Always at the end of our journeys, Dave and I usually sum up what we liked, what we didn't like, and our overall thoughts of both the destination and the vaca as in what we did or didn't do so here are some of those thoughts.
St. John is beautiful and has several nice beaches and some of the best snorkeling right from those beaches. We were happy that we got to see so much in the water especially for some of our first time sightings. The huge tarpon, the eels, squids and octopus were some of our favorites.
We found it strange that STJ doesn't seem to have any type of local cuisine. Even the fact that it is in the Caribbean didn't really lend it to what one thinks of with all that fish and conch and stuff. That's not to say that we didn't eat well and I did find some good conch fritters at High Tide Grill but even at the restaurants they admitted that their fish is not freshly caught. There is no commercial fishing providing fresh fish to the restaurants and there are only a few locals that you can see selling their catch by the pier. Considering all this, we did get to try some great simple Italian, a nice rib eye, amazing Pad Thai and of course our wonderful four course private meal featuring filet and rock lobster tails. So all in all, food still ranked as pretty good.
One of our least favorite things ended up being the driving. Dave did all of the driving but even as a passenger it became a bit weary sometimes. They drive on the left which was never a problem for Dave as he has driven on the left before and I think he was only on the right side of the road twice so, not bad. The problem is that the island, being a volcano, is quite hilly and the roads are built straight up and then hard left up another hill and just then opposite on the way back. It was quite an adventure for the first couple of times but when you just want to get some where, it is less exciting then.
Probably the only other drawback about the island is that it is expensive. We traveled in what it is the off season mostly because of weather(hurricanes) so our villa price and jeep rental was quite a bit less and I'm not sure if I would have liked paying full price for those things. Groceries and restaurants were also expensive. We get that they have to ship most things in but we've been on other islands before and it seems that especially with the restaurants the meals were priced way more than what we've experienced on other islands.
The best thing about this vacation is the instant and constant relaxation that we felt during our stay. Whether hanging out at our villa or on one of the many gorgeous beaches with our most difficult decision being when to have our next beer, we couldn't have had it any easier. I had thought we would do one or two day trips to the British Virgin Islands and I loosely had plans to do so but when one of those didn't pan out I just scrapped the ideas.
In the end we were happy just to stay on island, relax and reflect a bit on the last thirty years of our lives together.
Now here's looking to the next thirty and beyond.......
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Day 15 - 10/27 - Travel Day
Dave has told me before that he can always tell when we are traveling home from vacation because I am not always a nice person. My patience with people is just not that great on that journey back home. I don't scream, kick, hit, spit, scratch or even swear at people but I have been known to roll my eyes when someone tries to get through security with a fresh cup of coffee and then has a two minute discussion with security about why they can't take it with them or tries to drink it all there in line while everyone behind them waits. Yes, I am annoyed by this but Dave always tells me to chill out while my response is usually something like "Really, how do you not know in this day and age that you can't bring a fresh steaming cup of coffee through airport security, or that they have to take their damn shoes off. I mean, didn't they at least have to travel to get down here? Can't they just follow the stinkin' rules?"
But this is a chance to prove Dave wrong so from the time I get up, I try to get in the right mind set and tell myself that if I don't pay attention to people and their behaviors then I won't get annoyed.....yeah, let's see how that works.
In the meantime, we have our breakfast, finish our packing, take our last looks from our villa deck and then head out. First we have to return our rental jeep which is uneventful. The rental place is right near the ferry dock so we roll our luggage down and we get our first test. We stand in line to get our tickets for the ferry and there is a guy at the window ahead of us. He finishes his turn and then turns to us and says, you don't have to get your tickets here, you just pay for them on the ferry. Dave thanks the guy for his wisdom, we look at each other puzzled, and Dave steps up to the window anyway and says "We just buy our tickets on the ferry?", of course the nice lady at the counter asks where we are going and we tell her Red Hook and she says that of course we have to buy tickets from her now. All I can think is "Thanks, buddy" but I just smile, say nothing and keep my eyes firmly planted straight ahead so that they do not roll. Dave and I take a seat on the dock to wait for the ferry and he makes a comment about the guy telling us we didn't need tickets and I nicely say, he is obviously going somewhere else and just assumed everyone else is too or he thinks that the rules are the same no matter where you are going. I do make a comment though that we are lucky this is not the Amazing Race and this guy just costs us a million dollars. But since it is said in jest, I have still maintained my nice person image thus far. The ferry ride to St. Thomas is uneventful, as is the taxi ride to the airport. The only slightly annoying thing is Dave's constant summing up how much the driver will make on this one ride mostly because ten people and all their luggage crammed into a van style vehicle for a twenty minute ride will cost no less than fifteen bucks each. So, at the airport Dave reluctantly pays his share of cab fare and we head to the JetBlue desk where we are greeted by a very nice man who I smile at when I ask if he can find us a row on the plane where no one else is sitting. He accommodates our request as well as letting me check in my one bag for fifty-one pounds without a fee as I think the limit is fifty.
Next we have to take our heavy bag over to Customs, fill out a customs form and send our luggage through the immigration super scanner to hopefully arrive safely in Boston. Dave questions why we have to fill out a customs form if we are on a US territory and are going to the US but I don't question, I just smile, fill out the form and zip us through the customs line. Next is airport security and while I see some things that normally annoy me, I try to ignore and just continue through the cattle line. Dave's backpack has to be inspected and re-scanned but for some reason that happens a lot to us, not sure if it is how I pack things in there or what I pack but we never seem to have anything found so? The rest of the trip is cake, the plane is maybe half-full so we do end up with our own row and the flight is smooth while we watch a movie. I have to say that I like JetBlue so far and I hope they don't change things. Good leg room, in-flight entertainment, some snacks for free and first checked bag free. They do fly to many Caribbean locations so I'll have to keep that in mind. Once we collect our luggage at Logan, I call Flight Line and they already have a car waiting to take us home. So, I have made the travel day home with a pleasant demeanor and many memories of where we have been.
But this is a chance to prove Dave wrong so from the time I get up, I try to get in the right mind set and tell myself that if I don't pay attention to people and their behaviors then I won't get annoyed.....yeah, let's see how that works.
In the meantime, we have our breakfast, finish our packing, take our last looks from our villa deck and then head out. First we have to return our rental jeep which is uneventful. The rental place is right near the ferry dock so we roll our luggage down and we get our first test. We stand in line to get our tickets for the ferry and there is a guy at the window ahead of us. He finishes his turn and then turns to us and says, you don't have to get your tickets here, you just pay for them on the ferry. Dave thanks the guy for his wisdom, we look at each other puzzled, and Dave steps up to the window anyway and says "We just buy our tickets on the ferry?", of course the nice lady at the counter asks where we are going and we tell her Red Hook and she says that of course we have to buy tickets from her now. All I can think is "Thanks, buddy" but I just smile, say nothing and keep my eyes firmly planted straight ahead so that they do not roll. Dave and I take a seat on the dock to wait for the ferry and he makes a comment about the guy telling us we didn't need tickets and I nicely say, he is obviously going somewhere else and just assumed everyone else is too or he thinks that the rules are the same no matter where you are going. I do make a comment though that we are lucky this is not the Amazing Race and this guy just costs us a million dollars. But since it is said in jest, I have still maintained my nice person image thus far. The ferry ride to St. Thomas is uneventful, as is the taxi ride to the airport. The only slightly annoying thing is Dave's constant summing up how much the driver will make on this one ride mostly because ten people and all their luggage crammed into a van style vehicle for a twenty minute ride will cost no less than fifteen bucks each. So, at the airport Dave reluctantly pays his share of cab fare and we head to the JetBlue desk where we are greeted by a very nice man who I smile at when I ask if he can find us a row on the plane where no one else is sitting. He accommodates our request as well as letting me check in my one bag for fifty-one pounds without a fee as I think the limit is fifty.
Next we have to take our heavy bag over to Customs, fill out a customs form and send our luggage through the immigration super scanner to hopefully arrive safely in Boston. Dave questions why we have to fill out a customs form if we are on a US territory and are going to the US but I don't question, I just smile, fill out the form and zip us through the customs line. Next is airport security and while I see some things that normally annoy me, I try to ignore and just continue through the cattle line. Dave's backpack has to be inspected and re-scanned but for some reason that happens a lot to us, not sure if it is how I pack things in there or what I pack but we never seem to have anything found so? The rest of the trip is cake, the plane is maybe half-full so we do end up with our own row and the flight is smooth while we watch a movie. I have to say that I like JetBlue so far and I hope they don't change things. Good leg room, in-flight entertainment, some snacks for free and first checked bag free. They do fly to many Caribbean locations so I'll have to keep that in mind. Once we collect our luggage at Logan, I call Flight Line and they already have a car waiting to take us home. So, I have made the travel day home with a pleasant demeanor and many memories of where we have been.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Day 14 - 10/26 - Is it really almost over?
This morning is filled with both excitement and a little sadness knowing that this is our last full day on the island. First we try out the camera that worked so well all day yesterday....nothing. Today I will have to rely on yet another disposable.
The plan is to head out a little early and head up the Peace trail lookout. It's a small uphill climb but the views from the top are great.
Today is dedicated to Francis Bay where we found the best snorkeling but it is pretty cloudy today, the beach is still deserted and we wonder how the snorkeling will be without the sun. Only one way to find out so we don all our gear and get in the water at the left side of the bay. The small bait fish are still around but there are no pelicans diving and we don't see the large tarpon that we saw last time. What we do see are a couple of large groupers, both green and spotted eels, octopus and these little brown fish that attack the shells it finds with such ferocious snaps that he even scares me a little. We figure that we were able to see more nocturnal types because the sun is not out and we are glad to have this chance.
The day continues to be very cloud covered and thankfully it's not cold here so we hang out of the beach which we have just about to ourselves.
We finally face the fact that the day is getting short and we agree it is time to make our final snorkel so off we go to the right this time. As it still pretty cloudy, we have a similar snorkel to this morning, it is filled with eels, lobsters, groupers and a whole bunch of large sea cucumbers. As we make our way back in we see four sea turtles, one right after the other. Our last sighting is a small ray that we hover over and watch for a while holding hands then slowly head back to land.
One last beer on the beach and we pack up to head back to the villa.
Dinner is at Ocean Grill and while it was good, it wasn't our favorite but we get a nice piece of chocolate cake to go and match with some ice cream that we have back at the villa. A nice relaxing final night sums up our entire stay.
The plan is to head out a little early and head up the Peace trail lookout. It's a small uphill climb but the views from the top are great.
Today is dedicated to Francis Bay where we found the best snorkeling but it is pretty cloudy today, the beach is still deserted and we wonder how the snorkeling will be without the sun. Only one way to find out so we don all our gear and get in the water at the left side of the bay. The small bait fish are still around but there are no pelicans diving and we don't see the large tarpon that we saw last time. What we do see are a couple of large groupers, both green and spotted eels, octopus and these little brown fish that attack the shells it finds with such ferocious snaps that he even scares me a little. We figure that we were able to see more nocturnal types because the sun is not out and we are glad to have this chance.
The day continues to be very cloud covered and thankfully it's not cold here so we hang out of the beach which we have just about to ourselves.
We finally face the fact that the day is getting short and we agree it is time to make our final snorkel so off we go to the right this time. As it still pretty cloudy, we have a similar snorkel to this morning, it is filled with eels, lobsters, groupers and a whole bunch of large sea cucumbers. As we make our way back in we see four sea turtles, one right after the other. Our last sighting is a small ray that we hover over and watch for a while holding hands then slowly head back to land.
One last beer on the beach and we pack up to head back to the villa.
Dinner is at Ocean Grill and while it was good, it wasn't our favorite but we get a nice piece of chocolate cake to go and match with some ice cream that we have back at the villa. A nice relaxing final night sums up our entire stay.
Day 13 - 10/25 - Fabulous
Today starts with a nice surprise, my camera actually turns on...more than once and for a while it looks like it will cooperate again. It had actually turned on yesterday when Dave saw the lizard and we took some pictures of that. Before then, Dave and I had tried several things with this camera and we were able to get it to turn on occasionally but then the next time we tried, nothing. It seems like it is a temperature thing because if we take the battery out and leave it in the sun, it seems to turn on after that but once out of the sun for a while, nothing. So, one can understand how hopeful I am that my camera will continue to cooperate.
Breakfast has been cooked, eaten and the dishes are clean.
Beach bag is packed, cooler is stocked and we are headed to Maho Bay. A few people that we spoke with the other day told us that Maho was equal to Francis so we had to give it a go.
Since the camera is working today we also stop at some of the lookouts and take some of the scenic pictures that can only be seem on STJ.
We are the first to arrive but soon we are surrounded by little people waiting for swimming lessons. Good thing this beach is pretty big and we head down to the far end so as not to disturb the little kids while they learn to swim. Of course that is not the only reason that we move far away from the kids but we are getting old and can only stand so much screeching on our vaca.
Onward we travel to the farther end and start our morning snorkel adventure. I am still thrilled that my camera still turns on so I am anxious to get in the water before it decides to crap out again.
I am rewarded with a working camera and two great snorkels today.
Maho is much like Francis in that there are hundreds of smaller bait fish, plenty of jacks and much larger tarpon. Today however we are entertained with so much more. There are angel fish, grouper, trunk fish, octopus and even a green moray eel. Is it so amazing to just hover over a section of coral, look in between the rocks and formations and just see all the magical things that are living there. In one area we hover over the reef and a large sting ray passes below us right over the reef.
After two wonderful snorkels, some quality beach and water time and a well deserved beer, we decided to head back and get ready for dinner.
Rhumb Lines is the choice for dinner tonight and it is a wonderful little place that you get to by walking through a little convenience store. The setting is a bit Asian inspired with a nice warm feel to it that can make you forget where you really are.
We had Chicken Satay and Duck Dumpling appetizers and Dave got the Cuban Mojo Pork and I tried the Ultimate Pad Thai. Dave liked the pork enough although he said it got a bit sweeter the more you ate but I see that his plate his clean.
Now, I have never had Pad Thai and this one was filled with chicken, shrimp and beef along with veggies and rice noodles and a wonderful sauce. They brought out a huge bowl of this stuff and I was hooked right from the first bite. It was temperature hot but the kick that it had once you ate it made your lips sing....I loved it. It was a bit too much for me to eat so I took a little to go with me and I'll have a snack tomorrow. It was definitely the best Pad Thai I've ever had...even though it was my first.
Breakfast has been cooked, eaten and the dishes are clean.
Beach bag is packed, cooler is stocked and we are headed to Maho Bay. A few people that we spoke with the other day told us that Maho was equal to Francis so we had to give it a go.
Since the camera is working today we also stop at some of the lookouts and take some of the scenic pictures that can only be seem on STJ.
We are the first to arrive but soon we are surrounded by little people waiting for swimming lessons. Good thing this beach is pretty big and we head down to the far end so as not to disturb the little kids while they learn to swim. Of course that is not the only reason that we move far away from the kids but we are getting old and can only stand so much screeching on our vaca.
Onward we travel to the farther end and start our morning snorkel adventure. I am still thrilled that my camera still turns on so I am anxious to get in the water before it decides to crap out again.
I am rewarded with a working camera and two great snorkels today.
Maho is much like Francis in that there are hundreds of smaller bait fish, plenty of jacks and much larger tarpon. Today however we are entertained with so much more. There are angel fish, grouper, trunk fish, octopus and even a green moray eel. Is it so amazing to just hover over a section of coral, look in between the rocks and formations and just see all the magical things that are living there. In one area we hover over the reef and a large sting ray passes below us right over the reef.
When we snorkel over the main part of the bay we see both turtles and rays and then suddenly we come upon a massive conch garden.
Back on shore there is a two foot lemon shark that keeps swimming the length of the beach. He seems to go from one end back to the other so every once in a while he is passing right in front of us. I did get a few pictures from above water but the ripples make it hard to see all his features.
Rhumb Lines is the choice for dinner tonight and it is a wonderful little place that you get to by walking through a little convenience store. The setting is a bit Asian inspired with a nice warm feel to it that can make you forget where you really are.
We had Chicken Satay and Duck Dumpling appetizers and Dave got the Cuban Mojo Pork and I tried the Ultimate Pad Thai. Dave liked the pork enough although he said it got a bit sweeter the more you ate but I see that his plate his clean.
Now, I have never had Pad Thai and this one was filled with chicken, shrimp and beef along with veggies and rice noodles and a wonderful sauce. They brought out a huge bowl of this stuff and I was hooked right from the first bite. It was temperature hot but the kick that it had once you ate it made your lips sing....I loved it. It was a bit too much for me to eat so I took a little to go with me and I'll have a snack tomorrow. It was definitely the best Pad Thai I've ever had...even though it was my first.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Day 12 - 10/24 - Not much to say
Today is villa pool day and there's not much more to say than that. We hung around the villa, went on the pool, came out of the pool and repeated this process several times throughout the day.
We had been outside for a few hours already when Dave notices a big lizard in the tree right off our deck. He's at least two feet long with a tail that seems to be almost as long. He is just hanging around on one of the branches but he is pretty high up in the tree so it's neat to watch him. He does move a few times which helps us not feel like total losers just watching a lizard sit there.....
More lizard watching, plus going in the pool, out of the pool and finally we are ready to get cleaned up for dinner.
Dinner tonight is at Da Livio, a nice little Italian place in town that was recommended to us by another couple that we met a few days ago at Jumbie Bay. The food was simple but amazing staring with an Insalata Caprese using fresh made mozzarella. We then shared a Margherita Pizza and freshly made Spaghetti with olive oil, garlic and hot pepper sauce that was the best simple pasta dish that I have ever had. I also tried the dessert which was a vanilla bean panna cotta...yummy.
Another successful day...every day should be so difficult.
We had been outside for a few hours already when Dave notices a big lizard in the tree right off our deck. He's at least two feet long with a tail that seems to be almost as long. He is just hanging around on one of the branches but he is pretty high up in the tree so it's neat to watch him. He does move a few times which helps us not feel like total losers just watching a lizard sit there.....
More lizard watching, plus going in the pool, out of the pool and finally we are ready to get cleaned up for dinner.
Dinner tonight is at Da Livio, a nice little Italian place in town that was recommended to us by another couple that we met a few days ago at Jumbie Bay. The food was simple but amazing staring with an Insalata Caprese using fresh made mozzarella. We then shared a Margherita Pizza and freshly made Spaghetti with olive oil, garlic and hot pepper sauce that was the best simple pasta dish that I have ever had. I also tried the dessert which was a vanilla bean panna cotta...yummy.
Another successful day...every day should be so difficult.
Day 11 - 10/23 - Salt Pond Bay
Last night we decided that today we would head out to Salt Pond Bay which is located on the southeastern side of the island. It's so weird because the island is not very large or long but because of the constant hills and switchbacks on any given ride, it makes the ride take much longer than one would think just by looking at a map. The island is only 20 square miles which is smaller than the DFW airport which sits at 30 square miles. The one good thing though is that there are very few roads so getting lost is almost impossible.
We have our breakfast and head out about 8:50 which gets us to Salt Pond just about 9:30. There is a small .2 mile trail to get to the beach area but for the arrival it is downhill and we were already dreading the uphill climb at the end of our day.
The beach is pretty big here and at this time there is only one other couple but as the day progresses, there is a constant flux of people in and people out. We've found this behavior at many places actually. People come, they snorkel or swim a little, sometimes hang out a little but then they are gone, usually moving on to another beach to do the same thing. I think it's easy for a lot of people to have this routine because they are only here for a week, some beaches are close together and can be paired up easily in one day and they really want to get the most out of their time here.
For us, we've done the opposite on every day except for one, we find a beach and stay for the day. We snorkel once or twice depending on the areas available at that beach and the rest of the time we spend in and out of the water just hanging out. We bring beer, water and snacks with us so we don't need to leave for anything.
Today at Salt Pond is pretty much the same. First we begin with a short hike over to the salt pond located just behind the bay. The water seems to be a bit high in the pond and even though I read that you can harvest the salt, I think the water level determines if you can do it as well. Continuing on the path along the salt pond it leads to Drunk Bay on the other side to where Salt Pond is. The water is here is very rough and it is all rock around here. We do see interesting corals and rocks that are on the shore but we would never try to swim or snorkel here and wonder if it is ever calm enough to do so since it does face the open ocean.
We head back to Salt Pond and begin with a snorkel along the left hand side and a bit over the middle. There are some interesting things here including a large porcupine fish, some trunk fish, a turtle and about four dozen squid just swimming around in one group as we were heading back in.
STJ is the first place that we have ever seen squid and even though we've seen them a few times here now they always make me laugh. They just swim in place (kind of like running in place) and their tentacles are facing toward us, then it's their bodies with these big eyes that let you know that you're being watched, but the funniest thing to me is the way they hover there constantly flapping their fins which really looks like wings in the water.
After a bit of beach time and a beer, we decide to head out snorkeling again. This time we head straight out before heading to the right shore and we see plenty this way. First we see a small stingray on the ocean floor looking for food and as it turns out, this will be the only ray we see here. Next, passing right under us is a LARGE barracuda. It has to be about three feet long and I am always intimidated when I see these guys but one this really freaks me out...in a good way though.
Heading out we also see what we think is a large grouper. It is not brown as we would have expected but the size and style of the fin looks about right. There are also a lot of ballyhoo and we thought that would have brought in a lot more predators as those are often used in sport fishing. As we make our way to the right hand side the water is a little rough and there is not as many fish as I would have expected but we do see the usual suspects here as well including a very large sea cucumber. Heading back in we come in through the middle of the bay and see a couple of turtles and those same squid hanging out. It's like a little squid gang there are so many of them but we make it by without incident.
Back on the beach we can see one of the turtles just popping his head up every few minutes. Nice view from the beach here too.
Eventually we face the fact that we have to climb the hill to get out of here and since it is about 3:00 we decide to get moving. Luckily for us the path is somewhat shaded at this time of day and that makes the climb a little more bearable so we only have to stop once on the way up instead of the four times we predicted we would have to do.
Since we are on this end of the island we decided to eat at the Tourist Trap which is basically a small shack that happens to be owned by a guy who is originally from Manchester NH. Everything on the menu looks good and Mary who is waiting on us doesn't help by telling us that everything always tastes good. Dave settled for the Pork Nachos while I decide on the blackened Grouper sandwich. Well Mary was right at least with these two items, both were really good.
Sufficiently full, and maybe even a bit more than that, we head back towards our villa and hang out with a couple drinks. Another full day under our belts.
We have our breakfast and head out about 8:50 which gets us to Salt Pond just about 9:30. There is a small .2 mile trail to get to the beach area but for the arrival it is downhill and we were already dreading the uphill climb at the end of our day.
The beach is pretty big here and at this time there is only one other couple but as the day progresses, there is a constant flux of people in and people out. We've found this behavior at many places actually. People come, they snorkel or swim a little, sometimes hang out a little but then they are gone, usually moving on to another beach to do the same thing. I think it's easy for a lot of people to have this routine because they are only here for a week, some beaches are close together and can be paired up easily in one day and they really want to get the most out of their time here.
For us, we've done the opposite on every day except for one, we find a beach and stay for the day. We snorkel once or twice depending on the areas available at that beach and the rest of the time we spend in and out of the water just hanging out. We bring beer, water and snacks with us so we don't need to leave for anything.
Today at Salt Pond is pretty much the same. First we begin with a short hike over to the salt pond located just behind the bay. The water seems to be a bit high in the pond and even though I read that you can harvest the salt, I think the water level determines if you can do it as well. Continuing on the path along the salt pond it leads to Drunk Bay on the other side to where Salt Pond is. The water is here is very rough and it is all rock around here. We do see interesting corals and rocks that are on the shore but we would never try to swim or snorkel here and wonder if it is ever calm enough to do so since it does face the open ocean.
We head back to Salt Pond and begin with a snorkel along the left hand side and a bit over the middle. There are some interesting things here including a large porcupine fish, some trunk fish, a turtle and about four dozen squid just swimming around in one group as we were heading back in.
STJ is the first place that we have ever seen squid and even though we've seen them a few times here now they always make me laugh. They just swim in place (kind of like running in place) and their tentacles are facing toward us, then it's their bodies with these big eyes that let you know that you're being watched, but the funniest thing to me is the way they hover there constantly flapping their fins which really looks like wings in the water.
After a bit of beach time and a beer, we decide to head out snorkeling again. This time we head straight out before heading to the right shore and we see plenty this way. First we see a small stingray on the ocean floor looking for food and as it turns out, this will be the only ray we see here. Next, passing right under us is a LARGE barracuda. It has to be about three feet long and I am always intimidated when I see these guys but one this really freaks me out...in a good way though.
Heading out we also see what we think is a large grouper. It is not brown as we would have expected but the size and style of the fin looks about right. There are also a lot of ballyhoo and we thought that would have brought in a lot more predators as those are often used in sport fishing. As we make our way to the right hand side the water is a little rough and there is not as many fish as I would have expected but we do see the usual suspects here as well including a very large sea cucumber. Heading back in we come in through the middle of the bay and see a couple of turtles and those same squid hanging out. It's like a little squid gang there are so many of them but we make it by without incident.
Back on the beach we can see one of the turtles just popping his head up every few minutes. Nice view from the beach here too.
Eventually we face the fact that we have to climb the hill to get out of here and since it is about 3:00 we decide to get moving. Luckily for us the path is somewhat shaded at this time of day and that makes the climb a little more bearable so we only have to stop once on the way up instead of the four times we predicted we would have to do.
Since we are on this end of the island we decided to eat at the Tourist Trap which is basically a small shack that happens to be owned by a guy who is originally from Manchester NH. Everything on the menu looks good and Mary who is waiting on us doesn't help by telling us that everything always tastes good. Dave settled for the Pork Nachos while I decide on the blackened Grouper sandwich. Well Mary was right at least with these two items, both were really good.
Sufficiently full, and maybe even a bit more than that, we head back towards our villa and hang out with a couple drinks. Another full day under our belts.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Day 10 - 10/22 - Wonderful day at Francis Bay
Sometimes in life things just come together. Big or small, complex or simple, stressful or stress-free, there are just those times that you want to burn into your permanent memory to be able to relive again and again.
Today is one of those times for me. Dave and I enjoyed our snorkel experience at Francis Bay a few days ago so we thought we'd go back again today and see if we would have the same kind of luck. First we tackled to rocky shore on the left hand side that we didn't get to the first time and we saw many fish here ranging from small bait fish all the way up to a large tarpon. This baby had to be at least three feet long and Dave estimates about 30lbs. He swam by us a few times and he certainly was not afraid of us as he swam awfully close to us and was a bit intimidating. Along with this behemoth we saw some really small centipede things that were pretty funny to watch as they crawled all over the rocks. We also caught a glimpse of a huge sting ray as it was passing by...awesome.
When we were done in this area, we headed to the right of the beach to hang out for a while.
Once we had sufficiently rested from our morning snorkel, we headed out to the right hand side of the bay. One of our first rewards is a small sea turtle sitting under a tree branch that had fallen into the water. As we inch closer to the rocky shore we start to see all the small fish as we saw the other day. No picture that I can take will ever explain the sheer number of these little fish. As you drift along, they part and swim around you and every way you turn there they are just hovering in the water with you. If you look closer to the rocks and corals you see many french grunts, jacks and yellow stripers. And watch out because here come the tarpon again...we see them a few times while snorkeling and at one point two of them are there together right in front of us. A few times I have to remind myself to breathe.
Continuing along the rocks we also see sea cucumbers, a small lobster, a green moray eel, barracudas, needle fish and some juvenile french angel fish that were a stunning black and yellow that just glowed in the water.
Towards the end of the rock wall here we ran into a large school of parrot fish, both large in numbers and in size.
Once we've had our fill of fish, we head out towards the middle of the bay to look for turtles and rays and we are not disappointed. Soon we see a large ray that is settled into the sand and only his tail and the eyes on the top of him are really visible and it seems like he sees us too so we hover, look and move on. A few more rays, some smaller and one fairly large one along with about four or five turtles all just hanging around in different areas of the grassy bay really make this one of our favorite snorkel spots so far.
Back on land we enjoy a beer while we continue to talk about all that we saw out there. It is so hard to described this spot and everything there is to see but we are glad that we discovered it and may even be back before we have to leave.
Back at the villa we get ready for dinner. We have reservations at Zozo's at their upstairs bar which has a great view of the sunsets. Unfortunately there are clouds in the way so we don't get a prefect sunset but my camera decided to work again so we did get a couple of a pictures nonetheless.
For dinner we had an appetizer of a sausage sampler of venison, boar and duck and they were each very good. We both decided on the rib eye special which had roasted potatoes and a demi glaze sauce. The steaks were done perfectly and tasted soooo good. Unfortunately we didn't have room for dessert but we enjoyed every bit of our meal, the view and the company at the bar.
At this point there is nothing else to do but head back to the villa and reflect on a wonderful day.
Today is one of those times for me. Dave and I enjoyed our snorkel experience at Francis Bay a few days ago so we thought we'd go back again today and see if we would have the same kind of luck. First we tackled to rocky shore on the left hand side that we didn't get to the first time and we saw many fish here ranging from small bait fish all the way up to a large tarpon. This baby had to be at least three feet long and Dave estimates about 30lbs. He swam by us a few times and he certainly was not afraid of us as he swam awfully close to us and was a bit intimidating. Along with this behemoth we saw some really small centipede things that were pretty funny to watch as they crawled all over the rocks. We also caught a glimpse of a huge sting ray as it was passing by...awesome.
When we were done in this area, we headed to the right of the beach to hang out for a while.
Once we had sufficiently rested from our morning snorkel, we headed out to the right hand side of the bay. One of our first rewards is a small sea turtle sitting under a tree branch that had fallen into the water. As we inch closer to the rocky shore we start to see all the small fish as we saw the other day. No picture that I can take will ever explain the sheer number of these little fish. As you drift along, they part and swim around you and every way you turn there they are just hovering in the water with you. If you look closer to the rocks and corals you see many french grunts, jacks and yellow stripers. And watch out because here come the tarpon again...we see them a few times while snorkeling and at one point two of them are there together right in front of us. A few times I have to remind myself to breathe.
Continuing along the rocks we also see sea cucumbers, a small lobster, a green moray eel, barracudas, needle fish and some juvenile french angel fish that were a stunning black and yellow that just glowed in the water.
Towards the end of the rock wall here we ran into a large school of parrot fish, both large in numbers and in size.
Once we've had our fill of fish, we head out towards the middle of the bay to look for turtles and rays and we are not disappointed. Soon we see a large ray that is settled into the sand and only his tail and the eyes on the top of him are really visible and it seems like he sees us too so we hover, look and move on. A few more rays, some smaller and one fairly large one along with about four or five turtles all just hanging around in different areas of the grassy bay really make this one of our favorite snorkel spots so far.
Back on land we enjoy a beer while we continue to talk about all that we saw out there. It is so hard to described this spot and everything there is to see but we are glad that we discovered it and may even be back before we have to leave.
Back at the villa we get ready for dinner. We have reservations at Zozo's at their upstairs bar which has a great view of the sunsets. Unfortunately there are clouds in the way so we don't get a prefect sunset but my camera decided to work again so we did get a couple of a pictures nonetheless.
For dinner we had an appetizer of a sausage sampler of venison, boar and duck and they were each very good. We both decided on the rib eye special which had roasted potatoes and a demi glaze sauce. The steaks were done perfectly and tasted soooo good. Unfortunately we didn't have room for dessert but we enjoyed every bit of our meal, the view and the company at the bar.
At this point there is nothing else to do but head back to the villa and reflect on a wonderful day.
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