Steve's Genealogy Blog

In the El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico, I saw quite a number of flowering plants including False Bird of Paradise (Heliconia wagneriana and Heliconia bihi), and Red Ginger (Alpinia purpurata).

False Bird of Paradise (Heliconia wagneriana)

SOURCE:  False Bird of Paradise (Heliconia wagneriana) (Rí­o Grande Municipo, Puerto Rico); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 April 2011.

False Bird of Paradise (Heliconia bihi)

SOURCE:  False Bird of Paradise (Heliconia bihi) (Rí­o Grande Municipo, Puerto Rico); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 April 2011.

Red Ginger (Alpinia purpurata) – Habit

SOURCE: Â Red Ginger (Alpinia purpurata) – Habit (Rí­o Grande Municipo, Puerto Rico); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 April 2011.

Red Ginger (Alpinia purpurata) – Detail

SOURCE: Â Red Ginger (Alpinia purpurata) – Detail (Rí­o Grande Municipo, Puerto Rico); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 April 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

Upon returning to Puerto Rico, I took a trip to the El Yunque Rainforest .  The first stop was the Visitor’s Center .  There, a painting by Emilio de La Botija called Sobreviviré (To Survive) depicts a Puerto Rican Parrot and emphasizes the need to protect the rainforest .  Phalenopsis orchids hang throughout the visitor center.

El Yunque National Forest

SOURCE:  El Yunque National Forest (Rí­o Grande Municipo, Puerto Rico); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 April 2011.

Sobreviviré

SOURCE: Â Sobreviviré (Rí­o Grande Municipo, Puerto Rico); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 April 2011.

Phalenopsis -1

SOURCE: Â Phalenopsis -1 (Rí­o Grande Municipo, Puerto Rico); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 April 2011.

Phalenopsis -2

SOURCE: Â Phalenopsis -2 (Rí­o Grande Municipo, Puerto Rico); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 April 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

On the Caribbean island of Saint Martin / Sint Maarten, the northern part is occupied by the French Saint Martin and the south by the Dutch Sint Maarten .  On a tour of the Dutch part, there is an impressive view to the sea and Simpson Bay Lagoon from Cole Bay Hill .  In the Great Salt Pond, once a source of income to the island for its salt, Great White Herons (Ardea alba) and Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) can be observed .  In Philipsburg, the capital of Sint Maarten, an Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata) searches for something to nibble on near the statue of Dr. Albert Claudius (Claude) Wathey (1926-1998), a politician who for 40 years worked to improve the economic condition of the island.

The View from Cole Bay Hill

SOURCE:  The View from Cole Bay Hill (Sint Maarten, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 01 April 2011.

Herons and Pelicans on the Great Salt Pond

SOURCE:  Herons and Pelicans on the Great Salt Pond (Sint Maarten, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 01 April 2011.

Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata)

SOURCE:  Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata) (Sint Maarten, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 01 April 2011.

Dr. Albert Claudius Wathey (1926-1998)

SOURCE:  Dr. Albert Claudius Wathey (1926-1998) (Sint Maarten, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 01 April 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

Leaving Marigot, Saint Martin, there is one last view to see, and that is the ships at Marina Fort Louis .  We headed for Orient Beach, had lunch at a restaurant/bar there, and rented beach chairs and umbrellas for the rest of the afternoon .  The Caribbean sun can be intense!  Even with sunblock, my left shoulder was quite red when the sun snuck up from behind me and caught my shoulder while I was relaxing under the beach umbrella.

Marina Fort Louis

SOURCE:  Marina Fort Louis (Marigot, Saint Martin, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 01 April 2011.

Orient Beach

SOURCE: Â Orient Beach (Orient Beach, Saint Martin, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 01 April 2011.

Parasailing

SOURCE: Â Parasailing (Orient Beach, Saint Martin, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 01 April 2011.

The Surf at Orient Beach

SOURCE: Â The Surf at Orient Beach (Orient Beach, Saint Martin, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 01 April 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The next stop on my Caribbean tour was Sint Maarten / Saint Martin, a small island split between the Dutch (Sint Maarten) and the French (Saint Martin) .  Marigot, the capital of Saint Martin, is home to Fort Saint Louis, Marigot Bay, and a thriving Flea Market .  While here, I drank a can of Guarana, a Brazilian soft drink made from the berry of the guarana plant .  Guarana seeds have about twice the caffeine content of coffee beans and, in fact, another name for caffeine is guaranine .  I was wide awake for the rest of the day.

Fort Saint Louis

SOURCE:  Fort Saint Louis (Marigot, Saint Martin, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 01 April 2011.

Marigot Bay

SOURCE: Â Marigot Bay (Marigot, Saint Martin, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 01 April 2011.

Wares at the Flea Market

SOURCE:  Wares at the Flea Market (Marigot, Saint Martin, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 01 April 2011.

Marigot Market Woman

SOURCE: Â Marigot Market Woman (Marigot, Saint Martin, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 01 April 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

After seeing the Fraser’s Dolphins (Lagenodelphis hosei) off the coast of Saint Lucia, our boat took us to the south of the island to view the Pitons, two volcanic plugs that dominate the skyline of this portion of Saint Lucia .  Black sand beaches dot the coast.

The Pitons

SOURCE:  The Pitons (Saint Lucia, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J . Danko on 31 March 2011.

Pitons and Beach

SOURCE:  Pitons and Beach (Saint Lucia, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J . Danko on 31 March 2011.

Palm Lined Beach

SOURCE: Â Palm Lined Beach (Saint Lucia, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J . Danko on 31 March 2011.

Santa Lucia Coastline

SOURCE: Â Santa Lucia Coastline (Saint Lucia, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J . Danko on 31 March 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

While in Saint Lucia, I took a boat trip to see whales and dolphins in the waters around the island .  I saw no whales, but a very large pod of Fraser’s dolphins (Lagenodelphis hosei) followed the boat and played in the wake . Â It was a magnificent sight to see the dolphins leap out of the water as they swam.

Fraser’s dolphins (Lagenodelphis hosei) – 1

SOURCE:  Fraser’s dolphins (Lagenodelphis hosei) – 1 (Saint Lucia, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 March 2011.

Fraser’s dolphins (Lagenodelphis hosei) – 2

SOURCE:  Fraser’s dolphins (Lagenodelphis hosei) – 2 (Saint Lucia, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 March 2011.

Fraser’s dolphins (Lagenodelphis hosei) – 3

SOURCE:  Fraser’s dolphins (Lagenodelphis hosei) – 3 (Saint Lucia, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 March 2011.

Fraser’s dolphins (Lagenodelphis hosei) – 4

SOURCE:  Fraser’s dolphins (Lagenodelphis hosei) – 4 (Saint Lucia, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 March 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The next stop on my trip was the island of Saint Lucia, one of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles .  The capital of Castries has a sheltered harbor and a small airport .  While in Castries I saw several Magnificent Frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens) flying overhead.

First View of Saint Lucia

SOURCE:  First View of Saint Lucia (Saint Lucia, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 March 2011.

George F. L. Charles Airport

SOURCE: Â George F. L. Charles Airport (Saint Lucia, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 March 2011.

Safe Harbor

SOURCE: Â Safe Harbor (Saint Lucia, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 March 2011.

Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens)

SOURCE: Â Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) (Saint Lucia, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 March 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The last stop in Aruba was Arashi Beach for my first taste of salt water in the Caribbean .  The beach was dotted with palapas, huts covered with dried palm leaves .  Nearby stands the California Lighthouse, built in around 1910 and named for the United States ship that sank off the coast on 23 September 1891.

Under the Palapa

SOURCE:  Under the Palapa (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

Cactus and Palapa

SOURCE: Â Cactus and Palapa (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

The Sea from Arashi Beach

SOURCE: Â The Sea from Arashi Beach (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

The California Lighthouse

SOURCE: Â The California Lighthouse (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The oldest church on Aruba is the Roman Catholic Chapel of Alto Vista, originally built in 1750 and rebuilt in 1953 .  The chapel is well maintained, inside and out, and is popular with visitors .  Outside the chapel a species of Lantana thrives among the Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia wentiana).

Alto Vista Chapel, Exterior

SOURCE:  Alto Vista Chapel, Exterior (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

Alto Vista Chapel, Interior

SOURCE:  Alto Vista Chapel, Interior (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

Lantana sp.

SOURCE:  Lantana sp. (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia wentiana)

SOURCE:  Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia wentiana) (Aruba, Lesser Antilles); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 29 March 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko