My family of four and my sister and her husband returned to beautiful VG last month.
The black stretch limo picked us up at 5:30 am and we were on our way. The kids were so thrilled with the limo ride . . . we could save a lot of money by just hiring a limo for the day and driving them around our neighborhood!?!?
A smooth uneventful flight on Jet Blue to San Juan and a rush to make our AirSunshine connection. We (the 4 Moseleys) got on a flight right away but poor Kym and PD were put on a later flight that stopped at two other islands, landing them in VG several hours after us. After signing on for our Mahogany Jeep rental (I think we got the same exact jeep as last year?!) we headed over to Flying Iguana for our first Painkiller of the trip . . . yummm . . . thanks Puck! When we discovered that Kym and PD’s plane would be in much later, we headed over to the villa to get unpacked and settled.
Our villa, Open Deck, had 3 bedrooms, 3 baths (each with an outdoor shower), well-appointed kitchen, large covered outdoor dining and living room area and a beautiful pool. The view over Mahoe Bay to Tortola is amazing.
We spent our first day at the Baths . . . got stuck behind a horde of [censored] but let them get far enough in front of us that we were able to enjoy the wonder that is The Baths . . . you think you’d be under-whelmed the third time maneuvering through these huge boulders but I was still awe struck! Headed down the return path and enjoyed an ice cream (kids) and several Painkillers (big kids!) at Mad Dogs. After lunch at the villa, we headed for Mount Trunk Bay for some snorkeling and relaxing. I think this is the best spot for beautiful coral formations . . the purple sea fans and brain coral blew me away!
Next day we dropped off some donated educational charts at the primary school than explored the Copper Mines. Went to Pond Bay . . . deserted and beautiful as ever. The surf had kicked up so no snorkeling but some fun body surfing. Mini-golf and dinner at the Mineshaft ended a perfect Friday (Morris Mark serenaded us with his unique island songs).
Saturday we took the ferry over to Bitter End . . . after a free painkiller there (both boys received the Drinking Mans Guide to the BVIs for Christmas and made good use of them!) we walked over to Fat Virgin Café for lunch . . . yum! The kids spotted a huge iguana on the walk over. Next we boated over to Saba Rock via their ferry. More Drinking Mans Guide freebies and exploration of this nice little resort. Their marine pool had some fun fish and eels that thrilled the kids.
Sunday we all went to Big Trunk Bay, or Secret Beach as we call it. This is by far the most spectacular beach . . it’s like a postcard. The surf was still quite rough so no swimming but fun exploring. A steady rainfall forced us to pack up and start the walk back. It did stop after a bit so Kym and PD decided to go back and the rest of us headed over to Leverick Bay for lunch and a swim in their pool. We then drove down to the Jumbie Beach Shack, a local place over by the Hurricane Hole beach, where Fiona was thrilled to find piles of conch shells. We headed back to Mahoe via the back road . . . a bit bumpy, but the views from this side of the mountain are amazing.
Monday we took the ferry over to Anegada. We rented a Land Rover and explored this sunken island. Weather was a bit damp but we were able to get a nice feel for this place . . . had a drink at Cow Wreck Beach Bar then tried to find some Flamingos. We did spot them across the pond but couldn’t get close enough for a good photo. On to Big Bamboo for lunch and relaxing in the hammocks. I love the vibe of this place! Another Drinking Mans Guide cocktail and I was ready to snorkel, even in the rain and cool weather! It was a bit rough and churned up but I could tell it must be amazing when calm. I was about to head in when a man pointed out a turtle to us . . . yeah!
Tuesday we enjoyed lunch at Nail Bay’s Sugarcane and the kids enjoyed swimming in their pool and sipping virgin painkillers at their swim-up bar. That afternoon the girls headed down to Long Bay for some shelling and the boys showed up for sunset with Caribs and Painkillers.
Wednesday was our last morning and we squeezed in one last snorkel at Mahoe Bay. Once again, just as I was heading in, Scott spotted a turtle! I tried tailing it while Scott went to get the kids but he took of once he met up with a buddy. When I surfaced to tell Scott I’d lost them I realized I was WAY out . . a small panic attack was had!
We didn’t eat out as much this trip . . . our villa was so beautiful and Scott and Paul such amazing chefs that we were most content to enjoy dinners on our patio, soaking in the sunsets.
It was quite windy the afternoon we flew back to San Juan . . . Puck helped calm my fears with some of his amazing drinks (liquid courage)! When I questioned the Air Sunshine pilot, Neville, about the winds, he said, “Young pilots hate the wind, and old pilots love the wind.” “So Neville,” I asked. “What are you?” “Been flying for 12 years,” he replied. Phewww…. It was actually a very smooth flight!
We spent one night in Old San Juan at the Hotel El Convento. We were all charmed with the city .. a feeling of old Europe mixed with New Orleans. The hotel was beautiful and very well situated for exploring the city.
Another amazing trip to this beautiful, quiet, friendly island. It's most certainly NOT for everyone . . . there are no casinos, no major shopping, no high-rise resorts, no american chain restaurants . . . but that's what WE love about it!
photo link:
…smugmug.com/gallery/…480217664_o8ZQE
