BVI Travel Report, May 28 Day 4
A gentle rain overnight replenished cisterns and foliage alike. Coffee is again ready and I survey the bay. The big cats are gone and the entire boat count is reduced by half. Still no signs of activity on two of the boats. We wonder what’s up here.
A leisure breakfast and off to town for restocking of supplies. The stores were pretty well picked clean on Sunday and now it is time for some serious Carib consumption. During our return from RT yesterday we encountered a major detour trying to get to Huntums Ghut road. Actually, what we found was a huge ditch and the road closed. They don’t post detour signs, just a sign saying road closed ahead but when you don’t know if it means the road you are on or the road you are trying to reach, you press on, right? Mistake, well, not really. We ended up seeing more of RT by trying to find a way to our ascending path. Lots of dead ends. Lots of efforts to direct us but we couldn’t understand and follow the directions since most of them referred to someone’s house or some store that we didn’t find. The map just didn’t show street names and isn’t quite accurate on the backroads. I understand why C&F Restaurant says to call for directions in their ads.
We decide to take Joe’s Hill road into town. This is the way Judith from the Moorings originally told us we should go for some reason that we never figured out. Joe’s Hill road had a work crew busy digging holes in the road near the top. There were about 6 of them marked with orange barrels only as you got to them. No warnings, no signs, lots of near head on collisions. A real experience. Approach a barrel on a curve, peer around, blow the horn twice and gun it before anyone comes from the other direction….. We decided to find an easier way to Huntums Ghut once we got to town.
Once again the first attempt at finding Bobby’s failed. So of to Kmarks for Carib and groceries. We hit Main street for some shopping and information. Got any questions, see the lady at the Shirt Shack. She is a wealth of information and extremely gregarious for a belonger. I killed time by talking to various clerks in stores and such. Great insights into how RT has been affected by the cruise ships and how the seasonality changes and their adjustments to the change in economic climate. We did notice that the Good Morning routine upon entering a shop was very much appreciated but you generally must be the initial greeter. (Whereas in Paris, the shop owner greets you and expects you to respond.) They seem ready and armed for the Ugly American and this seems to kill the preconception. Took some colorful photos of Main street
and we left on our mission to find the alternate route to Humms Ghut. I had recalled seeing the name of one street that took us to the desired road and we sought it out, Lower Estate road. We then encountered the noon school kid lunch hour. Evidently every child leaves school, at least around the high school where we finally located Lower Estate road, to get some lunch. They all mingle and it is very colorful to see kids in various school color outfits all mingling around some tent or truck with food or hanging around the front of a store. Lower Estate road was/is a hoot to drive. Way too narrow, way too many cars trying to get along because of the ditch I guess and way too many cars parked. After a couple trips, we figured out how to get along on this road and it actually became quite fun, like a game each time trying to determine if a vehicle is parked, yielding or challenging.
Afternoon limmin around our pool and some lunch at Nicole's Beach Bar at Brewer's Bay where the cheeseburger in paradise is the best we had. And the Carib is cold. Boat traffic was very busy between JVD and Tortola and we spent time watching it. Some changes in the bay as dusk approached and the count went down some more but still no signs of activity on two vessels….hmmmmmm. We had made arrangements for a private charter daysail for the next day. I called to confirm and got a message that the boat owners had a personal crisis and had left the island! We were given another number to call so we did. I reached Judy with the vessel Simaril and she informed me the Blue Horizon owners had discovered an insurance fiasco and were off island dealing with it. She was prepared to be the replacement. But as we were talking and getting ready to determine a plan, the phone went out of service. We had no daysail plans. Oh well, such is de way on de island mon.
Once again, we decided it was just too comfortable at the house and we had a nice filet for steak au poire ready and decided to remain instead of dining out. Another fine wine, dinner, starlight and paradise drops the curtain on another day.
BVI Travel Report, May 29 Day 5
Since our daysail plans were scuttled, we decided this would be a good day to go to the Baths. Coffee and bananas and a bay survey and off to the ferry dock at RT. We now knew the way and suddenly we saw the Bobby’s sign that morning and felt we had really accomplished a task. We were greeted by a young man telling us that Smith’s was running the next ferry and going to VG and would we like to go there. We said yes thank you and he directed us to the ticket window where we had two helpful ladies explain the whole process.
Of course we had to ride on top on this beautiful morning. Off we go with only six others up top and we are sitting starboard astern. The wind picks up, the chop increases, the boat speed increases and suddenly Debra gets drenched. What a hoot! A couple minutes later I get drenched. Move seats? Are you kidding---we loved it! The belongers on board, who were of course sitting on the port side, were laughing as well. Arrival in VG was greeted by a rush of taxi drivers offering their services. We climbed in and headed to the Top of the Baths and immediately took the trail to the Baths. It was not yet 10 am but the mooring balls were full, dinghys were numerous and there were lots of people at the Baths beach.
Debra and the Balancing Rock on the path to the Baths.
Thankfully, because of information from the TTOL forums, we knew to take the “walk” to Devils Bay
which is a beautiful spot and then we went on from there and found some other great spots
and hiked around trails and when we got back to Devils Bay, the crowd had swelled. Time to go. We didn’t even bother with bringing our snorkeling gear because we had been advised it would become crowded and we would probably be disappointed. I think it was good advice for us. The facilities at the Baths are first rate as far as showers, toilets, lockers and such. Back to the top for lunch.
We decided to pursue the best cheeseburger in paradise and partake of Boulder Rollers. Nicoles still wins. We met a couple from Minnesota who were bareboating for the like 8th time in BVI. They said they had gotten the last mooring ball and were very surprised by the crowd for the time of year. We discovered that their plans and ours would most likely result in a rendezvous on Saturday at Foxys. We then checked out the Yacht Harbor in VG, grabbed two for one Painkillers at the bar and caught the ferry back to Tortola. The return trip was uneventful until we arrived. The boat was being operated by someone new to its operation with continuous verbal assistance from the captain. Docking did not proceed quite as planned but was eventually accomplished.
We headed back to the house to determine our next plan. The pool man for the house came and we spent a couple hours talking to Tony. He happened to live right above Nicoles (who is his cousin) and his family was from Brewers Bay. We got all kinds of information, suggestions, etc. Once again, darkness had descended and and the fresh fish was too good to pass and we grilled fresh grouper and my notorious grilled potatoes, onions, peppers and fresh bread and broke out the champagne to celebrate our wonderful day. Who needs plans mon. A visit to the beach late at night for a different perspective including a shooting star and then dreamland.
SIDEBAR—We never, ever encountered any bugs of the biting kind on this trip, not at the house nor ever at the beach any time of night or day. Maybe the weather was just right in combination of rain and sun and wind but we were bug free and had been prepared with our favorite repellant Burt’s Bees Lemongrass Insect Lotion (all natural and works, check the natural remedies). At least now we have plenty for the notorious critters at home.
The beach at the Baths is OK but the real appeal to us was the area around the Baths; the rocks as well as the huge boulders, the cacti, the multitude of varieties of lizards and birds and just the general ecology of the place. We found it quite interesting and were only disappointed by the fact that we could never find a book on the nature, wildlife and general ecology of VG or any of the BVI for that matter. Definitely worth a return trip.
BVI Travel Report, May 30 Day 6
Another gentle rain in the night. Boat count in the bay down to two. The motor yacht where we had never seen any activity must have departed very early this morning. Only the smaller boats remain, one east and one west. Yesterday’s nature hiking on VG has inspired us to got to Mt Sage today. Again, a leisure yet elegant breakfast of omelettes, bacon, bread, Mimosas and fruit and then off for the very short drive on the Ridge road to Mt Sage. First we decide to check the park at Mt Healthy, a reclaimed sugar mill that used wind power instead of animal power to grind the cane. Reality hit here when I discovered a small tree with a plaque. It had been planted by a local civic group as a token of remembrance for September 11, 2001.
Mt Sage. Go. Beautiful. Lots of short trails. Good hiking. Good views. Wonderful foliage. Another repeat trip is required. Below is a view of Jost Van Dyke from the trail to Mt Sage park.
Off to Cane Garden Bay to investigate and based upon Tony’s recommendation, to secure a powerboat rental. Cane Garden Bay is quite pretty.
East and West views
Because of the season I guess, there wasn’t as much commercialism as I expected. Pretty quiet and calm. We made arrangements with Cane Garden Bay Pleasure Boats (Glen) for a rental for Saturday. Glen knew the owners of our house and once he found out we were staying there, he became much more engaging. Asked a couple more questions and talked me down to a lesser boat telling me it would be plenty and I didn’t need that first one I inquired. Now that’s a switch. He asked us to take some brochures back to the house for other guests and then said to be there before 9 on Saturday to make sure we would be underway by 9 to enjoy our full day.
The boat we rented for our ride thru the BVI.
We roamed the beach and checked out the various places in CGB and then decided we wanted lunch at Palms Delight so up the hill and down the other side to Carrot Bay. First we decided to make a visit to the North Shore Shell Museum. We had read all kinds of information about the place and since most of it said it was "odd," we decided to check. Odd is definitely a good description. We decided to return and check out the restaurant another time.
Palms Delight was not serving lunch to our disappointment. A request for a recommendation directed us to Clems by the Sea, just down the road. The only people visible were an elderly lady peeling sweet potatoes and a younger gentleman. We walked up and inquired about lunch and were offered a seat and three choices for a meal. We selected the locally caught fresh grilled fish with Johnny cake and some Carib and Rum Punch. The gentleman was Clem. He brought out his steel drum and serenaded us while we ate.
His performance was frequently interrupted by someone from the street inquiring about some problem he had had. Turns out there had been car trouble. But he immediately returned to song and then we had a very informative discussion about steel drum playing, steel drum making, music, performing and on and on. What a wonderful guy and the whole time we were the only ones there except grandmother who was preparing sweet potatoes for pie. A true delight of a lunch and the food was excellent. They called the fish a Hardnose by the way, one that I was not familiar with.
This was going to be our local food day. We planned to go to C&F for dinner and because we had heard of much difficulty in finding it and needing more pineapple juice we headed to RT to locate C&F. We missed a desired road and went exploring and somehow ended up in RT and on to C&F which we actually found rather easily. Back to the house for some limmin and then later to dinner at C&F. They messed our order, bringing one incorrect entrée so we said that was fine, send the wrong one back and we will share this one in the meantime. This worked out great since as we finished one the other arrived, which of course we could not finish so it went home with us. Our server was a young girl who seemed a bit flustered at first and even more so when the order was wrong. But she eventually warmed up a bit and everything was fine. Good food and service. It rained while we were dining and we never knew it! Back to the house for a nightcap and sleeping to the view of the bay and moonlight.
On to Days 7-11
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