Culebra

Since I have been to Vieques, an island not far from Culebra, I would love to visit this island to see the cultural differences.  Culebra is around 7 miles wide and five miles long.  It had much of the same history as Vieques with the Navy.  The island is a municipality of Puerto Rico so there is no need for Americans to have a passport.  The population of this island is around 2,000.  The picture on the left is of an abandoned Navy tank on Flamenco Beach. 


Where to Stay:  There is not as big of a selection to choose from because this is such a small island.  If you plan on going here to vacation, I would make sure to plan ahead and have a place lined out.  Generally, I promote HomeAway.  You can let them filter a place by how much you are willing to pay per week and by how many people are staying with you.  On TripAdvisor, there are a few clubhouses and apartments for rent as well. 



Beaches:  Flamenco Beach is the most popular beach on Culebra and is pictured in the above picture.  It is picturesque and is one of the best beaches as voted by Caribbean Travel and Life Magazine when it was in production.  Malena is on the Reserve and is much quieter than Flamenco, but is still gorgeous (what beach isn't, though?).  Another beach worth mentioning is Melones.  This beach is known for its good snorkeling. 

What to do:  Go to the different beaches.  That's a given!  There is turtle viewing because they nest on the beaches.  There is great snorkeling and businesses that offer tours.  There is shopping, which is something I always look forward to.  On Culebra, there are many artisans making their way by selling their wares.  It would be a good opportunity to bring home something different and authentic. There is the Museum of History that would be neat to check out if that's your thing.  TripAdvisor mentions that one of the top things to do is take a quick day trip to the island of Culebrita to see the lighthouse and snorkel.  It does mention that this is an all day thing, it is quite a long hike to the lighthouse and it can be costly. 

How to get there:  The majority of Americans fly into San Juan and then take a smaller airplane over.  The carriers that fly to Culebra include Air Flamenco, Vieques Air Link, Cape Air (we flew to Vieques with them), and Isla Nena.  There is also a ferry that runs from San Juan to Culebra.  I will give a strong caution about this.  First of all, the schedule is sketchy.  I have seen many sights that have had issues with them cancelling or not going at all on certain days.  Another issue is that the ferry is about an hour or more from the San Juan airport.  So, by the time you pay a taxi and the ferry, you could have just flown for a bit more cash.  Much less stressful, in my opinion.  I will give a tip about Cape Air.  As of now, there is no fee for baggage.  We paid for our luggage on the way there because we flew into San Juan with United; however, on the way home, Cape Air checked our bags through to Indianapolis and it didn't cost us a dime.  Pretty sweet deal if you ask me!


Please comment any tips and hints about this island if you have been there!  I originally planned on St. Martin and Dominica next February or Antigua and Dominica, but this little island is gaining ground on my radar! 

XOXO...Becky

Travel Bucket List (Always Changing)

Everyone should have a travel bucket list, and should work at knocking their items off the list!  I am going to make it one of my life goals.  I know this is something that EVERYONE does and I have been on the bandwagon for a long time; however, my list has been in my mind.  I'm glad this is finally down where I can visualize it. I will also list some that Brad has mentioned and I will put his name beside them :)  I'm probably going to be continuously adding to this thing, but here is a good start!  If I do the item, I will update this list by crossing it off and not deleting, so you can see what I have accomplished through the years.  I'm sure it will be a slow process :)

• Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde National Park (added 03/29/16)
• Carnival, wearing the outfit and the whole kit and caboodle--You can order an outfit with your measurements, and they will make it, dress you, do your makeup the day of the parade, and have a spot lined out for you...How freaking awesome would this be?!?!
• Mardi Gras, New Orleans
• Times Square, New York to ring in the New Year
• See the Grand Canyon with Brad (I completed in 2019)
• Visit numerous glass beaches and start a collection
• Alaska--OBVIOUSLY BRAD
• Major U.S. National Parks, like Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Slide Rock State Park, etc.--Brad
• Drive down  Alligator Alley
• Drive on the Golden Gate Bridge
• Stay in Bali
• Stay in Tahiti
• Stay in Bora Bora...Do you note a trend?
• Stay in Dominica and snorkel the Champagne Reef
• Stay in an over-water bungalow
• Snorkel with a sea turtle
• Go on a Girl's Vacation somewhere tropical
• Take a train across country, but have a sleeping room
• Maine--Not sure where, but just to visit somewhere along the coast
• I want to sip tea at a tiny little café, shop and explore Paris
• Take pictures of Stonehenge
• Be awed at the Great Wall
• Snorkel with a manatee 
• Go somewhere to dig for gems and shark teeth 
• Check out Torch Lake
• Hang out and swim at Barton Springs, Tx.
• Swim with Whale Sharks
• Swim with the pigs at Big Major Cay
• Hike Garden of the Gods
• Swim with the Rays at the Cayman Islands
• Drive the whole length of the Keys...I especially want to visit the Dry Tortugas Beaches
• Visit the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
• I want a jar of pink sand from the Pink Sand Beach, Bahamas
• Collect sand and shells at every beach we visit
• Travel to Havasu Creek, Arizona (added 3/3/16)
• Take my kids to Disney (added 3/10/16) Completed in 2018! 
• Visit a few places where "Pirates of the Caribbean" was filmed (added 3/10/16)
• Visit a few places where "The Lord of the Rings" was filmed (added 3/10/16)

What do you have on your bucket list???

XOXO...Becky

"The Ceiba Tree" and the Lighthouse Ruins in Vieques

The Ceiba Tree

The Ceiba tree is estimated to be over three centuries old!

Some new friends we acquired after giving them some of our granola.

I wish I had those eyelashes!

No, I do not have pants on....Don't judge me :)

We were heading to the beach after some pictures and exploring the Sugar Plantation Ruins!  On a side note, don't plan on spending a lot of time here.  The only thing to really see is the tree and some horses.  As majestic as they both are, I don't think you need to spend hours of your day here.  If you are looking at the tree, look left.  There is a dirt road and some hidden beaches along there.  You should have a 4X4 though.  It can be a bit bumpy.  There is one parking spot where you can string some hammocks up and watch pelicans dive for their food.  Its not a beach to hang out on...Just one to nap in a hammock in the shade on.  When leaving the Ceiba tree, get back on the road and don't turn left, which should be the direction you came from, but keep going straight.  You should run into Mosquito Pier which has the awesome snorkeling I was telling you about in an earlier post.  The pier is on the right side of the road. 

Lighthouse Ruins

There is a chain around the lighthouse, so you can't get too close.  She sure is a beauty, though!

The view from the lighthouse.  This was the best view on the island!

It needs some upkeep.  It's a shame that something this old with so much history is falling apart.

One the way there, you will see many of these signs.  The Navy is still doing extensive clean up on the island, so this is not just a threat.  It is a true safety concern.  Stay on the marked paths!

Check out this gorgeous view!

From what I heard and read, the lighthouse was used in the late 1800's until the 1920's.  The inside of the building is closed, which is a shame.  We heard that vandals tore it up inside and painted graffiti.  To find the ruins, you take a right as soon as you enter the Refuge and drive down the road which is marked with a sign.  There are two parking lots you will pass while on the road.  Park in the second one you get to.  Walk up the path and there you are!  You will feel the ocean spray and feel the warm breeze.  The views are fantastic from this vantage point!

XOXO...Becky   

Eco Touring in Mexico

I absolutely love eco tours.  I like that they are environmentally friendly, and that there are generally fewer people on the tour with you.  In Mexico we had two excursions.  We visited a Mayan village, had a Shaman ward away our evil spirits, ate food made in a dirt floor hut that was prepared on a stone fireplace, bicycled on a rusty bike down a dirt road, to Coba which is a Mayan ruin, stood and stared in splendor at Tulum and the turquoise ocean that was at its foot, zip-lined over a lagoon filled with crocodiles, rappelled down into a cenote and climbed back out like Indiana Jones, snorkeled in one of the most gorgeous lagoons I have ever seen, tubed down a mangrove waterway, and sat in a cave where the water looks like oil (fresh and salt water mingle).  Can you believe this was all done in two excursions?  These were some adventure packed and educational days!  Here are a few photos with descriptions:






The Mayan Village.  They had dirt floors, thatched roofs, some electricity lines ran, no modern appliances, and they drank from the cenote.  This is why we had to shower before rappelling down into their drinking water. 

This is a game field.  The game the Mayans played was called Pok-a-Tok and it was a game to the death.  The winners were sacrifices to the Gods because they were the best of the best.  Sometimes it was a game against prisoners and sometimes it was for religious purposes, the guide explained to us.  The game was played with a rubber ball and much like soccer, the player is not to touch the ball with their hands.  The goal of the game is to get the ball through the circular ring.  This playing field we are standing inside was small.  Some we heard about by our guide are the size of a modern day football field. 

This is a picture from the top of Coba.  This was a scary climb.  Coba is pretty tall and runs around 126 feet high.  The steps were very steep and tall where I had to use a rope to pull myself up.  Notice the treetops?!  That's how high up we were.  In the distance, we could see more ruins peeking out from the jungle that haven't been excavated by archeologists yet. Coba is one of the few ruins that you can still climb.  If you want to put your hands on them, I suggest you go soon!  These wonders of our World will soon be hands off.      

Brad is in the white tee shirt coming down.  See the rope in the middle?  This gave me some security. 

Tequila shots after an excursion is a must!

Tulum...There are no words to describe how gorgeous these ruins are. 

What I loved about this ocean was the color.  the blue hues and the clear water are mesmerizing.  It had small waves rolling in and a slight breeze. I noticed that many locals were on this beach.   Looking up, you see the amazing ruins of Tulum.  Another tid-bit about this beach, is that they have turtle nesting protection sites.  There are people who sit with the nests and make sure the babes make it to the ocean after hatching.  Kudos to them! 

Snorkeling in the bay at Xel-Ha was probably some of the best we have done.  It is also the bay most populated by fish that I have ever seen!  Xel-Ha was very clean and eco friendly.  They do not let people use regular sunscreen and if you do it must be biodegradable.   

Brad snorkeling in the distance...See how clear the water is?!

This picture was taken at Xel-Ha by the staff.  That was pretty sweet of them.  At the end of your tour, you have the option to purchase your pictures on a CD for a minimal cost.  We were tubing down a mangrove in this picture and it was pretty great.  There was a lot of wildlife living among the mangroves.  We saw a ton of baby barracudas. Very relaxing :)

 







This cave has fresh water running into it, making it look like oil.  This was very neat to snorkel in!  There were some fish hiding in this cave, as well! 

The Xel-Ha staff snapped our photo while snorkeling!

The Shaman getting rid of our evil spirits.

This was a cool experience.  We rappelled down about 50 feet and the water was about 50 feet deep we were told.  We showered before entering because this particular cenote is the village's drinking water and they try to keep it as clean as possible.  Once down, the water was so clear it looked like it could be 5 feet deep.  There were little blind catfish (that's what they looked like) swimming around us.  Once we were done swimming, we had the opportunity to climb out of the hole by a rope ladder.  I felt like Indiana Jones on an adventure!   

 Above is Brad and I am below.  We had a blast zip-lining!  We used a stick to slow ourselves down toward the end.  Brad was a natural.  This lagoon was full of crocodiles.  The guides had a little bucket of babies they were showing us.  What does my husband do?  He sticks his hand in the bucket and a little one latches on.  Typical man! 

Kayaking in a lagoon! 

There are so many pictures, I know.  This is the only way I can describe what we saw, felt, and did.  I hope you enjoyed them!!!

XOXO...Becky

Snorkeling in the Riviera Maya & Cozumel

Overall, snorkeling in the Riviera Maya and Cozumel were great.  I have mentioned in a prior post that I enjoy shore snorkeling and I like to go out in the ocean with a guide.  I am not too familiar with any of the reefs in Mexico, I just know that the water is perfect and it's a gorgeous setting!  Actually, as long as I am seeing fish, I'm pretty happy.  The water is clear with blue and turquois colors and fish-a-plenty.  I love that Mexico is doing something to help maintain and build their reefs.  It's a huge step.  Many of these pictures were taken right off of the shoreline at our resort.  The others were taken from a reef off the coast of Cozumel.  Literally, as soon as you get off the ferry at Cozumel, you are bombarded with snorkeling crews.  You can negotiate with them.  I believe we paid $40 to go on a 3 hour tour.  It's not long, but it was long enough for us and they took a picture of us under the water together with fish all around us and had it printed before we hit shore.  Crazy!  We didn't take any pictures, but we snorkeled for HOURS at Xel-ha.  I will have a later post on Xel-ha... 

There were plenty of fish willing to be photographed!

 
So, these large concrete things are fish habitats, which I think are really cool!  We, as a whole, are killing our oceans, and it's nice to see that some are giving back and trying to help maintain what's left.  From what I saw, there were plenty of fish that had made this their home and found protection within the concrete walls.  It's an awesome little ocean habitat!

We even saw Dory

This habitat shows some fish using their home.

Wowza this was a ton of fish right in my face!

 This guy really wanted me to get a close up of his good side!  He sure is handsome, though! 

Barracuda.  It never fails...I always see Nemo's nemesis every time Brad and I have a snorkeling adventure!  I think its pretty neat, though!

Look on the left side of the picture and you will see some teeth that you DO NOT want to sink into your flesh!

 I caught his backside!

Can anyone tell me what kind of fish this is?

I hope you enjoyed the pictures!!!!

XOXO...Becky

Our Excursion With "Little boat Sailing" in Vieques

Honestly, this was one of the BEST excursions we have ever had.  The owner, captain, and operator of Little Boat Sailing is Jorge.  He has the most amazing travel stories and he was so knowledgeable about the reef, the fish, and his community.  He made our tour what we wanted, and not something that he does for everyone.  We told him what we hoped to see and he made that happen.  He knew that snorkeling was our main focus so we went to Lemon Reef.  There was some discussion as to the actual name so we decided it should be name "Jorge Reef".  Getting there was part of the fun since it was on a gorgeous Hobie!  The ocean water was spraying on us, the breeze was perfect, and the sun and temperature were just right!  After about an hour and a half of snorkeling, we went into the mangroves.  Jorge jumped out and got a starfish and did some teaching with us. Jorge had waters and protein available for us after snorkeling...I feel like we burnt off a ton of calories!  We were famished!!!  The best thing about this excursion is that it was one on one, we were there with only our two friends Curt and Lorrie, and we got to morph the tour into what we wanted it to be.  There are a ton of pictures, but the do not truly show how amazing this tour is until you just go to Vieques and experience it for yourself.  Some of the pictures were taken by Jorge and some were with our GoPros!  Enjoy!

                                                                         Eagle Ray

                                                                        Eagle Ray

                          Jorge was so awesome at taking pictures and he emailed them free of charge

                                 Jorge says this Nurse Shark was about 5 ft. long and sleeping

Eagle Ray

                                                  

                                                   This is a video I took with my GoPro

I have Jorge's website listed under the helpful sites section of this blog, so check him out!!!

XOXO...Becky