Day 2: Jost, Hanging out with Mic & Visiting Ivan
Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 9:06 am
Day 2: Ferry to Jost, Hanging out with Mic & Visiting with Ivan!
Knowing we wanted to go to Jost to hang for the day, we decided to hit the ground running! Today was the day. We tried, unsuccessfully, to talk Ruth into joining us. She was busy…something about running a business and building a house.
Our host, who was getting ready to head away on his trip, drove us to town! Best service in town!!! We wanted to grab breakfast at Deli Grotto but it doesn’t open till 8am on Saturday morning, so instead we hit Mojo’s for a breakfast sandwich. Bacon, egg and cheese on an english muffin (one of my favorite island breakfasts) in hand, we headed to the National Park dock.
We arrived around 8am and there was a bit of a line and we were starting to realize that St. John in March (especially around Spring break and perhaps with the Blue’s Festival upcoming) is VERY different than St. John in the off-season. More money and less sense, if you can imagine. Which is a VERY good thing for businesses but weird for an off-season girl like me! Still, no worries, we got in line, got our tickets (I love that they take Amex), and found a spot to fill out our forms. The trip to Jost is always too short, too much paperwork, and SO TOTALLY worth it. Mic’s smile alone makes the trip worthwhile! Add to the smile, his story about his impromptu gig as a “male entertainer” over on Tortola and it is 1000% worth it!
While we waited, we spotted Capt. Brandi and his Palm Tree charter loading up across the way. We waved and posted on his FACEBOOK page "we see you1!" We tried to arrange a getaway with him but for two girls it is a bit extravagant and he was SUPER busy the entire week we were there. Like I said, IN SEASON seemed to be treating lots of businesses well!
The ferry departed almost on time, around 8:30 or so and we headed straight to Jost. We were at the Soggy Dollar Bar (literally on a stool) by about 9:15 or so! The last time we came over on the ferry we shared a rented car and ended up waiting for a while and cutting into an already fairly short day. I recommend, especially if you are just there for the day, hopping in a taxi and heading to Soggy’s. Even if you just hang out there all day, it will be a great day!
It just doesn’t get any better than this.
We ordered up our 2nd breakfast. A tame Bloody Mary (beware the full test is spicy) for LMG and a Painkiller (the 1st of a few OR 7 whatever, who is counting) for me
After a couple drinks and a little relaxing we decided to walk over and see if we could say hi to Ivan. It is just a very short walk up a hill and over to the Stress Free Bar.
I recommend shoes. That’s all I am gonna say about that. Well I'll say that and, in FAIRNESS to LMG who’d made the trek over before, she did suggest we go back and grab our flip-flops. But we’d already walked a whole 10 feet or so and decided to press on. Shoeless. It was only a little temporary pain. Minor blistering. Nothing major. It is entirely possible our judgment was slightly impaired. I blame Mic.
This part wasn’t so bad….
And the views certainly helped mitigate the pain.
This is where it got a little dicey, rocky, hot, whatever. We’re tough girls! Or dumb girls. We press on.
All in all the walk is maybe 5 minutes. With shoes, it would have been a piece of cake. Without shoes, it was a little temporary pain but so worth the payoff!
We headed to the honor bar. As LMG said, “There is an honor bar, it is our duty to honor it.” I was planning to make myself a banana painkiller but the painkiller mix was frozen, so I made a banana fruit passion thing instead. Almost like an alcoholic strawberry/banana slurpie with a kick. Very yummy.
Soon we were lucky enough to chat with the man himself, Ivan, and we even scored a personal tour of his new 2nd guesthouse, now under construction. The first house was finished less than a year ago. Still shoeless, we headed up the hill behind the bar and to the construction site. Somehow, no one was injured!
Isn’t he the cutest! He is a warm, sweet, flirty guy. We had so much fun on our tour!
The house has a lower level with 1 bedroom and an upper level with two bedrooms and a great view.
The view from the 2nd level. I would stay there in a heartbeat!!
A walk around Ivan’s turned up some interesting advice.
After chatting with Ivan and some of the locals at the bar, we decided we were hungry and missing Mic so we headed back over to Soggy’s for some lunch and another round and many more smiles and laughs.
Chicken Roti. The first of many times LMG & I ordered the same exact thing! I think we're stalking each other. If that is possible!
Before we knew it our day on Jost was winding down. We sunned a little more, finished up our drinks and hung out as long as we possibly could. In fact, we lingered till someone from the taxi came back in and said, “are you guys coming or what?” It was VERY nice of her, though I am pretty sure she just wanted the cab full so they could move out and back over to the ferry dock.
Danger! Danger! I do not recommend trying to get in (OR OUT of for that matter) this hammock.
Boo Ferry
Sign me up
Soon we were heading back across to St. John
This is where the rest of the day gets foggy. I think we went to Island Blues for dinner, and I think I had a blackened mahi mahi (might have been grouper) sandwich. IF we did go to Island Blues, there was definitely dessert involved. Peanut butter pie for me and a key lime for LMG. So far the only thing I can figure out that is wrong with that girl is that she doesn’t like chocolate!
See what a day at Soggy’s and Ivan’s will do to a girl? I do know we were planning an early morning hike the next day so we weren’t out late. Soon it was back to the house to relax and look out over Coral Bay harbor as the night drifted away.
Tomorrow: Drunk Bay Hike, Deli Grotto Sammies at the Beach and Shipwreck Landing
Knowing we wanted to go to Jost to hang for the day, we decided to hit the ground running! Today was the day. We tried, unsuccessfully, to talk Ruth into joining us. She was busy…something about running a business and building a house.
Our host, who was getting ready to head away on his trip, drove us to town! Best service in town!!! We wanted to grab breakfast at Deli Grotto but it doesn’t open till 8am on Saturday morning, so instead we hit Mojo’s for a breakfast sandwich. Bacon, egg and cheese on an english muffin (one of my favorite island breakfasts) in hand, we headed to the National Park dock.
We arrived around 8am and there was a bit of a line and we were starting to realize that St. John in March (especially around Spring break and perhaps with the Blue’s Festival upcoming) is VERY different than St. John in the off-season. More money and less sense, if you can imagine. Which is a VERY good thing for businesses but weird for an off-season girl like me! Still, no worries, we got in line, got our tickets (I love that they take Amex), and found a spot to fill out our forms. The trip to Jost is always too short, too much paperwork, and SO TOTALLY worth it. Mic’s smile alone makes the trip worthwhile! Add to the smile, his story about his impromptu gig as a “male entertainer” over on Tortola and it is 1000% worth it!
While we waited, we spotted Capt. Brandi and his Palm Tree charter loading up across the way. We waved and posted on his FACEBOOK page "we see you1!" We tried to arrange a getaway with him but for two girls it is a bit extravagant and he was SUPER busy the entire week we were there. Like I said, IN SEASON seemed to be treating lots of businesses well!
The ferry departed almost on time, around 8:30 or so and we headed straight to Jost. We were at the Soggy Dollar Bar (literally on a stool) by about 9:15 or so! The last time we came over on the ferry we shared a rented car and ended up waiting for a while and cutting into an already fairly short day. I recommend, especially if you are just there for the day, hopping in a taxi and heading to Soggy’s. Even if you just hang out there all day, it will be a great day!
It just doesn’t get any better than this.
We ordered up our 2nd breakfast. A tame Bloody Mary (beware the full test is spicy) for LMG and a Painkiller (the 1st of a few OR 7 whatever, who is counting) for me
After a couple drinks and a little relaxing we decided to walk over and see if we could say hi to Ivan. It is just a very short walk up a hill and over to the Stress Free Bar.
I recommend shoes. That’s all I am gonna say about that. Well I'll say that and, in FAIRNESS to LMG who’d made the trek over before, she did suggest we go back and grab our flip-flops. But we’d already walked a whole 10 feet or so and decided to press on. Shoeless. It was only a little temporary pain. Minor blistering. Nothing major. It is entirely possible our judgment was slightly impaired. I blame Mic.
This part wasn’t so bad….
And the views certainly helped mitigate the pain.
This is where it got a little dicey, rocky, hot, whatever. We’re tough girls! Or dumb girls. We press on.
All in all the walk is maybe 5 minutes. With shoes, it would have been a piece of cake. Without shoes, it was a little temporary pain but so worth the payoff!
We headed to the honor bar. As LMG said, “There is an honor bar, it is our duty to honor it.” I was planning to make myself a banana painkiller but the painkiller mix was frozen, so I made a banana fruit passion thing instead. Almost like an alcoholic strawberry/banana slurpie with a kick. Very yummy.
Soon we were lucky enough to chat with the man himself, Ivan, and we even scored a personal tour of his new 2nd guesthouse, now under construction. The first house was finished less than a year ago. Still shoeless, we headed up the hill behind the bar and to the construction site. Somehow, no one was injured!
Isn’t he the cutest! He is a warm, sweet, flirty guy. We had so much fun on our tour!
The house has a lower level with 1 bedroom and an upper level with two bedrooms and a great view.
The view from the 2nd level. I would stay there in a heartbeat!!
A walk around Ivan’s turned up some interesting advice.
After chatting with Ivan and some of the locals at the bar, we decided we were hungry and missing Mic so we headed back over to Soggy’s for some lunch and another round and many more smiles and laughs.
Chicken Roti. The first of many times LMG & I ordered the same exact thing! I think we're stalking each other. If that is possible!
Before we knew it our day on Jost was winding down. We sunned a little more, finished up our drinks and hung out as long as we possibly could. In fact, we lingered till someone from the taxi came back in and said, “are you guys coming or what?” It was VERY nice of her, though I am pretty sure she just wanted the cab full so they could move out and back over to the ferry dock.
Danger! Danger! I do not recommend trying to get in (OR OUT of for that matter) this hammock.
Boo Ferry
Sign me up
Soon we were heading back across to St. John
This is where the rest of the day gets foggy. I think we went to Island Blues for dinner, and I think I had a blackened mahi mahi (might have been grouper) sandwich. IF we did go to Island Blues, there was definitely dessert involved. Peanut butter pie for me and a key lime for LMG. So far the only thing I can figure out that is wrong with that girl is that she doesn’t like chocolate!
See what a day at Soggy’s and Ivan’s will do to a girl? I do know we were planning an early morning hike the next day so we weren’t out late. Soon it was back to the house to relax and look out over Coral Bay harbor as the night drifted away.
Tomorrow: Drunk Bay Hike, Deli Grotto Sammies at the Beach and Shipwreck Landing
