Just north of the Caribbean there is a dreamy place made up of 8 islands and numerous cays. The Turks and Caicos islands are located just south of the Bahamas and about 500 miles south of Miami, FL. The three most visited islands here are Grand Turk, North Caicos and Providenciales or Provo as it is commonly known. The entire island of Grand Turk is only 6 miles long and 1 mile wide. Recently a visitor center and cruise ship dock built by Carnival Cruise Lines has increased tourism exponentially.

The sand on the beach of Grand Turk is so soft that it feels like icing sugar on your feet. It passes between your toes like a feathery massage. It is pure white and glints like snow. Few things look so beautiful and delight the sense of touch as does this sand. Whilevisiting Grand Turk as a port on a sailing of the Carnival Elation my family and I took an excursion on a semi-submersible craft. Our guides were asked how come the sands surrounding Grand Turk were so soft. We were all dismayed to learn that the sand is the waste product of the Parrot fish. The fish feed on algae that grow on the coral reef that encircle the island. Much coral is untouched because of the limited number of tourists that have been allowed to visit Grand Turk. The Parrot fish have teeth that extend down their throats that they use to masticate the coral into a fine mush in order to extract the algae. The part that is remains after digestion is powdery fine coral bits that become the beach sand we enjoy.

There is a spectacular area adjacent to Grand Turk Island known as the 7,000 ft drop. In fact the name of this area is the Columbus Passage. It divides the Turks and Caicos Islands from the Bahamas. This is a natural coral reef in the sea that is 0ver 180 miles long. Many varieties of sea creatures make this reef their home. If you visit Grand Turk in the spring you will likely see dolphins or sharks feeding on the smaller forms of marine life that live there. We visited in the heat of the summer and were able to view all sizes of stingrays in their natural habitat from our safe perch inside our semi-sub. We also saw many kinds of coral and gained a new appreciation for

preserving these beautiful natural habitats.

So what is there to do here if you only in for a day on a cruise ship? For those of you who prefer a party there is a gigantic restaurant called Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville. It is the biggest one in the Caribbean. It boasts a swim up bar and enormous pool area that can all be accessed by the whole family until the evening hours when it becomes off limits to children as the bar scene heats up. You can use a beach chair and the beach free as well. Many excursions are offered through the cruise lines and privately too.

For adventurous types you can learn to scuba dive and test out your new skills. For those already certified to scuba you are in for the treat of your life in the views you will take it. If you are like me and prefer to minimize your interaction with sea life but still want to see it up close and personal you can take a trip on a semi submersible that goes about 12 feet under the surface of the water. This excursion is often packaged along with a snorkeling trip. Blue water fishing is also popular pastime. Your line is rigged with bait to reel in Tuna, Blue Marlin, Mahi Mahi or Sharks. What could be more exciting than that?

So take a trip and enjoy all that Turks and Caicos has to offer and do it soon before the masses discover it and it becomes overcrowded like many other Caribbean locations that were once pristine. Just remember to take only pictures and leave only memories.