This is our trip report from our vacation to the BVI in 2003.
In case you missed them, there are trip reports from last year as well.
2002 Day 1
2002 Days 2&3
2002 Days 4-6
2002 Days 7-11
We spent 17 glorious days and 16 lovely nights in Tortola from 5/17 thru 6/2. It was the longest vacation we have ever taken. And if we could manage to take our dogs with us, we would never have wanted to leave. This report can really be summed up in one word, the reason most of us go, LIMMIN�!
All the pictures including the ones on the trip reports can be found on the web by clicking
PHOTOS
Upon completion of the �packing� wars, we departed home on Saturday at 5 AM for our great little local airport �where everyone knows your name.� Our flight plans were FF miles tickets from New Bern, NC to Charlotte and then San Juan on USAir and purchased tickets from SJU to Tortola on American. This year we had only planned 2 hours in SJU so we hoped to be able to check one bag all the way through to EIS. We could probably get by with some less time in SJU but it is a long, long walk from USAir gates to AA Eagle gates and with any delays, that creates a stressful travel. We were bound to get on island time as soon as possible. Not only did we get the bag checked through, but we were also granted boarding passes all the way through which beats the heck out of having to recheck in with AA in SJU. Interestingly enough, on the flight from Charlotte to San Juan, there were two other couples sitting in front of us who were also going to the BVI; one couple for their fifth charter and one couple for their first visit to the BVI going to Peter Island. Uneventful flights and connections this year and we arrived in Tortola on time and our one checked bag arrived as well. Although we did have to tell the baggage handler in Tortola that we still had a �carry on� to be brought to us and when he pulled it out and hauled it over he said �Man there is no way I ever would have thought that big bag was a carry on!� Guess we could have let him cart it in with the checked luggage�..Since there was only one belonger on the flight, the Immigration officer waved us over from the back of the visitors line and quickly and quietly cleared us. At Customs we answered where we were staying with such a precise description (Brewers Bay, Anderson Hill, East Road, Wilson house) that the gal just grinned and waved us on with a �Enjoy your stay.�
Our rental car from International (highly recommended) was waiting in the parking lot for us. We knew it easily since it was the same car as last year but it had a new top!! The back window now opened and closed so much more easily. This to us is the best way to get a car. There is absolutely no �lost� limmin time with being ferried about. We just toss the luggage in and immediately go where we want, which was directly to the Shell gas station on the east edge of East End for a six-pack of Carib!!! We had decided to provision the house this year and had Bobby�s planned for a 6 pm delivery. Our provisioning list did not include any fresh meats or fish or chicken so we needed to make a quick stop for some main course dinner items before heading to Brewers Bay so we hit Roadtown. The new traffic light stinks�. I hate it. And it appears the locals have not completely figured out the signals since they won�t often turn right on a green light and only go when they get an arrow. There was also lots of broken glass at the �curbs� so I figured they still had their problems.
We were surprised to discover the house had been painted blue. It was a bit of a shock. We prefer it white��Bobby�s arrived 30 minutes early and was gone in 15 minutes. There was only one item missing and one other item in its place, neither of which were important. We will definitely do this again especially with the delivery of cases and cases and cases of beer!! Plus the 5% discount is nice. A dip in the pool (recently upgraded with a new finish and entry steps which were all a huge improvement), a nice grilled steak and some wine and an early retirement. I know my blood pressure is the lowest it has been in a year.
Sunday morning and the daily hill climbs begin. Today, up the road to the Ridge road. There is a cruise ship in Roadtown and I have to go to International to do the car paperwork since they were closed when we arrived. A economic climate discussion was going on between a couple people. International said they had no cars reserved for the upcoming Music Festival whereas last year there �wasn�t a car available� on the island. Festival funding had been reduced and they were not anticipating many people from off the island to attend.
Wow, that is quite a site to see that cruise ship at the dock from the Ridge Road at Cool Breeze bar. On the return trip to the house I get caught on the Great Mountain Road behind three of the open seat taxis that are hauling cruise tourists. None of them turn to Brewers Bay and I suspect are headed for CGB. A great brunch with Mimosas and Bloody Marys and sailboat watching primes us.
Down the hill to Brewers and time for some serious snorkeling. But first we have to say hello to Nicole and Gina, who are vague with memories at first and then recognize us when I take my shirt off since I have some rather unique scars (no, not tattoos) and Gina has inquired about them beforeA short snorkeling venture because of a cramp and increased cloudiness and we head up the hill to make a batch of Painkillers..
Our first crisis: the orange juice is �lots of pulp� and makes funky Painkillers. We end up running the batch through a sieve (did I mention the kitchen is well stocked?) to save it. A lot of work that shouldn�t have been necessary. Next year, we specify on the OJ, no pulp. Chicken on the grill and a nice bottle of wine and its an early night highlighted by a shooting star over Jost Van Dyke.
It rained heavily overnight. Monday arrives with another hill climb. Debra calls these walks. Another day to go down to the beach.
We make numerous snorkel dives and attempt to figure out the underwater cameras. A great day for snorkeling and limmin at the beach. We return to the house in the late afternoon and some boats appear in the bay for anchorage. A Voyage charter, Feel The Magic, comes in on the east side Then a charter power boat decides to anchor on the west side and almost hits the reef. It�s a NorthSouth charter and we get its name because this is not a good spot to anchor. Then a huge trimaran, Cuanlaw anchors farther out. Busiest night we�ve seen at Brewers. We decide to head to Myett�s for dinner which was about 60% full. The conch chowder is absolutely superb. The ribs are OK. Judy is a great waitress and the band cranks up and a group of young teenagers, about 8 girls and 1 boy were dancing and just have a grand time despite the band�s inability to sing any of the complete lyrics of the songs they were playing. But that was fine with us because the music was good. Myett�s was a place we didn�t try last year but wanted to. It�s just a very nice comfortable environment we thought and definitely worth the trip for the conch chowder. A night walk on Cane Garden Bay beach which is very quiet and the nice night drive to Brewers Bay where we have some nightcaps in the lounges on the deck.
Tuesday is Goat day. They abound about the house and we are going to work on our goat hiking skills. Up and down Mt Healthy and out to Rough Point via the dirt road. What a view from Rough Point; 180 degrees from St Thomas to glimpsing Virgin Gorda. This must be an old plantation site because of the old rock walls and cleared spots. Someone is beginning construction of a house on this beautiful point. 
Back at the house the bay is so calm and Feel the Magic actually go waterskiing in the bay with the dinghy. One guy slaloms, one doubles and one person learns. Meanwhile, the powerboat charter, Cassady is having dinghy difficulties. They have to swim it back to the boat after drifting over the shallow area of the reef. I decide to inquire if NorthSouth allows anchorage in Brewers. I�m told they do not when I call and they ask if I had seen one of their boats in Brewers. Of course I told them so and they seemed a bit PO�d and thanked me.
No matter how well you plan and pack or whatever, it seems there is always something you need. So today we had to go to Road Town for a couple things. We were also intent upon getting a �good� detailed map with all roads so we went to the Survey office. They had an excellent map but it happens to be dated 1984! The Survey office is in the middle of compiling new data and maps via GPS and computer. Who knows when it will be done. We made a trip to the Folk Museum on Main Street which has an interesting display on the �cultural� ages of the BVI. We also visited the new �craft village.� Not much in crafts but big on the regular souvenir items. We stocked up on wine at TICO and went to the fisherman�s co-op. Debra won�t go back�.something about seeing the fish you swim with. Off to Soper�s Hole and the Jolly Roger for lunch. As usual good food and a pleasant conversation with the bartender. One other customer who was on vacation from St Croix and planned to spend each day taking the ferry to Jost and drinking over there.
We headed back to the house with various bar stops to do a ritual Painkiller sampling and hit Cane Garden Bay for happy hour. We talked with some people at Stanleys who had been on their �son�s boat� for the past week, going from Tortola to St Marteen and back. The man said it was sailing hell�.beat all the way and maybe 4 knots with non-stop for 18 plus hours going. He said never again. Grilled snapper at the house and watched the sunset. The NorthSouth charter is gone.
A word of caution here, as the signs say, the North trail can be very, very slippery. Back to the house for Painkillers (improved) and dinner and a cloudy night that leads to early retirement.
Thursday and it is cloudy again with the swell still fairly large. Another torturous walk around Mt Healthy to Ridge Road. A swim and still cloudy so we decide to go see Glen at Cane Garden Bay Watersports and talk about a powerboat rental. We make the arrangements for Monday and decide to head to Carrot Bay for lunch and on the way decide we should check with Egbert at North Shore Shell Museum about a lobster dinner. As we pull in, Egbert is rolling out on his bicycle. Lobster is available; tonight 6:30; Egbert is on his way to Road Town; we give him a ride. So much for lunch at Clem�s. We decide to visit The Pub and also do some bareboat inquiries at Conch and Tradewinds. Wonderful Crab Salad at The Pub. Princess is a nice waitress but make sure she pays attention to your order. Margaritas and Caribs are great watching some charters unload. We visit Nicole for the daily Pina Colada and chat and then have pre-dinner cocktails at the house after some pool swimming and off to see Egbert for dinner. Soursop daiquiris and gigantic lobster that is absolutely wonderful while Egbert fills us in. Things are very slow he says. He is working nights at the community college as a guard to �keep the bank away.� The local election is an interesting conversation. The cruise line taxi tours won�t stop because they demand 15% and Egbert isn�t willing to give that much. One group did stop but toured the museum, bought nothing and left no donations. We are the only customers for the evening.
We wish him well and warn him that Malcolm will be coming in August. He laughs at that. We admire Egbert Donovan and his efforts with the youth. We head to CGB to hopefully catch Quito playing solo but they are setting up the music fest stage and doing sound checks and no one is in Quito�s but two or three really ripped people. No Quito tonight. Nighttime entertainment is an evening swim and blender experiments.
Friday brings a different exercise routine. We go down to the beach, run the beach and then come back up to the house. It�s fifteen minutes down and fifteen minutes back up. It�s also fifteen minutes to Cool Breeze�.everything is a fifteen minute walk (and I use the work lightly). A Moorings cat decides to anchor in the bay. The swell is still up and snorkeling visibility is poor. We spend the day, partly at the beach limmin and partly at the house. Just as the sun is setting we spy a sailboat to the east of Sandy Spit and it appears to be struggling since it is not moving very well. It can�t seem to make any headway and should have some lights by now but doesn�t. We watch for close to an hour as darkness falls and she is barely visible with her sails still up and no lights. Finally lights come on, the sails drop and she motors toward Sandy Spit and we presume an anchorage in Manchioneel Bay. She bypasses the spit and heads for Jost. Very strange sailing to me. Dinner and a visit to check on the anchorages in Cane Garden Bay for the music festival. It�s not nearly as full as last year. Then we head off to Rough Point for a nice remote night visit. Debra declares it spooky but intriguing. It must have something to do with the random hillside crypt we pass by.
Saturday is another windy day with a swell. No snorkeling today. It is very humid. The Mt Healthy/cool breeze tour is sweltering. I�m so happy we have this pool to fall in upon our return. The pool man (King Soul) comes early. We chat quite awhile about various things and how he came to Tortola via Toronto. He is originally from Montseraat and lost his home to the volcano. It rains lightly and a rainbow is disappearing into the middle of the sea. The cleaning lady will be coming to day so we decide to make a tour to Josiah�s Bay. The surf is up and the surfers are out. The west end of the beach is completely deserted�heck the western two-thirds is deserted. The surfers are delighted and said yesterday was �awesome.� One attempts to talk me into trying it�..No thanks, I have enough addictions and reasons to come here already, thank you. We lounge for hours and enjoy the waves.
Perhaps Long Bay on the east end will be calmer we decide. Our snorkeling habit needs a fix. But it too is very murky and viewing is poor. We tour a very nice area of Beef Island and see the Carib canoe being sailed toward Monkey Point headed towards Foxy�s and the Wooden Boat regatta we presume. On to De Loose Mongoose for lunch and the highly praised conch fritters. Yep, they are worth every praise. There is a birthday party for some kids going on in front of the Guest House and some kids are providing great entertainment while we eat. We hang around Trellis Bay a while and think of going to Marina Cay but decide not to. We need to snorkel. So back to Brewers Bay and a late afternoon dive. A couple of huge tarpon are skirting the reef and are just beautiful. It is still murky though and we visit with Nicole for the Pina Colada and head up to the pool. Patsy is still cleaning at 6:30 so we have a herbal remedy discussion and also talk about the local plants, a topic of interest to her and Debra, some beers and give Patsy a ride home. Dinner and a fair amount of wine and we crash.
Sunday, the trip is half over and we walk again. Limmin day as the weather improves. We watch a dinghy come in from around the point from Cane Garden Bay and as it approaches, a gal jumps out and the guy pitches a dog overboard. Quite entertaining. A lengthy brunch and journal catch up before heading to the beach. Pelicans are doing some serious feeding around us while snorkeling.
It is something to be face down and hear these birds hurl themselves into the water four and five at a time within 10 feet of you. Very interesting site to watch from below the surface. Pure relaxation day, all day.
Monday is boat day. Glen is late but no problem. We head to Sandy Spit for a quick visit, check the chop and swell by heading to Brewers Bay and then off to Norman Island and maybe snorkeling the Indians or the Caves. The Indians are crowded. At the Caves, a mooring ball is free but we discover no boat hook and the pennant looks a bit difficult for Debra to handle and the boat is too unfamiliar for her to pilot in the crowd. Alas, we decide to skip it and go on to the Willy T. We are the first to arrive but are, unlike last year, not alone for long. The party begins. Jason is bartending since Zeus has Sundays and Mondays off. White Squall comes in with several people. A boat from St John, Pirate�s Penny brings a bunch of party people. A realtor from St John via Minnesota is there. Numerous people all arrived within an hour and jumps, tattoos and body shots were plentiful.
Pirate�s Penny and we decide to head to Jost. Debra pilots us there. We thought they said Foxy�s so we went there but they ended up in White Harbor. Great Harbor was pretty busy. Foxy was entertaining when we arrived. Stayed a while and met one of the local guys that likes to dance and some gals he had been entertaining the night before and several others. Not near the party that the Willy T had. We visited the gift shop and got the required t-shirts and hat and had to head back with the boat.
Back at the house we had originally had intentions of dinner but got hit with a craving for a Cheeseburger in Paradise and headed for Stanleys, which turned out to be closed. So Paradise Caf� it was and we ordered cheeseburgers even though they were not on the dinner menu. The waitress was super, �Just tell me what you want and how you want it done.� Neither one of us had our reading glasses and could not see the bill when it came. Near us were two tables of people, one with a group we had met at Foxy�s earlier and another with two guys. The guys were closer so Debra handed them the check and asked them to tell us the amount. The other table we had met began laughing. They guy read out the amount and asked Debra, �What did you do, just drink your dinner?� We were getting pretty painless by this point for sure.
The inevitable no current came on Tuesday morning. The power has gone off twice, each time just as I turn on the coffee pot. There will be no walking today. Yesterday at Willy T, Jason was preparing some drink with Campari and grapefruit juice. I said it tasted like a breakfast drink. Today we have created the Toxic Rooster, 2 parts Cranberry juice, 2 parts pink Grapefruit juice, 1 part tonic water and dark rum as needed. Limmin at the beach and snorkeling. The swell has finally reduced to very mild. I toured with a large Hawksbill turtle but did not have the camera. We saw several boxfish and squid which we had not been seeing. An interesting discussion with Nicole today about the development of Brewers Bay. He told about a friend of his that had left 40 years ago and when recently been advised of the roads to Brewers Bay and all had replied �that was not possible, even a burro or mule don�t like to go down into Brewers Bay.� The local election came to Brewers Bay on Tuesday evening. The community center was home to a rally for the National Democratic Party for the second district. We heard it all, from the introductory music to the speeches that went on till 10:30 pm.
Wednesday and we must pay for two days of no exercise. But this is followed by heavy snorkeling which if fantastic today since the swell is no gone and the visibility is back. Nicoles provides the usual good lunch and drinks and as we prepare to head to dinner at Fat Hog Bob�s to meet several TTOL�rs for dinner, three private and very large sailboats enter and anchor on the reef side of the bay. But they appear to have been here before and stay well away from the reef. We meet fellow TravelTalkOnLine members BillH and Di, Maryanne and Jeff, Fran and Karyl and SteveW and Cheryl at Fat Hog Bob�s.
A great time and tentatively we will all meet again on Saturday at Foxy�s. Note: Be aware of construction that will be going on for quite some time in East End. They are installing new sewer lines so there are detours (unmarked of course) from Josiah�s bay to East End/Long Look.
Since it is the political season as Nicole said, there are more construction projects than we ever saw last year. The Public Works Department began installing a water line to parts of Anderson Hill on Brewer�s Bay the week we were there. This created some interesting detour situations in the roads around us and altered our daily exercise in some cases. Thursday was such a day but we still managed to abuse our legs. We have fallen below the safety stock level on Carib and rum so we must go to town after a short swim. We also need a few other minor essentials that prove to be a bit more elusive so we end up in town for lunch and head back to The Pub for the Crab salad on salad and Crab salad in a Pita. Princess is still there and we enjoy watching two couples unload 900 lbs of luggage off a charter. Back to the house for afternoon blender experiments after the daily visit with Nicole and it becomes a very lazy evening with a lazy dinner.
Friday was pure beach and snorkel and Carib and Painkillers. Lots of all.
I need another dose of conch fritters from De Loose Mongoose. I need a cure and the punishing walk in the early morning sun only fuels my desire for the conch fritters. Off we go with plans to then visit Josiah�s Bay now that the swell is gone and see how it compares. But first we must stop at the major art project for the island, the painted retaining wall along the Ridge Road just east of the junction with Great Mountain Road.
We walk Josiah�s along a sand bar and venture out at the west edge. The waves are pretty gentle when all of a sudden a rogue wave about three feet high rolls in, creams us both and hats and sunglasses go flying. Debra comes up and quickly recovers our hats somehow but our glasses are who knows where. I have had those Bolle for several years�I�m heartbroken, to say nothing of blind in the sun without sunglasses. Debra informs me that those were her prescription sunglasses, not just shades. We make attempts to find glasses but I know they are probably futile and suddenly Debra finds hers close to shore. Hurrah! Mine are lost. I can�t take the blinding sun and must go get more sunglasses so we have to leave. As I am gathering our stuff from the easternmost cabana, Debra is poking around for shells in shallow water. I look up and see a small (approximately 4 foot) shark about 15 feet to her left and it is just sort of trying to work its way over a sandbar it appears. I know Debra will never hear me in the wind and there is a group of about 10 people just down a cabana or two. I want to get her attention to look at the shark but I can�t bring myself to yell SHARK. I begin to gesticulate wildly in hopes she will notice. About that time the group sees me pointing crazily and they come running to the shore as the shark heads out to sea. Debra thinks she finally saw it about 30 feet out after she missed seeing it get within 6 feet of her. On to town for new sunglasses and we take the road to Road Town from Bellvue which is very quick and easy. I can�t find any Bolle. Oh well, new sunglasses aren�t always a bad thing. Back to Brewers Bay for a late afternoon snorkel and then to the house for barbecued chicken for dinner. We only have one more day.
We awake early determined to milk everything we can out of the final day and we plan to spend it all at the beach.
We take the exercise route to the beach where Debra runs and then we both go snorkeling at 7:30. We grab our beach chairs, leave the snorkel gear and head back to the house for brunch. Then it is back to the beach and the rain comes but not for long. We spend the rest of the day enjoying the beach
and during the afternoon we watch three large sportfishers from Puerto Rico come into Brewers and raft up in front of Nicoles. Oh well, we were leaving anyway. We say goodbye to Nicole and Gina
and head to the house for a last meal, a visit from Patsy who leaves with leftover groceries and then are treated to the most glorious sunset we have ever seen on Tortola. It lasts for over an hour as the sky makes some fantastic changes. What a last night.
Departure day has arrived and it is truly bittersweet. We have missed our dogs and so wished they could come to Tortola. And this has been such a lovely trip and so calming. Perhaps American has cancelled our flight? No we are on schedule. Flights and customs are completely uneventful. We have checked our three bags for the return trip. We arrive in San Juan and must check in with USAir to get boarding passes. To our pleasant surprise we have been upgraded to first class. Thank you, thank you, thank you. We arrive home on time but our luggage is nowhere to be found. It shows up two days later. Go figure. I knew leaving was hard but I never knew Dreaded Island Fever attacked luggage.
Once again, we gone to come back�..next year�s plans have begun.
a detail from Feeding The Fowl on the painted wall
Back to the BVI page