Our B.V.I. Adventure

That's right!  Just like the sign reads, all beaches in the British Virgin Islands are in fact open to the public! Even those beaches connected to exclusive resorts are public. While these resorts can reserve lounge chairs, huts, and bars for guests only, the beach itself is open to anyone.

According to the government, there are 49 miles of beach in all of the BVI.  The beaches on Anegada account for most of that, with Virgin Gorda coming in second. 

U.P's Cinema held a premiere for the Sex and the City 2 movie on Thursday night. It was a great party to benefit charity.  They served sushi and champagne splits, along with popcorn of course!  The women of Tortola put on their high heels and came out in full force!  I think every female expat I've met since I've been on the island was there!  Here's a photo I snapped of friends, Felicity and Caroline. 

Despite hearing some not-so-favorable reviews, we really liked the movie!!! 

What a memorial Day weekend with our friends McRee, JMac, Kevin and Lauren.  As you will see from their exit survey responses, we packed a lot into a few days!!!  The theme song for the weekend was "Thunder Island" by Jay Ferguson.  If you really want to get the entire effect, play it while you read this...

Here we go!

Of the five Pusser's locations which ones did you visit on your trip?
McRee: Pusser's Road Town and Soper's hole on a boat? maybe?
JMac: Pusser's Road Town, Marina Cay, Pusser's East
KK: Pusser's Road Town, Marina Cay, Pusser's East, and we took pictures of Soper’s hole from the boat
Lauren: Pusser's Road Town, Marina Cay, and Pusser's East

Here's the gang at the Road Town Pub on Friday night...

What was your favorite drink?
McRee: Margarita from Soggy Dollar
JMac: I would say the Painkiller #4
KK: The Original Painkiller from Soggy Dollar
Lauren: Amelia converted me to the Naked Lorna, but I would have to say that the Bananawacker was my very favorite.

JMac's answer makes me think of a famous quote from Charles Tobias about the Painkiller, which has four ounces of Pusser's Rum in it...  "The painkiller number four is for men ONLY! The women don't like that very much, but we work it out."  - CST

What was the most bizarre thing you saw in the BVI?
McRee: If "bizarre" was changed to "awesome" then Willy T's is correct. Bizarre would be when within five minutes of arrival, a woman accosted Jason asking for a banana...
JMac: The obvious answer would be Willy T's and the antics that prevailed there. Other than that a close second would be the island animals for sure.
KK: Willy T’s and the interesting sites, but a close second was the Seagulls vs. Red Parrot battle over our heads at Pirate’s Bight.
Lauren: Chickens, goats, horses, lizards, geckos, dolphins, fish, cats, dogs, birds, crabs...

Driving in the BVI...take it or leave it?
McRee: Take it.  I drove - it was frightening. The side of the road really isn't the issue. It is more that the drivers on the other side of the road think that your side is theirs.
JMac: Leave it, not because of the turns, but because you can't go fast.
KK: Take it!  Driving was an experience, Yield/Give way on the roundabouts = very confusing! Also, I’ve never seen some of the hairpin turns like the road coming back from Smuggler’s.
Lauren: Leave it!  I am extremely grateful for Amelia, Michael, McRee and Kevin for driving me around. Riding in the BVI is great!

How would you best describe your time at the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke?
a) So much fun, but those chairs don't seem too stable...
b) It was awesome - best painkillers ever!!!
c) Best hammocks for an afternoon "nap"
d) Most definitely a sunny place for shady people!
e) We went to Soggy Dollar Bar?
Answers:
McRee: A & C
JMac: I would say B & E  but not C (as I did not "nap.")
KK: Definitely A & B
Lauren: D - I am a shady-pi after all!  {Shout out to all ADPi's out there!}

Check out these fun photos from our day on Jost Van Dkye...



If you could re-live one moment from your time in the BVI, what would it be?
McRee: Snorkeling at the Indians. That was by far my shining moment. {He kids - the seas were pretty rough that day and almost claimed him!!!}
JMac: Definitely docking the boat - in the rain - on "Thunder Island" aka Pirate's Bight.
KK:  Doing the Superman with Al & Einstein!  {Al & Einstein were the dolphins we swam with...check out the video of this move from Dolphin Discovery!}
Lauren: The whole thing! Is it too soon to come back? I could never pick one, but my top three would be: Jumping off the boat at Willy T's, swimming/dancing with the dolphins, and the Last Resort on the last night.


What was your favorite restaurant experience?
McRee: Lobster pasta at The Moorings restaurant. It wasn't what I ordered, but it was delicious.
JMac: The one next to the Moorings.  {That's Charlies - same as McRee}

This is one of McRee's photo - he has an incredible camera and takes some stunning photos...
{I may actually do an entire post featuring his best stuff from this trip.}

KK: Lobster-jalapeno pizza was the best meal, but The Last Resort was an experience unlike any!
Lauren: The Last Resort is probably the coolest restaurant in the world! But all of our food was great! I also loved the lobster pizza on Jost Van Dyke and the jerk chicken quesadilla from Pusser's.

Here's that lobster pizza...mmmmm...

True or False: "Ghost-riding the whip" is the best way to ward off seasickness.
McRee: I don't think there is a way to ward it off. If the sea wants you sick, it is going to happen. It smiled on me this trip.
JMac: Definitely true, I was in good shape during the high seas as I rode the whip all the way to the Indians.
KK: True! Never felt better after ghost-riding!
Lauren: True. Although I stayed at a steady 10 the whole trip!

You may be wondering what "ghost-riding the whip" is - well, according to Urban Dictionary, ghost-riding is the act of exiting a motor vehicle, specifically a car, while it is still in motion, and dancing either next to or on top of the vehicle.  We altered the definition a bit and applied it to a boat...So, ghost-riding the whip means standing up on the front of boat, hanging onto the rope, putting one hand in the air as the boat goes from point a to point b. 

JMac wins for most stylish riding...


Thanks so much friends!!!  Michael and I enjoyed having you here in the BVI!  We love you and hope you can come back soon!

I love how nothing else showed up in the photo.  I also like the rain drops.  Not sure what created the letter "C" hiding in the left corner, but I think it's pretty cool, don't you?

On Saturday, we headed out on the boat.  It wasn't a perfect weather day, but we still had a great time, from snorkeling the Indians to eating lunch at Pirate's Bight.  By 2:00 p.m. we were ready for Willie T's.

Here's what Willy T's looks like in Pirate's Bight, just off of Norman Island... 



Here's what our group looks like posing on the top floor of Willie T's.  Notice the sign: "No Jumping nor Diving."





Clearly, we cannot follow directions...McRee jumped first.

Then KK, Lauren, Michael and I decided to jump together...kind of like the quadruple jump we caught on camera last week!  While Michael and I have been here many times we've never had the nerve to jump.

We have a feeling McRee might have a better view of our jump.  He will be sharing his photos with Our BVI Adventure soon.

Here's our splash!

With all four guests in town, it was time to hit Smuggler's Cove!  The sun kept playing hide and seek with us, which was probably a good thing so no one would get sunburned on the first day of their vacation!
An afternoon storm rolled in and we escaped the rain at the nearby Bomba Shack.  We were a day late for the Full Moon Party.
Check out this photo from the slippery ride home! 

That's her husband KK {aka Michael's "twin"} in the orange hat - peeking out from behind the sliding doors.  It was so good to see them!!!  A few hours later, our fourth and final Memorial Day Weekend warrior...McRee!!!

Now that the crew is all here - the BVI better watch out!