Blogs from Gustavia, Saint Barthélemy, Central America Caribbean

After sad goodbyes to Sally and Richard we set sail to the wonderfully chi-chi St Barts. OMG it’s like London, Paris and New York but under the sun! We arrive in Gustavia (the capital) and wander ashore to shop until we drop (I wish) and do the normal check-in procedure. To my big disappointment it was Sunday and as in France everything was closed, so with a smile on Gill’s face, having narrowly escaped massive indebtedness we have a scout-about and I dream of tmw! That evening we go to a nearby beach, called Shell Beach and have sundowners in Go Brazil, an uber-trendy bar with beautiful people hanging out and the boys (Gill and Tim – not Cameron and Samuel, before you think they have grown up quickly) enjoy the silicone scenery! Just to be ... read more

Another good two tank dive with Thierry & Celina including a visit to a boat sunk in a Hurricane. Plenty of photos taken (see attached). The rest of the holiday was spent lapping up the sun, wine, food and beer! The trip home went very smoothly. All in all an excellent holiday.... read more

So the only thing i had to do on Sunday evening was to pick up the hire car from outside the hotel. Simples one would have thought, well yes, if you've remembered your driving licence it is! Well i hadn't and the valet was off in 30 minutes and i needed the car the next morning to get to Gustavia where I was due to meet the dive boat. Luckily I have a brilliant daughter who, after a quick phone call, was able to scan my licence in and email it to me. I could then print off a copy and this did the trick, phew! The next morning I had a quick breakfast and then drove to Gustavia. It only took 15 minutes and i was early at the meeting point. Thierry and Celina duly ... read more

The trip over the Atlantic was fine, a little turbulent but no problem. First time I'd flown Air France. score? 7 out of 10. We landed in St Marteen on time and collected our boarding pass for the connection to st barths. We had to wait behind a lady who had a French identity card, an out of date passport and a current South African passport. Bit dodgy if you ask me, probably how the other half live. Got to the gate where we were supposed to go but the flight didn't appear on any screens! Two minutes later and the call came for us to board. We got on the shuttle bus (which was there this time) which took us to the Otter plane. We took off early and landed 15 minutes later at Gustavia ... read more

This has been a remarkable trip and we are elated that we circled the huge continent of South America. It has been quite an eye-opener for us and a journey of discovery. Even though we honeymooned in South America 39 years ago (wow— how time flies!) we have always been drawn to Asia and Europe. But we are so fortunate to have the opportunity to see this part of the world. For us the highlights have to be the beauty of Patagonia, rounding Cape Horn and our cruise on the majestic Amazon River. South America is as diverse as it counterpart to the north. It has a fascinating history especially when you consider that the pre-European Indian civilizations were so advanced that they were able to develop calendars and astrological theories without the use of an ... read more