I sure wish she would get on with it – it is time to come home, even to the cold and snow.
You rarely hear us speak about being ready to come home, but because of our various illnesses, we really are looking forward to just getting back to our little cubby hole. Overall, the ship has done a good job, and the ports were for the most part interesting, but it is just time to bring this to an end.
On Jan. 3rd, we did visit the Dominican Republic, or more correctly, we visited the small peninsula of the Dominican Republic known as Samana. We were put onto an air conditioned bus for a change, but there we were imprisoned for a “spam in a can tour.” Our guide was right out of the foreign information office, and he filled his captive audience with all the wonders of the government’s current programs. So, for an hour we drove hither and yon around the small city of Samana “looking” before pulling up to a very small Museum on the subject of whaling. We were carefully shepherded into the building and given an hour to look around, which was easily done in 5 minutes. Then back onto our bus for a 20 minute ride just outside of town to a Center dedicated to using dioramas to tell the story of the indigenous people. We were each given a small iPod player and directed to follow a one way circuitous path that took an hour to walk. While I did learn some information, overall it was boring.
Once again, we got back on the bus and drove to a government funded resort where rooms and condos were available, and where we were treated to a spin pizza and a pop. Yet again, back onto the bus where we returned to town to a shopping Mall just completed by the government for tourists. Unfortunately, it was not quite finished and only two or three stores were open, but we were given an hour to “browse the shops.” Several of us objected, and asked if we could walk back to the tender on our own, since it was only a few blocks away and there were some pretty pictures of the town. Unfortunately we were not able to go off on our own, so we “had” to wait for the bus. To sum up our trip to the Dominican Republic, we drove a little, saw a whaling museum, saw a diorama program, had a pizza and were given an opportunity to shop. Did we really see the country – hell NO!
Yesterday was our last stop on the cruise. We visited the Island of Grand Turk. We had been to the island before and knew the people were friendly and it was a very safe place to visit. It was a Saturday, and on this Island everything closes on Saturday, particularly on a holiday. So, our small group gets into a small van to start our tour, and before we realized it, the driver is killing time because nothing is open; therefore he is just driving around – not letting us stop for pictures. Finally he takes us to the one thing which is open, the Grand Turk Museum. This is a small, but interesting 200 yr. old building, which you could visit in 15 minutes and see everything. Instead we are let off and told we have an hour at this stop. Well, a little rebellion took place about not letting us stop for pictures, and I explained to the driver that every person on our bus had a camera – which means that every person on that bus came to take a picture and not through the dirty windows of the bus either. Well, believe it or not, he listened, and he apologized to the group and from that point on, he made sure we got our photographs, even retracing his drive in order that we could stop and snoop around some really pretty areas in Old Town.
Today is our “pack to go home” day. Outside it is a balmy 83 degrees, but I gather we are about to undergo a huge temperature shock. Anyway, it will be good to go home, and if I listen carefully, I am certain that I am hearing “the fat lady singing.”
Jim
Selected pictures from this trip are now posted online. Go to our webpage at http://www.theglobe-trotters.com On the right you will see a link to our photo albums. The current album is 2013.12 Caribbean. Open it and enjoy
No comments:
Post a Comment