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La Papaya Paradise; Part 4
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suzanna945
- Posts: 108
- Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2007 7:50 pm
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
La Papaya Paradise; Part 4
There had been a drenching downpour in the middle of the night Sunday into Monday, and in the morning there was a beautiful rainbow over Chocolate Hole. One good thing about rain in the Caribbean; it usually only happens for a few minutes, then the sun comes out. And sometimes it rains even WHEN the sun is out. It wasn't the only rainbow we saw during the week. They seemed to happen pretty frequently.
Monday morning, we loaded up the car and went down to the car ferry, planning on spending the day on St. Thomas. Once we got out of Red Hook, the traffic got heavy as it tends to do over on St. Thomas. Then we forgot how to get to Magen's Bay, taking a wrong turn in TuTu. (My husband has a history of making wrong turns on St. Thomas, and we've ended up in some very exciting neighborhoods on past trips.) This time, the road we were on just abruptly ended in someone's driveway. In the big-ass Jeep Commander, trying to turn around in the narrow road and go back the way we came was TuTu funny.
We eventually found a little sign with the happy starfish guy on it assuring us we were headed toward Magen's Bay, and we got to the beach before it got crowded. We staked out a good spot a little ways down the beach so that when the cruise ship people got there we'd have some breathing room. We all walked back to the webcam and lined up, then called a relative back home to capture a picture of us off the internet (yes, we're that annoying). Then it was back to the sand and water for some great swimming and sunning.
At lunch, we walked back to the snack bar and got chicken Caesar salads for us and the kids, which were surprisingly good for beach shack food. My husband and I had a Rum Punch at the beach bar while we were waiting for the food order, and they were great, also. Later, when the bikini-clad waitress came down the beach, we ordered another drink. We stayed for quite awhile at Magen's. It's such a beautiful, relaxing beach. We all loved it. (Do they ever send Speedo-clad waiters down the beach, though?)
Later on in the afternoon, we packed up and left the beach for the trip up the mountain to get our "Magen's Bay" picture. We started up into the hills. We stopped at Drake's Seat for a picture, and we saw that the picture guy up there had downsized from a hat-wearing donkey to a hat-wearing goat.
Then it was up further into the hills to Mountain Top for the requisite banana daquiri and great shot of Magen's Bay. When my husband and I had first vacationed in St. Thomas about 20 years ago, Mountain Top was a cheesy little place with a small bar, and the bartender wore a Hawaiian shirt and looked like Benny Hill. Now, Mountain Top is a big complex of gift shops and the bar is big and made of polished wood, with brass railings, and they sell the Mountain Top Daquiri mix by the bottle. The view is still breathtakingly beautiful, though, and we stepped outside for our shot of gorgeous Magen's Bay from the mountain after we had finished (or tried to finish) our World Famous Banana Daquiri.
On the way back down the mountain, we took the scenic route and then went to Havensight for some shopping and looking around. Then it was time to go back to the car ferry and get back to St. John.
Back at the villa, we had a quick swim then got showered and dressed and went to Cruz Bay for some dinner. We went to the Banana Deck and enjoyed a great dinner as we watched the sun go down and the deck lights come on. Great open-air atmosphere and good food at the Banana Deck.
After dinner, we walked around the shops down at the waterfront, then went back to La Papaya for one more night swim before turning in.
RAINBOW FROM LA PAPAYA DECK
MAGEN'S BAY FROM DRAKE'S SEAT
CAN'T LEAVE WITHOUT HAVING ONE
Monday morning, we loaded up the car and went down to the car ferry, planning on spending the day on St. Thomas. Once we got out of Red Hook, the traffic got heavy as it tends to do over on St. Thomas. Then we forgot how to get to Magen's Bay, taking a wrong turn in TuTu. (My husband has a history of making wrong turns on St. Thomas, and we've ended up in some very exciting neighborhoods on past trips.) This time, the road we were on just abruptly ended in someone's driveway. In the big-ass Jeep Commander, trying to turn around in the narrow road and go back the way we came was TuTu funny.
We eventually found a little sign with the happy starfish guy on it assuring us we were headed toward Magen's Bay, and we got to the beach before it got crowded. We staked out a good spot a little ways down the beach so that when the cruise ship people got there we'd have some breathing room. We all walked back to the webcam and lined up, then called a relative back home to capture a picture of us off the internet (yes, we're that annoying). Then it was back to the sand and water for some great swimming and sunning.
At lunch, we walked back to the snack bar and got chicken Caesar salads for us and the kids, which were surprisingly good for beach shack food. My husband and I had a Rum Punch at the beach bar while we were waiting for the food order, and they were great, also. Later, when the bikini-clad waitress came down the beach, we ordered another drink. We stayed for quite awhile at Magen's. It's such a beautiful, relaxing beach. We all loved it. (Do they ever send Speedo-clad waiters down the beach, though?)
Later on in the afternoon, we packed up and left the beach for the trip up the mountain to get our "Magen's Bay" picture. We started up into the hills. We stopped at Drake's Seat for a picture, and we saw that the picture guy up there had downsized from a hat-wearing donkey to a hat-wearing goat.
Then it was up further into the hills to Mountain Top for the requisite banana daquiri and great shot of Magen's Bay. When my husband and I had first vacationed in St. Thomas about 20 years ago, Mountain Top was a cheesy little place with a small bar, and the bartender wore a Hawaiian shirt and looked like Benny Hill. Now, Mountain Top is a big complex of gift shops and the bar is big and made of polished wood, with brass railings, and they sell the Mountain Top Daquiri mix by the bottle. The view is still breathtakingly beautiful, though, and we stepped outside for our shot of gorgeous Magen's Bay from the mountain after we had finished (or tried to finish) our World Famous Banana Daquiri.
On the way back down the mountain, we took the scenic route and then went to Havensight for some shopping and looking around. Then it was time to go back to the car ferry and get back to St. John.
Back at the villa, we had a quick swim then got showered and dressed and went to Cruz Bay for some dinner. We went to the Banana Deck and enjoyed a great dinner as we watched the sun go down and the deck lights come on. Great open-air atmosphere and good food at the Banana Deck.
After dinner, we walked around the shops down at the waterfront, then went back to La Papaya for one more night swim before turning in.
RAINBOW FROM LA PAPAYA DECK
MAGEN'S BAY FROM DRAKE'S SEAT
CAN'T LEAVE WITHOUT HAVING ONE
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Robin in NC
- Posts: 332
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 7:19 pm
- Location: Kernersville, NC