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TR: 14 Days in Heaven (Final- Days 12-15)
TR: 14 Days in Heaven (Final- Days 12-15)
Day 12 - Wednesday
Kathy called first thing in the a.m. and told me the guys were on their way over with 12 gallons of spring water that we could use for 'showering', teeth brushing, etc. Well, by time they got there all my friends had gotten ready (we were using pool water to flush the toilets!). They were going on Born to Rhumb and Ron and I were having a day to us - yeah! We told them we would stay back and take care of the water situation. They were headed to Tortola to swim with the dolphins and then the rest of the day was snorkeling at the Indians and White Bay.
The guys told us they had the water situation under control. Our mid-week cleaning service lady arrived and she was dumbfounded at the water situation. We felt bad because all of our dishes from the night before were piled up - we planned on cleaning them once we had water. We were told that water would be back around noon so, we headed to the beach, of course!
Ron and I decided to try Miss Vie's. We had tried once before but it was closed. On our way there, we were driving on Centerline and saw a sign for 'Virgin Islands National Park'. We decided to take the left and see where it took us. What an adventure! We passed ruins and ended on very rough dirt roads that ultimately lead us by Hakuna Matata (always wondered how to get there ) and another beautiful villa called Jungle Stone. At the end of the road, we were on North Shore Road - fun! We continued to Vie's. It was open today and worth the long drive. We had lunch at her shack - Garlic Chicken and a Johnny Cake - wonderful! What a beautiful relaxing day!
Around 3, we headed back to Tesori so we could clean up the villa for our friends. Turns out the water didn't come back until 2 and the cleaning lady was there and had already loaded up the dishwasher and was cleaning the villa - yeah!
We showered up and headed to the Beach Bar for happy hour. We were chatting with Boo and enjoying the day. Our friends met us there after the boat for a drink and a snack. They had a great day too! They went home to shower (finally!) and had pizza delivered. Ron and I had dinner at Rhumblines with the sitter (it was her night off). We ended the night at the Quiet Mon. I love sitting on their veranda and watching the happenings down below.
Day 13 - Thursday
This is our friends, Suz and Dave's wedding anniversary! Ron and I start the day by doing the Caneel/Margaret Hill hike. It's challenging and I wasn't sure he would be happy doing it but he was a trooper and made it thru.
We relaxed back at the villa a bit and then headed to the Banana Deck for lunch. As always, it was great! After lunch, we hit Trunk Bay (they were married there too!). The water was calmer than last week and it was not crowded at all. Overall, this week on island was so much less crowded than the week before.
Dinner was La Tapa. Adults only - Emma and the baby were with the sitter. We had drinks at Beach Bar first (did I mentioned that I love this bar?). Our server at La Tapa was a bit snooty or something - I didn't like him. We had some great Chardonnay - Schug 2006 (we had had this at home Wine Spectator's best under $25 but triple the price here) and we also had a red that I didn't drink so I don't remember. I had filet mignon for dinner (I'm a chicken, beef and pork eater - sorry, no fish for me). Everyone had a great meal. We split dessert and then headed up to the Quiet Mon. Dave was feeling a bit tipsy so we headed back to the villa. We hung out, talked, laughed and had another great night!
Day 14 - Friday
Ron, Mark, Vici, Emma and I headed to Cinnamon Bay so that they could kayak. I was feeling the effects of the prior evening so I opted to relax and read. They kayaked all over Cinnamon Bay and loved it but said it was a bit of a workout. Mark was with Emma so he was the most taxed. After Cinnamon, we headed to Skinny's to meet the rest of our party. Skinny's was busy but we only waited less than 10 minutes for a table. It didn't disappoint. We all enjoyed our burgers and adult beverages. After lunch, we went to Maho - what a perfect beach! Such calm waters, great views and easy access. We enjoyed the day and then headed home to shower.
We went to the Beach Bar for drinks while some of us shopped. As we were in St. John Spice stocking up on some necessities, the power went out! We had to leave and then walked over to Mongoose where the lights were on because they had generators. We couldn't shop much though because most places didn't so we headed back to Wharfside. Luckily, the Balcony had a generator so we ate there. This was an adult only night also. We had another great meal - I had the pork dish (no ribs again - bummer!). After dinner, we had one last drink at the Beach Bar (we had left our tab open and had to close it). Then, home for our last night at Tesori - so sad! We stargazed a bit (it was cool to see the lights of St. Croix in the distance and the Southern Cross) but then off to bed because tomorrow was our walk of woe!
Day 15 - Saturday - Travel Day
Ugh! I hate the last day! You would think after 14 days in paradise that I'd be ready to go home but I wasn't. Oh, well! I know I'll be back again so that's all I think about. I made breakfast sandwiches for all and then we packed and were out of Tesori by 9:45. We had a private water taxi picking us up at 11. We dropped all the luggage at the National Park dock, returned the cars and then some of us did our last minute shopping. This is standard for me since I'm not a shopper. I picked up my supplies from St. John Spice and then headed to Mongoose. I went to Best of Both Worlds to replace a glass necklace that I had brought in February but broke. It's made by a local artist and I love it. I then walked around a bit but didn't buy anything else. While we were shopping, it started down pouring! Ron was left with the luggage and had to move it all by himself under the pavilion (and I mean all the luggage). He is the best! The ferry arrived promptly at 11 (in the rain). We loaded up and as we started across, it stopped. We had a private taxi waiting and it whisked us to the airport. We check in but then dragged our bags behind us up the hill to Atlantic Seafood for lunch (the CA couple and their sitter and baby stayed behind). We had a great lunch of Jerk Chicken sandwiches and beer. We headed back and it was about 1 p.m. Wow, was it crowded! Crazy! We made it thru Customs in time to say good-bye to our friends (so sad, they live so far away!). Next thing you know, our plane was boarding and Philly here we come.
The good news was that it was Memorial Day weekend. We are lucky enough to have a house at the beach in New Jersey. While it's no St. John, it's still ours. We took a cab home, checked on our cats, grabbed our mail, picked up our dog and were at the shore by 10 p.m.! Two other couples were already there - they opened the house and had food and drink waiting for us - such good friends!
Re-entry was so much easier because we had 2 great beach days in New Jersey before returning to work. I made painkillers for all on Sunday and it became a stress-free day.
As many of you know, I was re-packing to go home on Monday and we found our stow away. Liz Ard is doing well, eating crickets and hopefully adapting to her new life. I know I'd be bitter if I were her and home was now a hermit crab hut v. gorgeous Villa Tesori in St. John. Oh Well!
In closing, it was an amazing 2 weeks. Every trip to St. John is wonderful! I always expect that the weather will be beautiful and it usually is - even when it's not, I don't care, I'm in my favorite place on earth. We had a so much fun with our friends, great food and drink and tons of happy memories. Can't wait until we return in February 2009!
Kathy called first thing in the a.m. and told me the guys were on their way over with 12 gallons of spring water that we could use for 'showering', teeth brushing, etc. Well, by time they got there all my friends had gotten ready (we were using pool water to flush the toilets!). They were going on Born to Rhumb and Ron and I were having a day to us - yeah! We told them we would stay back and take care of the water situation. They were headed to Tortola to swim with the dolphins and then the rest of the day was snorkeling at the Indians and White Bay.
The guys told us they had the water situation under control. Our mid-week cleaning service lady arrived and she was dumbfounded at the water situation. We felt bad because all of our dishes from the night before were piled up - we planned on cleaning them once we had water. We were told that water would be back around noon so, we headed to the beach, of course!
Ron and I decided to try Miss Vie's. We had tried once before but it was closed. On our way there, we were driving on Centerline and saw a sign for 'Virgin Islands National Park'. We decided to take the left and see where it took us. What an adventure! We passed ruins and ended on very rough dirt roads that ultimately lead us by Hakuna Matata (always wondered how to get there ) and another beautiful villa called Jungle Stone. At the end of the road, we were on North Shore Road - fun! We continued to Vie's. It was open today and worth the long drive. We had lunch at her shack - Garlic Chicken and a Johnny Cake - wonderful! What a beautiful relaxing day!
Around 3, we headed back to Tesori so we could clean up the villa for our friends. Turns out the water didn't come back until 2 and the cleaning lady was there and had already loaded up the dishwasher and was cleaning the villa - yeah!
We showered up and headed to the Beach Bar for happy hour. We were chatting with Boo and enjoying the day. Our friends met us there after the boat for a drink and a snack. They had a great day too! They went home to shower (finally!) and had pizza delivered. Ron and I had dinner at Rhumblines with the sitter (it was her night off). We ended the night at the Quiet Mon. I love sitting on their veranda and watching the happenings down below.
Day 13 - Thursday
This is our friends, Suz and Dave's wedding anniversary! Ron and I start the day by doing the Caneel/Margaret Hill hike. It's challenging and I wasn't sure he would be happy doing it but he was a trooper and made it thru.
We relaxed back at the villa a bit and then headed to the Banana Deck for lunch. As always, it was great! After lunch, we hit Trunk Bay (they were married there too!). The water was calmer than last week and it was not crowded at all. Overall, this week on island was so much less crowded than the week before.
Dinner was La Tapa. Adults only - Emma and the baby were with the sitter. We had drinks at Beach Bar first (did I mentioned that I love this bar?). Our server at La Tapa was a bit snooty or something - I didn't like him. We had some great Chardonnay - Schug 2006 (we had had this at home Wine Spectator's best under $25 but triple the price here) and we also had a red that I didn't drink so I don't remember. I had filet mignon for dinner (I'm a chicken, beef and pork eater - sorry, no fish for me). Everyone had a great meal. We split dessert and then headed up to the Quiet Mon. Dave was feeling a bit tipsy so we headed back to the villa. We hung out, talked, laughed and had another great night!
Day 14 - Friday
Ron, Mark, Vici, Emma and I headed to Cinnamon Bay so that they could kayak. I was feeling the effects of the prior evening so I opted to relax and read. They kayaked all over Cinnamon Bay and loved it but said it was a bit of a workout. Mark was with Emma so he was the most taxed. After Cinnamon, we headed to Skinny's to meet the rest of our party. Skinny's was busy but we only waited less than 10 minutes for a table. It didn't disappoint. We all enjoyed our burgers and adult beverages. After lunch, we went to Maho - what a perfect beach! Such calm waters, great views and easy access. We enjoyed the day and then headed home to shower.
We went to the Beach Bar for drinks while some of us shopped. As we were in St. John Spice stocking up on some necessities, the power went out! We had to leave and then walked over to Mongoose where the lights were on because they had generators. We couldn't shop much though because most places didn't so we headed back to Wharfside. Luckily, the Balcony had a generator so we ate there. This was an adult only night also. We had another great meal - I had the pork dish (no ribs again - bummer!). After dinner, we had one last drink at the Beach Bar (we had left our tab open and had to close it). Then, home for our last night at Tesori - so sad! We stargazed a bit (it was cool to see the lights of St. Croix in the distance and the Southern Cross) but then off to bed because tomorrow was our walk of woe!
Day 15 - Saturday - Travel Day
Ugh! I hate the last day! You would think after 14 days in paradise that I'd be ready to go home but I wasn't. Oh, well! I know I'll be back again so that's all I think about. I made breakfast sandwiches for all and then we packed and were out of Tesori by 9:45. We had a private water taxi picking us up at 11. We dropped all the luggage at the National Park dock, returned the cars and then some of us did our last minute shopping. This is standard for me since I'm not a shopper. I picked up my supplies from St. John Spice and then headed to Mongoose. I went to Best of Both Worlds to replace a glass necklace that I had brought in February but broke. It's made by a local artist and I love it. I then walked around a bit but didn't buy anything else. While we were shopping, it started down pouring! Ron was left with the luggage and had to move it all by himself under the pavilion (and I mean all the luggage). He is the best! The ferry arrived promptly at 11 (in the rain). We loaded up and as we started across, it stopped. We had a private taxi waiting and it whisked us to the airport. We check in but then dragged our bags behind us up the hill to Atlantic Seafood for lunch (the CA couple and their sitter and baby stayed behind). We had a great lunch of Jerk Chicken sandwiches and beer. We headed back and it was about 1 p.m. Wow, was it crowded! Crazy! We made it thru Customs in time to say good-bye to our friends (so sad, they live so far away!). Next thing you know, our plane was boarding and Philly here we come.
The good news was that it was Memorial Day weekend. We are lucky enough to have a house at the beach in New Jersey. While it's no St. John, it's still ours. We took a cab home, checked on our cats, grabbed our mail, picked up our dog and were at the shore by 10 p.m.! Two other couples were already there - they opened the house and had food and drink waiting for us - such good friends!
Re-entry was so much easier because we had 2 great beach days in New Jersey before returning to work. I made painkillers for all on Sunday and it became a stress-free day.
As many of you know, I was re-packing to go home on Monday and we found our stow away. Liz Ard is doing well, eating crickets and hopefully adapting to her new life. I know I'd be bitter if I were her and home was now a hermit crab hut v. gorgeous Villa Tesori in St. John. Oh Well!
In closing, it was an amazing 2 weeks. Every trip to St. John is wonderful! I always expect that the weather will be beautiful and it usually is - even when it's not, I don't care, I'm in my favorite place on earth. We had a so much fun with our friends, great food and drink and tons of happy memories. Can't wait until we return in February 2009!
NancyB
Thanks for your wonderful report. I really enjoyed reading along. You were a real trooper about the water situation!
John and I are guilty of the pool showers too. This past trip we were sitting on the porch on our third day at Orchid Hill, and it occured to me that we had not showered at all since arriving! We honestly just forgot about it. Just doing our part to conserve water....
John and I are guilty of the pool showers too. This past trip we were sitting on the porch on our third day at Orchid Hill, and it occured to me that we had not showered at all since arriving! We honestly just forgot about it. Just doing our part to conserve water....
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
That is cool that you tried the connecting road. I read about the ruins and we wanted to check them out but it was our last day and the little guy wasn't feeling well.
14 days would be perfect. We are doing 10 days (not STJ
but VG) in 2009, which is amazing considering Hubs has never taken more than 6 days off work in his entire life.
Water situation aside, would you rent the house again?
14 days would be perfect. We are doing 10 days (not STJ
but VG) in 2009, which is amazing considering Hubs has never taken more than 6 days off work in his entire life.Water situation aside, would you rent the house again?
liamsaunt, thank you for making me feel better 
I figured it was easier to be a trooper than to get upset. I think the fact that I had already been on island at that point for over a week helped!
PA Girl, yes, I would definitely rent Tesori again! It's a beautiful house with amazing views and a good location.
I figured it was easier to be a trooper than to get upset. I think the fact that I had already been on island at that point for over a week helped!PA Girl, yes, I would definitely rent Tesori again! It's a beautiful house with amazing views and a good location.
NancyB
! Isn't Kathy the best?? We've rented through her for a long time and she really comes through when you need her.Diana, yes, she is great! She was so upset about the water and when she would call she was so happy that I always answered and she'd say 'you're my new best friend'. I know her job is tough and how we react can make it so much worse and really, what would it get me? She understood the urgency and that's all that mattered.
NancyB