Gene and Jan's Long Trip Too

The three Iles du Salut (Islands of Salvation) off the coast of French Guiana were a much-feared penal colony for the most notorious French criminals between 1852 and 1953.  We visited Ile Royale, the largest of the three, which housed the general population of the worst prisoners. Less violent criminals were sent to work camps on mainland Guiana, violent and repeat offenders to nearby Ile Saint Joseph to serve in solitary confinement, and political prisoners to Ile du Diable (Devil's Island) a short distance away. Ile Royale, largest of the three islands, is a mere 1/8 square mile.  Located seven miles off the mainland coast, prisoners here lived in "moderate freedom" because it was deemed inescapable.  That said, more than 50% of the prisoners died in their first year from malnutrition, tropical diseases, harsh treatment, murder, execution, and failed escape attempts. The islands are only accessible by boat.  Once ashore at Ile Royale, we walked in the ...

Barbados  is an island country  in the Lesser Antilles , in the Caribbean  region of North America.   The Portuguese are believed to be the first Europeans to "discover" Barbados on their way to Brazil in the 1500s.  They claimed the island and  later abandoned it in 1620, with their only remnants being an introduction of wild boars for a good supply of meat whenever the island was visited, and to replenish their water supply.   In  1627, the first permanent settlers arrived from England, and it became an English Colony. The Viking Sun was in port for 10 hours allowing the crew time to store the provisions from six large shipping containers into the cargo hold.  Arriving was fresh produce, meat, fish, dry goods, sundries and most important beer and wine. While the crew labored, we traveled to the island's center and visited an astonishing natural wonder, Harrison's Cave.  From the visitor's center, an electr...

The Viking Sun docked in San Juan for 3-days to resupply and exchange 650 passengers.  On board there are 180 Travelers  (those doing the 1/2 or full world cruise) and 650 Tourists   (aka HoHo's, short for Hop-on Hop-off ) that embark for a 2-week segment of the trip.  During the first few days of each segment, the Travelers assist the HoHo's helping them find the restaurants, gang way, sick bay, theater and most important, the bars. San Juan's Old Town boasts 500 years of history with colorful colonial architecture and massive fortresses.  Standing above the town is Castillo de San Cristobal whose cannons, ramparts and layered defenses have guarded the city for centuries. The first day in port we visited El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. national forest system.  At nearly 29,000 acres it is one of the smallest in size, yet one of the most biological diverse of the national forests.  It hosts hundreds of animal and...

The travel brochure described our tour as: "Take a scenic drive along one of the most breathtaking routes on St. Thomas.  Much of the island's beauty lies in its endless undulating hills spilling down to the stunning bays..."  All that may have been true if it wasn't raining.  Our local guide driving us in the open air taxi made frequent stops but no one wanted to get out to take in the view in the rain.  Thank goodness though, the temperature was 85º. Finally we reached the Mountain Top, no, not the highest point on the island, a tourist trap with a great view on a clear day.  Their claim to fame was lots of tourist "stuff" and the worlds best banana daiquiri.  (They didn't offer free samples like other tourist stops, they asked $7.00 for their small "world famous" daiquiri.)  They did offer a couple of places for selfies playing off the Pirates of the Caribbean theme. This was the "great" scenic view they of...

The British Virgin Islands are the peaks of a chain of dormant underwater volcanoes.  Tortola, the largest and most stunning, has lush green foliage covering its steep terrain all the way to the peak of Mount Sage (1,740 feet above sea level). Stepping off the ship into this tropical paradise, it was hard to imagine what the island was like 350 years ago when the famed pirates Blackbeard and Captain Kidd took up residence here.  Later with the arrival of colonists from England, sugar plantations flourished.  Tourism now dominates its economy. Today we traveled up Mount Sage in search of vistas that would give us breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea and the surrounding islands in the archipelago.   It was interesting to note that vehicles drove on the left side of the road, however most of the vehicles had left-hand steering.   (Typically steering is opposite the side of the driving lane so the driver is looking at oncoming traf...

St. Martin is a fascinating mix of France and Holland which have shared the island since 1648.  About the size of Grand Blanc Township, the island split is approximately 60% French and 40% Dutch.  There are no boarder checks between the two sides of the island however the French region uses the Euro currency while the Dutch side uses the Netherlands Gilder. The island is lush with a Caribbean beauty all its own.  With great beaches and tropical weather, it's not surprising that tourism accounts for 85% of their economies. We docked in Philipsburg (Dutch capital) and drove 15 minutes across the island to Marigot (French capital).  It was Sunday morning so the only merchants open were street vendors and taverns.  Though the Euro and Gilder are the official currencies, everyone takes U.S. dollars.   The other noticeable difference was the Dutch side had casinos and no nude beaches, the French side had nude beaches and no casinos.  (You ...