Our B.V.I. Adventure

Scrub Island's brand new ferry - that Caty, Matt and I had just ridden days before - ended up on the rocks yesterday. 

Our friend Vanessa shared this photo on Marina Cay's Facebook page.  (You should like Marina Cay on FB, if you haven't already, by the way!)

I remember thinking that our ferry captain cut it a little close to these rocks on our most recent journey, but figured they knew what they were doing...  Makes me nervous to think about it.  I found this story about the incident on BVI News.  Thank goodness the injuries to the passengers and captain on board were only minor. 

After a week full of rain, I sure am ready to see the sunshine! 

While they were pockets of sunshine, the BVI was pretty much a soggy mess all week long.  Don't believe me?  See what the guys over at On-St John did to "capture" the story...

As far as the cistern is concerned, we're pretty confident we have enough rain water to hold us over for awhile.  There was a concern earlier in the week over a "ribbit" sound we heard echoing from the corner of the living room, where the lid to the cistern is.  We looked inside but didn't see anything.  Maybe he hopped out on his own???  Let's hope! 

We have some exciting news to share with Our BVI Adventure readers...  Michael and I are expecting a baby! My due date is October 20th, which we just had to write in the sand in true BVI fashion. 

I have a wonderful doctor here on the island.  A lot of people have asked me about the level of care available here, and so far my prenatal care has been more than adequate.  However, for the birth of the baby, my doctor has advised me that we should go to either the primary labor and delivery hospital in San Juan or a hospital in the United States, if insurance allows.  Michael was disappointed; he thought we could do a water birth at Smuggler's Cove.  (Kidding!)  More seriously, there is a large community of expat women on Tortola who've followed a similar track with their pregnancies, which I find especially comforting.

Michael and I couldn't be more excited.  We're thrilled, actually!  We were able to share the news in person with my sister when she visited a few months ago.  She was shocked, but extremely receptive to becoming an aunt.  She will be the world's greatest, no doubt!  We told the other family members via Skype, which was also a lot of fun!

I hope this news explains my sporadic blogging over the last few months.  Now that I'm through the first trimester, I am returning to my regular posting schedule (if you can even call it that!)  While this blog will remain a blog about our BVI adventures, I can't promise that a few baby adventure posts won't creep in.  Just rest assured that I won't be posting any baby bump photos that resemble this one!  :)

Unfortunately the rain during Caty and Matt's visit kept us off the beach for a few days, but that's the perfect reason to head to St. John for a little retail therapy.  Who needs sunny skies when you've got boutiques that take American Express?  :)  We also stopped in the local pub, St. John's Brewers - a must if you like hoppy beers and flavors like mango and coriander mixed with citrus. 


The delicious Mexican Food at Margarita Phil's and the great finds at St. John Editions however weren't the highlight of this day...

Michael ran into a fraternity brother from his days at the University of Tennessee!  Shane and his girlfriend Anna, who live in Nashville, were staying on St. John for a fun-filled week of limin' and scuba diving. 


 What a small world!  These guys hadn't seen eachother in at least four years!

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.

Caty and Matt brought us a radiator for our car!  Yep, we bought it online and shipped it to their house in Tennessee.  They packed it up and checked it as a piece of luggage!  It was definitely the quickest and most cost effective way to get the needed car part to the BVI.  :)  They simply declared it on their customs form.  Thanks y'all!

We have a lot on tap for their trip, including a trip to Jost van Dyke!  First stop, the bubbly pool! 

We were having a nice lunch at Le Grand Cafe the other day and my eyes kept being drawn to the mirrored display on the wall, where the desserts were listed...not necessarily because I have a sweet tooth, but rather the misspelling of one particular chocolate treat.
Do you see it?  Here's a closer look:

There it is!  Chocolate mouse cake...  Better than red velvet rat cake I suppose.  :)