Our B.V.I. Adventure

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! 

Rum Shop Ryan - a Caribbean enthusiast who blogs about all things island related - is looking for the best beach bar photo, and three of the five finalists are photos of bars in the BVI!  Two of them are from bars on Jost van Dyke!  {I've got to get myself back there again!} 

The first one is of Seddy's One Love Bar. 
And the other one is a photo of Ivan's Stress Free Bar.
While he's not a finalist, my father submitted this photo that he snapped while five people did the ultimate bar hop off of Willy T's. 

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!

Our favorite snorkeling spot in the BVI, the Indians did not disappoint on Day 170.
Thanks to a water-proof case for my camera that my dad gave me, we were able to take some underwater photos.

It was a beautiful day, above water and below...
We headed over to Pirate's Bight on nearby Norman Island for lunch.
 

Wait a minute, I think it's quintuplets!  There's a 5th jumper on the back left corner of the boat!  Did you see him the first time?  I didn't!

We also went to Peter Island, and then across the Sir Francis Drake Channel to get a look at our house from the water.   {That's it on the left!}


What a day!

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!

We had such a wonderful visit with Michael's grandparents. This was their first trip to the Caribbean and from their answers in the exit survey, I think they enjoyed their time! 

Now to the questions and answers...

What surprised you most about your time in the BVI?
Answer(s):  We just couldn't believe the view from Amelia and Michael's house.  

What was the name of the gynormous hot dog, served at the Pusser's tent in the Regatta Village at Nanny Cay?
A) the big dog
B) the fried masterpiece
C) the great dog
D) don't remember, but it was gooooooooooood!
Answer: C) the great dog
They are correct and here's a photo to prove how "great" it is:

Approximately how many cruise ships did you see go by Amelia and Michael's house during your stay?
Answer:  At least 10 cruise ships and some really nice sailboats

Here's proof!



What was your favorite BVI experience?
Answer:  Drinking bushwackers {see below} especially the Brazilian bushwackers at Willie T's!  HA!  We loved it all - the mountains, The Last Resort, meeting Charles at the pub, and seeing the Michael Beans show on top of Marina Cay.

This one is for the history books...

We rented the Contender from Island Time on Saturday and headed out to Jost Van Dyke.  We had been warned that the waters were choppy on the other side of the island, but we wanted to see for ourselves.  They were right!  Michael turned the boat around and we headed back to the much calmer Sir Francis Drake Channel. 


We stopped off at Norman Island and enjoyed a nice lunch at Pirate's Bight.



Then we headed over to Willie T - I'm not sure what we were thinking...I warned Memaw and Pepaw that we might bear witness to some lewd and lacivious behavior.  And sure enough, as soon as we pulled up, Willie T lived up to its reputation...remember the clothing optional part??? 


Here's a G-rated jump:


In spite of the crazy ladies jumping from the boat and William Thorton's numerous attempts to give Memaw a temporary tattoo, we had a good time.  Our last stop was the Indians.  We had been here before, but hadn't been able to snorkel because of the weather.  It was unbelievable!!!

I will have to get an underwater camera to show you what it looks like under there!!!  Or better yet, come on down and see for yourself!!!  It's absolutely stunning!!!

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.