Pic's Pics & Report - Final
Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 12:23 pm
Vol. 1: http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... hp?t=20731
Vol. 2: http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... hp?t=20772
On our way from Coral Bay to Cruz Bay, the sky gradually dimmed. Our stay for the next few nights was at Grande Bay. We could see the thick clouds slowly spreading over Cruz Bay. That evening was stormy with rain and whipping wind. We didn't see the bright sun until our departure day.
Featured bays & beaches:
Hawksnest
Maho
Gibney
----- Hawksnest -----
This day was supposed to be spent with Palm Tree Charters. It didn't happen. The dinner I had the previous evening seemed to have not agreed with me (perfect timing). I felt better by the morning but was tired from round tripping between the bed and the bathroom all night. Adding to that, the weather was not exactly cooperating with us - hence, the disappointment. We'll patiently wait another year to finally meet Captain John.
The day was rather dark but we went out to Hawksnest, anyway. The air was cool and the water was chilly. I wasn't feeling perky and didn't last long in the water. The visibility was fine despite no sun.
Orange Spotted Triggerfish
School of Blue Tangs, Surgeonfish, and Wrasses; Elkhorn Coral
Spotted Moray was spotted at the very end of this snorkel. I only had a glance of her since she hid away quickly. My hands were shaking from being so cold in the water. I was sure this shot would turn out blurry... I guess I'm a determined snapper, the fish (?).
I never warmed up hanging out on the beach after snorkeling. The cool air now felt cold. We gave up on any more beach/water activities for that day and ate lunch at Banana Deck. Then we stopped by at Sam & Jack's to pick up some sandwiches and other stuff for our light dinner later. We had been to the deli a few times already on this trip and will be frequent customers on our next visit, too - great stuff they got there.
----- Maho -----
Whatever the weather system was that had arrived, it seemed to have settled in over the Virgin Islands. The rain continued to fall all morning. We only had two full days left on the island including that day, so when we saw the rain lightening up, we headed out not knowing where exactly. We were feeling kind of lazy - it must've been the wet grey atmosphere the island was soaked in. We wanted to go somewhere easy and carefree.
Luckily, the water was not as chilly as it was at Hawksnest. We ended up spending a long time underwater. I had noticed that morning my burn seemed to have been no longer oozing. I still covered the wound while I was out and about, but it was such a relief. I thoroughly enjoyed snorkeling that day.
Lettuce Sea Slugs
Queen Angelfish
Ciliated False Quillas (kinds of Mantis Shrimp)
Baby Green Turtle
Don't know what kind of crab this is. It was tiny (a little over half an inch), fuzzy, almost luminescent gold and was hanging on to the Corkscrew Anemone when I found her. Anyone know? My camera was only an inch or two from her but she never cared and kept doing whatever she was busy doing (scraping & eating?).
Hermit Crab - doesn't she look just so humble... ?
We had dinner at La Plancha Del Mar that evening. Honestly, we thought it was a little disappointing. We loved them when they were located in the Market Place, so we know they can be great. Perhaps, we went there on the wrong day... Whatever it was, we will try La Plancha again.
We stopped by at St. John Spice and bought spices and glassware. We didn't see Ruth. The best time to catch her seems to be in the morning until about 1 p.m. (so I was told) and that's exactly when we are usually underwater. We'll try again next year.
----- (Our last beach) Gibney -----
Another expected grey morning. As long as it wasn't raining, we were planning to return to Gibney. We were about to go out the door when the thundery rain arrived. The downpour brought us quiet resigned laughter. We sat around and watched the storm for a couple of hours. When the rain kind of softened, we headed to Gibney. It was understandable we were the only ones parked there.
By the time we were out at the beach, there were hardly any drops from the sky. Gibeny was grey, like everywhere else on the island for the past few days, but still beautiful.
My husband was walking along the beach and signaled me to come over. There was a small Southern Stingray hanging out right at the edge of the water. As grey as Gibeny was that morning, it was exceptionally serene and just perfect for our last full day on the island.
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3_AhlD4_I28" frameborder="0"></iframe>
We hung out on the deserted beach for a while and then off to snorkeling.
Lettuce Sea Slugs (in different colors than the ones I had taken photos of at Maho)
Flamingo Tongues
Pelican on the rock; Red Hind with a pair of isopods on its head
Spotted Trunkfish - they just look like they are ready to whistle any time
Southern Stingray swam by us
Yes, more lobsters... from the start of this trip to the end, we saw them on nearly every snorkel.
Flat Needlefish & Brain Coral
Gibney was still deserted when we got out of the water. It was overcast but no rain. Where was everybody? We could see quite a few folks on the beach at Hawksnest. Couldn't believe we had Gibney still all to ourselves...
and a bird.
Only one other couple showed up on the beach and they didn't stay long. It sure wasn't a warm day for the beach but we enjoyed every minute of our time. About an hour before we finally left, the sun started peeking. Thank you for brightening us up before we said good-bye to Gibney.
We had our last dinner on the island at Zo Zo's. It was the slowest evening we had ever seen there. Our meal was excellent, nonetheless.
------------------------
Some food porn...
Sweet Plantains
La Plancha Del Mar (the duck appetizer was good; the Wahoo & marinara combination just didn't do it for us)
Banana Deck; Sam & Jack's
Aqua Bistro; Waterfront Bistro
A few notes...
If you are in Coral Bay, drop by at Josephine's/Coral Bay Garden Center and get some of your produce there. Over the years we've bought salad greens, spinach, okra, beans, sprouts, tomatoes and herbs. They are very fresh and reasonably priced. What they have depends on the day.
I had never tried Bonine for my motion sickness. The pills worked like a miracle for me. Thanks to the folks who suggested it.
The weather in May seems to be pretty moody. We always visit St. John in late May through early June, so we've kind of gotten used to it. We will return in May again. Even if we end up having more rain than sun, we won't be unhappy.
------------------------
Our departure day was bright and crisp. The sun was out in full force. We'd had our share of sun (and clouds and rain), so it was okay. The only thing that made me flinch that morning was catching a glimpse of Captain John boarding his guests on his boat as we drove by the National Park dock. We had just picked up sandwiches from Deli Grotto for our lunch at the airport. I was telling myself "It's okay... I have a Pink Cadillac."
My burn is healing well: very itchy = good (appreciated all the well wishes).
The happy and the not-so-happy, they'll all turn into good old memories in the end.
Thank you very much for reading such long posts. Hope your turn to be on the island will come soon.
Pickle
Links for the photos of:
Casa Bueno: http://public.fotki.com/Pickle-Pickle/s ... asa-bueno/
Reef Madness (mostly from 2009 - the house really hasn't changed and still is as beautiful): http://public.fotki.com/Pickle-Pickle/1/reef-madness/
Grande Bay, unit D-204: http://public.fotki.com/Pickle-Pickle/s ... rande-bay/
Vol. 2: http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/f ... hp?t=20772
On our way from Coral Bay to Cruz Bay, the sky gradually dimmed. Our stay for the next few nights was at Grande Bay. We could see the thick clouds slowly spreading over Cruz Bay. That evening was stormy with rain and whipping wind. We didn't see the bright sun until our departure day.
Featured bays & beaches:
Hawksnest
Maho
Gibney
----- Hawksnest -----
This day was supposed to be spent with Palm Tree Charters. It didn't happen. The dinner I had the previous evening seemed to have not agreed with me (perfect timing). I felt better by the morning but was tired from round tripping between the bed and the bathroom all night. Adding to that, the weather was not exactly cooperating with us - hence, the disappointment. We'll patiently wait another year to finally meet Captain John.
The day was rather dark but we went out to Hawksnest, anyway. The air was cool and the water was chilly. I wasn't feeling perky and didn't last long in the water. The visibility was fine despite no sun.
Orange Spotted Triggerfish
School of Blue Tangs, Surgeonfish, and Wrasses; Elkhorn Coral
Spotted Moray was spotted at the very end of this snorkel. I only had a glance of her since she hid away quickly. My hands were shaking from being so cold in the water. I was sure this shot would turn out blurry... I guess I'm a determined snapper, the fish (?).
I never warmed up hanging out on the beach after snorkeling. The cool air now felt cold. We gave up on any more beach/water activities for that day and ate lunch at Banana Deck. Then we stopped by at Sam & Jack's to pick up some sandwiches and other stuff for our light dinner later. We had been to the deli a few times already on this trip and will be frequent customers on our next visit, too - great stuff they got there.
----- Maho -----
Whatever the weather system was that had arrived, it seemed to have settled in over the Virgin Islands. The rain continued to fall all morning. We only had two full days left on the island including that day, so when we saw the rain lightening up, we headed out not knowing where exactly. We were feeling kind of lazy - it must've been the wet grey atmosphere the island was soaked in. We wanted to go somewhere easy and carefree.
Luckily, the water was not as chilly as it was at Hawksnest. We ended up spending a long time underwater. I had noticed that morning my burn seemed to have been no longer oozing. I still covered the wound while I was out and about, but it was such a relief. I thoroughly enjoyed snorkeling that day.
Lettuce Sea Slugs
Queen Angelfish
Ciliated False Quillas (kinds of Mantis Shrimp)
Baby Green Turtle
Don't know what kind of crab this is. It was tiny (a little over half an inch), fuzzy, almost luminescent gold and was hanging on to the Corkscrew Anemone when I found her. Anyone know? My camera was only an inch or two from her but she never cared and kept doing whatever she was busy doing (scraping & eating?).
Hermit Crab - doesn't she look just so humble... ?
We had dinner at La Plancha Del Mar that evening. Honestly, we thought it was a little disappointing. We loved them when they were located in the Market Place, so we know they can be great. Perhaps, we went there on the wrong day... Whatever it was, we will try La Plancha again.
We stopped by at St. John Spice and bought spices and glassware. We didn't see Ruth. The best time to catch her seems to be in the morning until about 1 p.m. (so I was told) and that's exactly when we are usually underwater. We'll try again next year.
----- (Our last beach) Gibney -----
Another expected grey morning. As long as it wasn't raining, we were planning to return to Gibney. We were about to go out the door when the thundery rain arrived. The downpour brought us quiet resigned laughter. We sat around and watched the storm for a couple of hours. When the rain kind of softened, we headed to Gibney. It was understandable we were the only ones parked there.
By the time we were out at the beach, there were hardly any drops from the sky. Gibeny was grey, like everywhere else on the island for the past few days, but still beautiful.
My husband was walking along the beach and signaled me to come over. There was a small Southern Stingray hanging out right at the edge of the water. As grey as Gibeny was that morning, it was exceptionally serene and just perfect for our last full day on the island.
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3_AhlD4_I28" frameborder="0"></iframe>
We hung out on the deserted beach for a while and then off to snorkeling.
Lettuce Sea Slugs (in different colors than the ones I had taken photos of at Maho)
Flamingo Tongues
Pelican on the rock; Red Hind with a pair of isopods on its head
Spotted Trunkfish - they just look like they are ready to whistle any time
Southern Stingray swam by us
Yes, more lobsters... from the start of this trip to the end, we saw them on nearly every snorkel.
Flat Needlefish & Brain Coral
Gibney was still deserted when we got out of the water. It was overcast but no rain. Where was everybody? We could see quite a few folks on the beach at Hawksnest. Couldn't believe we had Gibney still all to ourselves...
and a bird.
Only one other couple showed up on the beach and they didn't stay long. It sure wasn't a warm day for the beach but we enjoyed every minute of our time. About an hour before we finally left, the sun started peeking. Thank you for brightening us up before we said good-bye to Gibney.
We had our last dinner on the island at Zo Zo's. It was the slowest evening we had ever seen there. Our meal was excellent, nonetheless.
------------------------
Some food porn...
Sweet Plantains
La Plancha Del Mar (the duck appetizer was good; the Wahoo & marinara combination just didn't do it for us)
Banana Deck; Sam & Jack's
Aqua Bistro; Waterfront Bistro
A few notes...
If you are in Coral Bay, drop by at Josephine's/Coral Bay Garden Center and get some of your produce there. Over the years we've bought salad greens, spinach, okra, beans, sprouts, tomatoes and herbs. They are very fresh and reasonably priced. What they have depends on the day.
I had never tried Bonine for my motion sickness. The pills worked like a miracle for me. Thanks to the folks who suggested it.
The weather in May seems to be pretty moody. We always visit St. John in late May through early June, so we've kind of gotten used to it. We will return in May again. Even if we end up having more rain than sun, we won't be unhappy.
------------------------
Our departure day was bright and crisp. The sun was out in full force. We'd had our share of sun (and clouds and rain), so it was okay. The only thing that made me flinch that morning was catching a glimpse of Captain John boarding his guests on his boat as we drove by the National Park dock. We had just picked up sandwiches from Deli Grotto for our lunch at the airport. I was telling myself "It's okay... I have a Pink Cadillac."
My burn is healing well: very itchy = good (appreciated all the well wishes).
The happy and the not-so-happy, they'll all turn into good old memories in the end.
Thank you very much for reading such long posts. Hope your turn to be on the island will come soon.
Pickle
Links for the photos of:
Casa Bueno: http://public.fotki.com/Pickle-Pickle/s ... asa-bueno/
Reef Madness (mostly from 2009 - the house really hasn't changed and still is as beautiful): http://public.fotki.com/Pickle-Pickle/1/reef-madness/
Grande Bay, unit D-204: http://public.fotki.com/Pickle-Pickle/s ... rande-bay/
Appreciate the reference, anyway!