The Trip...Jan 7 until now....

Jan 7
5:28 a.m.
I think the hardest thing I have ever done is say goodbye to my family and friends to take off to work in the West Indies. The girls wouldn't cry in front of me, but Eric said the minute I got through security and they were on their way back past the ticketing counter at BWI, Shelby broke down. She was trying to be a big girl…and I am almost glad she didn't cry in front of me, because I might have just cancelled the trip. I had already been waffling at the last minute anyway, at least secretly in my head.

1:00 p.m.
I am sitting in the San Juan, Puerto Rico airport…well not exactly sitting "in" it. I am sitting outside. This is the no-sitting-est place I have ever seen in my life. They don't want anyone sitting down in here at all unless you are in the bar drinking. I am told the beach is about a 5-minute taxi ride away, but I am so tired, I just want to sit here on my ass on the concrete. Smokes are 18.00 a carton here, as compared to 48.00 at home (of course, that is duty-free). Okay, yes, I bought some, but maybe it will be the last time I buy any. I am quitting before I come home, or at least I am going to try. I have promises to live up to. LOL Fifteen pounds lighter, 3 shades darker, and smoke-free by April.

Puerto Rico t-shirts at the airport are about 30 USD, so no one is getting a t-shirt. Sorry.

It was funny, on the flight from Baltimore to SJ, they reminded everyone that breakfast isn't served anymore as of Jan 1, but you can buy a "breakfast snack pack" on the plane for 3.00, which contains Wheat Thins, butter, jelly, and raisins. Okay, what the heck do you do with the butter and jelly? YES, I ASKED THIS QUESTION…and of course some major eye-rolling was directed my way by the flight attendant. And don't eat the fried chicken if you ever find yourself in the SJ airport. I don't think FC is a specialty here. There was also something that looked sorta like a cross between turnips and sugar cane, and I did try some. One bite. It was pretty nasty. I think it was called saga or sago or something. I will have to Google it to see what the hell it was, but I won't be trying it again.

Maybe when I come back through SJ on the way back to the states I will venture out into SJ if I have enough time.

10:00-ish p.m. Jan 7
Okay, here I am. I get through customs, which was easier than I expected...no hassles. They already have it in their system because they were previously contacted, and anyone coming here to consult for the company I am consulting for, well... they are treated very well. It helps to have a former Ms. Universe involved, too. Anyway, I walk out of the airport and there are at least 30 taxi guys repeatedly asking if I need a taxi. A coworker was to arrive just before me (had never met her until this time) and I was trying to pick her out of the crowd. This was fairly easy, as she was the only other Caucasian in a crowd of maybe 200 people standing outside the airport exit. We spotted each other immediately, right about the time I saw my driver holding my name card. I am just glad to be on the ground. Boy, it is warm. Wow. No more freezing-cold temps for me for a little while.

The driver informed Denise and me that there was some issue with the house, so we were to stay at the Hilton in Port-of-Spain for a couple of nights. Fine by me. After a 6-1/2 hour layover in PR, I don't care, I am exhausted; however, I don't think we went to sleep until about 3:00 a.m. because we were so wired.

Jan 8
Everything is so GREEN here. Wow.














Rode up to Chaguaramas, and there was a beautiful view of the Gulf of Paria. We almost hit a 5-ft iguana running across the road. Needless to say (and much to the amusement of Quincy (driver)), I screamed, "Oh my god, what the he** was that????" I asked what would have happened if we hit it, to which he replied, "We would have stopped and got it and my grandma would have cooked it....tastes like chicken." Umm, I will pass on the iguana. No lizard for me.
















Bought stuff to take to the house...will take a lot of getting used to the $ conversion, around 1 USD to 6.20 or so TT. For instance, a loaf of bread is around 6.00 TT (1.00 USD). Woohoo...my grocery bill was 430.00 TT. Amazing, never spent so much in a grocery store before. HAHAAA