Day at Sea- Sunday 1/27
A sea day doesn’t sound all that exciting at first, but we enjoyed a leisurely day exploring the boat. Here are some helpful tips if you have never taken a cruise: bring towel clips to keep your towel secured to you chair in the wind. Sherpa lost a visor to the wind today. Also bling to accessorize your cabin door is a must. Oh well, maybe next time. Also, for days at sea, the dining is just a little nicer. We got to enjoy some Maine lobster tonight. Yum.
Grand Turk- Monday 1/28
Baby got to see her first beach! The water was a bit cold. Speaking of beaches, fancy tour guides accept lots of money to cart you to private ones. Taxis are CHEAP. Excursions are EXPENSIVE. Thankfully we didn’t plan far enough ahead to make a mistake and book a fancy shuttle to a private beach… we just hopped a taxi to the same one all the other cruisers took the “excursion” to. For babies, strollers are useless. Our stroller didn’t even fit through our cabin door with out being collapsed. There are elevators/stairs everywhere. Front carries or back pack carriers are the way to go.
Highlight of Grand Turk- the conch salad. Move out of the way conch fritters. We hired a fellow to bust open a giant conch shell, pry the unsuspecting animal from his home while still alive, chop him into delicious chunks, toss him with peppers, onions, and tomatoes, and then marinate him in a citrus bath. Bon Appetite! We had a great conversation with the very well travelled chef. He took a liking to us and as a bonus he offered us a clear looking tube that came out with the critter. Apparently it is an aphrodisiac that the locals extract from the conch. They call it their viagra. I pointed to our little hitch hiker as evidence that none was necessary and politely opted for the low love version of the delicacy.
Puerto Rico- Tuesday 1/29
What is not to love about an afternoon in Old San Juan? There really wasn’t enough time to escape the hustle and bustle and visit rain forests, beaches, etc. Instead, we skipped all of the tour operators and wandered around the Forts and city. After lots of steps, we followed a recommendation from one of Sherpa’s old roommates and grabbed a delicious coffee at Sombras! Highly recommended if you have a short stop in the city.
Hike the good hike!
– Sherpa and Porter
Thanks for the pictures and up-date of your cruise!! We are glad that you and your family are having a great time and WARM weather!!! Aunt Alice
Nothing wrong with having a good cup of Puertorrican coffee after walking those beautiful roads, Am glad you visited Old San Juan. There is a lot to see there. We definitely need to go back with our families together. (I love your shirt!)