Lynn's Caribbean Travels

British Virgin Islands

2008-07-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

Looking for a different kind of adventure in the Caribbean? Try a sailing vacation with a crewed yacht. You can visit several different islands on one vacation, lie out on deck and enjoy the sun and the stars, swim, snorkel, and of course, sail the gorgeous seas. And the best part is that your cabin and galley are always with you so you can snooze, eat and drink along the way – like a turtle carrying his home on his back.

The British Virgin Islands cater almost exclusively to sailors or want-to-be sailors. On Tortola, the main island of the BVIs, there are several marinas that are home base for charter boat companies. In fact, Tortola is lauded to be the island where the bare boat charter business began with The Moorings, www.moorings.com in July 4, 1969 by Charlie Cary and his wife Ginny. The Moorings is today the premier charter yacht company winning awards from Travel & Leisure and Cruising World magazines. The Moorings boats are top of the line and the service is excellent. However, there are other quality charter boat companies located in Tortola, such as Horizon Yacht Charters, www.horizonyachtcharters.com located at Nanny Cay, and Sunsail Sailing Vacations www.sunsail.com at Hodges Creek Marina.

The great thing about sailing the BVI’s is that the seas are fairly mild and most of the islands are close enough to each other that you can sail to more than one of them in a single day. Some of the islands are privately-owned and public docking is not permitted. However, most of the islands are accessible to vacationing sailors.

The island of Anegada is off the beaten track – at 14 miles away -- and requires a full day sail, but this gem of an island has a never-ending beach that practically circles the island. [Insert picture here] Anegada means “drowned island” and is an all-coral atoll with the highest point at just 28 feet. This island is so flat that you practically sail right up to it before you see it. There is a Horseshoe Reef which sadly became a grave for over 300 unsuspecting ships that wrecked off this island in years gone by. Now, the island has a small village with schools, a clinic, police and fire stations and a couple of small restaurants.

The best eating spots, however, are the beachside grills that feature the delicious Anegada lobsters. Hungry folks can chow down right on the beach barefoot and in bathing suits. The pace is so relaxed and with no other land in sight, you truly feel as if you are at the edge of the world. In fact, you may sail up to Anegada and never want to leave.

Another not-to-be-missed spot is the exclusive Guana Island, a private island with a small upscale resort for only 30 guests – www.guana.com. Guana Island was once a sugar cane plantation owned by American Quakers. Now, the present-day owners have a keen interest in establishing Guana Island as a true nature preserve and wildlife sanctuary. The resort is closed to the public for several weeks each year, and the resort hosts conferences for the world’s most distinguished naturalists, botanists, biologists, and other scientists who gather there to study the island’s unique natural history. These scientists have declared that Guana Island has the “richest fauna known for an island its size anywhere in the West Indies and possibly in the world.” Guana Island is home to a myriad of plants and the Caribbean roseate flamingo, the land turtle, and the Anegada iguana, which was once found throughout the BVI and Puerto Rico, but now lives only on Anegada and Guana Island.

While you could drop anchor near Guana Island and swim ashore (the beaches are all public), a better bet is to tie up to a pubic buoy in Monkey Bay which is spitting distance to Guana Island. Monkey Bay is a MUST for those who love to snorkel. The waters are teeming with underwater life and you’ll eyeball huge schools of angelfish, five foot tarpons, nurse sharks, turtles, parrotfish, blue tangs, basically every coral reef delight.

Norman Island – www.normanisland.com -- is a great first stop after leaving Tortola on your sailing adventure, as it is a quick sail across the Sir Francis Drake Channel. Land is always in sight and there is a fun pirate themed restaurant/BAR waiting as soon as you dock – www.normanislandpirates.com. Norman Island is also famous for The Caves—a great snorkeling spot where you can swim right into three Dark geological formations (The Caves) or hover about outside them (which I prefer) and marvel at the schools of colorful fish darting about.

After lunching on Norman, head over in your dinghy and tie up to the Willie T, a floating schooner turned boat bar. The Willie T is a restaurant too, so you can enjoy rotis, conch fritters and hamburgers as you make your way through the margaritas, bushwackers and pain killers while the reggae rhythm pumps through your veins. Sit on the red railing and gaze down into the crystal clear waters to smile at the giant sting rays and other sea life flitting about waiting for dropped tidbits of food. If you stay into the evening, more folks cruise up and climb aboard and the party gets rocking. This infamous pirate bar is actually in the BVIs waters but the emerald hills and coastline of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands are right before your eyes. It is like straddling two countries at once.

Next up is Peter Island. This island features a world class resort but its highlight is Deadman’s Bay, a fabulous BVI beach.

Virgin Gorda is the island farthest on the horizon -- http://www.britishvirginislands.com/vg.htm Virgin Gorda, which means “fat virgin” is famous for The Baths, a mysterious grouping of boulders and rock formations that stagger upon each other in unusual artistic proportions. Unfortunately, The Baths have become a bit over-run with cruise ship tourists. Although you should still dock in Spanish Town and head over to The Baths to wander through the rocky maze, once you are done, get back on board and sail over to the North Sound, home to numerous resorts, restaurants, bars, and beaches. Here you can try some windsurfing, kayaking, and kiteboarding for a little extra excitement.

Saba Rock, located in the North Sound right next to Virgin Gorda, is a sweet little island—and the only thing on it is a restaurant and a museum. Basically you can eat lunch and enjoy the 360 degree water views.

Tortola – since you must start and end your trip on this beautiful British isle, try to plan your visit around a Full Moon. That is because Tortola is the home of the most famous and off the hook Full Moon party at Bomba’s Beach Shack -- www.bombasurfsideshack.com. Dock at Sopher’s Hole and take a taxi to Apple Bay for the all night fete with a jamming reggae band – beware the Bomba punch and mushroom tea—you might miss an entire day of sailing trying to recover!

Spend a day heading up the North West coast of Tortola to Cane Garden Bay. There is easy anchoring there although the sea can be a bit rolly at times. Dinghy up to Quitos, the bright yellow restaurant/bar on the beach. Quitos is the place to be on Saturday nights with Quito and his band offering up excellent reggae music while you dance your cares away.

For lunch, walk down the gorgeous beach and stop at Myetts. The conch fritters are excellent and the key lime pie is the best on the islands. You could spend an entire day lolling about on Cane Garden Bay, but make sure no cruise ships are in that day, otherwise you will see plenty of day trippers crowding the beach and Myetts. If it is a cruise ship day, then grab a taxi and head over to Josiah’s Bay.

Josiah’s Bay offers a great surf beach from January to early April. The waves are perfect for beginners as well as die-hard surfers, but the sandy bottom makes it ideal for surf lessons. You can rent boards right on the beach and teach yourself or hire a local to teach you. Trust me, you’ll be inspired when you see those ten-year-olds hopping up on those boards and riding those waves in.

Afterwards, enjoy a hot lunch, a cold beer and relax and stare at the glistening silver blue waves. Fall asleep under a thatched roof shelter on the silky white sand, wake up, and make your way back to your boat. A perfect day!

If you have time, check out Jost Van Dyke, www.b-v-i.com/JostVanDyke. White Bay, which has the absolute whitest sand I have ever seen on a beach, is the home of the Soggy Dollar Bar, named because you have to swim ashore and your money will get wet—plastic baggies are recommended. This is a great hang out spot. There is an adventure tour company on the beach with ATVs to rent for exploring the island and trampolines and other water toys to indulge in.

This sailing vacation can be the most relaxing time you ever spent in the Caribbean. There is just something idyllic about sailing the seas and waking up surrounded by clear blue waters. Dive in first thing for a wake up bath. Make sure and purchase a tee shirt that says “Sail Fast, Live Slow.” That could be your new life’s motto.

Check out these web sites for more info on the BVIs:

www.britishvirginislands.com

www.bviwelcome.com

Kayaking/Fishing in Prospect, Carriacou, May 11, 2008 (Sunday afternoon)

2008-05-19T21:52:00.000-07:00

Without even stopping for lunch, Kendall and I pack up our snorkeling ear, grab my kayak paddle and his fishing line, and head out for a Sunday afternoon on the sea. We walk across the narrow dirt road from our house and scramble down the dusty hill to the secluded beach, three minutes from our front porch. While I climb into the single, blue Riot kayak and paddle out to the reefs, Guana walks along the rocky shoreline to find the perfect spot for fishing. We are parallel to each other and I wave my paddle in greeting. He waves back. All is well in green guana land.

This is my absolute favorite way to spend an afternoon in Carriacou. While Guana fishes, for what hopefully will be our dinner, I kayak surf the waves. When I get tired of that, I don mask, snorkel and fins and dive underwater to explore. The reefs around Carriacou are teaming with sea life. I see parrot fish, sergeant majors, squid, conch (lambi) nestled on the bottom of the sea floor, oh, and is that a shark?

Yes, indeed, that large fish is a nurse shark. I know they are pretty quiet fish that do not bother humans, but a shark is a shark, right? I climb back into that kayak mighty quick. I giggle to myself. I continue snorkeling, but this time from the safety of my kayak. Basically, I stick my masked face in the water while my body is ensconced in the relative safety of my blue plastic wedge.

I love the brain coral and the mighty rocks underwater. I see schools of fish, pretty blue and yellow ones, black ones with white polka dots, tons of tiny silver fish that they call sprat and which, when caught by the dozens in a net, make great fish cakes. Alas, Guana does not catch anything. He says his bait is crabby. Or was that crappy. But we have a ball. We exchange spots and he takes to the kayak, while I lie on some burnt orange rocks with my hat pulled low and I read a book, as he kayaks around the calm waters with the sun casting a red-orange and pink glow all over the sea. A tiny bananaquit flits in the tree tops above me. I am blissfully content. Ok, we have no fish for dinner, and I am getting mighty hungry and thirsty, but life is good. It is definitely irie.

Hiking at Sabazan Beach, Carriacou, May 11, 2008 (Sunday morning)

2008-05-19T21:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother’s Day! Another gorgeous day in paradise. The haziness of last week has long worn off, and the sun is shining through cloudless skies giving the sea and sky an impressive clarity that is almost blinding in their beauty. How I do love to rave over the Caribbean’s precious and free commodity. I never get tired of gazing at the sea on days like this. I can quite literally just lean up against a coconut tree and not move for hours as I contemplate how Van Gogh would paint this Caribbean sea and sun with his swirls of blues and yellows.

Kendall, whose nickname is Guana and I use them interchangeably, has decided that we are taking the entire day off (yippee!) from working on our www.greenguana.com site and we are heading off into the wilderness. In this case, it is to Carriacou’s south side. A hiking trip. Cool. We eat a hot breakfast of fresh, homemade wheat bakes (which he makes himself!) and cheese and tea with lots of brown sugar and lime, then pack up bottles of water and head off. I know there will be a beach somewhere around, so I put on a bathing suit under my shorts and tank top.

Guana, on the other hand, wears rugged cargo shorts with lots of pockets (thank the lord!) so I can give him my water bottle to stick in one of his many pockets. I am such a spoiled baby. I wonder if he’ll ever figure it out and one day leave me with all the gear to carry. I bank on his traditional island man mentality of being the strong “man” in charge, only when it suits me. I also bank on him not reading these blog entries. He’s so busy designing web sites for his web business that I expect that he’s only posting these blogs and not actually reading them.

Okay, we drive up to Six Roads in Carriacou and pick one of the six dirt roads that meander out from the hexagonal crossroads. The road we choose is taking us to Sabazon Beach, a lovely deserted area, but sadly, it also takes us first past the unsightly island “dump” where the garbage is placed in an unseemly and dangerous “mess!” I close my eyes as we go past because I cannot stand to see the stray papers flying about and I wish with all my heart that the Grenada government would figure out a better way to dispose of the island’s trash in this modern age. Alas, a future project for me to work on.

We quickly past the dump and continue rocking and rolling along the rutted dirt road, where cattle wander freely and we have to lean out the car windows to shoo them off the road. We are playing a Bob Marley CD and singing along to One Love, as a compromise since I am not into Guana’s loud, heavy bass-driving Jamaican dancehall music and he does not want to hear my Trini soca. Never mind, we can each play whatever we want when we are cooking. That is the house rule, “whoever cooks gets to jam whatever he or she wants.” So far, that works fine for me. But when Guana is cooking, I am usually working and I am easily distracted (ADHD victim and all), so he has to wear headphones! Oh, stop feeling sorry for him. I have a serious disorder!

We get to Sabazon Beach and park the jeep. Then we walk down the beach and hike up a dirt path that crosses over several medium size hills of scrub vegetation. This part of the island is very dry and cactuses abound, along with other prickly bushes and branches which Guana expertly chops away with his machete as we hike along. When, after seeing nothing but dry land and prickly bushes for about fifteen minutes, we climb along a ridge and break through the brush, with the help of Guana and his machete, there before us is the expansive glorious Caribbean Sea. From up here we peer over the cliff edge to the reefs below and we can see rocks and coral and fish and off shore islands and I am simply dazzled by the beauty of it all. See the pics for yourself.

Guana makes me perch near the edge of the cliff for pictures and then makes me climb up on a dry rotting branch to take more pictures and I almost fall off, well, actually I tumble off, and we laugh and giggle at how much fun everything is and we have yet to meet another person anywhere on the beach or on our hike. Doesn’t anyone else want to enjoy this beauty, or do they all take it for granted?

Guana tells me stories of how when he was a boy, he and many other children would come here every day in the summer holidays to fish and climb rocks and cook over firewood on the beach and the water was even bluer he says because the soil wasn’t eroding into the sea as it is now, and how it was the best of times. I could only imagine the screams and laughter of children playing on the rocks below. Right now, it is utterly silent except for the sound of the sea splashing against the rocks.

We hike further along for about half and hour, until we reach a large grassy pasture where we sit and relax enjoying the panoramic view of Carriacou. From where we are, we can see all the way to Windward and there is Petit Martinique and Petit St. Vincent (PSV) across the sea. And then, right near the village of Mt. Pleasant (which is in a valley actually!), we see a small deserted, blue water, white sand beach. It is a beach we have never been to as yet. In fact, I am sure I have never even seen it before. And it sits next to a pretty patch of land. Guana and I speculate that maybe we can purchase it for the site of our Green Guana cottages, which we aspire to own and run one day to welcome guests from all around the world to the splendors of our island.
That is the topic of conversation as we hike back to Sabazon Beach. As soon as we get to the beach, I take off shorts, tank top, and sneakers and jump in with the craving of a starved woman for a cooling dip. The water is fantastic and I become one with the waves. This beach, unlike Paradise Beach, actually has real waves. I start body surfing, and soon I am screaming at the top of my lungs as the waves gather me along in their power and dash me onto the sandy shore as if I were a small rock. I drag myself out of the surf and head back out again, ducking under waves until the right one comes along to surf it in again. I am deposited belly first flapping unceremoniously at Guana’s feet and I look up to see he is holding a towel with a “time to go” look on his face. “One more, one more,” I beg. But it doesn’t really matter, because I am happy knowing that I actually live right here, where I can always get one more wave if I want.

Green Roof Inn, Happy Hour & Dinner, May 10, 2008 (Saturday Evening)

2008-05-19T21:46:00.000-07:00

Kendall and I decide to stop at The Green Roof Inn for a glass of wine and a sunset viewing. We drive past this restaurant/inn right outside the main town of Hillsborough, Carriacou every single day and never go in. A high, white wooden fence encloses the Victorian-style, gingerbread trimmed inn in a shroud of privacy and exclusiveness. But as soon as we swing through the gate, we see that this guesthouse, owned and operated by a young Swedish couple, is just a simple, Zen-like retreat. There are wooden platforms and comfy couches, big cushions and hammocks strewn in a lackadaisical manner that evokes an easy, living space. Indeed, the Inn is home to the couple and their two children, an eleven-year-old blond island boy and a new baby.

Guana and I sip glasses of wine, a Sauvignon blanc for me and a Cabernet sauvignon for him. The view is stunning. We can see Union Island to our right and Hillsborough harbor to our left. We watch as a trio of catamarans tie together to form a big party raft and another catamaran shows up and asks to join in.

The staff at the Green Roof Inn restaurant consists of island women who have worked there since they were teenagers. Lesley Anne, the chef, started as a waiter ten years ago. Susan is a bubbly, know-it-all, with a contagious smile and super-friendly manner. It is because of their inviting personalities, and the appeal of the tables set with simple linens, place mats and checkered cloth napkins with fresh picked flowers from the garden, that we ask to reserve a table for two for later. Both Susan and Lesley Anne know Kendall since they all went to high school together, so they giggle and tease in that “I’ve known you all my life” way. I share a recipe for a lime pie crust with Lesley Anne and we are soon bonding over cooking tips.

Kendall and I finish our glasses of wine, and head home to get ready. We decide it will be a special night for us. A romantic dinner for two and a chance to experience a new menu on our little island where we always believe we have seen it all until we unexpectedly stumble onto a new place, beach or people. The simplicity of just going somewhere new on Carriacou means we are singing and dancing to Bob Marley’s Jammin’ as we prepare for the evening out.

And we are not disappointed. The dinner is fabulous. We get our small table for two overlooking the harbor. Lights shine from masts of yachts anchored nearby. I order the grilled tuna with pine nuts and Kendall orders the pork nicoise with cognac sauce. The plates arrive and the food is presented in attractive expert stacks constructed with wedge potatoes on the bottom, then alternating with hefty portions of tuna and pork along with sliced carrots and green peppers as colorful trim. A side bowl of rice to share and a fresh green salad with ruby red tomatoes as well as a bread basket round out the meal for a satisfying good time. Although I order the tuna, I cannot help but sample Kendall’s pork nicoise. The cognac sauce is excellent, while the pork is a bit over-salted. I order the tuna medium and it is served medium well, but still delicious.

I have noticed a trend at many Caribbean restaurants to cook their entrees “more” than it would be done in the States. So, a “medium-well” steak is “well done,” and a “medium” steak is cooked “medium-well.” Just adjust your requests accordingly and all will be fine. Remember, you could always get it cooked more, if needed.

Dessert is out of this world. Lesley Anne’s chocolate tart (a rich chocolate cake) with a cinnamon ice cream is so mouth-watering, that poor Kendall, who orders it, barely gets a bite in, before I switch plates with him, passing over my austere lime pie to dig into his voluptuous dessert. Our waiter, Susan, takes pity on him and kindly reverses the plates, telling Kendall to eat up, to my chagrin. Hrmpf! But I’m writing a BLOG! I need to eat everything. Yeah, right, nice excuse, Miss Piggy! Check it out at www.greenroofinn.com.

Paradise Beach, Saturday May 10, 2008, 12:30 p.m.

2008-05-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

This Caribbean dry season is bone dry. Not a drop of rain and I am beginning to get concerned about the level of water in our cistern.

Today the sun shines like nobody’s business and the sea is a blinding combination of blues and greens. I leave Kendall at home working on the www.greenguana.com web site and drive to Paradise Beach for a swim and a delicious hot island lunch at the Hardwood Bar. On my way, I see goats, donkeys and cows at various spots in the road. When I first started driving here, I was afraid I would hit a cow or a goat, but these animals stroll across the roadway as calm as can be. All I have to do is drive at a moderate speed and keep an eye out. They don’t go dashing across the pathway at all. In fact, nothing moves fast here. Except maybe rumors. Gossiping or being a “maco” (minding other people’s business) is a big hobby.

Anyway, the baby goats are adorable. They frolic after their mothers, and I am always marveling to Kendall at how cute and tiny they are and how I want to bundle them up and take them home for a cuddle. I cannot complain about driving in Carriacou at all. It is splendidly relaxing, especially since the only traffic I have to be concerned about is a stray goat.

So, here I am on Paradise Beach, sitting on a wooden bar stool next to a sheltering almond tree and enjoying a lunch of fried kingfish, rice, coleslaw and a glass of Diet Coke with lime. I am reveling in that “on my own” feeling for all of an hour before I call Kendall on the cell phone and ask him if he wants to go driving around Carriacou with me, to take pictures of the beaches for our site. He say, No, without hesitation. He’s busy working, he says. Something about Guana’s no-nonsense seriousness and straightforwardness makes everyone else’s flirty-flirty manner seem so trivial and inconsequential. Including mine. Hrrmpf!

Okay, so I am suffering, sitting on this gorgeous beach, watching Sandy Island shimmer across the sparkling blue water. What the heck! I run into the water, arms spread wide, embracing the freedom of life in the lovely Caribbean. I dive in, the water is cool and a perfect temperature. I lie on my back and float looking at the shockingly blue sky. Heaven—that is what it is. Sometimes, I cannot help but feel that my life is missing absolutely nothing. I smile as I float with the gentle currents. It really does not get much better than this. Not for me, at least.