Our B.V.I. Adventure

While Tortola's (relatively) shiny and new supermarket, Riteway, offers a wide selection of items from the US and the UK, there are a few things it doesn't carry, at least not regularly:  Pampers, for starters.  They have Huggies, but no Pampers.  

When you see that they have stock of Hint of Lime Tostito's, you better buy two bags...maybe three!  And good luck if you want an everything bagel!  I haven't seen one since we've been back.

As for coffee, we have to import our Keurig K-cups.  The Keurig craze has yet to hit the BVI.  There are a few ways to get these coveted items to the island...  The first option is to send a box to stateside friends who are coming to visit and kindly ask them to pack the items in their suitcases.

More often than not, however, we shop online and send the items to Tortola Express in Miami.  From there, the items are flown to Tortola and for a fee that includes both the freight cost and duties, you can pick them up at their office in Road Town.

Most recently, I picked up some of Anna Drake's baby items that we ordered from Amazon.


Oh, and if you're wondering about the rose on top of the smaller box...  Let's just say the clerk at the desk has a "thang" for this baby momma.  :)

We were anxious to get Anna Drake's new bathtub.  Here she is trying it out that very night!

A reader recently asked a question about where we shop for other items, like clothing and home goods.  A post on that is in the works!

Local publishing company, aLookingGlass, has just released the second edition of BVI Newbie.  You may remember the first edition of this fantastic publication came out about a year after we had moved here...
 
We still found it very helpful, so we had to pick up the 2012 edition to see what new information it holds.  I caught our own little newbie reading it before falling asleep the other day...

One new feature in the 2012 publication is the pull out map in the back.  And I love this graphically driven section on what you can expect to find on the roads here:


I have come across ALL of these "vehicles" and hazards at one time or another.  Even Sir Richard Branson's controversial lemurs made the Newbie guide!


The publication also addresses something I know I get questioned about all the time - the cost of groceries!

This list is pretty accurate.  Last night Michael went to the grocery store to get a few items I forgot on our last shopping trip and sure enough the bottle of wine ($7.00) was one of the least expensive items.  It was less than the milk he bought, and cheaper than the detergent!

Amex in hand, we headed for the USVI on Day 353.  Normally, this means catching a ferry from either Road Town or West End, but our friends Louise and Richard elected to take their boat, Lady Sol since the conditions were so perfect.  Flat water and no wind made for a smooth (and more importantly dry) trip!
We "cleared" through Cruz Bay on St. John. This means we went through Customs there and got the necessary paperwork for the boat, which allowed us to legally motor in US waters.  We grabbed a coffee at a charming little bakery and headed for Red Hook on St. Thomas. 

Check out this member of the welcoming committee there...yikes!  He gave me quite the startle!  I think it's a he...
 We hitched a ride on the open-air "dollar bus" - Charlotte Amalie bound!
We enjoyed a yummy lunch at W!kked in The Galleria at Yacht Haven Grande.  The shops there include Louis Vuitton, Gucci, BCBG, just to name a few! 

The big winner of the day, however, was K Mart, yes K Mart.  When you live on an island where a generic microwave costs upwards of $250, it was fiscally responsible of us to shop there and stock up on essentials, from scotch tape to "toilet rolls."  :)
The most gorgeous part of day came as the sun was setting over St. Thomas. 
While boating in the dark isn't necessarily what any of us had in mind when we started out, it was a beautiful view.  We had to go back through Customs in the BVI and settle up with the Duty Officer before navigating the Sir Francis Drake Channel, again, in complete darkness. 

Richard did a stellar job as "captain" and returned us safely back to the docks at Nanny Cay.

You know, after writing this, I'm amazed at the energy expended in the name of retail.  While it was the most enjoyable day, don't get me wrong, I just think about the lengths people (in this case, us!) will go to when it comes to shopping.

SO, if a short car ride happens to separate you from a mall or shopping center, will you do me a favor?  Savor that convenient little drive, free parking, and selection of stores stuffed with the latest and greatest!

Reciprocally, we will savor the sunshine and warm temperatures this holiday season while many of you are bundled up and scraping ice from your windshields so you can take aforementioned trip to the shopping mall!

Merry Christmas!

The new Rite Way grocery store opened the day we left for our week and a half in Knoxville.  I even tried to go that morning, before our 1 o'clock flight, but was turned away because their official ribbon cutting wasn't until 2 o'clock.  Go figure.
I have to say it was well worth the wait!  But before you see the beauty that is the inside of this new grocery store, a quick reminder of the old one, which is just next door.  That's it with the green and yellow awning.   (Remember when they had a sale at this same grocery store?)
Another shot of the old store, this one of the interior:
And the new!
Get a closer look of that produce!
It truly was a pleasurable shopping experience!  Don't worry Publix, you're still my number one.  And Fresh Market, they've got nothing on you; however, for BVI standards, this is most definitely the "best on the island" as they say.  

The aisles were nice and wide - two shopping carts (or trolleys for our British and Irish readers) could pass each other with ease.  The staff looked great in their new uniforms and they seemed more helpful.  Although, I didn't see my favorite stock boy...he usually sings Iyaz's "Solo" or "Replay" to me while I shop.  I'll have to go back soon and make sure he made it to the new store!

Up until now, grocery shopping has been something I've dreaded here in the BVI.  Not anymore! 

Just this morning, the National Weather Service upgraded Earl to a Category 1 Hurricane. It is expected to gain strength over the next 24-48 hours as it approaches the Leeward Islands, then the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and beyond.


So what does that mean for us? Well, there is no such thing as an evacuation plan here.  I guess we could catch a flight and head for Florida but that requires a layover in San Juan.  Evacuating is not all that practical, especially for a hurricane that's not a five.

Yesterday, Michael and I checked all of our hurricane shutters.  They're on metal tracks, which required a little bit of WD-40 to get them working properly.  We will need to remove all of the screens from our porch, and bring in all of our patio furniture before closing up the house.

We've stocked up on candles, flashlights, batteries, non-perishables, water, rum, etc...


The one thing I'm dreading is a long power-outage and not because we'll be in the dark - I can handle the dark.  I'm not so sure how I'm going to handle living here with no fans.  For those of you who've visited us, you know how hot it can be when there isn't any wind and that's with fans running full speed.  We'll have neither and who knows for how long.  We've heard 8 hours is the longest time we've been without power after a hurricane...we'll see. 


I'll try and update OurBVIAdventure from my iPhone, that's if I have service!  We hear that service could be interrupted...

If you have any tips or suggestions for riding out a hurricane, we'd love to hear them!  It looks like we have some time to enjoy our Sunday, before the winds pick up and the preliminary thunderstorms reach us.  Keep us in your prayers!

DISCLAIMER: This post contains humor that your inner adolescent would find amusing.  If you are an adolescent, my apologies to your parents for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.  OR if for some reason you are unable to tap into the adolescent inside you, I'm even sorrier because this is funny.  Sophomoric, juvenile, and immature are applicable as well, but above all, it's funny.

A major source of humor here in the BVI is found in the mundane...like grocery shopping, for example.  I'm sure your favorite grocery store, whether it be Fresh Market, Food City, or Publix has special sales, right?  Usually that means, a few strategically placed signs announcing the deals of the day or whatever it may be.


Well, those lovely signs floating above the pies just wouldn't do here in the Caribbean!  Check out what a sale at the grocery store looks like and more importantly sounds like in the British Virgin Islands!



Fun, right?  It put us in a good mood, despite the second day of rain we've had in a row. 

Okay, back to Signage Sunday...have you tapped your inner adolescent yet?  You better hurry because here it is!  Straight from the soup aisle!
In my best Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers way...

"REALLY?"  
"Really Grace Foods."
"Really."
"Come on, could you not use the word 'chicken' instead?  Really!" 

According to its website, Grace Foods is the leading Caribbean food manufacturer and distributor.  Well, in my opinion they're doing more than that. On this Signage Sunday, they're manufacturing and distributing a few good laughs!  Really!

So I'm walking through one of our local grocery stores, that has Wal-Mart leanings when I stumble upon this: Golden chicken feet protruding from one of the shelves!  I just had to see what was on the other end.  Can you blame me?  It turns out it's a Thanksgiving-inspired wall clock!  Haven't seen this type of decor since our first (and last) shopping experience at  the Island Department Store.

This particular store also caters to the Nadya Suleman's of the BVI with Cheerio tupperware sold by the dozens!  Okay, okay, the ones to the right ar sold individually but still - I thought it was funny!
And last but not least, if you're having a bad hair day and need a new do, they've got that too!  Take that Wal-Mart!

To redeem itself, this particular store does carry a wonderful selection of fresh produce and in the beauty aisle they even have Revlon products! 

Gecko Manor is the place to be!  We sent Whitney off on day 95 and started prepping for our next guests to arrive on day 96!

Preparations always include a trip (or two) to the grocery store.  Many of you have asked about that experience and I thought I'd share a little bit more about it. 

While it's far from Publix, "where shopping is a pleasure," I've gotten the hang of it.  I usually stop at Riteway first, then One Mart.  These competing stores are both on the way home from Road Town and if there's something I can't find at the first one, I can usually find it at the second one.  With the exception of meats and seafood, I can get the essentials - and who knew an environmentally friendly mosquito swatter would make its way into my shopping cart and be considered an essential?  Well around here, it is!    

There are only a few things that these stores lack: grits, celery salt (go figure) and crushed red pepper, but they make up for it with a wide selection of gourmet cheeses and wine.  For those non-Tennessee residents out there, wine in the grocery store may not be a big deal, but that's prohibited in the Volunteer state!  The BVI grocery stores even have an aisle dedicated to liquor.

I sure do miss my Fresh Market.  Maybe I'll put some Purcell or Bach on the iPod and try shopping that way next time!