I'm back.....Better and BIGGER than ever.

I have a good excuse for being away so long...Really I do.

When I came back from my Aunty Taie's funeral in Tnt this summer, I just was not feeling so great. I felt sluggish and out of sorts. "You need a purge!" is what Miss Doody (my mother) said. This is the Caribbean parent's cure-all to any ailment. (purge involves a taking a strong dose of laxatives, preferably on a Friday night and not scheduling any important activities for the next day or so) . I brushed off my feelings as another cold, perhaps something I’d picked up in the tropics. But the fatigue and then the nausea just refused to go away even after a few WEEKS.

Uh-oh is what you may be thinking. A First Response test with a faint looking +sign, (but undoubtedly a plus sign), confirmed my suspicions. It turned out I was pregnant. Gulp. I'm already a mom but the idea of being a mom to TWO kids at a time was overwhelming. A few tears, prayers and hours of reflection later, I’ve decided it’s a good thing and now I’m happily expecting. So 4 months later and 10 lbs extra, here I am. The good news is that I'm feeling much better.

And after a long hiatus, I've decided it's time to resume my blog-writing. Now, every writer requires a bit of a push to write. For some it may be an event, a special person, a subject they may feel passionate about. For me, the two things that inspire me to write are food and travel. So sorry if my blogs sound like a travel brochure...A few weeks ago, we took a cruise to the Southern Caribbean. As we touched down in Puerto Rico, I already felt the creative juices flowing as I whipped out my little journal and starting penning my first thoughts in months.

Being pregnant kind of made it hard to really participate in a lot of the activities I normally do while away. So much of the trip consisted mainly of light walking, swimming and of course- eating my way through some of these exotic locales. Hey- call it research for my next venture- A Caribbean Cookbook.
And it’s one of the pluses of being pregnant, you’re allowed to be well,.. greedy.

Puerto Rico just exuded sexiness. You can feel it in the way the steamy tropical weather caresses your skin, taste it in the spiciness of the food and see it in the city’s sultry women.
Four centuries of Spanish colonization have left its imprint on the city. It is evident in the architecture of the buildings, its unique art, the language and the many traditions of the people.

Des and I- The picturesque beauty of Old San Juan is captured in the background of this shot

Here I am near one of Puerto Rico’s main attractions- Fort San Cristobal. Its purpose was to defend the port as well as the growing city of San Juan that was begun in 1521.

If you are a shopper, you may very well consider this your paradise. There are limitless amount of stores, cafes and galleries with some of the most unique art, fashion, shoes and jewellery I’ve ever seen.
As I strolled down the streets of this city taking in all of the quaint churches, fountains, shops, statues, and lush manicured lawns you couldn’t help but feel you had stepped back into the 15th century. Everything is so well-preserved and just visually pleasing. It’s the perfect place to go for an afternoon of hand-holding with your honey.
A visual picture came into my mind of PR native Jennifer Lopez strolling hand in hand with Marc as they gaze lovingly into each other eyes strolling down these very streets I was on. Er..Hold on while I puke my lunch into this wastebasket before I continue.

Welcome to the Bacardi Rum Factory

Enjoying all of the free samples

Des and Omesh enjoying MORE free samples

I have been having problems posting pics for days now. if any of you fellow bloggers can let me know if you've been having the same problem and any good work-arounds to this. My blog had to be split up so the story and pics continue below.

St Thomas and Dominica

Here are a few of us enjoying dinner our first night in Puerto Rico

My dinner tonight was a Puerto Rican favourite. Spanish people love pork. Pictured is side of fried pork chops with a yellow corn tamale stuffed with crabmeat. On every table you sit down to eat in PR, they have a number of tasty condiments you can add to your meat ie chili sauce, minced cilantro with chili.

My favourite island of all was St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. We loved it. Beautiful, balmy weather. Spectacular homes - with all the amenities we have here ie. well-stocked supermarkets, malls, good schools.

Des mentioned that it would be great to move here one day. Of course, my imagination just began to wander. I started picturing sending Brandon off to school in the morning in his blue and khaki uniform as I went back to the kitchen to check on my coconut drops in the oven, Weekend limes on the beach...the way life was meant to be lived.

At the beach

Here is a typical "Sunday meal" served in St. Thomas. Oven baked BBQ chicken, side of macaroni and cheese- using the yellow American cheese, not the baked pie we are accustomed to, peas and rice, sweet potato pie and a medley of sweet peas, corn and carrots.

Here is Dominica. A tiny, unspoilt island with lots of vegetation, volcanoes, and over 300 rivers. Here I am at the entrance of one of the Caribbean's most lush rainforest. It smells just like the BioDome's rainforest.

Apparently people here live on average, longer than most people in the world. A simple life, little pollution due to the lack of factories and companies combined with a diet rich in seafood is responsible for this. An example of the simplicity of people's lives - microwaves were introduced only 3-4 years ago in Dominica.

Waterfalls in the rainforest and the Emerald Pool. The water was freezing cold !!

Going up to the rainforest in the mountains we encountered a roadside display and samples of all the fruits and vegeatbles grown on plantations in Dominica. Best of all, everything was free! There were juicy pineapples, tangy cocoa, starchy (and very sweet) bananas. The bananas taste totally different from the bananas we get in supermarkets here. A native described the planting of bananas as taking care of a pregnant woman. Not one single pesticide is used or any fertilizer to force the plant to grow any faster. They are nurtured for the full growth period.

Here is a Dominican delicacy. Roasted breadfruit with peppery shredded saltfish. Yum!