Martinique

The ship docked right at the town which is always more pleasant than tendering ashore.  From the docking place it was a very long walk along the pier to the street, but the day was perfect for walking that distance and much further. On the way we passed a merry-go-round with primitive, hand-made horses and other animals to ride. Our main purpose today was getting Internet access that didn’t feel like a ticking meter. We found free Wi-Fi at McDonald’s so I was able to upload photos to the blog and catch up on email.

French is the official language and English spoken less than in many tourist areas. I did get to practice a little bit, trying to retrieve French words. I know they are still in there somewhere, but they were not even close to the tip of my tongue. Of course, toilet is sort of a universal word now, so the most essential matters were taken care of without difficulty.

The place most interesting to me was the market. The building it was in was substantial with a roof and may have covered an entire block. It reminded me of the market in Papetee, Tahiti.The colors were amazing and I don’t know if I will use the photo, but one vendor wore an enormous hat decorated with plastic fruits and vegetables. The things for sale were not for tourists. The goods ranged from perfect tomatoes by the grocery cart full to clothing to local whole and ground spices. There were also bottles that appeared to be flavored local alcoholic brews.

This was also our first try at using the self-service laundry on the ship. This afternoon turned out to be a great time to check it out. Nearly all of the washers and dryers were available and much to our surprise everything was free.

St. Patrick’s Day is being celebrated onboard as a major event with decorations everywhere and people wearing green clothes, silly hats, and shamrock eyeglasses. I never seem to have anything green to wear but another passenger gave me a little green shamrock that will have to do.

As the sun set, there was a rainbow, no doubt leading to a pot of gold left by Leprechauns. Tomorrow we will be in Barbados and then we will be several days crossing the Atlantic to West Africa.