Our B.V.I. Adventure

We took Travis to the Full Moon Party on Sunday night.  And what a night it was!  We started things off at Pusser's East, where we sat on the porch and enjoyed some delicous grouper.  (Thanks Jeff!) 

Travis is an incredible photographer as you will quickly realize.  Check out this photo he took of the full moon...

The even did a flaming jump rope!  I was worried the guy jumping in from the right side there was going to get burned...he didn't, thankfully.

There was a live band playing that night, so the flame throwers were also flame dancers! 

Travis, my friend and coworker from Ackermann, made it to the BVI in spite of the hundreds of cancelled flights.  Take that, snow storm!  This is T's first visit to the Caribbean and we have a lot of fun things planned for him!  Whoo hoo!!! 

Unfortunately, the battery in our camera died before Travis arrived, so the photo taken with a camera phone is a little dark.  We thought about going back to the airport and re-enacting the whole thing!  Ha! 

We went to the house, dropped off his luggage and headed into Road Town.  We enjoyed a late dinner at Bar Fly (which is connected to The Dove, one of our favorite restaurants on the island.)  It was really good and there was a great crowd. 

Tomorrow night is a full moon and that means one thing!  Full Moon Party!  We haven't been to one since New Year's Eve...

They have a regular work-out facility there with treadmills, weights, and such, along with a bar and grill.  We hear the restaurant is quite good - it overlooks the tennis courts though, so you better be on your game! 

It was a rainy Saturday so we went to see Valentine's Day at U.P's - our movie theatre.  This wasn't exactly the ticket stub Michael and I were hoping to leave the theatre with...


Take a closer look - that's right, a $100.00 ticket for parking on the curb, (the same curb we've parked on previously when we've been to the movies.)

Not that it is any consolation, but the cars in front of us and behind us also received tickets.  Oh, and the best part?  We get to go to court to pay the ticket!  There is no mail-in option. 

Well, at least the movie was great!

So, away we go!

How annoyed are you by Amelia and Michael's use of the phrase "back in the states"?
A) didn't notice        
B) not at all    
C) slightly annoyed    
D) very annoyed  
E) more annoyed than they'll ever know
Answer:  B) not at all.  In fact,  I think I said it a couple of times.

Best Restaurant experince on the island?
  
True of False:  By the end of your trip, you were used to seeing cars driving on the left side of the road.

How many wild chickens and/or roosters did you see while on Tortola?

  
What was the strangest thing you saw on the island?
  
What is your favorite memory of your time in the BVI?

They say there's only one way to truly experience the BVI and that way is on the water.  So on Saturday, we rented a boat from Island Time in Nanny Cay. 
After a great lunch, we headed to the nearby William Thorton, a 98-foot schooner better known as Willie T's.  This floating party is known for a few things, including the infamous jumps off of the second story.  From what we hear, clothing is optional.  As you can see the three people in this photo who are about to jump are fully clothed, scratch that, wearing their bathing suits at least!

Here are a few photos from our afternoon...


Before sunset, we headed back towards Nanny Cay and stopped off at the Indians.  These beautiful rock formations are stunning, especially as the sun sets low.

Adam treated us to a concert at here.  I must say, even though we didn't experience the snorkeling at the Indians on this particular Saturday {because of a strong current}, singing some of our favorite songs by the Grateful Dead, Johnny Cash, and Jason Mraz was the most fun!     
Of all the experiences we've had here these last 62 days, this one ranks pretty high.

We took Caty and Matt to The Dove on Friday night - it is one of our favorite restaurants on Tortola.  They loved it!  I didn't know this, but The Dove cures almost all of its meats.  We tried the charcuterie plate and enjoyed some delicious pate, chorizo and other cured meats.

We stopped by Pusser's Pub in Road Town after dinner and introduced Matt and Caty to Charles and Joanna!  
Charles gifted them with a bottle of Pusser's Rum and a few of the signature grog mugs.  These particular ones are specific to the painkiller. We had a really great night, but it didn't end there...We headed over to Le Cabanon next door where we met up with our friends, Jerry and Felicity.
SIDE NOTE: I had the pleasure of meeting Paloma, one of the owners of The Dove on Friday night.  She came over and introduced herself because she had received a "Google Alert" for The Dove which led her to our blog!  She was so complimentary and said she was a fan.  Paloma, the feeling is mutual!

For Caty and Matt's first day, we thought a trip to our favorite beach, Smuggler's Cove would be a great first on-island experience.  (Caty and Matt chartered a boat in the BVI for their honeymoon so they are quite familiar with the water attractions.)

Since Michael had to work, it was just the three of us.  We went over the hill and stopped at this roadside bar... 

By the afternoon, the waves were HUGE!  We stayed out of the water once these guys rolled in...

On our way home, we stopped at Soper's Hole to see Michael. He was visiting the Pusser's store there.  He was able to join us for a drink, but we couldn't stay too long.  Dinner reservations at 8:00!

Caty and Matt arrive tomorrow!  We are so excited...we've been busy preparing for their arrival.  We have a lot of fun things planned. 

They were here for their honeymoon back in August, so they know their way around the BVI.  We're actually counting on them to show us a few things!  We'll be renting a boat and taking it over to Jost Van Dyke, one of the islands I haven't been to yet, as well as to Willie T's and who knows where else?!?!

In other vacation news...it looks like Jeff and Liz are going to make it down here for a last minute trip.  And when I say last minute - they're coming on the 18th of THIS month!  We were just messaging about it tonight on Facebook.  Jeff claims it's the best last-minute Valentine's gift ever and I would have to agree with him!

McRee is also booking his trip and will be coming in March!  Cannot wait!

UPDATE:  Unfortunately, due to an appointment on Jeff's calendar that could not be rescheduled, Liz and Jeff are going to have to push back their trip to the BVI a month or so... 

As we know, it's a small world and when Facebook came on the scene, it made it even smaller.  That's where, like so many of you, I've reconnected with friends from my childhood, college, past jobs, etc...

Well, when we announced our move to the BVI on Facebook, I got a message from one of those college friends, Dustin Bass.  We went to the University of Florida together.  He wanted to let me know that his in-laws have a place on Great Camanoe which overlooks Marina Cay, the island that Pusser's owns.  I was excited at the prospect of seeing a familiar face when he and his wife Nancy came to visit!

Two months after that initial exchange Dustin sent me another message: his in-laws were coming down for two weeks.  While his own family wasn't going to be able to make it, (they have an adorable baby boy, Jackson) his in-laws were open to meeting us!  We exchanged numbers, which led to Day 56: Meeting the Shands, aka The Honorable Rodney and Mrs. Shands of New Albany, Mississippi!

Ginger met us at the dock at Trellis Bay at 11am.  We took their rib over to Great Camanoe, where they live in Indigo Plantation.  It's an amazing set up with a private docking area, sheltered from the sea.  That's their home there, with the three peaked rooftops:

Rodney met us up at the house.  I have to admit, hearing southern accents and talking SEC football was really nice.  There were no "Go Gators" exchanged though; you see the Shands are HUGE and I mean HUGE Ole Miss fans.  Even with the Ole Miss flag flying high above their home, it is beautiful!  It's divided into three sections with these deep porches.  Here's the view between two of the sections:
Rodney gave us a tour of the island on their "gator" and showed us their wild orchid garden.  Truly amazing! 

Some of their friends who also have a house on Camanoe joined us for lunch, Jim, Denny and Denny's sister, Christie.  Ginger made us the most scrumptious Southern fare:  chicken salad and pimento cheese sandwiches.  Then it was time to hit the water and head out on their boat!
It was a gorgeous Sunday; we went everywhere!  Past the Dogs, over to Virgin Gorda, beyond Mosquito and Prickly Pear Islands, all the way to Necker Island. (That's the $36,000 per night resort belonging to Sir Richard Branson.)

Here are a few photos from our trip, including a stop at Saba Rock for some rum drinks:


We ended up snorkeling Diamond Reef near Scrub Island.  We saw our first baracuda, along with some gorgeous parrot fish and elkhorn coral.  It was stunning!!!

We enjoyed the day immensely and cannot thank Dustin enough for introducing us to our new friends, Ginger and Rodney!