If you get a call from any of the respective governments of any of these places: WE DIDN'T DO IT
1. The U.S. (Bought there boat there, attempted to get it ready there as well. Ran aground in Georgia, ate fried alligator in Florida, and went to an over-the-top Civil War re-enactment in South Carolina. They're still fighting the war down there...)
2. The Bahamas. (Picturesque, expensive, touristy. Georgetown, the unofficial capital of the Bahamas cruising scene, was just like that movie "The Stepford Wives". Everyone loved each other in public, but honestly hated each others guts. It was hilarious to hear plastered American yachties flirt with each other on the public radio channel...)
3. The Dominican republic. (Cheap beer, cheap food, cheap living, expensive bribes to officials. There is a bar there, called Cpt. Steve's, run by an ex-cruiser named- you guessed it- Steve. We had a great time there, they became really good friends. Plus, Dylan and I got to use the pool table for free!)
4. Puerto Rico. (Let's just say McDonalds tastes the same everywhere, if you get my meaning. For some odd reason only mentally unstable individuals drive cars there. Pretty island, though.)
5. St. Croix. (EXPENSIVE.)
6. Dutch St. Martin. (Beautiful. A nice mix of Dutch and French culture, but full of cruise ship tourists and typically expensive for this part of the world.)
7. Guadeloupe. (The customs official there, hands down, wins the prize for "Loudest Fart While Searching for Firearms and Illigal Substances on a Boat." The only really good thing on the island was the bread. Mmmmm....)
8. Martinique. (Nude beaches! Err, never mind that. We weren't legally there, as we couldn't find the customs building.)
9. Dominica. (Gorgeous. We would have stayed longer, but alas hurricane season was on the way and we needed to head south to escape it. The river scene in the second "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie was filmed there.)
10. St. Lucia. (Really nice place, friendly people. Played billiards with some local kids and the chef at the marina restaurant, fixed broken shit on the boat. Of course, we do that everywhere...)
11. St. Vincent. (Stayed in the bay where they filmed the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Not too much left, but it was pretty cool. They had a few props left over in a beach-side restaurant. On the south side of the island we walked around a nature reserve/garden, following a tour guide whom I suspect sampled a bit too much of the local flora.)
12. Bequai. (We did a lot of spectacular diving here, had a great time. Although the local people were slightly rude.)
13. Canoun. (Just stopped here for a few days on our way to Grenada.)
14. Union Island. (Yet another quick stop- we had hurricanes on the way, you know!)
15. Grenada. (Absolutely loved it here, in fact we stayed for four months. We met a lot of great people, explored the island, and Dylan and I took steel pan drum lessons. If our Dad hadn't needed to spend six straight weeks in the hot, smelly engine room fixing our seized engine it would have been perfect.)
16. Bonaire. (We dove almost every single day here. Explored the island in a Jeep, saw flamingos in the salt flats, and stared in bewilderment at the cactus that dotted the hills.)
17. Curacao. (Only spent a week here. The day we came in was the kid's regatta- a few hundred kids going around the harbour in small boats. What a great time to arrive!)
18. Aruba. (Very touristy. Our grandpa flew down for a few weeks here, we had a good time. In the marina, we were directly across from the casino. Another great way to deplete our cruising funds.)
19. Colombia. (Cartagena was VERY, VERY HOT! The old city was great to tour around, as were the various forts. Not too dangerous nowadays, there is a big police presence in the city.)
20.The San Blas Islands. (A beautiful group of some 365 small, low lying islands lying just off the Panamanian coast. They are home to the indiginous Kuna Indians, who moved to that region 200 years ago from a part of the mainland which is known as Kuna Yala. The diving and snorkelling are spectacular, the weather is rainy in the rainy season and very windy in the dry season, typical of panama. Great place, just watch out for the "Kuna taxes." Oddly, the only English any of them know is: "One dalla!")
21. Portobelo. (Portobelo is a town located about 20nm away from Colon, the atlantic entrance to the panama canal. From the 16th to 18th century, it was a vital point for shipping silver and gold accross the mainland. Host of a few famous naval battles, the forts and some old buildings still stand despite the years.)
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