Gromit's Adventures in Happy Land: Day 3
Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 3:07 pm
Alright, the weather's crappy, it's Friday and I'm on a roll!
Gromit's Adventures in Happy Land: Day 3 (Again, long but worth it!)
Location: Mayan Sky (Upper Carolina) Coral Bay
Gromit's Cast of characters:
Gromit: ME!!
Mr. Gromit: Hubby
MIL: Mother in law (Newbie)
FIL: Father in law (Newbie)
*Other Krewe members will be added as the days progress!
Tuesday December 9 (Day 3 of 7): Snorkeling at Salt Pond; Lunch at Vie's; a visit to Sloop Jones; shopping for shorts; MORE shopping at Lilly's; Gromit as magic chef at the villa; and the Jell-O shot taste test (also known as "Better living through chemistry!")
Woke up and saw RAIN!! UGH!
Hard to tell but it looked like it would be just passing AM showers. We hung around the house for a while waiting for a sign that sun was on the horizon and decided that today would be a good day to try Salt Pond. Generally that side of the island is drier so we figured we might get lucky.
Because we delayed leaving the house we found the parking lot was virtually FULL. Managed to score a couple of spots on the road and looked up. The sky was a bit spotty.
MIL wanted FIL to do some snorkeling but wanted bathwater conditions in the water - not like Jumbie. When the North swells are moving it's best to retreat to Salt Pond as the waters will be calm generally speaking.
But before committing everyone I decided to grab a walkie talkie and check it out.
The walk down to SP is fine, but the walk back up is a BITCH.
On the way down I spotted tons of hermit crabs and at least one mongoose practically stopped dead in front of me to say "HI".
Got down to the beach and it was fairly packed in STJ terms. Water was calm. I scored the last decent spot and radioed for everyone to come on down. Walkie talkies ROCK!
Everyone finally joined me and we donned our snorkeling gear almost immediately. This was MIL's first snorkeling trip in a while so I helped her get her gear on. Then we headed out to the left.
IMHO the left hand side of Salt Pond facing out to sea has the better snorkeling -- especially if you're comfortable heading out around the point toward open water. It really is spectacular.
We saw turtles, octopus, parrot fish, grunts, rays... you name it. Since it was overcast the colors weren't really popping and it wasn't as clear as usual but still good.
We were out for a bit and MIL just stops and says she's going back. OK. Mr. Gromit followed her back.
I am a strong swimmer and very careful. I am confident. I know not to be out alone but honestly I am usually OK.
Hubby was kind of pissed that I didn't want to go back and was without a buddy. I just let him be pissed.
Yes, I know it's not smart to snorkel alone and I don't recommend it to others but I do know my limits and I wasn't going to get myself into a situation that I couldn't get out of.
Anyway hubby came back and was pissed at me for staying out alone. I let him be pissed for a bit and then used the only tool in the wife's arsenal in those situations, "Look! A turtle!" Argument averted.
Take note ladies. Works every time!
Anyway it started to pour! This is genrally not a problem if you're IN the water. But since FIL was not exactly into the swimming part of this vacay he was not real happy.
Mr. Gromit and I booked it back to shore so they would have company while getting wet and they were ready to GO!!
Our stuff was totally soaked at this point but they refused to wait out the rain in the water.
Here's a tip: if it's raining, get IN the water. Then being wet doesn't matter much.
Sure enough, as we get everything packed up the sun comes out. Oh well.
Off to Vies!
We decided that since the sun was back out again we would take the IL's to Vie's. At this point it was getting close to 3pm and I was just praying she was open.
I was driving with the IL's following. Let me just say that one must keep up a certain speed to get up those monster hills on the east end (at least in Gromit World).
Anyway, when we got to Vie's the MIL was miffed because I was "Driving too Fast."
MIL was not happy with Gromit's driving skills and Gromit heard about the reckless driving criticism for the rest of the trip. I didn't get over 30 MPH !!! Alrightythen.
Thankfully Vie's was open and the farm animals were in full swing. Vie's daughter was doing the cooking and doing a GREAT job!
We ordered iced tea, conch fritters, garlic chicken with Johnny cake and a coconut tart. Vie's sister used to make the tarts but she died a couple of years ago. She taught her niece (Vie's Daughter) how to make them before she passed and I am happy to report that they are as good as ever!!
The IL's thoroughly enjoyed Vie's. All I can say is there ain't nothing else like it! The food was great and Miss Vie even came down to say hi. I gave her a big hug. She looks great and is as perky as ever. It's just not a visit to STJ without a visit to Vie's. Just Sayin'.
After a filling late lunch we headed off to Sloop Jones place for a little shopping.
Sloop's got a great little spot with a gorgeous garden. The goods are unique and interesting.
Apparently Sloop has been branching out into the satellite biz and the ladies keep having to hassle him back into the studio. Bought a few things and chatted with the girls.
Sloops stuff is pricey but really well made and the clothes last forever. He even carries sizes in some things up to 3X so if you're curvy it's still worth checking out and if you're already at Vie's it isn't much further to the "end of the road."
At this point MIL decides that she needs shorts. So I say, "What kind of shorts? Cotton, swim, board, stretchy? What?"
She answers, "Yes."
Apparently she only brought 1 pair of shorts. Now, normally shorts are not a problem to purchase if you're in Cruz Bay. But this is the east end and Coral Bay and the options are somewhat limited, generally speaking.
As I quickly came to realize the folks in Coral Bay must not wear pants or bottoms of any kind. Oh sure... There are t-shirts to be found out the ASS but no clothing to cover said ass.
We started at Shipwreck Landing and progressed to CocoLobo where I decided that I needed a drink.
If we didn't find anything there I was headed to Skinny's where I was sure that someone there would sell something to cover one's ass.
Fortunately she found some capri's at Cocolobo (Big Fish I think) and seemed happy. I was happy 'cause I had stopped making suggestions and was at the bar at Aqua Bistro going blind at that point on Painkillers.
Knowing that we'd be on the boat the next day I figured we should stop in at Lilly's at Cocolobo and get some sandwich fixins.
I had intended to grab sammies from Big Belly Deli the next morning but the local contingent said that the owners hadn't been seen on island yet and the next day was their first day open. So who knows?
Not willing to risk it, sandwich fixings it was.
Instead of trying to coordinate food for 12 people on a boat we agreed in advance to bring enough food and beverages for our own people plus some snack-like items to share. This plan turned out to be a great one.
I am happy to report that Lilly's has some really high quality deli meats. Not a huge selection, but a decent one. I got some Mesquite smoked turkey, ham, swiss cheese, mayo, mustard and a loaf of rye bread.
MIL grabbed some small toasts, goat cheese, and brie. We also snagged some Pringles and Oreos. Many of these items did double duty for the next day (more later!) We also grabbed some romaine lettuce and some lowfat mango poppy seed dressing for dinner that night. MIL insisted on the "low fat" portion of this equation. OK -- I'll admit though the dressing was actually good even without the fat.
We headed back to the villa and with the painkillers kicking in it was time for a nap.
We woke up hungry and decided to grill steaks at the villa rather than going out.
Basically I just took charge of the kitchen and asked everyone to stay out of my way--for my sanity and theirs.
I'm a natural cook and like to improvise. I rarely use recipes. I just go with what feels right at the time.
So I poured a little EVOO on the steaks and smeared them with Ruths StJ Spice Cruz bay grill rub and let them marinate in the fridge.
I put the Zatarains red beans and rice on the stove and threw some dried fruit into the water and let that simmer.
Then I took a bit of goat cheese and crumbled it. Cut up the romaine lettuce, tossed it in with some the LOW FAT mango poppy seed dressing and sprinkled it with the goat cheese.
FIL grilled the steaks. Everything turned out GREAT!!
I will be sure to bring the Zatarains down again since this is so workable with chicken, beef and seafood and it's a bit different than regular rice.
To end the meal we decided to do a taste test of the Jell-O shots for dessert - there's ALWAYS room for Jell-O!! Yum!!
We did some star gazing and just sat around settling into island time.
You know that saying, "Tempus Fugit?" Well, when I'm on StJ I change it to "Tempus Fu#@ it!"
So... even though the day got off to a rough start and was a bit on the bumpy side, all was well by bed time.
Tomorrow: ScubaGirl, Vicki, Gromit and their respective Krewes meet; A day on the 46' Cat; Snorkeling Waterlemon (the wrong direction!); Starfish, Conchs and barracuda - oh MY!; Jell-O shot virgin- no more!; A cross between Rock Hudson and Gomer Pyle; Snorkeler rescue; Marks mystery fruit punch concoctions; Zamboni operators rock!; Gromit as Rachel Ray in the Cat kitchen with the Mary Poppins fridge!
Gromit's Adventures in Happy Land: Day 3 (Again, long but worth it!)
Location: Mayan Sky (Upper Carolina) Coral Bay
Gromit's Cast of characters:
Gromit: ME!!
Mr. Gromit: Hubby
MIL: Mother in law (Newbie)
FIL: Father in law (Newbie)
*Other Krewe members will be added as the days progress!
Tuesday December 9 (Day 3 of 7): Snorkeling at Salt Pond; Lunch at Vie's; a visit to Sloop Jones; shopping for shorts; MORE shopping at Lilly's; Gromit as magic chef at the villa; and the Jell-O shot taste test (also known as "Better living through chemistry!")
Woke up and saw RAIN!! UGH!
Hard to tell but it looked like it would be just passing AM showers. We hung around the house for a while waiting for a sign that sun was on the horizon and decided that today would be a good day to try Salt Pond. Generally that side of the island is drier so we figured we might get lucky.
Because we delayed leaving the house we found the parking lot was virtually FULL. Managed to score a couple of spots on the road and looked up. The sky was a bit spotty.
MIL wanted FIL to do some snorkeling but wanted bathwater conditions in the water - not like Jumbie. When the North swells are moving it's best to retreat to Salt Pond as the waters will be calm generally speaking.
But before committing everyone I decided to grab a walkie talkie and check it out.
The walk down to SP is fine, but the walk back up is a BITCH.
On the way down I spotted tons of hermit crabs and at least one mongoose practically stopped dead in front of me to say "HI".
Got down to the beach and it was fairly packed in STJ terms. Water was calm. I scored the last decent spot and radioed for everyone to come on down. Walkie talkies ROCK!
Everyone finally joined me and we donned our snorkeling gear almost immediately. This was MIL's first snorkeling trip in a while so I helped her get her gear on. Then we headed out to the left.
IMHO the left hand side of Salt Pond facing out to sea has the better snorkeling -- especially if you're comfortable heading out around the point toward open water. It really is spectacular.
We saw turtles, octopus, parrot fish, grunts, rays... you name it. Since it was overcast the colors weren't really popping and it wasn't as clear as usual but still good.
We were out for a bit and MIL just stops and says she's going back. OK. Mr. Gromit followed her back.
I am a strong swimmer and very careful. I am confident. I know not to be out alone but honestly I am usually OK.
Hubby was kind of pissed that I didn't want to go back and was without a buddy. I just let him be pissed.
Yes, I know it's not smart to snorkel alone and I don't recommend it to others but I do know my limits and I wasn't going to get myself into a situation that I couldn't get out of.
Anyway hubby came back and was pissed at me for staying out alone. I let him be pissed for a bit and then used the only tool in the wife's arsenal in those situations, "Look! A turtle!" Argument averted.
Take note ladies. Works every time!
Anyway it started to pour! This is genrally not a problem if you're IN the water. But since FIL was not exactly into the swimming part of this vacay he was not real happy.
Mr. Gromit and I booked it back to shore so they would have company while getting wet and they were ready to GO!!
Our stuff was totally soaked at this point but they refused to wait out the rain in the water.
Here's a tip: if it's raining, get IN the water. Then being wet doesn't matter much.
Sure enough, as we get everything packed up the sun comes out. Oh well.
Off to Vies!
We decided that since the sun was back out again we would take the IL's to Vie's. At this point it was getting close to 3pm and I was just praying she was open.
I was driving with the IL's following. Let me just say that one must keep up a certain speed to get up those monster hills on the east end (at least in Gromit World).
Anyway, when we got to Vie's the MIL was miffed because I was "Driving too Fast."
MIL was not happy with Gromit's driving skills and Gromit heard about the reckless driving criticism for the rest of the trip. I didn't get over 30 MPH !!! Alrightythen.
Thankfully Vie's was open and the farm animals were in full swing. Vie's daughter was doing the cooking and doing a GREAT job!
We ordered iced tea, conch fritters, garlic chicken with Johnny cake and a coconut tart. Vie's sister used to make the tarts but she died a couple of years ago. She taught her niece (Vie's Daughter) how to make them before she passed and I am happy to report that they are as good as ever!!
The IL's thoroughly enjoyed Vie's. All I can say is there ain't nothing else like it! The food was great and Miss Vie even came down to say hi. I gave her a big hug. She looks great and is as perky as ever. It's just not a visit to STJ without a visit to Vie's. Just Sayin'.
After a filling late lunch we headed off to Sloop Jones place for a little shopping.
Sloop's got a great little spot with a gorgeous garden. The goods are unique and interesting.
Apparently Sloop has been branching out into the satellite biz and the ladies keep having to hassle him back into the studio. Bought a few things and chatted with the girls.
Sloops stuff is pricey but really well made and the clothes last forever. He even carries sizes in some things up to 3X so if you're curvy it's still worth checking out and if you're already at Vie's it isn't much further to the "end of the road."
At this point MIL decides that she needs shorts. So I say, "What kind of shorts? Cotton, swim, board, stretchy? What?"
She answers, "Yes."
Apparently she only brought 1 pair of shorts. Now, normally shorts are not a problem to purchase if you're in Cruz Bay. But this is the east end and Coral Bay and the options are somewhat limited, generally speaking.
As I quickly came to realize the folks in Coral Bay must not wear pants or bottoms of any kind. Oh sure... There are t-shirts to be found out the ASS but no clothing to cover said ass.
We started at Shipwreck Landing and progressed to CocoLobo where I decided that I needed a drink.
If we didn't find anything there I was headed to Skinny's where I was sure that someone there would sell something to cover one's ass.
Fortunately she found some capri's at Cocolobo (Big Fish I think) and seemed happy. I was happy 'cause I had stopped making suggestions and was at the bar at Aqua Bistro going blind at that point on Painkillers.
Knowing that we'd be on the boat the next day I figured we should stop in at Lilly's at Cocolobo and get some sandwich fixins.
I had intended to grab sammies from Big Belly Deli the next morning but the local contingent said that the owners hadn't been seen on island yet and the next day was their first day open. So who knows?
Not willing to risk it, sandwich fixings it was.
Instead of trying to coordinate food for 12 people on a boat we agreed in advance to bring enough food and beverages for our own people plus some snack-like items to share. This plan turned out to be a great one.
I am happy to report that Lilly's has some really high quality deli meats. Not a huge selection, but a decent one. I got some Mesquite smoked turkey, ham, swiss cheese, mayo, mustard and a loaf of rye bread.
MIL grabbed some small toasts, goat cheese, and brie. We also snagged some Pringles and Oreos. Many of these items did double duty for the next day (more later!) We also grabbed some romaine lettuce and some lowfat mango poppy seed dressing for dinner that night. MIL insisted on the "low fat" portion of this equation. OK -- I'll admit though the dressing was actually good even without the fat.
We headed back to the villa and with the painkillers kicking in it was time for a nap.
We woke up hungry and decided to grill steaks at the villa rather than going out.
Basically I just took charge of the kitchen and asked everyone to stay out of my way--for my sanity and theirs.
I'm a natural cook and like to improvise. I rarely use recipes. I just go with what feels right at the time.
So I poured a little EVOO on the steaks and smeared them with Ruths StJ Spice Cruz bay grill rub and let them marinate in the fridge.
I put the Zatarains red beans and rice on the stove and threw some dried fruit into the water and let that simmer.
Then I took a bit of goat cheese and crumbled it. Cut up the romaine lettuce, tossed it in with some the LOW FAT mango poppy seed dressing and sprinkled it with the goat cheese.
FIL grilled the steaks. Everything turned out GREAT!!
I will be sure to bring the Zatarains down again since this is so workable with chicken, beef and seafood and it's a bit different than regular rice.
To end the meal we decided to do a taste test of the Jell-O shots for dessert - there's ALWAYS room for Jell-O!! Yum!!
We did some star gazing and just sat around settling into island time.
You know that saying, "Tempus Fugit?" Well, when I'm on StJ I change it to "Tempus Fu#@ it!"
So... even though the day got off to a rough start and was a bit on the bumpy side, all was well by bed time.
Tomorrow: ScubaGirl, Vicki, Gromit and their respective Krewes meet; A day on the 46' Cat; Snorkeling Waterlemon (the wrong direction!); Starfish, Conchs and barracuda - oh MY!; Jell-O shot virgin- no more!; A cross between Rock Hudson and Gomer Pyle; Snorkeler rescue; Marks mystery fruit punch concoctions; Zamboni operators rock!; Gromit as Rachel Ray in the Cat kitchen with the Mary Poppins fridge!
My wife gets pissed at me when I go to far out by myself. In Negril must have been out an 1\2 mile from the beach to get to the reef she was not a happy camper thats for sure. After that time I took a floaty to make her happy. Can't beat Zatarans rice and beans as a side, goes great with jerk chicken we always bring some down with us.