Our B.V.I. Adventure

On Tuesday, we headed out with the Campagna clan to the beautiful Jost van Dyke.  We took the Mystique day sail again...I cannot speak highly enough of this boat!  It is in the Voyage Charter fleet out of Soper's Hole.


(Funny side note:  Once we had boarded, and we were awaiting the safety briefing, one of our fellow passengers looked over at me and said - "Do you have a blog?  I googled the Mystique boat this morning looking for their phone number and your blog popped up.  That must be Anna Drake!" While this isn't the first time I've been recognized from the blog, it's the first time in a long time.  So, thanks for reading nice lady from South Carolina!)

Soggy Dollar Bar may have the best painkillers, but One Love makes the best bushwhacker!
We also ate lunch at One Love and it was delicious.  We shared a few savory lobster quesadillas.  How sweet are little Charlotte and Vivian???  They adopted the chill vibe of Jost van Dyke and acted as if this was something they do every day.


We also introduced Liz to the dark and stormy drink.  Have you had one?  It's made with three simple ingredients:  1 part Gosling's Rum (that's the dark) 1 part Ginger Beer (that's the stormy) and then a squeeze of fresh lime.  Here's the finished product:
It was another gorgeous day in the BVI and another splendid day sail on the Mystique.  Thanks to our captain, Nico and hostess, Celia for making it so wonderful!
Don't you just want to dive in and take a swim?  Aunt Alison did - here she is enjoying the cool waters.

I wonder how many painkillers $4,000 buys...


(And yes, that is a stack of Soggy Dollar Bar Painkiller cups!)

$4,000 is how much the winners of the Soggy Dollar Bar 'Dash for Cash' SUP Relay Race will receive.

As apart of the Highland Spring HIHO race, which Michael competed in last year, the 'Dash for Cash' event will take place on Friday, July 6.  Teams of three will race on stand-up paddleboards from Tortola's East End to White Bay on Jost van Dyke.  I can't think of a better place to end a 12-mile SUP race than at the Soggy Dollar Bar!  


Here's some more information if you're interested in putting a team together!  The relay race is open to everyone, not just participants in the Highland Spring HIHO.

One of our favorite photos is this one, taken back in December 2010 in front of the Soggy Dollar Bar on White Bay, Jost van Dyke:

So, when we went back there this week, we just had to replicate the photo!  Only this time, Anna Drake makes the perfect "I" - doesn't she?

A full recap of our trip to Jost is in the works.

We had another splendid day on the Mystique.  This is such a stress-free way to visit one of our favorite islands, Jost van Dyke.  The captain and hostess aboard the boat take care of everything, including mixing the drinks!  That's the catamaran anchored in White Bay.  (Looks kind of small in this photo, but it's 45' long.)


The itinerary was the same as our trip with Whitney...  Sailed to Diamond Point, where we snorkeled and even tried out the kayak, then we headed over to Soggy Dollar Bar for the afternoon before returning to Tortola!  We loved every minute and Anna Drake was such a good little sailor!

We enjoyed meeting some folks from Wrightsville Beach, NC.  My dad wanted them to hear some music by Da Tree Men, Michael's old BVI band, so he confiscated Michael's iPhone and had them play "Jost van Dyke - Tropical Paradise" on the sound system.  It was a nice way to end our excursion.

I really miss the band...  You may remember, the lead singer moved back to the states almost a year ago.  We've worn out the CD of the band's original songs.  Michael's drums are now collecting dust on top of a closet in the nursery.  Sad.

On Tuesday, we headed out for a fun day of sailing on the Mystique - a beautiful 45' catamaran.  We headed over to Jost van Dyke for a snorkel around Diamond Point.  Our captain, Nico (sp?) suggested we look under a particular rock on the south side of the point.  There, he said, we would find lobster!  And sure enough...


Do you see the tentacles sticking out from underneath the coral?  We dove down to see it better, but unfortunately our accuracy with the camera while diving was not so good.

Our next stop was the always beautiful White Bay.  The water was the perfect shade of blue.  Here's Whitney on the bow of the boat:


Nico escorted us to shore via the dinghy, which was really great since we had Anna Drake in tow.  She wore her sporty life jacket!

Before having a Painkiller at Soggy Dollar Bar, we had to decide where to have lunch!  There's One Love on the far end, Jewel's Snack Shack for hamburgers, among other restaurants.  We knew we wanted lobster and this looked too good to pass up!


We ordered the lobster pizza plus half pepperoni and half jalapeno.  It was delicious!  We highly recommend it!


After lunch, Whitney snapped this family photo!  Christmas card, maybe?  :)

Here's the crew in line at Soggy Dollar Bar!
By three o'clock it was time to get back on the Mystique and return to Torotla.  Anna Drake loved it aboard the boat.
We will absolutely choose the Mystique again!  It was much easier than renting our own boat for the day, especially now that we have a little one!

On Saturday we hopped on a boat from King Charters and headed for Jost van Dyke.  Matt and Caty hadn't been to the bubbly pool before, so we knew that had to be our first stop.  One of the cool features of the bubbly pool is the man-made rock formations placed all around the pool.  Check out this gravity defying feature! 

The waves were huge as they crashed over the rocks and filled the pool with bubbles that would make your finest bottle of Veuve Clicquot jealous.  Matt posed for this action shot, just before be swept away.  Take a deep breath!

The water was refreshing and once again, the bubbly pool did not disappoint! 
Fun fun!  After a nice lunch at Foxy's Taboo we headed for Soggy Dollar Bar on White Bay.

We wasted no time and headed out on the boat on Saturday.  Our neighbors and new friends, Jonathan and Danielle had company visiting as well, so we had a nice big group.  It was a day of acronyms...

Our first stop was JVD (Jost van Dyke) and the bubbly pool.  You may remember our first trip here was just a few weeks ago with Ashley and Gordon.  And we thought the pool was "bubbly" then???  Well, that was nothing!  Check out this photo:


The waves were enormous as they came crashing through the rocks and filling the pool with bubbles.  The area where we'd previously been able to hold on as the water rushed over us was unrecognizable.  The waves just kept on coming. 

Our next stop was SGB (Soggy Dollar Bar) in the always beautiful White Bay.  The painkillers were delicious, but if painkillers aren't your thing, you need to try a raspberry therapy!  Jsut ask "the Oldtimer" for one of these specialities; he's sure to help you out!  The raspberry therapy is Whitney's favorite drink here. 


Our last stop of the day?  The WT (Willy T's).  Whitney snapped this photo of the jumpers as we arrived at the infamous floating bar. 

We packed a lot into one day, but a fun BVI day it was! 

Ashley and Gordon enjoyed a nice long weekend in the British Virgin Islands.  We were so happy to have them as our first visitors of 2011!  (My family was technically here in 2011, but we consider them our last visitors of 2010.  Ha!)

Well, here's their exit survey! 

Of the five Pusser's locations, which ones did you visit during your BVI adventure? (Road Town, Soper's Hole, Pusser's East, Marina Cay, Leverick Bay)

Answer(s):  Road Town & Marina Cay

Approximately how many cruise ships did you see pass by Gecko Manor II?

Answer:  Well, we should ask how many times did Milly bark???  A cruise ship wouldn't pass without her letting us know about it!

How would you best describe the bubbly pool on Jost van Dyke?
A) Boring...
B) Fun!
C) A must see.
D) A little dangerous!
E) None of the above

Answer:  Definitely C) a must see. But watch out for the machineel trees!

What was your most memorable meal in the BVI?

Answer:  The Anegada Lobster (whether grilled, on a pizza, or on top of pasta)

In the battle of the island drinks on White Bay, who wins the match-up: Soggy Dollar Bar Painkiller vs. Jewel's Party Punch?

Answer:  Jewel's Party Punch

Of all the islands you visited, which one was your favorite? (Sandy Cay, Jost van Dyke, Virgin Gorda, Great Camanoe, Marina Cay, Norman Island, Cooper Island, or Tortola)

Answer:  Sandy Cay

True or False. The girls dominated the board games the entire weekend.

Answer:  Gordon says "We'll let them think they did..."

What advice would you give to any travelers who fly into St. Thomas and take the ferry over to Tortola?

Answer:  Make sure you move toward the exit of the boat as the boat docks.  This way you will be at the front of the line when departing the ferry. Otherwise, grab a few drinks for the 1+ hour wait at Customs.

Great survey Glovers!  Michael and I loved having y'all here!  One of my favorite days of their trip was the excursion to Virgin Gorda. 
 We enjoyed a decadent lunch at Little Dix Bay, then explored the Baths...


We couldn't have asked for better weather!  They're surely taking some nice sun tans home with them!  Love y'all!!! 

Our apologies...
This exit survey is somewhat delayed.  With the craziness of Christmas and the back-to-back house guests, this post has been sitting in the drafts folder for more than a week! 

We had such a great time with Sharon and Dennis and we're so grateful that their trip could be extended due to Mother Nature!  Not only were we able to share Christmas together, but Michael's parents celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary while in the BVI...Happy Anniversary you two!  {Thanks to the staff at Charlie's at the Moorings who made it so special!  Dinner was delicious!}

Answer: I believe there were approximately 18 cruise ships and a few awesome sail boats!!

Answer:  OMG!! A HUGE DIFFERENCE! We actually felt like we were in the states.

Answer: Hey Jude! They rocked the night we saw them perform – all their music was great, but Hey Jude was the best!!

Answer: Breaking out into a cold sweat and fainting really does get you through the line faster, but then you have to deal with the EMTs who will discourage you from flying.

Answer: TRUE!! When we saw Santa at Soggy Dollar and his three "hoes" it certainly felt like Christmas!! What a fun day!

We had the pleasure of meeting the guys behind the blog, On-St John the other day.  If you haven't checked it out yet, let me give you a reason...

While we can't say much for the singers (ourselves included!), these guys are talented videographers.  They're also owners of a villa on St. John!

The Soggy Dollar Bar celebrated its 40th anniversary on Saturday with a huge party!  If you're not familiar with the Soggy Dollar Bar, it's the most popular "sunny place for shady people" on the island of Jost van Dyke.  It is famous for the Painkiller drink, invented there in 1970! 

We chartered a 38 foot Beneteau out of Soper's Hole with some friends, old and new.  Our captain, Paul was great!  He put Michael and other members of our group to work, tacking and jibing our way to White Bay!  It was our first official "sail" to Jost.  Usually we take the Contender, a 26 foot power boat, from Nanny Cay.  It is a completely different experience, one that I highly recommend!!! 
We couldn't believe how many boats were there!  At one point I counted 50 or more and it was only one o'clock in the afternoon!
The Shands brought their boat, a Power Cat named "Camanoe Catillac," and met us there for a few Painkillers in the afternoon sun.  We even swam back out to their boat for some snacks, including curry deviled eggs {need that recipe Ginger!} and fresh tomatoes from Mississippi!  A few back flips off of the boat later, we found ourselves swimming back to the beach to round up our crew...and a motley crew it was!  Thanks to Captain Paul for putting up with us!!!   

Oh and here's a quick video I shot during the middle of the party...


 
Cheers!

Da Tree Men performed an original at The Elm on Sunday night.  Adam, the lead singer of the band, has been writing songs about the British Virgin Islands for the past several months, and I was anxious to hear one of them.

The title is "Jost van Dyke" and for those of you who've been there, you will most definitely relate to the lyrics!  That means you, Caty, Matt, Liz, Jeff, Gerry, Felicity, Whitney, mom, dad, JMac, McRee, KK, Lauren, Brian and Beth!!!  :)

So, without further ado, here it is!



Lyrics...
I got drunk as a skunk last night at a bar on Jost van Dyke
Which bar I can't tell you by its name
Played with Reuben Chinnery, you were sitting next to me
Felt the sun and played the ring toss game
I've got to get myself back there again


Tropical paradise so nice - yeah yeah, take my advice
You have got to get yourself to Jost van Dyke
(repeat)


They've got a drink to kill your pain while the breezes cool your brain
Get out there and you'll see what I mean
In this world of broken dreams where things are not what they seem
Take one trip out there and you'll see what I mean


Tropical paradise so nice - yeah yeah, take my advice
You have got to get yourself to Jost van Dyke
(repeat)


Take a plane, take a boat, maybe build a raft and float
Click your heels three times and just pretend you're there
In this world of broken dreams where things are not what they seem
Take one trip out there and you'll see what I mean


Tropical paradise so nice - yeah yeah, take my advice
You have got to get yourself to Jost van Dyke
(repeat)
You have got to get yourself to Jost van Dyke
You have got to get yourself to Jost van Dyke

The song is catchy isn't it?  I just love it!!!  As I listen to it over and over again, a slideshow of all the good times we've had there plays in my head.  Maybe once the song is recorded - which is the intent - I'll have to make such a slideshow set to Jost van Dyke! 

Our Irish friends {as they love for us to refer to them}, Felicity and Gerry joined us for this trip as well.
Along the way, we picked up our friends Adam and Matt.  They both live near Cane Garden Bay, so it was pretty convenient to meet them at the dock there.

The ride over to Jost Van Dyke, and more specifically White Bay takes about 30 minutes or so.  I scored the mooring and we swam to shore.  {Thanks to Catharyn for teaching me how to do this back in February!}

This is how the Soggy Dollar Bar got its name.  There aren't any docks at White Bay, so you either drop anchor or secure the boat to one of the bouys and swim in, which means your dollars get soggy!  Unfortunately this also means our non-water-proof camera stays on the boat.  So, no photos of all of the fantastic places at White Bay.  But here's a quick run-down....


After a delicious lunch of fish sandwiches, we walked over to Soggy Dollar Bar for their signature painkillers made with Pusser's rum, then hit Jewel's Snack Shop and One Love.  Everyone had a great time!