Our B.V.I. Adventure

A few were seperated from the pack and when I walked out my front door, I found them lurking on our patio!  Not sure who was more startled!

Just another BVI day!  And after our nearly sleepless night a few months ago, we were glad to have the goats appear in the daylight!

On Whitney's final afternoon in the BVI, we went down to Cane Garden Bay to soak up a little sun.  Little did we know, we would see our first ever shark!!!  Fishermen were drawing attention from cruise ship tourists as they were bringing in their catch for the day.
It was an ideal BVI photo opp, until we heard the words "Shark! Shark!" Sure enough, a small Caribbean reef shark was caught in the fishermens' net! 

I've been swimming and snorkeling at beaches all along Tortola's north side and I've never seen a shark...  But sure enough, that's exactly what these fishermen had found!


Here's a better look:

Yikes!

During our boating trip we spotted the most amazing yacht!  Other than the Russian-owned "A", this boat may  be the largest one we've seen in the BVI.

Just off of Norman Island, Cakewalk, measuring more than 280 feet, caught our attention.  We looked it up online and it's the largest yacht built in the US in the last thirty years.  It can accommodate 14 guests comfortably with seven cabins and six different decks.

Check out this close up shot of "the garage" (I think it's called a bay on a yacht, but looked like one decked out garage to us!)  The crew was getting ready to take some of Cakewalk's passengers to shore via this smaller boat. 

I also read that Cakewalk has a large library on board complete with fireplace and grand piano, plus a jacuzzi tub, and helicopter pad.  WOW!  It must have been here in the BVI for the Superyacht Regatta and Rendevous.

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! 

Still leading the pack with "most visits to the BVI," my sister Whitney made her way to Tortola on Friday for her Spring Break.


In addition to the traditional arrival shot, we snapped a photo of her airplane as it made its descent onto the runway. 
Since she's an old pro, she navigated her way through immigration and customs in no time!

Living on an island like Tortola means that water is an issue...  And by water, I mean the crystal clear stuff that likely flows freely from your nickel finish Kohler faucet, or that the warm soothing stream that sprays from your showerhead. 

As I've blogged about before, there are essentially two sources of water:  1) town water provided by the Communications and Works Ministry via the Baugher's Bay desalination plant (pictured below) and 2) cistern water. 

At our new house, we have the latter which means we are at the mercy of mother nature.  If she rains, our cistern fills up and we have water.  If it doesn't rain, we are at risk of using every last drop of our 10,000 gallon tank, which is stored underneath the house.   

But not all residents have cisterns; most Road Town residents are completely reliant on the town water, which can be even more frustrating than a couple of weeks with no rain.  Town water service is often disrupted for one reason or another.   

One local columnist for the BVI Beacon took a closer look at the critical issue and what's being dubbed a "modern-day miracle."  This is a must-read, especially if you like satire...

Of the five Pusser's locations, which ones did you visit on your trip? (Soper's Hole, Marina Cay, Charlie T's Lobster House, Leverick Bay, Road Town Pub)

Answer(s): Charlie T's Lobster House for delicious lobster & Road Town Pub for our first Roti

True or False. Driving on the left side of the road feels as weird as I thought it would.

Answer(s): Per Shane (as the driver & a man), false. But as the passenger...my eyes were peeled for him to cross over to the right side out of habit.  However - in his defense, the stayed left throughout the trip!

Shane not only drove in the BVI, but he drove without either me or Michael in the car, offering friendly reminders about the roundabouts and speed bumps.  He and Kaley made their way to the grocery store to get the ingredients for a delicious dinner that they prepared for us! 

What was the most bizarre thing you saw on Tortola?

Answer(s): The two hen gang bangs that we were fortunate enough to witness or Charlie Sheen's interview on the Today show...um, WINNER!

Can't believe this guy below didn't make the list for "most bizarre."  HA!

Favorite dining experience on the island?

Answer: They were all wonderful, but if I had to pick just one?  Barfly...a pork tostada, calamari, olive & mussel spread under the stars!  Couldn't be beat!

Which "island drink" will you be craving next week when it's a rainy 52 degrees back in Knoxville?

Answer: And as you predicted, it was 51 degrees and raining today and am definitely craving a Bushwhacker!

Which Da Tree Men original song was your favorite?
a) Bomba Punch
b) Cane Garden Bay
c) Jost van Dyke: Tropical Paradise
d) Bushwhacker
e) Virgin Gorda

Answer(s): Couldn't come to a joint decision on this one...Kaley's favorite is Cane Garden Bay, and Shane's is Bushwhacker.

What surprised you most about life in the BVI?

Answer(s): Most coveted position on the island: Ms. Delta Petroleum!  The grocery store chicken counts: 4 breasts / over 20,000 frozen wings available for purchase.  And of course the tree growing out of Michael's car!

It was great having Kaley and Shane here.  One of our most pleasurable experiences was a late afternoon SUP in Brewer's Bay.  Even though it was their first time trying stand-up paddle boarding, Kaley and Shane did great!  They never fell, not even once!

During their weekly gig at The Elm Beach Bar in Cane Garden Bay, Da Tree Men dropped it down low for a group from Chicago.  Dressed in 70's costumes, these people knew how to have a good time!  Even our guests Kaley and Shane got in on the fun by holding the limbo stick!  Check out the video.



It was such a fun night!