ANTIGUA (ST. JOHN’S) & BARBUDA

Antigua and Barbuda is a sovereign island country in the Caribbean. It lies where the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea meet.

The country consists of two major islands, Antigua and Barbuda, which are approximately 40 km (25 mi) apart, and several smaller islands, including Great Bird, Green, Guiana, Long, Maiden, Prickly Pear, York, and Redonda. The permanent population is approximately 97,120 (2019 estimates), with 97% residing in Antigua.[12] St. John’s, Antigua, is the country’s capital, major city, and largest port. Codrington is Barbuda’s largest town. (Wikipedia)

Tourists come here for its powder-sand beach and to party!

Our ship docked in St. John’s, Antigua at 12:00 noon. Our tour started at 1:15 PM which took us across the island. Same views with the other previously visited islands: verdant vegetations, pastel-colored homes, poor villages along the way, small chapels, etc.

The road is what you expected from a third world nation – not a very comfortable ride! Although poverty is noticeable outside the city, our tour guide informed us that education is free to include books and uniforms (same as Barbados) from first grade to secondary school.

The 15-seater van took us to about 450 feet elevation where the ruins of an old English fort is located. There we admired the sweeping panoramic view of the azure waters of both the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea as this is where they meet!

Next we stopped by Shirley Heights Lookout with similar fantastic views of English and Falmouth Harbors! It was a very clear day so the visibility extended miles and miles beyond.

With every stop are souvenir shops of course! We’ve been traveling for a long time and Trini and I learned that most souvenirs we buy end up in the garage or worse, the trash bin. So the only souvenir we buy are ball caps for me, magnets for a “special place in the garage”, local delicacies for friends, and maybe alcoholic drinks (in this case rum).

Our last stop was in Nelson’s Dockyard which is a cultural heritage site and marina in English Harbor. It’s after Admiral Horatio Nelson (best known for his victory at the Battle of Trafalgar) who lived in the Royal Navy Dockyard from 1784 to 1787. While here we tasted the local rum punch. Not the best time to drink when you’re hungry.

A boat on the slip named OYA (our friend’s name)

One thing I noticed is that every port we’ve visited here in the Caribbean there are always high-end stores selling expensive watches and bags and always, always several DIAMOND STORES! And of course, the DUTY FREE SHOPS! It’s nice to browse around these stores but I can’t afford to buy any of the items on display.

In St. John’s, the duty free shops are located next to where our ship was berthed. Classic rock songs from Credence Clearwater Revival, Journey, Foreigner and other popular songs are blaring from one of the establishments! The younger cruisers (from Princess) docked next to us seem to enjoy these music whereas my fellow passengers from the Viking looked irritated (just my personal observation). But I danced with the music anyway!

We arrived back from the tour around 4:15 PM and I was hungry since I skipped lunch. The only place to grab something to eat before dinner was at Wintergarden. We ate scones and tiny sandwiches downed with your choice of tea or coffee (I opted for my favorite black cafe) while we were entertained by the resident pianist, Lidia.

BARBADOS – Rihannaland

Barbados is the most Eastern of the Caribbean Islands which was formerly a British Colony (again, they drive on the wrong side of the road)! This island changed hands several times – first the Spanish explorers, then the Portuguese, and finally under the British in 1625. It is often called “Little England” for its lasting British influence. The capital is Bridgetown. Like most of the Caribbean islands, their economy is (or was) dependent on rum, sugar, and molasses exports. Population is about 303,000 (2023).

Our tour guide, Kejia, was not also the driver today. Bensen was. So it looks like the tour owner can afford to pay two people unlike the other three islands we’ve already visited. Compared to the mediocre tour guide yesterday , Kejia was a fresh breath of air! Not only did she know what she was talking about, she also answered lots of questions from us. She was articulate, although she talked a little too fast for me.

Barbados is just like the other Caribbean islands – lush vegetations, rocky, hilly, hot and humid with friendly folks! Many of the local flora are also found in my country of birth: colorful plumeria, the invasive cadena de amor, banana trees, different hues of bougainvilleas, towering mango trees, coconuts, and many more. But what caught my eye are the strange-looking trees (fig variety) with their roots growing from the branches (see photo below)!

The small tour van took us through Georgetown and we drove around the island admiring the contrasting modern hotels and pastel-colored homes. You could tell that Barbados is “richer” than most of its island neighbors! Its economy is built of tourism and offshore banking.

Above was the modest house the R&B superstar- RIHANNA – grew up in! Below, the street is also named after her.

Tasting Mount Gay rum punch

This island hopping is starting to bore me. I wish I still enjoyed snorkeling and scuba diving so I can at least do something other than touring the islands. Maybe I should suggest that the Caribbean Islands cruise should be limited to four islands but stay a couple of days (or three) in every one of them so the cruisers can explore them more and enjoy their culture.

Tomorrow we visit ST JOHN’S, ANTIGUA. Ho-hum….

ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA

Yesterday we cruised the Caribbean Sea after we left St. Martin. It was an opportunity to use our onboard account that Viking gave us for the itinerary changes at the ship’s boutique and shops. Trini and I also went to relax in the spa while Oya and Tommy were attending the different lectures offered aboard.

We docked at 7:00 am at St. George’s, Grenada this morning on a very sunny day with temperature in the mid-80’s. The pastel-colored houses perched on the hillside immediately caught my eye! I guess this is the Caribbean Islands’ standard colors for their homes.

I remember in 1983 when we invaded Grenada after an internal political struggle that led to the execution of Maurice Bishop. The US sent the Army’s Rangers, Delta Force and Airborne divisions; the US Marines and the Navy SEALS! And with the addition of several Caribbean nations’ military! It was like trying to get rid of a fly in your soup and using a bulldozer to accomplish it! But we did it and the country is more economically and politically stable now than before the invasion. It is now celebrated as a holiday.

Grenada is an important exporter of nutmeg, second only to Indonesia. Nearly 40 percent of the world’s supply is cultivated on its gentle slopes. St. George’s exudes a fascinating blend of British and Afro-European heritage. Since they were formerly under the British rule, hence, they also drive on the wrong side of the road!

Talking about roads – they are very narrow and winding to the point that oncoming vehicles only have a few inches clearance between them. Don’t hang your arms out if you don’t want them amputated!

The roads are so narrow that the vehicles sometimes have only a few inches between them!

The last two places we visited – San Juan PR and St. Martin – have their own unique beauty and interesting history; however, as someone who’ve already cruised the Caribbean, “you’ve seen one island, you’ve seen them all”. I remember the cruise director of Viking in our previous adventure when he said, “keep an open mid and an open heart” when visiting new places. And I will.

I keep an open mind but I have to share my experiences whether they’re good, bad or in between as that is the purpose of a blog: Our tour guide/driver (I noticed multi-tasking tour guides now, they used to be separate) paled in comparison with the last two we had! First of all, Chris (the guide/driver’s name) had a monotone voice and almost zero humor! It’s like he learned his trade by rote. There were no funny anecdotes to accompany his narration of the places we pass by or any explanation why something is that way! He just drones, “on your right is the new hotel; on your left is a papaya tree (he mentioned the papaya several times); on and on and on! I saw several fellow passengers dozing off. Three agonizing hours with two stops later and we were glad to be back at the cruise terminal. I was relieved tremendously !

Our ship in the background.
Dancing to the beat of reggae

ST GEORGE’S UNIVERSITY

The first stop – restroom and a taste of the regional beer Carib
Back on the ship eating a well-deserved lunch!

ST. MAARTEN/ ST. MARTIN (The Netherlands and France)

St. Maarten (Dutch) or St. Martin (French) is a fascinating mix of Holland and France, lush with Caribbean beauty all its own. The island has been shared by the two nations since 1648.

Tragedy struck the tiny island in September 2017 when the Category 5 Hurricane Irma raged over the island for a full eight hours. This was one of the worst-hit islands, and it’s estimated that more than 90 percent of the buildings were damaged; one-third were completely destroyed. Many of the destroyed buildings and infrastructure have not been restored or repaired.

Our ship, Viking Sea docked at 8:00 am, the rain just stopped and the sun was out so it was a nice day for our tour to explore the island! When we got off the gangway a strong gust of wind blew my hat and without thinking, I ran after it. In my younger days I probably would have retrieved the hat without much effort but I must admit that aging has taken its toll on my joints. I gave up after I saw it go over the pier and turned back to join my group; however, a voice called out and when I turned around a guy was holding my hat! It was stuck onto something before it was blown away to the Caribbean Sea never to be seen again! I profusely thanked the man and folded my hat and only wore it when the wind was not strong enough to repeat the funny event that day!

Our ship sandwiched between a Princess and MSC cruise liners.

We docked in the Dutch side of the island by its capital, Phillipsburg. It was dotted with colorful resorts and casinos. Below is the Rotary Lookout Point with stunning views of the vast

Some of the evidence of the hurricane’s devastations.

You could tell we crossed over to the French side of the island by the signs in the business establishments.

A fruit vendor we passed along the way.

A gated community for the more privileged residents of the island.

An invasive type of flowering vine is found almost everywhere the island (we call this plant cadena de amor in the Philippines).

You could always tell tourists from the clothes they wear!

Our tour bus took us to the French side whose capital is Marigot. Shopping was mostly done here since many of the stores in the Dutch side were still closed when we started the tour.

Tommy and Oya looking for bargains in the vendors’ square. Haggling is acceptable.

Trini with a pretty island girl.

Our tour guide, Felix was a very funny guy and used humor to educate us and at the same time entertaining us. We asked him if he spoke Dutch and French and he said NO and that he was never really interested to learn these languages.

The ship’s itinerary for the next several days.

ANOTHER VIKING CRUISE ADVENTURE (or misadventure)

This cruise must be the biggest disappointment we’ve had with Viking! In my previous blogs I described how this cruise company was the best in the industry since everything was “included”, no “under 18 years old” passenger, no casinos, no “nickel and dime charges”, etc. We booked this cruise mainly due to the itinerary: cruise the great Amazon River and the Western Caribbean. But in November we were notified by Viking that the Amazon River’s water level was so low it was not safe for the cruise liner to navigate there. What to do, what to do? We could not cancel the trip since we would automatically lose our money as per the cancellation trip policy.

Prior to the itinerary change notification we were already booked for our side trip in Rio de Janeiro which we could not cancel as it was non-refundable so we went ahead and continued on with the Viking’s new itinerary begrudgingly.

Viking gave us $500 per person onboard expenses and would give us 30% of our paid booking if we apply that for a future cruise! A generous amount to appease us but most of the cruisers we talked to are as disappointed and disgusted as we are for these itinerary changes! Viking also upgraded our staterooms to penthouse veranda with a minibar that is restocked daily – for free!

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO – Puerto Rico’s capital and largest city, sits on the island’s Atlantic coast. Its widest beach fronts the Isla Verde resort strip, known for its bars, nightclubs and casinos. Cobblestoned Old San Juan features colorful Spanish colonial buildings and 16th-century landmarks including El Morro and La Fortaleza, massive fortresses with sweeping ocean views, as well as the Paseo de la Princesa bayside promenade. â€• Google

Puerto Rico is a Caribbean Island and unincorporated territory of the United States with official Commonwealth status.

We took the included walking tour of the city that started at 2:00pm. The weather was a little more pleasant than Rio (mid-80’s and lower humidity). Right away, you could see evidence of the Spanish influence in the city. Centuries old two-story houses line the streets of Old Town, many of them brightly painted with pastel colors. We visited a very old Spanish fort that has withstood earthquakes and hurricanes.

Our tour guide/driver was a local guy who was extremely knowledgeable with the city’s history, culture and other trivia, He spewed names and dates without hesitation! In our next stop, I asked him if he was reading something to jog his memory and he said that he had been doing this same job since 1998! No wonder.

Tommy and Oya enjoying light lunch upon arrival in San Juan PR

The old fort had 3 flags: the US on the right, Puerto Rico’s in the middle, and the Spanish Army on the left.

The narrow cobblestoned streets in the Old Town part of San Juan, traffic congestion was a common sight.

A woman jogging past the local swimming spot.

THE ICONIC COPACABANA AND IPANEMA BEACHES

Our last full day in this alluring cidade was partially spent walking hot scorching sand of probably the two most famous beaches in the world – Copacabana (“Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl…”) and Ipanema (“Tall and tan and young and lovely…”) memorialized by these popular songs. As I mentioned in my earlier blogs our hotel is right next door to Copacabana Beach so we can watch the early risers jog, walk, play beach volleyball and pickle ball while eating breakfast.

If you want to see what a perfect tan looks like, all you have to do is walk the many beaches that surround Rio. I’m sure there are no tanning salons here. I do wonder what their rate for skin cancer is?

Although we’ve lived more than 40 years in sunny California where the best beaches are found, our group are unfortunately NOT sun-worshippers! Walking barefoot, feeling the warm sands between our toes and people-watching (read: bikini watching for me) was more exciting for us than taking a dip in the cool Atlantic Ocean water.

The view from our hotel’s restaurant – the iconic Copacabana Beach.

We planned on walking from our hotel to Ipanema Beach since it was only a few miles away; however, the oppressive heat and humidity discouraged us! Also, my colds was already starting so I was not really in a good mood to do any physical activity no matter how light and easy. So we took a cab to take us there.

We didn’t feel like renting chairs and umbrellas as we were not in our swim suits so we found a tiny place with a few tables selling coconuts and beer. We ordered the refreshing coconuts nicely chilled in the icebox. After we sipped all the coconut juice I asked the vendor to cut the coconuts in half – he gave me a, “Are you serious, dude?” look! I confirmed it by giving him 5 Brazilian reais (about US$1). While we were scraping the coconut meet with the spoon provided and eating them, we noticed that the locals who also bought the coconuts for their juice threw them away in the nearby trash bins after sucking the juice! We were the only ones who went into the trouble of eating the meat. Now I know why the beach dude looked at me funny!

They must be tourists like us, they have only started to get their tan!

We left Rio with yesterday to fly to San Juan, Puerto Rico to embark on our cruise with Viking Sea. Our short vacay in Rio will be a memorable one and the experience will be cherished. Imagine setting foot in a city that we’ve only seen in the movies and actually walking on those sandy beaches of the iconic Copacabana and Ipanema.

Like I mentioned, Rio is somewhat cheaper than many tourist places. Our hotel accommodations would have cost us three times more had it been in San Diego CA or Cancun, Mexico considering the proximity to the popular beaches. The locals are very helpful and willing to help when asking for directions except most of them barely could speak English. None of the taxi drivers we met spoke English and I could only communicate with them with my basic Spanish.

One of the vendors even told me to remove my gold chain from my neck explaining in sign that someone might grab it. Overall, Rio de Janeiro is a beautiful and alluring city that one should visit at least once! If you can, visit Rio during the Carnival celebration (still in my bucket list).

ADEUS RIO ATÉ A PRÓXIMA….

RIO DE JANEIRO (Part 2)

A lot of people think that the capital of Brazil (population about 218 million 2023)is Rio De Janeiro (6.12 million) or even Sao Paolo (11.45 million) which is incorrect. Brasilia is seat of government of the country and is considered the third most populous city. It is located high in the Brazilian Highlands in the Central-Western area of the country.

Contrasting photo of a favela and Rio’s modern skyline.

There are over 100 favelas in Rio. Favelas are slums, ghettos or shantytown located in the outskirts of Rio and Sao Paolo. They have been a chronic social and inequality problem of the country since the average life span in the favelas is 48 years old. Crime is rampant that sometimes law enforcement refuse to go into them. Despite these problems, Rio is a wonderful place to visit, just know where to avoid at night and be constantly vigilant.

After a so-so buffet lunch, the tour guide announced what everybody had been waiting for -a last stop to Christ the Redeemer. This Art Deco sculpture was created by French sculptor Paul Landowski and built by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa between 1922 and 1931. The total height is 124 feet including the base with the arms stretching 92 feet wide. A symbol of Christianity around the world, the statue has also become a cultural icon of both Rio de Janeiro and Brazil and was voted one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. (Wikipedia)

By this time around 3:00 pm, the clouds have formed but fortunately the wind would carry them away from the statue. It was a hit or miss photo session but the clouds added some aura to the statue as some of the photos will show. After the guide handed us our entrance tickets, he showed us where the elevator going to the statue level is. He also informed us that you can take the stairs – I opted for the latter!

One of the items in my bucket list is to see The Severn Modern Wonders of the World! After our visit to Rio to see Christ the Redeemer, there is only one left in my list – Taj Majal. The following is a list of the Seven Modern Wonders and the year we visited them:

  1. CHICHEN ITZA, Mexico – 1992
  2. GREAT WALLS OF CHINA – 2003
  3. COLOSSEUM, Italy – 2007
  4. MACHU PICCHU, Peru – 2010
  5. PETRA, Jordan – 2018
  6. CHRIST THE REDEEMER, Brazil – 2023
  7. TAJ MAHAL, India – ?

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (Part 1)

This exotic and very popular tourist destination has always long been in our bucket list. And it finally came to fruition! Rio de Janeiro or just plain Rio is the second most populous city in Brazil. While not the cleanest city that we’ve visited it had a lot to offer to the visitors who come just for the adventure and the unique experience, eclectic cuisine, multicultural and ethnically diverse. Brazil is also the most populous Roman Catholic country in the world! Although extremely popular because of its annual Carnival celebration it is more affordable that many of the places we’ve already visited both in Europe and the Americas.

Tommy and Oya Holgado, Trini and I woke up early to eat breakfast since our tour starts at 9:00am. You know it’s going to be a muggy day when the temperature (88F) and the humidity (88%) are the same! Not sure if the clouds helped at all but we started perspiring as soon as we were out of the tour van!

Our tour guide picked us up in our hotel – Arena Leme Hotel – just a few steps to the popular Copacabana Beach. Half of the 15 tourists were Brazilians, two were from Argentina, two English-speaking guys, and the four of us. Our guide is multi-lingual, speaking rapid Portuguese, then switching to Spanish and lastly English for our benefit and the other English-speaking tourists. It was an all-day tour with plenty of walking. We visited Sugarloaf Mountain (1,299 ft above the harbor)taking the cable car twice to get to the summit with a breath taking view of Rio and Guanabar Bay that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean.

The cable car that took us to the Sugarloaf peak.

Sugarloaf Mountain (named for its resemblance to the traditional shape of concentrated loaf sugar) as seen from Corcovado where Christ the Redeemer is located.

Soccer is extremely popular all over the world and Brazil is one of the many countries that consider this sport to be a part of their national identity. It has won the FIFA World Cup five times, the most of any teams (remember Pelé?). Therefore a visit to the Macaraña Stadium was really something to experience even if we didn’t get to see the field. I could just imagine the thundering roars of almost 200,000 soccer fans during a game.

We also stopped by the pyramid-shaped Metropolitan Cathedral with its simple but impressive interior decorated with colorful stained glasses extending to the very top of the cathedral.

Before lunch we headed to Rio’s historical center and walked Seleron Street. It was more of an alley considering how narrow it is. The entire length of the street was covered with amazing vibrant colorful tiles on both sides and the walkway each having their own messages. While there we saw a long queue in front of a street vendor waiting to order their specialty – Piña Colada! We ordered mango juice sin álcool and done manually with side shows of zooming flies all over! No matter what was in that concoction it helped refresh us and temporarily kept us cool from the heat and humidity!

Our Brazilian tour guide taking our selfie!

I will post Part 2 later as there are plenty of photos we took especially at Christ the Redeemer.

A TRIP TO BRAZIL

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world by land area and the seventh most populous. Portuguese is the official language.

The flight to Rio Janeiro took us more than 20 hours: Los Angeles to Dallas, Dallas to Sao Paolo, and finally Sao Paolo to Rio de Janeiro! Trini and I have been to Brazil before but only in the Iguazu Falls area which is much further to the east. Weather wise Rio is similar to most Asian countries – warm and humid!

After checking into our hotel around 5:30pm – a stone’s throw away from the world-famous COPACABANA BEACH – we went to eat a sumptuous buffet dinner at MARIUS DEGUSTARE, right beside the hotel! The exterior decor was impressive but the interior nearly knocked the socks out off me – it was filled with hanging “art” if you want to call them that – old full-size convertible car, a Samurai warrior armor, church bells, and other odds and ends very colorful items hanging from the ceiling! The waiters decked with colorful apron-like garments and loose decorated white tops! They were a funny bunch of guys too, making weird sounding giggles and chuckles while serving you steaming hot plates of steaks, prawns, oysters, lobsters and other to-die for platters!

We took our time savoring the different dishes served us and eventually we had to beg them to stop bringing us any food. The price of the delicious fare was a little pricey even for an American standard but it was well worth it!!!! When we settled the bill we gave them tip in dollars, the head waiter asked us to ring the hanging bronze bell denoting that we gave “propina” or tip!

The head waiter putting our tip in the Samurai warrior armor – we were told a nightly ritual same as the pealing of the bell!

We left the restaurant sated and will cherish the fun and fine dining we had on our first night in Rio de Janeiro!

Today we signed up for a one-day tour to take us to the highlights the city has to offer….

THE GRAND CANYON (the last of our National Park visits)

This post is several days late and I apologize for not updating my blog sooner!

After our visit of the Arches on June 1, 2023, we arrived late in our hotel in Tusayan which is just outside of the South Entrance of the Grand Canyon National Park. We entered from the East Entrance and the last two hours or so of the driving was somewhat slower than the posted speed limit since the sun was directly in my eyes and it was difficult to see the vehicles in front of you! Some of the more cautious drivers put on their hazard lights so they can be spotted better and that was a relief!

This was our fourth visit to Grand Canyon, the last one we took the Grand Canyon Railway (and stayed in their hotel too) that started in Williams, Arizona. The ride was very entertaining and inspiring. Talented Western musicians and cowboys entertained us while we enjoyed the breathtaking vista along the way!

No matter how many times you’ve visited Grand Canyon you will be awestruck with its majestic beauty, especially how it was formed – one of the most spectacular examples of erosion in the world!

It was nice to see the Welcome sign in the visitors’ center include “MABUHAY” – the Filipino word for welcome!

We didn’t stay very long at the park. We headed for Chandler, AZ (a suburb of Phoenix) to visit Trini’s first cousin, Rock Calvo who we haven’t seen in years. The estimated 3.5 hours of driving turned into more than 4 hours due to the terrible roads!!!! Highway construction was all over – roads were dusty and rutted that turned a leisurely drive into a grueling one! We tried to find rest areas so we could rest our butts from the bumpy ride but they were few and far in between!

We heaved a sigh of relief when we neared our destination!

As soon as we got inside the house I asked if I can take a nap as I was exhausted! Florence, Rock’s wife cooked a very delectable HOT POT! While Flor was cooking, I went to our car’s ice box and took the last remaining IPA beer that was perfectly chilled already! We stayed overnight in Chandler and we were sad to leave, thankfully we all have FaceTime and messenger accounts nowadays.

Our next itinerary was in the beautiful city of San Diego, California. San Diego is a city on the Pacific coast of California known for its beaches, parks and pleasant climate. Immense Balboa Park is the site of the renowned San Diego Zoo, as well as numerous art galleries, artist studios, museums and gardens. A deep harbor is home to a large active naval fleet, with the USS Midway, an aircraft-carrier-turned-museum, open to the public. 

We stayed in a hotel in Old Town. It is a neighborhood of San Diego. It is the oldest settled area in San Diego and is the site of the first European settlement in present-day California. 

A couple of days before arriving I contacted my old Navy buddy who happened to be our oldest son Gerald’s godfather. Danny Yu and I were stationed in Long Beach Naval Hospital as pharmacy technicians. I went on to become a Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman while Danny retired as a Commander (O-5) in the Medical Service Corps! A truly significant accomplishment!

Danny Yu and his wife, Micy treating us to dinner!

After the brief overnight stay in San Diego we headed to Los Angeles to see our traveling dear friends – Tommy and Oya Holgado (they just came back from their Philippine vacation). Our friends of more than 40 years – Alex and Nel Baes also came to see us since we rarely see other since we moved to Las Vegas.

Our friends Tommy and Oya Holgado posing during our March 2023 vacation trip in Norway. This one was taken in Fläm.

We stayed overnight in La La Land then our last stop was in Claremont, CA to see our two handsome grandsons – Geo and Gavin – who we only see on a monthly basis!

We’re back in Sin City! There ain’t no place like home….