Country #8 – Saint Lucia

The Perfect Day

What started with an hours long flight delay ended up being the perfect day. I woke up to roosters crowing and departed St. Vincent at 4:30am. My driver was really nice and interested in what I was doing. I flew from St. Vincent to Bridgetown, Barbados where I was supposed to transfer onto a flight to Martinique. It took about an hour for our plane to arrive, but eventually we boarded. While going through the flight safety precautions the pilot came over the intercom to let us know that an important instrument was malfunctioning, and that we would have to disembark the plane because he had no idea how long it would take to fix. I was disappointed because St. Lucia, my final destination for the day, was definitely one of the places I was most excited to visit before even beginning the trip.

The Bridgetown airport was not an ideal place to be stranded. After exiting the airplane, we had to go back through security, which was definitely annoying. The wifi was spotty and they wanted to charge $3USD for a tiny bag of Cheetos, so there are definitely better places to have a flight delay. After about three hours and much confusion over which gate the plane was now departing from (the signs in the airport said the wrong gate) I was very excited to be on the plane. The even better news was that now the plane was going straight to St. Lucia without the short stop in Martinique.

After the short thirty-minute flight I went through immigration and customs with no problems and met my driver arranged by my hotel. He could not comprehend what I was doing and thought it was crazy, but he was excited for me! The ride to my hotel was about ten to fifteen minutes, but cost $25. Note: St. Lucia taxis are VERY expensive. From what I could gather they apparently have a union and use it to charge incredibly high prices.

One of the most exciting things for me upon arriving in St. Lucia was that for the first time in about ten days I was not the only tourist! While I don’t love being in super touristy places, the past ten days it was only me, so seeing others was a welcome relief after being on such high alert recently!

We pulled into my resort, East Winds, and I could immediately tell that my stay was going to be amazing. The drive in to reception was like driving through a botanical garden. It was so beautiful. I walked into reception, where I was greeted with a wet washcloth and local St. Lucian juice. I met the wonderful Glinda who had helped communicate with me beforehand, as well as others in the office. They were all so nice and it was so great to meet them! I also cannot thank everyone at East Winds enough for sponsoring this night of my stay. It is one that I will never forget and I already cannot wait to come back.

I left my bags there to be delivered to my room and proceeded to go on a tour of the grounds. It was a fantastic tour, showing me where literally everything was and giving me information on every amenity available. From water sports to yoga, running trails to a swim up bar, beachside drink service, and everything in between, I was immediately enamored with East Winds. I met so many of the people who worked there on my tour, and they were all so nice! I met the general manager, Judith, on my tour as well, and she was so nice and welcoming!

After my tour I went to my own cottage – it was incredible! There is seating outside, and when you walk in you’re greeted by a nice open room with an amazingly comfortable bed, complimentary champagne and chocolates, a fully stocked complimentary mini-bar, and more I’m sure I am forgetting. It was just incredible. After taking tons of pictures because I just could not believe how nice my room was, I set out to order lunch and hit the beach.

I ordered a panini for lunch, as well as a Screwdriver and Strawberry Daiquiri. Did I mention that literally everything was included? It was amazing. I ate with a bird attempting to steal my fries every time I turned my head, and then I walked a few steps to the beach. I then Facetimed my parents because they had to see this view. Feet from the water with palm trees surrounding me, it was literal paradise. After a little while I fell asleep on the beach for an hour or so – it was fantastic.

After a few hours well spent on the beach I headed back to my room to get ready for dinner. Friday nights feature a special dinner where it is cooked on the grill in front of you, so I was excited! I had spaghetti and bread for an appetizer, then steak, corn on the cob, and potatoes for my main course, followed by rum cake for dessert. There was a live local St. Lucian band playing throughout the night. It was so cool! Thanks to Armin for the incredible service at dinner – it was great meeting you!

After dinner I headed back to my room where I worked for a little while and watched the Vanderbilt baseball game. For the first time in ten days, I finally had great wifi! I took advantage and downloaded so many shows to Netflix that I should be set for quite some time. I had no problem going to sleep as the bed was very comfy.

I could not possibly say enough good things about East Winds. It was literally paradise and the absolute greatest day after having run from country to country non-stop for the past ten days. My mom always jokes when we go somewhere cool that I should get married there – so I made sure to call and tell her that I would have no problem getting married in St. Lucia! It was just so beautiful. I didn’t  have enough time to really venture off of the resort, so St. Lucia is definitely high on my list of places to go back to after my trip.

Thank you again to everyone at East Winds. This was the most incredible hotel stay I have ever had, and I don’t say that lightly. I can’t wait to come back some day!

8 countries down, 188 to go.

To learn more about East Winds click here.

Country #7 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Balcony View

I woke up at 2:30am and caught my cab to the airport an hour outside of Paramaribo, Suriname. Check in and immigration were no problem and the plane boarded and left on time. I had the row  all of myself, which was especially nice after such an early morning! I landed in Port of Spain once again and had to go through customs and immigration for a second time before rechecking my bag on to St. Vincent. Before going to my gate I stopped at KFC for breakfast because that was my only option and a biscuit with some mashed potatoes and gravy sounded good to my still upset stomach!

After my comfort food I made my way to my gate where I sat for the next four hours. The plane was delayed twice, but I had a nice view and wifi so I was content. It finally arrived and we boarded the small propeller plane. The flight was quick (about fifty minutes) and the view as we got close to the island was incredible. The blue Caribbean waters and islands dotting the ocean were so cool!

Upon landing there was a short (but time consuming) immigrations line, but at both immigrations and customs the women working there were so interested in what I was doing which I loved! I then waited at the airport for about twenty minutes for the “bus” to arrive. I say “bus” because it was more like a very tightly packed van with blaring island music and many locals. It was safe (my hotel even recommended it) and a great experience to really get to see the island and the people on it. The island is beautiful and mountainous. There are not really beaches on the main island but there are more on the smaller islands surrounding it, which I won’t get to make it to.

I arrived in the city center for $5 (compared to $30 for a cab) and then took a cab the final ways to my hotel (another $5 but still less than $30). I stayed at the Fairview Guesthouse and all I can say is it is more than a “fair view” – it was spectacular! I could see the entire city of Kingstown down below as well as the mountains and ocean out in the distance. My room is so spacious – there is a kitchenette, bedroom, balcony, office area, and bathroom – and it is very nice as well. Thank you so much to Fairview Guest House for sponsoring this night of my trip!

I took a quick nap to help get me through the rest of the day and then went on an adventure to the grocery store. I wanted to make sure to eat something that would avoid upsetting my stomach even more, and it was also really cool to see a grocery store here even though probably 70% of it was U.S. products. I bought some light snacks, Gatorade, and a healthy-ish sounding hot pocket (I needed protein really bad by this point!). I went back to my room and had dinner on my balcony overlooking my amazing view. I then Facetimed my parents to show them the view – I cannot harp on it enough.

It was otherwise a pretty uneventful evening. I actually found the Nashville Predators game on the TV on a Canadian channel but it was an unfortunate 6-0 loss so that was pretty sad. I really enjoyed my short stay in St. Vincent and am really excited to continue island hopping for the rest of this week!

7 countries down, 189 to go.

To learn more about Fairview Guest House click here.

Country #3 – Jamaica Day 2

Jamaican Ice Cream

Today I woke up to the sun shining, exotic birds chirping, and the most incredible view from my room at Neita’s Nest. Jamaica just continued to impress. I went to the kitchen to meet Michelle (Neita’s Nest Owner), Graeme, and Duncan (her sons) for breakfast. Authentic Jamaican again! We had a tropical fruit plate of bananas, otaheti apples, and papaya with yogurt and honey, as well as ackee and saltfish with fried breadfruit. Definitely the most unique breakfast that I’ve ever had!

After breakfast I worked on the deck overlooking the amazing view for a few hours. Eventually it was time to go and unfortunately time to say goodbye to the Neitas. I cannot thank you all enough! A great driver came to pick me up and we made a few fun stops on my way to the airport! He was a really cool guy - he actually lived in Brooklyn for thirty years and both of his children are U.S. citizens, his son even serving in the U.S. Army. It was great to talk about New York with him!

First, we stopped by Devon House Ice Cream. Devon House is a beautiful old building that is quite historic – it was owned by the country’s first black millionaire. The strawberry ice cream was incredibly rich and began streaming down my hand within a matter of seconds, but it was so good. We then drove through Kingston, past the airport, and headed to Port Royal. Port Royal has been around for hundreds of years and is definitely something to see. Unfortunately, seeing is all I was able to do – I had to head to the airport to catch my plane!

On the way to the airport, my driver suddenly pulled over. I was confused at first, but then I quickly realized what he was doing. We had been talking about how different it is to drive on the left instead of the right side of the road, and he wanted me to give it a try! I think he enjoyed it as much as I did, but it was so fun to drive for just a few minutes on the straight and empty road back to the airport, especially with him laughing a good portion of the time! The ride to the airport, Devon House, and Port Royal was $53.

After being dropped off at the airport I checked in and had some time to kill. I found the famous Jamaican soft drink that Graeme had told me about, called Ting, as well as a Burger King. Ting is a grapefruit soft drink and it was so much better than I could have expected! I also grabbed a few Burger King nuggets because who know what kind of food situation awaited me upon a late arrival in Trinidad and Tobago.

My flight was about three hours long and was a little bumpy but not bad. I arrived in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago around 8:00pm, and then had what was definitely my longest customs line wait so far of about thirty minutes, which still is not bad. After clearing border patrol and customs I found my driver holding a sign with my name on it outside! He told me he was expecting a guy because he had never heard the name Taylor used as a first name before. It is always annoying when people assume that I am a guy by my name, but I also always enjoy breaking their preconceived notions (it happens in emails about TrekWithTaylor all of the time).

My driver, Jose, was so nice though! We talked about my trip and how he has lived or knows people in many of the places that I will be going. He himself was from Saint Vincent. The most interesting part of our conversation though was hearing that his son went to a small school in Alabama of all places on a soccer scholarship -  it really is a small world!

We talked the entire forty-five minute drive to my hotel, Monique’s Guest House. I said goodbye to Jose and met Winnie inside. She was so nice and helpful with everything! I loved getting to meet her after having emailed her about TrekWithTaylor over the past few months. A huge thank you to Monique’s for providing my accommodations in Trinidad and Tobago! My room was so nice and was the first room to not feature any flying bugs, which was a welcome change of pace. One of my favorite parts of the room was probably the TV – so many American channels which meant I would be able to watch the Nashville Predators play in the Stanley Cup Finals live the next day!

After checking in I worked for a little while and then went to sleep. This was my first night where I didn’t have to check out the next morning, so I was very excited to get a little extra sleep!

3 countries down, 193 to go.

Read about my first day in Jamaica here.

To learn more about Neita's Nest click here.

For more information on Trinidad and Tobago click here to read my blog.

To learn more about Monique's Guest House click here.

Country #3 - Jamaica Day 1

What I want out of this trip… is days like today

My day started with a bang. Literally. I woke up at 3am to a banging noise and thought someone had broken into my room in Haiti. Turns out it was just my GoPro Karma Grip turning on randomly in the middle of the night and attempting to calibrate by banging itself into a table. After an already rough night trying to sleep, thinking that someone was breaking in did not help things. However, my day only went up from here. Way up.

After minimal sleep and paranoia induced by my hotel’s location throughout the night (tip: when visiting Port-au-Prince, pay the extra money to stay in the suburbs if you are concerned about safety) I gathered my things and went downstairs to find my wonderful guide from the day before ready to take me to the airport! One last drive through dust filled Haiti commenced, leaving me one last time to see the chaos and unfortunate reality of still destroyed Port-au-Prince.

I also realized, upon arriving at the airport, that I had not seen one other non-Hatian my entire time in Haiti from leaving the airport until returning. The airport itself contained missionary groups from the U.S., but beyond that I did not see one other obvious tourist like myself. Being so visibly aware of how much of an outsider I was and worrying about what the Haitians were thinking as I drove by was both scary yet enlightening.

After wishing my wonderful driver farewell I attempted to find the line for my airline. The arrivals hall emulated the city: it was a crazy mess. Haitians were lining the hall waiting with folders attempting to, from what I was told, get visas. While waiting in line I ran into two other young female American travelers (shout out to Danielle and Paige!). They were from Nebraska and had just come from Panama, spent four days volunteering in Haiti, and were now headed to Costa Rica. After going through security and a painless border control we ran into each other again on the other side and talked for quite a while waiting to board our plane to Fort Lauderdale. It was so great meeting them and I hope to meet up with them again in Costa Rica!

Before boarding the plane everyone had to go through security again, and this time everyone had to be patted down and have their bags searched by hand. I’m not quite sure why this is necessary as we had literally just been through security, but at least the line for women was shorter as there were so few on our flight.

On the plane I sat next to another American from New Orleans. He had been in Haiti working with a team for two weeks. I cannot even begin to imagine! He was so excited to get back to the U.S., where we have street signals and hot water. We talked for a while and then I attempted to sleep. Upon landing in Fort Lauderdale I had a quick and easy customs experience as I have Global Entry. I have had it for a few years now (ever since I went on a trip with family members who had it) and it had never really come in handy until this journey. I can only begin to imagine the amount of times that I will use it, but I am already glad to have it.

In Fort Lauderdale I ate at the Food Network branded restaurant again as it was the only sit down restaurant in my terminal. I had an overpriced club sandwich with “cheese fries” that were literally just parmesan cheese on fries - needless to say this cheese fanatic was sorely disappointed – and a really good orange juice. I then had about an hour to work on things before boarding my flight to Kingston, Jamaica.

The flight to Kingston was pretty bumpy but otherwise there were no problems. I arrived and went to customs, where I was a little confused because the immigration officer asked me if I had seen the nurse in the airport. I said no and that was that, but I have no idea why she asked. After clearing customs I was met outside by Graeme, the oldest son of the owner of where I would be staying, Neita’s Nest. He was driving me to Neita's Nest but along the way gave me a wonderful tour of Kingston. The drive leaving the airport and going into Kingston was breathtaking. The bay on your left with the mountains straight ahead and the sun shining – it was incredible.

We then drove through downtown Kingston where we rode past the National Gallery and I learned about how Kingston is attempting to revive downtown and make itself a center of business once again. From there we drove by Fleet Street. According to my guide, Fleet Street is a poorer area of town, but an area where the walls of the run-down buildings have been turned into immaculate art through painting, most of which were painted by artists from the local school of arts. We saw a soccer match being played on concrete amongst the buildings and walked a short bit to see some of the coolest art. 

From Fleet Street we drove some more and saw landmarks such as Emancipation Park, Devon House (the first large house owned by a black person in Jamaica -  it is described as looking similar to an immaculate plantation house), the Cricket stadium, and past the Bob Marley Museum. We then picked up a friend, Renée, before driving up into the hills of Jamaica to Neita’s Nest.

Upon arrival I met the wonderful owner, Michelle, and her youngest son, Duncan. The bed and breakfast style accommodation of Neita’s Nest sits in the hills of Kingston overlooking stunning views of the mountains. I want to say the biggest of thank yous to Michelle and her family for hosting me and sponsoring this night of my trip – I could not have had a better or more welcoming stay!

The original plan for dinner was to go to a local Jerk restaurant. Jerk is a type of pork (and now chicken as well) that originated on the island from its first inhabitants who ate it in the hills while hiding out from the British on the island to avoid becoming enslaved. However, the car battery would not start so Michelle and a few others went to the restaurant to pick up the food to eat on the balcony at Neita's Nest. While doing so, however, I got to spend more time talking with Duncan and met Joelle!

Joelle had read all about what I am doing and was such a joy to meet. She was so excited to talk about what I was doing and had so many questions! Amazing in her own right, she just graduated from high school in the Netherlands. It was so cool to talk about the world with her and to see a young girl so excited about what I am doing! It made me so happy – thank you Joelle!

Once dinner arrived, along with Joelle's uncle Nevada, we then feasted on the Jerk as well as conch soup, fried plantain, and bread fruit. Needless to say it was a night full of trying new things, but it was fantastic! I talked at length with Nevada, who attended college in the United States and has himself traveled to over eighty countries. He had some amazing stories, especially about his time in India, and great tips for my travels as well!

After dinner we had the most amazing dessert – dulche de leche ice cream with rum cake. So yummy. We all talked for about four hours and I had the most incredible time. I learned so much about Jamaican culture, from the dance to the history and everything in-between. There was even a well-intentioned push by Joelle to get me to try and dance, but alas that was a little too much for me (the worst dancer in the world) – so I just learned about it instead!

I had such a great night and I cannot thank everyone enough for making me feel so welcome. From the tour to the dinner and the discussions about culture and the world, it was such a fantastic night. I hope to have many more like it on my trip. It’s nights like tonight that make me so excited for what is to come! I hope to meet many more people who are just as incredible and welcoming, as I did throughout my day from the airport in Haiti to Neita’s Nest in Jamaica.

3 countries down, 193 to go. 

Read about my second day in Jamaica here.

To learn more about Neita's Nest click here.

Country #2 - Haiti

Haiti's Chaotic Beauty

Another early morning today. I woke up at 5:00am and took an Uber to La Isabela International Airport (JBQ). I got there before check in was even open, but after about an hour I checked my bag and went through border control. The view on the other side was beautiful with the Dominican mountains and landscape in the background. JBQ was much smaller than Las Américas International Airport (SDQ) but this was no surprise after seeing my plane. It was a propeller plane that fit approximately 15 people plus luggage. The plane ride itself was not bad at all - in fact, I thought it was pretty cool being able to see right into the cockpit!

Once I arrived in Haiti I had to buy a $10 tourist card and wait in the very short line for foreign visitors. Border control was once again painless, I just filled out two simple forms and was on my way. A Haitian band welcomed visitors after border patrol which was a nice touch. I then picked up my "checked" bag (it literally sat in the back of the plane) and was on my way. Walking into the lobby you can see what seemed like hundreds of men waiting outside to attempt to offer you a taxi ride. I had already booked a taxi through my hotel but had no idea how to find my driver in the crowd. I really appreciate the nice airport employee who went out into the crowd to find him for me - it made my life much easier!

My driver for the day was really nice, spoke pretty good english, and helped to make sure that I stayed safe. Leaving the airport was the last time I saw anyone who looked like a tourist. I am sure I stuck out like a sore thumb, but thankfully most of the day was spent in the car. The drive into Port-au-Prince was insane. I have never in my life seen anything like it - but I'm sure there is so much more of that to come as my trip progresses! From pigs to cars with ten people in them and motorcycles you have no idea how you did not run over, it was quite the experience. The thirty minute drive was so much Haiti in such a short amount of time, but I am so glad that I decided to go into the city.

The drive led us to my hotel for the day. It very near central Port-au-Prince, has an armed guard, five television channels, and multiple lizards, but it is a safe place to sleep and for a short visit that is all that I need. After checking in and dropping off my things I met my driver downstairs to go visit Haitian National Pantheon Museum and the Notre Dame Cathedral Ruins. The Haitian National Pantheon Museum was pretty interesting. It was a unique structure and talked all about Haiti's history. Unfortunately, most of this was in French, but the artifacts were cool and I loved the Haitian art. Entry was only $5 so if you need something to do in Port-au-Prince it was a good find. It also seemed quite safe - other than myself and my guide the only other people in the museum were about fifty elementary school aged kids on a field trip. Like I said, no tourists anywhere to be found. 

After leaving the museum we drove to the Notre Dame Cathedral Ruins. The once magnificent Cathedral is now a series of beautiful ruins. My driver used to attend church there, and his wife was killed during the 2010 earthquake. It is baffling how much destruction is still rampant throughout the city. From the Cathedral to the National Palace it seems like nothing has been rebuilt. A small replacement Cathedral was built next door, but it pales in comparison to even the ruins beside it.

The drive into and out of the ruins was through a makeshift market of chaos. How my driver avoided running over anyone I will never know. It was also interesting to note that he said that the area surrounding the Cathedral used to be beautiful and orderly, but every since the earthquake it has been a tumultuous mess.

After the Cathedral I was driven back to the hotel. I paid $80 to be driven from the airport and then to be driven around the city. I'm sure that I probably could have found a cheaper price, but my goal for today was safety. I stuck out like a sore thumb whenever I stepped out of the car, so making sure I had a guide was essential. I spent the rest of the day in the hotel catching up on emails and other work. Thank goodness for okay WiFi in the middle of Haiti! I had a small dinner at the hotel and went to sleep pretty early.

Overall, I am very glad I spent the extra time and money to see Haiti. It is chaotic but unique and beautiful. I'm sure I won't see anywhere else like it!

2 countries down, 194 to go.