Getting around

When I was walking to the grocery the other day, which is just around the corner from the hotel, I heard something very familiar. I looked to my right and there was the airport! I knew it was close but never thought it was that close. Right across the street, which is the 4 lane interstate, there it was. I could see the planes land and taxi and smell the jet fuel. That felt a little strange since all the airports I have been to are as large as a city and you cannot see it from walking along a sidewalk.

We have also noticed the police and the ambulances ride around with their lights on most of the time. I guess it is to say "here we are if you need us." I am not sure how you would know if they are after you unless they turn their siren on.

On our little outing Sunday to explore the island, which is 150 miles long not the 105 that I originally stated and 35 miles wide, we were met with several challenges. On one exploration we were trying to get to a lighthouse. After several wrong turns (GPS doesn't know a drive and dirt path from regular roads here for some reason) and very winding roads we finally found it to discover it was a Coast Guard facility. Even though it was a lighthouse, we could not access it. On the way out the road signs were covered with a banner for some event in the area. We ended up going down a one way street the wrong way for a couple of blocks before I said "hmm the cars are all going one way and parked one way: we must be going the wrong way." Yes, people were honking their horns at us! Thank goodness it was in a small village town and not a busy street!

As we were making our way toward the other side of the island, we were going on a four lane highway that took us through some amazing mountains! My ears popped a couple of times, but the camera cannot do the view justice! After traveling about 30 miles, we saw a sign that told us we had 75 more miles to go. We had gone through some construction areas with rain so we took a different route back to the hotel to see what we could see before dark.

After a while of driving, we started seeing a lot of police and people standing along side of the road. Then it dawned on us there is either going to be a bicycle ride or runners since we saw water stops along the way. After about 20, more minutes of driving we saw the starting point and it was runners getting ready.

The drive was quite nice with the shore line quite close to the road. We found a place to pull over and took a short walk. The shore line consisted of small rocks and was hard to walk on, but I was able to dip my hand in the Caribbean sea! The shore line was an amazing sight with coves coming in so close to the road and the mountain range in the same view and the lighthouse on the distant point.




On the road we took back was through another set of mountainous roads with sharp curves and houses sitting on the road in the curves. It had been raining and the roads were very wet which in turn gave me an uneasy feeling. I am glad we were on the inside lane since the outside lane was a sheer drop if you made a wrong adjustment in the steering. We came along a curve and it ended up being a one lane road since the other lane was washed out! Oh my was I nervous, since this road is a well-traveled road and we have met many cars along the way. As we were winding around another curve, I just happened to take a picture of a steep drive to someones house that was washed out and a boulder from the washout was sitting in our lane! I am so glad Kris was driving and reacted quickly.



Now I know there are many mountain roads like this in the US, but I dare say they are as well-traveled as these roads. There are houses everywhere up here poking out from every point and appear to be hanging off the side of a mountain on a wing and a prayer. I saw gaps in the foundations on the houses that were above us on our side of the road. NOT me, sorry but I cannot live like that. Some are very nice houses, but most are little cinder block houses as you will see in my pictures. I cannot imagine living up there and nowhere really to park a car. Some park theirs halfway on the road. They don't have a choice because it is nothing but curves up there! People are standing there washing their cars and talking and walking as if they are saying, "ok I see you but you have to move!"

After getting back on the 4 lane road I was viewing the mountains in the distance and the clouds were descending down, which created a sense of a wild, but free, feeling. I took a snapshot which turned out rather nice, but again the camera just doesn't grasp the feeling I got. I do wish more people could see this. You can feel how remote the mountains look, but yet you are so close to civilization.






It was interesting to see banana groves and how they are planted.





As you ride down the interstate, the signs are not saying "Beware of Deer", but letting you know that cattle and horses will wander out onto the highway!

It is a different world than what I know and it is one to enjoy exploring!