Turks and Caicos, Jan. 23, 2012

Ian went snorkelling on his own this morning. He reported viewing an eagle ray. We took a stroll through the Turtle Cove Marina to look at the boats and the impressive yachts. No one invited us on board. So we dined at the Tiki Hut, starting with conch fritters. I found them a bit dry and couldn't really discern a conch taste. I followed that with jerk fish tacos and Ian had a blackened fish sandwich with onion rings. We both had Turks Head Ambers to wash it all down. I can't say the food was nothing to write home about because that is what I am doing. The gardens here are beautiful; so much colour and variety. Another beautiful day in paradise.

Turks and Caicos, Jan.22, 2012

Baracuda

Hawksbill Turtle

This morning we snorkelled at the place Ian went to yesterday on his own. Unfortunately, although they are pretty stunning fish, we saw an adult lionfish on the reef. They don't seem to be as excited about them here as in Bonaire. There were queen angels, scrawled filefish, porcupine fish and several other varieties but it wasn't a great spot. Smith's Reef was a better place to spend our afternoon. There was so very much to see: porcupine fish, scrawled filefish, trumpet fish, queen angels, a French angel, a school of horse-eyed jacks, bar runners, mutton snapper, graysby, turtles and a pair of ocean trigger fish. Wow! Ian has yet to take a photograph otherwise I would include one here.

Roast chicken dinner was enjoyed next door, hosted by T and K. We watched two football games today and I cheered for both losing teams.

Turks and Caicos, Jan. 21, 2012



Coral Gardens



This morning Tom and Kathleen led us to a place along the shore that they said was an easier access to the reef than going down to Smith's. Ian went snorkelling and I went for a walk along the beach. At this end of the beach the sand is a bit coarse but as I travelled further the sand became soft and powdery. From where I started the beach also had quite a slope and I found it difficult to get a good footing and there was a lot of pressure on my ankles. The beach eventually flattened out. There were a few small resorts along the way; a very modern Gaansvoort and West Bay Club and an older one know as Coral Gardens. There is a buoyed snorkelling area off Coral Gardens that we would snorkel another day. Ian and I hooked up on the beach about an hour later.

In the afternoon we went to Smith's Reef where we were treated to lots of interesting corals and fish. Topping the list was a large sting ray, a school of baracudas, nassau groupers and a couple of turtles.
During a long, late afternoon walk we downed Turks Head beer at Coral Gardens.

Turks and Caicos, Jan. 20, 2012

We arrived in Turtle Cove yesterday but did not have an opportunity to get into the ocean. After a short taxi ride to the Queen Angel Resort (a condo complex) we met T and K in the parking lot. They are from Vancouver but were on our flight from Toronto. This very kind couple who "live" next door to us offered to take us grocery shopping at the Graceway IGA. After unpacking our luggage and then the groceries our daylight time was runnning out. Our place is comfortable. There are fans to keep the air moving and a nice breeze comes in the screen doors. These open up to the pool and the beautiful gardens.The ocean is beautiful here. Lots of tourquoise and other vairous shades of blue. We walked to Sharkbite for dinner hoping to try the conch fritters and something else. Although they were ordered we never got them. Ian had some fish he really enjoyed which is amazing and I had quesadillas which were okay.  It is very dark around here at night as there are no street lights. Thankfully T and K had told us to take a flashlight. There is a very steep ramp leading from the road to our condo which we will will have to climb several times a day. One way to tone our muscles!

Mayan Riviera (Moon Palace Adventure)

I'll begin the snorkelling tales in Mexico as that is where the adventures started. Our very first venture to the Caribbean took us to Moon Palace just south of Cancun. They had just opened their second stage (massive now). The hotel was beautiful but the one thing it lacked off its beautiful beach was good snorkelling. Yes you could go down to the dock and see some fish there but more was wanted. At this time I wasn't really interested. All I could think about was meeting sharks and Ian kept trying to reassure me that that wasn't about to happen. I was convinced to go on a snorkelling tour. A boat took us to a snorkelling site which turned out to be a barge just off what might have been the Club Med Resort. We were taken on a tour following a rope. Although there were fish to see Ian wanted more. The snorkel leader offered another tour for experienced snorkellers out in the deep water. Ian, much to my surprise included us both in the tour. (It turned out I wasn't the only inexperienced snorkeller and her fear made me feel much more confident. Our guide was able to take us to see bigger fish and sea creatures.

Brittle Star

A few days later Ian went snorkelling at the dock and I walked along the beach. I spotted something thrashing around in the shallow water just a few feet away as did a couple of other people. One man, next to me began to film the scene (he was trying to film his son on a windsurfing board) and advised me that it was a shark. This information was relayed to the shore crew who at first thought it could not be a shark. Seconds later the crew were all out on jet skis plucking people off of sail boats and windsurf boards leaving the equipment behind. One fellow was trying to drive the shark off with his machine. They were taking the shark sighting seriously. So was I. My fear now was that Ian was in the water with the shark. As it turned out Ian did not get in the water before someone on the dock also spotted the shark. Protocol kept the beach off limits for three days! And Ian could no longer reassure me that I wouldn't see a shark while snorkelling.

Snorkelling the Caribbean

The most amazing life forms can be found in the world's seas. I have only had the pleasure of viewing some of these numerous creatures while visiting destinations in the Caribbean. Althought I enjoy walking in the winter time, a break in a hot climate is always welcome. For my husband such trips are a winter priority. There is one must when selecting a destination: it must have snorkelling off the beach. Ian wants to be snorkelling at least three times a day so he needs access to the coral areas right at a resort or within a short walk. When I first started joining Ian on these ventures I was happy to go once a day but now I go two or three times eagerly anticipating what might be spotted.

Over the last few years we have travelled to Mexico (Cozumel and the Mayan Riviera), The Dominican Republic (La Romana), Roatan, San Andres and, most recently, Bonaire. In the next few posts I will tell tales, to the best of my memory, about our snorkelling adventures in the above locations. I will include photos and any information that might guide you in your adventures.

Until then.

Back to the blog

Shocking! Over two years have passed since I posted to this blog. Loss of interest? Stopped walking? Stopped snorkelling? No, no and no. Mostly it was a self esteem issue. I drafted a couple of posts but they sure did not seem very interesting. I felt like no-one would want to read them but then who did I expect to read them? Really I thought family members might, especially my children who were out of province at the time. My neice read them. Then I got a response from a total stranger and I thought, my god, how did that happen?
A lot of things have transpired since I last posted and I feel like I am ready to start blogging again.

I did buy a set of poles. Do I use them? Sometimes. They make a lot of noise without the shoes but the shoes aren't always appropriate for the ground I'm on. My walking friend isn't that keen on using them either. We'll see.
There are so many walks and snorkelling tours to share. I'm going to search through my photos and memorabilia and get writing soon!

Walking is the best exercise. Take time to go for a walk every day!