Budman part two
Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 12:39 am
Some left over stuff from week one and a start to week two. (I'll add some pictures at the end since I screwed up last time trying to add them throughout)
My wife, daughter and I are early risers. I wish we could sleep in at times but we can't. This trip my wife and I woke up every morning around 0530, our daughter @ 0630 and our friends @ 0730. My favorite time in the islands is at sunrise, I feel most relaxed at that time. I grab a cup of coffee and find a quiet spot to watch the street lights across the mountain dim with the brightening sky, the sun slowly cuts through the haze often creating dramatic sun rays that only God himself or...herself could create, the roosters and dogs start making noise (I actually like that), I swear you can hear every hibiscus flower opening up AND THEN inevitably the defiant construction vehicle driver says hello to the entire hillside by down shifting at maximum speed (30 mph) from 4th to 1st and lays on the air horn at every turn to worn ALL OF THE ONCOMING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC (one jeep, one jogger and three donkeys)that he's late for work! Actually the guy didn't bother me that much, but if you stay on the Coral Bay side sleep in til around 7:30 and you'll avoid hearing this guy, my friends never heard him!!!
My best sunrise experience was not this trip, but one time when we stayed at Concordia. It was still pretty dark, I had no idea what time it was, I was hot and I couldn't sleep so I grabbed the camera and flashlight and took a walk to the end of the lane. The breeze, which had been lacking all evening in the eco-tent, was kicking at the turn around area near the furthest tents if you know the area. I sat there in the breeze for close to two hours watching the sun come up on one of the clearest mornings I can remember. When I got back to the tent I told my wife what I had seen and she asked how the pictures turned out and you know what? I was so into it that I didn't take any photo's. Whenever my wife says "wow what a beautiful sunrise" I say yeah it's nice, but not quite like that time.............
Anyways, our last early morning at Mayan Sky was spent lazily packing up stuff to transfer to Villa Carolina for the next week. Denise worked a deal for us with Catered-To, they gave us the villa keys early so we could store our stuff in Villa Carolina while we got our friends to the ferry. Folks at Catered-To are great, if you are reading this thanks for the courtesy! After repacking my shhtuff, food, drinks, clothes etc. I drove a jeep full of this and that just up the hill a piece to the villa, probably 1/4 mile away. It's @ 0630 and man the sunrise over the BVI's was incredible, even with the haze! I dropped off most of our bags and oops! I have the syrup, so.....I head back down the hill to make sure the kiddies have it for their pancakes. Everyones awake when I returned and our friends are very quiet
As they begin to pack, I make the first pot of coffee and fix a large stack of pancakes and bacon. Soon the sleepy eyed kiddies instinctively follow me to the veranda for their breakfast, this was our favorite spot at Mayan Sky. These girls were great, there wasn't one attitude or jealous outburst during the entire week (not counting mine when my wifey opened the last ice cold beer in the cooler, I chase her up and down Maho and the whole time she was holding the beer over her head, looking back at me over her shoulders yelling it's mine, it's mine, making moves like a tailback! (Just kidding we always have a well stocked cooler, but I just like the mental picture of her zig zaggin down Maho!) Seriously, I'm very proud of our three young ladies, but maybe they acted that way because they ate pancakes and bacon every morning, smoothies for lunch and dinner and each have a new wardrobe of all the finest island wear?? YA THINK!
Eventually, we were all packed, the villa cleaned up, we locked up all of the large arched mahogany doors, I can hear those heavy solid doors closing now, took our last walk past the pool through the flowered walkway and our friends could be seen taking sideway glances back at the villa as if they were trying not to get caught looking. Not wanting their stay to end, we drove them up to Villa Carolina to look around and then proceeded down the North Shore road to town, all the way we drove @ 10 MPH, we held up a construction vehicle most of the way and I was happy!. We put their stuff in our jeep while they returned theirs and then shopped a while. Ruth I think they paid your mortgage on his trip! We talked about the possibilty of a return trip together, which looks probable, and before you know it they were waving back at us from the 11:15 CA ferry. They were truly missed the next week!!!!!!!
OK, now we have @5 hours until the next crew arrives, so we head to Deli Grotto to pick up lunch. Deli Grotto has the best sandwiches (Cuban) and breakfast food (in Cruz Bay, maybe the island??), try it you'll like it! We bought some baked goods from them the day before our boat trip on Fly Away Charters and they were awesome. My favorite was some kind of a granola/chocolate thing that one piece fed 3 people, also I liked the blueberry scones! Our other favorite breakfast places are Mosquito Bites and Donkey Diner, no frills just damn good food.
We finished our lunch and headed for the first uncrowded beach we could find, all the way to Cinnamon! Yep, even at the end of July it's crowded nowadays!! We found a spot on the left side by the tree which has fallen
after 15 minutes I notice that some guy is lying next to us NEKKID (on his back), now don't get me wrong to each their own, but those of you that know this area have to agree that this part of the beach is not a good spot for that, especially @ 12 noon! There are a bazillion kids on this beach for pete's sake! I've seen this guy for a couple years now and some of you may have seen him, skinny guy, longer hair, baseball cap pulled down tight, carries a gallon of water, wears sunglasses and a sheet wrapped around him like a modified toga, No I don't think he is Chester the Molester (I think?), but we moved down to the windy side of the beach anyways!!! I usually don't judge, but he is a friggen idiot! Sorry about that!
Hopefully, tomorrow I'll get to talk about Villa Carolina, Debbie does Kareoke, Trip to Jost, checking out SKYWAY Villa etc. Here are a few photo's til then, take care!
My wife, daughter and I are early risers. I wish we could sleep in at times but we can't. This trip my wife and I woke up every morning around 0530, our daughter @ 0630 and our friends @ 0730. My favorite time in the islands is at sunrise, I feel most relaxed at that time. I grab a cup of coffee and find a quiet spot to watch the street lights across the mountain dim with the brightening sky, the sun slowly cuts through the haze often creating dramatic sun rays that only God himself or...herself could create, the roosters and dogs start making noise (I actually like that), I swear you can hear every hibiscus flower opening up AND THEN inevitably the defiant construction vehicle driver says hello to the entire hillside by down shifting at maximum speed (30 mph) from 4th to 1st and lays on the air horn at every turn to worn ALL OF THE ONCOMING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC (one jeep, one jogger and three donkeys)that he's late for work! Actually the guy didn't bother me that much, but if you stay on the Coral Bay side sleep in til around 7:30 and you'll avoid hearing this guy, my friends never heard him!!!
My best sunrise experience was not this trip, but one time when we stayed at Concordia. It was still pretty dark, I had no idea what time it was, I was hot and I couldn't sleep so I grabbed the camera and flashlight and took a walk to the end of the lane. The breeze, which had been lacking all evening in the eco-tent, was kicking at the turn around area near the furthest tents if you know the area. I sat there in the breeze for close to two hours watching the sun come up on one of the clearest mornings I can remember. When I got back to the tent I told my wife what I had seen and she asked how the pictures turned out and you know what? I was so into it that I didn't take any photo's. Whenever my wife says "wow what a beautiful sunrise" I say yeah it's nice, but not quite like that time.............
Anyways, our last early morning at Mayan Sky was spent lazily packing up stuff to transfer to Villa Carolina for the next week. Denise worked a deal for us with Catered-To, they gave us the villa keys early so we could store our stuff in Villa Carolina while we got our friends to the ferry. Folks at Catered-To are great, if you are reading this thanks for the courtesy! After repacking my shhtuff, food, drinks, clothes etc. I drove a jeep full of this and that just up the hill a piece to the villa, probably 1/4 mile away. It's @ 0630 and man the sunrise over the BVI's was incredible, even with the haze! I dropped off most of our bags and oops! I have the syrup, so.....I head back down the hill to make sure the kiddies have it for their pancakes. Everyones awake when I returned and our friends are very quiet
As they begin to pack, I make the first pot of coffee and fix a large stack of pancakes and bacon. Soon the sleepy eyed kiddies instinctively follow me to the veranda for their breakfast, this was our favorite spot at Mayan Sky. These girls were great, there wasn't one attitude or jealous outburst during the entire week (not counting mine when my wifey opened the last ice cold beer in the cooler, I chase her up and down Maho and the whole time she was holding the beer over her head, looking back at me over her shoulders yelling it's mine, it's mine, making moves like a tailback! (Just kidding we always have a well stocked cooler, but I just like the mental picture of her zig zaggin down Maho!) Seriously, I'm very proud of our three young ladies, but maybe they acted that way because they ate pancakes and bacon every morning, smoothies for lunch and dinner and each have a new wardrobe of all the finest island wear?? YA THINK!Eventually, we were all packed, the villa cleaned up, we locked up all of the large arched mahogany doors, I can hear those heavy solid doors closing now, took our last walk past the pool through the flowered walkway and our friends could be seen taking sideway glances back at the villa as if they were trying not to get caught looking. Not wanting their stay to end, we drove them up to Villa Carolina to look around and then proceeded down the North Shore road to town, all the way we drove @ 10 MPH, we held up a construction vehicle most of the way and I was happy!. We put their stuff in our jeep while they returned theirs and then shopped a while. Ruth I think they paid your mortgage on his trip! We talked about the possibilty of a return trip together, which looks probable, and before you know it they were waving back at us from the 11:15 CA ferry. They were truly missed the next week!!!!!!!
OK, now we have @5 hours until the next crew arrives, so we head to Deli Grotto to pick up lunch. Deli Grotto has the best sandwiches (Cuban) and breakfast food (in Cruz Bay, maybe the island??), try it you'll like it! We bought some baked goods from them the day before our boat trip on Fly Away Charters and they were awesome. My favorite was some kind of a granola/chocolate thing that one piece fed 3 people, also I liked the blueberry scones! Our other favorite breakfast places are Mosquito Bites and Donkey Diner, no frills just damn good food.
We finished our lunch and headed for the first uncrowded beach we could find, all the way to Cinnamon! Yep, even at the end of July it's crowded nowadays!! We found a spot on the left side by the tree which has fallen
after 15 minutes I notice that some guy is lying next to us NEKKID (on his back), now don't get me wrong to each their own, but those of you that know this area have to agree that this part of the beach is not a good spot for that, especially @ 12 noon! There are a bazillion kids on this beach for pete's sake! I've seen this guy for a couple years now and some of you may have seen him, skinny guy, longer hair, baseball cap pulled down tight, carries a gallon of water, wears sunglasses and a sheet wrapped around him like a modified toga, No I don't think he is Chester the Molester (I think?), but we moved down to the windy side of the beach anyways!!! I usually don't judge, but he is a friggen idiot! Sorry about that!
Hopefully, tomorrow I'll get to talk about Villa Carolina, Debbie does Kareoke, Trip to Jost, checking out SKYWAY Villa etc. Here are a few photo's til then, take care!
