KFBuchsbaum posted: " Grand Turk Historic downtown Cockburn is a mess. We arrived for our second visit to Grand Turk on a windy, overcast day, with spitting rain and rough cloudy water. Of note, by our late-day departure, the sun was shining and the water had retur"
We arrived for our second visit to Grand Turk on a windy, overcast day, with spitting rain and rough cloudy water. Of note, by our late-day departure, the sun was shining and the water had returned to its normal sparkling turquoise hue.
Originally, we had planned to do a kayak excursion while here – but when the cruise line reversed our itinerary it was no longer an option. Good thing, this would not have been a day to be on the ocean in a kayak. Instead, we took a cab into town. As stated – it was a mess. A shabby area, with dogs sleeping around, drunk locals selling conch shells, tacky souvenirs for sale and no real reason to hang around.
Except for one. The Turks and Caicos Museum is housed in an old home facing the water in the historic downtown. For $5 you can find out why these islands are special and the importance of their role in history. Visitors learn about marine archeologists who are working on the only Caravel shipwreck ever found. A Caravel is the type of ship Columbus and his contemporaries sailed and not much is known about them. You can also find out about the area's unique geology, groundbreaking diving history, sea life, indigenous population, and early salt industry. It may not be the most sophisticated group of exhibits you've ever seen, but you'll get your $5 worth and more.
The Highlight: Turks & Caicos National Museum.
Grand Turk had some crime issues, so I didn't feel like just wandering around aimlessly. Since we'd been here before, we returned to our ship early and relaxed.
Observations:
For years the Turks and Caicos national flag included an image of an igloo! As crazy as that seems . . . someone unfamiliar with the area mistook a drawing of a large pile of salt and added an igloo to the flag. It stayed for the next 100 years until it was replaced in 1968.
Pretty sure I got Covid after riding in one of the decrepit local "taxi" transports, which holds about 12 passengers. One of the 12 was in the back coughing up a storm and we were trapped. It hit me like a truck the afternoon we returned to Miami. The good news, I did recover quickly.
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