New Year's Cruise - Western Caribbean



Approaching the port at Cozumel

  This is the first of a number of posts about our recent Friends and Family New Year's Cruise. 

To start with, we had a wonderful time on the Carnival Magic.  This is a very new and very large Carnival ship.  All our staterooms were very nice and a bit larger than on other ships we have traveled on.  I mean "on which we have travelled" - sorry Mom!

We left from Galveston and spent two days at sea, arriving in Montego Bay, Jamaica.  Here we chose to hire a van driver to show us the area and tell us about current conditions and  events, history, and politics.   The farmers market was very interesting, but I don't think I would walk through it.  It is very crowded and some people objected to us taking pictures through the windows of the van.

Sunset at Sea


We saw homes from shambles to estates.  I was frustrated as a  photographer of rustic structures that I didn't feel comfortable/safe strolling to catch images.  If, or when I return, I will hire a guide to walk me through the market and surrounding neighborhoods.  I really like the look of history and time in structures and tools.

Next we visited Grand Cayman, the largest of the Cayman Islands.  This port city is cleaner and more developed than Montego Bay.  The Cayman Islands chose to remain the the British Empire; Jamaica did not;  and it shows.

Here 17 of us sailed on a catamaran to  Stingray City to snorkel with sting rays.  They are wild in habitat, but tame in behavior.  The captain and crew of the catamaran feed them regularly and helped us feed and hold them.  They don't bite, but they do suck, literally.  See photo below.  I was feeding one and a wave pushed us together, moving my hand.  The ray thought I was a squid...  Yes, it hurt.



Sting Ray "suck"

 Our last stop was Cozumel.  Here, of course is civilization almost as we know it.  There is lots of shopping, all new and clean.  We are very experienced here and we strolled to stores, restaurants, and snorkeling.  We took a van and taxi to Chakanaab Park where there are many activities including snorkeling, food and drink, sea lion show, dolphin encounters, botancal garden, and a pretty lagoon.  There is beach access and seating along the shore and a small cove safe for small children.

Our return was marred by dense and long lasting fog.  Carnival did a very good job of keeping us entertained, fed, and apprised of the weather and departure progress.  We were about 5 hours late.


Postings to come:  Accessible Cruising, Spa Cruising, Food on the Magic, and who knows?  We had a great time!

Ruins to Visit in Puerto Rico

Columbus discovered Puerto Rico on his second journey west.  He landed there in November, 1493.  Here is a link to some history of the discovery.  http://bit.ly/r9rjM5

There are ruins at San Juan, Caparra, Aguadilla, Punta Borinquen, and Mona to name some. 

Here's a great source on Puerto Rico Travel - http://www.topuertorico.org/tinfo.shtml

Explore!

 This map makes me long for a jeep trip around and through the island staying in small inns along the way.  I can see the greenery, native wildlife (lizards, ...), and history.  There are more than 130 small inns and B&B's in Puerto Rico and lots of historical sites to visit.  Get me a hat and sun glasses!  Get me a camera!

Geography of the West Indies

The geography of the Caribbean is confusing.  The West Indies are made up of the islands of the Caribbean Sea and are divided into the Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles.  Puerto Rico and three other larger islands make up the Greater Antilles.  The others are Cuba, Hispanola, and Jamaica.  Hispanola is divided into to Haiti and the Dominican Republic.  Puerto Rico is the eastern most of the Greater Antilles.  For further info, the Lesser Antilles include the Virgin Islands, Leeward Islands, and Windward Islands.  That's a lot, but I've always wanted to understand it better.  Here's an outline view:

West Indies = Islands of the Caribbean Sea

1. Greater Antilles
1. Cuba
2. Hispanola
3. Jamaica
4. Puerto Rico <======================
2. Lesser Antilles
1. Virgin Islands
2. Windward Islands (get the wind first)
1. Martinique
2. St. Lucia
3. St. Vincent
4. The Grendadines
1. Carriacou
2. Tobago Cays
3. Bequia
5. Grenada
3. Leeward Islands  (less wind)
1. Dominica
2. Guadelope
3. Montserrat
4. Antigua
5. Barbuda
6. St. Kitts
7. Nevis
8. Anguilla
9. St. Maarten

This information helped me as I never knew how various islands related to each other geographically and I'd never heard of some.  Have you been to any?