Friday, November 18, 2011

St. Thomas:The Final Day

     Thursday found us in St. Thomas with a beautiful day to go back and revisit some of our favorite places on the island.    First it was down to Red Hook and a couple of cocktails at Molly Malone’s on the water front.     We wandered the docks and watched as the fleet of “Naughty Nymph s, that we enjoy so much the previous week, headed out for the day.

     Next we stopped by Industrial Boat yard to see our friend Bob Z, an old racing days buddy.     After a couple of cocktails and a trip down memory lane it was back in the Safari for a trip over to Megan’s Bay for some time in the sun.     The Safaris are a great public transportation system that you pay $2 each to ride from the time you get on until you reach your destination.

     Megan’s Bay is National Geographic’s “Top Ten beaches in the World”.     This is a great retreat from the hustle and bustle of Charlotte Amalie.    The white soft and fine sands make it great beach to walk or sun bath on.     Swimming or snorkeling in the warm and beautifully colored waters is really why you travel across the island for.  

     With the sun setting over the mountain it is time to hustle back to the ship before we are left behind here in St. Thomas.     This is our last night on the ship; we must get packed before morning.     The farewell party is tonight for the Rum Group that has had such a great time on the cruise togI’d like to Send out a special thanks to Robert and Robin Burr for doing a fabulous job of putting this adventure together for all of us.    These two weeks have given me a mountain of pictures and stories that will provide stories for the next few months, and I can’t wait to get back and start putting them together.   ;o)

St. Maarten: Day 13

     Today is Thursday and we have docked along with four other cruise ships in Phillipsburg, on the Dutch side of St. Maarten.     This is the smallest island in the Caribbean to be ruled by two countries, the French and the Dutch.     As we disembark the Celebrity Summit, we pick-up a water taxi to take us around the harbour to the beaches and the town.    

     Wandering through these narrow streets, there are a multitude of shops, restaurants and bars to take care of your needs.    The taxis are everywhere if you need to go across island and see the rest of this 37 square mile island.

     We stopped for a rum tasting at the Guavaberry Emporium, where we sampled their Republic Rum and their many flavored liqueurs.    Their rums and liqueurs were all of a sweet nature and were very flavorful, boasting the true tastes of the infused botanicals.    

     We decided to make our visit to St. Maarten a short one, feeling the effects of our long scooter ride on Wednesday in Antigua.     Back to the ship we wandered visiting several shops on the way.   We had lunch on the ship, an afternoon enjoying the amenities of the ship’s aqua spa, plus sunning on the pool deck.     Tomorrow it is St. Thomas and a chance to revisit some friends before heading back to Puerto Rico.    :o)