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Caribbean Travel RoundupNewsletter - Paul Graveline, Editor |
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Park Service plan downsized The Virgin Islands National Park renovation project will be smaller than originally announced, due to community protests. Plans for a new Cruz Bay visitor's center and administrative building would have put a structure in the middle of an area currently used as a playground. The Park now plans only to rebuild the current visitor's center, leaving the adjacent playground as it is, according to a report in the Virgin Islands Daily News. No site has been chosen for the new administrative center; the current facility is located on St. Thomas. Islands Administrator James Dalmida called the original plan a "monstrosity" and added "I'm glad they listened," the Daily News report said.(23 Sep 97) Floating B & B planned Capt. Doug Ross has plans to turn his 35-foot sailboat into a floating bed-and-breakfast in the Cruz Bay harbor of St. John. He expects the 35- foot, French-built boat will be used for day trips and overnight stays. Ross has lived on St. John for 11 years. The sailboat has a galley, oven, shower, refrigerator and ice maker and two comfortable private cabins, the St. John Tradewinds newspaper reported.(23 Sep 97) Good walls make good neighbors The Cruz Bay Tourism office of the USVI has a lovely new stone wall outside, the Tradewinds showed in a photograph. The wall was built after Gov. Schneider, touring the island in March, suggested the area could use a little decoration.(23 Sep 97) VIs ready for vacationers Travel wholesalers and airline representatives have been given a top- level briefing on the islands' tourism promotion plans for the upcoming Winter season, the Daily News reported. A $2 million television advertising campaigns will be targeted at northeastern U.S. markets, while a print campaign aimed at upscale visitors will appear in The New Yorker and Gourmet magazines. Chris Hanaway of Florida's Certified Vacations, who attended the conference on St. Thomas, said "This island looks great. It's in the best shape it's ever been. It's the best hotel product it's ever had." the News reported.(17 Sep 97) Westin hotel plans "mass hiring" Plans to reopen Great Cruz Bay Resort Nov. 1 are on schedule, and the general manager of the Westin property says a "mass hiring" call will be made son, the Tradewinds reported. Abel Damergi said the jobs will run the gamut, from housekeeping to restaurants, with people to be added to the payroll early in October. The general manager said "The pool is going to be ready earlier than expected. Everybody is doing great."(17 Sep 97) ** Westin taking with reservations for Nov. 1 The general manager of the Great Cruz Bay Resort Hotel on St. John says "we are actually being bombarded with reservations," according to editor Tom Oat, writing in the St. John Tradewinds newspaper. Abel Demargi said his Westin-owned hotel, now renovating and preparing to reopen, expects occupancy of rooms to start near 75 percent, and for it to rise from there. The general manager said much of the business coming in this winter is from groups. Among the changes will be s shift in the main dining room from Asian/Italian to gourmet seafood, the Tradewinds reported. The bar, located between the beach and the pool, will be relocated closer to the waster, and it will be the center for many "theme nights" and entertainment, the paper reported.(9Sep97) ** St. John beaches to grow Agents for the V.I. National Park are working to acquire two beachfront parcels of land at Dennis Bay and near North Shore Road at Hawksnest Bay, the Daily News reported. Both plots are within the Park's boundaries. The Gibney family is negotiating to sell five acres at Hawksnest; it's been in the family since the 1940s and, the report quoted a park spokeswoman saying "It's been the park's number one priority to acquire that property." Money to buy the parcels will come from federal land and water conservation funds. One report says the land will sell for $4 million. A deal for the other land has already been done. The land includes 18th century structures including the remains of a warehouse, rum still, and laborers' quarters.(9Sep97) ** Red Hook Market sold A popular stop for St. John-bound vacationers has changed hands. The Red Hook Market has been renamed the B&P Market and is now owned by Gail Bastas and Ann Plummer, the daily News Reported. Bastas used to be the store's buyer, and has worked for several St. Thomas hotels and caterers.(9Sep97) ** St. John police get bicycles While a new $3.1 million police headquarters is being built, St. John police have some new transportation vehicles to put into service. Businessman James Penn has donated three bicycles to the force. The Assistant Police Commisioner said the bikes "will lessen response time," the News Reported. Hill said he's pleased with the new equipment, saying it's good for morale and lets others on the force "know someone in the community cares."(9Sep97) Source: http://www.stjohntradewindsnews.com/
(Ed Note: the following contribution by Melynda Nuss is copyrighted and used in the CTR with her permission.)
Have you ever had a fantasy about being marooned on a deserted island? Nothing around for miles -- no cars, no phone, no TV -- just white sand beaches, clear blue water, and of course a swimming pool and a waiter to bring you drinks. If this and some scuba diving sounds like your idea of paradise, the Great Guana Cay might be for you. Located about 45 minutes from Marsh Harbor by ferry, the Great Guana Cay has one small village, one hotel -- complete with marina, restaurant, and swimming pool, one (other) bar, and one somewhat half-hearted attempt at a souvenier shop. You can walk from one end of the island to the other in about 15 minutes; the locals, when they have heavy loads, use golf carts. The hotel -- The Great Guana Cay Resort -- occupies the end of the island closest to the harbor, where yachtsmen from up and down the east coast moor for the Saturday night barbeque and fish fry. The other bar occupies the opposite end of the island (wouldn't want to get thirsty, now), where there are 7 miles of deserted ocean beach. There's one phone at the hotel -- to be used only for emergencies -- and one pay phone in the middle of town on the way to the beach, which can only be used when the operator is on duty. If there's a line, you'll just have to wait. I went to the Great Guana Cay on a package -- air fare from Miami, hotel accommodations, and two meals a day are all included in the price. Getting there is, in this case, truly half the fun. You take a small propeller plane from Miami to Marsh Harbor over water so clear that you can almost see the fish in it. Once you're in Marsh Harbor (itself a thriving metropolis that looks much like the standard American beach town), you take a taxi to the ferry, which then transports you to the Great Guana Cay. The ferry runs to and from Guana twice a day -- once in the (early) morning and once in the evening, so if you miss it you're stuck. This fact is especially important for scuba divers. The Great Guana Cay does have scuba equipment and a dive leader, but very few people seem to use the service. During the time I was there, there was only one intrepid diver, a Floridian in his 60's who had clearly done this a time or two before, and he went out paired with the dive leader. There's something to be said for that kind of personal attention, but the size of the operation also has its drawbacks -- I rented my equipment there, and suffered with a leaky mask and a pair of flippers about a size too large. There are, however, plenty of dive operations in Marsh Harbor, and the water was littered with dive boats, some of which appeared to be giving group lessons. It's no wonder -- the diving is great. I hadn't scuba dived in quite some time and didn't feel comfortable going out without a refresher course, but I did go on the boat with the divers and snorkeled off the side while waiting for them to come back. The water was clear and blue, just like the Caribbean, and although the water was too deep to really be good for snorkeling I did see a pretty good array of fish and coral. When the divers returned, they reported that they had seen a reef shark, a barracuda, and all kinds of grouper and assorted fish. They had also seen another boat of scuba divers. So much for the deserted island. Back on dry land again, there are plenty of hammocks and a drink called the Guana Grabber, a rum punch served in the obligatory frufy tourist glass with a slice of orange and a marischino cherry. The food, to be honest, is not gourmet fare -- think of how far it has to be shipped -- but it's consistently pretty good, and it's served with a smile by waiters who know your name. I was traveling alone, and bartenders, waiters, and even the chef went out of their way to keep me company. Yachtsmen called me over to their tables at dinner and shared with me stories of where they had come from and where they had gone. One of them even tried to fix me up with his nephew. Hotel accommodations are likewise serviceable but friendly. They won't offer much for patrons looking for a luxury hotel, but the rooms are large and airy and the beds clean and soft. Outside of the hotel, there are little houses painted colors that a peacock could only dream of surrounded by lavish displays of tropical flowers, tiny striped lizards, and, on the miles of ocean beach, the occasional rock outcropping or wrecked dinghy to interrupt the still vista of white sand. I wouldn't recommend the Great Guana Cay for small children or those who have to be constantly entertained, but if you open your eyes, there's plenty there to be seen. In short, I would recommend the Guana Cay wholeheartedly for honeymooners, technophobes, or anyone else who just wants to get away from it all. And if you're looking for me, I'll be in the hammock overlooking the harbor, a good book in one hand and a guana grabber in the other. And you'd better not get anywhere near me with a cellular phone.
My husband and I just got back last night from a one week stay in Bonaire. We have been to four other places in the Caribbean-- Virgin Gorda, St. Croix, Grand Cayman, and Cancun-- in August over the past several years, and although we enjoyed all of them, Bonaire is our favorite by far. If, like us, you are looking for peace and quiet, no crowds, perfect weather, great snorkeling or diving from the shore, an interesting island to explore, excellent dining, and drinkable water, Bonaire is the place!! Everywhere else we've been had some of these things, but not all of them. I know that I sound like a travel brochure, but it's all true!! We stayed at the newest hotel on the island, the Plaza Resort Bonair, which is rated at 5 stars. We loved it!! The Plaza has a definite European flavor and most of the guests are not American. It is located right on the water with a palm-studded sand beach complete with a reef (called the 18th Palm) right offshore. Snorkeling there, we saw a hawksbill turtle (twice), squid, and a barracuda in addition to the usual assortment of tropical fish. The beach was not crowded and very quiet as both radios and jetskis are not allowed (hallelujah). The room was very large, the grounds were beautiful, and there is a marina and dive operation right there. Summer rates start at $125. The island is very interesting to explore. It is arid with cactus-- sort of like Arizona on the ocean. Wild goats and donkeys roam the countryside outside town. There are many species of birds including a green parrot and flamingos. In Washington-Slagbaai park there are tame blue-tailed lizards that hang around looking for a handout. The dive sites on that side of the island are extremely beautiful with unbelievably dense coral growth right off shore. Also, the weather was perfect-- in the mid-80s with a constant trade wind. It only rained once at night the entire time we were there. Bonaire's rainy season is in November and December, not in the summer. No dodging thunderstorms like we did in Cayman. We've already decided to go back again next year-- a first for us.
Arrival Finally, the countdown was over and our vacation was underway. This trip to the Virgin Islands (our fourth in six years) involved in-laws, Glen and Dorothy Craig; friends, Tom and Jane Zikratch; and ourselves, Gary and Mary Lou Kunkel. Our flight from Fresno, CA to St. Thomas, USVI seemed to take forever. The routing involved a five-hour layover in Los Angeles, a very long flight to New York (yes, that's right - CA to St. Thomas via New York!), then another fairly long hop to the islands. All went without a hitch, but it was sure nice to look out and see the blue waters surrounding St. Thomas with sailboats near the airport when we arrived Sunday noon. We like to arrive early enough to look around, shift into island time, do some shopping, and get settled into our hotel. We like Hotel 1829 for its Caribbean charm. It's made of very old materials (ship's ballast and the like) and has a nice bar, great restaurant and spectacular view of the harbor. Unfortunately, the Craigs' flight didn't go as scheduled. They were to meet us for dinner at 8:30 p.m. but their flight was delayed due to weather and subsequent diversion. They did finally arrive late Sunday night. When it became evident that they weren't going to be in St. Thomas at dinner time, we went ahead and walked down to the Green House for outstanding Jamaican Jerk ribs. The restaurant played Jimmy Buffett's One Particular Harbor and Volcano during dinner -- a good way to start things off. Day One We charter with Caribbean Yacht Charters for several reasons. They almost always offer ten days for the price of seven, which actually allows us to sail for portions of eleven days (charter days run from noon until noon the next day). The boats are clean, fast, have good ventilation, and are equipped with very large center cockpits. We like to spend all our time in the cockpit. Also a center cockpit allows for lots of headroom in the after cabin. This year's boat was a two-year-old Hylas 49 named Galila. Traveling from the hotel to the Compass Pt. marina, we dropped the ladies off to purchase our provisions at the Pueblo Market in Tutu. The boat was ready to go as soon as we arrived (about 11:30 a.m.). The guys did the check out, which went very quickly since we had sailed a 49 before, and obtained snorkeling gear, drinking water, etc. CYC's marina manager, Goeff, provided a very detailed explanation of how best to navigate out of Compass Pt's shallow channel. This was much appreciated since a couple of the marks were missing. While at the marina, we met Kyle Jachney whose family owns Caribbean Yacht Charters. That explained how he seemed to know everyone there. Kyle was very helpful and personable, as is everyone associated with this company. The ladies arrived soon after with all our supplies. These were quickly stowed below and we were underway at 1:40 p.m. -- our earliest start ever. If we had been ready as promptly as the boat was, we could have departed even earlier. Nevertheless, this meant we had plenty of time to sail directly to Jost Van Dyke. The winds were perfect which allowed for a fine sail to Great Harbor where we anchored and dinghied in to clear customs and immigration. The cost for our cruising permit and miscellaneous fees came to $229. The entire process probably took 15 minutes or so. Now, we could head for Foxy's and really get the vacation started. When we arrived at Foxy's, he was just heading out to go fishing. Seeing that we had hoped to hear him, he graciously stayed and entertained us with several tales and some hilarious songs. He tried to tell us that Foxy wasn't here and that he was just filling in for him, but we told him we were onto him from our first trip. He often says he's someone else, usually George, just to tease the visiting sailors. When we asked about his daughter, who was in college during our last visit, he proudly explained that she had since graduated. Foxy explained that he had lost a small portion of his roof during hurricane Marilyn, but that his philosophy was that Mother Nature needed to remind humans of her power from time to time. We're happy to report that Foxy's is unchanged and as great a stop as ever. Dinner was outstanding and the entertainment was too. This is one of the true must- stops for any visiting sailor. Day Two This was an easy, laid-back, limin' day for us. After a leisurely breakfast aboard, we dinghied over to White Bay, one of the most beautiful beaches in all the BVI. Everyone snorkeled for a while near the westernmost part of the bay, then we walked over to the Soggy Dollar bar for a drink. The Soggy Dollar is where the popular Painkiller was first invented. The bar itself was named from the soggy dollars that sailors used to pay for their drinks after swimming ashore. If you go there, you can arrange to have drinks prepaid and ready for any friends that you know will be arriving (for the record, our name is spelled K-u- n-k-e-l). After White Bay, we dinghied back to Great Harbor where most everyone elected to be dropped off at the boat. Tom, Jane, and I went on to Foxy's so Tom could buy a souvenir hat. As we were returning to our dinghy, we heard steel drums being played down the beach near Rudy's. Apparently, there is a class for children on Jost Van Dyke where the kids can learn to play the steel drums (steel pan may be the more correct name). We listened for a time, then returned to the boat. Just before snorkeling in White Bay, we discovered that we had neglected to get swim fins for two of our people ... guess we were too anxious to depart from Compass Pt. Marina the day before. Anyway, we sailed over to Soper's hole in strong winds and rented fins from Baskin in the Sun, a nice dive shop located near Pusser's Landing. Drinks and conch fritters were downed at Pusser's and a few dollars were spent in the gift shop as well. Soper's hole is a very picturesque place with many brightly-colored shops. Sunsail has their charter base there and will sell you a token for their showers. I took a dingy ride around the harbor and went under the small bridge that connects Frenchman's Cay to the main part of Tortola. There was a fairly strong current running through the opening which made it look like boating on a river, but the trip was fun. You can dink out the other side and look out into the Sir Francis Drake channel. Winds at night were described as "a real howler" by a professional skipper we met. I don't know what they were, but they seemed to be well in excess of 30 kts. Anyway, they provided plenty of below-deck ventilation with the hatches open. Wind scoops were definitely not necessary. Day Three Began the day in almost total overcast and rain. We left Soper's Hole at 9:45 and sailed in strong winds to the Indians. My wife, Mary Lou, is a very good sailor and sailed most of the way there. The boat balanced well with all of the main and about « of the jib in these winds. We picked up a mooring ball at the Indians that had just been vacated by Kenny Logsdon, with whom we had corresponded via e-mail before our trip. We spoke very briefly to him as he was departing. Small world, huh? The mooring ball at the Indians had only about a 12 inch pennant on it. Someone had obviously broken it in the past and re-tied a very short loop near the ball. We had to rig our own pennant using a dock line. The process looked like something from a Three-Stooges movie, but we finally got it done and everyone jumped into the water for some snorkeling. On all our previous trips, we had looked for (but never found) a Queen Triggerfish. This time, everyone was on full Queen Trigger alert and Jane Zikratch found one between the Indians and Pelican Island. Mary Lou and Jane yelled at Tom and me and we swam over to see our very first Queen Trigger in four trips to the BVI! They are very beautiful fish that swim with graceful movements of their long fins. We must have followed it for 15 minutes before finally letting it swim off on its own. There was a small sea turtle there too which entertained Tom and Jane. The Indians are one of our two favorite snorkeling stops in all the BVI. The other is Cistern Point on Cooper Island. The Indian's didn't disappoint this time either. There is always a huge variety of fish here. Besides the Queen Triggerfish and turtle, we also saw two Black Durgeons and a large Barracuda. We had heard that mooring balls had been installed in the Bight, but it was still surprising to see them there. We had always anchored in the past, along with everyone else. There were far more boats here than we had ever seen before! One of the things we like to do is eat at the William Thornton (Willie- T). The original boat had sunk and we were anxious to see what the new boat would be like. We're happy to say that the new boat is very much like the old one. There is no longer a large hole in the deck where you sit with your feet hanging down into the hold, but otherwise, it's VERY much the same as ever. Same people, same bar setup, same food, same atmosphere. Success hasn't spoiled the Willie-T. Everyone had ribs or fish for dinner and everything was great. All the ladies wore glow-in-the-dark earrings for dinner. Each had a green one on her starboard ear and a red one on her port. The full effect is obtained as you dinghy around in the dark ... All you can see are the red and green lights a couple of feet above the water as the dink moves from place to place. Day Four Left the Bight at 8:00 a.m. and motored around to the Treasure Caves where we picked up a mooring. While snorkeling here, we saw three more Queen Triggerfish! We hadn't seen any at all in three previous trips, and here we were with four in only our first few stops. Snorkeling off the caves is always nice. We had an underwater light which we took back into the deepest cave. Sailed on to Deadman's Bay, Peter Island in fantastic conditions. Deadman's Bay is one of our favorite stops thanks to it's photogenic scenery. The resort was closed which meant we had the anchorage all to ourselves for over an hour. Even then, only one other boat arrived before we left. In the past, we'd seen several sea turtles here, but this time there were none at all. Nevertheless, the beach is beautiful white sand lined with palms. Tom and I went ashore and took lots of pictures of our yacht with Dead Chest in the background. You'll see shots like that in many of the cruising guides and calendars for the area. Next, we sailed up Drake's Passage to Manchioneel Bay on Cooper Island. Mary Lou sailed most of the way there and managed to attain 10.1 knots indicated on the knot log just before we dropped sail and moored for the evening. I don't know if even the theoretical hull speed would allow more than 10 kts., but that's what the log indicated. What great sailing we had all throughout the trip! If this is typical for July, we love it. Cooper Island is always nice. We like the little beach bar at the Cooper Island Beach Club. The ladies bought tee-shirts that said Cooper Island, West Indies. They thought that saying West Indies made it sound more remote and exotic. We had a drink at the bar and bought a few more souvenirs at the shop down the palm-lined path. It was pretty hot ashore as Cooper Island blocks the prevailing wind. Once back at the boat, there was a nice breeze, however, and we quickly cooled off. Day Five Shortly after breakfast, we dinghied down to our favorite snorkeling spot at Cistern Point and tied up to the dinghy mooring. Here, we saw schools of squid, Queen Angelfish, a huge Southern Stingray, Black Durgeons, Barracuda, and (wouldn't you know it) more Queen Triggerfish! This spot always delivers a great variety of things to see. Once back aboard the yacht, we sailed in very strong winds and squalls into North Gorda Sound and moored at Leverick Bay about 3:30 p.m. Tom was at the helm most of the way and easily handled the stiff breeze, even though his sailing experience had been limited before this trip. Once ashore, we bought more groceries at Buck's market and took showers at the nice facilities adjacent to Pusser's store. There is no extra charge to use the showers at Leverick Bay. Glendon barbecued a roast that we had sliced into almost-manageable size for the grill. Dinner was accompanied by salad, garlic bread, and Baroque music. Heck of a deal! This was a day marked by both great snorkeling and outstanding sailing. Day Six We did our laundry first thing (Soap Ops, we call it). Even though we went ashore very early, the locals had already taken most of the machines -- can't blame them. The early bird gets the laundry. Everyone had a great breakfast at Pusser's while we waited for washing machines to open up. Once laundry was done, we motored the short distance to the Bitter End. Along the way, we attempted to make dinner reservations at Biras Creek, but they were already fully booked. There was a combination of Puerto Rican holidays that allowed many from that island to spend several days in the BVI -- apparently many of them did. We saw many, many Puerto Rican sport fishermen boats at most of the anchorages. Disappointed at having to bypass Biras Creek, we took the dinghy to Eustatia Sound for still more snorkeling. There is an orange can buoy that one can tie up to at the reef protecting the outermost part of the sound. Immediately below the buoy, there is an anchor. Shortly beyond that, there is an old cannon on the bottom. Snorkeling was very nice, although the long dinghy ride was a wet one due to high winds and choppy seas. We saw lots of barracuda and I managed to catch a very large lobster on the ocean side of the reef. I took it back to show the others, then let him go. It was a big one that looked mighty tasty, but we had no BVI fishing license and didn't want to chance keeping it. Day Seven How could seven days rush by so quickly? We hoped to sail to Anegada and had obtained advance permission from CYC to do so, but the weather was very unsettled. There was a tropical wave approaching and the sky was completely overcast when we awoke. We immediately decided that this was not what you want to attempt Anegada. All were in agreement that we could take our time, since Anegada was out of the picture. Finally, about 9:15 the weather began to improve, and we sailed out past Colquhoun reef. The weather improved still more, so we thought "why not just sail toward Anegada, see how things look, and just turn back south if the weather deteriorates?" The weather cooperated and we sailed the 004 degree magnetic course to the Western end of Anegada with no problem. What you have to do is make good close to 004 M. The first fixes showed us being set to the Southwest, so we adjusted our compass course to 010 M which allowed us to maintain our desired track. Like the cruising guides all say, you see the trees and buildings of the island long before the island itself becomes visible. It seemed like we were almost all the way to the island before we could pick out the red and green buoys that mark the entrance channel. Once the marks are spotted, it's simple to follow the channel into the anchorage. If you're on course, there is ample water most of the way there. Only when one finally enters the marked channel and rounds the final green buoy does is get really shallow. There are several moorings available, so we took an outer one that was in something like 7-1/2 feet of water over a sand bottom. We were happy to have finally made it to Anegada and surprised that the weather cooperated for our journey there. Nevertheless, we hadn't been there too long when we decided to dinghy to the Anegada Reef Hotel dock. As we were walking up the dock, a rain squall approached. We just made it to the hotel when the skies opened up. Soon there was a torrential tropical downpour in progress. All agreed that this added to the Anegada experience. We enjoyed being off the beaten track for this tropical rainfall. We'd heard that the hotel was famous for its barbecued lobster ... and it deserves to be! Huge lobsters are cooked on the grill. The hotel didn't seem satisfied that these were big enough, so everyone got two -- a huge one and a less-huge one! If you like lobsters, you've come to the right place at the Anegada Reef Hotel. Even my wife had enough, and lobster is far and away her favorite meal. During dinner, we met the hotel manager and Jerry George, who skippers for the Moorings. He was there visiting his girlfriend, not on a charter. We enjoyed talking with him and he gave us a nice reggae CD before we returned to our boat. Day Eight Everyone went ashore to the Anegada Reef Hotel for breakfast. That done, we took a taxi to Loblolly Bay for snorkeling. The taxi was a small pickup fitted with bench seats in back. The driver, who we named Mario Andretti, wasted no time in traveling the dirt roads of Anegada. What a thrill ride! He stopped to point out a couple of flamingoes in the pond near the hotel. When we arrived at Loblolly, we told him we had named him Mario Andretti and explained that it was the name of a famous racing driver. His only reply was a cheerful, Thank You! Loblolly is the home of the Big Bamboo beach bar and restaurant. We snorkeled and saw a small lobster, many fish including large schools of Blue Tangs, a turtle, and a small grouper. The visibility wasn't very good (probably due to the heavy rainfall the night before), but this is a very nice beach and a good place to snorkel. Just before we left, someone brought in a large basket of huge lobsters. We had heard that the Big Bamboo is another great place for lobster dining. Mario Andretti picked us up for our return thrill ride to the hotel anchorage. We got underway at 1:00 p.m. and sailed on one very deep port- tack reach all the way to Marina Cay. Most of the way we had over 9 knots indicated on the log ... another fine breeze. All agreed that Anegada was our very favorite stop of the trip. Nice people, great food, and good snorkeling in an out-of- the-way place. We took a mooring at Marina Cay. Even with our 4:00 p.m. arrival there were plenty of sites available -- something we were concerned about given our late start from Anegada. Soon, we were ashore at Pusser's nice store and restaurant. Drinks and conch fritters were quickly ordered, then we noticed Anouk in the anchorage selling her jewelry. A few of us jumped back into the dinghy and went out to our boat to see her. She had several very nice cloisonne pieces. The ladies bought some earrings and talked with Anouk for a while. As we attempted to start the dinghy, the shift lever failed to shift into any gear. It would move, but nothing would happen. Finally, the entire shift lever fell off and sank in 37 feet of water!! We had to row back to Marina Cay to finish our conch fritters and pick up those who had stayed ashore. Rowing in this breeze was no fun, but we got back to Pusser's without any trouble. Dinner at Pusser's was ribs and very good, then it was another row back to the boat for the evening. Once back aboard, both Mary Lou and Dorothy suddenly began to feel very ill. Both experienced severe nausea and sweats. The onset was sudden and the symptoms affected both equally. Their condition was bad enough that we looked up the emergency medical numbers in case their situation worsened. Fortunately, they were able to avoid the run to the emergency room, but each spent a completely miserable night. By the next morning each felt noticeably better, although still not really good. Day Nine After a very long night for Mary Lou and Dorothy (and for the rest of us too, due to worrying about them), their condition finally began to improve. Shortly after breakfast, I made several dives looking for the shift lever that had fallen off the dinghy motor. The bottom was about 30% sand and 70% grass. Even though it was a long-shot, we thought it worth the effort to see if we could find it. Just before finally giving up, I surfaced shoulder-first into a jellyfish that stung like crazy. It was one of the clear six inch Moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita.) that we generally don't worry much about. Anyway, slamming into it as I surfaced resulted in a sting that burned and itched for days. Guess we'll pay them more attention in the future. No luck with the shift lever either. We sailed for the Baths on Virgin Gorda because neither Tom nor Jane had ever seen them before. Once moored off the Baths, Tom and Jane snorkeled around while the rest of us waited on the boat. Mary Lou and Dorothy were able to eat a little which helped improve their condition even more. When the Zikratches returned, we sailed around past Marina Cay, through Camanoe Cut, down along the North side of Tortola, and into Cane Garden Bay (I hear it gets better, that's what they say. As soon as we've sailed on to Cane Garden Bay -- Jimmy Buffett). Once in Cane Garden we went ashore and called CYC about the dinghy shift lever. They had never heard of such a thing (neither had we), but explained how an inspection plug could be removed from the lower unit and a rod moved to force the motor into forward. That allowed us to use the dinghy motor, although it would always be in gear. This work-around would do, but CYC would be sending a new motor via its chase boat the following day This worked so well that we called CYC back and told them that we would not need a replacement. There was only a day and a half of our charter left, the motor worked well in forward, and we wanted to avoid an unnecessary trip for the chase boat. We had previously wanted to see Callwood's distillery in Cane Garden but had always managed to miss it somehow. This time we asked directions and found it fairly easily. It was located in a 400 year old building that looked unchanged from Medieval time! The entire place smelled of charcoal and wood smoke. Dark, fiber- wrapped ramekins lined the walls of the distillery. We were told that rum had been made there in the very same way, by the same family, for over 200 years. It's easy to believe, once you see the place. I bought two bottles of rum at $7 each ... one to drink and another to keep for all time. Jimmy Buffett mentions Callwood's rum in his song Manana. The rum is outstanding (wish I'd bought more) and the distillery is well worth a visit. Signs on the wall remind you that there is to be no picture taking unless you buy something. An easy request to satisfy. Do not miss Callwood's distillery. I only wish I'd bought a tee-shirt as well. After Callwood's we returned to the Paradise bar and restaurant for still more lobster dinners. Once again, these were very good. The Puerto Rican fishing boat fleet was here in full force. They must have had 12 boats rafted up together in Cane Garden Bay. What a party crowd these folks were. They had huge floodlights and music going most of the night! It was good that we were some distance from them in the anchorage. Day Ten Everyone had a leisurely breakfast aboard, then it was off to Sandy Cay for more snorkeling and picture taking. Ours was the first boat at Sandy Cay, although we saw a great many boats (maybe a dozen) anchored near Green Cay. It turns out that the Moorings had an international sailing school/camp for kids that involved all these boats. Many were Beneteau 510s and each had a lot of kids aboard. We weren't anchored very long at Sandy Cay before other boats began to arrive. Finally, it looked like Piccadilly Circus with boats and people all around. We were lucky to have the place all to ourselves for long enough to take several great pictures before the onslaught. It looked like all the kids were having a great time. What a nice thing for young people to do, sailing in the BVI for three weeks. While at Sandy Cay, we noticed CYC's chase boat with a new dinghy motor attached. They had delivered a replacement even though we had told them we didn't really need it. When I mentioned this to the repairman he said "No problem, I had to come this way and the company wants you to enjoy your trip." This was very thoughtful since we truly could do just fine without any gear other than forward. Nevertheless, it was nice to have neutral and reverse again, in addition to forward. Once we left Sandy Cay, we sailed over to Soper's Hole to return the fins we'd rented for the ladies a week earlier. This done, it was time for showers, drinks, and more conch fritters at Pusser's. They have a beer, John Courage draft bitter, that Tom and I really enjoy. Glen Craig is the Sheriff of Sacramento County. He received a message from Virgin Islands radio to call the Governor as soon as possible. He and I dinghied ashore, but every young person involved with the sailing program was lined up to use the phone. Finally, we dinghied over to the ferry dock where Glendon was able to phone Governor Wilson. Turned out to be the kind of thing that didn't really need an emergency notification, but at least it proves that you can be reached if necessary, and if the people are persistent enough. We were happy that it was not an emergency and that everyone could relax. Day Eleven We left Soper's Hole in chamber-of-commerce sunshine after packing up for the turn-in of the boat. Good winds again made for an enjoyable sail back to Compass Point. Dorothy sailed most of the way and enjoyed the trip even though the swells were the largest we'd seen so far. Once near the channel into the Compass Point Marina, we called CYC as instructed and were met by their people. We tied up and removed our things from the boat, then looked at CYC's new 46 and their 51 as well. Geoff showed us a 51 that had electric primary winches! Pretty decadent...push button winch grinding. After the taxi ride back to Hotel 1829, we met Jack and Joyce Tracksler of Bedford, New Hampshire. They wanted to know all about our trip. When we asked why, they said they were just starting their charter with CYC. When we asked which boat, they answered "a Hylas 49 named Galila!" What a coincidence, meeting people who would be sailing the very same boat the very next day. This would be their second charter aboard Galila and they had specifically requested it. We ended up visiting with them for a time and each promised to write and tell the other about their respective trips when we got home. Then we were off to the Green House for the final St. Thomas dinner -- more Jerk ribs! This was another outstanding vacation. We were sad to leave but very happy with the weather, fine winds, cooler temperatures, nice boat, and being able to finally get to Anegada. There is no question that we'll be back ... It's only a matter of how long it will take to save the money to return. I know there are still some lobsters at Anageda that need our attention.
(Ed Note: The following file is copyrighted by Lynn McKamey (ScubaMom), www.scubamom.com, and used in the CTR with her permission.)
BIRAS CREEK RESORT, Virgin Gorda: Manager Jamie Holmes contacted me shortly after Hurricane Erika passed the BVI and reported "the storm came within 100 miles of us, but the winds were on the far side of the hurricane. None of the BVI properties were hurt and business is back to normal." Biras Creek announced that 1998 rates would remain the same as 1997, so in my book, they once again remain the "best value for upscale resorts in the BVI". For further information and to see their new on-line brochure, visit the new Biras Web Site at www.biras.com DRAKES ANCHORAGE, Virgin Gorda: After being closed during the summer, Drakes will open for the fall season during October. Contact the resort at (800) 624-6651 or (617) 969-9913 for exact dates. GUANA ISLAND started sending a news letter to those who have stayed at this delightful island which is actually a very small personalized resort surrounded by a wildlife and nature preserve. It is estimated that it has more flora and fauna than any island its size in the Caribbean. As the resort likes to say "We're the only wildlife sanctuary in the world with a cocktail hour." Guana Island News: "This comes to you a bit earlier than usual this year because we have lots of good things to report. New Managers Richard and Lynda Barnett took over on July first, just in time to handle a couple of weeks of full Island Rentals -- one wedding and one anniversary celebration -- a great way to learn the ropes and prove that they can handle anything. Of course, we expected they would as they come to us well recommended and with lots of hotel and resort experience in England and the Caribbean, most recently four years managing Anse Chastanet Hotel on St. Lucia. Our summer projects are well underway under the direction of longtime Guana Architect Howard Watson. The one we're really excited about is the creation of the Chicken Rock Steps. No, it's not a dance -- but it will be an adventure. When circumnavigating the Island on a Sunset Cruise, you will pass "Chicken Rock," -- the rock formation at the northeast end of Guana that looks like a sitting chicken. Well, the sea pools around Chicken Rock are enticing, but impossible to reach in any normal way, so we're building a trail of about 150 steps down from the top of the cliff. Those of you who talk about hiking the trails but never do may be encouraged by this destination, where at the end of the long hike you can refresh yourselves in these marvelous, pristine pools. And on the way back, you might like to stop and check the progress of our restoration of the Quaker ruin on the road to North Beach. We've been excavating it further and have uncovered surprising things that tell us more about the Quakers who inhabited Guana in the 18th century. We had thought it was a sugar mill ruin, but it seems the Quakers were occupied with more than sugar. The newest species we restored to Guana, the white-crowned pigeons, are a year old and we were finally able to bring in ten new chicks to join them in the aviary on the Flat. In October they will all be "soft released" -- that is, the door will be left open so they can come and go as they become acclimatized to their freedom. In other news: our restored iguanas, land turtles and flamingoes are still doing well as are the twenty flamingoes we brought to Anegada island in 1994. New chicks are continuing to hatch on Anegada and what with a few adult birds leaving and some new birds joining that flock, there are now more than thirty. So nothing should prevent you from coming to savor the pleasures of this very special place. As usual, we will all be there waiting for you -- Chef Kathy Burnett, Foreman Lynford Cooper, Head Housekeeper Tessie Cordice, Engineer Roger Miller, Gardener Oscar Chalwell (still going strong after fifty years) -- and all the rest of our regular staff. In the meantime, don't forget to visit our new web site at www.guana.com " LITTLE DIX, Virgin Gorda: This summer I received an announcement from Peter Shaindlin, Managing Director which included the following news: "While the new Children's Grove has been received by the family market with great initial success, a number of recent guests expressed a desire for a period during the winter season when they could be sure of a particularly tranquil environment reflecting a peaceful and romantic atmosphere. Accordingly, I am pleased to announce that from January 3 through March 15, 1998, only children eight years and older will be accepted at the resort. We were delighted at the extremely positive response to our new Fitness Pavilion as well. With state-of-the-art Cybex and Lifefitness equipment, we are now able to offer a comprehensive facility for those needing an exercise venue during their vacation. June will mark the arrival of our new Executive Chef, Thomas Ryan. We are very excited about him joining our team. Tom has extensive international five-star experience, including such diverse tenures as Munich, Germany and Southern California. The 1997-1998 season promises entirely new menus with Chef Ryan's well-recognized spin: simple, spectacular presentations of indigenous cuisine, with the finest ingredients and exceptionally healthy design." For more information about Little Dix, rates, and childrens programs, visit their web site at bluenova.com/rosewood/ldbmain.htm PETER ISLAND RESORT: During May, the resort closed to completely renovate the entire property and from the report I received, it will be better than ever when it re-opens December 1st! The large Marina has been reconstructed and the Lobby is being redesigned to give a sweeping view to the sea. I was delighted to learn that the main dining room will have newly enlarged windows to give a more dramatic view of Tortola and Sir Francis Drakes Channel (a formidable task since the windows are carved out of 2' thick stone walls!) A private dining room will be added and will be available for small parties, meetings, and receptions. The pool terrace will feature a newly designed band shell gazebo for evening entertainment and a nearby "library" will be created complete with comfortable furnishings and a big-screen television. Garden Rooms (1st floor) and Ocean View Rooms (2nd floor) are being expanded, and the Beach Front rooms are being completely redecorated. The Fitness Center is being relocated to Deadman's Beach, adjacent to the recreation center. Daily rates for 1998 will include breakfast & dinner for two - lunch at the beachside restaurant will be an optional add-on for guests. (I love Peter Island lunches and wouldn't miss them for anything!) For more information about the resort, rates, and packages, call Cindy at 800-346- 4451 or 616-776-6456. DIVE BVI: The following report was received from Joe Giacinto, managing director, who oversees the four operations scattered throughout the islands - Peter Island, Marina Cay, Leverick Bay, and Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor. "The really good news is that the BVI has had an incredible summer, mild sea conditions, and great visibility. This is a great change from last year with Bertha having hit in early July there literally was little business for almost five months and weather was unstable. Chuck Gathers, who was with Randy Keil at our Peter Island operation, is now the new Dive BVI/Leverick Bay, Virgin Gorda location manager. Peter Island is still closed and being renovated. The main dock is already totally rebuilt and functional. It was completed in a six week period which has to be a record. The area around our dockside DIVE BVI store will be spruced up and they are moving maintenance away from that area and relocating the yachting showers and bathrooms into that building. Our Marina Cay operation is managed by Simon Filmer who offers diving daily, however we will be closed on Sundays during September and October. We have a compressor with air storage, two hobie waves and six ocean kayaks, so we are now offering more water sports equipment and will be adding to that base for the winter season. A dive boat is stationed at Marina Cay so morning and afternoon diving is available just like the other locations. The BVI Dive Operators are coordinating an on going Diving Medicine Seminar conducted by the kind donation of time and knowledge of Dr. David Boaz who runs the chamber in St. Thomas. This hopefully will speed up the process of evacuating diving accident victims to the chamber in the future. The numbers of divers coming to the BVI is still increasing and we have seen an increase in accidents as a result. Visar (Virgin Islands Search And Rescue) will also become instrumental in the process as they have become expert at procuring helicopter evacuation and will provide that facility. The entire effort will make diving here safer and a distinct plus for diving the BVI." For more information about Dive BVI, visit their web site at www.divebvi.com
(Ed Note: The following contribution is copyrighted by kasey jones and is used here with permission. More details can be found at :http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/kaseyjones ) In May 1997, I traveled with my mother to Grand Cayman island, a British Crown Colony 450 miles southwest of Miami, just south of Cuba. We flew American Airlines from Baltimore-Washington International Airport to Miami International, then onto Grand Cayman, where we arrived at noon, local time. (The Cayman Islands are on Eastern Standard Time; they do not have Daylight Savings Time, so the time was an hour earlier than in Baltimore.)
We got through immigration and customs quickly and went to the line to get our transportation to the hotel. Tropicana Tours' bus was full; we sat on fold-down seats in the aisle. The luggage was piled dangerously high next to the driver; several times he had to put his arm up to keep the suitcases from falling on him. After a bumpy ride (driving on the left) with Spice Girls blaring on the radio, we arrived at the Westin Causurina Hotel on Seven Mile Beach, next to the governor's mansion. Check-in was quick and we were in our room less than an hour after landing at the airport. We had a room on the second floor of the five-story hotel, the nonsmoking floor, that faced the parking lot and the main street on the island. (This was charmingly called an island-view room.) The room is done in aquamarine and sand tones. Our room is rather crowded for two, without enough drawer space. It has two double beds, a 26-inch color TV, with HBO, the Disney channel, ESPN, CNN, and the East Coast satellite feeds for ABC, NBC and CBS. A small refrigerator has the usual overpriced items. A very small round table with two chairs sit near the balcony. The electrical outlets are not located near the table, so it's a good thing I brought an extension cord for my laptop computer. The bathroom is a nice size, with marble floor and a dribbling showerhead. There are the usual shampoo and mouthwash. The toilet is in a separate room within the bathroom. There is a small in-room safe available for $2 U.S. a day. The safe is on the floor in the closet and very difficult to open and close. We quickly changed into our swimsuits and headed to the pool and beach. The Westin has a large, rectangular-shaped pool with a pedestrian bridge over the center. It was four feet deep the entire length. One side has a small Jacuzzi, and both sides had little canals of flowing water in which guests could rinse their feet after walking in the sand. There is a swim-up bar. Opposite this was the stand where guests can get large, fluffy towels. Plenty of lounge chairs and little, unsteady tables are arranged around the pool. To one side was a Red Sail concession, where guests can rent Hobie Cats, floats, Jet Skis, windsurfers and boogie boards. Steps from the pool is glorious Seven Mile Beach (which is really only 5.5 miles long). My mother and I have been to Cancun, the Bahamas, Curacao, St. Thomas, St. John, Puerto Rico and the Big Island of Hawaii, and we agreed that Seven Mile beach was the best we'd been to. Grand Cayman has a barrier reef, so there are no huge or dangerous waves (and no surfing). The beach is immaculate, the sand soft and white, and the water is blue and very warm. We spent more time in the Caribbean Sea than we did in the pool. Back on the lounge chairs at the pool, we wanted lunch, as we had not been fed on the 90-minute flight from Miami. There are waitresses in swimsuits who will bring sandwiches and salads from the kitchen on the hotel side of the pool. We had trouble summoning one, and once we did it took nearly half an hour to get a salad, a sandwich and two large bottles of Evian water. The sandwich and salad were delicious, if expensive. This brings me to cost. I picked the Cayman Islands after being unable to find a trip for two to the U.S. Virgin Islands for less than $2,500. My travel agent at Mid-Atlantic AAA got us the Grand Cayman trip, seven nights at the hotel, round-trip airfare and transfers, for $2,200. I considered that to be a bargain. But the Cayman Islands are outrageously expensive. The Caymanian dollar is equal to $1.25 U.S. And because little can grow on this scrub of an island, virtually all food is imported. So our salad and sandwich came to $20 U.S. We usually had the buffet for breakfast, and that averaged $30 for two each day. The most expensive (and most delicious) meal we had was the Mother's Day buffet dinner. While it was spectacular (details will follow), the meal came to $130 U.S. Diners can eat inside or out, where they will share the patio with the Greater Antillean grackle, a bird that seems to live on handouts, and tiny, insect eating, curly-tailed lizards. Back at the pool, after eating and resting and looking over the brochures that describe the myriad activities available to tourists, I went into the lobby to the concierge desk. I was able to book an island tour, the Atlantis submarine and an all-day sail and snorkel trip with the help of a woman named Fiona who had the most wonderful British accent. All of the hotel staff have their country of origin on their name tags. Most seemed to be from Canada, with much of the United Kingdom well represented. Our first restaurant meal was at Ferdinand's, which the Westin bills as a casual restaurant with South American and Caribbean cuisine. The setting is far from casual. The lighting is dark and romantic, the tables are impeccably set and there is an extensive wine list. The prices are high and listed in Caymanian dollars. The specials sounded delicious but at $30 U.S. we skipped them. We split a pulled pork quesadilla with papaya, tomato and black bean salsa. That was $4.50 U.S. and was divine. My mother had swordfish with Parmesan cheese crust. I had rum-glazed shrimp ($18.50 U.S. each). Both entrees were served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes (bland), perfectly steamed veggies and onion straws. The meals were exquisitely presented and tasted delicious. The food is cooked to order, so expect to spend some time there. The serving staff are friendly but only barely efficient. We went to bed at 10 p.m. after a very long day (we had gotten up at 4:30 a.m. to catch the 7:30 a.m. flight). The next day I got up and dressed about 6:45 a.m and went to the small exercise room on the first floor. It has two treadmills, two stair climbers, one rowing machine and some free weights. There is a television perched in a corner. One could also walk along the main street for exercise, as the island is level. Many people travel by bicycle, so I suspect one could rent a two-wheeler as well. After my mother awoke, we had the buffet breakfast for $17 U.S. apiece at Ferdinand's. There were warming tables with pancakes, French toast, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, eggs Benedict, hash browns, sliced melon, pineapple, strawberries, papaya, cereals and yogurt. There is also a station at which a chef will make omelets to order. Most of the food that was supposed to be hot was lukewarm. This and all meals so far have a 15 percent gratuity added, so there is no need to calculate a tip. We had a full day planned. The bellman summoned a cab for us and we took a 10-minute ride to the cruise ship dock to get our trip on the submarine Atlantis. We went on the Atlantis, which cost $150 U.S. for two. We were the only two people on the 48-passenger sub who were not from one of the cruise ships docked just offshore. The 45-minute trip was nice enough, but didn't yield as many fish as we have seen on submarine trips on St. Thomas and Hawaii. We saw quite a lot of coral. I was seated at the end and was very uncomfortable during the voyage, and water dripped onto me when the hatch was opened after we returned to the surface. Even though I had my new Minolta Vectis S advanced photo system camera (which I used to take the pictures on this page), I discovered after the pictures were developed that one really can't get good pictures from the submarine as, at a depth of 100 feet, there is so little light. After the submarine ride, we went shopping in the central district. It was quite crowded because there were three cruise ships visiting. One shop that had Haitian and Cuban art was run by an embittered British expatriate who took only cash. This was common, we discovered. We had a nice lunch in a pub, and it rained quite hard for about 45 minutes. We took a cab back to the hotel and I bought postcards and stamps. We went back to the hotel for a brief rest, and then we were off again. We were picked up at 2 p.m. by Diana of Tropic Island Tours. There were four other people on the tour, all from the Westin. Diana said she was a former New Yorker who has lived in the Cayman Islands for eight years and is married to a citizen. Her van's air conditioning was not working, so that made for a very uncomfortable two-hour land trip. First stop was the turtle farm, which is little more than a lot of turtles in tanks. Worth seeing for about five minutes. Then we went to Hell, a small area with a black, dolomite rock outcropping that look like jagged flames. There are painted statues of the devil scattered about, just in case the Hades metaphor is too subtle for you. The outcropping is pretty lame -- it takes about an area of a basketball court. We visited the Big Island of Hawaii last year, where there are endless miles of black slag, so this looked like nothing. The main attraction is getting postcards postmarked as being from Hell. The postmaster dresses as the devil, and asks each customer, "Where the hell are you from?" We then drove through Georgetown and Diana pointed out the hospital, banks, the port, and the shopping district. We also stopped at a house with conch shells build into the exterior walls. Since we had already seen downtown when we went to Atlantis, that part of the trip was pretty much a waste of time, and at $30 U.S. per person, a waste of money. That night, we walked the half-mile to the Holiday Inn and had its American backyard cookout buffet. The buffet included mushroom, pasta, rice, chicken and green salads, hamburgers (underdone), hot dogs, barbecued chicken and ribs and fish, corn on the cob, peas and rice and scalloped potatoes. At $19 U.S. it was a fair deal, although that did not include beverages or dessert. One could eat either on the deck surrounding the pool or indoors. As I had been bitten already by mosquitoes, we opted for indoors, where sullen waitresses took their time bringing our beverages. The next day, we went on Captain Marvin's all-day snorkeling adventure with 8 other visitors. We took a five-minute bus ride at 8:45 a.m. to the dock and had to clamber over another boat to get to ours. It was small and uncomfortable -- a few padded benches along the side that were against a jutting edge of the wall, making it impossible to lean back. The rest of the bench was in the sun. The boat had a tiny head and a galley. There was only the captain to do everything. We were given no safety instruction. This was not a trip for first-time snorkelers. After sailing for 25 minutes, we stopped to dive for conch. There was nothing else to see. Other snorkelers dove about 10 feet and retrieved seven conch; I didn't try to dive that deep, what with my eustachian tube dysfunction and all. We then took off for five minutes to what is called the coral gardens. We stopped there for about 45 minutes. There was a lot of coral, but not very many fish. We traveled to a beach with picnic tables, some trees for shade, a restroom and a vendor selling soft drinks. The captain had marinated the conch the snorkelers caught and we ate that on saltine crackers. He also had rice, potato salad, green salad and baked mahi- mahi. It was good and filling and a nice stop. But we had to stay in the shade; the sun can get beastly and even with number 30 sunblock, my mother and I got slightly burned. After an hour on the beach, we headed for the highlight of the trip. We stopped over a sand bar with waist-high water and were immediately surrounded by about a dozen of the stingrays, ranging in size from a baby about as big as a catcher's mitt to one the captain called Darth Vader, which had a wing span of nearly five feet. They brushed up against us looking for food. The captain grabbed one for each of us to hold. They are very slippery and slimy. The captain gave us food for them and this caused the rays to swim all over us to get the food. It was great fun -- everyone was laughing and giggling and shrieking as the rays searched for food. The downside was there were several other boats there, one with more than 100 people. We didn't lack for stingrays but it just showed what a tourist trap this was. But don't miss a chance to frolic with the stingrays. After 20 minutes with the stingrays, we traveled five minutes to the barrier reef that protects Grand Cayman from strong waves. The waves weren't terribly strong -- I'd been bounced around much worse in Cancun and St. John. But after three previous times in the water, I was too tired to struggle against the current. We got back to the hotel at 3 p.m. At $45 U.S. per person, I would pass on this trip. I like more comfort and more attention on my snorkeling trips, and there are other visits to Sting Ray City that don't cost as much and have nicer boats. We tried to go to La Havana for dinner, but it was hosting a private reception, so we went back to Ferdinand's. My mother had the nightly special (if it's served every night, how can it be a special?) of petit filet mignon, mahi mahi and lobster tail with garlic mashed potatoes for $42.50 U.S. She raved about it. I had lemon pepper fettuccini with steamed vegetables and grilled shrimp in clear broth for $24 U.S. Another day, we took an afternoon snorkeling trip. We took a cab to the cruise ship dock and boarded a fishing boat as the crew were putting the catch on ice. A total of 10 passengers went with us. This boat was a little nicer than Captain Marvin's, but the crew was of no help during the entire trip. They had no information about the sites we visited and didn't help anyone, including my 71-year-old mother, get in and out of the boat. Fortunately, the passengers all pitched in. We were supplied with punch and nothing else. Luckily, we and the other passengers had our own gear. Despite these drawbacks, this was a fabulous snorkeling trip. First we traveled about 20 minutes to directly in front of the Westin, about a mile off shore. There we snorkeled a wreck that was about 50 feet down. There were a few fish, and scuba divers were also visiting the site. It was fun to watch them. After 45 minutes we traveled back to where we had started, going past three cruise ships, and snorkeled very close to the shore. Here we saw magnificent coral, including brain coral and elkhorn and several caves. There were a lot of fish, including some big ones. It was the best snorkeling we had on the island. We got back on the boat and sailed a few more yards away, directly over a wreck which was only 10 to 15 feet down. It was a huge wreck, probably a cargo ship (here is where the crew's lack of information really interfered with our enjoyment of the dive) and we could easily see the spine, the mast, the holds, the anchor and could visualize how it looked before it crashed. There were several fish there as well. We made a final stop, again a few yards away, but it started to rain and got a little chilly, so I passed. That was a mistake, because those who went saw barracudas. This trip was worth the cost, $45 U.S. per person. Just hope you get a more helpful crew. With the exception of two dinners at the Holiday Inn, we ate all of our meals at the Westin. We did not rent a car. The island is only 20 miles by 6 miles long and has one main drag, so I don't think getting lost would be a problem. However, driving on the left would be tricky. On Friday, we took another half-day tour of the island. This time it was just us and the tour guide, Chris, who was from Jamaica. He drove us in Island Tour's air-conditioned van to a Cardinal D's Park, small, deeply weird zoo with very primitive conditions for the animals. It was built by a man whose brother was a pilot and it contained animals representing places the pilot had flown. There were a lot of birds, including parrots, peacocks, ducks and chickens. There were some ponies, rodents, and, inexplicably, two dogs in cages. The island's endemic iguanas were also on display, as were a family of agouti, an introduced rodent. Next, we drove to the Queen Elizabeth II Botanical Garden. This is a small preserve of mostly flora. It has a clearly marked one-mile walk through it. Chris was most helpful at pointing out plants, and when my mother told him she was a birdwatcher, he took great pains to point them out. (My mother, incidentally, had written to the Cayman Islands Bird Club weeks before the trip to ask about birding trips. She received no response, and was most disappointed.) The walk would be considered easy in most places, but at noon in the Caribbean, one must be sure to be slathered in sunblock and have plenty of drinking water. We drove to the east end of the island, the windward side, to see the blow holes, where the ocean crashes with such force through the limestone that makes up the island that the water is forced through manhole-sized openings and looks like a geyser. Across the street from the blow holes, a man sold us coconuts he kept on ice. He sliced the coconuts open and gave us straws so we drink the cold juice. I've never been a big fan of coconut, but this hit the spot. This tour proved what a big difference a knowledgeable, helpful guide can make in a visitor's enjoyment. That night, we had dinner at the Holiday Inn and stayed for the show at the comedy club there. The show was $12 U.S. per person and is in a nightclub setting in which waitresses try to sell you drinks during the show. The performance was supposed to start at 9:30 p.m., but didn't get under way until nearly 10 o'clock. The club showed clips from "America's Funniest Home Videos" until the manager started the show. He called himself the Big Kahuna and did a 10 minute routine. Two other comedians, both from the United States, performed, each about 15 minutes. All the routines were fairly off color -- about what you'd see on HBO comedy specials, and not what you'd see on "The Tonight Show." Of course, this will vary depending on who's performing. We spent the last two days hanging around the pool and swimming in the Caribbean. I rented a float each day (after 1 p.m., they were half-price at $4 U.S.) and drifted lazily in the wonderful water. I went into town on Saturday to do some shopping and found many of the shops were closed. There was only one cruise ship docked, so the area wasn't nearly as crowded as it had been on Tuesday. Our last full day there was Mother's Day. Both restaurants, Ferdinand's and Havana, were serving a spectacular buffet all day and evening to celebrate. We decided to have dinner. The food was beautifully displayed and seemingly endless. There were a dozen salads, sushi and a raw bar, a tray of cold cuts and cheeses, including Roquefort, Gorgonzola and bleu cheese, steamed mahi mahi, hot and cold pasta with red and white sauces, steamed veggies, a carving table with leg of lamb, beef Wellington and ham with sauces, and a dessert table to die for. Champagne was also served. Everything was delicious and nicely prepared despite being served on steaming tables. The bill for two, as I said earlier, was $130 U.S., making it the most expensive meal I had ever had (and after our vacation in Hawaii in 1996, that's saying a lot). On departure day, checkout was quick. We waited about an hour in the lobby for our transport to arrive. So many people were leaving that a separate truck was brought to cart the luggage. Check-in at the airport took quite a long time, with so many of us leaving at the same time and the American Airlines counter only had two clerks. There is a $12 U.S. per person departure fee. The airport has six shops selling jewelry, liquor and candy. Grand Cayman is an international banking center with more than 600 banks on this island of 20,000 people, and they aren't the kind with drive-through windows and automatic teller machines. Because of all this money, the Cayman Islands have a very high standard of living and no property, personal, income or sales taxes. There is very little crime, most of it petty, so this is a very safe island. But because the land is virtually barren, expenses for food and everyday items such as newspapers or toiletries are very high. Be prepared to spend a lot on food. The Westin is a wonderful hotel, among the best I've visited. The beach is perfect and the service, in most cases, was good. The power went out on the island only once during our visit, and was restored in less than an hour. One day, there was no hot water for about 18 hours, but because it's so warm, taking a cold shower was not unbearable. These things happen in the Caribbean. The Westin gets most of its trade, judging from our visit, from business groups. Almost every day about 3 p.m., a section of the deck around the pool was closed to guests while it was set up for some group function. Also, the pool tended to be the gathering place for these group travelers to unwind, so it frequently became crowded and rowdy. This didn't matter to us, because the beach and the water were so calm and lovely. USA Today arrived about 5 p.m. every day in the hotel gift shop - - kind of late for a news junkie like me, but because I was on vacation, it didn't matter. Everything is priced in Caymanian dollars, so add 25 percent to the price to avoid the shock. The Cayman Islands are a wonderful, safe place to visit. They are not for someone on a budget, however. Because of the high costs, we were not able to spend the money to take a day trip to Little Cayman or Cayman Brac, as we had initially planned. The islands are also not a place to party. There was a disco across the street from the Westin, but it seemed to be open only on the weekend.
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