2013 Michigan Girls trip report part three
Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2013 9:32 pm
Part one: http://virgin-islands-on-line.com/virgi ... =1&t=25215
Part two: http://virgin-islands-on-line.com/virgi ... =1&t=25219
Saturday
Up with the sunrise again – a beautiful one this morning!
DSC_0036 by heidifunk, on Flickr
Off to Coral Bay dock to meet Captain John from Island Roots for our BVI day at 8:30AM. The ride out of the harbor was a little rough, but not terrible
100_0282 by heidifunk, on Flickr
We stopped at Soper's Hole to clear customs. It was a very short wait, as Captain John had everything filled out ahead of time.
100_0287 by heidifunk, on Flickr
After leaving there, we headed for The Indians. It doesn't look like much above the water
100_0365 by heidifunk, on Flickr
But then once your mask gets in the water – BAM
100_0383 by heidifunk, on Flickr
100_0348 by heidifunk, on Flickr
The water was so super clear and the fish were EVERYWHERE
100_0299 by heidifunk, on Flickr
The coral here also looks really healthy
100_0350 by heidifunk, on Flickr
We did not go into the shallow area this time, as the seas were still pretty rough at this point, but there was so much to see in the surrounding area that we didn't mind at all.
After a good long snorkel there, we headed to the Caves at Norman Island. As some of you may have read in my earlier post, I have a fear of caves. I had determined to conquer that on this trip and go in all three. I started at the largest one.
I can't figure out how to embed a video from Flickr, but here's the link to it (please forgive the shakiness of the video, I was a little nervous)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/77562199@N04/8650716406/
After mastering that one a couple times, I headed for the smallest one, as Captain John had suggested.
In the small one, you can swim through and take a narrow exit up to a small cobblestone beach. The hardest part is sitting in the exit taking your fins off so you can walk through the very rocky and uneven area leading out the beach. The surf pushed me around quite a bit, but I managed OK. The little beach is very cool
100_0407 by heidifunk, on Flickr
100_0411 by heidifunk, on Flickr
The cave entry on that side has a very “Pirates of the Caribbean” feel to it
100_0423 by heidifunk, on Flickr
This is the narrow part leading out to the beach, when viewed from the beach side
100_0431 by heidifunk, on Flickr
I actually did this entry and exit twice, since I wanted to go out to find Mark to hang out on the beach with us while we had it all to ourselves.
100_0429 by heidifunk, on Flickr
After enjoying this a bit, I helped some other snorkelers onto the beach, then we went out to check out the third cave. Although it looks bigger on the outside, it gets shallow and close much quicker than the other two, and I admit I did not go more than halfway in before I decided that one was not for me.
Spent a little more time snorkeling the area outside the caves before we headed back to the boat.
100_0394 by heidifunk, on Flickr
100_0401 by heidifunk, on Flickr
100_0395 by heidifunk, on Flickr
After we finished up there, we were all pretty hungry so we headed to the Willy T for lunch. Wish I had taken more photos there, but I was pretty focused on the food and rum punches, and just didn't think about it. Just a couple showing what dorks we are:
100_0457 by heidifunk, on Flickr
100_0455 by heidifunk, on Flickr
Again captain John showed us what a pro he was, collecting all our orders himself and getting them turned in, then delivered back to our table when they were ready. Did I mention we love this guy?
100_0451 by heidifunk, on Flickr
Andrew, Sherry and I decided to jump off, while Mark and Captain John brought the boat around. Jumping was awesome! With full bellies, we headed to Sandy Cay for some relaxation. It is so beautiful there, both from the boat and on the beach. Unfortunately, this was the last picture I was able to get with my camera before the battery died
(too many videos while snorkeling I think)
100_0463 by heidifunk, on Flickr
We had the entire island to ourselves the whole time we were there – it was amazing. We also spent some quality time while floating imaging ourselves in a Gilligan's Island scenario there and discussing who was which character from the show (I'm totally Mary Ann and Sherry is definitely Ginger, the boys eventually had to admit that Mark is the Skipper and Andrew is Gilligan)
Reluctantly, we decided we had better move on if we hoped to spend any time at the Soggy Dollar. A short trip brought us to Jost Van Dyke and The Soggy Dollar. We enjoyed multiple painkillers, sat on the beach and people watched, had some time in the water and did some shopping. The boys enjoyed taking in “the sights” (wink wink) from the beach chairs. No pictures from here unfortunately due to the dead battery.
We sadly made our way back to our boat, which Captain John had expertly maneuvered in close enough so we could walk to it holding our purchases up out of the water, and we headed back to St John. Customs at Cruz Bay was a breeze, then we were back on board heading back to Coral Bay. The ride back was along the opposite side of the island from the ride out, and the surf on that side was considerably higher. It was exciting, (and made me very happy that I had made a restroom stop after customs) and we cruised in to Coral Bay about 5PM. Said our goodbyes to Captain John (until the next trip), then headed back up to the villa.
The others were back after having spent a day shopping and eating in Cruz Bay, then shopping and eating at Skinny Legs. Captain John had given me the name of a taxi driver willing to go all the way up to the end of the Majestic Mile to pick them up and drive them around while we played in the BVIs.
Dinner was tacos, which we all devoured, then got ready for bed. A scream from my daughter in the loft brought me running in there. She was hysterically coming down the ladder yelling “Scorpion in my pants”. She calmed down enough to explain to us that she had picked her pants up off the floor and stuck her hand in to turn them right side out, when she felt a pinch on her finger. She pulled her hand out to find a scorpion clamped on. Andrew and I climbed up into the loft to find it, but after a super thorough search, could find nothing but one dead spider under the nightstand. Most people began to doubt that she had actually seen one (Andrew had been talking about how he had read that there were scorpions on St John, so they thought that maybe she just had that on her mind and subconsciously turned a spider into one). I was not so sure, as I know my daughter is not typically prone to that sort of thing, but try as I might I could not find one anywhere. Eventually we gave up looking, and the girls insisted on sleeping on the couches that night. (More will come in the scorpion saga later...)
To be continued...
Part two: http://virgin-islands-on-line.com/virgi ... =1&t=25219
Saturday
Up with the sunrise again – a beautiful one this morning!
DSC_0036 by heidifunk, on Flickr
Off to Coral Bay dock to meet Captain John from Island Roots for our BVI day at 8:30AM. The ride out of the harbor was a little rough, but not terrible
100_0282 by heidifunk, on Flickr
We stopped at Soper's Hole to clear customs. It was a very short wait, as Captain John had everything filled out ahead of time.
100_0287 by heidifunk, on Flickr
After leaving there, we headed for The Indians. It doesn't look like much above the water
100_0365 by heidifunk, on Flickr
But then once your mask gets in the water – BAM
100_0383 by heidifunk, on Flickr
100_0348 by heidifunk, on Flickr
The water was so super clear and the fish were EVERYWHERE
100_0299 by heidifunk, on Flickr
The coral here also looks really healthy
100_0350 by heidifunk, on Flickr
We did not go into the shallow area this time, as the seas were still pretty rough at this point, but there was so much to see in the surrounding area that we didn't mind at all.
After a good long snorkel there, we headed to the Caves at Norman Island. As some of you may have read in my earlier post, I have a fear of caves. I had determined to conquer that on this trip and go in all three. I started at the largest one.
I can't figure out how to embed a video from Flickr, but here's the link to it (please forgive the shakiness of the video, I was a little nervous)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/77562199@N04/8650716406/
After mastering that one a couple times, I headed for the smallest one, as Captain John had suggested.
In the small one, you can swim through and take a narrow exit up to a small cobblestone beach. The hardest part is sitting in the exit taking your fins off so you can walk through the very rocky and uneven area leading out the beach. The surf pushed me around quite a bit, but I managed OK. The little beach is very cool
100_0407 by heidifunk, on Flickr
100_0411 by heidifunk, on Flickr
The cave entry on that side has a very “Pirates of the Caribbean” feel to it
100_0423 by heidifunk, on Flickr
This is the narrow part leading out to the beach, when viewed from the beach side
100_0431 by heidifunk, on Flickr
I actually did this entry and exit twice, since I wanted to go out to find Mark to hang out on the beach with us while we had it all to ourselves.
100_0429 by heidifunk, on Flickr
After enjoying this a bit, I helped some other snorkelers onto the beach, then we went out to check out the third cave. Although it looks bigger on the outside, it gets shallow and close much quicker than the other two, and I admit I did not go more than halfway in before I decided that one was not for me.
Spent a little more time snorkeling the area outside the caves before we headed back to the boat.
100_0394 by heidifunk, on Flickr
100_0401 by heidifunk, on Flickr
100_0395 by heidifunk, on Flickr
After we finished up there, we were all pretty hungry so we headed to the Willy T for lunch. Wish I had taken more photos there, but I was pretty focused on the food and rum punches, and just didn't think about it. Just a couple showing what dorks we are:
100_0457 by heidifunk, on Flickr
100_0455 by heidifunk, on Flickr
Again captain John showed us what a pro he was, collecting all our orders himself and getting them turned in, then delivered back to our table when they were ready. Did I mention we love this guy?
100_0451 by heidifunk, on Flickr
Andrew, Sherry and I decided to jump off, while Mark and Captain John brought the boat around. Jumping was awesome! With full bellies, we headed to Sandy Cay for some relaxation. It is so beautiful there, both from the boat and on the beach. Unfortunately, this was the last picture I was able to get with my camera before the battery died
(too many videos while snorkeling I think)100_0463 by heidifunk, on Flickr
We had the entire island to ourselves the whole time we were there – it was amazing. We also spent some quality time while floating imaging ourselves in a Gilligan's Island scenario there and discussing who was which character from the show (I'm totally Mary Ann and Sherry is definitely Ginger, the boys eventually had to admit that Mark is the Skipper and Andrew is Gilligan)
Reluctantly, we decided we had better move on if we hoped to spend any time at the Soggy Dollar. A short trip brought us to Jost Van Dyke and The Soggy Dollar. We enjoyed multiple painkillers, sat on the beach and people watched, had some time in the water and did some shopping. The boys enjoyed taking in “the sights” (wink wink) from the beach chairs. No pictures from here unfortunately due to the dead battery.
We sadly made our way back to our boat, which Captain John had expertly maneuvered in close enough so we could walk to it holding our purchases up out of the water, and we headed back to St John. Customs at Cruz Bay was a breeze, then we were back on board heading back to Coral Bay. The ride back was along the opposite side of the island from the ride out, and the surf on that side was considerably higher. It was exciting, (and made me very happy that I had made a restroom stop after customs) and we cruised in to Coral Bay about 5PM. Said our goodbyes to Captain John (until the next trip), then headed back up to the villa.
The others were back after having spent a day shopping and eating in Cruz Bay, then shopping and eating at Skinny Legs. Captain John had given me the name of a taxi driver willing to go all the way up to the end of the Majestic Mile to pick them up and drive them around while we played in the BVIs.
Dinner was tacos, which we all devoured, then got ready for bed. A scream from my daughter in the loft brought me running in there. She was hysterically coming down the ladder yelling “Scorpion in my pants”. She calmed down enough to explain to us that she had picked her pants up off the floor and stuck her hand in to turn them right side out, when she felt a pinch on her finger. She pulled her hand out to find a scorpion clamped on. Andrew and I climbed up into the loft to find it, but after a super thorough search, could find nothing but one dead spider under the nightstand. Most people began to doubt that she had actually seen one (Andrew had been talking about how he had read that there were scorpions on St John, so they thought that maybe she just had that on her mind and subconsciously turned a spider into one). I was not so sure, as I know my daughter is not typically prone to that sort of thing, but try as I might I could not find one anywhere. Eventually we gave up looking, and the girls insisted on sleeping on the couches that night. (More will come in the scorpion saga later...)
To be continued...
