12th Anniversary Trip Report: Part 2
Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2011 6:46 pm
Day three started early as this was our JOST day! One thing we learned quickly about Coral Bay is that the sun comes up facing you, so you get to see a beautiful sunrise, but it is EARLY¡K5:30. We lounged in bed until 6:30 and headed out at 7:30 to reach the ferry dock in plenty of time (the ferry leaves at 8:30ish). We cleared customs in West End Tortola¡Kwe had previously been taken directly to Jost and the little hut but maybe its closed on Sundays? We took a taxi to White Bay with the same driver we have had on previous trips. I love that some things never change 
Anyway, we were on the beach at Soggy Dollar by 10! The beach was quite as we arrive and one of the things we love is to watch it come alive. And, boy, does it! After one Bloody Mary and Screwdriver (breakfast?), PAINKILLERS! We love to keep the cups and, well let¡¦s just say, we added a nice number to our collection! The sun was out all day and we were happy campers. All in all, this turned out to be somewhat of a tame day at SDB¡Kor maybe it was the Painkillers??? We find the only real downside to taking the ferry for a JOST day is that you don¡¦t get to stay long enough 
We had our driver return at 2:45 to catch the 3:00 ferry. Back in STJ by 3:30.
Headed to the Beach Bar for drinks, another routine. However, for the first time ever, we decided to go for a swim on the beach out front. Since they have cleaned it up, it really is pretty nice. Not Jost or North Shore nice, but it was good. We ordered Uncle Joe¡¦s to take home for dinner and, to our surprise, it only took 30 minutes. This was also a first as we have waited a LONG time on all previous visits, but it is always worth it! We order enough for dinner and plenty of leftovers (chicken and ribs). Drove home via North Shore and enjoyed our dinner with a wonderful breeze and the views! A great day!
Day four seemed to be our first day to actually slow down a little. We enjoyed the early morning on our covered deck and pulled out the binoculars to check out some of the surrounding villas. We are not peeping Tom¡¦s but couldn¡¦t resist. Our ¡§plan¡¨ for the morning was to hike Cinnamon and as we arrive to the parking lot, it starts to sprinkle. As we walk to the trail head, it starts to rain. As we start the hike, it starts to pour. For those of you have done this hike, you know the first part is quite steep and rocky, so it was extremely slick. The rain is not letting up and I am realizing that I may only be able to get down on my buttƒ¼ After a few minutes of deliberation in the pouring rain, we turn back. Probably a smart decision but disappointing. We knew that if it is raining on the North Shore, head South or to East End. We did just that and found plenty of sunshine! This proved to be true for the remainder of our trip. We stopped at Hansen where we were the only two on the beach. Gotta love that! Heading back into Coral Bay, we pick up hitchhiker #2.
Time for lunch¡Kour theory is, if you do a hike, you earn a Skinny¡¦s burger! Well, we attempted the hike, so a variation of the theory was born That first burger of the trip is always ¡§the best burger I¡¦ve ever had¡¨! We also love the rum punch at Skinny¡¦s! A few of those later, we decide Salt Pond will be our destination for the afternoon. What a great choice! A handful of people, not crowded by any means and a beautiful sunny afternoon! My husband decides to start skipping stones and before you know it, others on the beach are doing the same. We decided he is now the ¡§mysterious stone skipper of St. John¡¨ (other reported sitings occur throughout the week). A new and very popular trend Hahaha! Here¡¦s a tip¡Kthe walk back to the car from Salt Pond barely noticeable after a few Skinny¡¦s rum punches. Hitchhiker #3 on the way back to the villa. Dinner at Aqua Bistro which was very good, then back to our villa for the best star gazing so far! Another perfect day in paradise!!
Anyway, we were on the beach at Soggy Dollar by 10! The beach was quite as we arrive and one of the things we love is to watch it come alive. And, boy, does it! After one Bloody Mary and Screwdriver (breakfast?), PAINKILLERS! We love to keep the cups and, well let¡¦s just say, we added a nice number to our collection! The sun was out all day and we were happy campers. All in all, this turned out to be somewhat of a tame day at SDB¡Kor maybe it was the Painkillers??? We find the only real downside to taking the ferry for a JOST day is that you don¡¦t get to stay long enough We had our driver return at 2:45 to catch the 3:00 ferry. Back in STJ by 3:30. Headed to the Beach Bar for drinks, another routine. However, for the first time ever, we decided to go for a swim on the beach out front. Since they have cleaned it up, it really is pretty nice. Not Jost or North Shore nice, but it was good. We ordered Uncle Joe¡¦s to take home for dinner and, to our surprise, it only took 30 minutes. This was also a first as we have waited a LONG time on all previous visits, but it is always worth it! We order enough for dinner and plenty of leftovers (chicken and ribs). Drove home via North Shore and enjoyed our dinner with a wonderful breeze and the views! A great day!
Day four seemed to be our first day to actually slow down a little. We enjoyed the early morning on our covered deck and pulled out the binoculars to check out some of the surrounding villas. We are not peeping Tom¡¦s but couldn¡¦t resist. Our ¡§plan¡¨ for the morning was to hike Cinnamon and as we arrive to the parking lot, it starts to sprinkle. As we walk to the trail head, it starts to rain. As we start the hike, it starts to pour. For those of you have done this hike, you know the first part is quite steep and rocky, so it was extremely slick. The rain is not letting up and I am realizing that I may only be able to get down on my buttƒ¼ After a few minutes of deliberation in the pouring rain, we turn back. Probably a smart decision but disappointing. We knew that if it is raining on the North Shore, head South or to East End. We did just that and found plenty of sunshine! This proved to be true for the remainder of our trip. We stopped at Hansen where we were the only two on the beach. Gotta love that! Heading back into Coral Bay, we pick up hitchhiker #2.
Time for lunch¡Kour theory is, if you do a hike, you earn a Skinny¡¦s burger! Well, we attempted the hike, so a variation of the theory was born
That first burger of the trip is always ¡§the best burger I¡¦ve ever had¡¨! We also love the rum punch at Skinny¡¦s! A few of those later, we decide Salt Pond will be our destination for the afternoon. What a great choice! A handful of people, not crowded by any means and a beautiful sunny afternoon! My husband decides to start skipping stones and before you know it, others on the beach are doing the same. We decided he is now the ¡§mysterious stone skipper of St. John¡¨ (other reported sitings occur throughout the week). A new and very popular trend Hahaha! Here¡¦s a tip¡Kthe walk back to the car from Salt Pond barely noticeable after a few Skinny¡¦s rum punches. Hitchhiker #3 on the way back to the villa. Dinner at Aqua Bistro which was very good, then back to our villa for the best star gazing so far! Another perfect day in paradise!!