Turks and Caicos

As I blogged yesterday, Jeff and Sarah flew to to the Turks and Caicos for a vacation last week while we stayed with the grandsons.

The country is composed of two island groups of the British West Indies in the Atlantic in the southeast part of the Bahama Islands. The islands were a dependency of Jamaica in 1848 and became a Crown Colony in 1962.

Belongers, who are descended from the first slaves from Africa and Bermuda that settled the islands in the 1600s, know that the most important thing on their islands is also their biggest export: conch. They take full advantage of every part of the conch, from shell to meat. Every restaurant in the Turks and Caicos serves some type of conch, either in a sandwich, salad, fritter, soup, or even sushi. So loved is the conch that now it's used for other things, too. Shells are sold to tourists, who may bring back two shells per person. The pink part of the shell is used for homemade jewelry, especially bracelets and earrings. Shells are crushed and used at the Regent Palms Spa to exfoliate your skin.

The kids enjoyed the island and participated in many activities. I appreciate their sharing their photos with us. I am certain that horseback riding on the beach was an enjoyable experience.





They also enjoyed scuba diving. The water was clear and had a plethora of life.



I was impressed with the size of the starfish.




Their guide cleaned the conchs and sliced the meat so the tourists could taste the meat. He also made a salad of the conch mixed with greens, tomatoes, peppers, and a lime dressing. Jeff and Sarah said that it was very good.



Here is a large rock iguana on the beach. What fun it would be to watch these critters.



The kids did some kayaking and paddle boarding.
It is great that Jeff and Sarah have the opportunity to travel and experience new adventures.