What I learned on my recent trips in 2017

ST. LUCIA

My trip to St. Lucia was a wonderful experience.
St, Lucia has a population of 178,716 people.
My family and I stayed at the Body Holiday All-inclusive Hotel, Resort, and Spa.
It is a fabulous resort with 155 rooms located on a 42-acre plot beside Cariblue Beach on the northwest tip of St Lucia.

It offers more than most all-inclusive holidays and offers a lifestyle experience with a focus on wellness, health, and fitness.
Their mantra is “give us your body for a week and we’ll give you back your mind.”
The resort has a package filled with activities combined with a daily spa treatment.
Visitors are free to choose to be as active or as relaxed as they please.
The beach and the Caribbean Sea are temptingly set out before them.
There are several other tourist attractions like these on the island, which does not seem to have a foreign exchange problem.
The capital, Castries, is a popular cruise port.
Bananas and tourism are their main source of income.
The holiday we spent there was memorable.


CURACAO

Curacao with a population of approximately 160,000 is another Caribbean Paradise.
The island has more than 35 well-developed and captivating beaches, a diverse heritage spanning 55 different cultures, 'live and let live' attitude and unrivaled European architecture.
The language there is a mixture of Dutch, Spanish, and Portuguese and is called Papiamento.
Curacao is definitely one of the most exceptional islands of the region.
Its capital city, Willemstad — a UNESCO World Heritage site — with its iconic colorful Handelskade backdrop and roster of museums, monuments, flavorful restaurants, and great shopping, was selected in 2013 as one of the Top 5 Cities in the Caribbean by Condé Nast Traveler's readers.
Its natural beauty, pristine diving, and snorkeling sites are a favorite with divers and adventure seekers.
WE visited Jan Theil Beach and Harbour Club and were impressed.
This island is fortunately situated outside of the Hurricane Belt, and this makes it a tourist haven.
The Queen Emma Bridge in Willemstad is a floating pontoon bridge that links the "Punda" (Point Side) and the "Otrobanda" (Other Side) of the Willemstad across the Sint Annabaai Channel.
We saw the bridge open and close to marine traffic into St. Anna Bay. It was an amazing sight.



In the event the bridge is open for a prolonged time, there is a ferry service across the channel.
Queen Juliana Bridge, Willemstad is the highest bridge in the Caribbean and one of the tallest bridges in the world. It is 185 feet high.
The bridge overlooks St. Anna Bay as well as Willemstad.
Safety is not a big issue on Curacao.
The locals are friendly, welcoming, and willing to give assistance.
A major part of the island's income comes from tourists.
There is little crime and this is not something about which the average tourist needs to worry.
The oil refinery is clean and well maintained and the oil tanks look like they were painted yesterday.
This small island is a tourist’s dream.
There is much to do in that small island and I loved it.
The family had a great time.



FLORIDA

When I walked into the Broward Medical Center, I was amazed at the facilities there.
The whole of the downstairs was rented out to a Cafeteria, Starbucks, Subway, McDonald's, and a gift shop.
I think that is a great way to bring in additional income by way of rent from the business sector for the hospital.

To read about my many trips read 'Travel Memoirs with Pictures: Exploring the World.

The book is available at Amazon Universal Link and Books2 Read Universal Link.

A Little Piece of Heaven in St. Lucia

Twenty- five of us left Trinidad for an all-inclusive Body Holiday experience in Saint Lucia, and to celebrate the retirement of a close relative.
The flight was just one hour.
When we arrived at the George Charles Airport, friendly Immigration officers greeted us.
Some members of our group had already been cleared for entry into the island, so the Immigration officer already knew that we were part of the group.
He asked my husband and me, “Are you here for the big party?”
He stamped our passports and told us to have a wonderful time. When we stepped out of the airport after collecting our luggage two maxi taxis were waiting to take us to our destination.
They were very modern and comfortable taxis. The pleasant driver pointed out places of interest along the way and chatted with us.
When the taxis pulled up at the Body Holiday Resort and Spa, more friendly faces greeted us.

One gave each of us a wet towel to freshen up and another served us with refreshing drinks of spices.
They took our suitcases directly to our rooms so that we could be hands-free to stand and listen to a rundown of the hotel’s layout and activities. We were then escorted to our rooms.
Impressed is too mild a word to describe our feelings when we saw the beauty of the expansive hotel, grounds, and closeness to the beautiful beach. We were blown away.
I fell in love with the place.
The grounds were beautiful and well maintained, with winding paths surrounded by an abundance of exotic flowers and vegetation.
There is a long stretch of beach with turquoise water and it complements the beautiful backdrop of the hotel rooms and restaurants.

The different venues, which host the activities, are spread across acres of land.
The hotel rooms were spacious with all amenities.
There were no televisions as there was so much else to do at the resort.

I can only briefly describe the activities in which we were involved.
You had to be there to experience each moment, which went by too quickly for the short weekend we spent there.
Day 1
1. A fabulous tea in the tearoom. It was a place to gather and chat.
2.A Walk on the beautiful beach to take in the lovely view and surroundings.
3. Buffet Barbecue Dinner
4. Dance Party until the wee hours of the morning.

Day 2
1. Buffet Breakfast at Cariblue Windows Restaurant, an intimate restaurant with a vibrant and chic atmosphere.
It is located in front of tropical gardens and a beautiful ocean view
2. Shopping downtown.
3. A trip to the healing Sulphur Springs.

The enthusiastic taxi driver gave us a tour of the island for 2 hours before arriving at the Springs where we spent only one hour. It took another two hours to get back to the hotel.
The driver explained that St Lucia has a population of only 170,000 people and their main income came from tourism and bananas.
4. Retirement dinner and dance party at Cariblue.
My husband fell ill after that five-hour trip and had his dinner in the hotel room.
When the thoughtful restaurant supervisor heard from me of his illness she sent him his food right away.

Day 3
1. Buffet Breakfast at Cariblue Restaurant.
2. Massages at the Spa.
Steven took us on a golf cart to the spa, which is a separate area on the resort.
There are in-house taxis to get there also. A sweet girl named Nalini did my massages.
3. Buffet lunch
4. Check out of the hotel, and back to the airport for our flight home.
Checking out of the hotel was just as easy as when we arrived.
Helpful bell boys took our luggage from the rooms and packed them in the taxi for us.


The weekend was too short but it was one of the most productive and wonderful weekends in my life.
St. Lucia is a lovely Island and the Body Holiday and Spa Resort is one of the many resorts there.
As I walked around the beach area, I saw people doing tai-chi at one end of the resort.
Some were playing tennis and beach volleyball.
Others were sitting on a flotation device while a friendly server swam out to take them drinks and a few others indulged in snorkeling.
There were even boat rides around the island.
Everyone greeted each other and the atmosphere was one of togetherness and friendliness.
Thanks to our niece, Andrea, for organizing this wonderful trip.
I am looking forward to spending an entire week there so that I can take part in many more activities.



Tips: Take along bug spray, as you will be in the middle of a rainforest.
Try not to go in rainy season as parts of the hotel are not covered and although umbrellas are provided the floor connecting areas can be