Time to Say Good-bye...

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE…

This has been an incredible journey: I have been to 25 countries across 5 continents in 128 days, I have crossed the equator 4 times and have covered 45,400 miles from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and back. That translates to 1.6 times around the world. I have become accustomed to the daily motion of the ocean, I have set foot on idyllic islands; I have seen and experienced so much and learned a great deal about geography, people, different customs and myself! I feel I have a better understanding of global conditions and people around the world. I was constantly pinching myself to make sure that this was not a dream.

I have sailed through the Panama Canal, I have walked on rope bridges in the rain forest of Costa Rica, I saw kangaroos in Australia, saw the famous Borobudur Temple in Semarang, Indonesia, bargained in the markets of Hong Kong and Shanghai, saw the Terra Cotta soldiers in Xi’an, climbed the Great Wall in China and walked through Tienenman Square. I rode an elephant in Thailand and I marveled at the sight of the Taj Mahal in India. I gasped at the glitz, glitter and glamour of Dubai, and saw men at prayer in a huge mosque in Oman. I swam in the turquoise blue water of the Seychelles and survived the pirate attack on the Maersk Alabama which was docked next to us in the Seychelles. I bargained for wood carvings in Mombasa, Kenya and rode a gondola to the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town. I rode an ostrich in South Africa and saw penguins at the Cape of Good Hope. I rode an ATV on the sand dunes of the Nambid Desert in Namibia and saw Napoleon’s Tomb on St. Helena. I saw the remnants of the prisons on the French penal colony of Devil’s Island and listened to the music of the pan steel drums in Trinidad. I experienced a submarine ride to a depth of 150 feet in Bridgetown, Barbados and I collected shells on the beautiful beaches on the French island of St. Barts. But alas all good things must come to an end, and before I knew it, my amazing odyssey around the world was over. All that is left are treasured memories of new friends and a memorable trip.

I shall now say au revoir and thank those of you who followed my fascinating trip on my blog. See you soon!

Stela

GUSTAVIA, ST. BARTHELEMY
Mother’s Day, May 10, 2009

This is paradise! I spent Mother’s Day on beautiful Shell Beach on St. Barts. The Caribbean was warm (82F), the weather was perfect (82F) and the turquoise water was so refreshing. I collected a bag of St. Barts shells to remind me of this unbelievable day. I made a new friend “Berte” a three year old female Jack Russell just like the one my sister Svata and Dick have. She loved the water, went snorkeling with her master and played fetch the log with me. I was able to practice my French because that’s all Berte understood: viens ici! and va chercher!

St. Barthelemy is an overseas collectivity of France, also known as St. Barth in French or St. Barts in English. It is one of the most chic, civilized and least known parts of France. It is a tiny island of only eight square miles, with a population of 8500 which doubles during the winter months.It is fifteen miles from St. Maarten. It is a perfect playground for the rich and famous with its high-priced boutiques and beautiful resorts When Christopher Columbus discovered the island in 1493, he named it after his brother Bartholomeo. In 1784 St. Barts was taken over by Sweden. The King of France had simply swapped the island for trading rights in the Baltic without consulting the people of St. Barts. In 1878 King Oscar II put sovereignty to a referendum and St. Barts was handed back to France.

Since Gustavia does not have a deep harbor to accommodate the ms Rotterdam, we were taken ashore by tender. It is a lovely town, nestled between the hilly landscape. Many yachts were anchored in the harbor; however, the season is almost over, most visitors are sailing back to cooler locations for the summer months. The red roofs on the houses, the yachts and the hills reminded me of the French Riviera. The tourist industry has grown in the last 30 years, but St. Barts has maintained its exclusive and luxurious style. I was reluctant to leave beautiful Shell Beach but I promised myself that one day I shall return.

Bridgetown, Barbados

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS

Bridgetown, in southwestern Barbados, is the capital of the island on Carlisle Bay in the West Indies. Sugar refining, rum production, clothing, electrical parts and tourism are important industries. The English founded Bridgetown in 1628 and as the capital of the British dependency of Barbados, it became the capital of independent Barbados in 1966. The island is 166 square miles and has a population of 270,000. It is generally flat along the coast and hilly in the interior. It is not a volcanic island; limestone and coral are found throughout.

In the morning we embarked on an interesting adventure: we boarded the Atlantis Odyssey Submarine and descended to a depth of 150 feet where we saw coral reefs, colorful fish , a sunken shipwreck, a huge sea turtle and many forms of undersea plant life. In the afternoon we took a tour of the island. We passed beautiful beaches and resorts and stopped for photographs at the famous Sandy Lane Golf and Country Club where Tiger Woods plays and where he was married. It is magnificent but very expensive, one night’s stay costs US$1500 and the minimum stay is 5 nights.

On board in the evening we were treated to an exciting Barbados Folkloric Music and Dance Show, performed by local artists. A wonderful ending to a great day in Barbados.

PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD

We continued north-west from Devil’s Island in the Caribbean Sea to Port of Spain, Trinidad. It is located off the coast of Venezuela and is the southern-most point of the Caribbean Islands. The population is approx. 1,047,400. There are 2 islands, Trinidad and Tobago, Trinidad being the larger of the two which is 14 miles wide and 18 miles long . It gained its independence from Britain in 1962 and became a republic within the Commonwealth. Trinidad-Tobago is one of the most prosperous and stable democratic nations in the Caribbean. Languages spoken are English, French and Spanish. It is home to two of the largest banks in the Caribbean and a major shipping hub.

We were fortunate to have a very knowledgable tour guide, Harry, of Indian descent to drive us around the island. He and his countrymen are very proud of the fact that the recent “Summit of the Americas” on April 15-18 was held in Port of Spain and they are very fond of U.S. President Obama. His posters can be seen all around the city. Harry told us that the population of Trinidad is 42% East Indian, 38% African and the rest are European, Syrian and American.

We stopped at the Botanical Gardens where we saw a “sausage tree”, a boot strap tree, brazil nut tree and a tree with multi-colored bark called the “rainbow” tree.

Trinidad celebrates Carnival in a big way, murals ahound on city walls and buildings. It is also the home of steel drum pan music. Although our stay here was short, thanks to Harry we saw a good portion of the city and learned a great deal about Trinidad.

Devil's Island, French Guiana

Devil's Island, French Guiana

DEVIL’S ISLAND, FRENCH GUIANA

We sailed north making our way to the Caribbean to the Iles du Salut or Salvation Islands. These are three islands: Isle du Diable, Isle Royale and Isle St. Joseph located off the coast of French Guiana. We stopped at the most famous of these French penal colony islands: Devil’s Island which was opened by the French in 1852 and where the most hardened criminals were sent: political prisoners, thieves and murderers. The harsh conditions and rampant spread of disease, the remote location, rocky coastline and treacherous waters made escape virtrually impossible. It was nicknamed the “Green Hell.” In 1938 France stopped sending prisoners and in 1952 the prison was closed forever.

In 1931 Henri Charriere was convicted of murder and sent to Devil’s Island. He tried to escape several times but was caught and sent to Isle St. Joseph for two years in solitary confinement. He feigned madness, escaped in a boat, was caught and was sent to Isle Royale where they put “incorrigibles” in chains. His last attempt at escape was successful: he tied sacks of coconuts together, threw them in the ocean and floated on them to Venezuela. He wrote his story titled “Papillon”(butterfly) which he published in 1969. He was pardoned by the French government and in 1973 the film version of “Papillon” came out. A new version is now being filmed in the Canary Islands. This is a great film, try to rent it if you can. It starred Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman.

There is no port here, we were taken to shore by tender. We walked around the island, looking at the remains of the prisons, walking on the crude stone roads and climbed the uneven steps. We saw the cemetery and could not help but imagine ghosts and history of the people who lived here so many years ago. The island is lush and beautiful. We climbed to the top for a breath-taking view of the three islands in the Atlantic Ocean.
This was a memorable visit into the past.