March 21,2013
Welcome to the Dutch West Indies, also known as the ABC islands. Today we get to explore the island the Beach Boys made us all want to see. Aruba! We had booked a car rental but figuring out exactly how to find it was our first challenge. Coming off the cruise boa there were lots of offers for trips around the island by enthusiastic entrepreneurs with various modes of transportation, from open bus like vehicles that would carry 30 or more, to jeeps, and air conditioned cars(few of these).
It was hot and humid as usual so we were looking forward to the car. One of the locals offered assistance first in the form of a tour and then when we explained he pulled out his cell and asked if we had a phone number. Corrine pulled out the agreement and found the number. Within ten minutes a driver picked us up and we were soon on our adventure. The city could have been any place in southern California and as we drove out to the less populated area we could see an expanse of organ pipe and barrel cacti and we realized just how arid Aruba was. What really caught our attention were th brightly painted houses. Churchill Orange was a favourite colour for buildings. Tyson could happily live in a bright orange and blue house and be right in style. The beach we wanted to go to was at the far end of the island but we realized the map scale was only a few km per inch because we were there in twenty minutes. We first went to the point where a light house was marked. We did find a light but the house part was a little sketchy. After winding through a little town filled with bright houses and deserted buildings depending on where you looked we found a road that looked like it might go to the water. Signage is not done. I guess they figure tourists should come with a guide or see the whole island while looking for a specific place. Happily we found a snorkel gear rental and were soon ready for our first snorkelling experience. Those who know how much Bet loves to put her face in the water may be curious about how this might turn out .I put the mask on and immediately felt panic as I was sure I was going to smother as it completely plugged my nose. And I was without my glasses so felt impeded by my blindness. We waded out a little and Corinne and Scott gave us pointers and encouragement. ‘Just relax. Breath through your mouth. Listen to the rhythm of breathing into the snorkel tube.” Okay I can do that but when I tried to put my masked face down into the water panic over came me and I thought “Oh great we just wasted $20 because this is not going to happen” I tried again and sort of got floating on my belly with the mask revealing little fish right in front of me but the little things came at me and began nipping my hands,” Piranhas!” I thought and found footing and pulled the snorkel out of my mouth so I could gasp some air. Scott talked me out a little further and I tried again. This time I wasn’t so close to the shore where people had obviously been feeding the fish and I could see yellow and black striped fish and blue fish with black fringes, little orange fish with brown fringe.. Wow It was so amazing. I was getting the hang of the breathing thing and though I couldn’t wear my glasses I was seeing some pretty awesome things. There was a larger Aqua blue fish that was just amazing swimming right below me. Rex was being coached by Corinne and fighting the urge to breath through his nose. It was exhausting trying to feel natural with the snorkel. I was finally really relaxed and felt more secure in the water so I really got into the explore. We swam over a coral reef, not as colourful as some but with lots of interesting kinds of coral and schools of fish. I really was amazed, amazed not only at what we saw but that we could do it.. That I could do it an enjoy it so much! The water was wonderfully warm and clear as we were there before early enough that we were almost the only ones exploring where we were. Rex tired and went back for his camera but I stayed a bit longer as I really was having such a fun time. Once we had our fill we headed buck to return gear. Somehow between coming out of the water and collecting stuff to return it we lost one of the snorkels. It had detached from the mask. We were told if we could find a replacement at the dive shop down the road we could replace it otherwise the fee was $85. Thank goodness for the nice man at the dive shop (JADS Dive Center, Aruba). He was very helpful and found a superior replacement that he gave a us a deal of $40. If you ever are in Aruba at Baby Beach go to the dive shop at and rent his equipment. It’s superior and you won’t have to wait for service from the multi-tasked bar server, rental guy at the beach. We still had lots of day left, so we headed off to find a bird sanctuary that was marked on the map. After travelling all the roads in the area we gave up and blamed the lack of signs for the disappointment. There was more to see so on we went to the east side of Aruba. It was quite a desert wasteland crawling in little lizards if you ventured very far on the sandy shrubby terrain. There was an old rock castle-like structure built on edge of a big rock formation. Lack of signs left us wondering the history...guess we needed a guide. There was a very aqua blue inlet where the waves washed in and had made some interesting cliffs. The road turned to a sketchy sand road and after the warnings bout flat tires from going where you should not drive we decided it was time to head for the northern most tip of the island where another lighthouse was marked. California Lighthouse, as it was called was more to our expectations. A stone lighthouse sitting high on a ridge of land. To the south we could see Oanjestad the main port town To the west was the oh so blue Caribbean sea with white beaches and to the east was a wide expanse of orange beach. It looked like Oklahoma’s red soil. We did not make it to the Arikok National park on the south east side of the island but we will leave that explore for another day. We drove by a few neat old churches and then by a soft yellow church with a steeple and I was sure I saw the Church’s name. We back tracked and sure enough it wasn’t written in English but it most certainly was The Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Latter-days was how the translation might have gone. The drive back to the town was along a long stretch of one white sand beach with Catamarans, Sailing boats and even a shipwreck where divers were busy exploring. What a fun place for a week of discovery .The guys let Corinne and I out for a shopping expedition and they returned the car and headed back to the ship
Supper was over so we had buffet and there were tacos and empanadas and it was yummy. The entertainment was a Vegas Show time and we were again impressed with the fantastic energy and choreography and costuming.
Wow what a fantastic day!!
Sunday, 24 March 2013
Friday, 22 March 2013
A day at Sea
March 20
Today was one of our days at sea. Corinne and I got up early for our jog around the track. The morning was already hot and sticky and after doing five laps which made it a mile we retreated to the fitness centre where we could do some sit-ups and other body toning and stretching. I still needed a little more running time so after I did five more laps to make a total of 2 miles. Cooling-off is always a challenge after running in the heat that we went down and had a quick shower and prepared for breakfast. After breakfast we walked along the promenade deck and saw flying fish. They almost look like little birds flying along, skimming the water. There were schools of them and they would just jump out of the water, skim along for a couple hundred feet then dive back in.
This was our day to lay out and enjoy the warm Caribbean sun. I took my book and tried to read but it was so hard to concentrate with so many other things going on so I just laid and watched people and enjoyed soaking up the warmth of the sun. After an hour and a half I could feel the warmth of the sun and knew it was time to find some shade. Not long after a little shower started with the sun shining a fine mist of water was coming down and everyone headed for cover. Corinne and I decided we had enough sun and liquid sun and headed for our rooms. It was okay it was lunch time. After lunch Corinne went to find where to sign up for the volleyball tournament. She was put on the team with four guys and they were called Adventure. The first round if your team lost you were done, but their team was terrific and won quite handily. They also won their second round which put them into the finals. It was fun watching Corinne play and she did well playing with guys, in fact she loved to be the organizer of their team. She was really in her element. The final game was a tight one, they got behind but were able to go ahead and win.
We had all had enough sun so we looked for a quiet place to play cards and found the games room where we could sit in relative cool and enjoy a couple of card games and watch the coming and goings in the pool area. The day flew by and it was soon suppertime. After another amazing meal we parted ways. Corinne and Scott were ready for an early night to rest up for Aruba. Rex and I went to check out the Karioke but it was pathetic so we went in to see the evening show which was a female comedian/singer. Her humour was fun and though she was no Whitney it was an hour of smiles.
Another terrific day has gone but can’t wait for Aruba!
Today was one of our days at sea. Corinne and I got up early for our jog around the track. The morning was already hot and sticky and after doing five laps which made it a mile we retreated to the fitness centre where we could do some sit-ups and other body toning and stretching. I still needed a little more running time so after I did five more laps to make a total of 2 miles. Cooling-off is always a challenge after running in the heat that we went down and had a quick shower and prepared for breakfast. After breakfast we walked along the promenade deck and saw flying fish. They almost look like little birds flying along, skimming the water. There were schools of them and they would just jump out of the water, skim along for a couple hundred feet then dive back in.
This was our day to lay out and enjoy the warm Caribbean sun. I took my book and tried to read but it was so hard to concentrate with so many other things going on so I just laid and watched people and enjoyed soaking up the warmth of the sun. After an hour and a half I could feel the warmth of the sun and knew it was time to find some shade. Not long after a little shower started with the sun shining a fine mist of water was coming down and everyone headed for cover. Corinne and I decided we had enough sun and liquid sun and headed for our rooms. It was okay it was lunch time. After lunch Corinne went to find where to sign up for the volleyball tournament. She was put on the team with four guys and they were called Adventure. The first round if your team lost you were done, but their team was terrific and won quite handily. They also won their second round which put them into the finals. It was fun watching Corinne play and she did well playing with guys, in fact she loved to be the organizer of their team. She was really in her element. The final game was a tight one, they got behind but were able to go ahead and win.
We had all had enough sun so we looked for a quiet place to play cards and found the games room where we could sit in relative cool and enjoy a couple of card games and watch the coming and goings in the pool area. The day flew by and it was soon suppertime. After another amazing meal we parted ways. Corinne and Scott were ready for an early night to rest up for Aruba. Rex and I went to check out the Karioke but it was pathetic so we went in to see the evening show which was a female comedian/singer. Her humour was fun and though she was no Whitney it was an hour of smiles.
Another terrific day has gone but can’t wait for Aruba!
Wednesday, 20 March 2013
St Kitts
March 19
Today was our excursion to St. Kitts. We had another wonderful breakfast. Then we were off to see what there was on the little island of St. Kitts.The Island looked much greener with less rocky cliffs and rolling hills that may have bee crop land at some time in the past. The walkway from the boat opened into the square of the old town. It was obvious that this area was a much poorer island than others we have been on. First thing we saw was the museum and wanting to understand better the history of the area Rex and I paid the three dollars and went up an old staircase into the hot stuffy room that was encircled with displays and writing of the history of St. Kitts. It was by no means a fancy building or a fancy museum but there was much history recorded for us to see and understand. The first inhabitants were Indian-American which they believed arrived between 1000 and 800 BC. It told of the first Europeans coming and looking to get rich off the cane crops and how the first cane workers were indentured servants from Ireland in the early 1600s but as the Europeans-at some point Spanish, French, and then English, began to become rich from the sugar industry they wanted it to be bigger and better. This is when the slave trade began and they began bringing slaves from Africa. Thank goodness for men like James Stevens and James Ramsey who saw the plight of the slaves and realized how pathetic the conditions the slaves were living in and wanted to do something about it. After much effort finally in 1833 the slavery abolition act came into effect. This had detrimental to influence on the sugarcane business. Because workers now had to be paid money this decreasde profit margins. Eventually with lower prices the sugar industry was not as lucrative as it had been before and by 1972 the sugarcane business was in jeopardy. In 1980 sugar prices crashed and in 2005 the sugar industry was no longer a part of the economy of St. Kitts. Tourism is now their main industry.
We walked the narrow streets withnarrow sidewalks and small stores filled with dollarstore items but at higher prices. The store in the middle of town had prices in their own coinage so you would have to ask how much in American dollars. I sam an ironing board for $110.00 obviously not American dollars..or at least I hope not. We explore the two old churches that were in town. The oldest was the third church built on the site as the two former ones had been destroyed, one by a hurricane and one by fire. It was a stone church with beautiful stained glass windows. The grave markers in the court yard were mid 1700's. And English and Irish names. We wandered some of the streets that felt like back alleys with small shack like apartments. With not much for a yard. On the way back to the boat we looked through some of the shops along the cruise ship docks. I heard a fellow waiting on his wife comment to another guy “ Just getting stuff for next years garage sale” :)
When we got back to the boat we had a late lunch and we laid in the sun and listened to the band at the pool. It was so beautiful with the green island as a backdrop, the blue rippling water and the gentle Carribean breeze. I felt so lucky to be having that moment. I said to Rex “ I feel almost guilty living in such luxury and these people so poor” His immediate reply was”look at all the jobs you are providing! What would these people do if we did not come and spend our money in their country” How true. So many of the workers on the cruise ship are from many of the cental and south American countries.
We had another wonderful evening with our supper in the dining room and then a great Elton John impressionist who gave us a real rocking concert with lots of audience precipitation. The party then went on all night but after a little dancing on the promenade we called it another terrific day and headed to our room.
Today was our excursion to St. Kitts. We had another wonderful breakfast. Then we were off to see what there was on the little island of St. Kitts.The Island looked much greener with less rocky cliffs and rolling hills that may have bee crop land at some time in the past. The walkway from the boat opened into the square of the old town. It was obvious that this area was a much poorer island than others we have been on. First thing we saw was the museum and wanting to understand better the history of the area Rex and I paid the three dollars and went up an old staircase into the hot stuffy room that was encircled with displays and writing of the history of St. Kitts. It was by no means a fancy building or a fancy museum but there was much history recorded for us to see and understand. The first inhabitants were Indian-American which they believed arrived between 1000 and 800 BC. It told of the first Europeans coming and looking to get rich off the cane crops and how the first cane workers were indentured servants from Ireland in the early 1600s but as the Europeans-at some point Spanish, French, and then English, began to become rich from the sugar industry they wanted it to be bigger and better. This is when the slave trade began and they began bringing slaves from Africa. Thank goodness for men like James Stevens and James Ramsey who saw the plight of the slaves and realized how pathetic the conditions the slaves were living in and wanted to do something about it. After much effort finally in 1833 the slavery abolition act came into effect. This had detrimental to influence on the sugarcane business. Because workers now had to be paid money this decreasde profit margins. Eventually with lower prices the sugar industry was not as lucrative as it had been before and by 1972 the sugarcane business was in jeopardy. In 1980 sugar prices crashed and in 2005 the sugar industry was no longer a part of the economy of St. Kitts. Tourism is now their main industry.
We walked the narrow streets withnarrow sidewalks and small stores filled with dollarstore items but at higher prices. The store in the middle of town had prices in their own coinage so you would have to ask how much in American dollars. I sam an ironing board for $110.00 obviously not American dollars..or at least I hope not. We explore the two old churches that were in town. The oldest was the third church built on the site as the two former ones had been destroyed, one by a hurricane and one by fire. It was a stone church with beautiful stained glass windows. The grave markers in the court yard were mid 1700's. And English and Irish names. We wandered some of the streets that felt like back alleys with small shack like apartments. With not much for a yard. On the way back to the boat we looked through some of the shops along the cruise ship docks. I heard a fellow waiting on his wife comment to another guy “ Just getting stuff for next years garage sale” :)
When we got back to the boat we had a late lunch and we laid in the sun and listened to the band at the pool. It was so beautiful with the green island as a backdrop, the blue rippling water and the gentle Carribean breeze. I felt so lucky to be having that moment. I said to Rex “ I feel almost guilty living in such luxury and these people so poor” His immediate reply was”look at all the jobs you are providing! What would these people do if we did not come and spend our money in their country” How true. So many of the workers on the cruise ship are from many of the cental and south American countries.
We had another wonderful evening with our supper in the dining room and then a great Elton John impressionist who gave us a real rocking concert with lots of audience precipitation. The party then went on all night but after a little dancing on the promenade we called it another terrific day and headed to our room.
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
St Thomas
March 18, 2013
I couldn’t help myself I woke up before dawn to catch the sun rise. We were passing by islands with the lights of pockets of civilization sparkling in the early morning. The sky was just getting warmed in the area I figured the sun would come up. Was a bit cloudy and the son snuck up behind the clouds and warmed the sky in a orangey yellow glow. I caught a great snapshot of a cruise ship silhouetted in the early morning glow. I could tell it would be the start of another fabulous day. Unable to sleep anymore I put on my jogging gear and headed to the upper deck. It was already busy with people walking in the jogging path. It was soon evident the suggestion of one lane for running and one for walking was ignored by most people. But those of us that were running managed getting around those that were chatting as they walked. It was then back for breakfast and getting ready to get off the boat. Corinne had a few things to do so we decided not to disembark till 10 o’clock. Just as we got off the ship it started to rain and people were heading for cover. Remembering our umbrella of the suitcase we headed back inside to quickly grab it. Back outside it was almost s sunny and we began to walk in the direction we figured town was. Of course there are many little shops along the way to catch our attention and in one Corinne from the skirt she really liked but it was definitely too early to purchase. We walked along past housing projects that were probably for the poor people. There were chickens in the front of the houses and no fenced yards. It was a colourful site with beautiful flowering bushes, laundry hanging from lines and people coming and going.
Of course we had many taxi offers but had refused them believing we would just walk into town but not sure where town was. As we went along we began to realize we may not want to walk the whole distance. As we were trying to make a decision a taxi stopped at a light and called out to us. We ask him how much for a drive around the island to show us the sites, he told us $25per person or four dollars per person for a trip into town. We said will take the trip into town as 25 was more than we wanted to spend. He was a handsome older black man and very cheerful. He told us his name was Percy. He chatted and told us history of things that we passed and told us what he would show us if he did take us around the island the things he would take us to. After a few minutes we realized perhaps that was what we wanted to do and told him we would take his $25 offer. It was a great choice he was pleasant, humorous and full of knowledge of the islands. He told us he had lived on St.Thomas for 42 years. He asked us where from and when we told him that some of us were from Canada he was so excited. As a young man he had worked as a herdsman for Abbott Farms in Ontario. They had raised show Herford’s and he has gone often two different places to show cattle. He said he had a nephew in Alberta. He also told us all the wonderful things Canada had done in the Caribbean with the Peace Corps and with helping build schools and provide other help. We had noticed many of the banks were Canadian banks and he explained that was why Canada had a large presence in the Caribbean. The little island of St. Thomas was beautiful. The houses are brightly painted and like all places in the Caribbean you can find beautiful new houses next to abandoned ruins. We drove past the government house where the offices of the governor were and on up the hill where we had a breathtaking view of the bay where the cruise ships were parked. He then took us where we could see the other side of the island .On this side we could see the Atlantic Ocean. The British Virgin Islands were in the distance and made me think of Marvin. We could see the beautiful Megan’s Bay which St. Thomas is known for. It was most beautiful turquoise with white sandy beaches. We all said next time we come will go spend time at that beach. At one of the stops Percy showed us an island that was shaped as a sailing schooner. He told us how in the fog during the war the English had fired upon the island believing it was a sailboat. He shared many such fun anecdotes. He was such a darling man we enjoyed our time with him immensely. What a great choice to go with him to see the island. After our tour he dropped Corinne and I at the Kmart as we wanted to do a little looking around and took the guys back to the boat as they didn’t want to do a little looking around at shops. As he let Corinne and I off he hugged us both and told us to have an enjoyable time and remember “ Percy” when we heard Oh Canada. I had written on a pass along card with a picture of the Salt Lake Temple a thank you and put our names and told him this spoke of precious truths that were important to us. I hope it can touch his life.
I bought a pretty coral top at the Kmart and Corinne bought a couple of tops that would match the skirt she had seen then we headed back to purchase that skirt. We made our way back to the cruise ship just in time for a quite late lunch as it was almost 3 o’clock.
We napped after lunch then got ready for the formal evening. Was such a pleasant night in the fancy dining room all dressed up in our duds. The other couple at the table are from New York. The moment he opened his we knew he was from the Bronx. Their names are Steve and Sylvia. He’s a big tall guy and she is a petite gal from Ecuador. After wonderful supper we invited them to meet us at the Lyric theatre for the show. It was a show of dancing and singing and was excellently done. The choreography was amazing and the back drops so first class.. We figured we still weren’t ready for bed so we went to watch a game show at one of the bars for a while which is really fun.It was Finish the Lyric. Rex and I then went to see if we could get hooked up to the internet ant used up 20 minutes of our time just trying to post a bit and read mail. Sorry if we will just be doing the bare minimum to get you pics etc.
Great day!
I couldn’t help myself I woke up before dawn to catch the sun rise. We were passing by islands with the lights of pockets of civilization sparkling in the early morning. The sky was just getting warmed in the area I figured the sun would come up. Was a bit cloudy and the son snuck up behind the clouds and warmed the sky in a orangey yellow glow. I caught a great snapshot of a cruise ship silhouetted in the early morning glow. I could tell it would be the start of another fabulous day. Unable to sleep anymore I put on my jogging gear and headed to the upper deck. It was already busy with people walking in the jogging path. It was soon evident the suggestion of one lane for running and one for walking was ignored by most people. But those of us that were running managed getting around those that were chatting as they walked. It was then back for breakfast and getting ready to get off the boat. Corinne had a few things to do so we decided not to disembark till 10 o’clock. Just as we got off the ship it started to rain and people were heading for cover. Remembering our umbrella of the suitcase we headed back inside to quickly grab it. Back outside it was almost s sunny and we began to walk in the direction we figured town was. Of course there are many little shops along the way to catch our attention and in one Corinne from the skirt she really liked but it was definitely too early to purchase. We walked along past housing projects that were probably for the poor people. There were chickens in the front of the houses and no fenced yards. It was a colourful site with beautiful flowering bushes, laundry hanging from lines and people coming and going.
Of course we had many taxi offers but had refused them believing we would just walk into town but not sure where town was. As we went along we began to realize we may not want to walk the whole distance. As we were trying to make a decision a taxi stopped at a light and called out to us. We ask him how much for a drive around the island to show us the sites, he told us $25per person or four dollars per person for a trip into town. We said will take the trip into town as 25 was more than we wanted to spend. He was a handsome older black man and very cheerful. He told us his name was Percy. He chatted and told us history of things that we passed and told us what he would show us if he did take us around the island the things he would take us to. After a few minutes we realized perhaps that was what we wanted to do and told him we would take his $25 offer. It was a great choice he was pleasant, humorous and full of knowledge of the islands. He told us he had lived on St.Thomas for 42 years. He asked us where from and when we told him that some of us were from Canada he was so excited. As a young man he had worked as a herdsman for Abbott Farms in Ontario. They had raised show Herford’s and he has gone often two different places to show cattle. He said he had a nephew in Alberta. He also told us all the wonderful things Canada had done in the Caribbean with the Peace Corps and with helping build schools and provide other help. We had noticed many of the banks were Canadian banks and he explained that was why Canada had a large presence in the Caribbean. The little island of St. Thomas was beautiful. The houses are brightly painted and like all places in the Caribbean you can find beautiful new houses next to abandoned ruins. We drove past the government house where the offices of the governor were and on up the hill where we had a breathtaking view of the bay where the cruise ships were parked. He then took us where we could see the other side of the island .On this side we could see the Atlantic Ocean. The British Virgin Islands were in the distance and made me think of Marvin. We could see the beautiful Megan’s Bay which St. Thomas is known for. It was most beautiful turquoise with white sandy beaches. We all said next time we come will go spend time at that beach. At one of the stops Percy showed us an island that was shaped as a sailing schooner. He told us how in the fog during the war the English had fired upon the island believing it was a sailboat. He shared many such fun anecdotes. He was such a darling man we enjoyed our time with him immensely. What a great choice to go with him to see the island. After our tour he dropped Corinne and I at the Kmart as we wanted to do a little looking around and took the guys back to the boat as they didn’t want to do a little looking around at shops. As he let Corinne and I off he hugged us both and told us to have an enjoyable time and remember “ Percy” when we heard Oh Canada. I had written on a pass along card with a picture of the Salt Lake Temple a thank you and put our names and told him this spoke of precious truths that were important to us. I hope it can touch his life.
I bought a pretty coral top at the Kmart and Corinne bought a couple of tops that would match the skirt she had seen then we headed back to purchase that skirt. We made our way back to the cruise ship just in time for a quite late lunch as it was almost 3 o’clock.
We napped after lunch then got ready for the formal evening. Was such a pleasant night in the fancy dining room all dressed up in our duds. The other couple at the table are from New York. The moment he opened his we knew he was from the Bronx. Their names are Steve and Sylvia. He’s a big tall guy and she is a petite gal from Ecuador. After wonderful supper we invited them to meet us at the Lyric theatre for the show. It was a show of dancing and singing and was excellently done. The choreography was amazing and the back drops so first class.. We figured we still weren’t ready for bed so we went to watch a game show at one of the bars for a while which is really fun.It was Finish the Lyric. Rex and I then went to see if we could get hooked up to the internet ant used up 20 minutes of our time just trying to post a bit and read mail. Sorry if we will just be doing the bare minimum to get you pics etc.
Great day!
Monday, 18 March 2013
Sweet Sunday
March 17,2013
Time to leave our wonderful little hotel. It surely was a comfortable pleasant place and in such a great spot for doing things. We had a great Sunday morning attending the San Juan Metro ward which is the only English speaking ward on the Island. It was a very friendly ward. We chatted with the sweet sister missionaries as we entered the building and then were pleased to see they were the speakers. The first speaker was a young man who was a recent convert and then the Sister missionaries. They all gave excellent talks and I was so glad we could be there to feel the wonderful spirit. We could only stay for Sacrament meeting because we had to check out of our hotel and return the rental car and catch a shuttle to the port where our giant pleasure boat awaited us. Since boarding I have felt pampered and spoiled...like one of the beautiful people. Such luxury!!! We played table tennis, sat and watched the masses enjoy the sun and fun. Our lunch buffet was tasty and tonight’s supper was superb and I was adventurous and tried a coconut lime seafood soup that was incredible watched the beautiful city fade into the distance with the warm Caribbean wind in our hair and the moon overhead catching the evening star in its upturned crescent. We are now in the music rocking theatre awaiting the evening show and hoping it will be better than the sleep we feel ready for. (Poor old fuddy duds).
Time to leave our wonderful little hotel. It surely was a comfortable pleasant place and in such a great spot for doing things. We had a great Sunday morning attending the San Juan Metro ward which is the only English speaking ward on the Island. It was a very friendly ward. We chatted with the sweet sister missionaries as we entered the building and then were pleased to see they were the speakers. The first speaker was a young man who was a recent convert and then the Sister missionaries. They all gave excellent talks and I was so glad we could be there to feel the wonderful spirit. We could only stay for Sacrament meeting because we had to check out of our hotel and return the rental car and catch a shuttle to the port where our giant pleasure boat awaited us. Since boarding I have felt pampered and spoiled...like one of the beautiful people. Such luxury!!! We played table tennis, sat and watched the masses enjoy the sun and fun. Our lunch buffet was tasty and tonight’s supper was superb and I was adventurous and tried a coconut lime seafood soup that was incredible watched the beautiful city fade into the distance with the warm Caribbean wind in our hair and the moon overhead catching the evening star in its upturned crescent. We are now in the music rocking theatre awaiting the evening show and hoping it will be better than the sleep we feel ready for. (Poor old fuddy duds).
Saturday, 16 March 2013
Grade 8 Social Studies repeated
March 16, 2013
Another beautiful day, Rex and I walked on the beach before breakfast. I never tire of the roar of ocean waves. Top of the list today was an explore of Old San Juan. So after breakfast Scott took us on a crazy ride through the narrow streets to drop us where we could then make our way back to the designated pick up spot 2.5 hours later. Scott wasn’t feeling up to another day of walking all day having had a restless night so he agreed to chauffeur. I had two”want to see” places on my list. One was Casa Blanca, the oldest standing Mansion from the early times. It was the home built for the family of Ponce de Leon. De Leon himself never lived there as he died in Havana of wound inflicted by Indians in his attempt t conquer Florida. The house was steeped in history. It had a throne room with portraits of Spanish kings. The floors were beautifully tiled. The rooms were open to the beautiful ocean view by several doors and windows. I could imagine the women standing on the balconies staring out to sea, wishing for a glimpse of their loved ones returning from their usually violent explorations. The other area we spent time enjoying was out the city gate where there was a walkway built outside the 3 mile long old city wall below the fort we explored yesterday. We had seen the path but could not find a way to get to it. We stumbled upon the huge old gate to the city that open up to this area. The path through the gate lead directly up the hill to the old church where, it was said, the conquering heroes made their first stop when they returned safely from their escapades. Oh it was grade 8 social all over again. Mr Bunnage you would have loved it!
After walking the narrow streets, peeking into a few shops, looking inside the open courtyard to the university and making our way past the piers and back to find Scott we tried our hand at finding the Mission home with use of a google map printed instruction. Slight problem...not many streets have signage and often it they do it does not match the name used by google. Ie: PR22 or what ever the street name may be at that point of the highway. So we tried the GPS and ended I up in a infinite loop where it sent us up on to the highway looped ua around off the highway and then sent us back on to the highway again. Problem was we were in the same spot and it was telling us to repeat what we had just done. What a cruel sense of humour that thing has. We tried recalculating but it just started the whole thing again. The missionary package was not delivered but we sure did have a giggle over the new infinite loop definition.
We took a long stroll up the beach tonight. It was cloudy in a storm cloud sort of way but very warm and humid. It sprinkled a little while we sat out and played cards but not enough to fall on us in the court yard under the little palms. I lost at Dirty Joe but nothing could spoil another fabulous day!
Another beautiful day, Rex and I walked on the beach before breakfast. I never tire of the roar of ocean waves. Top of the list today was an explore of Old San Juan. So after breakfast Scott took us on a crazy ride through the narrow streets to drop us where we could then make our way back to the designated pick up spot 2.5 hours later. Scott wasn’t feeling up to another day of walking all day having had a restless night so he agreed to chauffeur. I had two”want to see” places on my list. One was Casa Blanca, the oldest standing Mansion from the early times. It was the home built for the family of Ponce de Leon. De Leon himself never lived there as he died in Havana of wound inflicted by Indians in his attempt t conquer Florida. The house was steeped in history. It had a throne room with portraits of Spanish kings. The floors were beautifully tiled. The rooms were open to the beautiful ocean view by several doors and windows. I could imagine the women standing on the balconies staring out to sea, wishing for a glimpse of their loved ones returning from their usually violent explorations. The other area we spent time enjoying was out the city gate where there was a walkway built outside the 3 mile long old city wall below the fort we explored yesterday. We had seen the path but could not find a way to get to it. We stumbled upon the huge old gate to the city that open up to this area. The path through the gate lead directly up the hill to the old church where, it was said, the conquering heroes made their first stop when they returned safely from their escapades. Oh it was grade 8 social all over again. Mr Bunnage you would have loved it!
After walking the narrow streets, peeking into a few shops, looking inside the open courtyard to the university and making our way past the piers and back to find Scott we tried our hand at finding the Mission home with use of a google map printed instruction. Slight problem...not many streets have signage and often it they do it does not match the name used by google. Ie: PR22 or what ever the street name may be at that point of the highway. So we tried the GPS and ended I up in a infinite loop where it sent us up on to the highway looped ua around off the highway and then sent us back on to the highway again. Problem was we were in the same spot and it was telling us to repeat what we had just done. What a cruel sense of humour that thing has. We tried recalculating but it just started the whole thing again. The missionary package was not delivered but we sure did have a giggle over the new infinite loop definition.
We took a long stroll up the beach tonight. It was cloudy in a storm cloud sort of way but very warm and humid. It sprinkled a little while we sat out and played cards but not enough to fall on us in the court yard under the little palms. I lost at Dirty Joe but nothing could spoil another fabulous day!
Friday, 15 March 2013
Pirates of the Caribbean
March 15
Another warm beautiful Caribbean day. The cotton candy clouds in bright blue sky and the white crested waves on a turquoise blue ocean makes for a tourists dream. After breakfast and lunch shopping we headed to the far point of Old San Juan’s headlands. There sits a six layered fort called San Felipe del Marrow. It stands bold and proud of the many would-be conquerors it turned away disappointed. This is the setting for Pirates of the Caribbean and looking out from the fort you can see the very old ruins of the first protected area on a thin strand of land and you can almost see the ghostly pirate ship in the bay. El Marrow is said to be the oldest Spanish fort of the New World. The first phase of it was constructed in 1539. It was history lesson explore, we were walking with the ghosts of Ponce de Leon, Sir Francis Drake, Sir George Clifford and Sir Ralph Abercromby ...just my cup of tea(herbal) or bottle of rum(non alcoholic) as the case may be:).. a fun explore!
We made lunch at the hotel and then it was siesta time. As I am in a sunny climate wanting to soak up all the rays I possible can Rex and I went to the roof top lounge/jacuzzi area to lay out and read or look for birds in the little palm trees. I read a bit in the sun, soaked in the hot tub and then looked for shade. At our appointed meeting time of 3:30, we headed to the beach area just a block north of our Hotel. Jumping in the big rollers was fun and a bit frightening for me and we brought enough seaweed home in our swim trunks to line a flower basket. We ate supper at a little Tex Mex café called Mona’s. Corrine tried the authentic Puerto Rican dish Mufongo. It had a plantain base , spiced with garlic and other seasonings and looked quite amazing. We had Fajita’s for two. Delicious and filling. We walked a little after showering and tidying up. The party atmosphere was certainly prevalent. Time for a game of cards and some down time a our quiet hotel:). Fantastic Day!!
Another warm beautiful Caribbean day. The cotton candy clouds in bright blue sky and the white crested waves on a turquoise blue ocean makes for a tourists dream. After breakfast and lunch shopping we headed to the far point of Old San Juan’s headlands. There sits a six layered fort called San Felipe del Marrow. It stands bold and proud of the many would-be conquerors it turned away disappointed. This is the setting for Pirates of the Caribbean and looking out from the fort you can see the very old ruins of the first protected area on a thin strand of land and you can almost see the ghostly pirate ship in the bay. El Marrow is said to be the oldest Spanish fort of the New World. The first phase of it was constructed in 1539. It was history lesson explore, we were walking with the ghosts of Ponce de Leon, Sir Francis Drake, Sir George Clifford and Sir Ralph Abercromby ...just my cup of tea(herbal) or bottle of rum(non alcoholic) as the case may be:).. a fun explore!
We made lunch at the hotel and then it was siesta time. As I am in a sunny climate wanting to soak up all the rays I possible can Rex and I went to the roof top lounge/jacuzzi area to lay out and read or look for birds in the little palm trees. I read a bit in the sun, soaked in the hot tub and then looked for shade. At our appointed meeting time of 3:30, we headed to the beach area just a block north of our Hotel. Jumping in the big rollers was fun and a bit frightening for me and we brought enough seaweed home in our swim trunks to line a flower basket. We ate supper at a little Tex Mex café called Mona’s. Corrine tried the authentic Puerto Rican dish Mufongo. It had a plantain base , spiced with garlic and other seasonings and looked quite amazing. We had Fajita’s for two. Delicious and filling. We walked a little after showering and tidying up. The party atmosphere was certainly prevalent. Time for a game of cards and some down time a our quiet hotel:). Fantastic Day!!
Thursday, 14 March 2013
The "Big Year" adventure.
March 14
We started our morning with a terrific breakfast at the hotel. Made terrific not so much by real fabulous food but by really fabulous service as they bent over backwards to make sure we were well taken care of. Our plan was to drive out to the El Yunge National Park which is a tropical rainforest. After a stop at Walgreens grocery department for lunch supplies we started our chaotic drive on the freeway 90km. Scott is a great driver and did a great job on fast paced roads where most road rules seem to be only a suggestion. The GPS took us down a few very narrow streets but we were soon at the El Portal Rain Forest Centre where we were tutored on the hows and whys of rainforests. We started our explore with an amble around the loop at the parking lot that took us through an area rich in vegetation and filled with the chitter of birds. Anyone who has walked with Rex knows what that meant. He captured some of them and added at least 10 new species to his Big Year. We then took the car up the road through the park Along the way was a tower that had been erected in 1963 to provide views of the lush vegetation. Not only were we able to look over the forest of bread fruit, eucalyptus, bulletwood, fern top and many other variety of trees and palms, the tallest bamboo I have ever seen- that clicked as the breeze swayed them, and so many vines and ferns and air plants growing on and up over the forest trees. I loved it. There were exotic flowers everywhere and I am sure we could have spent the whole day taking pictures in the same spot. But there was so much more to see and do. The hike we choose went to La Mina falls. The path was along a stream bed with several little water falls and lots of steps down. It was supposedly a 30 minute walk there but for picture takers a little longer. I can’t think of enough superlatives to describe but let it be know we loved it. The falls was beautiful but visited by several tour parties and the pool that was great for swimming hd enough bodies and I was gad we determined not to pack our towels and suits. Though the hike back was up steps and trails instead of down we made better time as it was past lunch time and an imminent picnic beckoned us. After lunch we left the forest area and found a fabulous beach where we snoozed a bit to the lulling roar of rolling waves. The sand was fine and soft and the waves mesmerizing. They called until we came out to play and then they snuck up and soaked us a few times. The water was warm and the ocean such a beautiful blue. The cloudy morning had turned to sunshine and we truly felt like we were in heaven. Our last explore was to find the bio-luminescent bay which after much searching we found the only way to access it was with a kayaking tour group. That was left for another adventure. We had decided on a Mexican type restaurant but after our first two choices fell through and we couldn’t find another close we opted for Pizza Hut and had a very delicious pizza. Back to the hotel and time for rest. Super fun Day!
We started our morning with a terrific breakfast at the hotel. Made terrific not so much by real fabulous food but by really fabulous service as they bent over backwards to make sure we were well taken care of. Our plan was to drive out to the El Yunge National Park which is a tropical rainforest. After a stop at Walgreens grocery department for lunch supplies we started our chaotic drive on the freeway 90km. Scott is a great driver and did a great job on fast paced roads where most road rules seem to be only a suggestion. The GPS took us down a few very narrow streets but we were soon at the El Portal Rain Forest Centre where we were tutored on the hows and whys of rainforests. We started our explore with an amble around the loop at the parking lot that took us through an area rich in vegetation and filled with the chitter of birds. Anyone who has walked with Rex knows what that meant. He captured some of them and added at least 10 new species to his Big Year. We then took the car up the road through the park Along the way was a tower that had been erected in 1963 to provide views of the lush vegetation. Not only were we able to look over the forest of bread fruit, eucalyptus, bulletwood, fern top and many other variety of trees and palms, the tallest bamboo I have ever seen- that clicked as the breeze swayed them, and so many vines and ferns and air plants growing on and up over the forest trees. I loved it. There were exotic flowers everywhere and I am sure we could have spent the whole day taking pictures in the same spot. But there was so much more to see and do. The hike we choose went to La Mina falls. The path was along a stream bed with several little water falls and lots of steps down. It was supposedly a 30 minute walk there but for picture takers a little longer. I can’t think of enough superlatives to describe but let it be know we loved it. The falls was beautiful but visited by several tour parties and the pool that was great for swimming hd enough bodies and I was gad we determined not to pack our towels and suits. Though the hike back was up steps and trails instead of down we made better time as it was past lunch time and an imminent picnic beckoned us. After lunch we left the forest area and found a fabulous beach where we snoozed a bit to the lulling roar of rolling waves. The sand was fine and soft and the waves mesmerizing. They called until we came out to play and then they snuck up and soaked us a few times. The water was warm and the ocean such a beautiful blue. The cloudy morning had turned to sunshine and we truly felt like we were in heaven. Our last explore was to find the bio-luminescent bay which after much searching we found the only way to access it was with a kayaking tour group. That was left for another adventure. We had decided on a Mexican type restaurant but after our first two choices fell through and we couldn’t find another close we opted for Pizza Hut and had a very delicious pizza. Back to the hotel and time for rest. Super fun Day!
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
We have arrived!!
March 13, 2013
We arrived in San Juan safe and sound. The flight was comfortable and we enjoyed the view from our window seat as we flew from Calgary to Dallas Fort Worth airport and then to San Juan. Everything went smoothly our luggage arrived on time and we were happy to find it when we got to San Juan. Corinne and Scott came shortly after we arrived to pick us up in the car they had rented. After a quick stop in at our hotel we went to trendy little place for supper. The food was wonderful and we came away completely stuffed. Our hotel is small and quaint and wonderful. It has lots of little spots to sit outside and enjoy the warm evening. Our plan for the morning is to breakfast early and drive out to the rain forest on the northeastern side of the island. I think this will be a great adventure for tomorrow. Bed time it’s felt like a long day.
We arrived in San Juan safe and sound. The flight was comfortable and we enjoyed the view from our window seat as we flew from Calgary to Dallas Fort Worth airport and then to San Juan. Everything went smoothly our luggage arrived on time and we were happy to find it when we got to San Juan. Corinne and Scott came shortly after we arrived to pick us up in the car they had rented. After a quick stop in at our hotel we went to trendy little place for supper. The food was wonderful and we came away completely stuffed. Our hotel is small and quaint and wonderful. It has lots of little spots to sit outside and enjoy the warm evening. Our plan for the morning is to breakfast early and drive out to the rain forest on the northeastern side of the island. I think this will be a great adventure for tomorrow. Bed time it’s felt like a long day.
San Juan. Here we come!!
So it has started. We have passed customs and are now sitting in the waiting area. People watching and blogging. Thanks to Colin and Cynthia for putting us up last night and to Colin for arising at 4:00 AM this morning to drive us to the airport. We arrived just as the check-in was opening and checked in and got through customs. Although the suggestion, in their webpage, is to arrive 3 hours in advance of the flight, it is interesting to note that nothing opens more than 2 1/2 hours prior to the flight. Se we had plenty of time. And is nice to just sit and relax knowing that all we have to do now is board the plane.
Tuesday, 18 October 2011
On the way home
Tuesday October 18, 2011
We checked out and the taxi was a little early so we left at 2:20 AM heading for the Athens airport. Not much traffic so no problem getting there. Got checked in and then waited for our flight. Talked to a passenger from Toronto. He had come for holiday, but the strike had shout down the port and so he did not get to go to the islands as planned. Overheard conversations of people leaving a day early because of a possible air traffic strike tomorrow. I guess we were just blessed not to have been affected by the strikes. The flight left on time and arrived in Amsterdam on time. We have still time for shopping. Mom has already purchased tulip bulbs. Hope to be able to plant them when we get home.
Mom's version
We checked out and the taxi was a little early so we left at 2:20 AM heading for the Athens airport. Not much traffic so no problem getting there. Got checked in and then waited for our flight. Talked to a passenger from Toronto. He had come for holiday, but the strike had shout down the port and so he did not get to go to the islands as planned. Overheard conversations of people leaving a day early because of a possible air traffic strike tomorrow. I guess we were just blessed not to have been affected by the strikes. The flight left on time and arrived in Amsterdam on time. We have still time for shopping. Mom has already purchased tulip bulbs. Hope to be able to plant them when we get home.
Mom's version
I couldn't sleep a bit. I was glad we had decided to keep our hotel room for one more night so we could relax before our early flight. Dad slept quietly and I lay with a hundred things going through my head. There were noisy protests out side, just two blocks down from our hotel so I wondered if still at 2:30 would there be crowds and traffic. Did we arrange for the taxi early enough? I didn't want anything stopping us from missing our flight. Notices had been posted in the hotel about a general strike on Wednesday and so I was glad we were getting out of Athens the day before. I have been amazed how through all the disruptions and confusion we have only been inconvenienced once through our whole trip. We have heard other stories of boats not being able to leave dock, over nights in airports because of controller strikes but luckily we were always a day ahead or behind the trouble. Thanks for all the prayers. Dad had assured me we had planned the departure well and just relax so I lay telling myself just relax, just relax. The Taxi driver arrived 15 minutes early. Yes! That worry overcome. I noticed as we sped through the narrow streets on the long 30 minute drive to the airport that the gas gauge warning light was on and the gauge was on empty. Oh Just what we need to run out of gas on the way to the airport! As I contemplated that I noticed the oil gauge was also at 0 so decided the gauges just didn't work. Okay so hopefully this cabbie filled up this morning. We were finally at the airport, found the right line to deposit our luggage and print boarding passes and soon were on the flight. I watched the lights of Athens disappear with mixed emotions, remembering the excitement of first seeing Athens from the air. At that time I wondered if all we had planned and hoped for would occur as planned. Now we were leaving having filled every dream, with a few bonuses. It really couldn't have been a better experience but Yeah!! we were going home to the familiar,peaceful, happy comfortable life of Lethbridge Alberta.
The flight was a little rough but nothing frightening and believe it or not I slept most of the way to Amsterdam. Time to relax as we have a five hour lay over. I already have my tulips in my backpack ready to bring some spring glory to our yard and remind me of fun times past.
Back to dad to finish this off.
The plane left on time from Amsterdam. We had a long flight back to Calgary. Not much sleeping. The sun was so bright, that we kept the window closed most of the time. We watched as we crossed Saskatchewan and into Alberta and on to Calgary. We landed only a couple of minutes late, then waited 15 or 20 minutes on the plane as we watched three planes land and two take off, using the runway we were waiting to cross to get to the airport. Then it was another 15 or 20 minutes waiting as the people ahead on us on the plane got off. Then another wait at customs and a secondary inspection to get our tulip bulbs approved. Then found our luggage (yay) and out. Colin was waiting for us and took us to his work place where we said "Hi" to Cynthia. Then we headed for Lethbridge. Boy the scenery was different that we have been used to for the past few weeks. We arrived home to a welcome sign hanging above the door and tomatoes still growing. I took Tyson with me to the garden to dig some potatoes and carrots to make supper. Picked some tomatoes out there as well. Ate supper. Garth and Amanda came by to say welcome home. Then we crashed as it had been about 26 hours since we had got that wake up call. It is good to be home.
Monday, 17 October 2011
Our last day in Greece
Monday Oct 17, 2011.
We awoke about 7:00 this morning. Our last day in Greece. We puttered around the room for a while. The little church that is outside our window, had a steady stream of people entering and leaving. On a
verage about 1 person every two minutes. We went down for breakfast about 8:15. Very enjoyable. The scrambled eggs were freshly made and the bacon, although not crisp, was good. Even the milk was cool this morning. We then arranged to have a wake-up call at 1:45 AM tomorrow morning and a taxi to take us to the airport at 2:30 AM. Then we headed out SHOPPING.
We were out by 9:30 and half the shops were not even open. We hiked over to the base of the acropolis so that I could take one more picture. Then shop, shop
, shop ... We bought gyros at about 1:00 PM and then headed back to the hotel to unload our booty. Then off on a 3 km walk to visit the Museum of Natural History. As we walked we passed several different groups of protesters. All was peaceful, but there were police everywhere. We spent about 3 hours in the museum. There is so much to see. I liked the ancient history (6000-3000 BC) part the best. We then started in the sculpture wing. Initially I was enthralled but after 100's of statues I was getting a little less enthusiastic. Then we went to the second floor. This is where the collection of vases was. Wow these are awesome. But then after literally thousands of vases, my interest waned. We visited the exhibit of m
yths and coins. Very interesting. And then headed out. More shopping was in store. And more shopping. And more shopping. Finally mom let me eat some supper and come back to the hotel. So that was our last day. Shopping and museum. Great time.
We awoke about 7:00 this morning. Our last day in Greece. We puttered around the room for a while. The little church that is outside our window, had a steady stream of people entering and leaving. On a
verage about 1 person every two minutes. We went down for breakfast about 8:15. Very enjoyable. The scrambled eggs were freshly made and the bacon, although not crisp, was good. Even the milk was cool this morning. We then arranged to have a wake-up call at 1:45 AM tomorrow morning and a taxi to take us to the airport at 2:30 AM. Then we headed out SHOPPING.We were out by 9:30 and half the shops were not even open. We hiked over to the base of the acropolis so that I could take one more picture. Then shop, shop
, shop ... We bought gyros at about 1:00 PM and then headed back to the hotel to unload our booty. Then off on a 3 km walk to visit the Museum of Natural History. As we walked we passed several different groups of protesters. All was peaceful, but there were police everywhere. We spent about 3 hours in the museum. There is so much to see. I liked the ancient history (6000-3000 BC) part the best. We then started in the sculpture wing. Initially I was enthralled but after 100's of statues I was getting a little less enthusiastic. Then we went to the second floor. This is where the collection of vases was. Wow these are awesome. But then after literally thousands of vases, my interest waned. We visited the exhibit of m
yths and coins. Very interesting. And then headed out. More shopping was in store. And more shopping. And more shopping. Finally mom let me eat some supper and come back to the hotel. So that was our last day. Shopping and museum. Great time.
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Small World
Sunday October 16,2011
We were a little laid back this morning and didn't get moving until after 7:30. Meetings were not until 10:00 and we had scouted out the area so knew where we were headed and that it was only a brisk 10 min walk. The hotel breakfast was the standard fare we have found here in Greece. A choice of cocoa puffs, muesli or cornflakes, with usually warm milk (in Zakynthos it was hot powdered milk..mmmm) then various breads, cheese, canned fruit (usually peaches) some sliced tomatoes and olives, yogurt which is really thick and not very sweet but very tasty with fruit or honey drizzled on it (the way the Greeks serve it for dessert),sometimes boiled eggs and sliced sandwich meats, but today to my delight hot scrambled eggs and bacon and of course, coffee and juice. I loved it on days it was real orange juice and I was ecstatic when it was COLD real orange juice. Today it was the funky orange juice that tastes like it is carbonated but it was cold. We have really noticed most places are frugal with electricity so hallways are often dark, lights not used during the daytime even when it is cloudy dark out side. I suspect they also have limited refrigeration. Here at the Amazon, a Best Western hotel, the place is well lit as was the Metropolitan where we stayed before in Athens.
We were welcomed by four missionaries outside the building doors and two more sets of missionaries inside. There was a fairly small gathering when the meeting started-25-30 people counting the missionaries and the couple missionaries and their daughter who was visiting and another sister missionary whose husband came before the meetings were all concluded. The branch president was African as were at least a dozen other members. It was a real cultural mix. Two young American students came in part way through Sacrament meeting. After the meeting I heard them telling people they had just came from Rome where there had been so much violence, with burning cars etc. They had been disappointed in not being able to see the coliseum as it was closed due to strikes. They then said “We were so very glad to walk in this building and feel safe” I had experienced the same feeling of being safe with family so far from home. The Gospel is such a wonderful blessing in our life. The world is also very small in the church. Dad spoke with the young Americans before priesthood and found they were students from Utah State University. When he introduced himself as from Canada one of them asked where in Canada. When Dad said Lethbridge Alberta he inquired “Do you know any Forsyths?” “I am a Forsyth” “do you know a Colin Forsyth?” Isn't that amazing! He was Joshua Blume who had recently returned from a mission where he had served in Thunderbay for 8 months and knew Colin and Cynthia well,and had helped move them when they came back to Alberta.
It was quite the experience to be the person wearing the interpretive head set. The speakers were the American missionary couple. The sister read her talk in laboured Greek. Probably half the speed Greeks speak and certainly without the enunciation, but what do I know it was better than I could have done and I applaud her for all the work it would have been for her to prepare the talk. The Brother spoke in English so that worked good for us. When I got to Relief Society I came to find probably half the class preferred English. I had noticed an older sister with the Sunday School Manual and when it was time for Sunday school she said to us “You stay in this class. We will interpret in English.” Then one of the Elders came and invited us to the English class. We stood unsure of what to do and the Sunday school teacher again encouraged us to stay. “That class is for new members.” she said “this one is Gospel Doctrine. You stay.” One of the Elders offered to interpret so he took the microphone and we used our headsets and had a real neat experience hearing this sister teach us from Ephesians about unity in the church. She was passionate about the gospel. She talked about marriage relationships and how in her 76 years she knew women were the ones who supported the heads of the priesthood holder. We are their necks. She got quite a chuckle from the class and some comments from an older brother who had blessed the sacrament. Her European way with passionate speech and hand movements all made me think of our neighbour Anita who I miss visiting with. She talked about how important it is to love one another and how much more they as a Branch need to do this with Greece experiencing such hard times. She then expressed her love to the class It was very moving to me and I was glad to have had the cultural experience of being in her class. You could tell she was one of the stalwarts of the branch It would have been so interesting to have been able to get a history of her life.
She ended up being the teacher in Relief Society also. Our lesson was about the Second Coming There was quite a group who held up hands when asked if they needed English. Two of the sisters sat behind us and quietly interpreted. I was sitting beside a Danish girl who also spoke English very well. She was visiting with her husband who had served a mission in Greece and was back visiting. The girl who interpreted for us was a beautiful dark haired Greek. She was apologetic because occasionally she couldn't think of the English word. She did a great job and that made it possible to really get the spirit of the things that were said. What testimony building experience!
We went back to the Hotel after the Sunday meetings and were able to catch the Sunday Afternoon session of General Conference as we had strong internet connection that allowed us to watch it. Later we went for an explore of the National Gardens which we had seen a bit of before. We took our umbrellas as it was raining. There was a mansion we had read about that we went to get pictures of. We wandered the narrow streets past some of the shops and then stopped at a little restaurant just outside our hotel. It was a very chic place with lovely decorations. We had their Greek Platter for two which included 5 different dishes. The meatballs were especially tasty. The meal was delicious, cozy and nice to eat inside out of the rain.
Our adventure is winding down. We have come to see there is so much to learn, so many places we couldn't even have imagined and yet with all the differences there are so many things the same.
Saturday, 15 October 2011
What a difference
Saturday Oct 15, 2011
What a difference a day makes. Yesterday we awoke to a beautiful sunrise and this morning a dismal cloudy sky with no sun!!! Actually it started to rain last night but it did not seem too bad. At about 2:00 AM, I aw
oke to a lightning strike lighting up our room followed immediately by a blast of thunder that shook everything. I got up to close the balcony door and the wind was howling and the rain was coming down in sheets. And the harbour was rolling in waves. Yikes, I thought, we have to walk to the bus station in the morning. But Zeus and Poseidon must have their ways and the thunder and lightning, along with wind and rain continued all night. We went down for breakfast at about 8:00 and then packed up and checked out. The rain let up slightly and the thunder and lightning had ceased by the time we were ready to start our walk up the bus station. So we did not get too wet. We boarded the bus for the 10 minute ride to the ferry and then hopped on the ferry for the ride back across to Killini. Then back on the bus for the 4 hour (plus rest stop) ride to Athens. I slept most of the way to the rest stop. It rained all the way until we passed Corinth (about 45 min out of Athens). We arrived in Athens and caught a taxi to take us to our hotel. He told us that there were to be protests from 4 to 6 to join the global protests. Mom was so excited. Finally a protest!!! The roads were plugg
ed as we got close to our hotel which is right near the square where the protests were to be. So it took a little longer and we did not get here until about 4:15. We checked in and went to our room where I restrained mom until about 5:45 and then headed out to find the church meeting place. We were successful, and then headed for "the square" so mom could see the protests. Great fun. Then a quick bite to eat and back to our hotel room. We only took about 10 pictures the whole day. A record for us. What a difference a day makes!!!
What a difference a day makes. Yesterday we awoke to a beautiful sunrise and this morning a dismal cloudy sky with no sun!!! Actually it started to rain last night but it did not seem too bad. At about 2:00 AM, I aw
oke to a lightning strike lighting up our room followed immediately by a blast of thunder that shook everything. I got up to close the balcony door and the wind was howling and the rain was coming down in sheets. And the harbour was rolling in waves. Yikes, I thought, we have to walk to the bus station in the morning. But Zeus and Poseidon must have their ways and the thunder and lightning, along with wind and rain continued all night. We went down for breakfast at about 8:00 and then packed up and checked out. The rain let up slightly and the thunder and lightning had ceased by the time we were ready to start our walk up the bus station. So we did not get too wet. We boarded the bus for the 10 minute ride to the ferry and then hopped on the ferry for the ride back across to Killini. Then back on the bus for the 4 hour (plus rest stop) ride to Athens. I slept most of the way to the rest stop. It rained all the way until we passed Corinth (about 45 min out of Athens). We arrived in Athens and caught a taxi to take us to our hotel. He told us that there were to be protests from 4 to 6 to join the global protests. Mom was so excited. Finally a protest!!! The roads were plugg
ed as we got close to our hotel which is right near the square where the protests were to be. So it took a little longer and we did not get here until about 4:15. We checked in and went to our room where I restrained mom until about 5:45 and then headed out to find the church meeting place. We were successful, and then headed for "the square" so mom could see the protests. Great fun. Then a quick bite to eat and back to our hotel room. We only took about 10 pictures the whole day. A record for us. What a difference a day makes!!!
Friday, 14 October 2011
Getting Real
Friday October 14, 2011
I was awake before dawn thinking about seminary and knowing back home everyone was just ending their day and here we were starting another clear sky day. You could hear the motoring of the fishing boats off in search of an early catch. The sunrise over the marina was picture worthy-I smile as I write that knowing Tyson and Garth will just snicker and think "what isn't picture worthy to them". We had decided we wanted to do some walking today as we seem to have ridden a bus or a taxi every where. This isn't a real walking-friendly country as the roads are windy, narrow and without shoulders and the drivers are just crazy. A pedestrian is something to be completely ignored. Disregarding all this, we googled a beach area that was just to the south of the town 4-5 kilometers and decided we would go see what the little town and its beach was like. As we walked along the stone walk of the marine I could see crowds of people gathered around some of the boats and thought it was tourists- early site-seers anxiously waiting to be on their way. As we approached I could see I was wrong. These were locals chattering in the loud quick-paced rhythm of their native tongue. A woman on the first boat we approached was setting boxes out on the wharf. They were full of fish. The locals were haggling over the early morning catch. Restaurant cooks stocking up, the markets ordering bags of this and that. As we walked by each of the boats lined up we could see they had success, there were all sizes and kinds of fish and customers were taking big bags of this and that. This was fish at its very freshest.
On the w
ay out of town we walked past a school yard of children probably having recess The school yard was small by western standards and all paved but there were trees and benches, play equipment and most of important of all a small "football" field with nets at both ends,where a large groups of the kids who looked to be about grade 5 and 6 were having a high energy game of soccer. There was a huge cheering section of mostly girls who continued to chant encouragement. They even had a paper banner waving. There were several children just doing their own thing hardly aware of the soccer game and when the ball rolled over past them the game just went on with both teams going after the ball kicking it or heading it into the fray again. There was obviously no "out of bounds" When a team scored, a raucous cheer went up. The game players were both girls and boys with the latter in the majority. It was hard to tell how many on a team as the whole area seemed to be just a mass of kids running this way and that. It was really fun to watch. Pictures were hard to take as the playground was enclosed with a steel barred fence and the area was a foot and a half higher than the sidewalk and fairly shadowed. Most of all we didn't want to be mistaken for anything other than curious tourists.
We took the road where the sign said Argasi 4 km. That was where we were headed. We went up over a bridge and another sign directed us to turn left and announced Argasi 3km. Wow we did that kilometer in record speed. We walked past a church and through little suburb of Zakynthos, walked 10 minutes and then we came to a stop sign with more arrows pointing the directions of the little towns. Argasi straight ahead 4 km. Oh now we had just walked 10 minutes backwards. Hey this is Greece remember! No surprises here. The road was narrow with houses along the side of it. Some places we would hurry to get around a blind corner before traffic came. If we could hear approaching vehicles we would wait for them to pass. We could tell when we were approaching Argasi as there were hotel signs pointing up little side roads. Eventually we were on a pathway and entering town . It looked like a tourist town that had rolled up its welcome mats until the next season. Almost everything was closed
. A small group of tourists were standing waiting for a bus and I said to Dad "not a good sign if even the tourists want out of here". There was a sign that said Central Beach. We walked the block to the sea and oh what a site! This time I shall not be using any of my fabulous superlatives. Instead I shall say dump yard! The beach was littered with plastic bottles and bottle tops, paper and plastic and old rotting seaweed. We were met by a smell of composting sea litter and a swarm of sand flies. There was an old wrecked boat that must have sat deserted for years. Litter pick up is not the norm in this county. The only cool thing was there were structural remains of an old arched building that was now sitting 10 feet out in the sea. The date over the door was 1850. There some private beach areas further along that were very narrow but looked like they at least had some clean sand and water. We walked further up the way looking for an area t
hat had public access but all the beach area was filled with commercial endeavors. I crossed Argasi off my list of places I may want to return to and we headed back to Zakynthos town. We stopped to take pictures of an old church and wade in the clear water along a rocky stretch of beach on the way back to town. The afternoon was spent poking around the town, we bought our bus tickets for our ride back to Athens tomorrow and had a little siesta. It was definitely a taste-the-real-culture kind of day.
Thursday, 13 October 2011
Superlatives Spent
Thursday October 13,2011
I was awake ea
rly as it was our last day at Porta del Mar and I wanted to catch the sunrise. The moon was still bright in the western sky and the morning was calm, warm and beautiful. I snapped a few pre-sunrise pictures as the sky was pink with the promise of a sunny day. The early fishing boats were getting set for their morning catch. I heard the distant sound of a rooster crowing. Rex hadn't followed me down to the beach as he wanted to post some pictures and had failed because of internet trouble the night before. I was soon back coaxing him out for a walk up the beach. As we stepped out on to the veranda the bright red globe poked up from behind the distant trees and another fabulous day was born. We walked up the beach, encouraged by the light glinting off a fishing boat with its net bobbing in the water. It looked like the perfect picture opportunity. We hadn't been up the road at the far end of the beach so on we went. The morning sun sparkled in the dewy leaves of the olive trees and the open spots were a yellow green in the warm light. Three goats were staked in one field. The two white nannys glanced our way but looked disinterested as we walked by however the black billy watched us curiously, his tidy black beard giving the impression of a little old man. One thing I have really enjoyed about this area is the peace and quiet. Besides the occasional bird and sound of a barking dog the morning was quiet. Most of the places we walked by looked closed up for the season. We did pass a farmer on a tractor spraying weed
s along the road side but that was the only person we saw besides the fisherman. We wandered back and had french toast for breakfast and then I quickly tidied up so I could have another hour down in the sea before it was check out time. The water was still and warm. I can't get over how clear and clean it is. I think that is really what I can't resist. All too soon it was time to pack up and wait for the taxi back to town.
We decided to spend the last two nights on Zakynthos Island, in the town. Our hotel is right on the busy water front and has been the 
best perch for people watching ever. We watched the comings and goings of a cruise ship in the bay, the ferries arriving, the fishing boats coming home for the night as well as the busy comings and goings of the town. We walked about, had a lovely Greek supper at a
n open air taverna and walked the main shopping street that is all lit up in hopes a few more ships will bring the customers before the season is completely ended.When we got back to our hotel the moon was showing off, glinting in the harbour, lighting up the sea beyond the habour walls. A enchanting end to another glorious day.
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