At breakfast this morning, we inquired about the medical evacuation that took place last night. Our waiter said it was a man, who was taken off on a stretcher, then transferred to a boat that went to the shore. The ship was not docked, as we had thought. And it appeared that we had returned to Amber Cove, except it looked much different at night. We're all hoping the gentleman is going to be OK.
So today, we were back to Grand Turk, a rather small island that is 7 miles long and 1 mile wide. The Turks and Caicos are a self-governing British Overseas Territory. All-together, there are about 25,000 people that live here. On the island of Grand Turk, there are only 5,000 residents. What makes this area famous is not the dry, arid bush and scrub landscape, but the third largest coral reef system in the world. Diving is superb here.
Unfortunately, our visit today is a rather short one with all aboard at 1:30pm. Hardly time to get out to the reef and scuba or snorkel. Staying in the Grand Turk Cruise Center , a 13 acre complex built in 2006, would have to do. This purpose-built complex is similar to yesterday's port of Amber Cove, but in our opinion, is better. Here you have a long stretch of beach with unlimited lounges to use. Many folks were already in the water with their snorkel gear by 9am. Speaking of the water, it is gorgeous….something like Half Moon Cay. The different shades of blue to turquoise and green are stunning. Even with some threatening cloud cover, the contrast of the grays in the sky compliment the seas below. However, as hard as we tried, we could not see any fish in the water. The best for that had to be in Bonaire. The better sites for diving or snorkeling were off shore and accessed by boat. Later in the day, we did see two catamarans coming back with guests, disembarking them from the back of the boat onto the beach.
We left around 10:30am, and walked from one end to the other and beyond. When the sun peeked out of the clouds while we were sitting on some lounges, it got way too hot for comfort. Better to be walking and exploring the many shops in the complex. Once again, there was Diamonds International with free conch shell charms and more bracelets. Effy Jewely and Milano Diamond Gallery were there. Oops, forgot that Milano also gave charms away. Will have to pay a visit to them next time.
Margheritaville is a big presence here, with a large shop and a two-story restaurant/bar. The surrounding pool was getting full of swimmers, and the free wave ride was entertaining many folks with one sort of young gal trying to learn how to do the surfing. One thing she forgot was to wear a swimsuit that fits tightly, as the power of the water is capable of anything. Come to think of it, perhaps that was how she was getting attention. Duh? All in good fun we guess.
From there, we headed for the beach and a long walk in the sand. Really gives you a workout. We went past the border of the complex and made it as far as we could go. An abandoned pier with a "Stop" sign marked the spot. Down this end, was a small food shack that may have been serving the islander's favorite dishes of conch, fresh grouper, and possibly lobster. We did read there was a conch farm here where they are raised commercially. Now if this was a normal cruise, without a pandemic involved, we might have searched for the Mookie Pookie Pizza Palace in Cockburn Town, if they are still opened. Supposedly the best pizza in town (and the only one in town).
Time to head back as the ship was leaving early. Even with that, we did have a 2 ½ hour hike. We had room snacks instead of lunch in the Lido. Sometimes you just have to give it a rest. The ship pulled away from the pier by 2pm, and we were on our way to Half Moon Cay. By the way, we had more ship tiles left in the room with a note of gratitude for our loyalty.
Now the big job of the day….. the 3pm appointment with the Covid testers. This time we were invited to deck 2 and the World Stage, where several stations were set up. Would we pass or not? Going back to the room, we waited for the call that never came. Great, we did it again….passed negative. We asked this morning how may guests would be on the next cruise, and the answer was about 900 again. In transit folks numbered 200.
We had a romantic dinner for two this gala evening. Our tablemates had decided to try Sel de Mer, asking us to join them. Honestly, we are not really big fans of the cuisine, which leans heavily on the fish appetizers and entrees. And with one of us with allergies, even the aroma of fish is not pleasant. So the menu had some favorites for us in the dining room, with a jumbo shrimp cocktail and hazelnut brie. Caesar salads and tenderloin steaks with shrimp were quite good. Our plates were steaming hot as well. Warm flourless chocolate cake with ice cream and frozen yogurt left us happy campers.
Tomorrow will be another day on a beautiful island.
Bill & Mary Ann
Tuesday, February 22, 2022
Report #66 Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos Monday - February 21, 2022 Partly cloudy with sun 80 degrees
