big turtle spotting and papabou's second day

Travel discussion for St. John
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papabou
Posts: 531
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2006 9:34 pm

big turtle spotting and papabou's second day

Post by papabou »

beware this post is way too long.

i always tought it was presumptious to start a new post when you were last poster on last tread you started; but i have news that deserves posting so here goes.
second day out and mack and i head up mamey peak rd to find bay rum breeze. what a surprise. above our drive, the road is no longer "roughly paved" but covered in fine gravel and fairly smooth. about 500 feet and we see the closed courtyard entrance doors of brb and a jeep parked cross ways blocking the 3 pad parking lot. hmm, some one got the message they needed to increase security, riff/raff in neighborhood. we got message and turned around in wide spot across the street. we couldn't afford to stay there even if we wanted too!
1st stop of day is gibney. had to park in a vertical slot across street since 3 vehicles were taking all 4/5 spaces in front of gate. were arrived gleefully at the bottom of drive to tents and major set up but we had told no one we were going to gibney. caterer didn't have advance notice of our arrival, just setting up for a wedding. so we moved on along to right out to sea. i had forgotten what a nice snorkel that is. we pulled in at the pocket beach hidden from view behind the rocks to rest up before continuing snorkel on to jost. soon as we crossed the imaginary line (at least mack & i didn't see one) we were intercepted by the royal navy. since didn't have enough cash to pay 2 $30 entry fees and buy adult (or even junior) beverages at soggy dollar, we turned back. having our plans disrupted we returned to the atomic shelter at gibney and drank our own beer when told could have none of the good stuff invited guests were having. snooty lot if you ask me.
nice snorkel behind us, which reminds me of another great stj concession. have you ever noticed that unless you walk a ways before or after your snorkel, that you are only half way there when you begin return to home base? well for us old folks that can be quiet tiring. someone needs to start a return shuttle service for aged snorkelers (or ones out of shape which mack and i are not - that is out of shape). i bet rosewood offers that with full meal plan at caneel since even young folks in shape could probably use a little help the day after the seafood buffet.
sorry about digressing. we load up the puke green wrangler and cruised on to cruz bay. pulled right (but did remember was a left turn) into slimman's lot for a friendly return welcome (though attendant wasn't sure of mack still in his royal blue body suit, sans bright yellow life jacket - just kidding he took off in front of screaming wedding party at gibney). we casually walked across the street and selected bar seats with fantastic views (the bar hostesses and the harbor view wasn't bad). and we ordered? of course 2 big g burgers, fries and more adult beverages. after wuffing all that down, mack suggested we needed another order of the stringy fries, yup right up. so we finished off enough carbs to last a month and then waddled back to slimmans. took a while to assure attendant we had not been loading up in efforts to get his job.
in another life we would have headed our trusty puke green wrangler up centerline rd to mamey peak and nap time. but as we were trying to figure out the way out of town one of us, not sure who, realized we had not snorkeled the right side of maho yet. plus when you leave maho you go rigth by the smoothie stand on way to mamey peak. so off we go along north shore road pulling over at all the turnouts so the nonstoppers have something to gawk at, us!
well we get to maho and not a parking space to be found. where did all those folks on the beach come from when sat is turn over day and no crusie ships in port at stt? did they swim over from the bvi's and some how avoid tsa/immigration or were they too handing out hall passes today? luckily we are headed in right direction for smoothie stand and that's on way to villa and nap time. we find our way back to the smoothie stand and guess what, the attendant remembered us from yestersay. are we that unusual? we have our afternoon delights with free rum while trying to look cool to passersby. after the third suggestion by the young entreprenuer operating the stand, we hit the road back to mamey peak and and nap time.
we awoke from our naps all bright eyed and bushy tailed (but the nap did nothing for my bald head). it was time for another venture down the hill to maho and back to the smoothie stand though tempted to stop by the stand on the way down for a refill then we remember our carbonated lunch.
we snorkel the right side of maho, past the rocks headed into deserted little maho and decide too sad to go any further. so we head back to base station on maho beach at a position in direct line with our parking space and thus the shortest possible walk to and from the green thing we use for transportation. as we slowly crawl up up the beach this young dude, maybe 50 came over toward us(we were initially afraid he was going to kick sand in our faces) and asked cheerfully if we had seen the big turtle that had been hanging around all afternoon. no but we had seen 2 sharks, a 2-3 footer and a 5-6 footer which was reason we were coming out of the water. well being in my 70th year i know how men sometimes exaggerate about the size of things and i'd seen a few 3 ft turtles before. he assures us this one is bigger. with nothing better to do and mack still decked out in his royal blue suit and yellow life jacket (have i mentioned he's a wuss) we humored the guy and head back out. some 30 seconds later i'm knocked off course as what i thought was red october blowing up from the bottom under me. he/she gets a good gulp of air and heads back down into the half mowed seagrass field. yup its a big one, min 5 foot shell and a tail (i don't really recall sea turtles having tails) about 18 inches long. a monster in my book and a real pleasure seeing he/she mow the grass like a combine. wonderful experience. as mack and i paddled off we turned and aked he/she to please come back tomorrow so others can see a big sea turtle. he/she smiled but they may all smile.

with smiles on our faces and mack in the royal blue rash suit and us both in the green thing we head back up the hill. after turtle mania passes we discuss whether the young lady at the smoothie stop was ready for us again especially mack in his royal blues and perhaps even putting on his yellow life jacket as a special treat for her. why not? the worse that could happen would be she'd run screaming down hill (she knew we were staying up hill) in which event we could have all the smoothies and free rum we wanted.
HANG ON THERE'S AN END
well we make our final approach up north shore road mack riding shotgun checking traffic from right and i'm checking to left all set to gun it across centerline rd and do a sliding stop right up front and request curb service. hell she's closed. we can only figure she saw us going down hill and and knew we'd be heading back soon. soooo, time to get the hell away from that place. so on up the rd to our already purchased stuff and a lot of rest for tomorrow's big adventure. where you ask? we're not telling but moms and dads alert your kids to be on the lookout for 2 very unusual straight guys. you should also remind your kiddies to pay attention and be kind. what they may see is just a preview of what each of their own parents may someday be. to all youth guys out there, it's later than you think so enjoy while you can.
closing note to that someone who tried to run one by me yesterday on my happy fourth post about "youth guys". hell major parts of my cousin vinnie was filmed near my home. the courthouse is in monticello ga and the rustic cabin by the field where they got stuck was then owned by a good friend, billy smith and that's the truth said edith ann in closing.
papabou
cocosmom
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Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2007 7:50 pm

Re: big turtle spotting and papabou's second day

Post by cocosmom »

Loving your reports!
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jenxogirl
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Joined: Sun Apr 03, 2011 8:05 pm
Location: Virginia

Re: big turtle spotting and papabou's second day

Post by jenxogirl »

You are so awesome! In my 4 day countdown I am LOVING your reports!
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ColumbiaSCTraveler
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Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2011 9:33 pm
Location: Columbia, SC

Re: big turtle spotting and papabou's second day

Post by ColumbiaSCTraveler »

This was FANTASTIC. Laughing out loud through the entire post. :D
Good for y'all!
LIVE IT UP!
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augie
Posts: 2376
Joined: Thu Mar 01, 2007 10:26 am
Location: Where the weather suits my clothes

Re: big turtle spotting and papabou's second day

Post by augie »

Please forgive my blushing bride's typos - she may not even recall that it's a reference from that awesome movie!

Keep having a ball, papa - I hope I'm as young as you are when I get to be your age!
Come see us!
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