Sister and Elder Otto in Guadeloupe at the Sofitel

We had a most fortunate mistake in Guadeloupe. We were booked into what we thought was the Creole Beach Hotel, while the couple we were traveling with were staying close by in the
Sofitel. They had arranged for that by virtue of his also being a travel agent, so they got a very good rate. They didn't think we'd want to afford the Sofitel, so we were booked in the other place. When we drove in to our hotel, the Creole Beach, the gate was closed, we asked why? and were told that it was closed for a month of refurbishment! But we had reservations! Too bad, it's closed! Hmmmmm, what to do? President Robison said he'd ask the Sofitel folks if they would take pity on us in our dilemma. After conversing with them in his excellent French (he served his mission in Paris) he had arranged for a room down the hall from theirs for 50% off the first night and 75% off for the next night. We thought that sounded really good; it turned out to be better than good.

The room was really nice, it looked directly out onto the ocean including an ingenious use of glass in the bathroom and bedroom part, so we had a great view of ocean and the iguanas who enjoyed eating the shrubs right by our deck; Gloria said she saw them on the deck! Later, I counted 18 of them. The food we ate was also excellent, but we weren't limited as were the iguanas to shrubs (I did try the blood sausage for the first and last time.)

The Zone Conference was excellent, the elders spirited and successful in their work, and the counsel and direction from President and Sister Robison inspired.

We had a little swim in the ocean and also the pool the night before we left. The last day was Sunday and we attended the District Conference which was all in French and we received some good translation help from the elders.

As we left the Sofitel, Sister Robison snapped this photo which will remind us of the fortuitous mistake made in our booking. We subsequently learned that we had been booked, not at the Creole Beach Hotel, but the Maison Creole Beach Hotel (it wasn't anything like the Sofitel!)

We flew to St Lucia where we had to spend the night before returning to Trinidad. We stayed a beach front place there and had a marvelous experience with some fishermen which is the subject of another blog.

Kite Boarding!

On the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, there is a beach called La Cabarete, where the winds blow at 15-30 km/h on a regular basis. This makes it ideal for kite boarding. In fact, the World Championships are held there regularly. In the US the best place is apparently on a river in the Northwest where there is a regular wind. This is how it works. The kite boarder has a para chute -like "kite" which he is attached to by wearing a harness. The kite catches the wind and depending upon how the participant uses the wind (he has a surfboard with holders to slip his feet into) to do his tricks. This fellow is in the midst of a flip. Others flew into the air, held up by the kite. We marveled at the aerobatics and ingenuity of the boarders. Incidentally, you can see a fellow in the water who has a yellow video camera. We didn't appreciate this at first, and saw one boarder after another skim across the ocean toward him and then do their flips and twists, sometimes almost hitting him. When he finally got out of the water, he explained that he was filming for UTube and Extreme sports.
You might wonder how to get started in this sport. Lessons are given over several hours. And for $500+ USD you can learn how, the price includes the instruction, the kite and board and the insurance. We asked if that insurance was for the equipment and the body or just the equipment. Sorry, just the equipment.

Casting your Net

Casting your net can be hard work, but, oh!, the rewards!!

One of Top 5 Places to see before you die

At least that's what Oprah says, and I'm not about ready to die.