usvi-on-line
Finally June trip report part 7
Finally June trip report part 7
Wednesday morning 9am we are headed to Waterlemon!
Jerry got in first followed by Eliz and Kenneth with myself last. On my way in I thought I felt my ankle brush against a piece of brain coral. More on that later. Right away we saw an eel in a heavy growth of coral.
It was not long before Jerry found a small octopus and got inked twice!
Next we came upon 2 separate turtles and followed them for a while. In the same area to the right of the island we also saw starfish.
We saw Eliz and Jerry around on the left of the island and they called us over to see a shark that had just hidden in more coral. I Didn't get any good pics of it since it was so far into the coral.
I was swimming along and heading back to shore when Jerry started calling me to take a pic of the barracuda. Ok so everything else so far has been below me so that is where I am looking with the camera when suddenly I look up to ask where and right in front of me is this great big fish with a lot of teeth! I screamed into my snorkel and bust out laughing! It scared the heck out of me! After I got over the initial shock I quickly got off a few more pics of the beast!
Ok it has been an exciting snorkel and I am ready to head back to shore. As I am standing on the edge of the water Kenneth asks me why I am bleeding. I looked at my ankle and blood was all over it! Good thing I didn’t realize that when I was in the water!
On our hike back to the car we ran into a bunch of people looking at some donkeys. The next thing I know everyone is running towards the beach a little girl trips and someone grabbed her just before about 5 donkeys come tearing out of a clearing! They run off in the direction we had come from and a split second they are back again! Everyone hugs a tree to give them room to go by! How funny! The little girl was fine and laughing by the way!
Back at the cars we decide to ditch the snorkel gear and hike up to Annaburg. We took the steps. It is beautiful up there! Some park service people up there had made dumb bread in the ovens in the kitchen. It was very good! It tasted like it had coconut in it.
Since we were so close we decided to go to Island Blues for lunch again! I just love the atmosphere there! I love the water! Eliz had Quesadilla, Kenneth and Jerry had pork sandwiches and I had shepherd’s pie. Yummy!
Everyone back to the villa for quick dip in the pool, showers, cocktails, change to go to Maho for snorkeling and sunset. The packed up ice chest went with Eliz and Jerry. Kenneth and I weren’t quite ready and had decided not to snorkel as Kenneth’s ears were starting to bother him. We stopped by Dolphin and took the North Shore road to Maho! That is the one downside to staying in Gift Hill is that you tend to use centerline instead. We met up with Eliz as she was getting out of the water from her snorkel. Jerry decided to keep swimming. We got the ice chest out of the car and relaxed in the water. Eliz had her Caribe and Kenneth and I were swigging out of a bottle of coconut Cruzan right out of the ice (previously the freezer).
While we were there a turtle swam by and I dropped my camera into the water to get a shot of it! It is amazing how clear that water is!
It was so beautiful watching the sun get closer to the water while we were in it! The sense of peace and joy just takes your breath away when you see how beautiful it is there!
We met up with a young couple there. He is from Georgia and cooks at Shipwreck and she is from New York and works at a clothing store on the island. They were sharing a bottle of champagne. She took this pic of Eliz and I.
And we took a few more!
Jerry met up with us before the sun went down and we ran back to the car to escape the noseeums that come out so quickly at sunset!
Back at the villa we cleaned up and headed to La Tapa for just appetizers! This turned out to be our favorite meal! We had stuffed artichoke, escargot, beef tornados, a selection of cheeses and bread with 3 different dipping sauces. It was amazing! We all had some of everything! I had some kind of ice thing for dessert that was wonderful but I can’t remember what it was but I do know that it had fresh fruit in it or on it! The scary part was that we didn’t even drink with this dinner! So tell me why I can’t remember!
Back to the villa and bed! It was an exhausting day!!!!!
Jerry got in first followed by Eliz and Kenneth with myself last. On my way in I thought I felt my ankle brush against a piece of brain coral. More on that later. Right away we saw an eel in a heavy growth of coral.
It was not long before Jerry found a small octopus and got inked twice!
Next we came upon 2 separate turtles and followed them for a while. In the same area to the right of the island we also saw starfish.
We saw Eliz and Jerry around on the left of the island and they called us over to see a shark that had just hidden in more coral. I Didn't get any good pics of it since it was so far into the coral.
I was swimming along and heading back to shore when Jerry started calling me to take a pic of the barracuda. Ok so everything else so far has been below me so that is where I am looking with the camera when suddenly I look up to ask where and right in front of me is this great big fish with a lot of teeth! I screamed into my snorkel and bust out laughing! It scared the heck out of me! After I got over the initial shock I quickly got off a few more pics of the beast!
Ok it has been an exciting snorkel and I am ready to head back to shore. As I am standing on the edge of the water Kenneth asks me why I am bleeding. I looked at my ankle and blood was all over it! Good thing I didn’t realize that when I was in the water!
On our hike back to the car we ran into a bunch of people looking at some donkeys. The next thing I know everyone is running towards the beach a little girl trips and someone grabbed her just before about 5 donkeys come tearing out of a clearing! They run off in the direction we had come from and a split second they are back again! Everyone hugs a tree to give them room to go by! How funny! The little girl was fine and laughing by the way!
Back at the cars we decide to ditch the snorkel gear and hike up to Annaburg. We took the steps. It is beautiful up there! Some park service people up there had made dumb bread in the ovens in the kitchen. It was very good! It tasted like it had coconut in it.
Since we were so close we decided to go to Island Blues for lunch again! I just love the atmosphere there! I love the water! Eliz had Quesadilla, Kenneth and Jerry had pork sandwiches and I had shepherd’s pie. Yummy!
Everyone back to the villa for quick dip in the pool, showers, cocktails, change to go to Maho for snorkeling and sunset. The packed up ice chest went with Eliz and Jerry. Kenneth and I weren’t quite ready and had decided not to snorkel as Kenneth’s ears were starting to bother him. We stopped by Dolphin and took the North Shore road to Maho! That is the one downside to staying in Gift Hill is that you tend to use centerline instead. We met up with Eliz as she was getting out of the water from her snorkel. Jerry decided to keep swimming. We got the ice chest out of the car and relaxed in the water. Eliz had her Caribe and Kenneth and I were swigging out of a bottle of coconut Cruzan right out of the ice (previously the freezer).
While we were there a turtle swam by and I dropped my camera into the water to get a shot of it! It is amazing how clear that water is!
It was so beautiful watching the sun get closer to the water while we were in it! The sense of peace and joy just takes your breath away when you see how beautiful it is there!
We met up with a young couple there. He is from Georgia and cooks at Shipwreck and she is from New York and works at a clothing store on the island. They were sharing a bottle of champagne. She took this pic of Eliz and I.
And we took a few more!
Jerry met up with us before the sun went down and we ran back to the car to escape the noseeums that come out so quickly at sunset!
Back at the villa we cleaned up and headed to La Tapa for just appetizers! This turned out to be our favorite meal! We had stuffed artichoke, escargot, beef tornados, a selection of cheeses and bread with 3 different dipping sauces. It was amazing! We all had some of everything! I had some kind of ice thing for dessert that was wonderful but I can’t remember what it was but I do know that it had fresh fruit in it or on it! The scary part was that we didn’t even drink with this dinner! So tell me why I can’t remember!
Back to the villa and bed! It was an exhausting day!!!!!
Last edited by cat on Thu Sep 06, 2007 12:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
nothintolose
- Posts: 1960
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:36 pm
- Location: New Orleans, LA
Good job Cat - not much to add.
At Maho, Jerry saw a huge barracuda (like the one at Waterlemon), a nurse shark at the point and lots of fish fighting for where they were gonna sleep that night. I came back in cuz I knew Cat and Kenneth were coming, and I didn't want them to miss us. Also, the visibility was poor.
While Cat, Kenneth and I were hanging out in the shallow water, we kept seeing turtles poking their heads up. I saw the one Cat got the pic of and started following it while it was swimming and I was walking, I happened to glance to my left and I saw a HUGE A$$ ray in the water that I would have stepped on had I taken one more step. I quickly swerved and conitnued following the turtle. Thank God I saw the ray before I stepped on it!
Watching the sunset at Maho was one of the most beautiful and memorable experiences of my life. I couldn't believe how fast it went down either. It doesn't get any better than being in the water at Maho (one of my favorites) watching the sunset with the people you love there to share it with you! I will cherish that memory forever!
Dinner at La Tapa was great! Loved the food! We sat at a table on the street and watched all of the traffic go by. If you're going for more romantic, sit inside
nothintolose
At Maho, Jerry saw a huge barracuda (like the one at Waterlemon), a nurse shark at the point and lots of fish fighting for where they were gonna sleep that night. I came back in cuz I knew Cat and Kenneth were coming, and I didn't want them to miss us. Also, the visibility was poor.
While Cat, Kenneth and I were hanging out in the shallow water, we kept seeing turtles poking their heads up. I saw the one Cat got the pic of and started following it while it was swimming and I was walking, I happened to glance to my left and I saw a HUGE A$$ ray in the water that I would have stepped on had I taken one more step. I quickly swerved and conitnued following the turtle. Thank God I saw the ray before I stepped on it!
Watching the sunset at Maho was one of the most beautiful and memorable experiences of my life. I couldn't believe how fast it went down either. It doesn't get any better than being in the water at Maho (one of my favorites) watching the sunset with the people you love there to share it with you! I will cherish that memory forever!
Dinner at La Tapa was great! Loved the food! We sat at a table on the street and watched all of the traffic go by. If you're going for more romantic, sit inside
nothintolose
-
Dave-a-roni
- Posts: 299
- Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 1:43 am
- Location: Western NY
Thanks for sharing, these are absolutally wonderful pictures and I really enjoyed lookin at them with my morning coffee before I head out to work...
Have a great day.
Have a great day.
"Try to preserve nature where you live, not just where you visit"
Photo's
2008 http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave-a-ron ... 118102515/
2005 http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave-a-ron ... 326642810/
Photo's
2008 http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave-a-ron ... 118102515/
2005 http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave-a-ron ... 326642810/
-
Dave-a-roni
- Posts: 299
- Joined: Fri May 25, 2007 1:43 am
- Location: Western NY
Cat,
Do you have a link to your pics?
Do you have a link to your pics?
"Try to preserve nature where you live, not just where you visit"
Photo's
2008 http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave-a-ron ... 118102515/
2005 http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave-a-ron ... 326642810/
Photo's
2008 http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave-a-ron ... 118102515/
2005 http://www.flickr.com/photos/dave-a-ron ... 326642810/
Wonderful pics! So that is what a Maho sunset is supposed to look like! We had absolutely no color in our sunset when we stayed at Maho for one evening waiting for the sun to go down. It was awesome one of 8 total people up and down that beach and seeing the turtles at various points. I had the same ray experience. I was standing right next to it when it came out of the sand. I was so glad I didn't step on it.
What a perfect day with La Tapa at the end! I missed them when we were there in August!
What a perfect day with La Tapa at the end! I missed them when we were there in August!
jmq wrote:The head/toes/floating in the water/watching the sunset is a VERY cool shot - nicely done.
jmq,thanks I love that one! I took more but that is the best!
Dav-a-roni, I don't have a link to my pics! I have so many pics and I would love to share them all! Maybe I can do one of just stuff and no people.
PA girl, I have a Cannon Powershot SD600. It is a great size for in my pocket most of the day and the housing is the perfect size for in the water! I love it!
I am glad you guys are enjoying it! I am worried that I am putting in too many pics but I just can't decide which ones to leave out!