tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36302058766316939132024-03-13T22:52:29.231+03:00Dan & Duffy's BlogDan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.comBlogger280125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-49758564104030774982011-02-23T00:34:00.003+02:002011-02-23T00:43:43.543+02:00Flat Stanley Goes to Maracas Beach - Post #4Trinidad is an island. Islands have beaches! I spent the day at Maracas Beach.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFgwfzyhWg6uWZYbfe6aEBu2ICQ-52Kl4t7TpSUCRdj5LYEGgIrCcg8dtnAtssSjOLEOGXGqVVLMec7LNuFwLIpB5fRiW47kHU6IMxRvrJDkcQ3_Yjyt78Gcq-fVuSW1t-PcGjFXw478/s1600/IMG_5561.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpFgwfzyhWg6uWZYbfe6aEBu2ICQ-52Kl4t7TpSUCRdj5LYEGgIrCcg8dtnAtssSjOLEOGXGqVVLMec7LNuFwLIpB5fRiW47kHU6IMxRvrJDkcQ3_Yjyt78Gcq-fVuSW1t-PcGjFXw478/s400/IMG_5561.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576646833571471218" border="0" /></a><br />Maracas is known for its great beach AND for its great sandwich - the "Shark and Bake." This sandwich is made from shark. Real shark. Yum! Trinidadians love to put hot pepper sauce on their food. I had my sandwich with "light pepper" but it was still pretty spicy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgbibXdCIQ8ZP6OlcW6B8YRFtXRRvAznUavZ4j5IbKhZ0iBpu7oK2dblrhQ2LK04or-G9QDqaOiHt8IaT3grEBIwKUZDOmGVmdb07rClhnijhvkAyQfeaQfczDTyRdmlkXosTcZYLRrY/s1600/IMG_5563.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgbibXdCIQ8ZP6OlcW6B8YRFtXRRvAznUavZ4j5IbKhZ0iBpu7oK2dblrhQ2LK04or-G9QDqaOiHt8IaT3grEBIwKUZDOmGVmdb07rClhnijhvkAyQfeaQfczDTyRdmlkXosTcZYLRrY/s400/IMG_5563.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576646827080035042" border="0" /></a><br />I built a sand castle.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOb6t5ox-8yzockGqdBTnrkt0qkrE9z6Nqf5A1vYNvLZWLvybnWJigvfm0ZK-rmlwwu2mzWDu9rJRAgoRFyWapicaH7Gg-ercby2Ok2wxfugPD1nAxZQbscCt5AIr-prCHtA4gwrqO4yU/s1600/IMG_5558.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOb6t5ox-8yzockGqdBTnrkt0qkrE9z6Nqf5A1vYNvLZWLvybnWJigvfm0ZK-rmlwwu2mzWDu9rJRAgoRFyWapicaH7Gg-ercby2Ok2wxfugPD1nAxZQbscCt5AIr-prCHtA4gwrqO4yU/s400/IMG_5558.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576646826577871938" border="0" /></a><br />I walked on the beach. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJoOMQocg5J52oI4xR_NArwjokwAJskNy81MB4Ggmf2eicG7kL74knJq-krFLdYygB2b32KLmiCBONJ8Eb9yTCjefI_VDXoNCQo1ZIJ2Obvmisy0SeyAzKss2iarO-PHxieCI4cwPvSc/s1600/IMG_5552.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJoOMQocg5J52oI4xR_NArwjokwAJskNy81MB4Ggmf2eicG7kL74knJq-krFLdYygB2b32KLmiCBONJ8Eb9yTCjefI_VDXoNCQo1ZIJ2Obvmisy0SeyAzKss2iarO-PHxieCI4cwPvSc/s400/IMG_5552.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576646826206210738" border="0" /></a><br />This guy was selling cotton candy at the beach. You'd think it would get sandy but not if you eat it fast enough.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBajhY_fP6ciHZy6vuks8o-maikuSO4ExIpD4BR37wCziEJOvsJaAUIFmXMTMloYAHTcoECpjVMrkpLwukdYYWmwb6d4SQ4g5AZZs5M_WuD6gWjPrzUhwh28UQEfEhkeN8_K1reJ1JGck/s1600/IMG_5547.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBajhY_fP6ciHZy6vuks8o-maikuSO4ExIpD4BR37wCziEJOvsJaAUIFmXMTMloYAHTcoECpjVMrkpLwukdYYWmwb6d4SQ4g5AZZs5M_WuD6gWjPrzUhwh28UQEfEhkeN8_K1reJ1JGck/s400/IMG_5547.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576646411285733522" border="0" /></a><br />The weather was great.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLL_LDum69Fj9pHxtlC_mCYWaj3iMyM5TrjAZG3AM0v4QJ0atmLXI4U187RVsH_ShU07p3zuij3KLfMxhWAj-FAq_Xj2oHh-mR35FUfUBCJbr2oMxbNCkiU1XzYynecZzanuf-6nPyvI/s1600/IMG_5543.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLL_LDum69Fj9pHxtlC_mCYWaj3iMyM5TrjAZG3AM0v4QJ0atmLXI4U187RVsH_ShU07p3zuij3KLfMxhWAj-FAq_Xj2oHh-mR35FUfUBCJbr2oMxbNCkiU1XzYynecZzanuf-6nPyvI/s400/IMG_5543.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576646405581430018" border="0" /></a><br />This nice man was selling souvenirs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzr5KdWaBQUDLhMDHUjNcOpykm7N1L_-L2HGOyE2SqvU3PovRUpwhwyuIo_12aBv6Vxii9SgzcXx_K7Q_ShZG2rT_I4UtZYjYVaQN9Wxco1BPF99Dd-RBMXXNeLsr9tD4ps__cQzfk6Yc/s1600/IMG_5542.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzr5KdWaBQUDLhMDHUjNcOpykm7N1L_-L2HGOyE2SqvU3PovRUpwhwyuIo_12aBv6Vxii9SgzcXx_K7Q_ShZG2rT_I4UtZYjYVaQN9Wxco1BPF99Dd-RBMXXNeLsr9tD4ps__cQzfk6Yc/s400/IMG_5542.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576646405367463490" border="0" /></a><br />I like the beach a lot.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxLo_dc3Ln23HbEdYeRh4RhqH52C_MzHCnduNpsyVgsCIDfXeUqxTnlI291gtPFiEfls1Dn4k2Q4b703dftW2EgjWe__my6zwRFmy9zhc8oZpQSrzp_w2qjVILB2AxrOuEvrJkL3UoIbc/s1600/IMG_5541.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxLo_dc3Ln23HbEdYeRh4RhqH52C_MzHCnduNpsyVgsCIDfXeUqxTnlI291gtPFiEfls1Dn4k2Q4b703dftW2EgjWe__my6zwRFmy9zhc8oZpQSrzp_w2qjVILB2AxrOuEvrJkL3UoIbc/s400/IMG_5541.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576646397106415810" border="0" /></a><br />Trinidad and Tobago was great! Next time I hope Alex comes here with me.<br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-18415144738968895032011-02-23T00:18:00.006+02:002011-02-23T00:33:27.079+02:00Flat Stanley Goes to Panorama - Post #3Steel pan (or steel drum) is the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago. As part of the annual Carnival (Mardi Gras) celebration, steel pan bands from across the country compete in Panorama - a contest which names the best bands. The semi-finals were held this weekend.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JWZbcK5e6gFqiFzQmTu25HK8orlIlBhk2abxLev0WWZ3MX8aG6ShGroEyMNXX-rhNfQWKZcBEYV_7Oo8Tb1PVDcdA6yRSaPPJEBhGQTS7wjBdrbvEivtweePR9nL9-jyXgiI6tHmBF4/s1600/IMG_5579.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_JWZbcK5e6gFqiFzQmTu25HK8orlIlBhk2abxLev0WWZ3MX8aG6ShGroEyMNXX-rhNfQWKZcBEYV_7Oo8Tb1PVDcdA6yRSaPPJEBhGQTS7wjBdrbvEivtweePR9nL9-jyXgiI6tHmBF4/s400/IMG_5579.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576642177566348770" border="0" /></a><br />Outside the contest, there were lots of food stands set up selling Trini snacks - fresh coconut water was my favorite. The guy cut it open with a machete. Other snack foods are roasted corn, doubles - which are sort of a hummus sandwich, and roti - which is an Indian burrito.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrwoLclOLMQxeAtvRy3kyvO3ul1j5R0UHMNoePWcD66suSyMYRmfdsKQnXndCNRd4E_YBtB0kVPsOufubo9smqXgRtp1VB1hzGVnNVMggpn-Q-_Yniy03UbBovig69sGmL1zb2VLt7us/s1600/IMG_5575.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrwoLclOLMQxeAtvRy3kyvO3ul1j5R0UHMNoePWcD66suSyMYRmfdsKQnXndCNRd4E_YBtB0kVPsOufubo9smqXgRtp1VB1hzGVnNVMggpn-Q-_Yniy03UbBovig69sGmL1zb2VLt7us/s400/IMG_5575.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576642168934268674" border="0" /></a><br />My favorite band was the Silver Stars. They were great! They practice in a pan yard that is outside. You can go and visit them during their rehearsals anytime you want. It always feels like a party there. Trinidadians speak English but they have some different words for things. They call parties "limes." I like limes!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uIImikK70fJA6WIyBUtooabTUBG1eooS1AjTiIC_QvpPXUMAvokC9Ra0DZ7I_nrxhPbmXZFIr6GW88yZLXairgQhB1woIccGjzQJTC1fjz4GR36osJlMxsDZVaEHNXdYxMXmOlucbFk/s1600/IMG_5574.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_uIImikK70fJA6WIyBUtooabTUBG1eooS1AjTiIC_QvpPXUMAvokC9Ra0DZ7I_nrxhPbmXZFIr6GW88yZLXairgQhB1woIccGjzQJTC1fjz4GR36osJlMxsDZVaEHNXdYxMXmOlucbFk/s400/IMG_5574.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576642164631422018" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyYO1D_KY1p20C5neLT6UA9vxGtVqVQh6rYLdU5viRfRFmEptaa6zWt83_mn2tmM1kSYU7AoWBoW-SnT0kv' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-13078052433802007032011-02-23T00:04:00.005+02:002011-02-23T00:18:11.730+02:00Flat Stanley Visits Port of Spain - Post #2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDu868QEbkPEdZTM0Xcf-UvoGUVpwZpYJAt6smnxzeVqBL0az7qqiRYEUptVgMHIZzCf_i-rUqmfAHmfDs2teV_OsUAQZXH_GMV_DOJxzCmmL0OaAH6POSnGum_4BXu749g4fQgc5yr-M/s1600/IMG_5536.JPG"></a><br />Port of Spain is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad is an island. Tobago is an island. Together, they make one country. In the center of Port of Spain is the Savannah. This is a big park and I saw kids playing soccer and cricket and flying kites. Cricket is a British game that is a little bit like baseball. Trinidad and Tobago used to be a British colony just like America was. They got their independence in 1962 but they still like cricket. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDu868QEbkPEdZTM0Xcf-UvoGUVpwZpYJAt6smnxzeVqBL0az7qqiRYEUptVgMHIZzCf_i-rUqmfAHmfDs2teV_OsUAQZXH_GMV_DOJxzCmmL0OaAH6POSnGum_4BXu749g4fQgc5yr-M/s1600/IMG_5536.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDu868QEbkPEdZTM0Xcf-UvoGUVpwZpYJAt6smnxzeVqBL0az7qqiRYEUptVgMHIZzCf_i-rUqmfAHmfDs2teV_OsUAQZXH_GMV_DOJxzCmmL0OaAH6POSnGum_4BXu749g4fQgc5yr-M/s400/IMG_5536.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576638587401986722" border="0" /></a><br />This spaceship-y building is one of the newest buildings in Port of Spain - it is the National Academy of the Performing Arts. You can see concerts there and they have a music school for college students inside.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhytLy-bbHfP8EhK1YHTjpSqqwKVovISZrm5P1BHpQMd-vFH6OgYTxgQqoK8VaTWKbSI9NvHtL_zbwRbbDU2gcHKjhjXBY2nWQvDQujl3QkU5mG1PSgq6y_vbrCncpryglln_5wTpra_o8/s1600/IMG_5584.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhytLy-bbHfP8EhK1YHTjpSqqwKVovISZrm5P1BHpQMd-vFH6OgYTxgQqoK8VaTWKbSI9NvHtL_zbwRbbDU2gcHKjhjXBY2nWQvDQujl3QkU5mG1PSgq6y_vbrCncpryglln_5wTpra_o8/s400/IMG_5584.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576638584052644930" border="0" /></a><br />Some of the prettiest houses in Trinidad and Tobago are decorated with "gingerbread." It's not the kind you eat at Christmas - it is the pretty wooden decorations on the outside of the houses. There are palm trees everywhere.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaIUcPRYbtLhnpyQaxGfNTn26qZiXq3BhR7Bquu0LS6-Z8tAZee6JltBuXaaCSQ8ZDcKYZqC_jBF7rRN7a5H21t3_I64e9N-r3EoSRfWVsxjhX_4IrEdMHMv7L1mn47KBIQ3cE9fxXXk/s1600/IMG_5588.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaIUcPRYbtLhnpyQaxGfNTn26qZiXq3BhR7Bquu0LS6-Z8tAZee6JltBuXaaCSQ8ZDcKYZqC_jBF7rRN7a5H21t3_I64e9N-r3EoSRfWVsxjhX_4IrEdMHMv7L1mn47KBIQ3cE9fxXXk/s400/IMG_5588.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576638581926478098" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegK4A7IXRmpr-7TLttNaQRglxXXO_2rSGJ-LCCQWtBlVFDnDW59Dkz-ERet7HV8hTm0JHjfs5VXjwZXeXV-Q0u3-oBiwSzBF2bnUpQWUwmFVNWEqjFGeSdDG7bzu2KWxsT76QaoQxcHg/s1600/IMG_5569.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegK4A7IXRmpr-7TLttNaQRglxXXO_2rSGJ-LCCQWtBlVFDnDW59Dkz-ERet7HV8hTm0JHjfs5VXjwZXeXV-Q0u3-oBiwSzBF2bnUpQWUwmFVNWEqjFGeSdDG7bzu2KWxsT76QaoQxcHg/s400/IMG_5569.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576638576421095506" border="0" /></a><br />This cool red building is Queen's Royal College - one of the oldest "High Schools" in T&T.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0bcg9YTQIu58UPR3Eytm4L7HHR1vlajD6pMBw8fIUCfFBTUMY6QQOkPJ6jIS_Voryank7uUyDxuuqFEpjy9-WqpyFSkcsCtxFmcCuoqVdF9bKwBPMJ6zAe8_hX-XfwCVMi1FMKYze-c/s1600/IMG_5532.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0bcg9YTQIu58UPR3Eytm4L7HHR1vlajD6pMBw8fIUCfFBTUMY6QQOkPJ6jIS_Voryank7uUyDxuuqFEpjy9-WqpyFSkcsCtxFmcCuoqVdF9bKwBPMJ6zAe8_hX-XfwCVMi1FMKYze-c/s400/IMG_5532.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576638573860993602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-52483532082157799762011-02-22T23:50:00.003+02:002011-02-23T00:04:02.045+02:00Flat Stanley Visits the U.S. Embassy - Post 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW78G-ChMLfW8FgxowYlhtFxlgdNMf77f987nuHgNIm39enyFrlQ_LH4qxxEpQotmDZbuwef02kUn6CzQny8EePayLb6Faa6ghYAARrIrvoAvHQ5ZSUFFrzow5zoSmD3X1Qwzs0G5jq8g/s1600/IMG_5571.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW78G-ChMLfW8FgxowYlhtFxlgdNMf77f987nuHgNIm39enyFrlQ_LH4qxxEpQotmDZbuwef02kUn6CzQny8EePayLb6Faa6ghYAARrIrvoAvHQ5ZSUFFrzow5zoSmD3X1Qwzs0G5jq8g/s400/IMG_5571.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576635173573966850" border="0" /></a><br />Hi! I'm Flat Stanley. My friend Alex sent me to Trinidad and Tobago to visit his Aunt Debbie and his Uncle Dan. Trinidad and Tobago is the southernmost island in the Caribbean - it is just 7 miles away from Venezuela in South America and it is a whopping 2038 miles from Cary, North Carolina.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wtsgGstKOKbE2uMxeKiVBPgfJMxv_Vzia_S8f5kYbLAew3ArhKtVMCbntJh8T7nuorRqyv-YAHaItqcsEHGHfrYLJo-7gMz0XqdJsoLT_WDHxdx2dPXcjFKtqxIkQD5nkrAIiTqLAZo/s1600/IMG_5517.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wtsgGstKOKbE2uMxeKiVBPgfJMxv_Vzia_S8f5kYbLAew3ArhKtVMCbntJh8T7nuorRqyv-YAHaItqcsEHGHfrYLJo-7gMz0XqdJsoLT_WDHxdx2dPXcjFKtqxIkQD5nkrAIiTqLAZo/s400/IMG_5517.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576635167654328018" border="0" /></a><br />Trinidad and Tobago's flag is red, white and black - this one is my size.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynujannA2RolXQmlsDdaYQZMN88l68t0nCQgvlYwlpze0m5CnV8XeKk1bD9FUC_t7zpY_Fd2s2Dsxg3Clvx3J_amTip57aZV_zc4qBh6U389qxb1fp_DZDOxKe2cKqmaJZEVWzCaBe1w/s1600/IMG_5530.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynujannA2RolXQmlsDdaYQZMN88l68t0nCQgvlYwlpze0m5CnV8XeKk1bD9FUC_t7zpY_Fd2s2Dsxg3Clvx3J_amTip57aZV_zc4qBh6U389qxb1fp_DZDOxKe2cKqmaJZEVWzCaBe1w/s400/IMG_5530.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576635161354358290" border="0" /></a><br />It took me three weeks to travel here. My first stop was the U.S. Embassy where Debbie and Dan work.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifk3kg_MNoo0WaM7spnQMm97DQPxxN5ZiNUEiTtS_le9sETkNMNK7pcpPesg2hxEMp1g_dv2BAG5bMw3-qBj148mk6tTtRceBF6C0EMIO0v3ilEU6oA0-G89PxfdGY25qLkTAb5dXhiZY/s1600/IMG_5519.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifk3kg_MNoo0WaM7spnQMm97DQPxxN5ZiNUEiTtS_le9sETkNMNK7pcpPesg2hxEMp1g_dv2BAG5bMw3-qBj148mk6tTtRceBF6C0EMIO0v3ilEU6oA0-G89PxfdGY25qLkTAb5dXhiZY/s400/IMG_5519.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576635158477100210" border="0" /></a><br />I met Ambassador Beatrice Wilkinson Welters. She was very nice.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbiezsaAJoMQa6CSOji0o1SPgib4dfNxG0DFYo3sPmluIJwKkySM8q-UqSDQ1U0e1qqU4wyhyQNFYl1-3DGVv9OlZj2ZhF7SKm3vxQKnVlty0_LglQakP6Q09qH6ECYrLQxitv84VEIc/s1600/IMG_5513.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbiezsaAJoMQa6CSOji0o1SPgib4dfNxG0DFYo3sPmluIJwKkySM8q-UqSDQ1U0e1qqU4wyhyQNFYl1-3DGVv9OlZj2ZhF7SKm3vxQKnVlty0_LglQakP6Q09qH6ECYrLQxitv84VEIc/s400/IMG_5513.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576635153686369298" border="0" /></a><br />I lost my passport on the way here but Uncle Dan helped me get a new one. <br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-63347134746332886072011-02-06T22:22:00.004+02:002011-02-06T22:36:31.085+02:00Gator Park Airboat Ride - Florida Post 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQspJj546BdpH_2QOueGG58nPOr9VzBou60kbBo-gNPshRFhtLg0m36Btj9p4XrWpe6ZH482rvr_I1mZ7CLIhAHdPf5PigITRRZ-ysCH9i30ufPGWK3tqvMQ_R6fEFTtvFlM7wQJ3Tt4/s1600/IMG_5317.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQspJj546BdpH_2QOueGG58nPOr9VzBou60kbBo-gNPshRFhtLg0m36Btj9p4XrWpe6ZH482rvr_I1mZ7CLIhAHdPf5PigITRRZ-ysCH9i30ufPGWK3tqvMQ_R6fEFTtvFlM7wQJ3Tt4/s400/IMG_5317.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570677598722556642" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyumE4BOR69a-PMySXFm_kWdd42fsyUuxqMOhyQ2VtzL2t5Aj0QigV_syAlTq8YipZOSjTVXFNJoDzY1yaan1B9ef8orfqzyBSsC-zcT_2MtMienJnr7U_cMfaRKtVbDrMATXR5CvMFzs/s1600/IMG_5274.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyumE4BOR69a-PMySXFm_kWdd42fsyUuxqMOhyQ2VtzL2t5Aj0QigV_syAlTq8YipZOSjTVXFNJoDzY1yaan1B9ef8orfqzyBSsC-zcT_2MtMienJnr7U_cMfaRKtVbDrMATXR5CvMFzs/s400/IMG_5274.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570677591353102626" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9fP0TeUwCSE8JI2Tb7ZxvCmEzr5q7Cc5_KaTq4J1O67Q8SylrjE-nT42thr3D0mlLN853V2DoETqwt_bXnynM0v4L7jLjl9BQje3NBtGkX-_K4oTSb9KJp2b5Sj-EG0XCZUz__XqjE4/s1600/IMG_5269.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9fP0TeUwCSE8JI2Tb7ZxvCmEzr5q7Cc5_KaTq4J1O67Q8SylrjE-nT42thr3D0mlLN853V2DoETqwt_bXnynM0v4L7jLjl9BQje3NBtGkX-_K4oTSb9KJp2b5Sj-EG0XCZUz__XqjE4/s400/IMG_5269.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570677586470238114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2sX_HeznCWTcPTasGdDldYZfj9A9yOaL_0ujLT7tk6cIZnVS5r9I-ATy7h__yje8-dvljC3_iMAx8qfWkIkWnE8E4JDwRD2uPjsIEjrLWWWWpIFtn4OlERvSbG7eWiOb76e5KuFmgP0/s1600/IMG_5255.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW2sX_HeznCWTcPTasGdDldYZfj9A9yOaL_0ujLT7tk6cIZnVS5r9I-ATy7h__yje8-dvljC3_iMAx8qfWkIkWnE8E4JDwRD2uPjsIEjrLWWWWpIFtn4OlERvSbG7eWiOb76e5KuFmgP0/s400/IMG_5255.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570677583886053074" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFMIveB4t8_ig2QNQiltGDwUHFaW6oQnwaqizDiFsPpT56E85NXcrz88iGQtLfBGXGRXtjjmunb0WoJfGgKeV8J-MCmCrkQYreV9U4MrUpEOld_DWlW5Jek0SoQ0lsR-App0XqcgG_Bw/s1600/IMG_5237.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFMIveB4t8_ig2QNQiltGDwUHFaW6oQnwaqizDiFsPpT56E85NXcrz88iGQtLfBGXGRXtjjmunb0WoJfGgKeV8J-MCmCrkQYreV9U4MrUpEOld_DWlW5Jek0SoQ0lsR-App0XqcgG_Bw/s400/IMG_5237.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570677574529772226" border="0" /></a><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw3ZSXA5DHcrlLuFjZmjmpb16BnRaFn2RVvmPFi6mR7Gigscoh4H7l9kWTW7jI7jLMeI_UY4A9NnHCT8GywhQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />In January, we spent 10 days in Florida, where it was cold. When I was a consular officer, people would tell me every day "I don't want to live in New York - it is too cold" arguing that this was proof that they would not overstay their visa. Now having spent 10 days in Florida where it was in the 40s at points - we too were eager to come back to Trinidad where it is high 90 low 78 nearly every day.<br /><br />Among the highlights of our trip to Florida was an airport ride in the Everglades. I do not know how riding on an incredibly noisy boat with ear plugs came to be considered a good way to see nature but it was great fun.<br /><br />Sometimes the boat would slow down and we could then see alligators and birds, who must be used to the boat.Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-76289375770810900362011-02-06T20:49:00.004+02:002011-02-06T22:19:29.442+02:00Invaders Panyard<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6s2EnNn0xUIsPJjbF7niqk6Im2zouxKQmmav1I683ns6U_k3Fy93WV9GqgQVRXjHbiMG_aKsSYmWcPq-vyHI8EsSa3rq8XRh2TSlZFwAGa9HlB-6VVsYbbsPeYX199VIpu2J-r2qeoM/s1600/IMG_5456.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6s2EnNn0xUIsPJjbF7niqk6Im2zouxKQmmav1I683ns6U_k3Fy93WV9GqgQVRXjHbiMG_aKsSYmWcPq-vyHI8EsSa3rq8XRh2TSlZFwAGa9HlB-6VVsYbbsPeYX199VIpu2J-r2qeoM/s400/IMG_5456.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570671957020640946" border="0" /></a><br />Although Carnival peaks with the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (which is when people are wearing costumes and dancing through the streets) - it is already Carnival season when it comes to music.<br /><br />Last week we headed to the Invaders panyard - a co-worker's brother is the manager of this steel pan band. On most any evening you can drive around Port of Spain and hear music coming from panyards. These are empty lots filled with instruments and everyone is busy rehearsing for the annual competition "Panorama". The newspapers are currently filled with angry editorials about evenly split between criticism that steel bands have become too obsessed with the competition and criticism against the Ministry of Culture who has cut the payment to steel band players from 1000 TT (about $160 US) to 800 TT in a cost cutting move.<br /><br />The great thing about the panyards is that you are welcome to hang out and listen to the rehearsals. Take a look at the video below- you can see that Invader's youngest pannist is 10 years old - their oldest members have been playing with the band for 50 years.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZBFLKZMskpcGV5yz1lkL1AKGFqYj0LxjOzOpAgJWd4q4wMeotdRDQGI6rw3fhwZ-LjwMgxCGn-cdB_ChrsjRgMnOQNAjQdYsoC9RYk165NBaYnH5mg0waGC7082o6X1ZXxJqX-_MyEQ/s1600/IMG_5453.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ZBFLKZMskpcGV5yz1lkL1AKGFqYj0LxjOzOpAgJWd4q4wMeotdRDQGI6rw3fhwZ-LjwMgxCGn-cdB_ChrsjRgMnOQNAjQdYsoC9RYk165NBaYnH5mg0waGC7082o6X1ZXxJqX-_MyEQ/s400/IMG_5453.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570671951535684354" border="0" /></a><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz9U5Crtx-ZH8mx1KLN46f_ZETJFFvjMYwL2E3tDALO99AYl93CLuk5r0x8iZKBWxQPu_jYaOXktTm2eSfExw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Invaders' arranger (the person who turns music into a pan orchestra arrangement) is from New York but comes down each year to help them arrange their Panorama entry. Just like all Carnival costumes need to be new each year - all Panorama songs need to be new each year. Thankfully, during the rehearsal the band also played one of my favorite old Trini Calypso numbers called Lorraine, which is the story of a Trini guy living in New York who is cold and missing Trinidad. It is also the theme song of Caribbean Airlines, Invaders' sponsor.<br /><br /><br />LORRAINE LYRICS (song by Explainer)<br />Taxi, Taxi<br />Airport Kennedy<br /><br />[Verse 1]<br />Lorraine, you better wake up<br />Ah need ah jet plane to take me non-stop<br />Ah cyah stay in New York City<br />When there is sunshine and pan in my country<br />Lions is de place with de jammin'<br />With Kaly-Ann and Charlie's Roots clashin'<br />Everyone happy partyin'<br />And I'm freezin' in Brooklin, Darlin'<br /><br />[Chorus]<br />Lorraine doh cry ah leavin<br />Ah cyah miss dis jammin<br />With all dem steel band beatin<br />And woman background shakin<br />If de bug bite yuh baby<br />Then you could come and join me<br />Inside Catelli steelband<br />Jammin wit some man woman<br /><br />[Verse 2]<br />Lorraine, girl take it easy<br />I don't mean to hurt you baby<br />The coldness makin me shiver<br />And back home, it hot like fire<br />That is why I say de next jet plane<br />Must take me to Port-of-Spain<br />Where all my fans are waiting<br />Preparing for J'Ouvert Morning, Darlin'<br /><br />[Chorus]<br /><br />[Verse 3]<br />Babe, my mind is made up<br />Airport Kennedy will be my next stop<br />Doh cry and try to convince me<br />Because meh suitcase done pack already<br />And if you start feelin lonely<br />And mas fever vibrating yuh body<br />Just make ah quick reservation<br />And touch down in de land of steelband, woman<br /><br />[Chorus]<br /><br />[break]<br />Doh cry homey<br />Yuh go see meh Ash Wednesday<br /><br />[Chorus] (repeat til end)Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-74340082884291980872011-01-09T22:15:00.002+02:002011-01-09T22:21:48.328+02:00Our Christmas Letter...We sent out a Christmas letter right before Christmas. We decided to use T&T stamps to add to the charm. No one, however has yet reported "I just got your Christmas letter." We are hopeful that they are still on the way and you'll be able to see the cute cards and envelopes which feature a sand man and an octopus man (instead of snowmen) and a Christmas tree made of sorrel (local holiday drink).<br /><br />If they never arrive, we didn't want you denied our news and glad tidings - so here is this year's letter ...<br />**************************<br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Merry Christmas from Trinidad, the southernmost island of the Caribbean.<span style=""> </span>The pace of life is so slow and laid back here that it took us two years to write a Christmas letter, and out of respect for local customs, it will arrive late, and we will blame the rain or the prior government.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Christmas season actually began in late September, as stores began selling sorrel drinks (tastes like cranberry) and radio stations switched formats to the traditional holiday music called parang, which originated centuries ago thanks to visiting musicians from nearby Venezuela.<span style=""> </span>The songs are festive, guitar-strumming jug band serenades, all sung in Spanish by non-Spanish speakers to non-Spanish speakers (the British took Trinidad from Spain in 1797).<span style=""> </span>Curious? Search YouTube for “Lara Brothers” and have a listen. <span style=""> </span>Venezuelans we have met in Trinidad are themselves puzzled by the tradition, as there is no such thing as parang in Venezuela.<span style=""> </span>Imagine Cubans singing English sea shanties, and not understanding a word of it, and only at Christmastime.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Without the sorrel and musical cue, you would have no idea Christmas is a-coming, as Trinidad lacks the traditional four seasons we heretofore took for granted.<span style=""> </span>Located just six degrees north of the equator, our temperatures are steady year-round. Low: 73. High: 94. Sunrise: 6:30.<span style=""> </span>Sunset: 6:30.<span style=""> </span>If you refer to “spring” or “fall”, you get a quizzical reaction, probably very similar to our reaction to the regular use of “fortnightly” in conversation. Trinidad has other seasons: rainy, dry, cricket and carnival.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">Carnival season begins the day after Christmas and it’s all-consuming in Trinidad.<span style=""> </span>The actual carnival parades are March 7 & 8 in 2011, the same time as New Orleans Mardi Gras.<span style=""> </span>However, the festivities begin long before that.<span style=""> </span>January and February are chock full of <i style="">fetes</i> (French word for party) thrown by carnival <i style="">bands</i> (analogous to Mardi Gras <i style="">krewes</i>), all-night parties with live music intended to drum up costume sales.<span style=""> </span>This is the costume you will wear on parade day.<span style=""> </span>Unlike New Orleans and Rio, Trinidad’s carnival is a participatory event.<span style=""> </span>Few people come to be spectators, and there are no floats.<span style=""> </span>The costumes are expensive (banks here offer Carnival loans), but they are your all-you-can-drink “ticket” to the all-day parade, giving you permission to march with your band, complete with a sound-system truck, ample security, and of course, access to the “wee wee wagon”, a flat-bed trailer full of port-a-potties.<span style=""> </span>Trinidad carnival is the largest of the Caribbean, and having participated is a big deal to locals.<span style=""> </span>This is a standard conversation with a Trinidadian you’ve just met: </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;">Trinidadian: How long have you been in Trinidad?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;">You: (your answer does not matter) </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;">Trinidadian: Did (will) you take part in Carnival?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;">Us: We played Harts.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;">Trinidadian smiles and has newfound respect for you.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Carnival also brings competitions for soca, pan and calypso artists every year, and you’re not permitted to rely on old favorites, all music must be new each year.<span style=""> </span>The most coveted prize for a soca artist is for his/her song to be chosen as “Road March” the song blasted from each band’s speaker truck as the band parades in front of the judge’s reviewing stand.<span style=""> </span>Bands change their costumes each year too, so you won’t be able to sneak into the parade without buying this year’s model.<span style=""> </span>This year, Carnival will be back on the Savannah (the Trini equivalent of Central Park) – this return is a really big deal but we don’t understand why.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Trinidad voted in a new Prime Minister last spring, er, cricket season.<span style=""> </span>This was indeed an exciting time to be living here.<span style=""> </span>For starters, the election itself came by surprise when the old PM – in a daring move – dissolved parliament and called for elections in six weeks.<span style=""> </span>That’s right, the campaign lasted just six weeks!<span style=""> </span>The two sides wasted no time.<span style=""> </span>The incumbent party – per tradition – got busy paving roads, repairing bridges, opening up public housing (all of the things government is expected to do, that is, but don’t seem to happen otherwise).<span style=""> </span>Meanwhile, the opposition produced scathing political ads for the TV news, featuring some of the island’s most famous calypso artists, disparaging the administration for corrupt construction contracts, rising crime rates, and neglect of the neediest.<span style=""> </span>This was quite a shock to us after serving in the Kingdom of Jordan, where you can be arrested for criticizing the monarch!<span style=""> </span>The gamble turned out poorly for the incumbents, and Trinidad elected its first female Prime Minister. Per the British system, she was sworn in the day after elections.<span style=""> </span>No lame duck administrations here!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Outside of elections, one of our favorite pastimes is watching cricket.<span style=""> </span>No, really!<span style=""> </span>Granted, we don’t have the patience for a full 5-day “test match”, but the cricketing world – adjusting to the shorter attention span of the new millennium – introduced “Twenty20” a version of the game that is played out in just 3½ hours, with players taking greater risks and thus, more action.<span style=""> </span>We’ve been to several matches in Trinidad, and we attended the final Twenty20 World Cup match in Barbados.<span style=""> </span>Our fondness for cricket earns us a measure of respect from Trinidadians, although cricket purists insist that Twenty20 isn’t <i style="">real cricket</i>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We have used every one of our leave days this year and have been able to travel to Panama, Barbados, Grenada, Curacao (the world’s newest country), and home to the U.S.<span style=""> </span>We had hoped to travel to St. Lucia but then Hurricane Tomas hit the island hard. We canceled those plans despite the hotel’s reassurance: “we expect to have our running water back soon.”<span style=""> </span>We hope to visit a few more islands although this requires a great deal of patience and faith in a pretty dodgy airline.<span style=""> </span>We highly, highly recommend Panama – monkeys and jungle cruises (like at Disney World but better) are just twenty minutes outside of a real city with good restaurants.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">We both got “tenure” this year – which like the academic equivalent means we are now very hard to fire.<span style=""> </span>Dan continues working as the American Citizen Services officer and Duffy is currently the interim press officer.<span style=""> </span>We both have come to loathe weekend phone calls – for Dan they often mean another American drug mule died or was arrested. Duffy’s calls are reporters seeking a quote on the latest brouhaha, and a new brouhaha seems to emerge every fortnight, like clockwork.<span style=""> </span>Although she rarely dispenses quotes, they keep calling.<span style=""> </span>Our jobs do mean that we have been all over the island – it is just 30 miles by 50 miles but roads and traffic make it seem bigger.<span style=""> </span>People rarely move from one town to another and so they speak about other areas as if they were distant lands “I really like South – the people are so hospitable.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We are spoiled by our apartment’s view of the Gulf of Paria – including Venezuela.<span style=""> </span>We can also see South from here.<span style=""> </span>Postcard-worthy beaches are less than an hour’s drive from our apartment, and Trinidad offers impressive birdwatching.<span style=""> </span>Our favorite way to see birds is to take a swamp boat ride at sunset, and watch flocks of scarlet ibis come home for the night.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Please come visit – we expect to be here until August and then we will move back to DC for two years.<span style=""> </span>Visit us there too.<span style=""> </span>Wishing you the very merriest Christmas.</p> <br /><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-57786644062055524042011-01-09T21:11:00.004+02:002011-01-09T22:11:57.001+02:00Really big caterpillars in GrenadaAfter Thanksgiving, we headed to the LaSource resort on Grenada. Vicky and Tim had both described it as one of the best trips they have ever taken and we can see why. The grounds were beautiful, the beach was lovely and daily spa treatments, yoga classes and scuba were all part of the package.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1BvlY4_lMVPrLgVmYWxYI4sBPV-J0ddv88Mg4lNSn56rZOmPCJjHz6RyXOMSF8AE3FBBDwUUudWTJy13BCVAsvAfcQsdWTH9t1OUKXYZZvR28fbW0mpLopibf7XJjQxsumq5GS-hj3I/s1600/IMG_5169.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1BvlY4_lMVPrLgVmYWxYI4sBPV-J0ddv88Mg4lNSn56rZOmPCJjHz6RyXOMSF8AE3FBBDwUUudWTJy13BCVAsvAfcQsdWTH9t1OUKXYZZvR28fbW0mpLopibf7XJjQxsumq5GS-hj3I/s400/IMG_5169.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560267478335950898" border="0" /></a><br />What was most striking however was the size of the caterpillars. I only ever saw them on one tree - but over the course of the week we spent there, the caterpillars (see picture of my hand for scale) ate all of the leaves on the tree. I imagine they now live on a different tree.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2z4Ze03l4sWUVDZ_GNO5c-YYcQyWz42DbqJvTrZiDD3vUgt3CHvZjXS5NxA2O6_JpxOslvkDxDgi491ciJfeROmUnmxErZqmx_b_UFlXEiKlm8USor0CZv5-mebaM-iqO7TBz8kOTLGQ/s1600/IMG_5167.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2z4Ze03l4sWUVDZ_GNO5c-YYcQyWz42DbqJvTrZiDD3vUgt3CHvZjXS5NxA2O6_JpxOslvkDxDgi491ciJfeROmUnmxErZqmx_b_UFlXEiKlm8USor0CZv5-mebaM-iqO7TBz8kOTLGQ/s400/IMG_5167.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560267472423057602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmaOTM2yLXluubICJhwttbtl8wrY3M-Rmhk1x149L58U8PYIQmtaEcupHEWkZBZcnWCH2RuNOY-D-NTWDRYFlYY6jU9JAip1-I927jlMUK_nFZSxvblvsLthw8Lf0CO43dzlDgb-Z0bVE/s1600/IMG_5163.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmaOTM2yLXluubICJhwttbtl8wrY3M-Rmhk1x149L58U8PYIQmtaEcupHEWkZBZcnWCH2RuNOY-D-NTWDRYFlYY6jU9JAip1-I927jlMUK_nFZSxvblvsLthw8Lf0CO43dzlDgb-Z0bVE/s400/IMG_5163.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560267463351534866" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJnhn7EX83_6pk3pgWax0Oqe52jhkt-vQjFxSE3nRBDuRojS4suElVg3pHL02YEnlGEcgsqittM2X7AyA1UeI-eV6mSbR2mzT6OWqSo1LfkA1f-maFzz-1kCPeJ4vu4oR6RLc_MQIO-04/s1600/IMG_5160.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJnhn7EX83_6pk3pgWax0Oqe52jhkt-vQjFxSE3nRBDuRojS4suElVg3pHL02YEnlGEcgsqittM2X7AyA1UeI-eV6mSbR2mzT6OWqSo1LfkA1f-maFzz-1kCPeJ4vu4oR6RLc_MQIO-04/s400/IMG_5160.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560267463717934834" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-76305104858206750522011-01-09T20:01:00.005+02:002011-01-09T22:09:03.814+02:00Botanic Gardens Photos<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHd-Z5zR1rRaXs3I8PzMFjP_WD5GtYAoaHouVhCpHucYEqGE2NOWdfVzkpcoVm4RMxieJ5pPye9XSjuYqPVWq5WfhIt_xw5CZIoWM2vet-ojWqYHkNubA8815KSuWDdag_T6vDalEU2Ms/s1600/IMG_5157.JPG"><br /></a>Trinidad is a small island and we've seen a lot of it. One afternoon, we realized that we hadn't yet been to the botanical gardens which are really close (just a 1/4 mile from the Embassy).<br /><br />Like all of Trinidad they were lush and green with an extensive collection of different types of palms.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5RQcRqQ_3k7mSWXwZ5laQKIxSuS5XuXUXTZZcxJckDt0BJai44yM65l8MO9Wxlqs5SaGv1wn7-URU9Ugi0XN0nbgbjmG3ijS4NzTYm7KM9Z6wzxPfra6euWeQ85kWzzhYlvK6RvJFn4/s1600/IMG_5148.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5RQcRqQ_3k7mSWXwZ5laQKIxSuS5XuXUXTZZcxJckDt0BJai44yM65l8MO9Wxlqs5SaGv1wn7-URU9Ugi0XN0nbgbjmG3ijS4NzTYm7KM9Z6wzxPfra6euWeQ85kWzzhYlvK6RvJFn4/s400/IMG_5148.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560249083732461554" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNN8Mp99TZUozA9V5LZp4DVifWogP5uDHE7-D-a8YSqHQEl48OLtgHQI_EAMZaInEyh0YPpj-8vff8O-P8uZM5rIZg3ufTmzoDyUOLoOjJ8LCaxvlxDOBS84cCmS0zTdVFmwBW6P5I78/s1600/IMG_5147.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNN8Mp99TZUozA9V5LZp4DVifWogP5uDHE7-D-a8YSqHQEl48OLtgHQI_EAMZaInEyh0YPpj-8vff8O-P8uZM5rIZg3ufTmzoDyUOLoOjJ8LCaxvlxDOBS84cCmS0zTdVFmwBW6P5I78/s400/IMG_5147.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560249081972712498" border="0" /></a>Next to the Botanical Gardens is the President's house. T&T has a president and a Prime Minister. While we have been here, the roof of the President's house collapsed from disrepair. From inside the gardens, you have a really good view of the damage.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHd-Z5zR1rRaXs3I8PzMFjP_WD5GtYAoaHouVhCpHucYEqGE2NOWdfVzkpcoVm4RMxieJ5pPye9XSjuYqPVWq5WfhIt_xw5CZIoWM2vet-ojWqYHkNubA8815KSuWDdag_T6vDalEU2Ms/s1600/IMG_5157.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHd-Z5zR1rRaXs3I8PzMFjP_WD5GtYAoaHouVhCpHucYEqGE2NOWdfVzkpcoVm4RMxieJ5pPye9XSjuYqPVWq5WfhIt_xw5CZIoWM2vet-ojWqYHkNubA8815KSuWDdag_T6vDalEU2Ms/s400/IMG_5157.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560249091670745506" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-13812640370956544792011-01-09T19:08:00.006+02:002011-01-09T22:05:08.053+02:00Curacao PicturesIn November, we took a long weekend trip to Curacao. Everyone posted in the Caribbean has visions of island-hopping and then discovers that airfares are ludicrously expensive. It is cheaper to go to Miami (4 hours away) than it is to go anywhere else including Grenada which is just a 30 minute flight and hardly farther away than Tobago.<br /><br />At the same time this is likely our only time living in the Southern Caribbean so we paid the price and bought tickets on LIAT - a regional carrier that I have had TSA officials tell me not to take. It is the only way to get to Curacao. It is notoriously unreliable so we both warned our bosses that while we expected to be back on Monday, we were flying LIAT and might be a day or two late. Thankfully we were only an hour late going there - because they forget to file the flight plan and an hour late coming home - because the pilots wanted to have lunch (all of the passengers could see the pilots eating while we waited at the gate.)<br /><br />Curacao was really pretty. It's naturally dry and much less lush than Trinidad but as a Dutch colony it has really cute architecture. Curacao also just changed status from some affiliate of the Netherlands to being its own country except that the Netherlands is still in charge of their defense and foreign policy and other things. I did not entirely understand it but many Caribbean islands likewise has weird relationships to other countries - some like Trinidad and Tobago are entirely independent whereas those born on Martinique are considered French citizens.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-KA4qF9spLY8FUbpvp48eODugZWDUUnssABPds4OWEXEH1fJIHbf2BW2NfZdFblZBlWBg4U9XEASnYzQCQ2l-4uq2QziSWxTFnPfZT7QX7M5unHKI2UMyam2iaKjSnzYd4FTFL6c6b8/s1600/IMG_5136.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-KA4qF9spLY8FUbpvp48eODugZWDUUnssABPds4OWEXEH1fJIHbf2BW2NfZdFblZBlWBg4U9XEASnYzQCQ2l-4uq2QziSWxTFnPfZT7QX7M5unHKI2UMyam2iaKjSnzYd4FTFL6c6b8/s400/IMG_5136.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560246040582297666" border="0" /></a><br />This is a picture of boats that sail up from Venezuela each day to create a farmers market. You can see some of the dutch-style buildings in the background.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7uXnGhtCJv7nsegCUy7dJjjKSLlQZsq2hKleaHUY5o8F3FUCWCESBjBp7xAuTsR3Z6PV7IQ1rc-jZ8lrw061QJipQsscKKEj51m7O-AP380Ztic6DuXm9S-gq5dZfOcanM1kYIUSRw3A/s1600/IMG_5127.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7uXnGhtCJv7nsegCUy7dJjjKSLlQZsq2hKleaHUY5o8F3FUCWCESBjBp7xAuTsR3Z6PV7IQ1rc-jZ8lrw061QJipQsscKKEj51m7O-AP380Ztic6DuXm9S-gq5dZfOcanM1kYIUSRw3A/s400/IMG_5127.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560246036609126370" border="0" /></a><br />Here's Dan in one of the buildings at the really excellent slavery museum. He looks happy but the exhibits were in fact really moving and tragic.<br /><br /><br />About a third of this very small island is a national park. We loved that both guns and slingshots were prohibited. The park was FULL of lizards - the roads were covered with literally thousands of them and while they scampered as the car rolled along it was still rather disconcerting.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLmdYYYiSCrsJDUK5g8AB8xsMYPCp-wiovL1ATH0s8ooFrWPDscifUMnkliUfliCb46qpHCuCmhtqhyphenhyphenXHn5bOjHblNKmJClSVD-YUq3oLMr5G1AoSE6nOC_rqJPacYVckaaF3sh-mvwW8/s1600/IMG_5084.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLmdYYYiSCrsJDUK5g8AB8xsMYPCp-wiovL1ATH0s8ooFrWPDscifUMnkliUfliCb46qpHCuCmhtqhyphenhyphenXHn5bOjHblNKmJClSVD-YUq3oLMr5G1AoSE6nOC_rqJPacYVckaaF3sh-mvwW8/s400/IMG_5084.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560241931192855106" border="0" /></a>Next to the National Park was a restored plantation - there are several hundred plantation buildings in the Dutch style still on the island.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj37heBfseEyL-q8QnKVxey19jHEj_-uRjLrcZvd3KOIRJ2ikpc1Nz8da2Q9RgdiGj7gtLQcqGCasv0nwa1KSs3f5gwGbzG4jAK_Qqn5WICltqek7jiFZg5rX5Bl-E2rXwFrg1Av8fvS0/s1600/IMG_5077.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj37heBfseEyL-q8QnKVxey19jHEj_-uRjLrcZvd3KOIRJ2ikpc1Nz8da2Q9RgdiGj7gtLQcqGCasv0nwa1KSs3f5gwGbzG4jAK_Qqn5WICltqek7jiFZg5rX5Bl-E2rXwFrg1Av8fvS0/s400/IMG_5077.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560241925663265362" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVsH_9fZaFUERaDKiFzFNzD9lTyhDsdVUSP2SamrXMNkIO5O6Hm_9WqcSSIEI-JFxDi0NIcz8mIXGF2lO1jh3vnBTsVF4f3d5xU9LZ3uoACqJW7p40vBKRvWU-NIVvew_Q8miB88doRo/s1600/IMG_5074.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVsH_9fZaFUERaDKiFzFNzD9lTyhDsdVUSP2SamrXMNkIO5O6Hm_9WqcSSIEI-JFxDi0NIcz8mIXGF2lO1jh3vnBTsVF4f3d5xU9LZ3uoACqJW7p40vBKRvWU-NIVvew_Q8miB88doRo/s400/IMG_5074.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560241922316570946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxJnZa4LlUagKEMrRRIDeWGePXZB3hzmS0yLWgYnNTKw69pGAVsQqoLIwJ9ri6UViIxmEJh4vPulJBtDe5Ic8sM6lc9zhJOsJjU72Am2QTDQ1tGZUfolmQNlRRby3H_xYs9ZmODi5R1I/s1600/IMG_5069.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxJnZa4LlUagKEMrRRIDeWGePXZB3hzmS0yLWgYnNTKw69pGAVsQqoLIwJ9ri6UViIxmEJh4vPulJBtDe5Ic8sM6lc9zhJOsJjU72Am2QTDQ1tGZUfolmQNlRRby3H_xYs9ZmODi5R1I/s400/IMG_5069.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560241917916493986" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GjSSSxJWnG76_hRUrMXxWIkHtTtU-oVExDK58rz71eDDdjq1vuwUxK7XirV_VAHoJ6w5-64gcUx-w-w0TINIm5W3WLHxr3EKHQkDIAi1FlrOtCkqLjX3z8r2MYrKOpm2dO0tbG9ijKE/s1600/IMG_5062.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GjSSSxJWnG76_hRUrMXxWIkHtTtU-oVExDK58rz71eDDdjq1vuwUxK7XirV_VAHoJ6w5-64gcUx-w-w0TINIm5W3WLHxr3EKHQkDIAi1FlrOtCkqLjX3z8r2MYrKOpm2dO0tbG9ijKE/s400/IMG_5062.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560240367600741538" border="0" /></a>Most of the lizards were only a foot or so long but this iguana was probably 3 feet.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINdLgowU6vZRleecBFIe1xOTOE7Ajyeqd-phdfE1k83SRE7tlAf4Lc7aLl1bZ-nVrB26LDmVop3M0rO5QnPjP7JV-jBx4Y_5FGFR5fGPzut2glSA-4LuneCZ79wwpkSaNdxW3Pm8EpgE/s1600/IMG_5059.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINdLgowU6vZRleecBFIe1xOTOE7Ajyeqd-phdfE1k83SRE7tlAf4Lc7aLl1bZ-nVrB26LDmVop3M0rO5QnPjP7JV-jBx4Y_5FGFR5fGPzut2glSA-4LuneCZ79wwpkSaNdxW3Pm8EpgE/s400/IMG_5059.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560240366140406594" border="0" /></a><br />The two halves of the capital city are connected by a floating pedestrian bridge. When boats want to pass the bridge rotates 90 degrees. You can see the pretty colored buildings in the background.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZVObkB6Tj1sWLEEgPVVdZSk_egixB2i06kysKIHtoeA_GtkD3554OEcpDxM6_wO82gwGK7b2vDXO3yvQKjkDujfenZUfcgrh41iSkzhd08gAQ_hO9Ys2UbZ2OxK6Q8Xl0TWggP1_SaQ/s1600/IMG_5056.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZVObkB6Tj1sWLEEgPVVdZSk_egixB2i06kysKIHtoeA_GtkD3554OEcpDxM6_wO82gwGK7b2vDXO3yvQKjkDujfenZUfcgrh41iSkzhd08gAQ_hO9Ys2UbZ2OxK6Q8Xl0TWggP1_SaQ/s400/IMG_5056.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560240362616324562" border="0" /></a>Dan and more nice buildings. Yes, it was very sunny there.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2KE9PY4fEN85ltnsC0d0MWA2mDauuWZ8SR5tg5bsCwYgX36oU4NthX7vSOPpNYyJnhsYm2flKEbHkek4LNCmsYs-mwTd0cIN6SZsYQSmPECVMblAzwhNS5cfJvLykQZA33gHsxSIZ1Y/s1600/IMG_5049.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2KE9PY4fEN85ltnsC0d0MWA2mDauuWZ8SR5tg5bsCwYgX36oU4NthX7vSOPpNYyJnhsYm2flKEbHkek4LNCmsYs-mwTd0cIN6SZsYQSmPECVMblAzwhNS5cfJvLykQZA33gHsxSIZ1Y/s400/IMG_5049.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560240354057995154" border="0" /></a>We also visited the oldest synagoge in the western hemisphere. It had sand floors (see under my fet) which we initially thought were because it's an island and this emphasizes the beachiness but in fact the sand floors are to represent the exodus and the time in desert.<br /><br />This is Dan outside of the synagoge in the courtyard where there is no sand.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Pks-MWdTtmMI3AKjnWtYCyD0p5JA9Us1Pve_WWg395cFflvoGFP1DPA58KLN9wBZDplTaz_zUVZRT3Rbn91NCDtivJgoiwShvJAJzLjD8z8l0pq8UfdybSfTA_y7D_xFm9MUe2mVhUE/s1600/IMG_5045.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Pks-MWdTtmMI3AKjnWtYCyD0p5JA9Us1Pve_WWg395cFflvoGFP1DPA58KLN9wBZDplTaz_zUVZRT3Rbn91NCDtivJgoiwShvJAJzLjD8z8l0pq8UfdybSfTA_y7D_xFm9MUe2mVhUE/s400/IMG_5045.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560240347649651394" border="0" /></a><br />Proof that in Curacao you can get more colors than just blue...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsBCfl__dqIHtpIQeduFdBwFS5_I7D6yxC4f6uLnfUpyF2jrPjlgf-_UryD5Z6A8Pa89uCUw63wKxOvX6jkyaGNY60d905uA_-XikXvXHx525f2QLDixbc-e4IrK-lbFbhjTSZJ1FrjI/s1600/IMG_5106.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsBCfl__dqIHtpIQeduFdBwFS5_I7D6yxC4f6uLnfUpyF2jrPjlgf-_UryD5Z6A8Pa89uCUw63wKxOvX6jkyaGNY60d905uA_-XikXvXHx525f2QLDixbc-e4IrK-lbFbhjTSZJ1FrjI/s400/IMG_5106.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560246032879864338" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-56946508788240726902010-11-16T22:42:00.003+02:002010-11-16T22:56:35.884+02:00My best VIP visitor - Justice Clarence ThomasAs loyal readers know in Jordan, the Embassy had LOTS of VIP visitors nearly all of whom were using Jordan as their layover on their way to Baghdad (a subset of VIP visitors had met King Abdullah and Queen Rania somewhere and had taken seriously their invitation"you should come visit Jordan")<br /><br />Here in Trinidad, while we have had more houseguests (yay!) there are fewer VIPs coming to visit - but last month, I was the control officer for the BEST VIP visit I have ever done - Justice Thomas.<br /><br />Some visitors are smart and other visitors are kind and Justice Thomas was the rare visitor who was both. I would put Senators Lieberman and Reed in the same smart+nice combination but they are now ranked second and third on my list after Justice Thomas. Justice Thomas gave motivational talks to school kids on the same day that he spoke to judges about framers' intent and the death penalty.<br /><br />Here are some pictures from the visit. He has promised to come back - I hope he does.<br /><br />Here is me and the Justice at the Diplomatic Center where we (and by that I mean he with me as the lackey taking notes) met with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Fx2_OhzTQ-LoMOGX11lW8gaoZpEujA9pHTr2xvIvzeJb0iG7oZA_-H7BVCH0fFbYdcgruGNeQO6ssNUM8VO_81nkbJDxt8yCJWEWxDB9IlP6mqeBSlKPfcIgeUVEe9AEOYREZPHuKF4/s1600/thomas+dip+center.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540252844022944530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Fx2_OhzTQ-LoMOGX11lW8gaoZpEujA9pHTr2xvIvzeJb0iG7oZA_-H7BVCH0fFbYdcgruGNeQO6ssNUM8VO_81nkbJDxt8yCJWEWxDB9IlP6mqeBSlKPfcIgeUVEe9AEOYREZPHuKF4/s400/thomas+dip+center.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here is an actual picture of me being a notetaker. Here we are at the Tobago House of Assembly meeting with the Chief Secretary Orville London.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8fePfDQhN8GcfqdikrLi1zMKBNK6sHRQTCOwYyPQLrhmtsVjCKmyGlOP4NRC7dhXMcVr5LqS0tKkug-ZqFfVK_EfhyaS3pR2faffbWmfXsc9sACwA6nOjTqgRAdzCtqMTs1rfXHekJmI/s1600/orvillelondon.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540252832434447298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 266px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8fePfDQhN8GcfqdikrLi1zMKBNK6sHRQTCOwYyPQLrhmtsVjCKmyGlOP4NRC7dhXMcVr5LqS0tKkug-ZqFfVK_EfhyaS3pR2faffbWmfXsc9sACwA6nOjTqgRAdzCtqMTs1rfXHekJmI/s400/orvillelondon.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div>Here are me and Dan. The Justice took pictures and chatted with every single member of the Embassy, and as a former maintenance guy and son of a domestic worker he started with our maintenance and janitorial crews.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSiMsfmQT2_js_EhksEFDZpCkyEdbRuS71Z_VtBy64232hLRakLZO-7J7F0F68qcqmXcYROujjQYelNEYZHYRE8tbsIoyTKdEcy0g6tbkvi2sT1FQ5g2t0XyYeatxGlJHdPuUAuBnNYI/s1600/Embassy+Meet+%2526+Greet+with+Supreme+Court+Justice+Clarence+Thomas+271.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540252815596803522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 372px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSiMsfmQT2_js_EhksEFDZpCkyEdbRuS71Z_VtBy64232hLRakLZO-7J7F0F68qcqmXcYROujjQYelNEYZHYRE8tbsIoyTKdEcy0g6tbkvi2sT1FQ5g2t0XyYeatxGlJHdPuUAuBnNYI/s400/Embassy+Meet+%2526+Greet+with+Supreme+Court+Justice+Clarence+Thomas+271.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div></div></div></div>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-34949258992353974272010-10-17T03:50:00.004+03:002010-10-17T04:00:36.802+03:00Dan's Parents Visit.... Fort George<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uEzXiRJo00s5GK5urT5lTgHbp2mo2vnso4ob-qT4p8x9UPY2aLxV18bUNs9kjsWeJ00-r5gdGsdztwU7WjEXEGTdJ4_ttidjng2FJhcs-R6EyRaE9bp9v7u8SWSfvkZdw3wUwsFZraU/s1600/IMG_4834.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9uEzXiRJo00s5GK5urT5lTgHbp2mo2vnso4ob-qT4p8x9UPY2aLxV18bUNs9kjsWeJ00-r5gdGsdztwU7WjEXEGTdJ4_ttidjng2FJhcs-R6EyRaE9bp9v7u8SWSfvkZdw3wUwsFZraU/s400/IMG_4834.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528812747485575266" border="0" /></a><br />Dan's parents visited for the first two weeks of October and they visited everywhere on Trinidad - Maracas beach, Asa Wright nature center, Petrotrin's wild fowl sanctuary, Caroni swamp and then spent a week on Tobago. One of the last stops was Fort George. This is a hill pretty much overlooking our apartment and the rest of the city. We had never gone because their had been some nasty muggings there right before we arrived in country. But when the security office decided that the site was safe enough to bring a high-level State Department official, we figured it must be safe enough to bring Dan's parents.<br /><br />The site is mostly a terrific view of Port of Spain and the ability to see both the north and south sides of the islands but it also has this cute station house.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUuSQ3W5FfPt6NGCR92mnpD67Ll3j_s3HobIioExDIRoto99_3dlJyjMeBY4-DZRPjJZEyErMRPgJuyZx4-dkny5Unie9SAFLpjEVtL5P01-t8W2WZ-XCMAyTQsSUo3nfgCrSLJ89z3WY/s1600/IMG_4836.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUuSQ3W5FfPt6NGCR92mnpD67Ll3j_s3HobIioExDIRoto99_3dlJyjMeBY4-DZRPjJZEyErMRPgJuyZx4-dkny5Unie9SAFLpjEVtL5P01-t8W2WZ-XCMAyTQsSUo3nfgCrSLJ89z3WY/s400/IMG_4836.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528811817535521682" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgidA_vnC9XpuZS5Y1ZIu05L6MBHTMsYApB2ccTSCzgyg5F_PxWUVN8ZmDE-FbNoHKQe4xmzFXSe7FJXjjZb1_4LUTuDSiWGCIBPspl60rTGvxkraewAlJlBLf8YOW6a-PZqpOPOtpyFtY/s1600/IMG_4829.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgidA_vnC9XpuZS5Y1ZIu05L6MBHTMsYApB2ccTSCzgyg5F_PxWUVN8ZmDE-FbNoHKQe4xmzFXSe7FJXjjZb1_4LUTuDSiWGCIBPspl60rTGvxkraewAlJlBLf8YOW6a-PZqpOPOtpyFtY/s400/IMG_4829.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528811807930724642" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-82731820505645067702010-10-17T03:37:00.003+03:002010-10-17T03:50:19.888+03:00Eid Rum FestivalWe suspect that Trinidad is the only country where a Rum Festival would be held on Eid (the holiday that celebrates the end of Ramadan). While we did go to iftars during Ramadan, we opted for the Rum Festival on the Eid holiday.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZNFfeF4sjXy9KNSGdRTiGpYZX483-LGUoe8AWcM2DCS1FSUTXSe6-8gbl34CYdc4-P23Gp_koHiyLo7_FCS6IHSVEH0es-igQ_TL63yAA3cHVOMd4ssdME9i68pfDyKnWn9jwrXm9Jk/s1600/IMG_4742.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZNFfeF4sjXy9KNSGdRTiGpYZX483-LGUoe8AWcM2DCS1FSUTXSe6-8gbl34CYdc4-P23Gp_koHiyLo7_FCS6IHSVEH0es-igQ_TL63yAA3cHVOMd4ssdME9i68pfDyKnWn9jwrXm9Jk/s400/IMG_4742.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528809713413636386" border="0" /></a><br />The first display was angostura art ... this one is a steel pan player<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiulLLdTIoFpAobrMnDRkrW1rcc9DHVAT9eDGgO7UmYoM8KJX3OdhdwE6mT7U77aNqJTIRfKWEYieDQvW9Bc5rIKMVguBXFc1opCVJmVBqBO1QkWlnP9wymAYd4a9HNMuSPaaz_BOEVo/s1600/IMG_4732.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMiulLLdTIoFpAobrMnDRkrW1rcc9DHVAT9eDGgO7UmYoM8KJX3OdhdwE6mT7U77aNqJTIRfKWEYieDQvW9Bc5rIKMVguBXFc1opCVJmVBqBO1QkWlnP9wymAYd4a9HNMuSPaaz_BOEVo/s400/IMG_4732.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528809710002966690" border="0" /></a>This was the crowd for the free rum drinks...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBYFfvOv9e6glQW3pRFLZuY_KzXQk33zLn3qOFXcHzJHmgEF6dPKqMsHyki1GUMZWwCwiehC60EMoI0qXr6H4Yd54hhdeL4QiTHi4wyjPjQVZ7_ZHLTitwtEZD_RLbkdqIS11kxOxdHk/s1600/IMG_4738.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBYFfvOv9e6glQW3pRFLZuY_KzXQk33zLn3qOFXcHzJHmgEF6dPKqMsHyki1GUMZWwCwiehC60EMoI0qXr6H4Yd54hhdeL4QiTHi4wyjPjQVZ7_ZHLTitwtEZD_RLbkdqIS11kxOxdHk/s400/IMG_4738.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528809699642763298" border="0" /></a>This was the smaller group listening to the lecture on how rum is made which featured a lot of jokes in the vein of "friends don't let friends drink Barbadian rum" or "I don't know what they make in [insert country name here] but it isn't rum."<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOp5YAaWXinCcu-Nrxn03Pm_DyNP9lppChznxQTssMtt5hfHgp0pF60TBSk0mRbtVM3lFC1o12i49W6pdJ9zV5YiakRIPAtyja01NRKL0RgVC_64Rw8OBwZT8yGQWnx3Ji744mlgVpQI/s1600/IMG_4745.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiOp5YAaWXinCcu-Nrxn03Pm_DyNP9lppChznxQTssMtt5hfHgp0pF60TBSk0mRbtVM3lFC1o12i49W6pdJ9zV5YiakRIPAtyja01NRKL0RgVC_64Rw8OBwZT8yGQWnx3Ji744mlgVpQI/s400/IMG_4745.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528809699238474242" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-29602229489112342742010-10-16T21:44:00.006+03:002010-10-16T22:36:18.968+03:00Three new beaches on TobagoTrinidadians and Tobagonians are connoisseurs of beaches with strong opinions about the relative merits of some beaches over another. Nowhere on either island are you more than 30 minutes away from a beach and still when people go on vacation their most common destination is Tobago to go to the beach or Isla Margarita to go to the beach or Miami to go to the beach (and go shopping). We were on Tobago for Labor Day and visited three beaches that we hadn't visited before.<br /><br />#1 Englishman's Bay - this beach had a very nice picnic pavillion with a swing.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wPCgB6LCGQQRBAI5JvB-8QxJutdis13lDdP_5e4BbLhm9ugie3T2EM-rb98nD1oQ82vhVDTSdNmbcJD9HvgiXi3v3867VAgDosd0ZVX5zmSw4HjwaD-_7tvqayfluhJMhSV8HvMRmH0/s1600/IMG_4717.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-wPCgB6LCGQQRBAI5JvB-8QxJutdis13lDdP_5e4BbLhm9ugie3T2EM-rb98nD1oQ82vhVDTSdNmbcJD9HvgiXi3v3867VAgDosd0ZVX5zmSw4HjwaD-_7tvqayfluhJMhSV8HvMRmH0/s400/IMG_4717.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528718223826340706" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8dWWAefeCCS-ULTzSEx3nTwMJu2Ph2iwK2Bcmy5BNqwE9nx-_E-acaa6RBM7BlMqockpPsVZMiEBU6qAPD8uodNv9HPFsRbGNtxLHp0WVz_CPnGIdLOteeBL1RTqy2lkWBoqfQLkXm4U/s1600/IMG_4721.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8dWWAefeCCS-ULTzSEx3nTwMJu2Ph2iwK2Bcmy5BNqwE9nx-_E-acaa6RBM7BlMqockpPsVZMiEBU6qAPD8uodNv9HPFsRbGNtxLHp0WVz_CPnGIdLOteeBL1RTqy2lkWBoqfQLkXm4U/s400/IMG_4721.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528718214016612482" border="0" /></a><br /><br />#2 Parlatuvier<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLo6YaqA7MBUPiC1yuSKMhkRFbVwYTT59VfYXgyXIAKXJXOFjRtwRjh9wlAqiwh7weQ6dl13sqYL4ZoqRQ4cdk-7qo_jQNOhd4_dNDVKUkMGxKm1zQ9gsRzXsIxjKPFt1XV3MZyDS-6M/s1600/IMG_4703.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLo6YaqA7MBUPiC1yuSKMhkRFbVwYTT59VfYXgyXIAKXJXOFjRtwRjh9wlAqiwh7weQ6dl13sqYL4ZoqRQ4cdk-7qo_jQNOhd4_dNDVKUkMGxKm1zQ9gsRzXsIxjKPFt1XV3MZyDS-6M/s400/IMG_4703.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528717828500676146" border="0" /></a><br /><br />#3 Bloody Bay - named for a violent slave revolt that occurred at the site that made the waters red.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEz7gct8y5yZnHOuBXLBDgmpcemHhxY_c5sZBD9Pz4Kop2Gvh77fW8WXtUYsV3OnFNqWaEvegJ3owKEv3YPWRnmx6B9ahKeSK6LP0_KiPx0k7ICX0rBzw3egxUdyOKSjnIH9Or3EcHSbQ/s1600/IMG_4699.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEz7gct8y5yZnHOuBXLBDgmpcemHhxY_c5sZBD9Pz4Kop2Gvh77fW8WXtUYsV3OnFNqWaEvegJ3owKEv3YPWRnmx6B9ahKeSK6LP0_KiPx0k7ICX0rBzw3egxUdyOKSjnIH9Or3EcHSbQ/s400/IMG_4699.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528717650504346818" border="0" /> </a><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-35201579750507250322010-10-06T21:27:00.000+03:002010-10-16T22:35:42.916+03:00Maracas Falls<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZdRQrzvTOJY7RYxZfdg_VVRsRJa4g3cheb0vUlbJ7ODknemGON-Gg53hm2wBBei4NBFz6bZOIm6mm-70BKPxrB5zTW0bPGvP84qL2PJPtlh7i3YKTbNItoHcdBY1a-rtsRQRgsVwBroA/s1600/IMG_4664.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZdRQrzvTOJY7RYxZfdg_VVRsRJa4g3cheb0vUlbJ7ODknemGON-Gg53hm2wBBei4NBFz6bZOIm6mm-70BKPxrB5zTW0bPGvP84qL2PJPtlh7i3YKTbNItoHcdBY1a-rtsRQRgsVwBroA/s400/IMG_4664.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528712969782245346" border="0" /></a><br />Also earlier this summer (note: when the weather is high 88 low 72 everyday it is very hard to remember what season it is) - my colleague Stephanie, our Ambassador and I joined the terrific girls from Sophia House, a foster care program, for a hike to Maracas Falls. It is rainy season so we got some rain but it also meant that there were beautiful falls.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDbH8dim91Zf9FpTSrd6MU-ou6WZusouzYSIhKs1xif__r71BxKaPvMSLZ4BhxsbtGcfVvXFDitS82baJBgOnzpsbZSczF2-aQ8NPWdCroW4wUPNnczjo3dmN7OVCBueRjMqJ4zM_8G8/s1600/IMG_4681.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDbH8dim91Zf9FpTSrd6MU-ou6WZusouzYSIhKs1xif__r71BxKaPvMSLZ4BhxsbtGcfVvXFDitS82baJBgOnzpsbZSczF2-aQ8NPWdCroW4wUPNnczjo3dmN7OVCBueRjMqJ4zM_8G8/s400/IMG_4681.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528712970709466866" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggoh7irE8UmhKgeixgzVNN_UB5DV2Xi9JjamJ6ZEL8z3uTo4h-UdknDqhjLkgiHYUzhn3RgfLoXbc8T40PsQJM46_xDBFs-1H_F2ylADivPpUQVurQjuqT279IaLzyEeRrlurtFAHbJ5A/s1600/IMG_4661.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggoh7irE8UmhKgeixgzVNN_UB5DV2Xi9JjamJ6ZEL8z3uTo4h-UdknDqhjLkgiHYUzhn3RgfLoXbc8T40PsQJM46_xDBFs-1H_F2ylADivPpUQVurQjuqT279IaLzyEeRrlurtFAHbJ5A/s400/IMG_4661.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528712960636084370" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-67100581118670365952010-10-03T21:20:00.000+03:002010-10-16T22:35:13.197+03:00Emancipation Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpEipJ0as8RBK2k2bipX8EJ4g5iDpps32PWiGTTJxGsjJXIzfiaoyZ8eLc_MWpOXzBw3QB4HWgIjbrrpKRqwj_3Xkt2hAMB1FU3RUraqX5JIEKoqTNWA4eA4Snui3E83_iKfb7zgLUpM/s1600/IMG_4648.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpEipJ0as8RBK2k2bipX8EJ4g5iDpps32PWiGTTJxGsjJXIzfiaoyZ8eLc_MWpOXzBw3QB4HWgIjbrrpKRqwj_3Xkt2hAMB1FU3RUraqX5JIEKoqTNWA4eA4Snui3E83_iKfb7zgLUpM/s400/IMG_4648.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528711926910070594" border="0" /></a><br />This holiday was over the summer but I am just posting photos now. Trinidad has a holiday for every religion (Christmas, Diwali, Eid) and every ethnicity (Indian Arrival Day) - hence Emancipation Day. We watched a parade that featured African dancers and drumming, as well as big music trucks blaring soca and little music trucks featuring steel pan - because all events here feature soca and steel pan.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDpEipJ0as8RBK2k2bipX8EJ4g5iDpps32PWiGTTJxGsjJXIzfiaoyZ8eLc_MWpOXzBw3QB4HWgIjbrrpKRqwj_3Xkt2hAMB1FU3RUraqX5JIEKoqTNWA4eA4Snui3E83_iKfb7zgLUpM/s1600/IMG_4648.JPG"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZudfjhC0LmPB1Ir_8BDgdfe-8-H-LrFwXiXSbk13_fcAh7ASRVHiZNW4mZRaZxiRHeuGxIhKl0NSk2iF3_aCHu-ayQ3j7fWjV-pkfgJiuUs9089JzGtE2SxMfBi29kAf4ONN4GriMbk8/s1600/IMG_4630.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZudfjhC0LmPB1Ir_8BDgdfe-8-H-LrFwXiXSbk13_fcAh7ASRVHiZNW4mZRaZxiRHeuGxIhKl0NSk2iF3_aCHu-ayQ3j7fWjV-pkfgJiuUs9089JzGtE2SxMfBi29kAf4ONN4GriMbk8/s400/IMG_4630.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528711920016376962" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjat63IbwVh-B3Y_ymKsGXnqAjuC0TdBYCDIe-9NsBKznzJgaV1ouAAgPBCONOvRbesSlDL8vPPwivfHwg4Ir4q-BjTyRfedLZn_skqshH9VQqFVhlkBHjvPIUU0Pgn40lJNKeNLNIPTs4/s1600/IMG_4633.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjat63IbwVh-B3Y_ymKsGXnqAjuC0TdBYCDIe-9NsBKznzJgaV1ouAAgPBCONOvRbesSlDL8vPPwivfHwg4Ir4q-BjTyRfedLZn_skqshH9VQqFVhlkBHjvPIUU0Pgn40lJNKeNLNIPTs4/s400/IMG_4633.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528711905083619234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIzxBFV42iG0w4tI3V4lGHsTuK2pL1ZgXRCoidYVeCTgf7J3whbr84R5MxsrkQAH3AA81ezE3Aqxs10yZnNfoUdf3aPOatX1HLewLbbtNnUEcmWn4wX5nj1qZV0Gi_YhqSO5wQPIpRkQ/s1600/IMG_4626.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIzxBFV42iG0w4tI3V4lGHsTuK2pL1ZgXRCoidYVeCTgf7J3whbr84R5MxsrkQAH3AA81ezE3Aqxs10yZnNfoUdf3aPOatX1HLewLbbtNnUEcmWn4wX5nj1qZV0Gi_YhqSO5wQPIpRkQ/s400/IMG_4626.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528711896263233570" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XQxB6AUoLkDLX2djxtCl04bV7I_Wc68NbrYvTxweeJRhhJm7F5KaRW6nKHFSR_y_2vbMCNtdA2GCQK4nw98wty30PLsjW16oO6vB4Wx_YQf4SKhrpgASchWCgpkqHBkgdsNcDA8XmFY/s1600/IMG_4621.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_XQxB6AUoLkDLX2djxtCl04bV7I_Wc68NbrYvTxweeJRhhJm7F5KaRW6nKHFSR_y_2vbMCNtdA2GCQK4nw98wty30PLsjW16oO6vB4Wx_YQf4SKhrpgASchWCgpkqHBkgdsNcDA8XmFY/s400/IMG_4621.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5528711887790343778" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-63084709479718519942010-10-01T20:51:00.000+03:002010-10-16T22:34:34.130+03:00Follow the rules (or not)Posts here are admittedly few and far between. In Jordan, seeing camels on the side of the road seemed novel every time it happened - which was all the time. Here life seems normal and we're more likely to see friendly street dogs than exotic wildlife.<br /><br />Trinidad is in many ways a fairly lawless society - there is a large sense of live and let live and universal loathing of the police. Red lights and one-way streets are routinely ignored. Cars park anywhere without fear of citation. Even when breathalyzers were put into use last Carnival for the first time there was widespread moral outrage about entrapment and convictions based on their use are still newsworthy.<br /><br />In another example of the casual approach to rules: last night we went and had a drink at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/drinkwinebar">Drink! Wine Bar </a>and we saw that the lights were on at the nearby cricket oval (note: the cricket oval is owned by a private posh club - this is important to note for the rest of the story). It was a nice night (note: almost all nights are nice) and we thought we'd go get tickets for whatever match it was and watch for a little while. We walked to the ticket office which was oddly closed so we walked back to where we had seen cars driving into a parking lot. We asked the security guards who was playing and how do we buy tickets. The security guards said it was a private soccer event for club members but added, "you look like members - you could just go in if you want." These are the security guards encouraging us to crash the party!<br /><br />Given such lax security - imagine our surprise then when the movie theatre was a huge stickler about the age requirements. We went to see "The Other Guys" with friends and their two boys - I think they are 13 and 15. The movie was rated 14+ but their parents were with them. The box office didn't want to sell the boys tickets. When we tried cheating by having some else buy the tickets, the box office called the inside ticket takers to make sure that the boys did not enter the theatre. We can think of no other rules here that are so vigorously enforced.<br /><br />p.s. The Other Guys was good. The Social Network was excellent.<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-47950828294208644792010-07-10T21:13:00.001+03:002010-08-01T21:59:56.601+03:00A Summer Week in New York<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8EiIfun1asLlF9ZKuQMpHbk-VsI3msnBUUV_lqVgtrAYDxGAZvys3OdbEj6eOR7znV3nQglF7CNceTatpSCKgOK4fXFo6QoN-l4UDA_jdo70bkgLGL_R9VKP_bMRrQM245Bc7ZX_5oI/s1600/IMG_4506.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8EiIfun1asLlF9ZKuQMpHbk-VsI3msnBUUV_lqVgtrAYDxGAZvys3OdbEj6eOR7znV3nQglF7CNceTatpSCKgOK4fXFo6QoN-l4UDA_jdo70bkgLGL_R9VKP_bMRrQM245Bc7ZX_5oI/s400/IMG_4506.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500510579767529154" border="0" /></a>We spent a week in New York City and upstate New York during our Rest and Recuperation break. "You need a rest break from your assignment to the Caribbean?" you ask?<br /><br />Here we are on the hottest new attraction in Manhattan: the <a href="http://www.thehighline.org/galleries/images/site-prep-and-painting">High Line Park</a>, a grassy walking trail situated on a reclaimed freight rail line 30 feet up in the air, above 10th Ave. Empire State Building is in the background.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWKusR0f6qG5Ahlcux0xWA1U-CpCR7SDQlMwjvOyAQr0FZrwYANiXw6PBDuMQsjMFzm9I-QZdxHQzKcBObHJMHo1WBz0F4GNQ6N2BrU8Q9MRz4Btr-M9feoTqsVtB_yJCeZKxDsBxibk/s1600/IMG_4502.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWKusR0f6qG5Ahlcux0xWA1U-CpCR7SDQlMwjvOyAQr0FZrwYANiXw6PBDuMQsjMFzm9I-QZdxHQzKcBObHJMHo1WBz0F4GNQ6N2BrU8Q9MRz4Btr-M9feoTqsVtB_yJCeZKxDsBxibk/s400/IMG_4502.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500510576522309010" border="0" /></a><br />Walking through Central Park, between stops at the Museum of Natural History and the Apple Store on Fifth Ave.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmpNhK9fZcQALfTPR-YzKYULMj4R_3bgLvztnskkTbs5NdQe8X50waRyHaMyBYDMMhLLa4lAZhnCyBIFaWC8Y7040GzutObxMN_lHbeH2MNp5_oCKVXomt3f_P0ilu2Fd6RKCtB9PWSo/s1600/IMG_4577.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmpNhK9fZcQALfTPR-YzKYULMj4R_3bgLvztnskkTbs5NdQe8X50waRyHaMyBYDMMhLLa4lAZhnCyBIFaWC8Y7040GzutObxMN_lHbeH2MNp5_oCKVXomt3f_P0ilu2Fd6RKCtB9PWSo/s400/IMG_4577.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500510569127361010" border="0" /></a>Moving up state, and keeping with the re-purposed rail line theme: the <a href="http://www.walkway.org/">Walkway Over the Hudson</a> in Poughkeepsie. This one is 210 feet off the ground, and is billed as the longest pedestrian bridge in the world.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyD3_PAIc4c3AlWw3MK5-OAlgcyv1NixErdi6ZbCy-Mly7Ehq4mdUj-BCmjNy7sES7ASYEtELUouxiYZ4LD5U-5oQ759uPIGpXXj0PS_ASqNw6per2FcDIJ-2NS74NOvZtZhgsq9Q3Zqs/s1600/IMG_4575.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyD3_PAIc4c3AlWw3MK5-OAlgcyv1NixErdi6ZbCy-Mly7Ehq4mdUj-BCmjNy7sES7ASYEtELUouxiYZ4LD5U-5oQ759uPIGpXXj0PS_ASqNw6per2FcDIJ-2NS74NOvZtZhgsq9Q3Zqs/s400/IMG_4575.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500510559693418530" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPv7oS0alZMPhtOxl_9kHrSqZIDc4B7w5Xt2_KA2YGNVIGC24iGw7fpYd13X2959xMp1W7DSav8T2BCCA8W0PUltOrgYV_vkDKOZfgAMwAtMmPXGF66SF-bvqTCukMnfX6USyByLIFb5Y/s1600/IMG_4556.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPv7oS0alZMPhtOxl_9kHrSqZIDc4B7w5Xt2_KA2YGNVIGC24iGw7fpYd13X2959xMp1W7DSav8T2BCCA8W0PUltOrgYV_vkDKOZfgAMwAtMmPXGF66SF-bvqTCukMnfX6USyByLIFb5Y/s400/IMG_4556.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500508546156782402" border="0" /></a>Hyde Park is nearby, the home of Franklin D. Roosevelt and site of the first Presidential Library, which was launched by the President himself.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQYkXW3N9SW1MDWd1SmDKaNB4Ib5I2Jlm9LieddDGQNVtSC1Wv7HZHXc-RP5rq8H1mpUCh3SXGHnUXx-qo1Gcvm905yKYEtrrPqzrMkwrRNtVic_RBYnrDi_0iYkMp2CsrtFDoh_T6lQ/s1600/IMG_4554.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQYkXW3N9SW1MDWd1SmDKaNB4Ib5I2Jlm9LieddDGQNVtSC1Wv7HZHXc-RP5rq8H1mpUCh3SXGHnUXx-qo1Gcvm905yKYEtrrPqzrMkwrRNtVic_RBYnrDi_0iYkMp2CsrtFDoh_T6lQ/s400/IMG_4554.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500508541690430146" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCJAqFejtRU0SITbDEgzqkXB8VI7MeGUMGi6bl-QdfHyRpJz99lSotETuatjesvX3WtPHnRImgfhFTIp7seNgZeR5Pm2dDqxbnb31F6ZY7oBc9zqVm9uHKFOKM_XPAvAkw_IWy6xMNcM/s1600/IMG_4560.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCJAqFejtRU0SITbDEgzqkXB8VI7MeGUMGi6bl-QdfHyRpJz99lSotETuatjesvX3WtPHnRImgfhFTIp7seNgZeR5Pm2dDqxbnb31F6ZY7oBc9zqVm9uHKFOKM_XPAvAkw_IWy6xMNcM/s400/IMG_4560.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500508532927779554" border="0" /></a>Dan relaxes with Franklin and Eleanor, in happier times<br /></div><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-57864598333529261632010-06-14T01:49:00.005+03:002010-06-14T03:10:05.185+03:00Leatherback Turtles<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblGma_9HJ6RlMbNrTqldWW1ydDOIWs-klkqzUB67Imvi3olAMcRoalWy3-cgr9WzNIuu-xE_OYznXtpxNBXyNwL5xxa2s-KTa_PJpOc62YSHIjxoQsA25gs2u33sEXeMn17IDlZRJglA/s1600/IMG_4465.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblGma_9HJ6RlMbNrTqldWW1ydDOIWs-klkqzUB67Imvi3olAMcRoalWy3-cgr9WzNIuu-xE_OYznXtpxNBXyNwL5xxa2s-KTa_PJpOc62YSHIjxoQsA25gs2u33sEXeMn17IDlZRJglA/s400/IMG_4465.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482400365916019634" border="0" /></a><br />We have loved seeing the Scarlet Ibises fly across the Caroni swamp and daily watch brown pelicans dive into the ocean but this morning we saw the coolest thing we have seen in a long time. Leatherback turtles laying eggs and heading back to sea.<br /><br />At 9:00 last night we went out to the beach with a guide who explained that leatherbacks which can grow to 7 feet long and 3 feet wide and 800 pounds lay eggs 8-10 times per season - laying 80 eggs each time in the hopes that one or two will survive to adulthood. The females come onto the beach, dig a deep hole, lay the eggs and then head back to shore.<br /><br />We watched for a couple hours last night and then I got up at 5:30 this morning to watch the sun rise and to take some pictures. In the daylight there were only a few turtles (and a lot of well-fed egg-eating vultures) but at night they get 300 turtles and at times we were startled that while we were watching on turtle that another had come up to shore right next to us (remember these are the size of overstuffed armchair).<br /><br />We also saw some hatched baby turtles which were unbelievable cute and had already survived long odds by hatching.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBchJN1wSda6Q9R3GY61QHAMpon9q0zbHwC3-5Uee9Fq5angb1uhh3f5_U4HvotwY-iOvVMuw9KLYEbFh5Uwg83JBD7NkCcXyNT94oe77cogpt1vTvc92UGrgi6hlc69GLjCbIKonCvI/s1600/IMG_4451.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvBchJN1wSda6Q9R3GY61QHAMpon9q0zbHwC3-5Uee9Fq5angb1uhh3f5_U4HvotwY-iOvVMuw9KLYEbFh5Uwg83JBD7NkCcXyNT94oe77cogpt1vTvc92UGrgi6hlc69GLjCbIKonCvI/s400/IMG_4451.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482400355244849618" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyrW0fdC0ZnbHohJOYeXJFJST-gQkg8vdH0laPTNqeDT5YGeXqfHl0WqL0FKje7ubZ6wwsQPBbR2Sh8BBTkdwOJT4qRcAip_8dgWGn8aB_4Euw5a039GQi3Z2aliCsjQLlYIrzpNJXSc/s1600/IMG_4445.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtyrW0fdC0ZnbHohJOYeXJFJST-gQkg8vdH0laPTNqeDT5YGeXqfHl0WqL0FKje7ubZ6wwsQPBbR2Sh8BBTkdwOJT4qRcAip_8dgWGn8aB_4Euw5a039GQi3Z2aliCsjQLlYIrzpNJXSc/s400/IMG_4445.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482400345485887698" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyoMmTs04iJtFGs-mFGkGuTxEekS9BfijjV_WK8L__LhpqeDUIwOOXcYG7Whfm9q1xJf5F8Q3BDPUA86WQXag' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-3381933164975418002010-05-30T16:39:00.004+03:002010-06-14T01:47:58.502+03:00Barbados - not cricket<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmzQbwQSxshgMIxFyqGaerVckB5FARLkAwLfEXZzBgqU_qvz0Yi7PTChn65yENguI1QEWQSf8N7Pi71RRfGbOljbX73IziEHSkBEF_GKx590UuSgiSfH3QpzQEO9hBghixlf4qwH9l44/s1600/IMG_4337.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmzQbwQSxshgMIxFyqGaerVckB5FARLkAwLfEXZzBgqU_qvz0Yi7PTChn65yENguI1QEWQSf8N7Pi71RRfGbOljbX73IziEHSkBEF_GKx590UuSgiSfH3QpzQEO9hBghixlf4qwH9l44/s400/IMG_4337.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477059369388695538" border="0" /></a><br />Last month, I had a work trip to Barbados and our very nice boss said that if she had a work trip to Barbados she'd want to bring her husband and gave Dan the time off. We had a really nice time - Barbados is very pretty and clearly designed for tourists. There was lots to see and we only saw half of what we wanted to (given the time commitment required for cricket). The pretty yellow house above MAY have been the house that George Washington stayed in when he came to Barbados - his only overseas trip. He and his brother came to help his brother's TB. If the movie at the museum is to be believed George Washington would not have amounted to anything had he not learned about agriculture, commerce and culture during his short stay in Barbados. The house was cute though.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZri7oE00yX7MKvZBaLj-bUvs9uBoRMSm7TutspcnaioXUnG-H3xNOrBLAeOL6mwEdLRDw8hn7st1EGsh0OmL02EFTidxCUaowY-0oc-DfIjlGrrk1ON3BsME02qsprZAzaNDtDdHnRE/s1600/IMG_4323.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtZri7oE00yX7MKvZBaLj-bUvs9uBoRMSm7TutspcnaioXUnG-H3xNOrBLAeOL6mwEdLRDw8hn7st1EGsh0OmL02EFTidxCUaowY-0oc-DfIjlGrrk1ON3BsME02qsprZAzaNDtDdHnRE/s400/IMG_4323.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477059360492265906" border="0" /></a>Barbados is much smaller than Trinidad (and that is saying something) we were able to circle the island in a day AND see the George Washington exhibit. On the north coast the beach was impregnable cliffs and here on the east (Atlantic) side it was rocky with large boulders.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJgplhKfeRHW9HvcFRMf7pTMrrReYyhDPXuCB4QvGYldHtFb41kbqLH7yM03yLaaI7Hmr0p15h-IF-oKRo0CyPP1DlNzwwyNozGP9892rqy8kLybdeWizoCcNGvp5Wmzx-zfaAQuR22k/s1600/IMG_4322.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJgplhKfeRHW9HvcFRMf7pTMrrReYyhDPXuCB4QvGYldHtFb41kbqLH7yM03yLaaI7Hmr0p15h-IF-oKRo0CyPP1DlNzwwyNozGP9892rqy8kLybdeWizoCcNGvp5Wmzx-zfaAQuR22k/s400/IMG_4322.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477058596152523890" border="0" /></a>Our favorite stop was St. Nicholas Abbey - a 17th century Jacobian plantation house that has been renovated and now has a pretty cafe, gardens and a rum distillery. We had a fun talk with the owner's son who was incredulous that we hadn't yet been kidnapped since we live in Trinidad. Nothing we could say about Trinidad would dissuade him of the notion that we should plan on being kidnapped soon.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzpodOn0ak_sv8PU3pnU_z4B_ksble4BfLOgOg98p7o1Bcu12wqC6WNAC3cxTzyDYiO9uBX4iGkXOG-u29GvNpZ6xN1LXF8GvikbmIxBknS8_rkmnLkRYf3Ah5gV2_lchRBwhN3bOkcAg/s1600/IMG_4315.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzpodOn0ak_sv8PU3pnU_z4B_ksble4BfLOgOg98p7o1Bcu12wqC6WNAC3cxTzyDYiO9uBX4iGkXOG-u29GvNpZ6xN1LXF8GvikbmIxBknS8_rkmnLkRYf3Ah5gV2_lchRBwhN3bOkcAg/s400/IMG_4315.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477058593059541026" border="0" /></a>Cliffs on the north side....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5Ru4hAwEjd97eLDtKD843z78xz8RDqBeffjfV7Ekj-QZsZ4LVZlp8nq9M83rDGCcD3lVT8KN4u-MB7fjZAw5E-O7FurOq6C24w_JLsvQ32Hb4DABz1pboeHlYqzReE1lT_icd6W4wuA/s1600/IMG_4298.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5Ru4hAwEjd97eLDtKD843z78xz8RDqBeffjfV7Ekj-QZsZ4LVZlp8nq9M83rDGCcD3lVT8KN4u-MB7fjZAw5E-O7FurOq6C24w_JLsvQ32Hb4DABz1pboeHlYqzReE1lT_icd6W4wuA/s400/IMG_4298.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477058586422083474" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLfBL-hxQ3y-zZrFI5UrlHY1lJs7jsbt3LV1dYEOfn8d-q9J60mM2jLrwqwBF0h-PJDz-DPzf3nvuEx6WtsmDu_6rcs3guEIgyxxnrGhA-vcYEv4o0P4ZgMtc3rraTuGHpLJQU_ulMlE/s1600/IMG_4297.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLfBL-hxQ3y-zZrFI5UrlHY1lJs7jsbt3LV1dYEOfn8d-q9J60mM2jLrwqwBF0h-PJDz-DPzf3nvuEx6WtsmDu_6rcs3guEIgyxxnrGhA-vcYEv4o0P4ZgMtc3rraTuGHpLJQU_ulMlE/s400/IMG_4297.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477058581242062050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-15165014382633969212010-05-30T16:25:00.003+03:002010-06-14T01:37:08.706+03:00Cricket in Barbados<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMdzac30gnF9qVffszoNOPOuSEx4Ab5s4XkCeGal-nUSGBh8vsQ9bvDP1aKuySzotd2cn2_e557xSzJagujXypcGwwKrP24FgnHgyDHzNOYwoIPAl8BSwIA7Durb4tdRlcuPCLDdXqzA/s1600/IMG_4343.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMdzac30gnF9qVffszoNOPOuSEx4Ab5s4XkCeGal-nUSGBh8vsQ9bvDP1aKuySzotd2cn2_e557xSzJagujXypcGwwKrP24FgnHgyDHzNOYwoIPAl8BSwIA7Durb4tdRlcuPCLDdXqzA/s400/IMG_4343.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477057142838796498" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I admittedly go through hobby-phases - obsessing over learning how to make puff pastry; teaching myself book binding which doesn't come in handy as much as you'd think; and I have cross-stitch projects that can last a decade. Finally Dan and I have a hobby together - trying to figure out cricket. We expect that it will take us the entire time we are in Trinidad and may necessitate tours in other cricket-playing countries (yes this includes England but also includes Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, and Afghanistan - thanks to the greatness of empire).<br /><br />My work trip to Barbados (yes it sounds funny) coincided with the 20/20 World Cup. I think it is safe to say that when you can buy World Cup tickets that weekend that either there is a recession OR 20/20 cricket has not entirely caught on.<br /><br />As a reminder 20/20 cricket is a type of cricket where each team plays 20 overs each (baseball translation: an over is kind of like a mini-inning although cricket has their own innings - always in the plural)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQykWF8dzZ5dsKtTOCY_umTXVq2oggxVBN1uuMm3YtBppGYYFY2DmrtKVEsGPM7-Kn9qoy8NeJrxYZ7e4HKctZUemElYJwyf3bTVZCeDyrW-OQ-BEAB2oZChUl9T9839ALmyvqGFQe_M/s1600/IMG_4350.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQykWF8dzZ5dsKtTOCY_umTXVq2oggxVBN1uuMm3YtBppGYYFY2DmrtKVEsGPM7-Kn9qoy8NeJrxYZ7e4HKctZUemElYJwyf3bTVZCeDyrW-OQ-BEAB2oZChUl9T9839ALmyvqGFQe_M/s400/IMG_4350.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477055758379275314" border="0" /></a><br />Our seats for the World Cup were in fact in the party area which featured stiltwalkers. All-you-can-drink Bajan Banks beer and a lot of sun. I never remember to pack hats which is why I purchased this - one of the ugliest hats ever.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSFeAqiqjQfgCwZr8OmQXGuNhx-NOYbViI6fW4k04bYXWAuV089d-AAwmXY-dgXcDAG6FeIatv3Eng4enT8WhgstfHoJQZwZZSEMTzJ3_Y32PGfkCRPjm3Xgmu-vsAyvQ9GGQrhyEhmxc/s1600/IMG_4341.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSFeAqiqjQfgCwZr8OmQXGuNhx-NOYbViI6fW4k04bYXWAuV089d-AAwmXY-dgXcDAG6FeIatv3Eng4enT8WhgstfHoJQZwZZSEMTzJ3_Y32PGfkCRPjm3Xgmu-vsAyvQ9GGQrhyEhmxc/s400/IMG_4341.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477055747717115378" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmN_tYKbj2xa4OtM8-MkIvB3x2E8d05Kh-nO0fm3U8vVZmZFGzQLmCP3w-89HAIEdy9Cmc2l6YD7hl_gMQbRua11b20463t9RfKPblHj5zh8ZI5LlLH_tHueEPsL_d0crQzmDn5zahGM/s1600/IMG_4338.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmN_tYKbj2xa4OtM8-MkIvB3x2E8d05Kh-nO0fm3U8vVZmZFGzQLmCP3w-89HAIEdy9Cmc2l6YD7hl_gMQbRua11b20463t9RfKPblHj5zh8ZI5LlLH_tHueEPsL_d0crQzmDn5zahGM/s400/IMG_4338.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477055743870083602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNyLkk0h1kPSm6MM1c_jTwQsg5oiFdKuBHClfHwaukdIXE3mfY4bg0s9a0TlGP0eJFgzhy5kPn0xAzrykhhM7WZmiBtylNPOpZjnmKXC08DM07Gycv0_Gs38CSRlHMRlKQlrvKYX-i4w/s1600/IMG_4295.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNyLkk0h1kPSm6MM1c_jTwQsg5oiFdKuBHClfHwaukdIXE3mfY4bg0s9a0TlGP0eJFgzhy5kPn0xAzrykhhM7WZmiBtylNPOpZjnmKXC08DM07Gycv0_Gs38CSRlHMRlKQlrvKYX-i4w/s400/IMG_4295.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477055736697048706" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcKy-V1DlvAHBa8x6qVrLynDyzVspCreXMs-0AG_twETvCxMmmhieyjz7Pp0osywwR-TyYwQcEfyNrKoniFcwyys0LSJoUtdg5iPJHX09NQmDgZNQWVWGgndkDFkPOyUegY7435AfNgI/s1600/IMG_4294.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcKy-V1DlvAHBa8x6qVrLynDyzVspCreXMs-0AG_twETvCxMmmhieyjz7Pp0osywwR-TyYwQcEfyNrKoniFcwyys0LSJoUtdg5iPJHX09NQmDgZNQWVWGgndkDFkPOyUegY7435AfNgI/s400/IMG_4294.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477055730749261266" border="0" /></a><br />The event was held at Barabados' Kensington Oval. Here is me buying tickets on a day with less sun (and no Chester Cheetah). The event was England vs. Australia - England won handily. Earlier in the tournament the Windies had actually beaten England but they won because of the dratted Duckworth Lewis scoring system that determines a winner in the event of rain. No one believes that the Windies are better than England. <br /><br />We also decided to test our cricket attention span by moving from 20/20 cricket (a 3.5 hour game) on to One Day International (ODI) which is essentially 50/50. We only made it through half so we saw the Windies batting their 50 overs atrociously and we skipped the South Africans batting but heard that South Africa won. The next day at the airport I saw many Windies heading home to Barbados and they seemed a little too jovial given their loss.<br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-29352196033591239872010-05-03T22:32:00.000+03:002010-05-12T18:28:16.301+03:00Hanuman Murti Hindu TempleHeading south from Port of Spain, you'll find Chaguanas ("sha-GOH-niss") the de facto capital of East Indian Trinidad. East Indians make up 40% of the country's population, first arriving in 1845 when colonial sugar plantation owners sought labor following the abolition of slavery. Though they initially came as indentured servants, many elected to stay after their indentures had elapsed. Indian Arrival Day is celebrated here every May 30th.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7V7rHBOBzHTOr1_c32WKioBdSZy1Tg5V4XSfr6oq5cmgOFhOGIcpVl5ECGkuua1d-sjJZXqisdw59gDsgVy-grzSrgx_dgdnVfuMztEVwQg8BzA01pQ1twsjoxfrslkjRqSjweCvfWp0/s1600/IMG_4209.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7V7rHBOBzHTOr1_c32WKioBdSZy1Tg5V4XSfr6oq5cmgOFhOGIcpVl5ECGkuua1d-sjJZXqisdw59gDsgVy-grzSrgx_dgdnVfuMztEVwQg8BzA01pQ1twsjoxfrslkjRqSjweCvfWp0/s400/IMG_4209.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466760240026782914" border="0" /></a><br />This is the gloriously detailed Dattatreya Yoga Center and Ashram in Chaguanas, which is home to the Hanuman murti, an eight-story tall statue of the Hindu monkey deity.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrdbxchVBRiGKIGN4oRqHMe3kNUpDqGz67CZ2O6rVu6RgtoLMg4w0NrpalPRwshq2M_FKiqMHAlJGtAluvk_j69W33NcpDn4rhc4xgd_VaBGa6fudEpC2i21tK7Cs_e0chZOEvtMKe8U/s1600/IMG_4214.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrdbxchVBRiGKIGN4oRqHMe3kNUpDqGz67CZ2O6rVu6RgtoLMg4w0NrpalPRwshq2M_FKiqMHAlJGtAluvk_j69W33NcpDn4rhc4xgd_VaBGa6fudEpC2i21tK7Cs_e0chZOEvtMKe8U/s400/IMG_4214.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466760235741394418" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtKdl13sf-PQWSiC_yXtiGZUaxY_8xMyoaX64jPLXNZxc7T69qLXWf_VVMsTEXFoe39gImOWCIeqJWce8iI5jPYn5AtHwKnXJEOJ3Tq3pZ0O_6uW59UZS7iUXrhr-DplmsOqGUKOZf2g/s1600/IMG_4217.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtKdl13sf-PQWSiC_yXtiGZUaxY_8xMyoaX64jPLXNZxc7T69qLXWf_VVMsTEXFoe39gImOWCIeqJWce8iI5jPYn5AtHwKnXJEOJ3Tq3pZ0O_6uW59UZS7iUXrhr-DplmsOqGUKOZf2g/s400/IMG_4217.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466760226681273666" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtozS8aWggSXia4GqsW7gcPmyPI4VsN76GXlsBk4IE5YDrk544AMP1cpMwF1JpzwJKj_yMH_KISsDAxeCN9phDzqLspWYHReNBKSstJgKctLwwsEX_qOX1RYk3yWASoOT4YqRnZFtNv6Q/s1600/IMG_4222.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtozS8aWggSXia4GqsW7gcPmyPI4VsN76GXlsBk4IE5YDrk544AMP1cpMwF1JpzwJKj_yMH_KISsDAxeCN9phDzqLspWYHReNBKSstJgKctLwwsEX_qOX1RYk3yWASoOT4YqRnZFtNv6Q/s400/IMG_4222.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466760207304958178" border="0" /></a><br />Prayer flags like these adorn the yards of many Hindu homes. These are near the Waterloo Temple.<br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-90574143460429024662010-05-02T23:03:00.005+03:002010-05-21T00:02:27.300+03:00April tourist destination - Macqueripe and TobagoMy parents also visited in April. We tried to show off Trinidad including a trip to one of our favorite beaches at Macqueripe. My parents saw monkeys on Trinidad before we had seen them on one of their drives around the island. They showed us the spot so we can now show off red howler monkeys to any new visitors.<br /><br />Macqueripe....<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGzUSmFKYRdO8xt-qge_zejbbD7J8yzru0tGgCBSzKLMJFMX3AcKFucjiNcQOaruutRRO32yt2NeFhQaKSJy4iO9JxN1nZz4CBBsHqBoYx-Ryt2s7L3Qp-R2GDeZ6LY1gmO0CCnKH76o0/s1600/IMG_4289.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGzUSmFKYRdO8xt-qge_zejbbD7J8yzru0tGgCBSzKLMJFMX3AcKFucjiNcQOaruutRRO32yt2NeFhQaKSJy4iO9JxN1nZz4CBBsHqBoYx-Ryt2s7L3Qp-R2GDeZ6LY1gmO0CCnKH76o0/s400/IMG_4289.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466767558732370466" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHJDkgcjT0jBmno1qLGyloGbApzW092XMg1d6Huukhms39htGGh6MxTsxb2hWPcUgaxPzz-E95r2HcGeRb1gmHaa5ekPyYNAIcHaSRt3qVk-kVltqpqPZfse6XoNlDuBwuj1a2iDJMgU/s1600/IMG_4286.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqHJDkgcjT0jBmno1qLGyloGbApzW092XMg1d6Huukhms39htGGh6MxTsxb2hWPcUgaxPzz-E95r2HcGeRb1gmHaa5ekPyYNAIcHaSRt3qVk-kVltqpqPZfse6XoNlDuBwuj1a2iDJMgU/s400/IMG_4286.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466767550531899346" border="0" /></a><br />Monkeys....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7PqNwDtM1aXXqRG6BBonNSpiKQ1er_6MJASyZy9WOwBc3LBHr0QXdBfoNBV-ecO2AMbCouHCpbDX9JkH3UJqiETQqo6nXTI8lfdYV7Oaq8Ejps4SlrJEHHZYnxekJ1xVT3ygSCsvoE4/s1600/IMG_4282.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7PqNwDtM1aXXqRG6BBonNSpiKQ1er_6MJASyZy9WOwBc3LBHr0QXdBfoNBV-ecO2AMbCouHCpbDX9JkH3UJqiETQqo6nXTI8lfdYV7Oaq8Ejps4SlrJEHHZYnxekJ1xVT3ygSCsvoE4/s400/IMG_4282.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466767542540474322" border="0" /></a><br />Dad on Tobago...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRK4Q8D1_WDQoHQQzDn1qIdpVZdBTSuJolIEE_klwZNDy-Ein4E1dfSFNhsfY7jRpZEks0TOc_aY5wWZLO-WzOgbweCF1-3VjMYe6ahXYMDr-XShLMM6399-sFl6G6Z9V77-5nT1DxOU/s1600/IMG_4270.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRK4Q8D1_WDQoHQQzDn1qIdpVZdBTSuJolIEE_klwZNDy-Ein4E1dfSFNhsfY7jRpZEks0TOc_aY5wWZLO-WzOgbweCF1-3VjMYe6ahXYMDr-XShLMM6399-sFl6G6Z9V77-5nT1DxOU/s400/IMG_4270.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466767529262831282" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-73917939901492163072010-05-02T22:54:00.004+03:002010-05-21T00:00:15.290+03:00April tourist destinations - tar pit and wildfowl refuge<div> </div><br /><div> </div><br /><br /><div>It may be that all nations believe that they have within their borders "one of the seven wonders of the world." Jordan certainly believed that Petra was worthy of that honor. We think that Trinidad's wonder may be among the more modest. It is the La Brea tar pit. I think brea must be spanish for "tar" because California has one too. Trinidad's tar pit is still being used commercially with equipment harvesting the high-quality pitch - but it is also a tourist site. We joined a group of 20 Trinis for an explanation of the greatness of pitch. You can walk on the surface and most of it feels like the sponge-y surface they have under fancy playgrounds. In some spots the liquid pitch is closer to the surface. Here is our guide showing how liquid it is.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg104aVSix_fkx84qXhVoO9sXVJ7c8mFnnbQdwzwrsLBj1A-S9olDh9H9Rx5CI-xxBdtWQOAYEeqXimWEhM2ZKXEmu0Ij6Kt5a80d57TLryk4OSJm-M-snXfwzv5dV91P748rioBpxRqZo/s1600/IMG_4233.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466765542004547858" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 300px; cursor: pointer; height: 400px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg104aVSix_fkx84qXhVoO9sXVJ7c8mFnnbQdwzwrsLBj1A-S9olDh9H9Rx5CI-xxBdtWQOAYEeqXimWEhM2ZKXEmu0Ij6Kt5a80d57TLryk4OSJm-M-snXfwzv5dV91P748rioBpxRqZo/s400/IMG_4233.JPG" border="0" /></a>Still liquid-y...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4k0Cu9wJfGpUlpEOscFd-T9U_Aa-RF9tIrHVDdmEZjdgKZSIvyU3zQsnUSEXAeaVcyT1EqdiM2Ics4MBZ7OKrVgAHXYVLgEoZJl1Nr9X93MxtslVTc11V-CIy7NIEUtDGGd1NaUJE00/s1600/IMG_4231.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466765527530498866" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4k0Cu9wJfGpUlpEOscFd-T9U_Aa-RF9tIrHVDdmEZjdgKZSIvyU3zQsnUSEXAeaVcyT1EqdiM2Ics4MBZ7OKrVgAHXYVLgEoZJl1Nr9X93MxtslVTc11V-CIy7NIEUtDGGd1NaUJE00/s400/IMG_4231.JPG" border="0" /></a>People marveling. The guide praised the restorative qualities of the water that is also in the pitch lake. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3E4zlAz-oBsEMonjkVrPS54eSC86Ed_gsr8CdxWT4E-pHTRu8FdBs-8Oj38rMFHEB7hHiw5WKJTAxTjDQAtqeGEXSgWTVnWpKSlBJ57Ei6n6J4iIulNg20-m_OnNGUONwlQQ8CR3HJjI/s1600/IMG_4230.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466765520076842338" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3E4zlAz-oBsEMonjkVrPS54eSC86Ed_gsr8CdxWT4E-pHTRu8FdBs-8Oj38rMFHEB7hHiw5WKJTAxTjDQAtqeGEXSgWTVnWpKSlBJ57Ei6n6J4iIulNg20-m_OnNGUONwlQQ8CR3HJjI/s400/IMG_4230.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />We continued our tour of "industry as tourism" that day with a trip to the water foul refuge housed within the nation's petroleum processing plant. You need a reservation and you drive past many scary plants spewing gas flares and then you enter a stunningly beautiful park with ducks...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTF0UgVfu2pSxB88DEXuKXzpQZD3rJlXIW-HVMgTcotyradwyhNUODA9rcCrpm2loXsMdVvJ0ZJAbLYX0HKh28_KKkNwKeRDbS7iWWtDrHg5aJEZpJz7vUSREFpEcQ_qX8gxdEzxxUMFM/s1600/IMG_4245.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466765509509491890" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTF0UgVfu2pSxB88DEXuKXzpQZD3rJlXIW-HVMgTcotyradwyhNUODA9rcCrpm2loXsMdVvJ0ZJAbLYX0HKh28_KKkNwKeRDbS7iWWtDrHg5aJEZpJz7vUSREFpEcQ_qX8gxdEzxxUMFM/s400/IMG_4245.JPG" border="0" /></a>And birds who like showing off for the turtles...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkrZnj08l0RGY4PMKtd1O3RqNQ-0D0ecyhJp4m5W_WDYC9QRkR1d41qW044u-0yKi-4yMXrrymKobbQLdjLI30lKXJM67tXq1quwdbd9o0bvaXj2Ha4kEYk9yIbSn9KanNJcvq0_3qdw/s1600/IMG_4257.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466765506445570354" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; cursor: pointer; height: 300px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkrZnj08l0RGY4PMKtd1O3RqNQ-0D0ecyhJp4m5W_WDYC9QRkR1d41qW044u-0yKi-4yMXrrymKobbQLdjLI30lKXJM67tXq1quwdbd9o0bvaXj2Ha4kEYk9yIbSn9KanNJcvq0_3qdw/s400/IMG_4257.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden"> </div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630205876631693913.post-47447004270582728952010-05-02T22:10:00.004+03:002010-05-02T22:29:40.623+03:00April tourist destinations - Caroni SwampCaroni swamp is one of our new favorite places in Trinidad (we also like the beaches and have a favorite sushi restaurant). Caroni is a mangrove swamp with channels that were originally cut for irrigating sugar cane fields. The wetlands are now protected and are the nesting place for that national bird - the scarlet ibis - these pictures do not do these beautiful red birds justice.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCTrDcLnV-UBWDEX81Ism40koxPScA8ijFVG2qPgoxeO9tp8kkRBSqb_lTucKQFitGw0pwcu5zf9ayc7_oEJu05iGPXgcu-Hen4EooCaqo0n6yGXPplvxtIDyEumO7QE7ZjnT-fSbzZs/s1600/IMG_4122.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCTrDcLnV-UBWDEX81Ism40koxPScA8ijFVG2qPgoxeO9tp8kkRBSqb_lTucKQFitGw0pwcu5zf9ayc7_oEJu05iGPXgcu-Hen4EooCaqo0n6yGXPplvxtIDyEumO7QE7ZjnT-fSbzZs/s400/IMG_4122.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466754222129202498" border="0" /></a><br />The tour leaves at 4:00 and goes an hour into the swamp. The birds seem to fly like clockwork and around 5:30 each day the return to a nesting spot for the night after a day of eating. The birds landed in a couple of trees - fight for spots with black cormorants. What was weird was that while these trees were covered with birds, other trees were absolutely empty.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittAo_KJFqgnjj0FpszDvyVuCpyNNZ8eaU-eR85pMLWG5_64DECEKgb03fXEeuHMy4wXtR2xZq5NCgqoe9TAiMLyk0MxrtIOPXkmlM0eRoq494Ld-4WHmIwbSw5MKrVPqRvr4qUCeQOog/s1600/IMG_4188.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittAo_KJFqgnjj0FpszDvyVuCpyNNZ8eaU-eR85pMLWG5_64DECEKgb03fXEeuHMy4wXtR2xZq5NCgqoe9TAiMLyk0MxrtIOPXkmlM0eRoq494Ld-4WHmIwbSw5MKrVPqRvr4qUCeQOog/s400/IMG_4188.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466754221057379042" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The birds flew in from every direction to the nesting spot.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUdZ2puggmXBJSWu0uwbBHkQlUggJCyrWqPzmAQmcc-ZzMPG6AeyJuc1OX6fJdw39DjrArXP_IRCwtwRGaiUqxbmnh4TU18u3A29s_LUN9z0ydDAJC08TrGZjvFMzhqhhF-7vrxXepgo/s1600/IMG_4172.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUdZ2puggmXBJSWu0uwbBHkQlUggJCyrWqPzmAQmcc-ZzMPG6AeyJuc1OX6fJdw39DjrArXP_IRCwtwRGaiUqxbmnh4TU18u3A29s_LUN9z0ydDAJC08TrGZjvFMzhqhhF-7vrxXepgo/s400/IMG_4172.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466754211126036514" border="0" /></a><br />On the boat ride we also spotted snakes ...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZDfceFaujGuDAOljxC1WWeNIt6p1_gHKpMrT9GIRJUKESA37213DjJAfbU2csbq8M3lUqq-ZroQlmF0trg3OGQIDsYdROGwSjHFJMvJCfdXgcZ0Mnh6xJwgUNfuzQlthsaNf_aJEq9w/s1600/IMG_4137.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZDfceFaujGuDAOljxC1WWeNIt6p1_gHKpMrT9GIRJUKESA37213DjJAfbU2csbq8M3lUqq-ZroQlmF0trg3OGQIDsYdROGwSjHFJMvJCfdXgcZ0Mnh6xJwgUNfuzQlthsaNf_aJEq9w/s400/IMG_4137.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466754198405234962" border="0" /></a><br />... and crabs (which the birds eat).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPAqJuO0iHhbvxJmy1ZPjjBPqu2c-VVAcCLNcNsjCYkMNRxOCi0UePh3nmi8EWoafB5y7F-EtoYposM9TIrDuKI98uGamVocvzhv7mgSdedvxDeJFCwx0syT7kPzCoGcfIS8gF32bXpFE/s1600/IMG_4120.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPAqJuO0iHhbvxJmy1ZPjjBPqu2c-VVAcCLNcNsjCYkMNRxOCi0UePh3nmi8EWoafB5y7F-EtoYposM9TIrDuKI98uGamVocvzhv7mgSdedvxDeJFCwx0syT7kPzCoGcfIS8gF32bXpFE/s400/IMG_4120.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5466754186195689906" border="0" /></a>Dan & Duffyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02640548873699366298noreply@blogger.com0