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The Caribbean is filled with a wonderful collection of unforgettable critters. Drunk monkeys in St. Kitts, potcake puppies in Turks & Caicos and swimming pigs in the Bahamas. Well, Barbados is no different, ‘cause they’ve got turtles. Sea turtles.

Barbados is home to a protected and growing population of beautiful hawksbill and leatherback turtles. And these turtles are surprisingly sociable, despite being real homebodies, too. They’re accustomed to their routines and love the humans who come to swim with them around the coral. In fact, local fishermen even feed and care for them and have been know to scrape barnacles off their backs! (Hey, we’d stick around for free spa treatments, too.)

Now if these turtle adventures give you goose bumps, the good news is that Barbados has built a thriving cottage industry around these endangered creatures. There are literally dozens of tours to choose from with unforgettable catamaran trips, including a delicious local lunch, rum punch (the real seller) and, of course, snorkeling with the friendly turtles. But unlike the pigs in the Bahamas, these cute creatures won’t try to jump into your boat. Nope, they’ll just steal your heart.

The post Swimmin’ with Turtles first appeared on Typing Monkeys.

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Even on good days it’s hard to get reliable directions in the Caribbean. Take a left just past which palm tree, exactly?  But therein lies the beauty. You’re in the Caribbean, literally an island paradise. Who needs directions? Barbados, the easternmost island in the Caribbean, is no different.

Ju Ju’s Beach Bar might just be worth the effort. Located near Holetown on the island’s west coast, this little idyllic bar and restaurant is right on the beach with a front-row seat for simply breathtaking sunsets.

The view isn’t the only thing worth making the trip for! Ju Ju’s boasts some of the best Barbadian fresh-cut fries (chips in the local parlance) and grilled fish — just consult their daily blackboard menu. But let’s face it, it’s hard to go wrong with grilled flying fish. Seriously, flying fish. So kick back on a lounger and take in the beach with a glass of their not-too-sweet rum punch. And before you do, consider bringing a snorkel and mask, and enjoying the nearby reef and swimming with turtles.

All in all, it’s hard to go wrong with Ju Ju’s Beach Bar, other than actually finding it. For those willing to take the trip, it’s tucked between the better-known Fairmont Pavilion and Lone Star Inn, behind a lime-green house with a “Dive Barbados” sign.

Yeah, we know those are some seriously questionable directions, but Juju’s is definitely worth the journey.

The post Flying Fish Awaits, If You Can Find It! first appeared on Typing Monkeys.

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“The island of never-ending summer.” Not a bad tagline for an island. Especially one that holds as many treasures as Martinique.

First sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1493, Martinique is 80°F all the time. The ocean also has visibility of up to 100 feet, and we can’t even imagine what we might see in the depths, especially in St. Pierre Bay, which offers some pretty stunning dives. Even more exciting, there are 12 shipwrecks (yes, 12) to explore beneath the waves. Divers who get as far as the Gabrielle, a three-masted ship, still surface with pieces of fine china! Souvenirs for the fam, of course.

Not a scuba diver? No problem! Even snorkelers can enjoy the shipwrecks — some lie as shallow as 30 feet, like the Raisinier. You’ll still see a crazy shipwreck and tons of colorful fish.

Shipwrecks aren’t the only attractions to make Martinique bucket-list worthy. Diamond Rock, three kilometers off the coast of Martinique, is legendary for being registered as the HMS Diamond Rock by the British Royal Navy. You read that right. In 1804, a volcanic island was officially commissioned during the Napoleonic wars as a “sloop of war,” a warship with a single gun deck carrying up to eighteen guns.

And let’s not forget what’s really important… Martinique has 14 beautiful beaches to choose from. So if shipwrecks and volcanic islands aren’t your ideal vacay, hit the beach of your choice and enjoy a Ti’ Punch, the national drink of Martinique.

What better treasure could you discover than that?

The post Bucket List: The Many Shipwrecks of Martinique first appeared on Typing Monkeys.

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It sounds like a story out of legend. And who knows, it might even be true.

We begin our tale in Germany, 1888, where Johann Hussong decides to immigrate to the United States. By the following year, a duly Americanized “John” Hussong is lured south of the border, the Mexican border, by the prospect of gold. Two more years pass, and John settles down Ensenada to tend to an injured friend at the only bar in town, Meiggs Bar.

Now this is where our tale becomes a legend. Literally two days after settling in, the owner of the bar attacks his wife with an ax. She skedaddles to California, and after a brief siesta in jail, Meiggs asks Hussong to tend the bar while he searches for his wife. Neither Meiggs nor his wife ever return.

Hussong runs this bar for a year and purchases the building across the street for his own place. John Hussong Bar. No ambiguity there. And that bar is still operating today at the same location.

And you know what? That’s not even the best part of the story.

Fast forward another 50 years to 1941, and another German, Margarita Henkel, the daughter of the German ambassador, visits the cantina. Bartender Don Carlos Orozco offers her a new concoction he’s been working on — equal parts tequila, lime, and a Mexican orange liqueur Controy (known as Naranja north of the border), served over ice in a salt-rimmed glass. The name of that drink? You guessed it. The Margarita.

Little has changed in that quaint cantina since 1941. Or 1891 for that matter. John Hussong Bar has become John Hussong’s Cantina. Maybe a little more neon. And a second location in Las Vegas. But aside from that, it essentially the same place Johann opened over a hundred years ago while in search of gold.

Is the legend true? Honestly, we don’t think it matters. Because we’re all pretty happy with the treasure that got left behind, the margarita.

The post It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere: Hussong’s Cantina first appeared on Typing Monkeys.

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When we first heard about Potcake dogs, our first thought was puppies! Potcake puppies. And that led to an inevitable discussion of where we could find these adorable critters. Local toy store? Amazon exclusive? You get the drift.

But we were wrong. These canines are indigenous to Turks and Caicos, and the Bahamas. They get their amazing name from the Bahamian term for the congealed rice and peas mixture from the bottom of cooking pots that locals fed the island dogs. Hence Potcake dogs.

The history of this unique breed stems from the blend of dogs introduced to the islands. Start with the pups of the Arawak (who brought us the hammock — the Arawak, not the pups), throw in some tall-ship terriers, and a pinch of Loyalist Tory dogs (the dogs, not the Tories) from the American Revolution, and you get a sense of their heritage. With more breeds arriving since then, you’ll understand why some folks toss around the phrase “potcake dynamic.”

Despite the mixed breed, Potcake dogs are recognized as a dog breed in both Turks and Caicos, and the Bahamas, though the Bahamians prefer the term Royal Bahamian Potcake. If you ask us, Potcake dog is good enough for us.

Although their appearances vary, Potcake dogs generally have smooth coats, cocked ears, and long faces. And long faces won’t work on us. Even if they are adorable.

Sadly, overpopulation of these dogs has led to some heartbreaking conditions. Homeless Potcakes and, well, things we won’t talk about because they’ve already tugged on our heartstrings.

But there is good news on that front. In 2005, Turks and Caicos-based rescue organization Potcake Place became a registered charity. And after running out of families to adopt to on the local islands, volunteers started connecting with potential adopters through the Potcake Place website (www.potcakeplace.com) and Facebook page. Puppies are vaccinated and sent on airlifts free of charge to adopters.

There is no charge for the pups, but they do ask for and appreciate a donation that will help cover vaccines and allow them to bring more pups into care. Additionally, the airlines charge anywhere between $60 and $200 USD for the pup to travel in the cabin once a volunteer courier has been found to bring your Potcake pup to your local airport.

How cool is that? Looks like someone around here might be getting a Potcake puppy as an office dog. And those long faces have nothing to do with it.

If long puppy faces work on you, make sure to check out Potcake Place on the web and visit their Facebook page with more Potcake puppy cuteness than we can bear.

Now to see if there’s anything to that Potcake cat rumor…

The post Caribbean Critters: Potcake Dogs of Turks and Caicos first appeared on Typing Monkeys.

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The Mojito. What drink better represents Havana? It has ties to Ernest Hemingway, Sir Francis Drake, and the Canary Islands. And like most good stories and classic drinks, the true origin of the mojito has been lost to the mists of time.

What we do know is that the Mojito has a rich history that binds it closely to Havana and a restaurant by the name of La Bodeguita del Medio. And it is there that Hemingway was rumored to be a regular, as evidenced by a framed note that reads, ”My mojito in La Bodeguita, My daiquiri in El Floridita. — Ernest Hemingway.”

Believe what you will, but make sure to try their recipe for the classic Cuban Mojito.

• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 lime (freshly squeezed)
• 2 sprigs of fresh mint
• 3 oz club soda
• 1 1/2 oz white rum (we recommend Margaritaville Silver Rum)

Pour the sugar into a tall mojito or collins glass, followed by the juice from a half a lime. Add two sprigs of mint, then 3 ounces of club soda and gently mash the mint into the lime juice, sugar and club soda with a muddler or the back of a long spoon. Add 1 1/2 ounces of white rum, four ice cubes ice, stir and serve.

Of course, the perfect mojito is a matter of personal taste, so feel free to experiment as frequently as you need to create your very own ultimate mojito recipe!

The post Boat Drinks: Ernest Hemingway’s Favorite Cuban Mojito first appeared on Typing Monkeys.