Yet another beautiful destination.....Antigua (promounced "Antiga") :)

Antigua is our second stop on our trip to Spain. The weather has been great…..we are blessed with good fortune. Actually, Pat was blessed with good fortune. Like the book “Under the Tuscan Sun, “ Pat had a pigeon poop on her head.  Pat was as disgusted as I have ever seen her but she brightened considerably when her daughter told her the story from Ms. Mayes book As the author relates the purchase of her house in Tuscany,the owner of the house she purchased would not sell until she found out a pigeon had pooped on her head.....the owner took this to be good luck and agreed to sell Ms. Mayes the house.…..If this truly means good luck; we are in for a great trip!




Pat.....right before the Pigeons did their damage

Antigua is one, if not the most, beautiful of Caribbean Islands. Of top 10 beaches in the world, Antigua is host to either two or three of them depending on which website you read. With 365 publicly owned beaches, you can hit one a day and not repeat your visit for an entire year. Discovered by Christopher Columbus, Antigua was home to the Nelson Dockyards named after Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson. The inlet to the dockyards is hidden from the ocean….only one way in or out and it makes for a protected and strategic ship repair facility which is still in use today. Settled by the British, Antigua is part of the British Commonwealth and gained their independence in 1979. Agriculture and tourism are the major industries along with a good rum business. Sugar cane production used to be very strong but, like many islands in the region, it is no longer economically feasible to produce sugar…..most of that production has been converted to rum. The saying around here is that it is better to stay drunk….if you sober up, you will just have to get drunk again anyway.

We took a tour with other’s from our ship and visited some high points of the island which include the overlook to the Nelson Dockyards, the Dockyards themselves, the Town of St. Johns and surrounding areas. We were lucky to visit on such a clear day. We could see some of the other surrounding islands like Guadaloupe and Montserrat. Montserrat has the only active volcano in the Caribbean and we could clearly see the plume from the crater. Antigua is just 108 square miles and has a population of around 80,000. With roughly 40 miles of coastline….most of it is good, beach front property. It must have some attraction. Among other celebrities, Eric Clapton lives here.

Antigua emancipated their slaves about the time that most other Islands did in 1832. As with most British Commonwealth territories, Cricket is one of the favorite sports and Sir Vivian Richards (the “Master Blaster” to those knowledgeable about the sport) is a national hero….he even has the local cricket stadium named after him. I can’t understand cricket….it takes days to determine a winner and they throw way too many ground balls for my taste…

Our driver was a real character….he named himself “engine number 9” mostly so that we could all remember which bus we were on. He was irreverent and didn’t hesitate to make racial jokes that we would cringe at in the US. During the tour, he pointed out a Donkey and called it a Antiguan “BMW.” None of us knew what that was. He answered that it stood for “Black Man’s Wheels.” Kind of gives you an idea of our day….very funny guy. Part of our tour included rum punch with 151 proof rum…..I needed to go back to the ship and take a nap after that…..I’m not in college any more!

Antiguan BMW

It’s been 20 years since Pat and I had visited this island….we remembered it fondly and we had our memory refreshed. It’s a quaint and peaceful place with scenery and beaches (for the water sports inclined) that you can get in few other places. We plan to return and spend more time soon.

As I write this, we are on our second day of 6 crossing the Atlantic. Internet service is spotty….carrier pigeons might be more effective. Hopefully, I will be able to post a few pictures along with the text.

Best to All….we will update you on St. Lucia next time.

Pat and Chris

Buenos Dias from San Juan!!

It’s been two wonderful days at sea! I sympathize with the tough weather y’all have had around the country. For our cruise, we can’t have had better weather. It’s been sunny and 85 degrees pretty much the whole way……sorry to rub it in.  So far, the big challenge has been staying active in the midst of great food and drink that is available 18 hours a day.  I have scoped out the gym and Pat has a new playlist on the MP3, so all is well.


We are traveling on the MSC Poesia from Ft. Lauderdale to our final destination of Barcelona, Spain. MSC is a line that we have not traveled on before….mostly an Italian crew. So far so good. We plan to post a review on TripAdvisor.com (we will also do the same with the recent Princess Cruise. As we have said before, cruising seems to be a reasonably trouble-free way to see several different destinations quickly, pick out your favorites and visit for an extended time later. We are familiar with the Caribbean but have never crossed the Atlantic by ship. The route also covers the Straits of Gibraltar and a couple of southern ports of Spain that we have never seen. The trip ends in Barcelona (one of our favorite destinations)….we will spend a few days there, go to Madrid to visit the Prado Museum and then home.

San Juan is the largest city in Puerto Rico with a population of 1.8 MM. The territory of Puerto Rico covers an area 110 miles by 35 miles and has a population of 4.5MM. Puerto Rico is a US territory…..they pay taxes, support a National Guard detachment and became US Citizens with the passage of the Jones Act in 1917. Having said that, Puerto Ricans are fiercely proud of their heritage which is a three-way extraction of African, Indian and Spanish cultures. Many Puerto Ricans have lived in the US but don’t consider themselves Americans in any way.

San Juan has several areas of the city that are worth visiting but we like old town the best.

Old Town San Juan is what remains of the walled portion of the city. Named a National Historic Landmark, Castillo San Felipe del Morro is the center point of a series of fortifications built by the Spanish to defend a very strategic location in the Caribbean. Work began in 1533 and took over 250 years to complete. El Morro repelled many attacks over the years, one of the most famous being the final British attempt in 1797.

The Spanish ruled Puerto Rico until 1898 when it lost the territory to the US in the Spanish-American war (Along with Cuba, Guam and the Phillipines). Puerto Rico’s status as a commonwealth is a continuing anomaly for both the US and Puerto Rico.  I love these little nuggets of info......

Pat and I took a short tour of the City and had a great lunch at the Café La Princesa which is located near the wall on the south end of Old Town. We really recommend this place if you get here.

Finally, as I do wherever I can, I took a short run down a magnificent trail that winds it’s way around the city wall at the base. It’s about a mile walk from the harbor but well worth it.

Tomorrow, we are off to the British Isle of Antigua and the Nelson dockyards…..more history and a convenient time to sign off now before I bore you to death!!



Regards,



Chris and Pat

We did the wash, paid the bills, re-introduced ourselves to the dogs and generally just recovered! This trip, by comparison should be quite a bit easier to manage….less flying, less moving around and shorter duration. Our itinerary includes, Ft. Lauderdale, San Juan, Antigua, St. Lucia. After that, we spend six days at sea and land at Funchal, Portugal. Next, we hit the ports of Malaga, Alicante and Barcelona in Spain. We get off the ship in Barcelona and spend a few days there and a few in Madrid then head home.  Alhambra Castle, the Sagradas Familias Temple and the Prado Museum are on our "must do" list.


We will keep everyone up to date with the sights and activities.

Friends we met from our last cruise, Rob and Brenda Gordon from the UK, have relatives in Christchurch, New Zealand. As most know, that was one of our stops during the last cruise and an area that I found particularly attractive. About 10 days ago, Christchurch was struck by another strong earthquake centered in nearby Lyttleton which caused significant damage. I have included a link to a local website that showed some before and after pictures.

http://www.morefm.co.nz/Home/ChristchurchEarthquakeBeforeandAfterPhotos/tabid/2115/Default.aspx

Our prayers are with those affected by the earthquake.



Pat and Chris Glenn

Christchurch hit by another earthquake

All,

Just a quick post to update you.  Christchurch, a visit during our recent trip, was hit again today by a 6.3 earthquake.  According to the pictures I have seen, much more damage has been sustained than during the earthquake in September of last year.  Last year's earthquake was centered in the Canterbury region.  Today's quake is much closer to Christchurch.

I have included a picture of the Cathedral in Cathedral Square that we took during our visit.  If you watch the attached videa, you can see the damage.  It is towards the end of the video.

Our prayers go out to those affected by the quake.  Current death toll is at 65 but expectations are that the actual numbers may be higher.

Best Regards,

Pat and Chris Glenn

Back in the USA!

Well, here we are, sitting in yet another airport….this one on American soil. Pat and I have spent 32 days in countries where they drive on the wrong side of the road and don’t speak our language. Technically, the Aussies and Kiwis do but they can be difficult to understand…..for example, the Kiwis have an inflection on words with an “e’ in the middle…..replace that with an “I” sound and you got it. “peck” is pronounced like “pick.” When watching TV in New Zealand, imagine how I reacted to a commercial for a home store when the television announcer was pitching furniture for your “deck.”


We had a great trip and a “one of a kind” experience. We learned a few things along the way….

1. 32 days is beyond our personal limit. It is all too easy to get disconnected from family and friends. The whole idea of vacation is to “disconnect,” but this was too much. Three weeks is my personal limit.

2. It’s great living in the USA! We take for granted lots of little things like finding a public restroom that is not just a hole in the floor. Our country gets criticized a lot overseas but everyone wants to come here……there are reasons well beyond just finding sanitary “accommodations!”

3. Again, we packed too much stuff. We did not need near as much as we brought and ended up suffering for it. I would suggest to anyone that starting with a list then paring that list back by 30% is the way to go. Make sure you stay under baggage weight limitations so that you can bring back all of those cool souvenirs that you just can’t live without! Baggage charges can really stack up. We learned our lesson from the trip we took to China last year but still overpacked.

4. Unless you like wasting money, I highly recommend that you bring supplies of instant coffee, granola bars etc and save the room service for special occasions. Internationally, most rooms do not come with these amenities….anything you may save on a great rate will be spent on room service. Our in-laws are masters of this practice.

5. Use public transportation when possible visiting a new city. Not only does this save money over taxi fare but is a great way to learn the geography of a new place. Most subway systems we have been on are easy to figure out no matter what language you speak. Also, most subway / trains are designed to stop near landmarks so you end up having just a short walk to an attraction that was already on your list. I have found it a great way to get some of the local “feel” of a place.

6. When you do feel compelled to use a cab, ask the cab driver for suggestions on pubs and restaurants….generally, they can steer you to places that have better food for less money. It’s a bit more risky but, ultimately, more rewarding for the experience.

7. Bring a calculator and know your exchange rates. Merchants in other countries can often beat you on a deal if you pay for your purchase in a different currency….know how to convert currencies…..for example, when I purchased some items in Bangkok, I asked the merchant to price it in both dollars and baht and made my decision accordingly. Never change currency at the airport except when absolutely necessary. Most places we visited, we were able to locate a money changer that charged one or two percent….airport kiosks will often get you for 10% plus a flat fee.

For those that followed the blog and commented, we really appreciated it. It was a great trip but exhausting. I really loved the spots we visited and would do it again….just probably wouldn’t go for as long.

I plan to post a couple of videos to the blog once I have a chance to edit out the stupid or embarrassing parts.  I am throwing in a few more photos of the Grand Palace in Bangkok.....Truly amazing!

Great stance and form!

Pat and I in front of the Golden Buddha

Will this thing fit in my garden?

Had to include this.....a Kiwi sense of humor in Christchurch, New Zealand
What a name for a Sewer contractor!

Our second trip starts second week of March. We are going on a cruise in the Caribbean and then cross the Atlantic by sea to Portugal and Spain ending with a week in Barcelona.



Thanks again for letting us share!!


Pat and Chris Glenn

Bangkok….Dangerous!

Hate to plaigiarize a mediocre movie (sorry if you saw it!) but fitting in this case. Dangerous? You bet. Guard your wallet….not because of pickpockets but because you will find plenty to spend your money on! I am not a shopper! In fact, sentence me to a day of shopping and my mind wanders to other, lesser tortures like waterboarding or dental work without anesthesia. I was surprised by the amount of shopping that is done by everyone here. It seems as if either everyone is shopping or supporting other’s habits of shopping. I found plenty to shop on myself. The bargains are really something else. Leather, clothing, electronics and plenty of unique items are available for a song. I had a couple of suits made ….won’t bore you with the details but they would probably cost at least $1500 in the states for which I paid about $250 for. Pat will post an entry later with more details. Ken and Barb were a big help here knowing the ins and outs of bargaining with the locals.


On to more “worthy” stuff about Bangkok….it really helps to have a local guide here. I briefly mentioned our friend and guide Noppadon who has driven us this week. Ken and Barb have known and been using Noppadon for about 13 years….he is consistently on time, polite and knowledgeable about the entire area. His contact information is below. We would absolutely use Noppandon again. Should you plan to visit Bangkok, contact Noppandon through the e-mail address below.

As with Pattaya, Bangkok is not for everyone…..it is noisy, crowded and no holds barred. It also has a tremendous energy which I found exciting….this is one of the major reasons that our relatives continue to visit every year….Barb really enjoys the energy. Like Pattaya, the people are extraordinarily friendly and helpful. I would certainly return

During our time here and between shopping trips, we visited lot of really terrific sights such as the reclining Buddha (best guess over 200 feet long and entirely covered in gold guilt), the solid gold Buddha, and the Grand Palace. Pat got to touch more animals including an 84 year old elephant…I got to drive an elephant (not really…..I mostly held on for dear life!).

What a ride!

Ken and Barb on the left

Pat....petting more animals.  The Elephant is 84!

The Golden Buddha of Sukhothai Traimit is more than 700 years old and is the largest in the world. It measures almost 16 feet tall and weighs 5 tons. It was re-discovered somewhat by accident. The Buddha was concealed by a plaster coat to hide it from invading armies. It was moved to it’s present site in 1955…..beautiful grounds and building.

5 Tons of Gold

Reclining Buddha.....largest in Thailand

Pat in front of scale model of Angkor Wat....at the Grand Palace

"Beaked Warrior" statue (I think he can take me!)

Much more to post but no time to do it complete justice right now. We have a nice fast connection so I will use less words and more pictures….BTW, here is Noppadon’s contact info:

Noppandon Tempsinpadung
Home # : 02-4167457
Mobile # : 061-4881648
Email: mameawja13@hotmail.com

Back to Hong Kong and then Home!

Though we have spent a few days in Hong Kong, we will be returning there in a week and I will post our Hong Kong experiences then. So far, it has been a mad rush of traveling. We flew first class on Thai air ways (great service and not expensive….try it if you can) to Bangkok and we met by our driver , Nobadan, who loaded the Griswolds up for our dash to Pattaya which is about 2 hours from Bangkok airport. We are here with Pat’s brother, Ken and his wife Barb. They have been coming to Thailand for about 15 years and are our local guides. More on Nobadan later…….we highly recommend a local guide and Nobadan is one of the best.



Our Driver and Guide, Nobadan



A few words about Thailand. First, this is not a destination for everybody. Pattaya, as with most of Thailand engages in legal sex trade. While this is very foreign to us, this is accepted in Thailand and is considered a profession. Some may think that this activity originated during the Vietnam War when service men spent their R+R here…..not so. It’s been around for hundreds of years. As a side note, it’s really humorous to see a 65 year old man with a bottle of Viagra clutched in his hand and a young girl on each arm.

The Thai seem to have two pre-occupations….shopping and eating…both of which you can do 24 hours a day. The free market system is alive and well in Thailand. If shopping is your game and you are willing to brave the crowds and know what you are looking for you can pick up some great bargains. Barb, our sister in law who is with us on this trip is an expert with a keen eye for quality and a tough negotiating style (she could whip a Turkish Carpet Merchant)…..we have already made some good purchases here.

Food is also a bargain. Our dinner last night with drinks, tip and VAT for four people (multiple drinks….we are on vacation after all) was all of $71!

The Thai people are extremely friendly…you are always greeted with a smile and a blessing.

As far as a vacation spot, don’t come expecting to meet a lot of Americans. This is off the beaten path for most from the US. Thailand tracks it’s tourism numbers….the largest increase was in Russians who are up 110% over last year. You will mostly run into Eastern Europeans, Russians, French and very few Brits or Americans. In most tourist areas you can usually make yourself understood but it can be difficult.

Anyway……we have had some fun here. As I mentioned in previous blogs, Pat is on a “touch every animal you can,” tour so we had to go to the Sriracha Tiger Zoo. We saw a tiger show, Pat fed a baby tiger ( she said it was a ball of muscle), baby deer, really disgusting camels and a lazy crocodile with a fishing pole contraption. Getting up close to animals like these is a treat that you just can’t find anywhere else.


Pat.....In Heaven



Pat....feeding something again (Donkey and Minature Horse)


Yesterday, we took a ferry out to one of the nearby islands. What you do is rent a chair in the shade (about 3 bucks for the day) and roving waiters will bring you beer and food while you watch the scenery….some of which you wished you missed. What is it about older European men and speedo bathing suits? Those don’t look good on anyone…especially a 70 year old with a huge gut. Just because he had a 32 inch waist in high school doesn’t mean he can still squeeze into a 32 now!

Getting back on the ferry was another challenge….think “the last lifeboat on the Titanic!” I had to block out a couple of Muslim women so that Pat could climb aboard….Pat’s pretty tough when she get’s her blood up! Another great example of how, as travelers, we need to fit into other countries cultures….not the other way around.

Anyway, here are few pictures…..internet is still a little spotty here…more to come as we have time. Next stop, Bangkok for yet more shopping (Yeah!.....not!)

Every Man for Themselves!

Typical Pattaya Beach.....Bring more Beer!