Live Slow, Sail Fast (7.31.09)

We all were just a bit melancholy on our way back into Road Harbour. Every journey has an end, and we all could feel that we were about to end this one and begin our acclimation into the real world. Boy, do we really have to go back to work? Can this never end? We vowed to keep this state of mind (inspired by Andy’s song) with us when we return, but, there’s something about our lifestyle at home that squelches it. The rushing and activities would certainly be missed if we lived down here (don’t worry Mom, but the thought has crossed our minds). But, in a world where there is abundance of busyness, it feels right to live slow and sail fast (if only once a year).

Sandy Cay (7.31.09)

Since we were as close as we were, we decided to hike around Sandy Cay before heading back to the Moorings (sad, sad). Sandy is every bit as “deserted tropical” as you might find here in the BVI. Once owned by Rockefeller, it was given back to the BVI as a natural treasure. The National Park Service keeps the trails clean, and you can hike all the way around the perimeter. We saw lizards and birds and cacti and hermit crabs and unusual trees (that Andy had to climb). The terrain changes drastically on the north side to include a 40-50 foot cliff (we kept the kids curiosity at bay). But, the most beautiful place by far is right on the beach itself. Who could argue with this scene?

Meeting Foxy (7.31.09)

Our last day just wouldn’t be quite right without dropping in Great Harbour and saying hello/goodbye to Foxy. Foxy Callwood has lived almost his entire life on the island of Jost Van Dyke. He’s a troubadour, who is as legendary as the songs that he sings. And, his spot brings a tourist crowd whose revenue makes up a majority of the islands profits.

We had gone to Foxy’s gift shop and were tooling around when I walked out to find GB unknowingly talking to Foxy himself. Although we’d not seen him in several years he immediately gave me a hug and kiss saying “Look who’s here! Good to see you!” (Bet he does that with all the ladies). That’s Foxy.

He’d recently been awarded a medal as a Member of the Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen for his exemplary contributions to tourism and preservation of his territory’s culture (impressive). We toured the wooden boat he's building which somehow will sail around the world and teach the kids of the island about working hard and giving back (equally impressive). Good luck with that and we’ll see you next time, Foxy!

It's a Caribbean Thang (7.30.09)

We had one full day after this one left, and of all the places we could have gone, it seemed appropriate to go back to White Bay (remember Soggy Dollar?). This time was more relaxed. One, because it was nearing late afternoon when we got there, and secondly, the newness and excitement we experienced just a week ago in this place was not at all new. It was much like making ourselves at home—we were no longer visitors. We belonged here.

You know it’s a true Caribbean vacation when the kids build their sandcastles with palm trees and coconut fronds. And, of course, when Grayson gets her hair braided. These are things that just become second nature when you are down there, like throwing back on the couch and watching the Discovery channel. Or, curling up to read a good book. Or, eating BBQ chips and Oreos on the beach. It’s a Caribbean thang….

The Indians (7.30.09)

Spectacular snorkeling can be found beneath the Indians, which is a series of tall jagged rocks just off Pelican Island. Underneath is amazing coral and the largest variety of fish that we’d swum with so far. On the north side, shallow water creates a "fish bowl," where there are swirling clouds of bait fish. Pelicans dive-bombed fish below as we made our way in and around the Indians. There is a natural tunnel about 10 feet underwater that those with good diving talents can swim through while exiting the fish bowl. Lloyd always dives it; GB and Andy did it, too. Jen, Mandy and I just wished we were that cool. Hey, someone has to stay behind and be a spectator, right? Thousands of bait fish (and I mean thousands) clouded our view, but, here’s Andy coming up for air after swimming through the tunnel (see the tiny speck of light at his foot?—that’s the tunnel!). But, just so you can appreciate that it's a tight fit, you can see the tunnel better in the next pic.

The Caves (7.30.09)

Norman Island is said to be the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson's 1883 novel, "Treasure Island". Historical accounts confirm past treasures uncovered, and rumors persist of more pirate gold to be found on this island.




The island’s three caves (two large and one small) are a favorite location for hunting pirates’ bounty for our group (this is our second year to do so). GB was the first to make it in (can you see him?). We snorkeled from the boat (20-30 feet of water) right up to the mouth of the cave of our choice (3-4 feet deep). We saw a humongous spotted sting ray on our way in and various varieties of fish (some as large as our youngest crew). Mandy, Andy and Lloyd fell a little behind because of a detour they took with a sea turtle.

Once inside, we used our flashlights to explore and found a skull that according to legend was most likely Captain Sherill (a pirate that hid his treasure, a very rare and distinctly beautiful ruby with him). When the Captain was discovered the various reactions from the kids were as unique as the ruby, found under his eyepatch. Harrison exclaimed that he’d never touch it, Ari questioned its authenticity (was this made in China?), Iain watched in wonder, and Grayson was the only one to take courage and pick it up. I think her exact words (after looking at the boys) were “Oh alright, fine. I’ll do it.” That’s my girl!

"And thereupon we are entered the cave. It was a large, airy place, with a little spring and a pool of clear water, overhung with ferns. The floor was sand." (Robert Louis Stevenson "Treasure Island")

Treasure Island (7.29.09)

We didn’t exactly want to spend the night in Soper’s Hole (just in case the Customs and Immigration officers changed their minds), so we quickly got out of West End, Tortola. The seas were at 3 feet this afternoon, and Captain Lloyd would accentuate this by steering right into a big wave, causing the whole front end of the trampoline to be significantly splashed with salt water. The kids would squeal becoming more ecstatic and wet as this “wild ride” continued.

Our destination was Norman Island (Treasure Island as referred to by the locals), which would strategically place us for our next morning adventure. Located in The Bight is a floating restaurant, called the William Thornton, which incidentally is named for the architect of the U.S. Capital Building. When arriving, in need of some major stress relief, we cruised around the schooner twice, each time threatening to board. As you can imagine, the kids were very scary to the patrons of the Willy T., and they joined in our fun by yelling surrender phrases to us pirates.

Once we picked up a ball, Uncle Andy dove off the roof and Aunt Mandy got thrown in by Lloyd (nothing like swimming with your dress on)!




After discovering twice that a swift current existed here (just ask GB who went snorkeling much farther than we anticipated AND when Grayson and Harrison decided to jump in to swim to Lloyd without their lifejackets!!!), we tucked in for the night. No more adventure until morning.

If We Had Only Known (Soper’s Hole, West End Tortola BVI 7.29.09)

It could have happened to anyone, right? I mean, this being our first time to sail to the USVI, and we are U.S. citizens, for crying out loud. We even bothered to clear Customs when we went to St. John. Why in the world would we be in BIG trouble coming back to our beloved BVI? Even though I did my research beforehand, no one is perfect. I failed to understand and thus tell our Captain that protocol is to clear the BVI before leaving. How that tiny detail could land us in so much trouble is beyond me, but, we knew there must be something up when several officers started pacing in an out of the Customs and Immigration building in Soper’s Hole (when Lloyd and GB happened to be inside). We would have been liable for a $5000 fine and perhaps some jail time had they not believed GB and Lloyd when they delivered their “deer in the headlights” apology. “Had we only known, we wouldn’t have done this, sir.” I won’t tell you how thankful we were to have escaped with paying a mere $70 departure tax. And, I’m very thankful to have my husband out of handcuffs.

Cinnamon Bay (St. John, USVI 7.29.09)

While GB, Lloyd, and Andy fed all 6 kids pancakes and pineapple smoothies (yum, yum) for breakfast, Jodie and Jerry took Jen, Mandy and me to the market for some light provisioning. U.S. markets are much cheaper than BVI markets, and not surprisingly have better produce (there’s no place like home). These supplies would last us through the end of our trip. When we returned to the boat, Riley was taking a nap. It’s no wonder as she didn’t sleep well the night before (I alone can attest to this fact!).

We managed to sail this morning without major calamity… but, poor Jodie. I feel her sea sickness pain! As a result, she and McKinley got their first taste of a Ting (nothing better to take the edge off motion-induced illness). But, we’ve got to hand it to her. She gave sailing her best shot and proved to be a good mate before we called it quits and moored in Cinnamon Bay. Too bad there were no doctors around.

After the kids fed the seagulls some of our lunch, we made our way into land. The wind was incredibly gusty here, creating an unusual nuisance for us on the beach. It did not seem to bother the kids too terribly much, although it brought a consistent sandstorm like effect. We played until we could stay no longer (we had a long sail to clear Customs going back into the BVI). As a farewell, we had icecream and hugged our friends making plans for the next time we’d all be down here in paradise together!

Gypsies in a Palace (St. John 7.28.09)

If you’ve ever experienced finding yourself in a location where you just can’t believe that that you are worthy enough to be in that particular place (I’ve had several of these surreal moments on this trip), then you’ll understand our evening on St. John. Patrick’s brother Craig and his friend Jerry own a house named Kalorama on top of Bordeaux mountain overlooking Great Cruz Bay. The house is available for rent and, if you’re interested, here’s more information:
http://www.caribbeanvilla.com/kalorama/index.html

Craig and Jerry were patient and gracious hosts to our loud and boisterous crew. The kids (all 6 of them: McKinley and Riley plus our 4) swam in the pool for hours while we wandered around the fabulous 3-story home (see picture from Houston, we have a problem! blog entry to see the view of our boat from their house). Indoor/outdoor showers in every bedroom, amazing views, waterfalls… we all got used to this place very quickly.

We had dinner and played music together as the evening wound down. What would we have done without Jerry’s internet access to find all the words to all the old songs? Thanks guys for such a wonderful time. You have an amazing home. We reluctantly said goodbye before taking the Gilmore girls back with us to the boat for a sleepover.