Our B.V.I. Adventure

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!

Did you see it?  The Wall Street Journal did a story about the "ulitimate webcation" and featured Pusser's many webcams scattered throughout the BVI! 

Michael made contact with the reporter, Ralph Gardner, back in December when he pitched him a story about Pusser's rum cake.  The reporter was responsive to the pitch, but wanted to first focus on the webcams and the mini-escapes they provide Caribbean enthusiasts who find themselves snowed in up north somewhere! 

Michael set up an interview for him with Charles Tobias (founder of Pusser's).  The two got along splendidly; both share a sense of humor.  At one point in the article, the writer compares Charles to John Wayne and recounts a particular coversation he overheard during one of his follow-up interviews...that conversation was between Charles and Pusser's "tech guy" which happens to be none other than Pier, Da Tree Men's basist!  Ha!  I imagine the last place he thought he'd end up today was in a Wall Street Journal article. 

I have to give major props to Michael for making this happen!  Gardner says a story on the rum cake will eventually follow.  Two-for-one possibly!  Now, who wants rum cake?  I suddenly have a craving!

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!

Pusser's recently won a head-to-head contest for its rum cake hosted by Uncommon Caribbean, a blog that celebrates the "undiscovered charms" of the Caribbean.

Tortuga has long been THE rum cake in the Caribbean, but as the results of the contest show, Pusser's Premium British Navy Rum Cake is giving old Tortuga a run for its money!  As Uncommon Caribbean points out, it all comes down to rum.



Pusser's rum cake is laced with 3 ounces of Pusser's Rum, as opposed to Tortuga's rum cake which doesn't exactly specify how much rum or rum essence is used...

So, if you're a fan of cake and you like rum, then this is the cake for you!!!  We gave several of them as Christmas presents this year - with a warning, of course.  Don't eat and drive!

Cheers!

James tied a rope together to form a circle on the ground.  Standing inside the circle, he slid the rope up to his ankles.  Keeping the rop taut, James climbed a 30 foot palm tree in a matter of seconds, all the while yielding a machete in his right hand.  A few whacks later and the coconut was loose.

 Back on the ground, James swiftly shaved off layer after layer then presented it to Michael to drink.   

Michael said it was delicious.  Have you had milk from a coconut like this?   I think it beats the Coke machine at most offices, don't you?  James is his own Coconut machine!

Yum!

The Shands are back in town!  Road Town that is!  You may remember, we first met the Shands back in February, on Day 56 to be exact.  {They live in Mississippi, have a hosue on Great Camanoe...I went to school with one of their son-in-laws...}  Well, they're back in the islands and we met up with them on Friday at where else?  But Pusser's Pub!


That is Leslie on the left, one of Ginger and Rodney's three beautiful daughters.  I was so happy to finally meet her!  We've been Facebook friends for months now!  Leslie's husband, Shae, Michael and Rodney posed for a photo too!

We had such a great time!  Everyone was drinking Naked Lorna's when Lorna appeared!  Charles had one more drink the Shands needed to try...  After finding out that Ginger and Rodney enjoy martinis, he had Andre shake up a lychee martini!  

Cheers!

We had a really great visit with Brian - sad to see him go!  This is us at Charlies at The Moorings for lunch on his last day.

Brian and his wife Beth had been on charter with her family the previous week and he was fortunate enough to be able to extend his trip a few days.  I took him to the usual spots - Smuggler's Cove and Nanny Cay.  Their captain made sure they saw everything else: Soggy Dollar Bar, Willie T's, Peter Island etc...

We did however, get to introduce Brian to "The Great Dog."  I guess you could say Brian is a hot dog connoisseur.  Just look at his skills with a ketchup bottle.

While he enjoyed the fried masterpiece very much, I think his loyalty is still to the one and only Lucky Dog in New Orleans.

Safe travels!  Come again soon!!!

On Tuesday night, the BVI Rugby team played a special match against the servicemen aboard the HMS Manchester.  The HMS Manchester is a Type 42 Batch 3 Destroyer, one of the oldest ships in the British Royal Navy's fleet.

In the weeks leading up to the match, Michael and I had been coached about the rules of the game by the captain of the BVI Rugby team.  He's a fixture of Friday nights at the pub.

The match was as physical as we expected.  Two men were taken away on stretchers, put in ambulances bound for the hospital.  Here's a quick video - it also includes the final score if you're wondering who won the match...oh, and the BVI team is in green and white.



These two teams have a long history. They started playing years ago, when Royal Navy engineers came to the BVI to aid in the building of the original airport.

Charles has been here for all of the matches over the years, on the sidelines with video camera in hand.


After the match, Charles replays the match at Pusser's Pub in Road Town. It was wall-to-wall Rugby players and other servicemen and women on Tuesday night.  You just have to see this video, as the teams were recognized for their effort in the traditional way.



Charles introduced us to the CO of the ship, Rex Cox, seen here with Charles...


We had an absolute blast!  We stayed out way too late, but even as an observer, it was truly an enjoyable night.  Here are a few other photos from the match...



Cheers!

My birthday got off to a wonderful start, Skyping with my parents and opening gifts that they had so sneakily left behind on their last visit.  {Thank you so much!!!}
Then it was off to the Dove, one of my favorite restaurants on the island, for dinner.  Look at my dapper date!  He pulled out the bowtie for occasion. 
While we ordered the lobster and manchego wontons for our appetizer, the chef sent out these mini pulled pork sliders first.  These dime-sized delights, topped with tangy slaw and sauteed red onion, were the perfect start to an incredible meal.
  
The lobster wontons were yummy, as were our entrees.  Michael had the prawns served in a vanilla bean butter, accompanied by a sesame risotto.


Here's me, the birthday girl!

After a sinful birthday dessert, we headed to the pub, where Charles and Joanna had a bottle of champagne on ice just waiting to be popped.  It was so special! Charles made sure that each and every person in the bar knew that it was not only my birthday, but my 31st birthday.  Ha!

The chef appeared with a chocolate cake later in the evening and everyone sang "Happy Birthday!"  I was understandably a bit embarrassed by the whole thing, but extremely appreciative.  This type of embarrassment is the best kind! 


We had such a wonderful night!  Thanks to Michael for orchestrating it all, the wonderful staff at the Dove, Charles & Joanna, and everyone at Pusser's Road Town! 

Being 2,000+ miles away from home isn't easy on days like this, but thanks to technology and Facebook, I felt the love from friends and family "back in the states."

And just when you think the party's over, Michael is taking me to Peter Island tomorrow for a day at the spa!  Cannot wait! 

Friday nights at the pub are usually pretty predictable - a whole lot of fun, but expected-fun if that makes sense.  You know, the regular crowd shuffles in, to borrow a line from Billy Joel.

Well on day 124, we went to the pub to see some people we'd never met before.  And not just anybody, these people happen to be from my hometown, Orange Park, Florida!  We quickly found out that is not the only thing we have in common...

If this were a blind date, you could say that my dad set us up.  He and Bob (top right) are golfing buddies.  They're both graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy as well. Bob and his wife Jenise (bottom left) are chartering a boat here in the BVI with some friends over the next week.  {That's Pam and Hershel next to Jenise - they live in Orlando, Florida.}

We had an absolute blast together!  Charles enjoyed having some Navy pilots in the pub with whom to swap stories.  We had some stories of our own to swap...

Not only did we have the Orange Park connection, Bob and Jenise's two sons went to St. Johns Country Day School, just like me and my sister, Whitney.  I can't believe my dad and Bob never put that together!  We were all about four years apart from one another, so I guess I can see how it was overlooked.

Bob and Jenise actually figured it out just a few days before their trip.  They received their edition of the FYI alumni magazine for St. Johns and guess who's on the cover???   


They were kind enough to bring a hard copy to show us.  I had been told by family and friends that we had made the cover, but I had no idea just how much of it we occupied!  ALL of it!  Ha!

Here's the article on the inside - my sister is featured too!


Okay, back to the pub...
It was so great to be with people from home - Pam and Hershel's daughter is actually a student at the University of Florida, my alma mater, so a few "Go Gators!" had to be exchanged!  Not too many though because Auburn and Tennessee were also represented at the table.  At least it's all in the SEC!

What a great night!  And to the "Pilots of the Caribbean" - their group name for the sail through the BVI - thank you for such a fun night!  It was wonderful meeting you and we hope to see you soon.  Fair winds!

Sharon and Dennis were so kind to escort Michael's grandparents to the BVI for the trip of a lifetime.  We think they had as much fun as anybody...Check it out!


Of the five Pusser's locations, which ones did you visit on your trip?
Answer(s): Road Town Pub, Marina Cay



True or False: By the end of your trip, you were used to seeing cars drive on the left side of the road.
Answer:  Absolutely NOT!!!  Weird, weird weird!!!
I guess that's a "false" then?  :)


How often did YOU use the phrase "back in the states"? 
A) hardly
B) a few times
C) at least once a day
D) at least as much as Amelia and Michael
Answer: C) At least once a day!  I actually said it FOR Amelia and Michael!



Favorite restaurant experience on the island?
Answer: The very best was Amelia's kitchen!!! A close second was Pusser's Road Town Pub! Air conditioning was a plus!