A Perfect Day
Posted by Peggy Yalman at 8/27/2010 12:30 AM 
Categories: Peggy Yalman, Recreation, Travel
Tags: Tortola St. John Caribbean Virgin Gorda St. Thomas
Categories: Peggy Yalman, Recreation, Travel
Tags: Tortola St. John Caribbean Virgin Gorda St. Thomas
My friend, Kathy, and I were picked up at 6:30 am outside our hotel by Rachel Brown, our local taxi driver we had befriended, and driven 30 minutes over the mountain from Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas to the city at the other end of the island, Red Hook. It was Saturday morning so the traffic was light and there were no delays which was good because we were supposed to be at the American Yacht Harbor before 7:30 to board the small motorboat we were taking for a day's excursion to the Baths at Virgin Gorda. Virgin Gorda is a small island in the British Virgin Islands which has caves formed by giant bolders that rolled into place thousands of years ago. Kathy and I had been to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands twice before, but had not ventured into the BVI and were looking forward to expanding our Caribbean horizons.
Captain Al was a wonderful man who had been sailing for over 30 years and had moved his wife and two grown sons to the Virgin Islands ten years ago. He captained the motor boat on this Virgin Gorda trip every day he had paying customers. On this Saturday there were only 4 paying guests - Kathy and I plus a young couple from Tennessee. Captain Al's co-captain, Theresa, was also on board as well as the two sons - Charlie and Ray and their girlfriends. So, the entire party on the small motor boat numbered 10.
We took off from St. Thomas around 8 am and headed across the water towards St. John fifteen minutes away. Captain Al and Theresa steered the boat all way down the coast of St. John and across the line in the water (only seen on boating charts) to another country, the British VI. We then rode down the length of Tortola which I had never seen before. Tortola had beautiful beaches and scattered homes in the hills but a lot of the island looked uninhabited. Captain Al pointed out the elementary school on the water, banana plantation, a few hotels. Other islands could be seen from the boat as we traveled the coastline of Tortola but they were very small and had only one or two houses on them. One island had been purchased by the owner of Monster.com. Interesting.
Beyond Tortola was the island of Virgin Gorda. We docked at the pier in Spanishtown As Captain Al said, "Spanishtown is neither Spanish nor a town." This was our port of entry into the BVI so Theresa gathered our passports and went off to clear us at customs while we were given 20 minutes to use the bathrooms (the boat had a head but always better to use facilities on land!) and check out the stores. Spanishtown was really just a few stores and eating establishments set up for the tourists. On this Saturday in August we were the only tourists roaming around the port which we were told was highly unusual because in the high season there were boatloads of tourists brought over to see the Baths.
Back on the boat we moved closer to the Baths. The boat was moored about 100 yards from the beach and we all donned our snorkel gear and jumped off the boat into the warm, blue water to swim into the Virgin Gorda shore. Once on land Theresa took our gear so we wouldn't be hampered by flippers and goggles while Captain Al toured us through the Baths. He turned out to be very knowledgable about the history of the Baths and he explained the formations to us as he guided us over boulders, through caves, up great heights and down into warm standing water.
When we climbed out of the Baths Theresa was waiting with our snorkel gear which we put on before diving into the water for our swim back to the boat. The return trip was more exciting than the trip into the beach - there were hundreds of fish and at one point we entered a fishbowl - a place where the fish converge and it is like swimming in an aquarium with tropical fish of all colors and sizes surrounding you as you swim through. Truly exciting!
Back on the boat our thoughts turned to food as it was time for lunch. Captain Al drove the boat about 20 minutes away from Virgin Gorda to Cooper Island, an island with one hotel and restaurant on it. In fact the 20 inhabitants of Cooper Island all work at this one establishment. The ten of us eagerly sat at a long wooden table in the open air restaurant and were instantly served our meals because wisely Captain Al had phoned our orders ahead. My maki sandwich and Heinekin were delicious! And even more enjoyable was the company - 10 folks enjoying food, drinks, the warm air, the blue ocean, laughter, comraderie. What a wonderful meal!!!!
But the day wasn't over yet! Captain Al drove us to the middle of Francis Drake Bay to a reef composed of 3 very large rocks sticking out of the ocean he called "The Indians" because they resembled Indian headdresses. He told us to put on our snorkel gear once again for a treat of a lifetime. We snorkeled in a group slowly around the reef and saw more fish and coral and underwater life than I will ever see again in one place. It was truly stunning. Captain Al told us that he thought it was the best snorkeling spot he had ever seen. And I agree! It was the best view of ocean life one can see without paying aquarium admission!
Now we were getting tired, but the leisurely boat ride back to St. John to the American customs office was beautiful. The sun had changed position and the water was turning golden. I sat back with another beer and enjoyed the salt air, the warm temperature, the beautiful vista of water and islands and my new friends.
In St. John we each had to stand before a customs officer who asked us where we were staying, did we buy anything on the BVI, and did we have a good day. The 10 of us got through customs in about 15 minutes. Of course we were lucky that we were the only ones there!
Our last leg home to St. Thomas was a time to think over the day - the sea, the sun, the fish, the pelicans, the Baths, the reef, the Mahi, the beer, the Captain, the boat... "What a perfect day!" sang the chorus of 10!!!!
Real Estate Hint - August is the slowest month of the year in Real Estate! Everyone's on vacation!!!!!
Captain Al was a wonderful man who had been sailing for over 30 years and had moved his wife and two grown sons to the Virgin Islands ten years ago. He captained the motor boat on this Virgin Gorda trip every day he had paying customers. On this Saturday there were only 4 paying guests - Kathy and I plus a young couple from Tennessee. Captain Al's co-captain, Theresa, was also on board as well as the two sons - Charlie and Ray and their girlfriends. So, the entire party on the small motor boat numbered 10.
We took off from St. Thomas around 8 am and headed across the water towards St. John fifteen minutes away. Captain Al and Theresa steered the boat all way down the coast of St. John and across the line in the water (only seen on boating charts) to another country, the British VI. We then rode down the length of Tortola which I had never seen before. Tortola had beautiful beaches and scattered homes in the hills but a lot of the island looked uninhabited. Captain Al pointed out the elementary school on the water, banana plantation, a few hotels. Other islands could be seen from the boat as we traveled the coastline of Tortola but they were very small and had only one or two houses on them. One island had been purchased by the owner of Monster.com. Interesting.
Beyond Tortola was the island of Virgin Gorda. We docked at the pier in Spanishtown As Captain Al said, "Spanishtown is neither Spanish nor a town." This was our port of entry into the BVI so Theresa gathered our passports and went off to clear us at customs while we were given 20 minutes to use the bathrooms (the boat had a head but always better to use facilities on land!) and check out the stores. Spanishtown was really just a few stores and eating establishments set up for the tourists. On this Saturday in August we were the only tourists roaming around the port which we were told was highly unusual because in the high season there were boatloads of tourists brought over to see the Baths.
Back on the boat we moved closer to the Baths. The boat was moored about 100 yards from the beach and we all donned our snorkel gear and jumped off the boat into the warm, blue water to swim into the Virgin Gorda shore. Once on land Theresa took our gear so we wouldn't be hampered by flippers and goggles while Captain Al toured us through the Baths. He turned out to be very knowledgable about the history of the Baths and he explained the formations to us as he guided us over boulders, through caves, up great heights and down into warm standing water.
When we climbed out of the Baths Theresa was waiting with our snorkel gear which we put on before diving into the water for our swim back to the boat. The return trip was more exciting than the trip into the beach - there were hundreds of fish and at one point we entered a fishbowl - a place where the fish converge and it is like swimming in an aquarium with tropical fish of all colors and sizes surrounding you as you swim through. Truly exciting!
Back on the boat our thoughts turned to food as it was time for lunch. Captain Al drove the boat about 20 minutes away from Virgin Gorda to Cooper Island, an island with one hotel and restaurant on it. In fact the 20 inhabitants of Cooper Island all work at this one establishment. The ten of us eagerly sat at a long wooden table in the open air restaurant and were instantly served our meals because wisely Captain Al had phoned our orders ahead. My maki sandwich and Heinekin were delicious! And even more enjoyable was the company - 10 folks enjoying food, drinks, the warm air, the blue ocean, laughter, comraderie. What a wonderful meal!!!!
But the day wasn't over yet! Captain Al drove us to the middle of Francis Drake Bay to a reef composed of 3 very large rocks sticking out of the ocean he called "The Indians" because they resembled Indian headdresses. He told us to put on our snorkel gear once again for a treat of a lifetime. We snorkeled in a group slowly around the reef and saw more fish and coral and underwater life than I will ever see again in one place. It was truly stunning. Captain Al told us that he thought it was the best snorkeling spot he had ever seen. And I agree! It was the best view of ocean life one can see without paying aquarium admission!
Now we were getting tired, but the leisurely boat ride back to St. John to the American customs office was beautiful. The sun had changed position and the water was turning golden. I sat back with another beer and enjoyed the salt air, the warm temperature, the beautiful vista of water and islands and my new friends.
In St. John we each had to stand before a customs officer who asked us where we were staying, did we buy anything on the BVI, and did we have a good day. The 10 of us got through customs in about 15 minutes. Of course we were lucky that we were the only ones there!
Our last leg home to St. Thomas was a time to think over the day - the sea, the sun, the fish, the pelicans, the Baths, the reef, the Mahi, the beer, the Captain, the boat... "What a perfect day!" sang the chorus of 10!!!!
Real Estate Hint - August is the slowest month of the year in Real Estate! Everyone's on vacation!!!!!
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