Tortola - British Virgin Islands

British Virgin Islands

Post published:6 January 2019
Post category:British Virgin Islands North America

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Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Vírgenes

After the tipping point back at Puerto Plata in Dominican Republic, now heading back towards the port of arrival at Bridgetown in Barbados, stopping at the remaining islands we did not pass by when heading north. This is the turn of the capital city of the British Virgin Islands, Road Town in the principal and largest island, Tortola. As exotic as it sound just by the name, we were not wrong. It’s sometimes incredible to see such exotic and exuberant nature and paradise beaches in so little piece of land.

Yet again another place first sighted by Christopher Columbus in his second voyage in 1493 who named the archipelago Santa Ursula y las Once Mil Vírgenes (Saint Ursula and her 11000 Virgins), shortened to Las Vírgenes (The Virgins) after the legend of 5th century Christian martyr Saint Ursula. The name of Tortola comes itself from the Spanish for the bird turtledove. Nevertheless there was never a Spanish settlement here, but Dutch first then British, who they do still belong to the Kingdom. So in this case, like it was back at Sint Maarten, we are not visiting a new country as such, but an overseas territory.

Being dropped off at Road Town is nice spot because you can reach anywhere else in the island of Tortola at easy convenience, and because of the very reduced size and short distances, you can potentially visit the entire island in the time you are given since arrival until departure of your cruise, which is generally from the early morning until 18.00pm. Well enough for either reaching the north coast and enjoy what this island is more famous, the white sandy beaches; having a great snorkelling time in the crystalline waters or taking the speed boat towards Virgen Gorda Island in order to admire one of the greatest beaches on earth, The Baths.

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Puerto Plata - Dominican Republic

Puerto Plata – Dominican Republic

Post published:4 January 2019
Post category:Dominican Republic North America

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Little Silver Cup

Continuing the cruise after some Dutch feeling at Sint Maarten, and after an entire day and night cruise this time only resting and enjoying the plenty of activities to do on-board, we dock at Amber Cove, the port of Puerto Plata in Dominican Republic. A city of many firsts in the Americas. It was here nearby that the very first village in the “New World” was founded on January the 2nd, 1494 called La Isabela, in honour of the Queen of the Spanish Empire. Dominican Republic was named back then, La Hispaniola, the first piece of land where Christopher Columbus set foot in 1492.

Puerto Plata is the 9th largest city in the country, therefore do not expect a city or large distances or lots to see and do. All the opposite, there’s not really that much here other that of course, the incredible landscapes and nature at the backdrop, and the impressive paradise beaches just east of the city. The top resorts are not far east as you can imagine. it is for this reason it’s a booming tourist destination, made even more accessible after the recently opened new cruise terminal at Amber Cove. Fair enough this is not Punta Cana, but it’s a great alternative for the beaches; and so it’s not Santo Domingo, but a nice idea for a first time in the country.

Visiting the city is very simple and quick to do. Give or take merely 3 hours for what’s the core in downtown. You won’t need any longer, but instead head to the gorgeous beaches farther east along the Costa Dorada. Playa Dorada is without hesitation the best, with the greatest resorts. Then if you came here as part of your cruise, you will not have that much time anyway to do as you wish, so city and beach is the perfect combination. Fantastic local food and amazing fresh cocktails. What else to ask for! (more…)

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Sint Maarten - Dutch Caribbean

Sint Maarten – Dutch Caribbean

Post published:2 January 2019
Post category:North America Sint Maarten

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The Friendly Island

Another day passing, and onto another island in this cruise through the Eastern Caribbean islands right after the previous base at Saint Kitts and Nevis. This time onto the smallest of the islands we would visit in the trip, Sint Maarten, and even considering such a small piece of land, yet divided in two, the French and the Dutch sides. The Dutch in this case, the part we would visit, which is nevertheless, the one that houses the main international airport and the cruise terminal.

Discovered in 1493 on the second voyage of Christopher Columbus, and named as such as it was Saint Martin’s day when was first sighted, 11th of November. While claimed to the Crown of Spain as a territory, it was never settled and was a low priority. Instead the Dutch and the French saw it as a key location among their other territories in the Caribbean and North America who made it very profitable mining salt, moment in which the Spanish saw again an interest and captured it from the Dutch for 15 years, losing again interest and completely abandoning it in 1648.

The French and the Dutch returned, and although there was never a war between them two, the borders shifted dozens of times over the next 200 years. Still, it was a very pacific agreement that lasts ever since. And while at first it was all about slavery, with the abolition and the following decades, both sides turned into heavy tourism dedication; the principal economy is the island. (more…)

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Saint Kitts - Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Post published:1 January 2019
Post category:North America Saint Kitts and Nevis

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The Mother Colony of the West Indies

A new day, and with it, a new port of call after Saint Vincent two days before. This is the turn for another country, Saint Kitts and Nevis, docking at its capital city Basseterre. This is now making the already serious number of country 95 visited so far up to date. Yet again, the count can easily go up here in the Caribbean especially if on a cruise. The only real way for enjoying the islands to be honest at a decent overall cost than if going on your own planning yourself the trip. Inter islands flights are quite expensive not to mention the hotels. Yes I agree is nice to stay longer at some of these pieces of paradise, but for now, getting an idea of the region seeing the most we can is the best option.

Basseterre, meaning low land as it’s located in the lowest height in a rather flat area of the island was founded in 1627 by the French. Then made the capital of the island of Saint Kitts in 1727 following the French expulsion full British control, and remained ever since the capital of the country counting the second island of Nevis as part of its territory after its political independence on 19th of September 1983.

Although small, it has lots to offer, especially that is completely surrounded by lush green hills and mountains, hence beautiful scenery and nature. It’s also home to spectacular Georgian manor houses once home to wealthy sugar plantation owners. It was the main economy back in the colonial days, production of sugar, like in all of the other former colonial islands. The remains of factories are scattered in both Saint Kitts and Nevis islands, while manors and houses have been turned into museums and luxurious hotels.

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Saint Vincent - Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Post published:30 December 2018
Post category:North America Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

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The Breadfruit Isle

Next port of call in this cruise after Barbados, docking at Kingstown, the capital city of small Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, country formed of the main Saint Vincent island and 32 other smaller ones. Now if Bridgetown was small, here Kingstown is a much smaller fraction in size, with little to almost nothing really worthy from a touristy point of view, yet like almost every island in the Caribbean, lots of beautiful nature, although not many beaches as it is in the other islands.

Founded by the French in 1722, it turned hands from the French to the British, back to French and lastly to the British again before gaining independence on 27th of October 1969, however still remaining in the Commonwealth, a constitutional monarchy and representative democracy where Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of State. The mix between the French and British colonial past is seen everywhere and not just in the capital city, but across the islands with its architecture and heritage. Tiny yet very cute, the island of Saint Vincent is in fact full of extreme natural beauty and lush vegetation, all due to La Soufriere Volcano located in the northern side.

However, the few hours in between since the early morning arrival until the evening departure of the cruise was well more than enough, as there’s not much more you can do here. And if you would think about going to some nice paradise beaches, then it would be better to wait for another port of call in your cruise since Saint Vincent is not really the place you would consider the perfect paradise in the Caribbean. It’s quite rough because of the nature, although in the Grenadines archipelago you will for sure find such paradise and the turquoise waters as is in Mustique, Canouan or Carriacou islands.

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Barbados - Barbados

Barbados

Post published:29 December 2018
Post category:Barbados North America

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The Bearded Ones

One last trip of the year, and beginning of the next to discover some Caribbean islands on a winter cruise, escaping the cold weather back in Europe. A cruise is actually the only feasible way to visit these islands, many of which are tiny independent country-islands and therefore, rising the total count of countries visited so far to date to 99 by the end of the cruise; over half of the world’s total which stands as of December 2018 at 195. So starting with one of the largest, Barbados, all the way up towards the farthest port in the trip, Puerto Plata, and plenty more in between.

Its beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site listed colonial capital, Bridgetown, is one of the major international ports in the Caribbean for cruises. Founded by the British on 5th of July 1628 as a traditional English medieval market layout town, was raised to city status from 1842 after the Saint Michael’s Parish Church was elevated to the status of Cathedral. Then considering all other islands and their respective capital cities, Bridgetown remains as one of the largest and one of the most historic and therefore, touristy due in part for the large amount of colonial structures so well preserved and of course, the beaches and great resorts around the rest of the island.

Now, considering the fact of how small it is and how straightforward it is to visit, there won’t be too much more to add rather than the obvious section of what to see and do. Still, Barbados has more to offer than just Bridgetown or what many see it as their port of arrival. The island was visited by Spanish navigators in 1511 who claimed if for the Crown, however not much they did until the arrival of the English, developing it into an important sugar cane production, and leaving quite a large legacy of structures all over the island.

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Baku - Azerbaijan

Baku – Azerbaijan

Post published:7 October 2018
Post category:Azerbaijan Caucasus Europe

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The City of Winds

Quite of an unexpected last minute trip using the last remaining holidays allowance left for this year, it does also mean this is the very last country in Europe as a continent I have not been. With it, I’ve stepped in all of the 51 countries that are as per-se considered Europe, one way or another, although it is a trans-continental country with soil in Europe and Asia. So completing the Caucasus region coupled with Georgia and Armenia that we’ve visited just few months ago, it is coming closer the time to get farther to the big empty space in my travel map that is Central Asia now that East and Southeast Asia is almost fully completed as well.

Baku, the capital of the country, and actually the only metropolis in Azerbaijan, contains almost every sight worth visiting in the country, together with the nearby natural attractions of the mud volcanoes and fire mountain, and the prehistoric hieroglyphs of Qobustan. Easy to visit it all in merely 3 days without any rush, so imagine that we calculated 4 full days for this trip, that was well an over-estimation, however we knew it. After all, Baku is not just next door from London, and flights are not cheap at all, so we rather enjoy a bit more time and discover other facts and corners outside from the touristy landmarks.

With a history dating back to the Stone Age, the true “modern” Azerbaijan and Baku itself as we know it today with its great architecture is the result of an idyllic location, cross-roads for centuries of trading between Asia and Europe, and Iran taking over its rule in the 10th century from the native Shirvanshahs for centuries, switching thereafter hands to Russia back and forth in the 18th century, including the Ottomans eager for this land, until the Russo-Persian War of 1804–1813 where it became irrevocably part of the Russian Empire and remained as such part of Russia until the Independence in 1918, however captured as part of the Soviet Union until the fall in 1990. (more…)

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Providence - USA

Providence – USA

Post published:15 September 2018
Post category:North America USA

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The Creative Capital

And here we are at the end of our trip across some of the major cities of the USA, reaching one last city before the return back to London: Providence, the capital of the State of Rhode Island. In fact, another city and State I’ve never been before hence adding to the list one more place visited in this huge country. Leaving this city to the end of the trip was also nicely appropriate since it is small enough to enjoy without any rush, and knowing how tired we already were after three full weeks non-stop, it was great to have this day out from our base back in Boston for a rather chill-out and relaxing tour.

The city is one of the oldest in the country, founded back in 1636 as one of the original Thirteen Colonies, almost at the time of Boston merely couple of years before; but was the first to renounce its allegiance to the British Crown on May 4, 1776 yet the last of the now ex-colonies to ratify the United States Constitution on May 29, 1790. That was the 9th largest city at the time at less than 8000 people, but thrived through the following years, especially after the American Civil War when it became one of the wealthiest cities in the country at the turn of the 19th century in part due to the heavy industrialization and manufacturing. Not so positive was the collapse of the heavy industry from the 1970’s that took toll on every city with a dramatic increase of poverty and crime.

Likewise it was in Baltimore or Milwaukee (but many more of the “belt-cities”, only listing here the ones we’ve visited this time), the urban regeneration set in place from the 1990’s onwards have transformed a decadent city into a great example not only in the country but in the world on how a proper plan, good management, great ideas and a good will can switch and drive a city into a thriving place and a boom in tourism. Believe me when I tell you Providence is a city that will surprise you and overturn your expectations. (more…)

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