2021 Cruising the Caribbean 1

Cruising the Caribbean 1

A journal kept by Susan Hanes during a Caribbean cruise from November 24-December 8, 2021. Photos by Susan Hanes and George Leonard, © 2021.V.1 Cover: The Caribbean London: Sayer, 1775 The Pitons, St. Lucia ©Susan Hanes

Cruising the Caribbean 1 November 24-December 8, 2021 Thinking back on the trips we have taken together over these past 20 years, I remain impressed by the imaginative itineraries that Jake has planned and organized and that I have documented. The shelves filled with my travel journals attest to all we have experienced together. So, rather incongruously, we are celebrating our twenty years of marriage by doing something we have never done before: we are taking a cruise. With Covid restrictions, ships are sailing at reduced capacity and there is limited demand in the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. When he found an attractive opportunity for a Caribbean cruise aboard the Crystal Serenity, we decided to give it a try. After surviving the uncertainty of a prompt passport renewal, we made reservations for a week-long cruise. We sailed from Miami on Sunday and, following two days at sea, we made port calls at St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Antigua, and St. Thomas, before ending our cruise in San Juan.

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Wednesday, November 24

to Miami

Today is our 20th wedding anniversary. After posing for our customary picture

friend Ann Brody’s Brickell Avenue apartment. With views out over Biscayne

in front of 1320, we took a Lyft to Midway, arriving at 10:00am for our 12:35

Bay, it is easy to see why she impulsively purchased the condo after seeing it

flight to Miami. We were surprised to find the airport uncrowded on the day

only once. After a long cocktail hour, Ann served us salad and Brunswick Stew

before Thanksgiving. Although the flight arrived 20 minutes early, we had to

from the recipe of a Virginia friend, which tasted just like the dish that my father

wait for a gate and after retrieving our bags and losing time coordinating

used to make from his family’s Georgia recipe. We slept well, enjoying the cool,

locations with the Lyft driver, it was 6:00pm by the time we arrived at our

fresh breeze that blew in our window.

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Thursday, November 25

Miami

Thanksgiving

Jake and I went down to the bodega on the first floor to try some Cuban coffee.

to pick up our Thanksgiving dinner order at Whole Foods. The plan was for Ann

A group of ladies—obviously regulars—were seated at the bar, sipping cafecito

to drop us off and circle around to pick us up. This was a good idea as there was

while chattering away in Spanish. There was no menu, so we haltingly ordered

no possibility of parking nearby. The store was absolutely packed. We chose not

Americano, thinking that this would likely be the mildest choice. The ladies

to take a cart, which would have been impossible to get down the aisles. People

wished us “Happy Thanksgiving” as they departed, continuing their conversation

were lined up everywhere. Fortunately, Ann had prepaid so that all we had to

in Spanish. Back upstairs, we sampled our cups and reached for the milk. But

do was fight our way in, wait in line for pickup and fight our way out again. Ann

after a few sips, the rich, bitter taste grew on me. The three of us left at 11:00am

had her own battle, driving around the block to meet us on the corner.

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After we successfully completed our mission, Ann gave us a tour of downtown Miami, driving us past the Bayside Park high rise condominiums and cultural arts centers, including the FTX Arena. We headed to Wynwood to see the murals and graffiti on warehouse walls that are being rapidly transformed into apartment houses for young professionals. We continued to the Design District with upscale furniture and luxury goods in interesting decorated buildings.

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Wynwood

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Ann invited two friends to join us for Thanksgiving dinner. At 5:00, Fernanda Legeren arrived, and shortly thereafter, Chipi Morales, bearing a casserole and a small dog. If these women are representative of Ann’s friends, she has developed a stimulating group of acquaintances in Miami. Fernanda is from Buenos Aires and Chipi is Cuban, and they have both had interesting lives that took them around the world. We soon found common ground and the discussion over dinner—going on close to four hours— covered everything from political history in the Southern Hemisphere to the Camino de Santiago.

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Friday, November 26

Miami

After our late night, we were slow in getting up this morning and were greeted by clear skies, mild temperatures and low humidity. Ann dropped us off at the entrance to Vizcaya, the 1923 estate of James Deering, heir to the Deering-McCormick International Harvester fortune. Located in the Coconut Grove neighborhood, the Mediterranean Revival villa is surrounded by formal Italian gardens and woodland landscapes. The lovely weather brought out post-Thanksgiving family groups, Chinese women posing for glamor shots by their boyfriends, and young girls being photographed for their Quinceaneras, dressed in elaborate gowns.

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We took a drive along Biscayne Bay, past sailing clubs and marinas. We were interested to see the Miami City Hall building at Dinner Key, which was the original International Pan American Airport from 1932 to 1945, serving Pan Am’s flying boats as one of the world’s largest airports at the time. Our drive took us through leafy Coconut Grove to Plymouth Congregational Church. The church was founded in 1897 but not completed until 1917, as it was constructed by one man using only a hatchet, a trowel, a plumb line and a T-square. We continued to Coral Gables as far as the 1926 Biltmore Hotel, the iconic centerpiece of developer George Merrick’s vision for the city he founded. Ann showed us Fairchild Tropical Garden; the Venetian Pool, carved from a rock quarry; Merrick’s childhood home, built in 1906; and the 1923 Spanish Colonial Revival Congregational Church, which Merrick dedicated to his father, a Congregational minister. She took us along the Miracle Mile where we could see examples of the ups and downs of real estate development in the cities comprising the greater Miami area. Climate change is causing developers to reconsider building along the beautiful— but low-lying—areas along the shore and look for higher ground.

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Returning to Ann’s apartment, we sat out on the balcony and watched the sunset as several manatees guarded the bay below us. Later, we headed to Little Havana, that area of Miami created by Cuban exiles in the 1960s.

Dinner was at Café La Trova on Calle Ocho, a collaboration between James Beard-awarded chef Michelle Bernstein and renowned mixologist Julio Cabrera. It is now on the list of the World’s 50 Best Bars. Predictably, the place was packed and noisy and live music contributed to the general din.

After a little trial and error, we perfected our drink order but we found the menu somewhat disappointing. Nonetheless it was an atmospheric introduction to the Cuban side of Miami. As a taxi driver told friends who had come to visit Ann on another occasion, “I love Miami because it is so close to the United States!”

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Ocean Drive, Miami Beach

Saturday, November 27

Miami

It was another beautiful morning and we were all set to get an early start to

along the Drive, passing Art Deco hotels along the way. Cafés had spread into

continue our cultural tour of Miami. As it turned out, we had a different sort

the street, offering obscenely-sized margaritas and other colorful beverages.

of cultural experience when we discovered that Ann’s car battery had run

We walked through shady Espinoza Place, lined with restaurants and shops,

down overnight. She called road assistance and although help was quickly

continuing north to Lincoln, intersecting it at the iconic Lincoln Theater, now

dispatched, Rubin spoke no English and had difficulty gaining access to the

an H&M clothing store. Ann expressed disappointment as we walked along

compound. He jump-started the car and made promising hand motions,

Lincoln, recalling the upscale area that it had once been. Returning to Ocean

suggesting that we were good to go. However, out of a surplus of caution, we

Drive, we stopped for our own giant cocktails at Il Giardino, located next to

decided to have it checked out at the dealership. Getting the all clear, we

the Gianni Versace mansion, site of the designer’s murder in 1997. We

were on our way to Miami Beach. Ocean Drive was closed to traffic, but we

returned to the apartment along Highway A1A, passing the historic Art Deco

found a fortuitous parking spot at a commercial lot a block east and walked

hotels in South Beach.

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This evening we experienced Peruvian cuisine at CVI.CHE, where the vibe was lively, the music infectious and the Pisco Sours satisfactory. While Ann and George feasted on octopus and veal heart, I tried to pick out the shrimp in the ceviche.

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Bridge to Key Biscayne

the view from Ann’s balcony

Sunday, November 28

Aboard the Crystal Serenity

Cruise Day! We packed up, straightened up the apartment and were ready for

small veranda overlooking the North Atlantic. We inspected each deck,

our 11:30am pickup to Terminal J at the Port of Miami. We were pleased that,

exploring the various themed restaurants, the pool area, classrooms, casino and

arriving early, we encountered no lines for security, check-in, or Covid testing

theaters. Everything was beautifully maintained, with inviting nooks to stop for a

and by 12:45 we were ready to board. Boarding by groups commenced at 1:00.

drink or curl up with a book. We were impressed. Before meeting Ann for

We crossed a covered access bridge to the Crystal Serenity and were greeted

dinner, we had limey daiquiris in the dark and cozy Avenue Saloon. Our 6:30

by a fleet of staff in starched white uniforms who ushered us to the main deck

reservations were at Umi Uma, one of two premier restaurants on board,

to the strains of piano and violin. There we posed for photographs in front of a

where we sat at the sushi bar and watched as the chefs rolled out dish after

Welcome Aboard backdrop, received our tracking bracelets, and were offered

dish for us to enjoy. Chilled saki served from individual flasks accompanied our

flutes of champagne. At that point we were free to wander about the ship until

choices. After dinner we attended the welcome variety show, “Crystal in

an announcement was made that all passenger rooms were ready. We were

Motion” in the Galaxy Lounge. As we returned to our room for the night, we

very pleased with our accommodations. Located on the 8th deck, our room

were pleased and impressed by our first cruise experience. The fact that this

has a queen bed, desk/dresser, efficient storage, and a well-appointed bathroom

voyage is operating at a third capacity with nearly 1 1/2 staff per passenger does

with Italian toiletries. Perhaps best of all is a sliding glass door that opens to a

make for a very pleasant voyage.

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Monday, November 29

At Sea

We lost an hour overnight as we entered the Atlantic Time zone and by the

ship and had cocktails as the sun disappeared behind the clouds. Every drink

time we were up and dressed, we had missed all but the Late Risers

is made individually, using a Boston shaker; the bar list is extensive, with

breakfast at the Trident Grill. At 1:30 we attended a helpful workshop given

more than 60 labels of spirits and two dozen wines. As we discussed our

by Canadian photographer Sandi Wheaton on editing photos on the iPhone.

impressions today, we agreed that the service on board has been

We followed that with an introduction to acupuncture by a Romanian

exceptional: attentive without being obsequious. At 6:30, we met Ann at

medical doctor and a presentation on iPhone basics which we really did not

Silk, serving Szechuan and milder southern Chinese dishes. We exchanged

need. At 5:00 I accompanied Jake as he indulged in a pre-dinner treat at

reports of how we’d spent the day on board and made tentative plans for

Scoops Ice Cream. We made our way to the Sunset Bar at the bow of the

tomorrow.

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Tuesday, November 30

At Sea

This morning, our second day at sea, we were up early enough to have

reading, working puzzles, playing cards or napping. Although the hot tubs were

breakfast in Waterside, the main dining room, before attending two more

popular, the pool itself did not appear to have much appeal. Of course, those

workshops with Sandi Wheaton: creative photo techniques and taking selfies

who were tucked away at the spa or playing paddleball were beyond our

using the iPhone. Ann met us for lunch after her golf lesson and Jake and I

purview. We returned to the Avenue Saloon for cocktails before joining Ann

returned for a class on Photoshop Elements with Mike Duggar, a retired photo

for dinner at Prego, the second of Crystal’s premier restaurants. Although we

enthusiast who, with his wife, Karen, offers classes and accompanies shore

were not able to get a reservation until 8:00, we were surprised at the number

excursions in exchange for the opportunity to cruise. As we walked around the

of open tables and the slow service that was interrupted by end-of-the-evening

decks, we found it interesting to see how other passengers were passing the

activities such as moving chairs around and re-loading glasses in a storage

time at sea. Lazing around the pool seemed to be the most popular activity:

cabinet. At least the vacuum did not come out until after our departure.

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St. Kitts The Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, otherwise known as St. Kitts and Nevis, is the smallest sovereign state in the Western Hemisphere. It is part of the Commonwealth, with Elizabeth II as Head of State. St. Kitts and Nevis were among the first islands in the Caribbean to be colonized by Europeans after Christopher Columbus sighted them in 1493. Both are of volcanic origin, with large central peaks covered by tropical rainforest. The area of St. Kitts is 67 square miles (18 mi x 5 mi) and Nevis is 36 square miles (6 mi x 8 mi). The population of the islands is about 53,000; the majority of the populace lives along the flatter coastal areas.

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Wednesday, December 1

Basseterre, St. Kitts

Our first port of call. The ship docked at 8:00 this morning at the Port Zante

colorful lettering. We walked up to her and she led us to a barrier behind

cruise terminal. We watched the docking procedure from our veranda as the

which was standing a smiling young woman who introduced herself as La

motors were manipulated until the ship abutted the pier. It was so smooth

Toya Lake-Marshall, the cousin of my IWA Chicago friend, Cheryl Merchant.

that there was no sense of when the process was completed. Ann, Jake and I

La Toya gave us a warm greeting and offered me a bag of gifts from St. Kitts,

had signed up for “The Best of St. Kitts” excursion, a half-day tour of the

telling me that she knew all about me—my travel journals and my love of

island by small bus. As we reached the terminal where we were to meet, I

hearts—from Cheryl. Although the moment was fleeting, it was very special.

noticed a woman holding a hand-lettered sign. As I got closer, I recognized

I was deeply touched by the women who came to meet us, by the sign, and

my own name. “Welcome to Sugar City, Susan and George Hanes” it said in

by the smiling graciousness of our welcome to St. Kitts and to the Caribbean.

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We hurried to our meeting point and boarded the bus, finding places in the last

in this Commonwealth nation. We passed two medical schools and a veterinary

row. Fortunately, neither of us is susceptible to motion sickness and being in the

college as we went along. A short drive brought us to Bloody Point, the site of

back offered a good opportunity to take pictures from the windows. Our

the 1626 Anglo-French massacre of 2,000 Kalinago people that is said to have

driver-guide introduced himself as Leroy and drove us through the capital town

caused the nearby river to run red. With the native population thus pacified,

of Basseterre. Lined by sturdy buildings made of hand-cut volcanic limestone set

the English and French began to establish large sugar plantations which were

among ramshackle cafés and bars, the narrow streets radiate from a

worked by vast numbers of imported African slaves. This system created

roundabout with a Victorian clock tower. We passed Independence Square,

enormous wealth for the planter-colonists while also drastically changing the

anchored by a fountain and encircled by 18th century Georgian buildings and

island’s demographics, as black slaves soon outnumbered the Europeans. Near

the Immaculate Conception Cathedral. We glimpsed St. George’s Anglican

the village of Challengers, we saw petroglyphs carved into the rocks. Leroy

Church, the final iteration built in 1869 after a building that was first

addressed the free-range chickens that we saw in the villages, saying that

constructed by the Jesuits in 1670 was destroyed by fire, earthquake and

chickens must be kept in coops or they are considered fair game to anyone

hurricane. As we headed out of town, we noted that the cars drive on the left

who feels like having chicken for dinner that night.

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We continued north through rich tropical forest, passing the ruins of a sugar processing mill to Romney Manor, the former residence of the owners of the Wingfield Estate sugar plantation. The buildings are surrounded by beautiful gardens, including a 350-year-old saman tree that is a popular site for weddings. An old bell tower in the garden was once used to regulate the workday routine of slaves. One of the buildings is the home of Caribelle Batik, a working garment factory where we were shown the process of batik and encouraged to purchase the colorful textiles displayed.

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From the bus, Leroy pointed out St. Thomas Anglican Church and the tomb of Sir Thomas Warner who established a settlement on the west coast of St. Kitts in 1623.

(The French later settled there in 1625.)

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We proceeded to Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site built by the British using slave labor in the 17th and 18th centuries. The fortress retains well-preserved fortifications and offers extraordinary views from its commanding height, nearly 800 feet above sea level. It is one of the largest and best preserved of its kind in the world.

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Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park a UNESCO site

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At Fairview Great House, a French colonial house set on tropical grounds, we were given a tour of the period-furnished rooms and time to wander through the gardens.

We drove to the top of Timothy Hill for an overlook of the Frigate Bay resort area and the narrow strip of land separating the Atlantic and the Caribbean.

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Timothy Hill

with a view of the Atlantic and the Caribbean

As we drove back to Basseterre, we observed the dramatic economic disparity between the northern and southern parts of the island. We had hoped to explore the capital on our own, but Covid restrictions prevented our venturing any further than to a few tourist and duty-free shops. Instead, we returned to the ship and found a table by the window at the Crystal Court bar where we discussed our day over daiquiris and an large bowl of cashews. We are enjoying the staff aboard the ship as they represent so many countries that we have visited and are providing a review of our travel memories. Later, we joined Ann for dinner at Waterside.

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St. Lucia St. Lucia is a volcanic island that covers a land area of 238 square miles (27 mi x 14 mi) with a population of 165,595. Its capital is Castries. It is dominated by high peaks and rain forests in the interior. The French were the first Europeans to settle on the island, signing a treaty with the native Island Caribs in 1660. England took control in 1663 but in ensuing years, wars between England and France resulted in the rule of the island changing frequently. In 1814, the British took definitive control of St. Lucia. In 1979, it gained full independence but chose to remain within the British Commonwealth and to retain Queen Elizabeth as Monarch, represented locally by a Governor-General.

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Thursday, December 2

Castries, St. Lucia

The Serenity docked at the port of Castries at 7:30am and we gathered at

seats was a good idea for another reason. The roads in mountainous St. Lucia

8:15 for an all-day excursion; by the time we had disembarked and gotten

are narrow and winding and require many switchbacks to negotiate the steep

organized into two busses, it was nearing 9:00. Our guide, Martha, introduced

hills. There was a surprising amount of traffic on those roads and Kerwin did

our driver, Kerwin, telling us that he was the best driver on the island since the

not slow down for anyone. The fact that we were in the back meant that we

former best driver had passed away yesterday (joke). Jake and I again chose

were spared the view that the other passengers had. I heard one man tell his

our seats at the very back of the bus, since the advantage photographically

wife to be sure to buckle her seatbelt. Her answer was, “What difference

was proven yesterday. As we drove through Castries, St. Lucia’s capital city,

would it make?” We encountered a number of brief rain showers as we drove

we saw colorfully-painted cement buildings and wider streets than we'd seen

south along the east coast through extraordinarily lush rain forests and banana

in Basseterre. Houses, some of block and some of Victorian clapboard, dotted

plantations with trees bearing clusters of fruit protected by insect-repelling

the hillside. As we drove out of town, we soon realized that our choice of

blue bags.

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At Dennery Lookout, we took in the view of the village on the bay below.

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High above the town of Vieux Fort, we drove up a steep road at the southernmost tip of the island to the Moule a Chique lighthouse. Built in 1912, it stands at a height of 740 feet above sea level. The steps to the top were crumbling, with broken railings, but the views were spectacular on this clear, sunny day.

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We visited the secluded Balenbouche Estate, once a working sugar plantation with a flowing aqueduct that powered the mill. Today the aqueduct is dry and the old mill is overgrown with vegetation. The plantation house, owned by the widow Uta Lawaetz, is simply furnished with antiques and Amerindian artifacts. Uta greeted our group and told us the history of the plantation while pointing out various plants and flowers that surround the house. Afterwards she served us juice in the garden.

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We returned to the bus and proceeded southwest to Dasheene Restaurant at the Ladera Resort. At one time a cocoa plantation, the lodge is located 1,000 feet above sea level with stunning views of the Pitons, the twin mountainous volcanic plugs that have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. We climbed the stairs to a high veranda where we were served a seafood lunch with wine while enjoying the most iconic sight in the Caribbean.

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The Pitons of St. Lucia a UNESCO Site

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Sulphur Springs is a geothermal field that emerged from a weak spot in the crust of an enormous collapsed crater creating an upheaval of lava approximately 300,000 years ago. It is the most popular tourist destination in St. Lucia and is known as “the world's only drive-in volcano”.

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Our day’s journey ended with a stroll through the Diamond Botanical Gardens and hot springs located in the town of Soufrière. As we slowly walked along the paths of fertile vegetation, Martha pointed out various tropical flowers and plant species. At the end of the garden, we found a hidden waterfall which flows from Sulphur Springs. We returned to Castries along the west coast, with more views of the Pitons and a stop to view picturesque Marigot Bay. We were running late by the time we returned; the clock at the terminal read 5:32 as we got off the bus (passengers are to be on board by 5:30). We went straight to our room and by the time we got there, we saw that we were already underway. That evening, Ann, Jake and I had dinner at the Churrascaria, the ship’s Brazilian grill restaurant specializing in traditional tapas, ceviche, and grilled meats presented tableside by “gauchos” on sword-like skewers.

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Marigot Bay

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A journal kept by Susan Hanes during a Caribbean cruise from November 24December 8, 2021. Photos by Susan Hanes and George Leonard, © 2021. V.1