Travel with me......

[jjeling]

Here is where the vacation really began. To me, when traveling, the culture of the destinations is what I am most interested in. Unfortunately, when on a cruise, the culture is lacking due to the changes that tourism has brought to the areas. The first destination was the Grand Turk Islands. They are owned exclusively by the Holland-America cruise line. It is a completely empty island except for what Holland-America has brought there. When you wake up in the morning, the ship is already there and just waiting for you to wake up. There is not a port so they use small tenders to unload people from the cruise ships onto the island. This day, both the Westerdam and the Zuiderdam were there at the same island. There was not much to do on the island except enjoy the beach and weather. Again, the people became the most interesting subject. Its amazing how a deserted beach, can be completely full and almost look like New York when they unload their passengers. When you arrive on an island like that, the last thing you expect to see is chickens, but they were EVERYWHERE! It was a shame really, and there were other areas of the island that were being cut down so they could built huts and other ares for people to eat lunch on the island. So much for trying to enjoy what the WORLD has to offer instead of what the cruise line feels will make them more money. Either way, the island was nice and scenic, nothing like that around these parts. When we left the island, looking back, the beach was completely deserted once everyone was on the two boats.

PS - This is also when the images start getting dirty. The white sand is almost infinitely small and gets into everything as it blows around in the air.

[jjeling]

A couple more from the Grand Turk and then the night shots the night we left the island

[Mad Aussie]

In post #11 photos 2 and 5 are excellent.

Another cool lizard in post #12 but the 4th shot is the coolest there

[jjeling]

Thanks for following along MA. Im glad you are enjoying this.

[casil403]

Good stuff so far JJ...looks like a nice trip
I remember those lizards in Cozumel...they were everywhere, even in our hotel room on the wall....cute little guys! That too and along with tons of iguanas also....thank goodness they weren't in the hotel room!

[JAS_Photo]

Lots of cool shots! I am quite partial to the beach and trees one.

[jjeling]

I made a mistake in the last post. Those were not Grand Turk. They were some private island. THESE are Grand Turk. One of the best places in the world to go snorkeling and scuba diving, it is a under the rule of the UK. Unfortunately, Hurricane Ike ripped through and ruined the reefs around the island and it has not been the same. It was a beautiful place, and we took a taxi to get into the inner part of the island. It was very cool and the culture was very apparent and not tourist based. I asked the driver to take me to his favorite place to get a drink. It was some little bar right on the water on a beach a long ways away from the ships. I sat down and was the only one there with him. There was a couple locals in the water playing but that was it. Wanting to enjoy the culture, I asked what his favorite drink was and it was something they brewed right there on the island. It was so good. Perhaps one of the best drinks Ive had to date.

[jjeling]

The view from the bar was awesome(the first picture here). Afterwards, we had to head back and stayed close to the ships until it was time to head back out to sea. It was nice but nothing like the interior of the island. Much more "touristy" and how most of the people spent their week on the boat.

[jjeling]

After we left the island, the night came close and I wandered around the boat taking pictures again.....

[Mad Aussie]

Those Grand Turks look like lumps of sand with some palm trees and a couple of pools dropped on them. Best viewed with your back to them by the looks. Nice water around them.

Love the shot down the side of the ship at night showing the lifeboats (?) and water spray.