Monday, January 6th-Tuesday, January 7, 2023

And the adventure begins!!!  After a 15 hour flight from Los Angeles to Sydney, Australia we have finally arrived.  Thankfully, Bob was able to sleep on the plane.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get comfortable, even with the flat bed, and couldn't sleep.  This lack of sleep caused me to be quite dazed and confused today (more than usual)!  We are settling into our suite, getting unpacked and organized.  Unpacking our belongings for a 5-month cruise is quite overwhelming and takes an entire afternoon, and it's certainly a test for our organizational skills, but it feels so good when we're finished and have found a place for everything.  

We have begun reuniting with our dear Silversea family, which is absolutely the best part of the entire voyage.  We are missing the people who have been unable to join us for this 2023 cruise, but thankful to see everyone who is here. Although we have a tour scheduled for today (can't imagine what I was thinking at home when I scheduled a 6 hour walking tour the day after we arrived)!  However, my enthusiastic husband felt he was up to go on tour so off he went this morning while I had a leisurely time sipping coffee and enjoying the ship.  Now, here's Bob with his short description of his tour this morning of Cockatoo Island:

Cockatoo Island is a 30 minute ride from downtown Sydney Harbor.  The island was established as a penal colony in 1839.  Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the small island is filled with convict cells, a reform school for girls who were orphans or juvenile delinquents and a training ship for boys.  For many years the island also served as a shipbuilding site for the Royal Australian Navy. During later years and until 1991 the site was a ship repair facility for the Southwest Pacific submarine fleet.

 Unfortunately, Bob is having trouble loading photos onto the blog.  He is meeting with someone this afternoon to try and repair the problem.  So, for now we will just have a narrative  Hopefully, we can get our act together soon so we can include photos, too.  I know most readers are more interested in the photos. :)

Well, that's it for our first day.  Tomorrow we have a sea day which will give us even more time to adjust to the time zone and catch up with more of our Silversea family.  We'll write again when we get to Tasmania.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Los Angeles, California: Tuesday, March 10th

Late last night I received a text from my brother.  Our mom is in the hospital again.  They think she has pneumonia, since she has been having difficulty breathing  She will be 96 years old in May so any illness is significant.  Looks like I'll hit the ground running when we get back to L.A.  So thankful I will be with her tomorrow.

We got up early this morning, had breakfast and got ready to disembark.  It's always a time of mixed feelings.  I'm thrilled to be going home to be with my family, but will miss our friends and the wonderful crew with whom we have become friends.  We have been treated with such care and respect and will miss them a lot.  However, it's time to get back to reality and our kids, grandkids, and mom.  Also excited to get back to my wonderful church family.  I have certainly missed the sermons and friendships of everyone at OCF.  Finally, it will be great to get back to our yoga classes. I'm hoping we can still bend and get up and down off the floor after two months of non-stop eating!!!

We landed at LAX without any difficulties and headed straight for the hospital to see mom.  Luckily, she's at Little Company this time, which is a much better hospital than the last one.  She knew us immediately so that was a tremendous blessing.  I'll be spending my days with her until she is released.  It's so hard on her to be in the hospital due to her Alzheimer's.  She has no idea what's happening.  Hopefully, she can go home soon.

Finally, we arrived at home.  Our youngest son, Kevin, had decorated the front of the house with a "welcome home" banner he made, a sign for the walkway, flowers in the kitchen and another welcome home message.  What a thrill!!!!  It was such a nice way to come home.  He had also completely cleaned the downstairs so it was spotless!!!  What a great guy!! Love him so much :)

It's really nice to be home.  The trip was amazing. We were introduced to many new people and cultures. We learned so much about South America, its history and people.  Once again, we were reminded how very blessed we are to live in a country where we have freedom.  We are also fortunate to have access to clean drinking water and electricity.  Love seeing more of the world and God's beautiful creation but thrilled to be back home.  Thank you to all of you for your time and effort in reading my blogs, since they were often long and rambling.  Hope you all have a opportunity for fun and exciting adventures and appreciate the amazing world in which we live.  Until our next adventure, this is Twila and Bob signing off!!

Praying for peace for you, your families, and throughout the world.

Nassau, Bahamas: Monday, March 9th

Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, has witnessed Spanish invasions and hosted pirates, who made it their headquarters while raiding the surrounding areas.  The heritage of old Nassau blends the Southern charm of British loyalists from the Carolinas, the African tribal traditions of freed slaves, and a bawdy history of blockade-running during the Civil war and rum-running during the roaring 1920's.

The sheltered harbor bustled with cruise ship hubbub, since two large Carnival ships were docked here in addition to our ship.  A block away, broad, palm-lined Bay Street was alive with commercial activity.  There was an air of subtle civility and sophistication, derived from three centuries of British rule.  There were lots of souvenir shops as well as high-end luxury stores such as Gucci, Breitling, Cartier, etc.  However, once we got away from the duty-free shops there were some lovely, quiet neighborhoods.

This afternoon we went on a tour to the Graycliff Hotel and Restaurant for a wine and cheese pairing from around the world.  It was only a five minute drive from the ship so we were wondering why they just didn't walk us over there.  The driver took us to the main entrance of the property and told us he would return in three hours to pick us up.  We were a little surprised since we had no idea what was happening.  There was only five of us and we wandered into the hotel/restaurant looking a bit bewildered.  After a couple of minutes of standing in the entrance hall someone walked up to us and asked if we were here for the wine-cheese pairing.  Finally, we had a direction!  She escorted us to a lovely dining room with an intricately carved, grand mahogany dining table.  She invited us to take a seat at the table, then left us with no further instructions.  We sat there for about 10 minutes, wondering what was coming next.  We hadn't expected a full meal, and a couple of people had already eaten lunch on the ship.  Yet, here we were sitting at an incredibly beautiful table set in an elegant, formal style.  We were in our shorts and t-shirts feeling a little under dressed in such luxurious surroundings.

After sitting at the table for awhile with no one coming to greet us, we started discussing taking a taxi back to the ship and asking for a full refund.  Just then, a very nice young man entered and asked us to follow him to the wine cellar for a tour.  We politely followed--WOW!!  We have now seen such a wine cellar!!!!  We walked through the original doors to the former dungeon which has been converted to a cellar with the third largest private wine collection in the entire world! The guide told us that the cellar had a very dark background and people had died here.  Now, there are over 275,000 bottles of wine with a wine list of 106 pages.  The collection is worth an estimated $20 million.  We inched our way through the thousands of bottles which were divided by quite narrow passageways.  We walked very carefully, making sure our arms and handbags were close to our side so we didn't knock over any of these very expensive bottles of vintage wines.

We followed our guide as we meandered our way through the sometimes very arrow aisles.  We entered an elegant room with a lovely chandelier over a large wooden dining table.  This room was initially a water tank but was converted to a stunning dining room with a gorgeous hand crafted wooden dining table in 1974.  The entire collection of wine in this room was from Italy.

As we continued our tour through the cellar we passed the oldest known bottle of wine in the world.  It was from 1727 and is worth $200,000.  We walked very carefully past this bottle.  The last room we saw was still being organized.  It contained souvenirs collected by the owner, including a couple of Cuban staffs which are believed to keep away evil spirits.

Once we left the cellar we had an opportunity to walk through the magnificent gardens.  Unbelievable that a garden this large could exist in the middle of the city.  There were two beautiful swimming pools, completely secluded and surrounded by tropical plants and flowers.  There was a cattail bush with red hanging blooms which looked like red caterpillars.  There were also elephant ears, milk wine lilies, red dragons, periwinkle, among others.  There were also two beautiful koi ponds filled with very well fed fish, with a separate area for turtles.

Our guide led us to the cigar studio, where employees, hired from Cuba, carefully rolled 180 cigars each day.  Although the people who create the cigars were all from Cuba, no Cuban leaves are used because of the embargo.

Lastly, we visited the chocolate factory where all of the candy is made by hand.  The sample was delicious but we were strong and managed to walk away without buying anything.  Pretty impressive!!!

We boarded the van and returned to the ship.  It's our last evening on board so it's time to say goodbye to the staff and passengers.  We enjoyed a delicious dinner and the company of our favorite waiter.  Now it's time to close the suitcases (hopefully possile) and put them out for collection tonight.

Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands: Saturday, March 7th

I watched from our balcony as we docked early this morning.  Adjacent to the pier was a magnificent beach with dazzling white sand and crystal clear turquoise water.  Hundreds of beach chairs were set up and ready for tourists.  Palm trees provided shade for many of the chairs, and vendors were eagerly awaiting thirsty and hungry beach goers, or tourists who had forgotten to bring a hat or sunscreen!

When we got off the ship we walked down the pier to the cruise terminal to meet our tour guide.  The terminal was a charming area brimming with souvenir shops and local residents who greeted us with friendly smiles.  We climbed aboard our tour bus which was a large off-road vehicle filled with bench seats.  Luckily, there were stairs to climb in which made it much easier to get in than the last time we went off-roading. 

Our guide told us that the island is part of the British overseas territories.  However, they have their own local government.  Grand Turk is a very small island which is one mile wide and seven miles long.  All of the spectacular beaches are public and can be enjoyed throughout the year since the island receives only a minimal amount of rain.  There are 4500 permanent residents, although the population swells with tourists since it is one of the top diving sites in the world.  The guide told us that the island has the third largest barrier reef in the world, which attracts thousands of divers year round.  The water turns from a light turquoise blue to deep navy not far from the shore.  Evidently, the ocean floor drops from 35 feet to 1300 feet, making the port quite accessible to cruise ships.  Goods and services are quite expensive here since nearly everything must be imported.  Gasoline is $6.20/gallon.

As we began our tour of the island we passed many wild horses, goats, dogs, and donkeys along the sides of the road as well as in the fields.  They are allowed to roam free throughout the island so drivers must be very careful.  There is not much foliage on the island.  Grand Turk has quite a barren and windswept appearance.  There are a few scattered sea grapes, acacia, mahogany, buttonwood, and Caribbean pine trees as well as numerous mangroves but I didn't notice many colorful flowers like we have seen on many other islands.  The highest point on the island is only about 150 feet in elevation so it is quite a flat island.

We spotted the NASA Friendship 2 space capsule, which splashed down just offshore in February, 1962.  It sets proudly in a specially designed area just off the main road so people can enjoy this important piece of history.  We passed an old house, built in 1830, which is believed to be haunted.  The most recent owners of the house claimed that they saw the ghost of the original owner who had only one arm, moving through the house.  The home is abandoned at the present time.  If anyone wants to move to Grand Turk you can probably get this house for a good price!  One of the best views on the island is from Her Majesty's Prison, last occupied in 1994.  It is located along the beach just outside of town.  Quite a lovely location.

Our first stop was at a wonderful arts and crafts street market.  Unlike many places on our cruise, these goods were really made on this island.  If we weren't so tight on space, I would have bought many more items.  However, we only bought a couple of items, including a beautiful leather mask.  The people here are extremely warm and friendly.  It was really a pleasure to talk with them.  Although they would love to sell their wares, they were very respectful and not at all pushy like some of the vendors we have seen at other ports.  Very enjoyable stop.

We stopped to observe the oldest church on the island.  Like everything else here it was a dignified structure, with few frills.  It was interesting to note that this island has escaped the temptation to build high rise buildings on every inch of their shoreline.  There were many hotels on the coastline but there was also plenty of open space so everyone can enjoy the magnificent ocean views.  The hotels are one and two stories and quite unpretentious.

We made a brief stop to enjoy a lovely view of the gorgeous coastline with the stunning coral reefs and crystal clear turquoise water.  This island is blessed with many beautiful sandy beaches that are great for swimming, as well as snorkeling or diving.

Our final stop was at the island's lighthouse.  It was a charming building located on top of a small limestone hill, with an attached kerosene storage house attached to it.  The lighthouse was actually constructed in the United Kingdom and shipped to the island and has been in use since the mid 1800's.  It was placed at its location to warn sailors of the nearby shallow reefs.  Although it was originally lit with reflectors and kerosene lamps it was updated in the 1970's and now has electric lights.  We had a nice time walking around the grounds, browsing through the ever present gift shop, and checking out the zip line they are constructing on the grounds.  Should be a spectacular ride when it is completed since it will overlook the beautiful coastline and coral reefs.

It was time for us to return to the ship and get ready for the crew show! Our butler is singing two songs in the show and I feel like a proud mommy to see him up there.  On these long cruises we become very attached and fond of our crew, particularly the ones who cared for us.  So excited to have an opportunity to see them in the spotlight.  We also have a special reunion dinner tonight with the 2014 world cruise passengers who have also been on this cruise.  We have made some wonderful, lifelong friends and we will miss seeing them on a regular basis.  Guess we'll have to take another Silversea cruise in the future.  Now, it's time to get ready for our last port of call, Nassau, Bahamas.  Also, I MUST start packing since we go home on Tuesday.  Sooo excited to see my family again.  That's the toughest part of traveling for such a long time - missing my kids, grandkids, and mom.

Samana, Dominican Republic: Friday, March 6th

The sail in early this morning was beautiful.  The hillsides were completely covered by lush green vegetation which formed magnificent layers of colors.  The royal and coconut palms provided the height, while mahogany, cedar, and pine trees added volume and depth to the space just below the palm fronds.  Smaller trees of wild olives and ficus added yet another layer and additional texture to the hillsides.  Various types of orchids, plumeria, yellow iris, zinnia, ginger, and spider flowers provided the final touch of vibrant color at ground level to complete the beautiful Caribbean canvas.

Although we didn't see any during our day here, we were told there are iguanas, lizards, turtles, American crocodiles, woodpeckers, parrots, egrets, frigates, ducks and flamingos on the island.

This port was a last minute substitute because we weren't able to get into the original port due to rough seas, and we were planning on using the tenders to access the pier.  So, unfortunately, there were no activities or tours planned for us here.  Bob and I decided to get off the ship and explore the town on our own.  Oh my goodness, street vendors were everywhere and they were quite aggressive!!!  We must have had 25 people trying to talk us into a taxi or bicycle tour of the island.  There were a number of booths set up along the beach walkway selling their wares (probably mostly made in China) and it was tough to get by them without being physically forced into their booth :)!  However, we stuck to the plan and bought only one port souvenir magnet.  We walked a little way down the street but there was absolutely NOTHING to see!!!  There were a few small stores but most of them were closed.  The town doesn't have any real charm and we were quite disappointed with the surroundings.

In the afternoon Bob decided to take a small boat out to go whale watching and get some photos.  I decided to return to the ship and read my book, which is absolutely fantastic.  He had a good time and got some great shots of the humpback whales.  The only down side was that it was a small boat and the waves were fairly large so they occasionally obscured the view of the whales.  One of the passengers actually told Bob to sit down (can you imagine trying to tell BOB to sit down - no way.  Then you KNOW he will remain standing for the rest of the time)!!!!  Luckily, one of the crew members noticed his big camera and invited him to join the captain on the top deck!!  Of course, Bob was thrilled and he got some GREAT photos.  No more nasty passengers to deal with up there.  Of course, when the ride ended they all wanted to know where he had been the entire time.  He just smiled as he climbed down the topside ladder and joined everyone else to leave the boat :).

Our ship sailed early this evening and we enjoyed the beautiful foliage on the way out to sea.  Tomorrow, we're in Grand Turk.  Another new adventure for us.

Kralendijk, Bonaire: Wednesday, March 4th

We didn't have a tour until the afternoon so I had the entire morning to catch up on publishing the blog (thus, all the postings)!  It was wonderful to sleep in a bit and have time to go to breakfast in the dining room instead of quickly ordering something from room service early in the morning.

Bonaire is a small island that officially became part of Holland in 2010.  There are 17,000 residents on the island, which is 25 miles long and 4 miles wide.  Taxes are 30% but our guide was quick to point out that their social services and medical services are completely covered.  Minimum wage is $4.60/hour.  She joked throughout our tour about how no one cared about Bonaire since there was absolutely nothing useful on the island that would help them get rich so everyone leaves them alone!  There is not much entertainment on Bonaire and the only movie theater on the island is quite dilapidated and has been closed for many years. People pass the time by playing dominoes, soccer and baseball.

The island was formed from land created when two tectonic plates came together, so volcanoes are not an issue here.  There are over 400 caves on the island, many beautiful rock formations including a natural arch which residents refer to as the "arch of love."  They believe that a couple who stands under the arch will have a long and happy life.  Our guide told us about the seven species of bats that inhabit the island.  She said she has bats outside her house that she goes out to see every night!  Evidently, bats play a critical role in maintaining the ecosystem of the island.  The bats (who eat only insects!) are the only ones who pollinate the columnar cactus.  This cactus plays an important role in feeding many of the animals and reptiles when conditions become very dry due to a lack of rain on the island.

We headed for the north shore to see the flamingos, as well as the other animal and plant life on the island.  The residents of Bonaire are extremely proud of their biodiversity on their island and are fiercely protective of anyone who attempts to disturb it  They were the first island in the world to create a marine park.  Since Bonaire receives very little rain the water is calm, crystal clear and free from silt.  It is divable all year.  Although there are only a few sandy beaches on the entire island, divers from all over the world come to enjoy the spectacular diving here.  Bonaire is considered to be one of the top five sites in the world for diving.  A few of the fish that live in their waters include parrot, angel, hog, peacock flounder, lizard, scorpion, and goatfish.

We passed a popular diving area which can be accessed from the road by descending the famous "1000 steps."  Our guide told us that actually there are only 72 steps but urban legend is that an old sea captain used to ascend these steps after he had taken his boat out fishing and had imbibed in the spirits and it always felt to him like there were 1000 steps to climb!! Thus, the name!!  Still, when divers climb the stairs toting diving gear I'm sure that many of them would agree with the old sea captain!

As we drove our guide pointed out a variety of trees, cacti, and flowering plants that grow throughout the island.  The acacia tree has numerous thorns and can be used to keep unwanted "critters" out of an area.  Many people surround their yards with cactus fences which are strings of wire with thorny cactus attached, mother-in-law cushion cactus (not so funny since I'm a MIL), kadushi cactus (liquid from this cactus is used to make liquor), prickly cactus, yatu cactus (which are the ones used to make the fences), brazilwood trees (used to make red dye), and castor oil plants (you know what this is used for...I stayed far away from those plants).

In addition to the plants we saw quite a few animals, birds, and reptiles (thankfully, no snakes on the island).  When I asked our guide if there were snakes on the island she laughed and said she is  always asked that question.  It is the only unfortunate part of living on the island.  There are cobras, anacondas, rattlers, vipers, boas, etc......  As I was nearly ready to stay on the bus until we returned to the ship she laughed (really hard) and said NO, there are no snakes here.  Well, there is one about 6" long, harmless, and they rarely see them.  NOT FUNNY!!! I didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or slug her but I was quite relieved to know I could relax and enjoy our time on the island!!

We saw quite a few animals, birds, and reptiles.  We saw green and yellow parakeets perched on trees and learned that they sometimes lay their eggs inside of termite nests.  We also spotted a few yellow shoulder amazon parrots, and some beautifully colored iguanas creeping along the ground.  Our guide told us that they are often killed by hunters and sold for food, which is illegal.  We saw lots of vibrantly colored lizards, as well as goats, wild dogs, and pigs.  Our guide pointed out a sign that she said we probably wouldn't see at home.  It warned drivers to stop for billy goats crossing!  I'm sure she's correct.  We won't see this sign at home on the Southern California beaches.

We arrived at the north shore of the island and saw a group of pink flamingos relaxing in the shallow lakeshore water, frequently ducking their heads and long necks under the water to collect food.  They were such odd looking creatures with their very long skinny legs but they were actually quite graceful in the water and in flight. When they flap their wings you can see the patches of black underneath them.  They come here because of the plentiful brine shrimp in the calm waters on the island.  A bit surreal to be out here in this isolated place watching flamingos, lizards, and iguanas.  Absolutely love it.

We started our trek back across the island to the ship.  It's not a particularly beautiful island but it is quite interesting.  Residents absolutely love their isolated lifestyle and are happy to live a slow, uncomplicated life.  Our final sight before we drove back into the port was a large tree decorated with flip flop sandals hanging like Christmas ornaments.  I thought it was quite a cute idea for trees at home during the Christmas season!  As soon as we returned to the ship it was time to sail for the Dominican Republic.  First, however, we have a lovely day at sea tomorrow so I can relax and get a little extra sleep!!!

Oranjestad, Aruba: Tuesday, March 3rd

We had a lovely visit today to a tropical butterfly garden, aloe factory, and natural bridge ruins. We boarded our bus and realized immediately that we had a VERY energetic, enthusiastic tour guide.  He was a nice young man who was very new to the tourist industry.  He told us he has been looking for a more interesting job where he could talk all day and develop his comedy routine in preparation for a career as a comedian.  After listening to some of his standup I would suggest that he keep his day job for a while longer!  I noticed the fellow sitting across the aisle from me putting in his earplugs!!!

The guide did share some interesting facts about Aruba.  He told us it was just slightly smaller in size that Washington D.C.  It is the most "Americanized" of all the Dutch islands in the Caribbean.  Residents pay 58.8% in taxes and $5.25/gallon for gasoline at the present time.  Tourism is critical to the development of Aruba.  He told us that 75% of people are employed in tourism.  Finally, he told us about higher education on the island.  Most of the physicians go to Holland or the U.S. for their training while dentists frequently go to Cuba for their training.  After watching movies about people being tortured by dentists when the government wants information from them, I'm not sure how comfortable I would be going to a dentist trained in Cuba!!!

Our first stop was at the butterfly gardens.  Bob was not nearly as excited about seeing these delightful creatures as I was but he was a good sport to come with me to see them.  As we entered the enclosed gardens we were greeted by hundreds of magnificently colored butterflies.   Although there were many monarchs which are also found in the U.S. their coloring is a bit different due to the weather in the Caribbean.  The heat of the sun's rays cause the orange to fade so they are much lighter.  Otherwise, the other butterflies had brilliant coloring.  There were black ones with fire engine red underneath the wings, neon blue and green, sunshine yellow, orange, some with graceful patterns of black and white lace, and even one which was cocoa brown.  Some of the butterflies we saw were long wings (thin, extended wings), owls (which have a large eye on each of their wings to scare off predators), and atlas moths.  These moths are considered the largest ones in the world.  They are called atlas because their beautiful wings look like a map.  Their wings have triangular transparent windows, with an unknown purpose.  In addition to the butterflies there were streams filled with koi, and an iguana creeping on the top of the overhead netting.  The entire garden was filled with spectacular tropical plants and flowers such as red ginger, red pineapple, anthuriums, bougainvilleas, and plumeria.  There were many more but unfortunately I couldn't identify them.

After a quiet, peaceful visit to the gardens we continued our day with a drive through the countryside to an aloe factory.  Along the way our guide pointed out the resort where Sammy Davis, Jr. used to frequent.  He also told us that two famous American actors bought homes here and it dramatically drove up home prices in that area.  He was not allowed to tell us who they were but we guessed one of them, since the large Church of Scientology yacht was docked in the harbor.  Tom Cruise was one of them, but not sure who bought the other home.

I was surprised at how dry and desert-like this side of the island was.  Our guide told us that there were four species of cacti here that are found only in Aruba and Arizona.  The one we saw most frequently was the organ pipe cactus.

Our next stop was at an aloe factory where they grow the aloe plants, process, bottle, and sell a variety of skin care products.  We took a quick tour of the plant to see how they extracted the aloe from the leaves.  We finished with a stop at the retail shop (of course) where some of our passengers bought products.  I decided to keep my money in my wallet since a small bottle of lotion was $75.00.  Not quite sure who the aloe factory paid off to get us to stop here on our tour.  It was not very interesting, and extremely expensive for their products!  Bob and I were anxious to move on to the next point of interest.

Our final stop was at the Natural Bridge Park where we had an opportunity to walk over the natural rock bridge created from coral and limestone.  This bridge was a piece of a larger one that broke apart a few years ago due to the constant pounding of the surf. The beach was full of black volcanic rock, which was spectacular against the backdrop of aqua blue seas and crashing waves.  The landscape was quite sparse, except for the cactus.  We were told that seven veins of gold run through this national park.  It continues to be mined today.

Bob was busy running around taking photos and exploring the area while I decided to walk on the bridge by myself.  Below it there were powerful ocean waves continually crashing into the rock, and the wind was quite strong.  Our guide kept warning us to be very careful while walking in the area since the waves will sometimes crash and catch people off guard and drench them, or something much worse.  I got about halfway out on the bridge until the rocks became quite rugged and uneven.  Since I don't have a good sense of balance I suddenly felt like a cat stuck in a tree.  I looked around for Bob to come and hold my hand for stability so I wouldn't become a permanent resident of this site.  However, he was nowhere to be found.  So,  I just said a prayer, took a deep breath, and began to walk very slowly, considering each step before I planted my foot.  I finally made it, but at the end there was a bit of a leap over a deep crevice which I REALLY didn't want to attempt by myself so I noticed a couple of young men just ahead of me.  I actually asked one of them if he would lend me a hand while I jumped.  He was so nice and seemed happy to help.  I was very glad to be safely back on more even ground again, and near to the bus.

We left this lovely coastal area to return to the ship.  Along the way we noticed that in the cemeteries, the mausoleums were painted in bright colors.  Our guide explained that they were painted the same color as the deceased person's family home.  Quite unique, but perhaps a bit strange!  He told us that the island is finally getting back to work after the end of Carnival which lasts six weeks on this island, starting in January.  That's the longest Carnival we have heard of so far on this entire trip!!!  Islanders must be exhausted by the time it is over!!!!  Late tonight we sail to Bonaire, which is the last one of the Dutch Antilles for us to visit.  The trip is winding down quickly now.