“Exploring new places is a great way to relax and clear your mind” (Holly R. Patrick)

One might logically reason that a fourteen day cruise to eight exotic islands in the Eastern Caribbean region would resonate with passengers as a time to slow one’s pace for a restful respite from daily life struggles. Yet on the contrary, this latest cruise adventure of ours revealed to me little incentive for cruisers to change such fast paced behavior exhibited at home. In particular, I observed then that many of the on board activities seemingly designed for game show-like environs aboard ship kept passengers busy in high energy mode at various times of the day. So I often wondered why Princess Cruise Company daily announcements throughout the ship did not advertise more relaxing settings like the yoga studio, exercise area, and massage rooms each day.

Thus it seems we too might have become a victim of such sensory overload by witnessing other such lively ship routines as (1) the “bumper car” customer movement to and from the food buffet area, (2)  crowd gathering mayhem for passengers waiting for island  excursions to begin, as well as (3) the nightly barrage of high powered  entertainment offerings in various gathering points throughout the ship. Yet Ruth and I stubbornly prioritized a more relaxing experience according to our personal interests on and off the boat when we could. Consider then in the photo set below some of our “Yin” more than “Yang” experiences in our daily wanderings on and off the boat.

” Best of an island is once you get there. You can’t go any further… you’ve come to the end of things…” (Agatha Christie)

The thought of touring eight beautiful islands in the Caribbean Basin in retrospect last week seemed so much more to me than a pleasant tourist adventure. For in my view, there’s a bit of self therapy reasoning to visit each of these places. The following original poem thus envisions how each of us might find the ideal island to visit based on our present state of mind.

ANY ISLAND WON’T DO

When Mind Needs It’s Body To Refresh Closed Doors

It’s Time For Aruba’s Sparkling Blue Shores

When Dark Memories Waste Away Your Spirit of Play

Sail East For Tanned Tranquillity In Barbados Bay

When Spurts Of Desire Wish To Turn Milk Into Cream

Fine Yacht Can Await You in St. Thomas Sprung Dream

When Heavy Heart Fears Seem Too Much For Mention

Martinique’s French Lightness Might Ease Such Tension

When Nature’s Calling Bursts In Green, Red and Blue

A Dominica Jaunt Seems The Right Place For You

So What’s Stopping You Now From Pleasurable Detach?

Just Find The Right Island That Makes A Good Match!

One’s destination is never a place, but always a new way of seeing things” (Henry Miller)

Our most recent cruise vacation is now providing me with a wonderful opportunity to explore a variety of issue perspectives with regard to eight (8) interesting destinations in the Eastern Caribbean region. Such opposing opinions are thus stated below with accompanying photos for week two of this fourteen day cruise.

Barbados (Moving Up and Down)

More than any other island we’ve visited on our present cruise, we needed to work harder in Barbados to find those much sought feelings of tropical bliss. For it seemed to be a difficult task to escape the sprawling industrial look surrounding Bridgetown, our latest port of call. Perhaps we needed the exercise anyway as we began our latest tour with a brisk walk from the cruise terminal through enticing shopping corridors to our awaiting 4X4 jeep. From that point on, this “yang” experience intensified with an adrenaline rush as we grasped tightly to our seat rail when bounced up and down roughly as we steadily climbed hills to the island interior and then to the more secluded eastern shore. Thankfully, our energetic driver would stop abruptly once or twice early on this ride so we could “catch our breath” in the middle of nowhere while he engaged with passing “locals” in casual conversations. We seemed fortunate as well to take a few breaks later on from this brisk, rollercoaster like experience when our driver stopped according to his set schedule to offer us fresh sugarcane to taste, point out a cow grazing lazily in a field, describe the kinds of fruit grown on a native tree and reveal the historic meaning of a stone wall. Yet the most notable highlight of this tour took place as we descended steeply to the far eastern shore for the first time and took sight of the long white shores along amazing Bathsheba Bay. How satisfying it felt then to accomplish fifteen minutes of slow quality time spent along these tranquil beaches after this wild afternoon of “”bucking bronco” traveling effort.

Trinidad (Animal Behavior)

Looking forward to a break from the rigid time schedule of guided ship excursions and massive cruise passenger gatherings, the island of Trinidad provided a nice opportunity to self plan a tour from our Port of Spain location to a place of our own choosing. Thus as we stepped out of the cruise terminal, a feasible opportunity arose to do so upon being warmly greeted by an older looking Trinidad woman who offered an inexpensive ride at $30.00 round trip for us at the city’s well renowned Emperor Valley Zoo. So we accepted this two hour visit when the driver graciously offered to both drop us off and later pick us up at this designated time frame we desired. I can happily report that we then took our time to circulate around the zoo corridors to breathe in fresh air on this cooler than expected morning feeling strongly that some wild animals caged in close proximity to us would sense our presence to them and provide some interesting natural behavior to observe. In this regard, I soon imagined the loud cacophony of squawking parrots and toucans begging to be let out of their cage, the loud roar of the big cats feeling hungry for some new meat, the unfolding plume of a peacock proudly flirting with its mate and the squeaking monkeys calling to each other in free spirited play.

Aruba (Saving Earth)

Beautiful white sand beaches abound around much of Aruba but overdevelopment of the island presents a serious problem from a climate crisis perspective. So from my vantage point based on our latest bus excursion from our cruise stop in Oranjestad, I advise any prospective tourist who visits Aruba to decide more selectively where to go in order to experience those rugged windswept vistas and pristine shorelines that this popular island mecca for tourism is noted for. Know for instance that much of the island suffers now from a serious water shortage, especially the cactus filled interior which receives less than ten inches of rainfall per year. Along the popular west coast, rapid urban gentrification in popular tourist spots like Palm Beach and Eagle Beach means seemingly endless rows of urban sprawl and associated problems of air pollution, traffic congestion and undisposable piles of plastic and other discarded garbage along the road. With up to 12,000 cruise boat tourists arriving at times in Oranjestad on a given day, a more relaxing piece of advice then seems that a savvy tourist should prioritize a slow drive to the more remote northern tip of Aruba at Arashi Beach as we did today. Just plop down then with your sun block, sip some refreshing coconut water and watch out for the deceptive pull of the undertow when you take a dip in the Caribbean Sea.

Curacao (Range of Emotion)

From previous visits to the Dutch capital of Willemstad in Curaçao, I’ve been very much reminded that this inviting tourist spot seems to be a smaller version of Amsterdam, Holland with its accessible walkways over narrow canals into a colorfully quaint town center. But for our final tour of this cruise vacation into the interior of the island, it seemed I wanted to experience something more firsthand just than reliving nostalgic memories of past European settings. So off we went by bus instead to an island ostrich farm where our super enthusiastic guide on the park tram encouraged us to more directly encounter these prehistoric avian giants in the wilds. You might imagine how much I laughed then upon volunteering to stick my arm out with a bucket of pellets over the fence barrier as several of them anxiously pecked away at this inviting snack. Somewhat more fearfully, I also repeated the experiment again with no bucket as the toothless ostriches took the treats by awkwardly pecking my hand. But it seems that I obtained the greatest thrill at the end of this visit in noticing how a severely autistic man sitting across from me on our excursion smiled very happily as a result of this most unusual ostrich encounter.

” Changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes” Jimmy Buffet)

Our most recent cruise vacation is now providing me with a wonderful opportunity to explore a variety of issue perspectives with regard to eight (8) interesting destinations in the Eastern Caribbean region. Such opposing opinions are thus stated below with accompanying photos for week one of this fourteen day cruise.

Radiating Fast Yang Energy vs. Slow Yin Energy (St. Thomas/St. John)

My initial initial impression of St. Thomas as we landed in Charlotte Amelie definitely exuded a lifestyle involving ultra luxury yachts, sleek speed boats, and aggressive resort tour operations geared to some heavy indulgence in fast paced fun like zip-lining and kayaking nearby. Having no desire to “buy into” such hedonistic antics, we instead booked an inexpensive ferry for a much desired “slowdown” experience at less visited St. John Island. We then settled into enjoy three morning hours of tranquil beachfront views and pleasant walks around tiny Cruz Bay. When it began to rain, we found pleasant refuge under some tall shade trees sipping coconut water while engaging in some informal conversations with cruise members from our ship.

Experiencing Old Times vs. New Times (St. Kitts)

Our next island experience in St. Kitts beginning at Basseterre Bay appeared to portray very much a country in historic transition. Most definitely , those days of British colonial rule with stately government buildings and vast plantations for sugar production and other products still exist as evidenced by our guided excursion westerly along the coast to Fairview Great House and Botanical Gardens. But from a modern tourist perspective, I noticed equally the conspicuous presence of colorful welcome structures and billboards, glitzy electronic marketing tools, trendy shopping mall complexes, exclusive golf course resorts , and a spacious a new International Airport accessible to downtown. So If you want to avoid such commercial touristic overload, I would recommend taking a short ride to the highest points of the island and spend awhile for some fantastic views of both the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea below.

Exhibiting Balance vs.Imbalance (Martinique)

We have never visited French influenced Martinique before this cruise. So with a fresh outlook, our landing at Fort -de – France environs along the westerly portion of the island soon registered as one exuding a mixture of balance and imbalance sightings during our excursion to Jardin de Balata high above the city. Along the way there, I first noticed miles of shabby housing conditions protruding in irregular fashion along steep slopes surrounding our views. I could only imagine then the horrific damage a category 5 hurricane could inflict on such unstable residential grounds. Yet the tropical nature of the environment there seemed to opposingly instill more of a delicate visual balance between land, sky, and sea. Proceeding to the massive grounds of the Balata Arboretum itself, I thus observed a continuation of wild nature’s synergistic balance as provided by its well manicured tropical gardens spreading prominently around this site. Interestingly, I might also share that much of Balata’s greenery could be best viewed from above in bouncing up and down from point to point via an elevated rope bridge. So I might report in this regard that it’s no surprise that I personally experienced a hard time keeping my balance on these somewhat unusual modes of transport.

The Matter of Safety (Dominica)

From a human respective, our cruise visit to Roseau, Dominica and its southern beach coast definitely exuded a most hospitable air of friendliness in everyone we met. After all, as we noticed a common Dominica motto, “Don’t Worry Be Happy on public taxis, it appeared there would be no problem for us if we needed to induce a local stranger to help us in times of crisis. But we most certainly would find driving around the island a risk-filled challenge. Consider in illustration those narrowly curving roads running perilously close to oceanside cliffs below that we experienced by taxi in traveling to scenic Scotts Head, the most southerly point around the island. Along the way, I would also make note of the impending danger that the steep cliffs on the inland side which might represent during heavy rainfall periods an added danger of mudslides and rock debris likely falling unexpectedly in the pathway of passing vehicle traffic below. A noticeable lack of modern infrastructure conveniences noticed along the route of these secluded roadways most would also make basic functions like finding a store to eat or using the bathroom a major issue for tourists then. From past experience, I could therefore conclude that these same travel issues would exist on those who decide to partake on those popular touristic visits to the Dominica rainforest in its central point mountains above.

“Let me sail the open sea. To breathe the warm and salty air and dream of things to be.”( Erica Billups).

After two years of pandemic stirred madness, USFMAN and his wife Ruth sailed off from Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades passenger terminal on a cool and sunny Saturday afternoon.

So with the itinerary calling for two days of lingering on board our ship as we set out southeast along the Caribbean basin, I took time to display photographs below of some physical space variations that may impact our enjoyment of this vacation below

Notice as well that our cruise schedule calls for six consecutive island landings in the coming days. So I look forward to presenting my next blog about each of these destinations when our next sea days happen at the end of the week.

“The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what has come to see.” (G.K.Chesterton)

When my wife Ruth and I explore freely on cruise vacations, we typically do not pre- program ourselves to follow the crowd off the boat according to cruise director site recommendations Those popular tourist spots can wait. Thus we allow ourselves to explore without boundaries and then see more in depth what the journey has to offer.

So during our upcoming cruise to the Eastern Caribbean region, for the next 14 days I’ve decided to focus more mindfully on some contrasting themes of a photographic quality for each of the destinations we visit along the way. Brief written explanations of such visual impressions that I experience on land and at sea will also accompany my blog postings during this time. Observe my following plan below. Bon Voyage 

Radiating Fast Yang Energy vs. Slow Yin Energy (St. Kitts)

Rising Above vs. Going Below (Barbados)

Making One Cry vs. Causing A Laugh (Trinidad)

Experiencing Old Times vs. New Times (St. Thomas)

Showing Narrowness vs. Broadness Of Space (Fort Lauderdale)

Exhibiting Wasteful vs.Conservation Of Our Earth (Curaçao)

Feeling Safe vs.In Danger (Aruba)

Acting Wild vs.Tame (Dominica)

Exhibiting Balance vs.Imbalance (Martinique)

“With age comes wisdom. With travel comes understanding.” (Sandra Lake)

I’m going on a fourteen day cruise with my wife Ruth this week, traveling to eight islands in the Eastern Caribbean region. This original poem expresses my thoughts about unexpected loneliness that can arise during such an extended stay along those empty spaces of the “high seas”. For we all experience human closeness at times for those we’ve left behind.

MOONLIGHT STIRRING

How curiously now I saw your fond face

Staring up at mist moon from inner space

Its luminous light then marked such seeing

With no traces of thought but plentiful being

So your ageless soul brings me a smile

For we’ll share optimal health for awhile

“ Transcendence gets you beyond ego. If you go beyond ego, you see all of this in a more decent perspective and you can start to put all the pieces together.” ( Edgar Mitchell )

I’ve recently rejuvenated my yoga practice in the more satisfying interpersonal setting of a live studio environment in Weston, Florida after two years of online Zoom only sessions during the Corona scare. So I dedicate the following original poem to those latest yoga teachers I’ve encountered there whose sessions I wholeheartedly enjoy.

TRANSCENDENCE RESTORED

Yoga Session On Mat In Soothing Motion

With Yin Yang In Mind As A Magic Potion

For Beyond One’s Ego Lies Hidden Talents

To Wake Up One’s Being From Mind Imbalance

So In Moving In Silence With Your Gentle Touch

I Thank You For Guiding Me So Very Much

“ Music replays the past memories, awakens our forgotten worlds, and makes our mind travel. ” ( Michael Bassey Johnson)

I’ve been pondering for awhile the need to discard thousands of music CD’s I’ve collected over the past thirty years lying neatly in cabinets along our condo living room walls. Certainly there’s a space issue involved in trying to downsize my material music possessions. But more importantly I rarely play CDs any more in the face of the more convenient digital streaming evolution. So in less than two months time, I’ve conducted a project to transfer the contents of each CD album I own to several customized Spotify playlists set up by category. Take a  look at the title photograph of this blog and you might notice how I’ve organized these music files for future ease of playback access when desired. 

Interestingly, this process of methodically digitizing to Spotify my physical music collection revealed two major results of timely personal interest. For given the current storage space limits on my IPad and I Phone, my heavy Spotify project downloads would first of all compel me to take a long look at other current app subscriptions that seemed to be draining my current storage space limits on these devices and thus were no longer needed. So I’ve managed to save time and money by being more selective in what apps I wish to keep using for practical reasons especially in travel , sports, and news topic fields.

A second “bottom line consequence “of more emotional interest happened as I re-listened to so many song segments for an hour or so each day during the CD transfer process. For on those occasions of those randomly selected replays of my favorite albums, I found myself reminiscing in “deja vu” style about memorable short and longer vacations that we’ve enjoyed before. How special it seemed then to become acutely aware of those iconic song lyrics that still inspire my wife and me today to continue our wondrous wanderings around the world and throughout our home country of America on our own independent terms. Notice below then a short sample of some motivating words and accompanying sound links from four of those magical music creations below that fuel our free spirit to travel.

** This blog is also available as a podcast on Spotify. Just type in  the Search box there – Snippets of A Traveling Mind

The Long Way Around – The Chicks

“I’ve been a long time gone now
Maybe someday, someday I’m gonna settle down
But I’ve always found my way somehow
By takin’ the long way, takin’ the long way around
Takin’ the long way, takin’ the long way around”

https://youtu.be/B1qgazBdKj8

Wooden Ships – Crosby Stills, Nash And Young 

“Wooden ships on the water, very free and easy
Easy, you know the way it’s supposed to be
Silver people on the shoreline, let us be
Talkin’ ’bout very free and easy”. And it’s a fair wind blowin’ warm
Out of the south over my shoulder
I guess I’ll set a course and go”

https://youtu.be/xlquQRt6PfI

The Traveler: Days Are Numbers – Alan Parsons Group

“The traveler is always leaving home
The only kind of life he’s ever known
When every moment seems to be a race against the time
There’s always one more mountain left to climb

https://youtu.be/T0WAZjeE9lU

Traveling Wilburys – End Of The Line

“Well, it’s all right riding around in the breeze
Well, it’s all right if you live the life you please
Well, it’s all right doing the best you can
Well, it’s all right as long as you lend a hand”

https://youtu.be/vks7Xy018rw

Has Elvis Presley really left the building as the saying goes? At least that thought seemed to be on my mind as I watched the much anticipated Elvis movie last week on the big screen. For in addition to the Elvis hype of the movie, I’ve seen my “fill’ of iconic Elvis moments at various Las Vegas casinos, his Mississippi birthplace and Memphis Graceland Estate on our road trip visits that convinces me of his “larger than life” status in rock n’ roll music around the world then and now.

Yet I must admit as a past band member myself and world traveler, there’s a deeper human side to explain the rise and fall of Elvis’ fanatical stardom that began when he recorded his first musical hit at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee on July 5, 1954. So I’ve compiled in the following paragraphs some personal reflections about Elvis the person beyond his extraordinary rock n’ roll legacy and how they might directly relate to future improvements in our future travels.

1. Elvis’ Color Blind Mentality

In the film, Elvis’ music arose from a wide diversity of musical styles played during deeply segregated 1950s times.For he consciously resisted prejudicial pressure against those who believed his act to be wrong for America by embracing such music legends as B.B. King, Mahalia Jackson, as well as the Beatles in his later times. So I could use such timely advice as a road tripper and world journeyer by acting more assertively to find common ground with “locals” who might confront my wife and me in “red” states like Alabama, West Virginia, and Idaho because of our politically different ways.

2. Elvis’ Team Evolution

In the mid 1950s, the film clearly illustrates that Elvis’ popularity as “The King of Rock n’ Roll” exploded during each nightly performance as a charismatic solo artist. In fact, however, he never actually wrote original music for any of his songs. Know as well that as Elvis grew older, his later performances in Las Vegas took place on a grander scale as more polished set lists in sync with an orchestral stage show setting. Thus he became increasingly interdependent with those comprising his team of musicians each night to sustain the high energy performance that the audience expected of him each night. Thus given Elvis’ need to become more than a solo act, might I also be more  receptive to the idea of delegating more responsibilities for planning our vacations to my wife and respected travel agencies now.

3. Elvis’ Worldly Outlook

It’s quite obvious from the movie that the Elvis’ rock n’ roll craze exploded with world wide appeal. Yet because of the questionable booking arrangements of Colonel Parker to profit from Elvis’ night to night concert “grind” back home in the U.S., Elvis never realized his long desired quest to travel and perform overseas. So as I ponder with apprehension my current dilemma about how to manage current family and medical challenges that require extended time spent in South Florida, I must overcome such fears and remain committed to venturing independently with my wife to new places outside my city, state, and. country,

4. Elvis‘ Addictive Ways

Life on the road playing the raucous rhythm and blues style music that Elvis loved grew more difficult for him over time. For the late 1960s and beyond presented him in the film with a new spirit of protest in each performance as the MLK and Bobby Kennedy’ assassinations, Civil Rights violence on the streets , and the escalation of the Vietnam War weighed heavily on his mind at the time. Compounding these stressful issues, mounting problems in Elvis’ relationship with Priscilla would lead to the end of their marriage in 1973. To mask such inner pain, Elvis’ body thus began to wear down on the road. His once slender figure now became bloated from poor eating habits while his drug- alcohol misuse would sometimes slur his speech or cause him to stumble around awkwardly on stage. Very simply, it would thus behoove me to consider Elvis’ decline in his physical condition as a “wake up” call. For while I might enjoy a “good night on the town” in day to day travel in sensory indulgence, it’s simple not worth it at this stage of my life to abuse such freedoms from a health perspective.

5. Elvis’ Financial Woes

Who would had ever thought that a famous musician like Elvis Presley would be depicted in the movie as hopelessly in debt due to outrageous expenditures at his Graceland Estate and unfair royalties contract with his booking agent, Colonel Parker during the course of his musical career? Thus, it would be wise for me to be more mindful about when to invest our time and money in this present era of information overload concerning desired places and modes of travel. I must particularly read the fine print more as to fees allotted to commercial entries that advertise travel extras such as time share gift bribes, untrusting booking arrangements, and credit card fraud activities.

In addition to these movie depictions I’ve reasoned about the popularized “King of Rock n’ Roll”, take a long look at the Elvis photo set below. How then does his legacy both in music and beyond measure up today? In what ways?