2011 - CARIBBEAN PRINCESS - BARBADOS & PUERTO RICO

BARBADOS IS NEXT UP - NOT EXACTLY A WET WEEK-END IN WALES, BUT CLOSE.

MISERABLE WEATHER..BUT, HEY - IT'S BARBADOS.

TODAY'S TOUR IS WITH A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER. HE IS GOING TO POINT OUT TIPS & SUCH.

I HAVE SEEN HIS WORK ON-LINE & IT IS MOSTLY BLACK & WHITE - VERY NICE.

FIRST STOP IS IN THE RAIN BESIDE THIS ROW OF TREES..

TOO WET TO EVEN GET OUT OF THE BUS.

BUT THE RAIN DID LET UP ENOUGH TO GET OUT TO TAKE PHOTOS OF THESE BUILDINGS IN A SMALL VILLAGE.

AND SOME BANANAS...

WE ARE ACROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE OF BARBADOS NOW.

SOME STRANGE ROCK FORMATIONS...ON SHORE..

AND OUT AT SEA...

THIS LADY TOLD ME TO TELL OUR GUIDE WHERE SHE WAS...

..AND HERE SHE IS WAVING TO HIM. VERY FRIENDLY

THAT'S THAT FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHER TOUR - NOT WHAT I EXPECTED BUT A NICE RIDE AROUND.

NOW I AM TAKING A TAXI TO - WAIT FOR IT... NOT THERE YET.

THIS MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE STREET WHERE SIR GARFIELD SOBERS LIVED, OR WAS BORN OR - ANYTHING ELSE.

THE TAXI DRIVER WAS NOT TOO SURE.

DON'T KNOW GARY SOBERS.? YOU MISSED A TREAT.

BERTS

DON'T KNOW BERTS? NOT FROM AROUND HERE ARE YOU?

YOU CAN SEE THE 'HOME OF THE SENATORS' SIGN AT THE BACK, BUT I SAW NO SIGN OF THE OTTAWA SENATORS OWNER. HE ALSO OWNS THIS LITTLE BAR. OR PART OWNS MAYBE.

GARY SOBERS....CRICKETER EXTRAORDINAIRE....

AND THE TAXI DRIVER. VERY ANCIENT. AND HIS TAXI WAS TOO.

A HUMMINGBIRD, JUST HOVERING THERE, POSING FOR ME.

ON A TRAFFIC ROUNDABOUT I THINK,,,

BACK ON BOARD,

PICKING UP HITCH-HIKERS ON THE WAY BACK TO THE LITTLE HOTEL IN PUERTO RICO.

BEACH PATROL..

THIS SIGN IS JUST BY MY HOTEL.. NICE TO KNOW..

IT REALLY WAS A NICE SPOT FOR MY HOTEL.

THERE ARE A COUPLE OF SMALL RESTAURANTS WITH BEACH VIEWS RIGHT NEXT DOOR..

A VERY STANGE LIGHT AS THE SUN GOES DOWN..

I TAKE A FERRY FROM SAN JUAN TO THE BACARDI DISTILERY. THE FERRY RIDE IS A COUPLE OF DOLLARS AND THE TOUR OF BACARDI IS FREE, WITH A GLASS OR TWO THROWN IN.

A VERY GOOD DEAL.

THIS IS A BUG. A VERY BIG BUG....

NOW I AM OFF TO SEE SOME CAVES, BUT SOMEWHERE AROUND THIS TIME, I ALSO HAD A TOUR TO A LAGOON WHERE THE WATER GLOWS IN THE DARK.

IT WAS AT NIGHT & PITCH BLACK SO NO PHOTOS.

THERE WAS TWENTY OR SO CANOES, FOLLOWING EACH OTHER THROUGH MANGROVES TO THE LAGOON. I GOT TEAMED IN A TWO MAN CANOE WITH A JAPANESE GUY WHO DID NOT SPEAK ENGLISH OR KNOW HOW TO PADDLE. SOMEHOW WE GOT DETACHED & I ENDED UP WITH A GUIDE SO I DID NOT HAVE TO PADDLE AT ALL. HE WAS MAINLY INTERESTED IN CHATTING TO THE GIRLS IN THE OTHER CANOES WHEN WE GOT TO THE LAGOON.

AMAZING TO SEE THE WATER GLOWING AS THE PADDLES WENT THROUGH THE WATER. BIO-LUMINESCNCE OR SO I REMEMBER IT TO BE.

A GREAT TOUR.

BUT ANYWAY - BACK TO THE CAVES...

A WITCH???

AND THIS SATELLITE DISH FEATURED IN A JAMES BOND MOVIE

MORE NOT SO GOOD PHOTOS OF A COQUI FROG BUT IT DOES GIVE AN IDEA HOW TINY THEY ARE....

FLYING OVER PHILADELPHIA MAYBE, OR SOMEWHERE I LANDED BRIEFLY ON THE WAY HOME

THIS MAY BE THE SAINT LAWRENCE OR THE OTTAWA OR NEITHER..

THE END OF ANOTHER TRIP.

THE CARIBBEAN IS A NICE PLACE TO VISIT BUT AFTER A WHILE ALL THE ISLANDS MERGE INTO ONE.

PUERTO RICO IS WORTH ANOTHER VISIT THOUGH, BUT I WOULD HAVE TO RENT A CAR. TOURS ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN & PUBLIC TRANSPORT TOO DIFFICULT OUTSIDE SAN JUAN.