining soon after we arrived at the beach.
Our third visit in 2004, aboard Holland America’s Maasdam, was a non-event. The ship was experiencing mechanical problems and was delayed coming into port. With no space at either of the docks, the ship anchored off-shore. We tendered into town, strolled around Charlotte Amalie, and returned to the ship. Like I said, a non-event.
In 2008, we returned to St Thomas aboard the Caribbean Princess. On that occasion, we went to Sapphire Beach so Mui could snorkel. And finally, last year we came back to the island on Celebrity’s Mercury. As we did in 2003, we took the ferry over to St John, skipped the island tour this time, and went directly to Trunk Bay where Mui snorkeled to his heart’s content.
St Thomas and St John 2002-2009
So from the past, to the present. We were up at 6:00a as the ship was on approach to Havensight, the dock that is closer to downtown Charlotte Amalie, the territorial capital of the USVI. It was still dark and we enjoyed seeing the twinkling lights along the coast. With dawn came thick grey clouds threatening rain.
It’s a grey sort of day in St Thomas.
At that point, we were still planning to disembark the ship as soon as it was cleared at 7:00a and make our way to Red Hook to catch the ferry to St John. Well, it wasn’t to be. First, we noticed that the all aboard was 3:30p, earlier than we had anticipated. Next, the ship did not clear until closer to 7:30a, taking with it any hope of catching the 8:00a ferry. After a short discussion, we decided to stay local and go to a beach not far from town. The announcement a few minutes later that the ship’s excursion to St John was canceled due to adverse weather conditions confirmed our decision for us.
This is what passes for a cab in St Thomas.
Disembarking around 8:30a, we headed directly to Morningstar Beach ($6/person cab fare). That the cab didn’t wait to fill up with other passengers was surprising, but we didn’t question our luck. Ten minutes later we were on the narrow strip of gold-sand beach that is also used by Marriott’s Frenchman’s Reef Resort.
That’s the Marriott resort at the far end of the beach.
We quickly settled into a couple of chairs on the deserted beach. Taking advantage of the overcast, I strolled the short length of the beach a couple of times. It felt good to have the surf wash over my feet as I walked. Later, I joined Mui in watching MSC’s Poesia come into Havensight, just around the beachhead from where we were.
The guidebooks say that this is a good beach to watch ship's coming
into port. They’re right on the money.
We found the beach to be quite peaceful. For several hours, we were one of two couples enjoying the sand and surf. Even when people from the resort started streaming onto the beach about mid-morning, it never got very crowded. Maybe the overcast kept people away. There was enough sunshine peeking through the clouds to remind us that we were in the Caribbean, so no complaints from us.
Our chairs are just past the building with the blue awnings.
The guy in charge of collecting the fee for the lounges/umbrellas ($25 for the set), told us that the beach was slowly recovering from the ravages of this year’s hurricane season. All in all, it was a nice beach (though rocky at the entry point into the water, but sand-bottom after that). The water was a lot cooler today, so except for a few short dips, I stayed dry.
looking back down the beach from the resort.
Mui took his mask and snorkel and went out to the point a couple of times, not expecting to find much of anything as Morningstar is not known for its snorkeling. He was pleasantly surprised and reported back that it was the best snorkeling of the trip (except for the turtles) … parrot fish, red snapper, three baby squid amongst his finds. Darn; we should have brought the underwater casing for the camera with us.
We left the beach at noon and returned to the ship for lunch. Had we known that the sun was about to come out — and stay out — we would have remained at Morningstar for a few more hours.
Ahh! So much better when the sun shines and the colors pop.
After a light meal at the Horizon Court, we went back out again to see if I could find a few Christmas gifts in the shops at Havensight. Then, it was back to the ship to relax on the veranda until sailaway.
this photo and a t-shirt is all that we came back with
from our foray to the shops.
We leave MSC's Poesia and Silversea's Silver Spirit behind
as we depart St Thomas for our next port.
Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Resort.
(Morningstar Beach is just beyond the spit of land.)
glimpse of Morningstar Beach as we sail away from St Thomas.
St Thomas is now but a dim outline on the horizon. I’m caught up with our day on the island, so a little reading is in order now … maybe a glass of wine. More later …
Later …
For the second night in a row, our table was still occupied when we arrived at the Da Vinci Dining Room. We tried to sneak back out for a stroll around the Promenade Deck, but Franco caught us and took us to the table we ate at last night. No problem.
Mui: fruit cup with macadamia nuts; red & green mesclun leaves with escarole and sunflower seeds; baked black cod with stir-fried vegetables and rissole potatoes.
Me: shrimp cocktail; cold yogurt and cucumber soup (blech … Mui’s version is much better); fettuccine Alfredo (if you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m a pasta kind of gal).
Dessert: banana-coconut sorbet and chocolate fudge ice cream … the latter was to-die-for-delish, but we were good and didn’t ask for seconds.
After dinner we went to the Princess Theater for tonight’s show, featuring Ray Coussins, once pianist to Frank Sinatra. The place was filled to the rafters, so our seats didn’t remain empty for long when we left after the second song. Coussins has his bevy of adoring fans on the ship, but I’m afraid I’m not joining the ranks.
Tomorrow is another new island for us — the Dominican Republic. My pre-cruise research strongly suggested that exploring the city of Santo Domingo was a better option than going to a beach. So, we plan to go into town and see where our feet take us.
Next Up … Video: St Thomas
Video: St Kitts
15 December
Here’s Mui’s point of view of our day on the island …
Next Up … St Thomas: America’s Caribbean
St Kitts: Memories Created Here
Wednesday, 15 December
Another great day in the Caribbean is drawing to a close. Mui is checking out Peter Gossamer, the illusionist who is performing in the Princess Theater. For me, there was no question that I’d be returning to the cabin to enjoy the cool breezes on the veranda while I blog about our day in St Kitts.
Before 1988, St Kitts was officially known as St Christopher.
(The inset shows where we played in relation to where we docked.)
Today was our third visit to St Kitts. Our first time to the island was aboard Holland America’s Maasdam in 2004. On that occasion, we hired a private guide to take us around the island. We visited Brimstone Hill Fortress, a World Heritage Site; strolled the grounds of historic Romney Manor and learned how batik cloth is made at Caribelle Batik (yes, we bought a few pieces, too); drove around the island to see the beautiful scenery from every overlook we could find; and checked out the island’s version of London’s Piccadilly Circus. When we returned to the island in 2009, we went to Cockleshell Beach, located at the tip of the Southeast Peninsula, and had a very relaxing day filled with sunshine and light breezes.
St Kitts 2004 and 2009
Let me clarify that last sentence — we enjoyed a relaxing day after the resident monkey, which we nicknamed “holy terror,” and the goat he victimized were penned up. Check out the following clip and you’ll see what I mean.
The Holy Terror — 2009
We were up around 6:30a today and off the Grand Princess shortly after the ship was cleared by the local authorities at 8:00a. Familiar with the layout of Port Zante, we had no trouble finding the taxi dispatcher. At that early hour, we had the van to ourselves, which meant paying the $8/person minimum (for 4 passengers or less) to get to South Friars Bay. No problem; we’d rather pay a bit extra than waste our time waiting around for the van to fill up.
Welcome to Basseterre, St Kitts.
When the cabbie dropped us off in front of the Shipwreck Beach Bar & Grill around 8:45a, we were greeted by Marcos. After he welcomed us, he pointed out the small reef for snorkeling (others later confirmed there wasn’t much to see), the sand-bottom swimming area, and the sandbar about 500 yards (450 m) out. Telling us that two chairs and a palapa was $10, he left us to choose our own spot. Easy enough to do … except for a threesome off Celebrity’s Millennium, we had our pick of the entire beach. By 11:00a, it was a whole different story, with all the chairs and palapas taken by happy beachgoers bent on enjoying the beautiful day.
We opt for a spot at the far end of the beach.
A beautiful day to enjoy the sand and surf.
we pay for two chairs, but We start off with four loungers,
moving from one to the other in our quest for shade.
Though the water was a little cooler than it had been at the islands that preceded St Kitts, I joined Mui multiple times for lengthy dips, even venturing out to the sandbar with him on one occasion. The rest of the time, I was ensconced in the shade of the palapa, reading Clive Cussler’s The Chase, which is quite different from the author’s Dirk Pitt adventures — though he still manages to get in a mention of his name as a character in the book, and weaves several classic automobiles into the plot.
Mui waves to me from the sandbar; yes, he’s standing up.
(the inset shows the ship’s distance from shore)
(That sailing vessel, by the way, is the Royal Clipper. Inspired by the world’s largest and fastest sailing ship, the Preussen (launched in 1902), the Royal Clipper claims to be the world’s largest full-rigged sailing ship. It sure would be fun to sail on her someday.)
We remained at the beach through lunch, ordering fish sandwiches, fries, and a couple of cold Carib Beers for our noon meal. Then, another two hours on the beach enjoying the cool breezes coming off the ocean. I don’t know if elsewhere on the island the temperatures reached the forecasted 93-96F (33-36C), but on the beach, we were quite comfortable.
The Shipwreck Beach Bar and Grill …
… serves up a tasty fish sandwich; we opted for take-out.
Around 2:30p, we packed up our bags and took one of the many cabs waiting for fares back to Basseterre. With a full load of passengers, we paid just $5/person for the ride. En route, the driver made the obligatory stops at the two overlooks on the Southeast Peninsula that offer fantastic island views. Though I already had photographs from previous trips, I couldn’t stop myself from clicking the shutter again … and again.
South Friars Bay (r) from Sir Timothy's Hill on the SE Peninsula Road.
North Frigate Bay from another overlook on the SE Peninsula Road.
Back at Port Zante, we inquired about a wi-fi hotspot and were directed to Caribe Café, located at The Sands (across the street from the port). For the price of a mango smoothie and a scoop of ice cream, we had a connection that allowed us to make a few calls to family and check email.
Caribe Café is St Kitts’ first coffeehouse.
There was no mistaking the grey clouds that were gathering overhead. As soon as the last email message was sent, we hurried back to Port Zante, hoping to beat the rain. We didn’t make it. The rain was warm, so we didn’t bother to run like so many others did. The sudden downpour did mess up my plans to take a photograph of Celebrity’s Millennium, which we sailed across the Atlantic in 2003, sharing the long pier with Grand Princess. Come to think of it, I have no photographs of the Grand in St Kitts … oh well.
I’m a sucker for murals; the scenes are from the two murals at Port Zante.
Even though it was still raining, we were able to sit on the veranda, sip our wine, and watch passengers streaming back to the two ships. A nice cool breeze, combined with the clouds overhead, made for a very comfortable late afternoon as we waited for the ship to sail.
Mui, didn't anyone tell you to empty your pockets before going swimming?
Cheers! Şerefe! Salud! Na zdorovia! Skål!
we sail away As dusk falls, leaving Windstar’s WindSurf (l) and
Celebrity’s Millennium behind.
Our table in the Da Vinci Dining Room was still occupied when we showed up for dinner around 7:15p. We would have been happy to stroll around the Promenade Deck and return later, but Franco (the dining room manager) insisted on accommodating us at a different table, even assigning our usual wait-team of Rotchana and John to serve us.
Mui: grilled calamari with shaved fennel; seasonal field greens, celery hearts, and tomato salad; roast rack of veal with glazed artichokes and mascotte potatoes.
Me: Caesar salad; hearty black bean chowder with corn; grilled tiger shrimp kebab with mango-lime relish and jasmine rice.
Dessert: New York style cheesecake; Viennese apple strudel … no, we didn’t share!
Tomorrow we’re in the US Virgin Islands. More specifically, in St Thomas. Whether we stay on the island or go to the neighboring island of St John is heavily influenced by the dock to which we’re assigned. Mui just came back from the show with the news that we’ll be at Havensight, so unless something changes in the interim, I see a ferry ride in our future.
By the way … just so you don’t think this visit to St Kitts was monkey-less …
Yes, there were green monkeys at south friars bay …
… but they were better behaved than the ones at Cockleshell Beach!
Next Up … Video: St Kitts
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