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2007 April Trip Report |
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Our 2007 Provo Adventures April 19-29 at OCW
I`m the first person to acknowledge that we all have different likes, dislikes, and expectations about our vacations…therefore I want to start by saying a bit about who we are…those that can relate, will…and those that don`t will understand why.
This was our 6th trip to Provo since 2003…we absolutely love this island and frankly find it hard to find worthy complaints… We are 37 and 42 years old and have been married for 17 years…we have 2 daughters that are 20 and 15 years old…I tend to talk/write faster than I can think and am what many call “wordy”….sorry about that… I`m a domestic engineer with a desire to write a book and take great pictures….Steve is the computer guy you all wish you knew…lol…We do okay financially but are far from wealthy…we insist our daughters participate in paying for their own college… We are not picky people but I do have some issues…(bugs, rude people, diet coke addiction)…and Steve has issues too…(rude people, cleanliness, earl grey addiction) but we have rules while on vacation and the first one is no complaining…if something isn`t to our satisfaction we will request a change and try to rectify the situation…if we got no satisfaction we won`t flip out and get in a bad mood over it…sometimes things can`t be the way we want them no matter how much money or complaining is around…the rule is we want to laugh and have fun and nothing is going to be bad enough to take away the fun of being there… (for example…I laughed as I washed my hair in the outdoor shower one year since the mosquitoes took over my bathroom at The Allegro…I could have insisted on another room but that would have only made ME have to be displaced and wait even longer to wash my hair…and not only did I stay smiling but I think I saw several people laugh at me as they walked by) The thing is basically, that complaining puts me in a bad mood and I want to avoid that at all costs…don`t get me wrong…if we don`t like something we speak up…with a smile and laughter and a refusal to bitch about it…but truth be told we don`t find too many things we don`t like while on Provo… We aren`t big eaters or foodies….Steve is a meat and potatoes kind of guy and I like to try things…but food is not a big deal for us usually… I know some of you won`t believe this but it`s true…we don`t drink much… really…holidays and weddings and maybe hot summer days I like to enjoy a cold beer…I think it`s fair to say we drink maybe 6 times during the year…however, we love to drink on vacation…no kids…no driving…no responsibilities…it`s too easy…I think it helps with the no complaining too…lol… We don`t have extensive travel experience…We`ve done the ski weekends (and even whole weeks) around New England, a weekend on the Cape, a road trip to Pittsburgh to see a Jackson Browne concert, we`ve been to Disney World a bunch of times and one time we made the drive from there over to the Kennedy Space Center…that`s it… We had never left the country before going to Provo…we have never been to any other tropical setting (unless Disney`s Caribbean Beach Resort counts?) Comparing places around the world is not something I can be helpful with… Steve likes to say “if it ain`t broke, don`t fix it” …
Now on to my report….I`m going to try to break it down into sections…and I`ll try to keep it from being too long….:)
Travel We went for 10 nights this year. 1 week is never enough so this year we left on a Thursday and came home on a Sunday…it was great to have the extra days but we still didn`t like leaving. We left Boston on a 6am flight to New York (JFK) where we had less than an hour to change terminals and board our flight to Provo…some of you may remember how nervous I was about making the change…well it was no problem at all. We did need to haul ars thru JFK airport but with the moving sidewalks and our desire to not miss the next plane we got to our gate just before they started boarding…getting thru security in JFK was very easy and didn`t slow us down at all…the duty free shop ended up being right next to the departure gate and I had time to change into sandals and skirt…perfect! We flew with American Airlines this year and I have to say I really noticed a difference in the friendliness of the attendants and staff along the way…smiles and good vibes as opposed to the stressed out USAir people we`ve come to know…it was a nice change… We arrived on time…11:20 which was even a little early…and stepped off the plane into summer…aahhh…that feeling. I know everyone writes about that feeling when you step into summer and warmth…it`s wonderful…the dishes don`t matter for the next 11 days AND I`m in heaven…heavy sigh…life is good. Customs was a breeze. Our plane was the only one there and we were near the front so we got right into line…it`s changed a bit from last year and they had one line and someone to direct you to the next available agent. Our agent shocked us with a story when we mentioned our love for the potcake pups on the island and that we brought one home last year…she told us her dog had puppies earlier that week…and they killed them all!!! We didn`t know what to say…she had our passports in her hand and we wanted in…we choked a bit and Steve said “in our country you`d go to jail for that”…she smiled and said “but not this country”…handed back our passports and smiled and said have a good trip…we walked thru to our luggage even more determined to bring home as many puppies as we could carry… Anyway…on to our luggage…no problem…when we went to declare our tequila (duty free guy delivered it to the plane just in time, we almost didn`t get it) the girl again questioned that we had a carton of butts and bottle of tequila…she had to be told that we could have one of each not just one or the other…it took 2 minutes and we were on the sidewalk with an Ocean Club rep pointing us towards the shuttle…we waited for a few others and left for Ocean Clubs. It was just about 12 noon when we walked into the lobby at OCW… On our return home we had a 4:05 direct flight home…the resort shuttle leaves at 12:45 for the airport and we reluctantly got on it…the wait at the airport is sad but we prepare ourselves by bringing our cooler with some coronas and we hang outside as long as possible…we met our friends from new York and finally had the chance to have a beer with them and talk…our puppies showed up just before we had to go thru security and that was all a breeze…I had Jack (our new pup) and Steve carried 2 others in one bag…boarding was easy but they did make us take the puppies out again on the tarmac and that was a pain… No problems with the flight…but the puppies in Steve`s bag weren`t doing too good with the descent…lol…de-scent is what I`m sure many passengers were wishing could happen…I took them into the bathroom and changed the pad in the bag and tried to fix it but one little guy just kept on going…the poor thing…then when we got to Boston in customs I let him out and he went all over the customs area and got me in trouble and he had to go back in the bag until we cleared…the customs guy wasn`t nice at all and claims to have never seen or heard of these potcakes coming thru Boston…although I know many have…he accused us of selling them and making money off of it and when we said we weren`t he wanted to know why we would do it then…just for the kindness of helping another family or the dogs themselves wasn`t a good enough answer for him. He delayed us there for quite some time….maybe close to an hour…but finally he had no choice but to let us in…the puppies were attracting all the agents to come and see them and he was getting a hard time for being such a hard ars… So the puppies got to there families and they are all healthy and doing great in their new forever homes….and we got home…just a little later than we hoped…I think the direct flight made all the hassle from the customs jerk not bother us….
The Resort, the Beach and the Weather… When we walked into the lobby at Ocean Club West, Clover was standing behind the counter with a big smile and she looked at me…her eyebrows went up and she smiled and said with her island accent that I love so much…”You?...You like it here don`t you maam?”…”Welcome back”…she then looked at her list of reservations and said “Yup, here you are” and picked out our names. It was really nice that she recognized us but when she knew our names I was impressed. Our room wasn`t ready yet (it was only Noon) but she had us down for room #432 like we had requested…I`m thrilled with that. We had lunch at the Seaside Café while they got our room ready and we were all in by 2:00. Not only that but Gourmet Goods had delivered the beer! They are a grocery place that delivers. We had no idea how much it was going to cost…I tried to get them to respond with a $ total before we left but they didn`t…they stocked the room before we got to it so we didn`t get to ask then….and they didn`t leave any kind of receipt. We loved having the fridge ready for us so at first we had decided that no matter what the cost it was worth it. We got 2 cases of Corona, 6 limes, 2 cases of Diet Coke, 1 case of Coke, 2 gallons of water, ½ gallon of milk, ½ gallon of oj, 4 green apples, 3 pineapples, and 2 bags of salt and vinegar chips. The website (gourmetgoods.tc) doesn`t show prices but I assumed it would be more expensive than IGA since it`s a small specialty shop so we figured it would be around $200 with a $20 service charge…we had to check the credit card online to finally get a total for this service…it was $292.00! holy carp…we didn`t think it would have been that high…but it sure was nice to not have to go shop right away…maybe just getting the heavy cases of beer and soda would be a good option. We`ve stayed in this room before and just love the setup of it…it`s a junior suite on the 3rd floor in building 4. It`s on the inside away from any construction and it overlooks the pool and the restaurant and the beach…the sunrise shines on the balcony in the mornings and it`s just a great location. It has a full kitchen with all the utensils and cookware, flatware and appliances you need (blender), washer/dryer, small dining area, living room and bedroom with an open floor plan…the balcony goes along the whole bedroom and living room so lying in bed you can hear the waves and feel the breeze…the balcony is huge…it`s another room really. We never turn on the A/C and we leave the sliders open all the time with the ceiling fans going we never feel hot inside. We didn`t see much of our housekeeper. We checked in on Thursday afternoon and when we didn`t see her Friday morning we didn`t think it was a big deal…but she came knocking Friday night after 7pm…we didn`t hear her so she called the room and left a message (we didn`t hear the phone either) saying she tried to come and clean but we had the door locked and if we wanted her to clean today we should call back…?...we laughed at her message calling me miss Laura and being so friendly…but since it was already after 8 by the time we got the message we didn`t care about housekeeping after barely a day there. We shouldn`t have laughed…we didn`t see her again for days…she was in and out putting on new sheets or bringing new towels but we never saw her and she never seemed to do a complete job. I loaded the dishwasher and ran it one day and then built up a few dishes in the sink while the dishwasher was full of clean dishes and she came and put the dirty with the clean and ran it again instead of emptying the clean dishes…it was frustrating because only little things would let us know she had been there, if at all. We ran out of toilet paper at the beginning of our stay and since we saw the closet open we just grabbed a some…but housekeeping never replenished the room stock. The floors were the usual dingy tiles that just can`t seem to get clean…I`m the loser who spreads the towels over the floor to walk on…not so much from them being dirty but more for that icky wet sandy feeling of bare feet and tile (I said I have issues). I know the floors are hard to keep clean if it`s even possible…but the housekeeper being MIA didn`t help…I didn`t call the front desk because it didn`t really bother me to the point of being a complainer…we mentioned it to Clover when checking out and she wished we had called and told them…she made sure we didn`t leave the rather large tip we had already designated for housekeeping…she ended up with barely a 10th of what we had planned…oh well…Clover and the other girls at the front desk said maybe she`d learn more from that than if she got told to do better…who knows. On the good side, a day after we checked in our safe died…just stopped working. Steve called the front desk and someone was at our room within minutes with new batteries for it and the problem was solved. There were always clean towels and plenty of chairs and umbrellas at any time of the day we chose to go to the beach and claim a spot. Every staff member at OCW, from the pool guy and gardener to the waitress/waiters and cooks at the café were friendly and helpful. Smiles were NOT a rare sight amongst them. The grounds were immaculate and the pool was clean except for one day just after we arrived which was also the last day of spring vacation. The resort felt empty really and we wondered if it was April vacation at all and then on Sunday/Monday we really noticed how quiet it was and how few people were around…we never had to wait for a table at the café at any time of day…we did stand in line for a few minutes to get some appetizers at the welcome party on Monday night…lol… All in all the resort did not disappoint…we felt very much at home. So many people recognized us as previous guests and new workers were just as friendly. All questions and concerns brought to their attention were dealt with immediately and we would feel more than good to spend our money to stay there again.
The beach and the weather were interesting this year again…where do I begin? We arrived on the 19th and the air was warm and humid…the beach was clean and the sand was soft and white and the waves were crashing…not as bad as last year…but it wasn`t the flat glass-like swimming pool we love…we figured, it`s okay…we`re here for 11 days…it can`t last the whole time…right? Almost. We went to the beach that afternoon and the wind was blasting…but only on the beach…most of the umbrellas were still up so it wasn`t horrendous…but the sand was flying and we did get pelted a bit by it…still no problem mon…we`ve enjoyed worse. The next day it was still windy but not nearly as much…and the ocean wasn`t flat but it didn`t matter…it was warm and sunny and the beer was cold… Saturday we woke up to a strange sight…the beach was covered with seaweed…and not just a little…tons and tons of gorgeous seaweed…I say gorgeous because even it was pretty…not the yucky green slime we see around here but pretty auburn nests of bubbles piled up and stretched down the beach as far as the eye could see…it was amazing really. By Sunday it smelled pretty bad but it was only smelly for a certain time Sunday and it was all cleaned up within a few days… The funny thing is when we were landing I was looking out the window watching the ocean get closer and I noticed all this brown floating stuff in the water…there was so much of it…I was curious and wondered what it was…I thought maybe a cruise ship dumped something icky or it was sewage from an island…dah, I`m so blonde…I didn`t even think it could have been seaweed. I wish I took a picture from the air…I did take some shots of the beach and when I get my pictures posted you`ll see how strange it really was. The resorts were all working double time trying to dig holes and bury it…just not possible…there was so much. The next afternoon a tractor finally showed up that seemed to drag the seaweed onto a conveyor belt that picked it up and dumped it into a bucket attached to the front of it (didn`t remember to take a picture of it)…when the bucket was full they took it out the public access and dumped it…I never saw if they dumped it into a truck and removed it or what happened from there. I did notice when walking the beach that certain area`s had less seaweed…a lot less in some areas…that curve in the beach from Seven Stars down to Royal West Indies…that`s where most of it seemed to gather. Interesting. The reef must have stopped it and directed it towards that area where there are breaks in the reef offshore. Grace Bay remained choppy for the first week we were there…it was wavy but it certainly wasn`t un-swim able…we still really enjoyed the water…and lots of others did too…the parasail and banana boats were going and the kite boarding was big…but for the first 7 days it wasn`t calm at all. If we had to go home we would have been sad that it never changed. But on the following Thursday it calmed down and for Friday and Saturday and Sunday it was perfectly calm and flat…crystal clear for feet down…I would swim 30 yards off shore where the water was getting deep and I could see perfectly to the sandy bottom…it was like a swimming pool…except for the occasional fishes:) I loved it…we love it like that…I wish we could get 11 days of flat calm water on Grace Bay. I can say, and our experience has continued to show us, if Grace Bay is choppy there is a good chance the south side isn`t. We were at Sapodilla Bay on one of those days and the water was flat and calm. We went out with Captain Bill and the water was great on the south side. Any excursion the captains will know where to go for flat swim able water. I noticed on my walks that the rough waves did a number on the beach in a few spots…particularly after the Grace Bay Estates construction sight until Royal West Indies beach…it was like cliffs and the water cut it`s way making edges to climb…the landscape of the beach changed daily during the windy wavy days. No rain to speak of for 11 strait days…on Monday it was a little overcast and it may have sprinkled on us…I once thought a bird pee`d but it couldn`t have been… Dr. Oz was on Oprah last week and he said that birds don`t pee. It may have rained later on Monday but I don`t remember…more on that story when I get to our excursions and adventures chapter. So that was the resort the beach and the weather…all great…now I think I`ll work on adventures and excursions…or maybe restaurants and food?
Restaurants and Food… I already said we`re not big foodies. I like that I don`t have to cook on vacation and we enjoy going out to dinner but we like to be casual when out and take each day as it comes so we don`t end up going far for meals. We usually get the meal package (3 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 3 dinners per person) at OCW and therefore do eat the majority of our meals at resort…The Seaside Café. It`s a common complaint about Ocean Club West…the restaurant. It`s not out of this world fantastic….but it`s not terrible either. The burgers are pretty good at lunch so I`m happy. They are about $10 then add $2 for cheese or bacon…comes with fries. The cracked conch ($12) wasn`t very good at lunch when I tried it and neither was the grouper ($10)…we were happy with burgers…one day we brought an order of chicken fingers ($10) to the beach and they were really good. At dinner the filet mignon ($32) is great at dinner so Steve is happy. It`s served on a sun dried tomato and is very yummy. Steve also got the lamb ($32) a couple times and really enjoyed it. I got a chicken dish ($27) that had spinach in it but was missing something the menu said was in it…it was still good but I liked the filet better. We also got a Caesar salad ($10) and split it on several nights just to have some veggies (the ones with dinner are just a few carrots and summer squashes cut pretty and steamed) …the dinners came with choice of mashed or baked or fries…or rice. We like the bread but it wasn`t as good this year as we remember from last year. We had several good desserts though…the key lime pie was really good and even better for breakfast. As far as the atmosphere, no upgrades or anything noticeable from being under new management…it seemed just like last year except the fancy cappuccino/espresso coffee machine that was there is gone and it`s just your basic big silver coffee percolators…but still complimentary coffee and tea every day is nice…I`d see people in the morning filling up the room coffee pot and it seemed a nice touch for coffee drinkers. I don`t drink coffee. I drink diet coke. (And one Dunkins Iced a day when at home) One lunch we went to Cabana Bar at Ocean Club…I think it was good. The banana drink I had was good. Far too good. I can`t remember past the conch fritter appetizer which was very very good, but I won`t be having again…(you`ll understand eventually) I ordered cracked conch for lunch but can`t say how it was…Steve had a pork sandwich that he said he liked a lot. The service at the Cabana Bar is always pleasant but I think the bartender needs to give a girl a break… For our other meals out… We went to Hemmingway`s on our first night there…we were meeting the trip advisor junkies (more on that later) at 7 or so and wanted to eat first… we called Hemmingway`s at 5:30 to ask if we could eat at 6 and it was no problem. We walked from OCW on the sidewalk to The Sands…we hurried to make our reservation and it took about 25 minutes. It wouldn`t have been bad but walking into the sun starting to set was hot and blinded us. The beach would have been nicer I think just for being able to have my feet in the water. But anyway…the food there was good. We had lunch there another year and weren`t impressed but this dinner was very good. I`m sorry I forget the prices of the dishes but it was very reasonable. I think most menus are available online at wherewhenhow.com. I had a great banana drink. The best I had, until I decided not to drink them anymore (more on that later) We shared an order of conch fingers that we both agreed was very very good…breaded perfect and not over cooked. Yummy. I had a grilled chicken Caesar salad that wasn`t drenched in dressing but not dry either…very good and very large…more than I could eat. Steve said his Thai Chicken stir fry was the best meal he`s ever had (at a restaurant) on the island. We very much enjoyed our meal and had planned to go back again but our days got away from us and we never made it…but we will in November! Another night we walked over to Big Bamboo at Ports of Call…a Saturday night… and had no trouble getting a seat right away. We`ve eaten here, on this balcony, at this table, when it was Latitudes (fantastic), 21 north (pretty good) and now as Big Bamboo (we won`t be back). It wasn`t that bad I guess. Again I don`t remember the prices but it was expensive in comparison to Hemmingway`s or seaside cafe… I had a combination plate of jerk chicken and baby back ribs. The ribs were this sweet guava sauce that was pretty good…oh my the chicken was hot though…I`ve had jerk chicken and other meats before but this was spicy. Steve thought so too…to the point we couldn`t enjoy it…I think it would have been good if it had been less spicy. I forget what Steve got now but the presentation was fabulous although he wasn`t impressed with the food itself. This is the only place I can say the service was on “island time”…everywhere else felt just like dining at a restaurant at home as far as timing and waiting for service…but here the waitress disappeared. She stood around chatting with a friend or 2 and ignored my pleas for liquid as the lining of my mouth sizzled. I won`t go back. Another weird thing that might be making me not like the place is that during dinner a spider bit the top of my foot. I didn`t realize that`s what happened until later. I thought I got a mosquito bite or a no-see um got me and I got out my spray to spray my feet…big mistake…it stung so badly. But I ignored it thinking I scratched to hard…have a beer…forget about it. That night I woke up in the middle of the night sweating like a sick child and dry heaving like a detoxing addict…it was horrible. In the morning Steve noticed my foot and realized something bit me. Not just a mosquito. I had a hole in the top of my foot. Through several layers of skin to rawness…about the size of a small pea but very deep. It was red and getting redder and Steve thought I should have gone to see a doctor but I said no way…I got over it. It`s a good thing I never saw the spider, I would have freaked and made a fool of myself… (One of my issues, bugs) We had lunch at Da Conch Shack one day and it was as great as we remembered. It was busier than when we came last year and it seemed all the tables filled up while we were there. It`s a very pretty place to sit and eat. Casual and island-y and I like it there a lot. Cracked conch is my favorite but I had a bite of conch salad (sadly my only of our whole trip ;( ) and it was very good. No conch fritters…not sure I`ll ever eat conch fritters again. While we were there we went next door to Horse Eyed Jacks for a drink but didn`t eat. It`s a very nice place…it was empty when we were there but I`ll bet it`s great when it`s full. I love the outdoor tiki hut type setting. Everything was very nicely done. The rum punch we had there was delicious, and I don`t usually like rum punches. The only other meals we had outside of the resort were lunch on Captain Bill`s boat trip (more on that later) And a lovely filet mignon dinner prepared for us by a great couple we know who live on the island. She made the most scrumptious cream of mushroom soup and he served up perfectly cooked filet mignons. Steve and I thank you both very much and have to say it was our favorite meal ever in Provo. We also went to Giggles at Ports of Call for ice cream one night after dinner. It was a nice treat. They had a lot of dollar candy type items and a limited ice cream menu… I think just about everything on it was around $4. It was pretty busy when we were there with a family of locals getting smoothies. A lot of local families came along while we ate our sundaes. Nothing special about the ice cream except it`s always nice to have an ice cream away from home. Still nothing beats the ice cream cones on Main Street at the Magic Kingdom. That`s our restaurant and food experience…now we`re on to excursions and adventures…
Excursions and Adventures… We spent a lot of time doing nothing. We like that. Well drinking is part of the nothing I guess…it`s all about bringing a cooler full of corona`s or margaritas to the beach and doing nothing…swimming and lounging…going back to the room as needed to replenish…we spent most of our time in this manner…just what I needed. One day we took our cooler and our margaritas down the beach to Ocean Club to take advantage of the 2 resorts…the walk was great…we sat on the beach there and had a few beers and then went to lunch at Cabana Bar…from there I`m at a loss…I found my edge and went right over it…I don`t remember much…I know I should be embarrassed…I know we took the shuttle back to OCW and it wasn`t until 8pm that I remember coming around…very bad…no more banana drinks…ever…maybe the spider bite the night before was still making me sick…sure…Steve thinks the bartender slipped me a mickey or something because of the way I just was there and then not……maybe a bad banana? Maybe mixing the margaritas and corona was okay but adding the banana drink was a mistake…whatever happened I am so sorry to anyone who ended up trying to use the ladies room near the bar…no more banana drinks ever…conch fritters I hope to take a chance on again someday…lol… One day we went for a walk to Salt Mills Plaza (20 minutes from OCW) to check it out and find the liquor store. Along the way we passed Danny Buoy`s and Bella Luna. At Salt Mills we saw Iguana`s Steak House and Salt Mills Café. All easy walking distance on nice sidewalks. We discussed eating at all of them but the lazy thing took over and we lost motivation to leave the beach. There were a few other shops at Salt Mills…we found Spongebob but we didn`t find a liquor store. We DID find the liquor store across the street in another plaza closer to Seven Stars. We passed it on the way and weren`t paying attention. The building was still being worked on but it was open. It was called Wine & Spirits and it was maybe a 15 minute walk from OCW. Very handy. Not sure of individual prices but for $83 we got a bottle of tequila, triple sec, and strawberry mixer all the largest size… and a smallish bottle of jagermeister that we ended up bringing home and it still sits unopened in the freezer…I know that it was $18 as Steve reminds me regularly. Lol The Three Hour Tour…that`s what we call it. The boat trip that comes with the OCW suite package…it`s a 3 hour Silver Deep excursion. You can choose the beach mania trip or the snorkel mania trip…(or a 2 day compact car rental) we usually pick the beach mania trip…it also stops to snorkel at one spot as opposed to the snorkel mania one that stops 3 times to snorkel and skips the beaches. We were worried about the waves and conditions on the water but from our past trips we know that the tour companies do a great job in finding the right places to go. We wanted to do an afternoon trip because we had really enjoyed the second half of the day on the water last year…but when we called Silver Deep they said they were only doing morning trips because it`s calmer in the morning and by the afternoon the waves kick up more. We`re flexible…it`s all good. They picked us up at the lobby at about 9:15 Monday morning…there were several others in the van already and we picked up a few more at RWI …then we headed out to Leeward Marina. Once at the marina everyone has to go in the office and check in and pay and get snorkel gear if wanted. I also got our Iguana Island tickets. It`s been a few years since we actually went and saw the iguanas. While everyone was getting their stuff, Steve noticed Pringles inside and he solicited him to be our captain…once you pop…you can`t stop. Pringles is the dad of our good friend Shawn. They have a big family…The Dean family…their specialty is the water… are all very well acquainted with the island, the water and the reefs in the area…haven`t met one I wouldn`t trust to guide me around…and Pringles is the best. He is very entertaining and fun…he speaks 9 different languages and is a very smart man. We all boarded the Ta Tanka and headed out…first Pringles and his mate Ally gave their instructions on what we would be doing…where to find life jackets…where to find the rum punch…aka “the spank me punch”. Steve really liked getting spanked by Pringles punch. Our first stop was Iguana Island…3 minutes from the marina. The water at the beach there was flat and calm and Steve almost went swimming instead of visiting the iguanas. But since we hadn`t seen the lizards in a few years on account of we`ve been swimming at the beach there instead I talked him into walking the plank. Well you all know…if you`ve seen one iguana…you`ve seen them all. One climbed right up to walk the plank with us and I wasn`t too thrilled with that…It was interesting to see the changes since we`d walked the plank last time…the lizards have a piercer on site now and have really got into the wearing body jewelry. There is an observation deck that was nice for taking pictures. We were at the back of the crowd so I have no idea what information the tour guide was giving people. Soon we were on our way out to snorkel on the reef somewhere out there. It seemed so rough I was surprised we didn`t stay on the inside of the small cays like we had last year…but Pringles had a plan. We cruised for a bit and he picked a spot on the reef that would have been perfect if it wasn`t so wavy. It was shallow and sandy where he anchored but only feet away from the reef. We could see the waves crashing and could tell how close to the surface the reef was. We decided to drink instead of snorkel but lots of people went in and stayed in for about an hour. Even though it seemed rough I guess it was still good snorkeling. Everyone seemed happy. I did see a few people have trouble getting on and off the boat because of the rocking…that was the hardest part is what I was told by those that did it. After snorkeling we were off to Fort George Cay for beach combing…this was the best part of our trip. I was happy we were going to Fort George because I love the sand bar there and it`s just a nice spot. We pulled up to the beach and the water was calm and easy for swimming which made Steve and I both very happy. Steve was socializing with Pringles and I went to explore a bit...another boat trip had pulled up to the beach and I noticed the people on the back of it reacting to something in the water. Then I noticed a guy scrambling so hard he slipped on the swim platform and fell and he looked like he was going to shat his pants. Someone said shark…I was standing at waters edge so I stayed put and watched the people at the back of this boat freak out…when they moved enough I saw this fin breach out of the water and knew it wasn`t a shark. I yelled at the screaming people that it`s a dolphin and to relax. God what people do when they panic is a riot…the same guy that fell trying to get away from the shark is now chasing the dolphin around trying to get closer to him. Now everyone is excited…it`s Jo Jo confirms one of the boat captains. The crowd gathers and a few guys with snorkels on try to swim with him…but the closer they get to him the further he goes…when they backed off he came right back to shore. It was very frustrating because if they had just stayed put and not chased him around I think he would have hung out and showed off a bit. But he had to be on guard from the jerks chasing him and trying to touch him…come on. He`s a wild animal…leave him alone. Ally our first mate was able to get him to come to the stern of the Ta Tanka for a minute but if too many people came around he went out deep. He was around for about 20 minutes…Steve got a couple pictures and I stayed in the water hoping he`d come closer. He never really got that close but he was close enough…it was fantastic…only took us 6 trips but we finally got to see the famous JoJo the dolphin. After our time at Fort George Cay we went back to the marina…on the way in Pringles took us by the mangroves and gave a neat biology lesson about the mangroves and how the desalinate water and work as nurseries for infant sea life of all kinds. He is very proud of his islands and really makes a point to teach people about the environment and I liked that. After we got back to the marina everyone loaded back up into vans and we got dropped back at our resort…another fantastic day. Even though this trip is a big boat with 30 people on board we still always enjoy it…fun to meet new people and socialize and it`s not a long day…I think we were back around 1:30ish. It was a great day with only one problem…my back started to go out on me while we were on the boat. Steve thinks I threw it out getting sick at the Ocean Club the day before…he said I had no room in the stall and that I was standing for most of it and so I`m thinking he might be right… I brought with me the meds I`d need to be sure not to hurt myself too badly and after our 3 hour tour I had to start medicating with more than booze…although I did discover that staying drunk helped me to stay strait…anyone get that? Before I forget…on the 3 hour tour…the cooler was full of more than the spank me punch…there was soda and water as well…and there was also a head (bathroom) available for those who needed it… On Wednesday we went out with Captain Bill. We called Tuesday afternoon and he had a trip going Wednesday which was perfect. He had a taxi pick us up at the lobby at 8:50…we picked up more people and then headed to Sapodilla Bay. It was high tide and Captain Bill had his new catamaran pulled up on the beach and we could walk thru the water and up the stairs to board…I loved that. Sapodilla Bay was beautiful at high tide…I wish we had got back there to spend and hour or two. Captain Bill`s boat…Jammin in Grand Turk it said on it. It had 2 levels so those who wanted shade stayed below and those of us who wanted sun were on top…both areas had lots of seating, and there was also a head down below. He is very proud of his sound system on board and cranked it up many times. Bob Marley and Jimmy Buffet were great but one song came on that made me blush…can`t remember now what it was but I wondered if all the kids on board were paying attention. But then again it`s probably something out there that all the kids are listening to and I just am way behind the times… There were about 30 people in the group…mostly families…some couples…maybe 10 kids or so. It seemed like a good crowd. Steve harassed some guy in the taxi for talking about work and the guy took it well…and I think his wife really liked Steve after that…lol… Leaving Sapodilla Bay was lovely to see all the villas and houses on those south side bays. I took a bunch of pictures but I have no idea what properties they are so it won`t be too helpful except to see the location is nice. It was nice and calm on the south side with no choppy waves at all. We went out to Turtle Rock for snorkeling. The last time we went on this trip Captain Bill had a different boat and he didn`t go as close to the rock as he did this time…it was really cool. The rock looked even more like a turtle than it did in 2003 but I think being closer got us a different view. There is a crevasse thru the rock that is about 8-10 feet wide (according to Captain Bill) and you could snorkel right thru it…it`s the part between the turtle head and the body. The water was flat and calm but not as blue as the other side…more green…but still clear and warm and I liked it there. We again didn`t snorkel…I was nursing my bad back and snorkeling is the worst thing for it…and I think Steve just felt like keeping me company and enjoying the rusty beer. LOL…Captain Bill had a cooler full of Turks Head…some of which were left in the cooler in water long enough to get rusty caps, hence the rusty beer. It`s smelled like a Rasta brother`s breath as well so I was glad to have our cooler of coronas to drink and told Steve that since he liked the rusty beer he could have at it. Bill said it`s how the buccaneers like their beer…warm and rusty. After snorkeling we went around Osprey rock to the pirate caves. In 2003 the osprey nests were everywhere and we saw lots of them…this year there were pelicans everywhere…and I saw a beautiful bird of paradise with a gorgeous long tail but couldn`t get his picture. Everyone went ashore to see the caves and view from above but I stayed on board because I knew I`d never be able to climb the rope ladder with my back all crooked like it was. I got a lot of good pics of the pelicans while they were gone. Everyone came back on board and we got raided by pirates…it was horrible and scary and somehow I ended up bringing one of them home with me…and that`s all I can say about that as Captain Bill doesn`t want me to give away his secrets… After the pirates released Bill we headed out to a private beach picnic. We went to the same beach as 2003 but it was better because he had the better boat that could go right up on the sand bar and we could just walk ashore as we wanted. I`ve looked at maps and I think the beach is bonefish point. It was just perfect…shallow and calm and warm. Captain Bill had 2 big round drink coolers full of lemonade and rum punch attached at the back of the boat and also the big cooler of beer was hanging back there so all you had to do was walk up and refill or get a drink. For lunch he made grilled tube steaks (hotdogs) and chicken wings. He serves them up with his home made cole slaw and he was impressed that Steve couldn`t wait to put it on his hotdog…so good on hotdogs. The wings were delicious. He had chips and other stuff around but I didn`t look really hard to see what else since I wasn`t that hungry. Steve said he ran out of hotdogs and should have had more but I think he was the only one looking for more. After lounging on the beach for a few hours we headed back to Sapodilla Bay where taxis were waiting to take us back to our resorts. We were back a little after 4:00 I think. A couple odd things...at one point Captain Bill solicited tips for his crew which I thought wasn`t cool. He had his mate George and several ladies on board all seeming to be his friend yet running the grill or doing odd things to help entertain. I just thought it odd to ask for tips for them…you never ask for tips. The other was his complete obsession with keeping the sand away…I didn`t notice on board but Steve said he was having people rinse their feet when coming back on. What I did notice was how he had people washing their feet before getting into the taxi…and the taxi driver acting like it would be terrible if the tourists brought sand into his van. I thought that was odd. It`s an island. Put towels on the floor and shake them off every night when you`re done working. How the heck can you avoid sand? It was a well spent $89 per person for the day. We met several really fun people (hi Terry if your out there somewhere) and had a great day.
We went out one afternoon with a new friend and had lunch at Da Conch Shack and stopped by Horse Eyed Jacks for drinks which was lovely. On our way back to OCW to get ready for a dinner date we had with Shawn, we stopped by The Somerset and had a few drinks there at the back bar, next to O`Soleil. The restaurant wasn`t open yet as it was early…maybe 3:30ish. But they still served us drinks on the terrace. The manager came and was very friendly and welcoming. I can tell you this resort and it`s atmosphere is very special…the mother of pearl bar had matching ashtrays and bowls. It is a stunning bar area and I wished it was a sunnier day or maybe that I had clearer eyes. Lol…we had been drinking pretty hard. There was this garden pathway full of hanging orchids that were beautiful. Every detail of this resort is impeccable and exquisitely done. I got a tour of the restaurant before it opened…it`s called O`Soleil and it looks very ritzy. I didn`t check out the menu but I`m sure the prices are relative to the room rates. It was very clean and white with delicate glass chandeliers and art work that just screamed luxury. There was a winding staircase leading to a second floor that had a few separate rooms for private dining for the really special people. One wall was completely covered top to bottom and end to end with a giant wine cabinet that was spectacular just to see. I guess I`m giving away my commonality by saying that. I could see famous people enjoying the privacy afforded by these upstairs rooms….maybe a wedding party for someone with a good budget. Back down stairs at the bar area there were cozy couches and loveseat scattered to make private seating areas both inside and out. Everything was a rich brown color that was very warm and comfortable. Dark wood and white and brown fabrics. I thought it was very nice. I took pictures. You`ll get to see it. I understand they are having start up issues but I wouldn`t give up on this place…I`m sure they will work out the kinks and soon enough they`ll set a standard for others to reach for on Grace Bay. This is when we met Captain Scrappy JackBob…just Jack. One of the potcake place volunteers walked in carrying him and Steve looked at him and said “Hello Howard”. I knew he wanted him. We have a bird friend…yes a bird friend…he`s an umbrella cockatoo and his name is Butler. When Butler was younger he lived with a dog named Howard who evidently reminded him of Lizard because over the winter when we bird sat on him for a week he spent the whole time calling “Howard, Come, Howard”…it was so cute we decided to name our next dog Howard just for Butler. Then we decided not to get another dog…I thought we decided…anyway…now we have another dog named Jack…I`m confused…this was one of my favorite afternoons… I never made it out that night with Shawn…I think the potcake-tini went to my head and I had enough. So Steve went out that night and had dinner at Three Queens and then played some pool at Sailing Paradise…he enjoyed himself…he could tell you more. One night we got to be part of the rescuing of a beautiful potcake puppy. She was being drowned at the beach and potcake place got the call to help…this puppy was so afraid of people and was shaking…but after some time in a safe crate with some water and food she calmed down and then I watched as she had the ticks pulled from her…so many ticks I had all I could do to not cry. They were in between her toes and in her ears and with every tick pulled off her body you could see it relax more and more. After at least an hour of being picked and poked and sprayed she was all clean and had this smile on her face that any dog lover would have noticed. She was happy. I was so glad to see how these pups are being cared for. At the home of one of the volunteers I witnessed just how meticulous they are about keeping new litters separate for certain amounts of time and watching for illnesses…I was impressed and awed at the work being put into this cause. They are doing such a huge favor for this island and I found it to be a very beautiful thing. Our only other adventure to speak of is our infamous trip advisor junkies meeting. I already mentioned that we had dinner at Hemmingway`s. During dinner I was looking around and trying to figure out if anyone was there…I had no idea what ajax or camke looked like…Steve and I must have looked so nosy as we searched the dinning room making eye contact with strangers and smiling to see if they were one of them…no luck all thru dinner. After dinner I was taking some pictures of a gorgeous sunset and Steve was getting a couple beers from the bar so we could sit by the pool and see if anyone approached us. I noticed thru my camera display he was smiling and pointing at the girl next to him. I thought to myself “no way that girl is one of them, she`s barely 20”…then she and Steve walked in my direction and Steve said “I found one of them”. It was ajax…what a liar she is if she`s trying to say she recently celebrated her 50th…bah…I can`t see how she could be 50…I wish I looked that good at 37. Big gorgeous smile and such a sweet personality…great tan… She and her husband joined us at the pool and before long camke and her husband were joining us. I should have known to look for camke`s daughter…cute as a button and I remember seeing her photos. we all sat around the pool chatting and it felt like we`ve known each other forever…Quinton dean was playing and the evening was warm and Venus was just next to the moon and it felt really special. Steve was so glad the husbands came too…I think he was afraid of being the only guy. Maybe not so scared after seeing the beautiful ladies themselves… we saw a couple gentlemen that we thought might be Caicos Boy but we never did hear from him. I sooo enjoyed my evening by the pool with everyone. Funny thing is ajax had her 14 year old son come by to check on her…he wasn`t happy that she was meeting people off the internet. We`re not supposed to do that. I thought that was so cute…trying to explain to young teenagers why this situation is different…lol…and now my daughters give me the same hard time whenever I repeat the mantra about strangers on the internet…lol…why is it that trip advisor junkies don`t count? We can`t be maniacs? We are cool. Those were our adventures and excursions. I guess all I can do now is wrap it up with all the miscellaneous cah cah I can think of…
Construction. What kind of trip report would it be if I didn`t say something about the construction? YES, there is construction. A lot of construction. Some buildings are going up fast; others seem to be taking forever. Out in front of OCW parking lot was empty last April and this April there is a whole new plaza there and it`s just about complete. Whereas I`ve seen other buildings take years to get that done. Some places along Grace Bay have more than going on than others so if you want to avoid it then be sure to research the property you are booking. We never heard any noise from the beach. We couldn`t see anything from our room but we did hear it from out room from time to time…and we laughed and said “oh the horror”! For us it was never bothersome. But we make a point to not let much bother us. It is sad to see so much of the quiet and quaintness of the island disappear but personally I think the changes being made are adding to the beauty of lots of places… it`s like watching it “grow up” almost. Grace Bay road with sidewalks and street lamps…it`s nice. I think Provo deserves to be shiny and special. We all know it can`t stay undiscovered. It might just be a good thing that it costs so much to visit…maybe those that do will appreciate all its glory and do their part to keep it that way. I was bothered by noise once on our trip…the Saturday night (28th) before we left. The restaurant decided it was time to power wash the floors (outside stone pavers) at 10pm. They used a pressure sprayer of some sort that roared for at least an hour. I was visiting with friends and had this last evening to share with them for another year (I thought at the time) and the whole time I could barely hear or speak over the noise of the machine they were using. It was really hard to not let it bother me. Okay…so I let it bother me. After an hour I called the restaurant and said “PLEASE make it stop” and they guy laughed at me and said he was so sorry and they were almost done. Other than that noise was not an issue. Construction was never an issue for us.
I wanted to mention this boat…um…more like yacht that was moored in front of Seven Stars for a few days. I think camke mentioned it in her report and said she heard it was Paul McCartney. I got great pictures of the group of them kite boarding one evening in the sunset. There were 5 or 6 of them and they looked to be having the time of their lives. I`ll make sure to include the pictures in the gallery when I get that going. It would be really neat if it was someone famous. Steve and I both said we thought the busy atmosphere of The Sands is a big contrast to Ocean Club West. Hemmingway`s was hopping the night we were there and never in 6 visits to OCW have I ever seen it that busy there. We liked the happening feeling of The Sands and will definitely go there next time we want to lively it up. “WILD Potcakes” I saw only one. He wouldn`t come anywhere near me no matter how hard I tried to get him to. He was far from HUGE or MASSIVE in any way. Steve did meet one who came out of the brush to say hello near Three Queens. Shawn said the dog would have never come out for him. They are afraid of the locals. I guess they`ve learned they should be from what I saw. Bugs…no issues except for the spider incident. IGA…went once to get some womanly type products…ladies, bring them if you think you might need them. $10 for a box of 20. Sunblock at the on-site store at OCW was only $12.99. Cheaper than at home. Trash. What can I say? Another thread recently went into this subject. It`s sad that so many people don`t take responsibility for themselves and their trash. We made a point to pick up trash everywhere we went. Trash that wasn`t ours. We`d get ready to leave the beach and spend 10 minutes walking around grabbing straws from the sand and the butt filters others have mentioned. I`d be ashamed to leave my cups or cans in the sand but its clear lots of others aren`t concerned with common courtesies like picking up after themselves. I charge you all to appreciate your surroundings and show it. Don`t disrespect those that live there by coming along and just having your way with the place. Do your part to keep it as beautiful as it is forever. We went to Dive Provo to look into boat trips. We have done this almost every year since our fist visit when a lovely woman named Jalayla helped us book our excursions. This year the girls at the shop were down right rude. They acted as though we were out of our minds to expect help or service from them. So much so that Steve refused to spend money there. The girl wouldn`t answer my questions about flip flops or t-shirts I was looking for and seemed really bothered with us. Those kinds of things really bother me and I just thought I`d pass that on. We made a few calls home from the resort and the cost was not outrageous. Not as bad as I figured from all the hype about it. I think we made 4 or 5 calls off the island and a dozen or more on the island and our call totaled $12 I think. That`s okay with me and now I won`t feel as bad if I have to call home on our next trip. I mentioned lip block in another thread. Don`t forget lip block and blistex. We also invested in a small docking station for Steve`s mp3 player. The docking station was only about $100 (brand name Sansa not Ipod). This was the best investment. Very small and light. Sound is great. Batteries last for days. We loved having tunes at the beach and would highly recommend this unit. So many things we didn`t do this trip that I had wanted to do…but there`s always next time. It`s seems as though next time will be in November so that`s a bonus. Until then, thanks for tuning in. Laura
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