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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Apr 01, 2022 08:00 PM Day at sea - heading to Barbados
My second loop around south-eastern Caribbean is completed, so today we start our transatlantic journey, heading first to Barbados.
I spend somme time relaxing on the open deck.
Rum party in the afternoon with my friends.
In the evening we enjoyed nice show in the theatre with Caribbean songs and dances. The wind is blowing....
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Mar 31, 2022 08:00 PM La Romana in the sun...
After a rough night at sea we are back in La Romana to disembark some passengers and to get ready for the transatlantic journey. Strong sun is shining. I have full day to explore the coast.
I took a local bus for just 85 pesos to the coastal township of Bayahibe. It has a nice beach.... Then I took a walk along the coast (there is 2-kmspath trough the bush to Playa Dominicus. What a surprise! They built here the line of modern hotels, not accessible to the public. People like me can entere this nice beach only near souvenir bazaar. But you can still walk the beach and enjoy the views from two piers!
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Mar 30, 2022 08:00 PM British Virgin Islands
We are on Tortola, where the port is located in the deep, natural bay surrounded by the green mountains. The location is fantastic regarding the landscape. So I spent only an hour in the city of Raadtown taking photos of the governor's residence (they charge 5 $ per entrance anyway), red and white Anglican church and rather poor botanical garden. They I started a long walk uphill to the houses at the mountains summit for the great views and pictures. It was sweaty hike because the road is very steep, but the excellent views were worth the effort! The shop was scheduled to depart already at at 2 pm. I decided to take the car on the steep road to go down. The car was broken and nobody wanted to stop and give me the lift. Uff!. I was jumping to the ship as the last passenger whwn the ship was already blowing. Lucky me!
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Mar 29, 2022 08:00 PM Antigua - 365 beaches!
That's what they say here: this rather dry island has 365 beaches! I have been here already twice so I tried to find the new place to enjoy. The typical steel drums band was playing on the pier wheh I was leaving the port. I walked first to the St John's Anglican Cathedral to recognize that after long restauration they finally opened the church with the nice wood decoration in the interior. The entrance is free, but... but you are obliged to drop something to the donation box, no coins please... Strange... Well then I walked to the well known to me city market to photograph exocic vegetables. Near the market there is West Bus Station. Peple told me that the microbus to Five Islands Village - no.61 costs just 2,50 caribbean dollars= 1 USD. But no timetable- it departs when full! Fortunately the waiting time was only half an hour. Once in village I took 2-kms walk, mostly on the gravel road full of holes to the coastal bridge. On the other side of the bridge there is a hill with the former British Fort Barrington. It was a serious climb. The path is steep and not maintained at all. But the view from the top of the fort was just great: Two great beaches: Galley Bay and Deep Bay were visible plus a St John's post with our ship in the distance.... All in deep blue... I had there my meal taken from the ship... What a place! And only 2 other tourists on the trail! I returned walking the same way and trying hitchhiking. Great tour for just 1 dollar. That's the art of budget travelling! :)
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Mar 28, 2022 08:00 PM Lush Sanint Lucia
-Castries - the capital city of Saint Lucia has a great natural port with the green hills in the background. It was a pleasure to stroll again narrow and crowded streets of the capital to the atmospheric catholic cathedral and the bazaar full of tropicall fruits. We are docking again of the cityside of the port - just steps from the poor parliament and main square with the century - old big tree. I wanted to see also a new place on the island and my choice was Marigot Bay - picturesque cove located in the south of Castries. Minibus stops for different destinations are spread out in the city but with the help of the friendly and helpful locals I foundcthe right one in the side street. Soon the were crawling the congested city center. Ufff... Then the road were climbing the hill overlooking the capital... Nice views! After 20 min they dropped me at the Marigot junction on the highway. I paid 1 USD (the official fare is 2,50 East Caribbean Dollar). Enjoying the views I started the walk uphill and downhill to the coast. After some 20 min it was possible to see the paradse bay. Half an hour later after a steep descent I was already in the little marina opposite the palmy beach. It is one more little paradise. Few movies were pictured here and world stars were spending here their vacations...
Surprisingly I met there a Polish couple! They gave me a lift back to the highway - thank you! I returned to Castries paying another dollar. Whet a day for just 2 USD!
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Mar 27, 2022 08:00 PM Barbados - no, no, no...
Today before 8 am we reached the port of Bridgetown of Barbados. The scenery was not imposing - we docked in the commercial harbor with the view of piles of containers and big port stores. Forget about nice views of the mountains like yesterday in Kingstown... I walked 400 m to the cruise terminal full of fancy shops. But sorry, no free internet there. Lady from the tourist office sadly said that you can have internet connection only in the city, if you pay for it. She lie, here is best kept secret: there is new Freedom Park called sometimes Golden) near bus terminal and there you can have free wifi connection at the table.
Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados has nice colonial buildings including the parliament, Queens House in the Queens Park and St Mike cathedral. But the people here are not as nice as on the poor St Vincent. They do not return the smiles and they do not greet you. The strong wind is blowing from the open Atlantic.... Let's sail bak
back! :)
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Mar 26, 2022 10:00 PM Saint Vincent after years...
After the calm day at sea (I met charming Valentina from the internet forum) we reached in the morning the island of Saint Vincent. The landscape was great from the first look, because it is volcanic island with the sharp, green peaks. I have been here some 24 years ago, heading onward by junk ferry to the Grenadines. Unfortunately it is Sunday today and in the streets of Kingston - the capital of thin insular state there is little activity and the lively market I remember doesn't work. People - the descendents of the black slaves are nice. I visited the botanicals garden ( the breadfruit tree descendent of the one brought from Tahiti by infamous cpt. Bligh is still there. And it is 4 kms walk from the cruiseship terminal to the Fort Charlotte located on the hill - the main tourist attraction. Lovely, sunny day!
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Mar 24, 2022 10:00 PM Santo Domingo stopover
After a 7-days loop around the Caribbean we are back in Santo Domingo to disembark some passengers and to take the new ones. I remain on the ship for the new adventures. They make me happy to tansfer me for the rest of the cruise from the inside cabin to the cabin with the window. It is worth to travel frequently with the same line and to collect their points! For the credit from Costa I paid also for the interesting excursion to the Altos de Chavon - the village of the artists on Dominicana located in the beautiful scenery.
My friends - the travellers from Poland shoul board the ship this evening. This will be a nice meeting!
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Mar 23, 2022 10:00 PM Catalina Island
After day at sea our ship reached little island Catalina. It is uninhabited, it belongs to the Dominican Republic. No pier there so we were tendering to find ourselves on the beautiful beach with the white sand and blue, cristal water. I spent there few hours sunbathing and enjoying Caribbean music. There are souvenir sellers and a bar. Pices are rather not for the budget traveller. What a day under a blue sky!
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Mar 21, 2022 10:00 PM Colorful Curacao
Bon bini! - that' s how they greet the people on the Netherland Antilles. Curacao is wealthy island before the hidden oil refinery - they process the oil from the nearby Venezuela... But the same time the old Dutch architecture of their capital Willemstadt is on the list of the World Heritage of UNESCO. The color houses spread out along the canal with a high bridge in the background are realle lovely. When I was here for the first time years ago I wanted to climb to this bridge for the view. Finally I was escaping from the bridge because walkers are not allowed on this narrow bridge.... :)
Today on the pier the local ladies in the national costumes were welcoming us (see picture) - later I was walking with pleasure the well known trail to the market place. But in the meantime they built new galleries and hotels near the new pier - thanks God far from the old town. Curacao is always famous for the blue color liqeur. Let's try! The wind is blowing from South America. It should be a rough night in the sea!
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