The Castillo

After a week on the cruise ship, we were back in San Juan. We had the day to spend there before we could even check in to our hotel, so went to see some forts. The first was Castillo de San Cristobal.


This fort was massive and the views were incredible.


San Juan, and the capital building, were on display for us.


I don't know what these round look-out towers are called but they were awesome. A great place from which to shoot arrows....or guns.


We tried but were unable to make our way to the other fort. Having three cruise ships in port really makes for a busy, congested city. Public transportation was maxed out.


The water, even as close as Puerto Rico, was some of the most beautiful I'd ever seen. I can't wait to go back. My sunburn is still peeling and I'm ready to plan the next cruise. Ha!

St. John, Part Two

Of all the beaches and bays St. John had to offer, Maho Bay was my favorite. It was the most secluded, the most private, and the loveliest.


Here it is from an overlook - just gorgeous!


I'd never seen trees so close to the water but the effect was incredible - and picturesque. The sand and water were perfect - there was nothing marring their natural beauty.


After swimming at Maho, we headed to the Annaberg Sugar Plantation ruins. These were really neat, especially for someone like myself who likes old stuff!


There were some awesome views here but I was also fascinated by the trees and flowers....


Talk about a perfect flower! I wish we had these at home!


We continued our drive around the island and our next stop was an overlook above Coral Bay.


And another view of Coral Bay and the other US Virgin Islands. This was truly a magical place! I've rarely seen such beauty!

St. John, Part One

On the morning after our second Sea Day, we docked at St. Thomas. Instead of exploring that island, Mr. Higgins and I hopped on a ferry to St. John. This jewel of an island took my breath away. The ferry docked in Cruz Bay (above) and I immediately fell in love with St. John.


Unlike St. Thomas, St. John is completely undeveloped. Cruz Bay's downtown was tiny and quaint - picturesque and perfect.


Our first stop on our tour of the island was Hawksnest Bay.


We jumped out of the car to take pictures here but not much else. Better beaches awaited us!


Next up was the popular beach, Trunk Bay. We only took pictures here.


The day began with scattered showers but my spirits refused to be dimmed. The scenery was just amazing!


We stopped at the more secluded Cinnamon Bay and had a lovely swim. Mansions dotted the hills surrounding this bay. What I wouldn't give for one of those! To wake up to this every morning would be heaven!

Dominica

Dominica (dom-in-ee-ka) was our next stop and was definitely unique. Gone were the deserts and dryness of Aruba and Curacao. Dominica is a rain forest and reminded me greatly of Hawaii.


Once we got off the ship, we met up with our local tour guide and headed to Emerald Pool, about an hour's drive from Roseau. We hiked through dense forest to get to the pool and it was absolutely beautiful.


The pool and waterfall were stunning - like something out of a dream or movie. Just gorgeous! Thankfully, we beat the crowds and had the place mostly to ourselves.


It was definitely strange to go from beaches to waterfalls and this island really brought back memories of Maui and the Road to Hana.


Our next stop was Trafalgar Falls - two waterfalls at this one spot. It was really crowded here - the typical tourist spot - so we didn't stay long. It was beautiful, but would have been better with fewer people.


Our final stop on Dominica was a look-out point. Roseau and the Caribbean was spread out before us and the water never looked so gorgeous!


As we left Dominica, the peaks on the island (the highest is 4500 feet!) were so dissimilar from everything we'd seen so far..... I was mesmerized. Now, I'm really wanting to do a Hawaii cruise!

Second Sea Day

Once we left Curacao, Mr. Higgins and I went in search of the sunset. Though it was cloudy, this sunset actually became quite beautiful.


And it just kept lighting up the sky long after the sun had set. It was gorgeous!


So, what do you do on a day spent at sea? Well, these are days of rest after busy port days, so you sleep in. And then you get coffee! Ha!


Then you lay out by the pool....or you do my variation - lay out by the pool, in the shade, with a book. Perfect!


When you need to stretch your legs, you take a walk around the ship, camera in hand. We were still amazed at how calm the waters were - like a lake!


And, finally, you watch another sunset. That's a full day onboard!

Curacao

Curacao was a really cool place - cool port, cool vegetation, and awesome beaches. Also....flamingos! Look closely above....those are real-life flamingos!


Our destination for the day was Playa Porta Mari - a beach with crystal-clear water and fantastic snorkeling. It was definitely one of the most spectacular beaches I've ever seen.


We camped out in some shade and this was our view for the day. Not bad, eh?


We hiked up around the beach and this was our reward.... A wonderful view of Playa Porta Mari. I've never seen anything like it!


Back on the ship - where I discovered I had a nasty sunburn - we watched our sail away. Curacao had interesting Dutch-influenced architecture but the rest of the island was not all that pretty. The beaches were great, but the land itself was like a desert.

It was a wonderful day and the snorkeling was amazing. We must have spent about three hours in the water. Awesome!

Aruba

When we docked in Aruba, our first port, we immediately took a taxi to Manchebo Beach. I finally saw one of these perfect beaches that I'd only seen in Mr. Higgins' photos.


The water was amazing - all shades of blue - and so very calm. The waves were small and lazy. Pelicans dove for fish in the crystal-clear water.


We walked up and down the beach before settling in for the day and I was captivated.


It was cloudy this morning which turned out to be a good thing - the sun here is scalding as Aruba is much closer to the Equator. By noon the sun was out.


This is where we camped out for the day - two lonely lounges that had been brought out, almost to the water's edge. Once the sun came out, we found shade and dozed the afternoon away, listening to the sounds of the Caribbean.


In the early afternoon we went back the ship, got cleaned up, and then went back to the island for some shopping - and a drink at Senor Frogs.


Aruba's beaches were gorgeous - stunningly pristine - but I was not impressed with the island itself. It was very desert-like and dry feeling - not all that tropical. But the beaches......wow!

First Sea Day

There is something extremely calming, soothing, even, about being out at sea. If I can forget that I'm hundreds of miles from land, I can actually enjoy it. This time around, the water was perfect - hardly any waves whatsoever.


On my last cruise, the seas (mainly in the gulf) were much higher. This time, the calm was almost unbelievable.


Perhaps my favorite place on the ship is the promenade deck. Usually, passengers head to the pool deck to view the passing sea, but I always head here. Mr. Higgins and I watched sunsets from this deck, read in blessed silence here, and strolled here at night.


And one of the best parts of cruising....lots of girlie drinks! This was a Mango Lava Flow - basically pina colada with mango. So yummy!

Sea days are generally the relaxing days of a cruise and this one was no different.