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April 16-27, 2009 Ocean Club West
I can’t believe it’s time for another trip report. Most of you know enough about us but just a quick overview… This was our 9th trip toProvo and our 6th time staying at OCW. We are 39 and 44 and don’t have big needs for vacations. We aren’t big foodies and don’t have tons of money to throw around. We don’t travel to other islands or vacation spots because we found Provo and it fills all our wildest dreams of perfection. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. When on island we believe there should be no bitching or complaining. No worries… I’m going to try my best to keep this report from turning into a book but I do tend to give way too many details and have been called wordy or chatty most of my life, I’m sure those who have met me would agree. This year I’m gonna go day by day…
Day 1—Thursday April 16 We usually fly USAir thru Charlotte but we booked this trip last summer and went with American Airlines thru Miami because the flight schedule was just so perfect. Arriving on island at 11:30am and departing at 6:30pm would have been great. Needless to say they changed our flight schedule multiple times before we departed and the perfect arrival and departure times that had sucked us in were non-existent. Anyway, we left Boston on time but then were delayed by an hour or more in Miami. We arrived on Provo after 2:30 to discover that Steve’s (aka Provobum’s) luggage didn’t arrive with us. Funny story because the night before we left I asked him if he packed his chick magnet shirt and nice shorts for our TA addicts dinner at Hemingway’s in his carry-on…he laughed and said no need, his luggage wouldn’t get lost, and if it did, so what he’d have the clothes he was wearing. We’d never had lost luggage before and it was harsh reality for him to face wearing his travel clothes to meet new friends. He broke the no complaining rule before we even left the airport. “So what” wasn’t part of his vocabulary as we waited for all the luggage to be claimed and looked outside the luggage turn for bags that frequently fall off the belt. Finally we conceded that his bag was not there and we exited the airport, no issues in customs as we had nothing to declare. Max from Grace Bay Car Rentals was outside waiting for us and we quickly filled out the paperwork and put my luggage in the car before we headed back into the AA counter to fill out the missing luggage claim. The girl there was very nice and said she couldn’t be sure yet but it would most likely make the trip on the next flight from Miami that arrived at 6:30pm, but because of customs laws they wouldn’t be able to bring it to us until the morning. By 3:30 we were leaving the airport, an unusually grumpy Provobum at the wheel. Driving on the left with the steering on the right, it’s second nature to him after just a few times with a car on island. We like to stop at the IGA before checking in to our resort so we don’t have to run out to get beer or diet coke and we can relax. Plus we needed to add minutes to our phone before the 1 year deadline we were told about last year was up. Well they must have lied or changed the rules during this past year because we lost our number and the $20 worth of minutes we kept on the phone. The girl at Digi-Cell said there was nothing she could do about it. Even though our number was still not assigned to anyone we couldn’t have it. Poor Steve, he was not happy and was now without his luggage and without the phone number we had given to everyone who might need to contact us. The no bitching no complaining rule was not being upheld and I had to just let him be unhappy, I knew it couldn’t last long. As he was buying a new Sim card for the phone ($15 with $10 of free minutes on it) I suggested I would run into the IGA and start getting the beer and soda and he could meet me in line. On my way into the store I saw a woman at her car in the parking lot talking to someone about how her window was just smashed and the car broken into all for an empty grocery bag or something really meaningless. So I turned around and went back to the car and waited for Steve to come out of the phone store. He saw me there and said “what are they out of beer too?” thinking it would make sense that everything would be going wrong for him. LOL. But I told him about he girl with the busted in window and I stayed in the car with the luggage while he went in and shopped. Rule we always follow on island with our rental car is to never leave anything in it, always leave it unlocked so if a thief wants to look they can without breaking windows and will find nothing to steal. I was grateful to overhear the woman tell her story and remind me to stay with the car, but shocked that this happened to her at the IGA parking lot. Things on Provo are changing…but it won’t keep us away. We arrived at OCW after 4pm which is way later than we hoped. As a result we were not able to switch our assigned first floor room to a 3rd floor. So if you want to have the chance to switch rooms remember to check in as early as you can. We had requested a 3rd floor room when we booked but somehow our request was not considered. We were assigned room 612, a first floor junior suite in building 6, almost as far back from the beach as you can get. At first we were very disappointed (seemed like everything that could go wrong was) and had planned on moving rooms when a 3rd floor opened up in a few days, but very quickly we got used to the no stairs and easy access. First floor isn’t so bad at all, we gave up the ocean view for the convenience of location and it was fine. Our favorite size and layout is the junior suite. It’s 900 square feet and very roomy with an open floor plan. The full kitchen is a must for us. There are 2 sets of sliders, one next to the bed and one next to the living room area, going out to a huge screened in balcony/patio where we spend most of our time when in the room. The bathroom is good sized with a large open tub/shower with plenty of room to shave legs J We feel the junior suite at OCW is the way to go, a great room that includes a full kitchen and plenty of space, at a decent price. The décor is what we would call a beach house feeling with wicker or rattan furniture and white cabinets and appliances, light counters and floors, a very beach house-ish feeling. It was clean and had everything we could want in accommodations. After spending an hour or so on and in GraceBay (which was calm and flat and perfect at the time) we changed, or at least I did, and headed off to Hemingway’s for our 3rd annual Turks Addicts meeting. We were sad that Camke was going to miss this years meeting, but anxious to meet new TA’s. Ajax1 and her Hubby along with TCIMike and TCILover were already there and sitting at the best table on the deck with the sun set as the background and I knew right away we were in for an unforgettable evening. We absolutely loved meeting you TCIMike and TCILover. Steve still talks about Lover and the pirate bikini fantasy. I think he has a bit of a crush on you. We sat down and ordered drinks and when the waitress returned with them she pointed out a couple at another table who were buying this round for us. It was RickintheRockies and his wife who has yet to join the forum but when she does we decided she will be EarthyCrunchyJen. We rearranged some tables and had them join us and within a few minutes we were also joined by Blamona (my new BFF) and her princess daughter along with another friend of ours and her princess daughter. What a crowd we must have seemed like as I can assure you we were not quiet and all had a great time. I can’t say enough how much we enjoyed meeting everyone and look forward to more fun times together, even if I have to drive to VA this summer just to see my twisted sister Blamona. Ajax’s teenage son popped over from time to time to make sure everything with this internet crowd was on the up and up and it shocked me how much he has grown since the first time we met a few years ago. He was a great sport and took some pictures with everyone handing him their cameras and asking for him to be the photographer. Dinner was great but I think it was more about the company than the food. I got the mahi mahi with capers and a lemon sauce and it was delicious. We closed the place which was a testament to the fun we were having. I think it was 11pm by the time we got back to our room and I had a screaming headache from such a long day.
Whew…I told you I was wordy…
Day 2—Friday April 17 I woke up with no headache and hit the beach by 9am. It was pretty much empty. The water was calm and warm although it did take a mere 20 seconds or so to adjust to it. The only way to do it is to just dive right in. After my morning swim I went back to the room and Provobum was just waking up. He started to complain about his missing luggage and so I called the front desk only to be told that it was on its way to our room at that very moment. YAY. Steve felt much better once he had his stuff and we went off to breakfast at the resort restaurant, the Seaside Café. The location is so perfect with the ocean only steps away; I’d dare say it’s got one of the best locations along the beach here. Our favorite waitress, Tara, was working and it was nice to get to see her and say hello. We each had a traditional breakfast of 2 eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast for $11 each. It came with a pineapple, grapefruit and orange garnish which was actually good sized slices and satisfied my need for fruit in the morning. It was all very good. Iced tea was $3. So it was just under $30 for breakfast. We spent a few hours on the beach which was slowly becoming wavier and wavier. We were in the water when I noticed JoJo out near the white buoys, it was like he was trying to get me to notice him as he kept breaching and showing his fin. I think it made a few other vacationers pretty happy when we pointed him out. One of the locals told us that he came around when it started getting choppy and I think he was right. GraceBay was slowly losing its glass like calmness. Ramona called and asked us to join her and Miss Jane by the pool at The Somerset and so we packed our trusty red cooler with beer and grabbed a couple towels and drove over. This resort is so special. We could never afford to stay here, at least not in a room that would provide us the kitchen I require, but it was nice to be invited to hang around with our friends and use the pool. They have this incredible infinity pool with a gradual entry that made for fun fun fun swimming. The little princesses and I played in the water with noodles and then they attacked King Steve like true princesses should. We spent a few hours having fun and chatting with old and new friends. We met Vader’s Jedi master and also learned the proper way to tell someone off. It was a great day. We even got to see TCIMike and TCILover again and I had to drag Steve away from Lover when it was time to leave. We went back to our room and had our friend Shaun over for a quick Vita Malt before we went to pick up Rick and Jen for dinner. We went to Mango Reef at Royal West Indies. We had a reservation for 7pm but got delayed and didn’t show up until almost 7:30 but no one seemed to mind at all. Dinner was fantastic as always. And the service here is some of the best on the island. Jean Luc was working and although we weren’t at his table he waited on us and did his usual fantastic job. Steve and I shared the Crispy Scallops appetizer ($14) which is just to die for. Fila dough wrapped around scallops and spinach and mushrooms in a creamy sauce, baked up crispy and then garnished with grilled scallops…SOOO GOOD!!! Rick and Jen had a tuna Carpaccio (sp?) appetizer that I got a taste of and was quite surprised that I liked it so much. Very yummy for raw fish J For dinners of course the Provobum got his Open Ravioli with Scallops and Shrimps, same creamy sauce with every vegetable in the kitchen, sheets of pasta over the top and sprinkled with crispy onions…yum. I had the Filet Mignon which is always perfectly cooked and is served with salad and fries (or veggies and potato). I forget what Rick and Jen had, I think she had grouper of some sort which she thought was delicious and I am totally drawing a blank on his meal but I can tell you they were impressed and enjoyed everything. Jean Luc, being the great guy that he is, brought us some sort of spicy teriyaki chicken to try and that was very tasty. And for a dessert he brought us a crème Brule to share, also very good. I love crème Brule on vacation, just makes everything seem even more special. Rick and Jen thought it was cool that we were being treated so well by Jean Luc. He is indeed a fabulous server and a good friend. Before we left we were surprised by our friend and her friend and had an after dinner drink with them which just made the whole evening perfect. Off to bed early cause tomorrow is our full day boat trip.
Day 3—Saturday April 18 This was one of our favorite days ever. I’ve wanted to do the full day boat trip for years now but every time I try there aren’t enough people to send a boat out. So this time we brought a crowd with us and were sure to have enough people on board. We went down to Caicos Dream Tours at The Alexandra by 8:45am and our boat and most of our friends were waiting. We were joined by Blamona and her princess along with Miss Jane and her Princess and their friend who we adore. Rick and Jen also joined us, we felt like we’d known them forever and we spent lots of time hanging out, I think Steve and Rick may have been separated at birth. Great people. Getting to spend the whole day with my newest BFF was the best part. Ramona you are so funny and so so much fun to hang out with. It was cloudy to start the day and we had a couple ladies from Canada who actually were all wrapped up and complaining of being cold. Provobum assured them that he was all the sunshine they needed and before long they were feeling much better. Delroy was our Captain and Ashlee was his mate. They were great. We were on our way by 9am, after Steve made them get more beer for the cooler LOL. Caicos Dream Tours does whatever it takes to make their customers happy and they ran up and brought down another 12 pack for the cooler. What great service. Our group wasn’t really interested in snorkeling but a few others on board were so we went out to the reef and grabbed a mooring. It was choppy on the sea this day and we were worried we’d end up in a bad spot but Delroy knew right where to go and it wasn’t so bad. After snorkeling at the reef for a while we headed out to the Caicos Bank to get some conchs. The clouds were still persisting and it held back the colors from shining like we knew they could but we still had a great time and lots of conchs were found. I thought they seemed smaller than in previous years. Steve found a really big one but it was dead already so we didn’t keep it. The sun was trying to come thru the clouds and here on the back side of the cays the water was calm so we went the back way over to Fort George Cay for our beach BBQ. I didn’t take as many pictures as I should have seeing how I was passing places I’d never seen before, but Miss Ramona was shutter happy and took lots. We arrived on the back of Fort George Cay just opposite of Dellis Cay and all the new construction there. It’s so sad that they are building such hideous homes over there. Close to each other and just sticking up out of paradise in such a wrong way. Couldn’t help but sing the Joni Mitchell song, “Pave paradise to put up a parking lot”. Caicos Dream Tours had a grille and picnic tables on the beach here and Delroy and Ashlee made haste putting together a delicious conch salad as an appetizer. The Provobum ate himself a conch worm and encourage the Tim Wakefield look alike to give it a try. We made some great friends on this trip…hi John and Monica if you are out there. For lunch we had BBQ’d chicken, corn on the cob, potatoes, garlic bread, fantastic grilled grouper in a yummy lite sauce and to die for chocolate chip brownies. There were also lots of chips and soda or water for those who weren’t drinking beer and/or rum punch. Lunch was fantastic, I can’t say that enough. After lunch and lounging we headed out to the other side of FortGeorge where the sand bar is and where there are lots of sand dollars to be found. The water was rough but lots of folks got in and snorkeled and some just went in for a swim. Then we went around to the back side of Half Moon Bay where the water was calm and we got to explore a bit. Big Water Cay and Little Water Cay used to be 2 separate cays until the 1960’s when hurricane Dona came in and joined them with this sandbar we all now know and love as HalfMoonBay. It’s a must do when visiting Provo. We dropped off a few guests at Nikki Beach Resort and then back to the Alexandra where we got to see Camke on the beach for a few minutes. It was a long day and we had plenty of lunch but it was now dinner time (gotta have enough food to soak up the rum punch and beer) so after showering and changing we went to Sharkbite at Turtle Cove Marina for yummy and yet casual dining. We’ve been a fan of this place for as long as we’ve been coming to Provo and we were not disappointed. The service is attentive and very on the ball, smiles and friendly nature from everyone in the place. We love the atmosphere here, it’s just a bar but it’s great for our needs. It’s clean and has a great vibe. And the food is always great at a reasonable price. The seating on the deck overlooking the water is so fun, being able to look down at the spotlights in the water and see the fishes swimming around. For food the Provobum and I shared some chili cheese fries and the famous homemade chips and salsa, delicious as usual. Rick had the jerk grouper sandwich and Jen had crab cakes and both of them were very pleased. Along with a few beers each we left stuffed and happy. We went for an IGA run before dropping Rick and Jen off at their resort and we ran into a road block along Leeward Highway. At one of the round-a-bouts, I think it was the Blue Hills one, there were lots of police cars and every car was being stopped and looked into. There were lots of cars pulled over at the sides of the road and several police officers standing in the road. They shined a flashlight in our car and smiled and waved us on. I guess we didn’t fit the description of who they were looking for. We found out the next day or so that they were looking for illegal’s and indeed had sent 150 people off island.
Day 4—Sunday April 19 We woke up early and had breakfast at Seaside Café again and then spent a few hours on the beach. It was still choppy and a bit windy but we didn’t mind. Around 10:30 we went over to say good-bye to our favorite new friend, Miss Ava and her Mom. LOL, we had so much fun with Blamona so we went to see her swanky resort and spend a few hours with her before she had to leave. She was staying at the Wymara/Gansevoort which was very swanky and nice. Crisp whites and beautiful blues accented with natural woods and modern architecture…very very nice place. But they were not so pleased with our little red cooler that goes with us everywhere, actually they didn’t mind the cooler so much as they minded the glass bottles inside it. No glass around the pool. We almost got kicked out but our friend Colin had our back and all was cool J Camke and her Princess came by and Miss Jane and her Princess were there and we lounged around on the little islands in the pool and had a wonderful morning until Blamona had to leave. So sad to say good-bye. We left there and made a quick run to the IGA for beer, which by the way has gone up a few dollars since last year. A case of Corona was now $47. Then we made our way over to the Alexandra to find Rick and Jen and hung around that beach with them and Camke for the rest of the afternoon. The water seemed calmer down at the Alexandra beach than at the OCW beach but I think it’s because the reef protects it a bit more. Gave thanks to the Lord for such a great day J For dinner Steve and I went back to Sharkbite since we had enjoyed ourselves so much the night before. Plus, all we really wanted was cheeseburgers and we know Sharkbite is the place to go for a great cheeseburger. We each had 2 beers, split an order of cracked conch and each had a burger and the total was $55. That’s our kind of dinner out, service with a smile, good food without breaking the bank, Priceless.
Day 5—Monday April 20 Finally got an internet connection in our room, just as we were about to give up. We skipped breakfast this morning which I regretted later in the day. GraceBay was starting to calm down and we decided it was time to fire up the blender. Sadly it began to leak as soon as I started using it. A call to housekeeping and within 30 minutes (which seemed like forever) we had a new blender. Brand new and it was nice. So we had Margaritas on the beach on an empty stomach. HA, not a good plan. I ended up napping for several hours while Provobum talked to himself and anyone else who would listen. I woke up with sunburned knees and blistered lips but surprisingly felt pretty good, especially after Provobum went and got me some chicken fingers from the Café. Reminder to self, eat breakfast every day. Steve went off with Shaun for a few hours while I showered and did some drunk posting on TA and then we headed over to The Alexandra for dinner with Rick and Jen. They cooked us fabulous fajitas and we got to watch the Bruins on the nice big flat screen TV at their place. We had a great day and the first one that we weren’t running all over the place. Thanks so much Jen and Rick for being such great hosts.
Day 6—Tuesday April 21 We made plans again with our new friends from the Rockies. GraceBay was flat like glass and it was time to snorkel. We went down to the Bight Reef at CoralGardens and spent an hour or so. I didn’t actually snorkel because the sun blistered lips wrapped around the snorkel and then dipped in sea water was really not my idea of fun. So I enjoyed the sun and sat on the beach drinking my diet cokes and swimming when I got hot. Steve took the camera with him the first time around the reef and then left the camera on the beach with me for their second go around. Wouldn’t you know on the second trip he got to hang with the turtles and of course he didn’t have the camera. He was sad to report that there seem to be less and less fish and sea life every year at this reef. Rick and Jenwere very pleased but they didn’t see it 6 years ago when all you had to do is walk in the water and be surrounded by fishes. After CoralGardens we went to Da Conch Shack for lunch. And thoroughly enjoyed our cracked conch and rice and peas. I say every year that this is my absolute favorite meal on the island. Toes in the sand and ocean right there, freshest most tender conch and fantastic service. Thanks to Jen and Rick picking up the tab I managed to get the Provobum to buy me a Da Conch Shack t-shirt which I love. After lunch we took Jenand Rick for ride down Chalk Sound Road so they could see how special it is. GraceBay was flat like glass but Chalk Sound had some good wind waves happening. It was interesting cause every time I’ve seen the sound it was flat and calm as can be. We made a quick stop at SapodillaBay just so our friends could see it and we were surprised with how warm the water was. Really warm. Too warm actually but I supposed after baking in the sun all day that few inches of water is bound to heat up. Steve and I watched the sunset from the beach at OCW and then headed off for dinner at Mango Reef. Can you tell we stick with what we like? Our server was Sadie and she was just at sweet and attentive as Jean Luc, who was at the bar and sent us a round of drinks because he’s such an angel. We had our usual, but this time I had the vegetables instead of the salad and I have to say the vegetables were so yummy and such a variety it was a good choice. We went home satisfied and tired.
Day 7—Wednesday April 22 Starting the day with a good breakfast being a top priority now we went over to The Orchid at The Alexandra for what we remembered being a great breakfast. We remembered correctly and that same 2 eggs, hash browns, bacon and toast is only $8 here and was way better than our breakfasts at Seaside Café. Lots of fruit garnish as well so I was happy. We saw Camke and also talked to John at Caicos Dream Tours to book a half day trip with friends the next day. We went back to OCW and fired up the blendah and had Margaritas on the beach for a few hours until the afternoon when we had to run to the airport and pick up some friends that were arriving from Boston. This day was especially hot, even the sand was hot and that is very rare here. The ocean was flat and calm and oh so perfect. We got back from the airport with Chris and Christine and let them unpack and settle in and then just about 5pm as we all got back on the beach for the last hours of the day it started to sprinkle, then rain, then pour. What a proper welcome for our friends. We all stayed in the ocean in the rain until we realized the radio and all our stuff was really getting soaked even under the umbrella. We ran back to our rooms to change and get ready for dinner. We went to go out for dinner and realized we had left the car windows down and the seats got soaked during the rain storm. Ooops. But the girls at the front desk called housekeeping and they brought us some towels and we dried everything right up. For dinner we went to Sharkbite. I told you its right up our alley for our food needs. Chris and Christine have been there before and they like it too so we all went and had a light dinner. I can’t remember what everyone had but I can tell you I had the best fish and chips…mmmm. I think it was grouper and it just melted in my mouth. Everyone was more than happy with their meals and the service was great. We stopped at the IGA on our way back to the resort so our friends could stock up and we could re-stock. A nice early night to bed. I guess I’m getting better at being so wordy J
Day 8—Thursday April 23 We booked a half day trip with Caicos Dream Tours because we so love going out with them. The Provobum said he’d rather spend his money with CDT vs. anything else on the island. It’s always worth the every penny with them. John goes out of his way to ensure happy customers and we’ve never had a bad day with them. Our friends from Boston joined us and also Rick and Jen. It was their last day and they loved the full day boat trip so much they decided to do the half day too. The ocean wasn’t as flat as it had been a few day earlier but it wasn’t nearly as rough as it was on our first day with CDT so we were happy. Our Captain was our friend Shaun and his mate was Licky. They worked great together. Shaun has a way of making everyone so comfortable and his boat handling skills along with his knowledge of the area really make him a special captain. We did the usual stop at the reef for snorkeling and then on to the Caicos Bank for conch. The sun was out and the bank had that glow to it that wasn’t there on the cloudy morning and we all just felt great. I had to drink my beer with a straw and maybe that helped. Everyone found lots of conch and we were off to the back side of HalfMoonBay for salad and exploring. We made our way over to the Bay itself and took a swim and enjoyed the sun. When we got back to the boat Licky was hard at work cleaning conch shells. He cleaned one for every person on the boat, without even being asked. What a nice thing to do, usually I clean my own shell and it’s a lot of work, so him doing it was a nice touch. While we sat on the boat eating our marvelous conch salad we Steve pointed out 3 pelicans sitting in the water just a bit off the back of the boat. I have a 3 little birds theme collection of photos so I got out my camera. Just in time too because they decided they would put on a show for us. They went up and did a half circle and then dove into the water for fish. It was great. They did it over and over again getting closer and closer to the boat each time. What a fantastic sight. We were all awe struck. Shaun smiled and said it’s his ability to be one with nature but I don’t think that was as much of a joke as he meant it to be. Every time we go out with him something special happens. He has some sort of secret connection with the wild life around there J As if that wasn’t enough of a perfect time Shaun then took us around to the front of Big Water Cay, close to shore and just passed Half Moon Bay. This location was gorgeous and I regret not taking pictures. I took hundreds and hundreds of pictures and still came home wishing I took more. The water wasn’t really calm but not really rough either. Everyone got to snorkel for sand dollars. Licky got in and found a bunch of them to show what to look for. Everyone on board was so happy to have this chance. Our group just had so much fun swimming around the boat, Provobum and Rick were climbing the boat and jumping off the roof (sorry John) and we all had the BEST time ever during this last hour. Every time we go out with Caicos Dream Tours it’s better than the last. Another must do for us. We got dropped off at The Alexandra beach and headed over to Turtle Cove Marina for a round at the Tiki Hut with Shaun and all our friends. It poured rain on us during the drive over but was over within minutes and the sun shone on. We hung around the marina and Tiki Hut for a couple hours and enjoyed the company of all our friends. Camke’s niece came along and we got to chat with her a bit too, she is such a beautiful girl and a second grade teacher too, what a good heart. After our fantastic day Steve and I went on our own over to Hemingway’s for dinner. Can you see a pattern here? We go where we know we will enjoy the food and the service without having to break the bank. Steve loves the Thai Chicken stir fry and I had fish and chips again. They use Mahi Mahi for their fish and chips and it was very good. We had Crème Brule for dessert; they have the best Crème Brule, even better than Mango Reef. We were in bed by 9pm.
Day 9—Friday April 24 Rick and Jen are leaving today and we were sad. We went over to Orchid at the Alexandra for our breakfast. Ada is a fun server, she loves my clothes evidently and when she said she wanted to make business with me I have to admit I was a bit nervous from the lack of understanding what exactly it was that she meant. LOL! We always enjoy our breakfasts there. Rick and Jen had left over groceries for us so we went up to their room and filled our cooler, and then we talked them into dropping their luggage off at the airport and coming and hanging out at OCW with us for a while before going back to board the plane. After some drinks in our room we returned them to the airport about an hour before their flight was to leave. We can’t say enough how much we loved hanging out with you Rick and Jen and can’t wait for our next adventures together. Slainte! After dropping them off at the airport we proceeded to get drunk on the beach at OCW with our Boston friends. The water was getting choppier and choppier but we had a great time. One of the high points of my day was that Christine bought me some Neosporin for my blistered lips and it made a big difference. The blistex just wasn’t helping and it was starting to be a real hindrance to my drinking abilities. For dinner Steve and I went to Mango Reef, knowing it was to be our last chance for those scrumptious scallops ammonierre until our next trip. We had our usual entrees without complaint. Samuel was our server and he wasn’t a good as Sadie or Jean Luc but we didn’t mind. Dinner here runs us just about $100 or so depending on drinks and dessert, and it’s our most expensive dinner excursion when we are on island. Back at our room we had friends who live on the island come and visit. We had a great night sitting on our screened in patio until almost midnight. I decided this night that I really do enjoy pinot grigio and BONUS…it didn’t hurt my blistered lips to drink it. Another perfect day with great friends.
Day 10—Saturday April 25 We woke up later than usual and then went off to have breakfast at Salt Mills Café or Diner. I think if you get take out at one side it’s the Café and the new side with inside seating was the Diner. This was THE best breakfast I ever had. It was wicked good. I got the usual 2 eggs yada yada meal for $9 but the best part was the Big Breakfast ($12) that Steve and Chris got which included 2 eggs, bacon and sausage, home fries and 2 pancakes. The pancakes were the best pancakes ever. Thick and kind of crunchy on the outside and I loved them so much. I don’t like syrup or butter on my pancakes so they have to have good flavor and these were just to die for. Christine had the fruit for $6 that was huge and looked fantastic as well. The diner itself reminded me of a Disney type restaurant with bright colors and an old fashioned diner appearance. There were booths and tables and stools at the counter. It was pretty neat. The bathrooms were even decorated beautifully. We liked it all. After a good breakfast it was time to drink. Steve went and got me a bottle of Pinot Grigio at the IGA for $17 and I was happy. We went down to the beach at OCW, the sun was out and it was a great day, except for the wind. It was extremely windy on the beach this day. The ocean was crashing and sand was blowing. Umbrellas couldn’t be up or they would blow away. Thankfully we had one of the huts on the beach, there were only maybe a half dozen or so brave souls trying to enjoy the beach. After a couple hours on the beach I wasn’t happy any more. Then it rained on us, (only for about 5 minutes) but we needed to do something else. Time to see the puppies. We went over to Turtle Tail and enjoyed the company of our good friends and all the puppies they foster. I fell in love with a beautiful little girl but wisely decided 2 dogs were more than enough in our house. After many glasses of wine and a gorgeous afternoon on Turtle Tail we went over to Neptune Villas to meet Shaun for dinner at Las Brisas. This is truly a special place. We got there before dark and got to really take in the atmosphere. It’s situated right on Chalk Sound with fantastic views all around. They have a gazebo up a bit higher than the restaurant that must have even better views. There were inside tables and outside along the patio tables to choose from. We were the only ones here so we picked to sit on the patio looking at the sunset. There was a couple in the gazebo and we didn’t want to crowd them so we enjoyed the great views of the sun setting over Chalk Sound from the deck outside. On one side they have a small beach front and I’ve read that they will allow you to swim there if having dinner or drinks. The pool is also pretty nice. Everything was new and had a great feeling to it. We had an appetizer of shrimp in a butter garlic sauce which was good but pricey ($14) for only 5 shrimp, I mean they could have at least an even number so it can be shared evenly. The menu was interesting in that it listed all different kinds of fish or meat to choose from and several ways to cook it and choices of sauces to go with. So I chose the grouper, cracked, with a lemon butter sauce that came as a dipping sauce. ($25) It came with fries. The beans and rice here were also pretty cool in that they served white jasmine rice with a side of black bean soup and I just made a hole in the middle of the rice and a pool of soup inside it. It was very good. Steve had a filet that he enjoyed and Shaun had the Ratatouille which I can’t wait to go back and try. It looked fantastic. We really enjoyed everything here and the service was great, but if it wasn’t I would have been upset since we were literally the only table. After dinner we went for a ride with Shaun and he took us to a pool hall near Five Cays. I think it was called Club 2005. Very small pool hall with 2 pool tables, a few video games and a small bar. The girls at the bar were really nice and we felt very comfortable here even though we did stand out as “the tourists”. Steve and Shaun played a few rounds of pool and then we went back to Neptune Villas where we left our rental car only to discover the gates were closed. Oh oh…luckily they weren’t locked and we were able to open them. When we got over to Las Brisas parking area we were greeted rather harshly by someone who was not happy we had left the car there. I don’t think he realized we had dinner there first. We felt bad but not THAT bad. It was only maybe 11pm.
Day 11—Sunday April 26 We went off early to Salt Mills Diner for another great breakfast. Since it was Sunday they had a bit of a different menu with prices all a few dollars higher and a complimentary mimosa or bloody mary with your meal. Not so complimentary since they raised the prices. The $12 big breakfast was now $14. There was no 2 egg meal on the Sunday menu so I had to get the big breakfast. But I managed to eat all but one pancake which made a nice snack later in the day. After breakfast we went to Grants Texaco and filled our gas tank. Gas was $3.56 per gallon. After all the driving we did this week we only used $30 of gas. Not bad. It rained off an on all day this day. We brought Chris and Christine to the airport and said good bye to them and then watched the rain from our patio. We were invited to a Princesses birthday party on the croquet lawn at The Somerset and the rained seemed to break just in time. We drove over and approached the bouncy house and noticed just how underdressed we were. We stood and looked for a few minutes and then decided we felt too awkward to go in with our bathing suits under our shorts. Maybe we should go change, and just as we thought we had made our escape to the car I heard Camke yelling “Laura, Laura”. Busted. I guess we’ll be staying no matter how under dressed we are. I’m glad Camke stopped us because this was quite the affair and I wouldn’t have wanted to miss it. The Princess didn’t even notice if we were there or not because she was having so much fun with her court. She had a beautiful little mermaid themed cake and there was wine and soda and food for all. What a party. We sat with Camke for a while as the rained came and went and we watched as the food was brought out and then in and then out again with each clearing of the sky. It was quite fun really. I’m glad Camke busted us before we made our escape. We went back to our room and watched as the rain clouds moved in and then poured rain and then cleared up only to make room for more rain clouds. We ran to the pool between showers and swam a bit and frankly had a nice relaxing day, although a nice sunny day on the beach wouldn’t have been bad either. Joni and Chachi (chicagotriman and his wife) arrive during the day and we had planned on meeting them at Hemingway’s for dinner. We made reservations for inside under the roof just incase the rain persisted. It was so nice to see our friends and catch up on all that this past year has brought. We had a few drinks and a lovely dinner, one of my favorites of the trip. I had seared Tuna with tomato and basil that was scrumptious. I had never tried tuna as a steak before but Rick had it earlier in the week and I tried a bite and couldn’t wait to come back and have it myself. I was not disappointed. Steve had his usual and I don’t remember what everyone else had but we all enjoyed dinner. Of course we all shared the crème brule for dessert. We made plans to see Joni and Chachi in the morning and pass off all our left over beers etc to them before we left. We got back to our room and packed. As soon as we had finished there was a knock at the door and our great friend Shaun was there to hang out on our last night in town. He brought me a picture of his son and I thought that was pretty cool. We had a great time talking and listening to music. We got to meet his friend Isabelle who works on a boat called Atabara (I think that’s what it was) and she was great fun too. All in all another great ending to another great day.
Day 12—Monday April 27 Heavy sigh. We packed everything last night so we could get up and enjoy as much of our last day as possible. At 7am the sun was shining and I was at the beach. The sea was still choppy but the wind had died down a bit. Joni and Chachi came by around 9am and joined us on the beach for an hour before we went to our room and filled their cooler with all our leftovers, I’m afraid we corrupted Chachi a bit as he and Steve did the last shots of our Patron around 10am. LOL We said good bye for another year to our good friends and checked out. We mistakenly thought we had to check out by 11 but had until 12 if we wanted. No biggie. We went to the airport and checked our luggage and were told we should be back by 2:30 to board our flight scheduled to depart at 2:50. We went to Da Conch Shack and met Miss Jane and Mr. Colin for our final lunch. It was very windy, we started at a table outside on the deck but before our friends arrived we moved inside to get away from the wind. I had a couple glasses of wine and a combo plate that included conch fritters and cracked conch. It was my first time having conch fritters since the dreaded dirty banana day several years ago. They were delicious and I was glad I gave them another shot. After a wonderful yet sad lunch we said good bye to our friends with hopes of seeing them again in October and headed off to the airport. Our flight was delayed at least 30 minutes and we wished we hadn’t gone thru security. Eventually we boarded and then sat in the plane another 20 or so minutes as the flight was delayed by the Provo health department, according to the captains’ announcement. Finally we left and headed on to Miami where we had to hustle thru customs and the airport to reach our next flight just in time. We arrived in Boston only about 40 minutes later than scheduled. The only good thing about coming home was that the air was warm. The next day at home actually reached 90.
Well that’s my trip report for our 2009 trip. If I’m lucky I’ll get to go back again before the year is out. Final thoughts…
Blamona is wicked cool. We need to go to Colorado and meet the world largest leprechaun. Trip Advisor Addicts are always fun to meet. Sometime the left works better. King Spliff rules. I like wine on the beach. ALWAYS eat breakfast. Next time get zinc for my lips. Beware of stalkers. Steve is all the sunshine anyone needs. Pack a carry on incase of lost luggage. Charlotte is way better than Miami. No glass bottles around swanky pools. Stay longer next time.
About the crime everyone is worried concerned with…I have not read all the posts since we’ve got back but the Provobum has filled me in on all the worries people are having. I want to say that I personally never felt uncomfortable or unsafe in any way. We noticed a lot more police presence than ever before and I heard that the paper was filled with horrible events so therefore I wouldn’t read it. I am very sorry for those who have had trouble but I won’t let it stop me from visiting my favorite place on earth. Terrible things happen everywhere; these islands are recovering from lots of turmoil within their government. The downturn in economy is having an effect on the population but I believe that with the new government changes this too will pass and I will be back as often as possible. The locals on this island have always made us feel welcome and at home and never unsafe.
Be decent and proper… Peace and blessings to all. |
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