EXPLORING TURKS AND CAICOS

---

Turks and Caicos



“Getting to Know You”



We did a lot of walking after the dives. We found the market and made our dinners from the salad bar. We wandered through a few souvenir shops and I took photos of some of the pirates that lurked at one of the small malls, reminding us of the lurid past of these islands. We learned that the people who honked at us when passing us on the road were actually hiring their vehicles, so Michael did raise his hand and get us a ride, once or twice, at really reasonable rates. Of course we agreed upon the price before leaving for our destination.



We spent a lot of time deciding where we wanted to go next. We really wanted to go to Grand Turk and tour the capital city of Cockburn. There are a lot of other islands as well, but it was just too expensive. Again, thank goodness for internet access. We finally decided on the Dominican Republic. Michaela, one of our dive masters told us to go to Sosua for great diving. But when we went to book the flights we ran into problems. It turns out that flights only leave Turks and Caicos on Fridays and Sundays. And destinations are limited. Finally with a little help from the front desk we got tickets to Santa Domingo. Michael is a seasoned traveler and he likes the cities, and he likes to go to the capital city of a country. I thought this was a great opportunity to get some photographs of things on land. We chose to book a hotel near the historic center.



The flight schedule necessitated a three day extension in Turks and Caicos. We decided to check out the beaches, look for souvenirs at some of the little shops, and even thought about taking an island tour. One we considered was Concha Wonka Tours. For just $119 each we could have a tour guide and visit the conch farm, go to a vista to take a photo, and have a drink at two bars, and see a cultural show at another hotel. The price included a souvenir photo. This seemed a little steep to us, and they didn’t even specify the “vista”.



The first non-diving day we went to the Seaside Café at Ocean Club West Hotel. I had a hankering for some fries and a mango smoothie. Although the smoothie was good, I was a bit disappointed when they used mango syrup to flavor it. The fries, however, were home made fresh and we had two helping. Then we went right out front to the beach and I snorkeled in the unbelievably blue turquoise water while Michael sat on one of the hotels chaise lounges under an umbrella. He used his time to catch up on some of his writing. I laid in the sun for fifteen minutes trying to even out my shoulder tan lines. Then we walked on the beach and took photos. The beach is really incredible with miles of umbrellas. There was a nice breeze and interesting people to watch.



We walked into town to spend more time shopping for tee shirts .On the back we ate at the Grace Bay Gourmet market, and got some snacks and bottled water. There is a lot of construction going on. What we noticed was a complete lack of local people. You only see them at the check stand in the market or the shops. No children in uniform on their way to or from school, and no homes. The beach area is really westerners only.



The second day after eating our salad at the outside seating area at the market, we walked back to our hotel. Michael was unsuccessful flagging down a local vehicle so we were taking our time. The water is heavy. All of a sudden we heard sirens and two or three police cars flew by, as well as a fire truck. We wondered what had happened. Then we saw black smoke billowing up from a car parked in the street. The fire truck went right on by and bystanders were gathered around watching the car turn to ashes and melted plastic and rubber. I was terrified. I am afraid of explosions and I was sure the gas tank was going to explode. People were standing way too close. I just wanted out of there.



The next day on our rounds we came upon the hulk of the car. A man was poking around in it. We asked what had happened. The man explained that the driver had run into the ice cream shop to pick up some ice cream and there was an electrical fire. I asked why the fire truck hadn’t stopped and put out the fire. The explanation was there is only one fire truck in Providenciales and it has to be on the tarmac when an airplane lands. He said there is a volunteer fire department but it doesn’t work all the time.



I spent a whole evening watching Cher on the computer, because Michael looked her up to see if she and Sonny had ever sung “Do It To Me One More Time”. I swear I saw them do it on TV but they didn’t sing it in any of the programs and performances they had catalogued on the computer. Michael knew the song had been recorded by Captain and Tennille. What a great way to spend an evening though. (Michael was busy with something else; I must have watched three hours of Cher. Smile.)



At last we were able to catch our flight to Santa Domingo. The diving in Turks and Caicos was good, but the economy is geared for the rich and famous.

---

Photos

Sun on the tan lines
I love walking in the water.

Riviera type beach that goes on forever.
The sand is soft and a little like clay.

Woman Pirate
She looks so realistic.

I should have written down her name.
The way she is climbing, it is impossible to get her face.

Uh Oh. What did I do?
Just the few moments I posed for this photo made my legs burn with agony.

Burnt Car
Not much left.