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20 days in paradise, part 4
20 days in paradise, part 4
Day 8
We woke up to find that the Sahara Dust had returned. The haze was so thick that we could barely see Jost Van Dyke from the deck. It was also a lot hotter-probably 10 degrees hotter.
Today was a lazy morning. I made heuvos rancheros and we hung around with books for a while before heading into Charlotte Amelie to replace my camera and then see my parents, who were at Secret Harbour. The ferry ride over was very nice, with a great breeze on the top deck. We decided to walk over to Yacht Haven Grande to check it out. This looks like it is going to be very nice when it is done, but as of now there are very few shops open.
At Royal Caribbean in Havensight I learned the unwelcome news that the new version of the powershot I have won't fit into my housing, and they didn't have the housing that fits the new camera in stock, so I end up with a completely different powershot and a new housing. Grumble grumble. But John was nice enough to buy it for me.
Over to Secret Harbour to visit my folks. They were in unit 323. They booked a one-bedroom beachfront, but this place is huge! It has three bedrooms and three bathrooms. It's decorated in a style of Los Angeles circa 1953, huge white sofas and mirrored walls. The only quibble is that the AC units leak. My parents looked really relaxed and happy, which was great.
We had dinner together at the Blue Moon Café. We shared the tuna appetizer: tuna three ways: tataki, sashimi, and seared pepper crusted. It was really good. For entrees, we all had mahi. Three of us got the special, which was grilled with a coconut-green apple sauce, and John got the standard prep which is a crystallized ginger butter. All came with saffron rice and peas and assorted veggies. Everything was good though I remember it being slightly better last year.
Around 8 PM said "goodbye for now" and headed down to Red Hook. Our taxi driver was concerned because he thought we were traveling to St. John to go out and were going to try to come back to St. Thomas-he thought we would miss the ferry. We explained that we were staying on St. John and he said he was relieved! Nice man. We popped into Off the Hook for a glass of wine before heading over to the ferry. I really like this place. Great ferry ride back, and then booktime and bed.
Day 9
Up much later than usual (OK, 8:15 AM). Today we snorkeled Haulover. We decided to do North first. The walk over is easy:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/544769688/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1146/544 ... 7b1f3b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="path to haulover north"></a>
and we saw lots of geckos and hermit crabs. We met up with a park ranger on the beach who had just come out of the water after surveying the site for an updated version of a National Park snorkel guide. He told us that he saw lots of fish, but that there is a new algae that is attacking some types of corals, something unrelated to the earlier die off and the ocean temperatures. Has anyone else heard this?
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543351203/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1436/543 ... b0c743.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="aulover south 2"></a>
We did notice that some of the corals looked worse for the wear, especially the brains and stars. The fans and pillars looked good. Haulover coral:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/544769656/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1070/544 ... e8d19b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="more haulover coral"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543261920/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1140/543 ... bcf2f6.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="haulover coral"></a>
There were lots of fish too. Standouts included 2 rays, both motoring along at full speed, brown coney, a huge school of parrotfish:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543261904/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1062/543 ... d87f23.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="halover parrotfish"></a>
and a big school of blue tang. Grouper:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543263300/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1390/543 ... 8087b0.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="haulover grouper"></a>
Next we went to Haulover South.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543263400/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1344/543 ... 93cc5a.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="haulover south right side"></a>
However, the water was filled with moon jellies.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543263314/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1271/543 ... fb79ef.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="haulover moon jelly"></a>
I know they don't sting badly, but I did not want to chance getting a rash so we stopped the snorkel. Too bad, because there is lots to see here.
Back to the villa to clean up, and I made us burgers (veggie for me), then we headed down to the forum gathering. It was so nice to meet everyone, and Ruth introduced us to Pam Gaffin, who John and I admire greatly for her book (Feet Fins and Four Wheel Drive). We did not stay too long because it was hot, and it was hard to talk over the music, but it was nice to put faces to some of the people I talk to on this forum.
After the gathering we went back to Tarn to enjoy the views and I made us a dinner of shrimp in a marinade of coconut milk, cilantro, jalepeno, ginger, garlic, and fish spice from St. John spice, served over asian noodles and josephine's tat soi. We had some nice wine and toasted our last evening at Tarn (until next year!). Dinner:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543353901/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1216/543 ... 5f193f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="coconut shrimp soup"></a>
We woke up to find that the Sahara Dust had returned. The haze was so thick that we could barely see Jost Van Dyke from the deck. It was also a lot hotter-probably 10 degrees hotter.
Today was a lazy morning. I made heuvos rancheros and we hung around with books for a while before heading into Charlotte Amelie to replace my camera and then see my parents, who were at Secret Harbour. The ferry ride over was very nice, with a great breeze on the top deck. We decided to walk over to Yacht Haven Grande to check it out. This looks like it is going to be very nice when it is done, but as of now there are very few shops open.
At Royal Caribbean in Havensight I learned the unwelcome news that the new version of the powershot I have won't fit into my housing, and they didn't have the housing that fits the new camera in stock, so I end up with a completely different powershot and a new housing. Grumble grumble. But John was nice enough to buy it for me.
Over to Secret Harbour to visit my folks. They were in unit 323. They booked a one-bedroom beachfront, but this place is huge! It has three bedrooms and three bathrooms. It's decorated in a style of Los Angeles circa 1953, huge white sofas and mirrored walls. The only quibble is that the AC units leak. My parents looked really relaxed and happy, which was great.
We had dinner together at the Blue Moon Café. We shared the tuna appetizer: tuna three ways: tataki, sashimi, and seared pepper crusted. It was really good. For entrees, we all had mahi. Three of us got the special, which was grilled with a coconut-green apple sauce, and John got the standard prep which is a crystallized ginger butter. All came with saffron rice and peas and assorted veggies. Everything was good though I remember it being slightly better last year.
Around 8 PM said "goodbye for now" and headed down to Red Hook. Our taxi driver was concerned because he thought we were traveling to St. John to go out and were going to try to come back to St. Thomas-he thought we would miss the ferry. We explained that we were staying on St. John and he said he was relieved! Nice man. We popped into Off the Hook for a glass of wine before heading over to the ferry. I really like this place. Great ferry ride back, and then booktime and bed.
Day 9
Up much later than usual (OK, 8:15 AM). Today we snorkeled Haulover. We decided to do North first. The walk over is easy:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/544769688/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1146/544 ... 7b1f3b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="path to haulover north"></a>
and we saw lots of geckos and hermit crabs. We met up with a park ranger on the beach who had just come out of the water after surveying the site for an updated version of a National Park snorkel guide. He told us that he saw lots of fish, but that there is a new algae that is attacking some types of corals, something unrelated to the earlier die off and the ocean temperatures. Has anyone else heard this?
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543351203/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1436/543 ... b0c743.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="aulover south 2"></a>
We did notice that some of the corals looked worse for the wear, especially the brains and stars. The fans and pillars looked good. Haulover coral:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/544769656/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1070/544 ... e8d19b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="more haulover coral"></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543261920/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1140/543 ... bcf2f6.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="haulover coral"></a>
There were lots of fish too. Standouts included 2 rays, both motoring along at full speed, brown coney, a huge school of parrotfish:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543261904/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1062/543 ... d87f23.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="halover parrotfish"></a>
and a big school of blue tang. Grouper:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543263300/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1390/543 ... 8087b0.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="haulover grouper"></a>
Next we went to Haulover South.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543263400/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1344/543 ... 93cc5a.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="haulover south right side"></a>
However, the water was filled with moon jellies.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543263314/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1271/543 ... fb79ef.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="haulover moon jelly"></a>
I know they don't sting badly, but I did not want to chance getting a rash so we stopped the snorkel. Too bad, because there is lots to see here.
Back to the villa to clean up, and I made us burgers (veggie for me), then we headed down to the forum gathering. It was so nice to meet everyone, and Ruth introduced us to Pam Gaffin, who John and I admire greatly for her book (Feet Fins and Four Wheel Drive). We did not stay too long because it was hot, and it was hard to talk over the music, but it was nice to put faces to some of the people I talk to on this forum.
After the gathering we went back to Tarn to enjoy the views and I made us a dinner of shrimp in a marinade of coconut milk, cilantro, jalepeno, ginger, garlic, and fish spice from St. John spice, served over asian noodles and josephine's tat soi. We had some nice wine and toasted our last evening at Tarn (until next year!). Dinner:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28539958@N00/543353901/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1216/543 ... 5f193f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="coconut shrimp soup"></a>
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
-
California Girl
