[gswilder]

Just got back from a Caribbean cruise a few weeks before Ivan hit. We left from New Orleans and visited Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. On the way back into New Orleans, we came through all the oil fields and rigs. It was like some busy city from Star Wars or something. I stood on deck and could count over 100 oil platforms at one time. Boats moving back and forth, helicopters, etc. It was an amazing site. I was worried about this when I saw where Ivan was tracking. Also, Grand Cayman was severly damaged. I have been looking at post Ivan photos the last week, and it is sad. I am glad the family and I got to see these things before they were damaged.

[1Old Pro]

How's Jamaica these days. When I was there 15 years ago I swore I'd never recommend it to even my worst enemy. Too many other places to visit without the annoying natives.

[pete anderson]

Back in the early 1990's I worked as a mud logger on platforms of off Morgan City. Once when we were being evacuated for a hurricane one of the old cooks from Louisiana was telling everyone that the "Strong Wind from the North was going to blow the hurricane back out to sea."

We had to explain to him that the 'strong wind from the north' was actually the hurricane winds that blow in a counter clockwise direction.

That old man may have been dumb, but he was one hell of a Cajun cook, I would put on 10 pounds every two weeks I was out there and would spend my two weeks home dropping the extra weight.