Tag Archives: caribbean
12 Things We Told Our NYC Girls to Prepare for Frankenstorm
We have two daughters living on Manhattan, right in the path of Frankenstorm. After years of living in the Caribbean we have some valuable tips to give them. Though being over-prepared may make them feel stupid, it can also save their lives.Please share these with your urban loved ones in the path of the Hurricane Sandy.
1. Fill up your bathtub… CONTINUE READING >>
Livingston (Guatemala), I Presume
When we heard about Livingston, a tiny outpost on the Guatemalan coast with an intriguing history and only accessible by boat, we knew we had to go. So from the busy port of Puerto Barrios we sought passage north.After some difficulty trying to decipher the… CONTINUE READING >>
A Day in Livingston, Guatemala
When we heard about Livingston, a tiny outpost on the Guatemalan coast with an intriguing history and only accessible by boat, we knew… CONTINUE READING >>
It’s Un-Belize-able!
While Belize is certainly geographically very Central American, its long history as a British colony gives it a feel that we found more similar to some Caribbean islands than its Latin neighbors.The Creole tinged… CONTINUE READING >>
The Ancient Mayan Ruins at Tulum, Mexico
Tulum is not the kind of place that even the most wandering GypsyNesting-type will stumble upon by accident. It’s not on the way to anywhere. But since we found ourselves on the Caribbean coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, what’s known as the Riviera Maya, we hopped on a bus to the ancient Mayan site.Our itinerary was set up to capture both… CONTINUE READING >>
9 Things We Told Our Girls in the Event of the Manhattan Hurricane
We have two daughters, The Piglet and Decibel, planning to ride out Hurricane Irene on Manhattan. Having lived in the Caribbean, here is the advice we gave them. Please share this with loved ones as being over prepared can make you feel stupid, it can also save your life.1. Fill up your bathtub with water. Water supplies get contaminated with flooding. You will want to bathe and cook. If you don’t have a bathtub, buckets, pots & pans work as well.
2. Buy food. I called it “The Week of Living Amishly.” Canned food, canned food, canned food.
3. It’s gross, but your toilet will only… CONTINUE READING >>
When Hurricanes Blow
Our daughter, Decibel, spent a whopping twenty minutes at the college of her choice, Tulane University. She never attended a single class. It has to be the shortest college career in history.There was a storm a brewin‘. And it was a whopper.
On a beautiful August day, Decibel landed in New Orleans ready to take on the world. She was especially giddy since she had been chosen from the pool of incoming freshman in the Musical Theater program to sing at orientation — a high honor indeed. Not to mention instant… CONTINUE READING >>
Cruise Stateroom Tour – Cruise Live-Blog
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The GypsyNesters give a tour of their stateroom! Check out… CONTINUE READING >>
Chocoholic Buffet – Cruise Live-Blog
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Unbelievable amounts of chocolate! Even the artwork is… CONTINUE READING >>
7 Night Cruise Live-Blog, Part Two
We’ve got you covered! We delivered on (almost) everything our readers asked for!The beautiful destinations of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Key West. We have video on our stateroom, the entertainment (wow!), the food, the chocolate (this video will send you reeling!), our fabulous (and talented) crew and a helicopter chasing down a speeding boat!
We cavorted with spring-breakers, met incredible people, starred in a game show, got sunburnt. And, there is a complete breakdown of what we spent, how to cruise cheaply, tips on everything from proper attire to how to get a quick start on your vacation. We are exhausted, had WAY too much fun, are going to sleep for a few days. In the meantime, enjoy… CONTINUE READING >>
7 Night Cruise Live-Blog, Part One
Heck yeah! It’s another GypsyNester flat-out, no-plans, on-the-cheap, get-on-a-mode-of-transportation-and-go live-blog! This time we’re storming a 7 night cruise – neither of us have ever been on a cruise before, so we have no idea what we’re in for.We asked our readers to let us know what they wanted us to report on, and we’re going to cover as much of their suggestions as humanly possible.
Make sure you check in often this week – don’t miss a… CONTINUE READING >>
The LIAT Airlines Experience
Traveling is certainly made easier when you heed the warnings of those who have gone before you. Especially when your path winds through the tangled Second World jungle that is “island time.” Laid back charm aside, island time can sometimes make the simplest plan mind-bogglingly complex. With the hope that you may avoid a major pitfall, the GypsyNesters relay this tale:
We arrived at the LIAT Airlines counter in the St. Croix airport the proper two hours early for a 30 minute flight eagerly anticipating our whirlwind 25th anniversary trip to St. Martin. Perhaps, in hindsight, we should have seen the possibility of things going awry when… CONTINUE READING >>
25 in St. Martin
Sometimes a split personality isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In the case of St. Martin, the schizophrenia can be crazy, but hey, crazy can be good. Sint Maarten/Saint Martin is the smallest island in the world that is governed by dual sovereign states, divided nearly equally… CONTINUE READING >>
Under Sea St. Croix
Like an iceberg in the tropics, only the tip of St. Croix is visible above the surface. To truly experience what the island has to offer one must look below the water line.
We returned to the island during the holidays and from previous trips were prepared to be flexible as the Christmas Winds are usually ablowin’. These annual “Jesus Breezes” produce high seas that make the water murky and boat rides stomach churning. Patience will pay. Just wait a day or two, there is there is always perfect water weather within any week’s span.
Buck Island National Park with… CONTINUE READING >>
Jump Up! St. Croix
Four times each year the people of St. Croix take to the streets of Christiansted for Jump Up, a Caribbean flavored festival showcasing music, art, food and dancing.
The town is packed with revelers on the oceanfront boardwalk and throughout the narrow, 18th century Danish streets as native and tourist alike “jump up” and celebrate all things Cruzan.
Traffic is closed to vehicles as pedestrians visit the shops, drink in the bars and streets, eat local dishes and, at every turn… CONTINUE READING >>
St. Croix Appy Crawl #2
For this evening’s Appy Crawl, we have decided to hit three of Christiansted’s most established eateries. To make the crawl more lively, we are hitting the town in the teeth of tourist season—the people watching/meeting was SPECTACULAR! We meet a couple on their honeymoon, escaping the cold of Philly with an interesting toasting style (Cheers, Big Ears). Then, a woman who worked for Frank Zappa in the 70s—a true Gypsy Nester—she has just finished raising… CONTINUE READING
Fredriksted at San Tropez
The city of Fredriksted is an oft overlooked spot on St. Croix as it is the designated cruise ship stop on an island with a non existent cruise ship trade. Sadly, Fredriksted has suffered a terrific blow tourism-wise. This once quaint little tourist town has lovely beaches, shops, eateries and a really nice pier that is a blast to jump off of!
Restaurant Le St Tropez is a favorite is a favorite with the people that live on the island of St. Croix. Imagine a Caribbean style open air European bistro ala St. Maartin or St. Barts without the unattractive nude people frolicking about. This is the stuff… CONTINUE READING >>
St. Croix Appy Crawl #1
We take making meals out of appetizers very seriously. Having them at multiple eateries is even better. For one thing, it forces us to walk off some of the food between stops, for another, we get to try several different places without destroying our credit rating. We decided to hit three brand new restaurants on the evening of the St. Croix Christmas Parade in Christiansted… CONTINUE READING>>
