Hello Carranza2, Vacation Chronicles again. I have heard about the Big Bend, all praises. I try to limit my adventure travel to oceanic destinations. I did not follow my wife trekking in Tibet or horse back riding in Inner Mongolia. I joined her afterwards on islands (Maldives, Bali). Maurice did say we are all ambulatory bags of seawater. I need salt water.
My wife is not a complainer but has a broader geographic interest than I, and every so often lets loose a comment such as, ‘why does it always have to be islands, why can’t we go where I want to go’, and so we do every so often, to Europe or some parts of the American continent. We did the whitewater trip in Colorado three years ago, along with Yosemite and Olympus National Park in Washington. We stopped in Hawaii after that:0)
Now I am at the Miami Int’l Airport, waiting for the plane to Tobago. We arrived last night from San Francisco and stayed at the airport Marriott. My wife is rugged and spoilt; she is enthusiastic about the planned dives in Tobago, and disappointed that the airport hotel had no spa. Spa? In an American airport hotel?!
The domestic travel in the US was interesting. Just as they said on TV, I had to get to the airport earlier than normal, undo my belt buckle, and take off my shoes. I did not have to empty my bags, and I do not believe my check-in bags were x-rayed. The SF domestic airport terminal is not set up as we have Hong Kong, with one single x-ray machine for each check-in counter, in-line with the luggage transfer belt system.
The SF AA check-in had one machine for all the counters, and the single machine is not ‘in-line’ with the transfer belt of the luggage handling system, but set on the side, manually fed, occasionally, on spot check basis. I think the US economy will get a boost from the airport renovation money that is necessary. I remember that not so many years ago the WSJ said the ‘over-built’ Hong Kong airport is a symbol of Hong Kong’s permanent decline.
The itinerary in Tobago is set. Pick up jeep at airport, check into the Tobago Hilton commissioned by the company ruled by one relative (French) whose family included my paternal grandmother, settle in an ocean view room with Jacuzzi on veranda. We will spend the next few days on the plantation sharing the same beach hanging out with another family (British w/ 1/8 African) whose grandmother was a cousin/half sister to my grandmother. We will also hike with a third personality (British w/ 1/16 African, a cousin a gabillion times removed – grandmother was my father’s cousin) who runs a eco tourism business, checking out waterfalls, scuba diving, and hanging out under thatch-roofed beach gazebos munching on chicken adobo over garlic rice at lunch times. Yup, some time in the late 1800s, a Frenchman made a whole bunch of speculative bets on babies with a whole bunch of girls. Meet Japanese wife of grandfather’s brother’s grandson. Read F.I.A.S.C.O. by Frank Partnoy. Practicing making babies.
We will meet up with the rest of the gang sporting nine family names after arriving in Trinidad’s capital Port-of-Spain, and will visit with a 100-year old lady who is the daughter of natural (illegitimate) Chinese Creole sister of my Chinese grandfather. My Chinese great grandpa also made some speculative bets. I am on the trail of two natural Chinese Creole daughters of my Chinese grandfather, now living in Guadeloupe. Judging by the roster of relations to show up at my dinner party, I would say the speculations paid off:0)
Chugs, Jay |
