Final update 2 Dec 1700utc
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Contents for December 1995
(Ed Note: Lynn McKamey contributes a couple of updates on the BVI for CTR. Please remember that her work is copyrighted and she can be reached at SCUBA.MOM@genie.geis.com.)
1/ HURRICANE UPDATES
We arrived at the Beef Island airport on Tortola on October 28 and were pleasantly surprised to see no ill effects from the hurricanes which passed by these islands. In fact, the storms brought some much needed rain to the area and everything is very lus h and green.
We took the North Sound Express to Drakes Anchorage Inn on the North Sound of Virgin Gorda and found the resort perfectly intact. (and the food is better than ever! :-) Drakes is adding a beach bar to Long Beach and has finished enlarging the bathrooms in the cottages.
We visited Leverick Bay and the Bitter End, both doing business as usual.
Biras Creek is undergoing extensive renovations (planned by a new owner long before the storms came) and it will open on schedule January 19th. We toured the grounds there with new manager Jamie Holmes (past manager of Peter Island) and I'll do a complete report when we return home.
Spanish Town and the Yacht Harbor in "the valley" are fine and we dived with a couple staying at Guavaberry near the Baths and they reported that all is well in that area of Virgin Gorda.
Little Dix appears to be the only Virgin Gorda resort still closed because of storm damage to their extensive, perfectly landscaped grounds [lots of trees and acres of lawns] and to some of their rooms. Word has it that they plan to stay closed to complet ely re-landscape and re-decorate (once again) and may reopen in late spring.
We've done six dives so far and see no damage to the underwater sites in the Dogs and off Virgin Gorda. In fact, we saw more fish, eels, and turtles than usual! Water temperature is a delightful 84 degrees, winds are light but steady and the weather has b een perfect.
And so... happily, we are finding that the BVI sustained little damage from the two storms and gained lots of lush tropical growth from the rains. If you were planning to visit these islands, come on down... they are as peaceful and pretty as ever.
Got in from St. John after 2 weeks in paradise!
Yes some things are not the same but much is exactly the way I remembered the island! The Marilyn damage is much worse in STT than STJ but that is not news. STJ still has some problems related to Marilyn but they are minor.
Most of the island has power but the phones and TV are a problem(who cares?). My husband and family stayed at Rich and Chris Meyer's Sea Cay. It is in great shape with little damage except a few windows now plexiglass and unable to be opened. Rich plans t o fix this as soon as glass is available. Sea Cay was very lucky.
The Hyatt and Caneel were not as lucky. Much of the island has done much of the clean up but not them. Caneel has done little awaiting insurance monies. The Hyatt has done some landscaping work but little has been done on the buildings themselves. We got married there two years ago and were devastated at the damage to the property. FEMA has given little motivation to the Hyatt to repair the damage as the locals claim the government is paying full price to occupy a small amount of the hotel. As of yesterda ys Tradewinds the Hyatt plans partial occupation by March 1 and Caneel still holds to their original plan to reopen June 1.
The restaurants are all open but not offering regulars menus. Morgan's Mango and Mongoose Junction are open but....Ellington's is OK but expensive. Island Joes is as good as ever!! Skinny Legs is absolutely unchanged. Many of their traditional events took placed as planned. Despite the fact Chris and Rich were our landlords Lime Inn was the best meal we could find. The menu was only limited by the fact that they were unable to obtain crabmeat but the rest is the same.
We arrived Nov. 7 and as time went on the number of tourists grew. I do not think we will ever have STJ to ourselves as we did post Marilyn but it was a truly wonderful time.
If any of you have plans to go to STJ GO FOR IT!!! The island is in great shape. Shopping could be better but do you go for the shopping? The better restaurants need to get back to normal and I hope they do since that was our biggest disappointment.
All in all we had a great time on STJ. and would not hesitate to go back given the same situation. I must admit we all were concerned before we left but we did OK.
If you get to STJ go to Skinney Leggs and ask to see the hurricane video- it is awesome.
We arrived in SXM on Nov. 1 and made it through the airport in record time. Renting a car took about 10 minutes and was waiting by the curb in front of the baggage area by the time the paper work was done.
We stopped off on Front Street to pick up a friend who had arranged a place for us to stay, we were pleasantly surprised that he had found us a studio Apt. built off of a beautiful private residence overlooking Orient Bay complete with a pool, maid servic e, patio and BBQ for $600. per week.
Even though there were many signs of the devastation, the Island is still beautiful. After looking over pictures and a video taken during and immediately after Luis, we were amazed at how fast they cleaned up and repaired.
Club Orient has began the task of cleanup and are progressing rapidly. Papagayo's opened (after a little coaxing) on a limited basis, they serve all of the favorite drinks including frozen as well as good cold sandwiches. They set up tables, chairs and um brellas on a concrete slab adjacent to the restaurant.
C.O. groomed the beach and are renting beach chairs. It was encouraging to see all of them in high spirits and moving so quickly to make the area as normal as possible. Nearly everyone visiting the beach assisted in cleanup by carrying any loose debris fr om the beach and shallow water and throwing it into piles. By the time we left (Nov. 15) the beach was looking normal. Each day more people were enjoying Club Orient's nude beach.
We had no problem finding a place to eat, most of the restaurants are open and doing fine although they could use a few more customers. Cruise Ships are coming in nearly everyday now which is helping a lot. Anyone thinking about going should go, we had a great time even though we couldn't stay at Club Orient.
ST. MARTIN BY JEFF MILLER VIA ALTHEA BOGDAN
I have received a faxes from Jeff Miller updating the restaurants in the area from the Sapphire Club to the Pelican Resort.
Tutta Pasta at the Yacht Club-open
Goodfellas Restaurant-open
Boathouse-open
Felix Restaurant-open
Coconuts Cafe on airport road-open
Music News Cafe-open
Burger King, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut & KFC-open
Grill & Ribs-open
Ren & Stimpy-open
Charlenes-open
Pavillon-destroyed, rebuilding, owner says open Dec. 15, Jeff's guess March 15
Golden Apple-open
Don Carlos-open
Uncle Sam's Pizza-open
Lynette's-open
Stop & Shop-open at both locations
Grand Cafe Europe-open
Paradise Cafe-opening for Thanksgiving
Cheri's-opening Dec. 15
Rumboat-opening Dec. 15
Orient Express-open, Satellite football, etc. now
Toscanna Cafe-open
Mary's Boon-restaurant & rooms opening day after Christmas
Sambucca-was open-now closed-reopening Dec. 1
Old Rock Cafe-looks like it is closed for good
Saratoga-not open-no signs-no activity
Bavaria-open
Shui Hung-open
Mullet Bay-only Shipwreck Cafe is open, all other Mullet
restaurants are closed
Rancho Argentinian Grill & Steakhouse-opened two weeks
before Luis in old Mambo location at
La Palapa-now open again
Luguna=open
La Rosa II-open
Cupecoy Cafe & Albo-closed, no sign of clean up
Haagen Daz-open-lost $130,000 in ice cream which melted after storm
All airport, Mullet Bay, Cole Bay grocery stores, mini marts, 7 Alives, Peli Deli, type stores are open including
Cole Bay Food Center.
Jeff drove to Grand Case and walked the beach which is clean and nice. They then walked up and down the main street and the following is a status report on the restaurants:
NOW OPEN
California Pizza, Cha Cha Cha (limited menu), La Creperie du Soleil, Bistro Caraibes, Le Auberge Gourmand, Le Cottage, Good Morning Saigon, Hevea, Portofino, Sebasiano. OPENING DEC. 1
Jeff spoke with Karin at Alabama and they are opening Dec. 1as well as Fish Pot. Both places look ready now.
IN VARIOUS STAGES OF REBUILDING:
Some nearly ready, others will be some time: Rainbow, Deep Blue, Chez Martine, Surf Club South, Il Netttuno Le Tastevin
ELSEWHERE:
The Cloud Room building on the hill overlooking Orient area was destroyed, but they are open and all shops there are intact. They also have new kitchen and exp;anded food menu. Mark's Places shows not much sign or clean up, Drew's Deli says "closed for re
pairs, sorry for inconvenience". Pinel Island Ferry goog full blast-Pinel Island looks very good.
MARIGOT:
A first time visitor to Marigot would probably not know there was a storm here two months ago. They went to the market on Saturday and at at La Belle Epogue last night. Virtually everything open and back to normal In Marigot except there are not many tour
ists.
MULLET BAY: Jeff spoke with Bob Cook, the golf pro at Mullet. The golf course is open & it looks very good due to all the rain that Marilyn brought after Luis. The couse will be open to ALL island visitors this year. The cost is $95 for 19 holes. Club ren tals are $25. His fax is 011-5995-54281. The Towers at Mullet Bay are open & fully functional. Mullet Beach is in great shape & the Shipwreck Rest. on the beach is open as is the convenience store & tennis courts. The rest of the resort will be closed for more then a year.
ROYAL ISLANDER: The property is covered by swarms of workmen. He spoke with the director of reservations & she said that the resort will be open on Dec. 23. Jeff believes her as things are going very well.
MAHO BEACH HOTEL: Open & fully functional.
ROYAL PALM & ATRIUM- Open & fully functional. Beaches here are better then ever.
PELICAN RESORT: Jeff assumes all Pelican owners have lots of information. The beach here is fully of tourists.
LA VISTA: Jeff spoke with Peter Scherzinger, the developer for LaVista-Peter says they will open Dec. 15. The restaurant on Jan 1. The pool has already been rebuilt.
CORAL SHORES:The grounds here look as fabulous as ever. The pool is back and the only evidence of damage is the ocean walkway (a bridge) is gone, everything here is good.
SAPPHIRE CLUB: Open & fully functional
CUPECOY: Open as is the Atlantis Casino across the street where they are building a Cheri's type outdoor restaurant, bar live music type place.
DIVI LITTLE BAY: Closed and not much sign of activity, no information available at this time.
GRAND CASE BEACH CLUB: resort closed, lots of workers, no other info now.
Hi all, My wife and I returned from St. Martin on 11/25. Stayed at the Towers at Mullet Bay. Towers is fine, Mullet Bay is in bad shape. The golf course opened 11/11 and one of the beach bars at Mullet has reopened. The island has come a long way since th e hurricane, we saw repairs being done daily, everywhere we looked.
Marigot is in great shape. You would never know it was hit by the storm, although I was told that every restaurant in the marina had at least one boat in it after the storm. Almost all restaurants in town are now open, including all in the marina. They ha ve worked very hard.
Several of the beaches are GONE. These include Cupecoy, in front of the Saphire and Ocean Club. The far end and the coves have plenty of beach left. Bay Long is GONE, only large boulders where the beach was. Bay Rouge is OK, still some debris on the back of the beach. Gus's place was still standing, but no Gus. Dawn Beach was deserted. You can't get in through the hotel entrance. Dawn Beach resort was hit badly. We spent most of our time at Orient. All the beach bars are open, Bikini, Kontiki etc. Beach t here is great.
All in all, I would not hesitate to recommend SXM for tourists, plently of restaurants open, roads fine and most beaches good. Plus there was NO TRAFFIC.
Restaurants in Grand Case, including Fish Pot and La Testetvin were working hard to reopen soon.
On the Dutch side, Cheris looked ready to open but was not when we left. Paradise Cafe closed but said they would try to open by 12/16. Sambuca was closed, working on the roof. Coconuts, Rancho Argentina, Lynette's, Don Carlos, Boathouse, Turtle Pier, Lag una all open. Some water sports near the Pelican.
Three casinos were open by the day we left, Atlantis (they were operating outside under shelter and opened the inside on 11/22), Lightning and the Pelican reopened while we were there. Two casinos in Philipsbugh were also open.
(Ed Note: Drew is a regular correspondent to the CTR and here is his St. Thomas update in the post hurricane Period.)
Patty and I were vacationing on board the MS Starward while Marilyn was doing her trick in STT. We were making circles in the middle of the Caribbean, the Captain trying to stay as close to the storm as comfort would allow, so we could zip into STT for sh opping and reprovisioning as soon as this trivial event was over. This was on orders from the NCL home office. At this point we believed Ed Rapoport’s lies about the windspeeds and location of the eye, which he (and his masters at the hurricane informatio n center in MIA) defends to this day. If what they believe is true, then the damage to STT must have been caused by a secondary, unnamed storm traveling to the East and South of the Marilyn they were tracking. The winds here were measured in excess of 150 mph with some equipment measuring over 200 mph.
We made port in San Juan at about 4:00 PM Saturday, 8 hours late and about 12 hours after the height of the events on STT. NCL was kind enough to let us spend the night on board, but debarked us at around 0800 Sunday. Since there was no air transport avai lable to STT, we took a room at the Hotel Pierre in Santurce and began to take matters seriously. While I was trying to arrange transport home, I got a call from Mel Borinn who is an owner-manager type at Secret Harbour (the hotel down the street). Mel sa id he was flying in from NH on Monday and if I would arrange some charter air transportation, he would subsidize the cost for Patty and me. We flew into STT around 5:00PM Monday (an hour before curfew) and our minds boggled at the destruction. Mel paid an airport fireman big bucks to drive us out East and dropped us at a fallen phone pole about 100 meters from our house.
I pause at this point to say I had been critical of Patty for overpacking on the cruise. We had four heavy suitcases, and even though we didn’t buy too many souvenirs, etc., we were pretty loaded down. She had the foresight to do laundry on Monday morning , so we became the only people in the US Virgin Islands with clean clothes. I also had a tuxedo.
As we walked up the hill it became clear that the entire roof, East wall, North wall and half of the West wall were gone. The interior of the house was completely scrambled with walls down in all the rooms but one. The bathroom where we would have spent t he storm was completely crushed by the falling kitchen wall: we would have been killed or seriously injured if we stayed at home for the storm. I won’t go into what was destroyed and blown around the hillside, because in one sense it was only stuff and we ’re well rid of it. In another sense it was the rich and irreplaceable comfort of our normalcy that spread over 50 acres. My biggest joy was finding an out-of-production Chock Full O’ Nuts coffee measure; Patty’s the sharp knives we got for Christmas. Our good, good friends had rescued what they could before we got there: our Eric Winter paintings and Patty’s insulin, etc. They got my computer repair tools and most of the utility disks. The business records were all intact at the undamaged IPS store.
So we kept on slogging, step by suitcase-laden step, three more houses down the street to Pete and Pam’s where we had spent the frightening but relatively non-destructive hours of Hurricane Luis. They had lost a part of their living room roof, but there w as a bed for us in their landlady’s apartment downstairs. The next day we moved into an apartment at the home of my Rotary friends Leslie and Doug White. We’ll stay there until Nov. 11 when we will move into the store, until further notice.
Since we could not afford the high-priced windstorm insurance, we are more or less at the mercy of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). These are very nice people who have perfected the art of making an uncaring and faceless bureaucracy seem be nign. We may get a grant out of them, or not, and perhaps a loan from the SBA which is charged with helping devastated homeowners in these cases. It looks doubtful, right now, for reasons I won’t go into. The remaining option is bankruptcy, since we owe a bunch of money on a small lot and slab worth about $20k, at the moment. Fortunately, there is no particular moral stigma to bankruptcy here in the VI, any more than there is to illegitimacy or chronic lassitude, so I don’t worry too much about that.
The last vestiges of Island Photo Service will pass when Pete (who was in the process of buying the photo lab) and Pam go to Kansas City on Dec. 1 carrying their post-traumatic stress with them. I have no more taste for the photo business and am opening a PC repair shop in the lab area. Patty has taken a “regular” job with Doug White, Architect (he of the spare apartment). She’s Timeslipping his reconstruction work crew and damage estimates. After trying for 4 years to get her to learn the program, she ta ught it to herself in a day. Res ipsa loquitor.
Our weddings will come back, maybe fast, maybe slow. We have more than $20,000 in refunds to make for the period the cruise ships haven’t come in, and the hotels won’t be ready for a long spell, yet. Some ships are back and some weddings are still on, but most of our favorite venues are trashed beyond recognition. This is a whole other topic for conversation.
In any event, we have decided to stay here and reject the kindly offers of family and friends to relocate someplace more rational. There is no good reason for this, except for the business above about bankruptcy and the fact that this is our home, and we like it.
I’ll try to get to each of you wonderful corespondents individually in the next 6 weeks. It will be easier after next weekend when we’re living in the store. The fax line (809) 776-3433 works and I have a voice-fax-data modem on it, so you can leave a mes sage or send a fax. If you know of a source for lots of money (free) or an MD who writes Prozac prescriptions by mail: please call my cellular phone (809) 690-0298. Thank you for your support, Drew
2\ PRESS RELEASES
CLUB ANTIGUA OFFERS TRAVELERS SUMMER RATES FOR CHRISTMAS
Fully-Renovated Resort to Re-Open December 15th with Year-Round Off-Season Rates
Club Antigua has announced a reopening date of December 15th, 1995, and will launch its re-opening with a special year-long promotion offering low season-summer rates on all rooms through December 22, 1996 -- even during the Christmas and New Years holida y period. The 470-room all-inclusive, family-friendly resort has undergone a property-wide $2 million renovation, including guest rooms, grounds and all facilities, and will reopen in top shape for holiday vacationers.
All-inclusive rates for Club Antigua from December 15th, 1995 through December 22nd, 1996, including during this year's holiday season, will range from $220 per room for two adults sharing a minimum category room to $320 per room based on double share in a family room. Triple and quad-share rates are available, and children under 12 can stay free when sharing with two adults.
Club Antigua's all-inclusive rates include all meals, snacks and beverages (at a choice of four restaurants and six bars), use of all facilities (including use of all pools, a large beach, a full array of watersports with instruction, tennis and on-site c asinos), nightly live entertainment and discos, plus a daily professionally supervised children's program and evening teen program.
In addition to repairing all hurricane wind and water damage on the property, Club Antigua has undertaken extensive room renovations, including painting, new drapes, new bedspreads and retiled showers in all rooms, plus new baths, sinks and furniture in a ll superior category rooms. Moreover, the hotel's facilities are will have undergone a complete rehaul, including servicing and/or replacement of all air-conditioning equipment and plumbing, as well as maintenance work on pools, restaurants, bars, lobby a reas, children's club facilities, shops, wedding gazebos and more. Grounds work has also been done on the property's 40 acres and beach.
For more information, contact your travel agent, or call Clubs International toll-free at 1-800-777-1250; (212) 251-1709 in New York State. * * *
(From Carol Kent Yacht Charters , Six harbor View Terrace, Salem MA Ph 508-569-7373 Fax 508 745-5642 or CKYACHT@aol.com)
ATTENTION ALL CARIBBEAN TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS!
Special report from St. Thomas, USVI -- you may confidently offer your clients the "Alternative" vacation aboard a private power or sail yacht. The hotels are still recovering with reports of availability the first of the year. The streets are clear, powe r is on and stores are open for business (including Little Switzerland). I had dinner under the moonlight in downtown Charlotte Amalie. The cruise ships are also coming into port.
It is NOT the disaster area the media is spreading! The American Red Cross are leaving after having worked with the local residents of St. Thomas. The Department of Tourism requested our presence at a Cocktail Reception for our charter industry. We are wo rking closely with their people to promote the boats as a comparable vacation -- please take time to read the editorial for information you can use.
Help promote this desirable cruising area by encouraging your clients to consider sailing out of this port. St. Thomas needs the support from the travel industry.
Example: A crewed charteryacht vacation for 7 nights/8 days (all inclusive of food & beverages) begins as low as $1,200.PP. Singles and couples may join a yacht without having to have a group in place.
TRAVEL AGENT COMMISSION: An easy 10% of whole package (yacht, air and hotel stay prior or after charter). Call today for exciting details!!
VIRGIN ISLANDS DIVERS RELEASE: ST. CROIX BY ED BUCKLEY
(Ed Note: Ed Buckley and his wife run V. I. Divers, Ltd., on St. Croix which is the oldest dive operation on the island.)
St. Croix - It Was NOT Hurt By Hurricanes!
I will preface this report on St. Croix, in the U.S. Virgin Islands by saying that my wife and I run a scuba shop here. Actually she runs it, I just Captain the boat and dive and she hates that arrangement
The island's 28 miles long and has a rain forest at one end and cactus growing at the other. It was discovered by Columbus in 1493 when his crew anchored off of Salt River (an excellent dive site by the way) and got a less than friendly reception from the cannibalistic Carib Indians. I promise a much better reception for you. Let's see, there were the Spanish, then English, Dutch, French, and Knights of Malta, before the Danish West Indies Company purchased the island and built the town of Christiansted i n 1735 and Frederiksted in 1751. The island was primarily agricultural then with up to 241 sugar cane plantations. The estate names are still used which can lead to a little confusion as you try to find places like "Work and Rest", "All for the Better", a nd my favorite, "Estate Slob". In 1917 the U.S. purchased the Virgin Islands and we've been under the U.S. stars and stripes since.
We've been getting a huge amount of cruise ships (by default since many other destinations were badly damaged) and the passengers have been loving us. They're impressed that the people are so friendly, and there's good duty free shopping ($1200 duty free including 6 fifths of alcohol, if one is locally produced like Cruzan Rum or Southern Comfort), and beaches are beautiful, and the snorkeling/diving is excellent. In fact this is one of the most underrated dive destinations in the world. (I have to be a l ittle self serving) We have the largest living reef in the Caribbean, and a wall that drops 13,200 feet!
There's a lot of cultural things to do including the Whim Plantation museum (a restored Danish sugar cane plantation), the Botanical Gardens, two Danish forts, the Caribbean Dance Company (West Indian and Afro-Caribbean culture in exciting choreography), The St. Croix Aquarium and Marine Education Center with its newly completed mango grove exhibit, a couple of 1700's era churches, much 18th century Danish architecture, old sugar mills, and lot more. Personally I feel that the best cultural attraction is right in the middle of the rain forest in the Jungle Bar (Mt. Pellier Domino Club) The famous beer drinking pig (now partaking of non-alcoholic beer only). A couple of the beach hotels have West Indians nights where guests can see Mako Jumbies (stilt danc ers), broken bottle dancers, and listen to steel pan bands while feasting on West Indian buffets.
Watersports include, of course, scuba diving, snorkeling, wind surfing (the women's world champion teaches here), jet skies, kayaks, parasail, sailing, and of course the famous Buck Island National Park with its underwater snorkel trail and beautiful whit e sand beach. If just sitting back and catching some rays are your idea of relaxing there's miles and miles of beaches, some completely secluded and others with great beach bars and restaurants.
Getting to St. Croix is easy with daily non-stop service on American from their Miami and San Juan hubs, direct service on Delta from Atlanta, and a myriad of commuter flights that connect the island with San Juan and other nearby islands.
If I can help you with any specific information please leave a message or send an E-mail to me, 71307,2505@compuserve.com and I'll be happy to provide you with any information I can. I've lived here 10 years, LOVE IT, and would love to welcome you here in paradise, St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands!
3/ JOURNEYS FOR DECEMBER 1995
For starters, I advise that I was fortunate to have won the vacation via a drawing promoted by our fantastic "Wadsworth Atheneum". I had signed up as a new member and did not recall that there was to be a drawing for any prize. So, the advice about winnin g came as a complete surprise. It was to be a week in St. Maarten but that got blown away. The supplier, "Trans National Travel", called me soon after that most destructive hurricane and offered Aruba as an alternate which I was pleased to accept. I can't say enough for TNT about the way they handled the change and about the friendly professional way they conduct their business.
I had a bit of trepidation when I found they used a charter service to transport their travel agents customers to and from the Caribbean. This was forgotten immediately on boarding their American Trans Air flight to Aruba from Boston. Their L1011 was in e xcellent shape and their service equaled or exceeded any common carriers. No problems were encountered with lost luggage, checking in, getting to and from the airport to the many Aruba hotels that TNT services. I found that TNT and ATA have been working t ogether for years. They have their "act" together and I am not hesitant to recommend to any that travel the Caribbean to ask their travel agent for the TNT 'Sunshine Guide".
From what I can determine their prices are most competitive. If you don't want to bother your travel agent you can write to TNT - The Haley Corporation - 2 Charlesgate West - Boston Ma 02215-3522 for the booklet. Nuff said.
To continue: with a few bits about our most enjoyable stay in Aruba in no particular order. We took in a helpful orientation meeting that TNT arranged for the morning after our arrival. We took a 1/2 day tour about the island and saw it all in that short time. I declined to rent a car and found that travel to the high rise section or Oranjestad from our low rise section was accomplished via comparatively inexpensive 4-7$US taxi rides or via 1$US bus rides that were on 1/2 hour schedules.
We stayed at the Divi Aruba Beach Resort and found it to be comfortable - fairly update - in good condition - operated well by pleasant personnel.
We saw a lot of beautiful beaches that are open to all comers. The waters are clean, clear and comfortable. The sands are white and smooth. Our tour stopped at "Baby Beach" which is a great one to go to with a family with small children as it is shallow a nd protected.
I went on a 1/2 day snorkel trip that made 2 stops at relatively shallow coral reef and another stop over an interesting shipwreck. I thought the $45.00 price for the trip was a bit high. It was by "Wavedance Watersports" and I booked it because a lesser cost so a similar trip from DePalm tours was sold out. Suggestion...Book your trips early in the game lest they be sold out. With the temporary loss of use of other islands Aruba is getting more and more popular. The highlight of our week was a 1 hour voy age aboard the "Atlantis" submarine. It travels along coral reefs eventually arriving at a depth of 150 feet. It is safe an comfortable if you don't mind sitting "cheek to cheek" Suggestion...When going aboard make sure the persons before and after you ar e not too overweight. Great underwater viewing. Two disappointments: One: The managers party at the Divi was a farce. Far from others I have had the pleasure of attend for the past 50 years. Atendees had to scrounge chairs and secondly there was a "tip" b asket at the open bar which I thought was in very poor taste.
The other complaint was the quality of a few of their casinos. The worst and shabbiest was the "Alhambra". I did not hit them all but found the one at the Sonesta in town was neat and update. It was almost a pleasure losing you money there. I found all of the casinos to be "tight".
My lady and I ate out all evenings though at times I would have rather had a bowl of cereal with a banana. We found most of the restaurants we went to to have good food at fairly moderate prices. "Mama and Popa's" and "Talk of the Town" were excellent. "B oonoonoonoos" was just "so-so". We went to "Tony Roma's" because I'm a nut for onion ring loaf and good Ribs. Am salivating now as I write this.
And....for good food, relatively inexpensive, in neat surroundings, we ate two evenings at the "Manchebo Beach Resort" which was a coconut throw down the road from our Divi Resort. We also hit MacDonald's for a bit when in town. I don't know how they make money at the prices they charge.
We are older folks who enjoy traveling quite a bit but can't get about as fast or to as many places or at all hours as we used to. I am envious at times watching the young folks enjoy the beaches and clubs as much as they do. I found all of them and the A ruba natives to be accommodating and friendly to us and to others. Aruba is a great, safe, friendly, not too expensive vacation island. Go and Enjoy!
Returned from our BVI charter last night and I can still feel the boat rocking from Sat. night in Cane Garden Bay (the swells were running.).
We arrived early the morning of the 4th and could not believe how bad St. Thomas still looks. Lots of damage with blue tarps over the roofs and people living in tents next to their homes. Power lines are still down in many areas and wrecked boats are scat tered about the shoreline. VIP yachts had a taxi waiting for us but acted surprised to see us at 9:15 AM and informed us that our boat would not be ready for awhile.
We took the taxi to the Red Hook Market and bought provisions there. After comparing prices with Rite Way in Roadtown we realized we would have done better to do all of our shopping in Roadtown. We returned to find someone still cleaning diesel soot off t he transom and waited 2 and half hours before the check-out started.
Several of the boats had obvious cosmetic damage and ours was one of them. The rails around the aft deck were gone and had been replaced temporarily with rope through stanchions. The port side had received the worst of it and one of the supports for the a ft hardtop was missing. This boat is a 94 model but the damage made her look much older. The carpet in the salon was totally ruined by the water that had poured in when the windows blew out during Marilyn but we weren't totally surprised as we had been in formed that she had sustained cosmetic damage.
During the check-out we were shown the typical maintenance points and given a demonstration on how to push in the solenoid rod on the genset if it failed to start. The impression given was that this stuck once every blue moon---the moon was blue alot last week.
We were also informed that we had a second anchor, but no rode for it. I've used 2 anchors in the BVI before and would liked to have had that option but by now we were anxious to get underway. We were told the tanks we topped off and had just started out when another of the crew there informed us that we needed to fill up at the fuel dock as they had not had time to fill it yet. I later wished I hadn't assumed the water was filled as well.
We headed on over to Soper's to clear customs and pick up our dive tanks from Baskin in the Sun. We had reserved 12 tanks and 2 6-tank racks but upon arrival found out that they have no tank racks so we had to improvise a method of securing 12 tanks on th e aft deck. It began to rain hard at Soper's and as it was already late in the afternoon we decide to stay there.
We had dinner at Pussers and returned to find a darkened boat although the genset was running. We quickly discovered that we had no DC power yet the engines would start. We spent the next 2 hours in a hot engine room until we traced the problem to a blown 100 amp buss fuse hidden in a wiring raceway which prevented power from getting to the battery switch and panel. The next morning we contacted VIP and they informed us they weren't aware of the existence of this type of fuse on the boat and suggested we bypass it until a replacement fuse could be obtained. Since the DC panel protected everything beyond that point we agreed to bypass the fuse and this was accomplished by inserting a socket extension into the blown fuse shell. We had also discovered when t rying to contact the charter company that the VHF radio did not work and they sent us a replacement on the ferry.
After installing the new radio and filling up with water,(really wished they had done that before we left), we headed out for JVD an picked up a mooring at Little Harbour.
Sunday it rained most of the day so we decided not to try diving just yet. We had dinner at Foxy's and the mosquitoes dined on us. They have had alot of rain and you will only forget the repellent one time or be prepared for transfusions of whole blood.
Monday was a beautiful day ( as was the rest of the week) and we cruised along the north shore of Tortola to Guana Island for our fist dive. Didn't find the airplane but had a nice dive anyway although the current was strong and visibility poor. We headed over to Marina Cay and what a pleasant surprise that was. The place is painted and landscaped and looks like a painting as you turn the corner through Camanoe passage. The snorkeling along Camanoe Island was good and we decided Marina Cay had to be added to our list of favorites. We took the dinghy over to Trellis Bay and had one of the trips best meals at Conch Shell Point. We returned to the boat. to find several very large remoras circling under the swim platform so we of course fed them turkey franks . They were there the next morning and ate out of our hands while I took a few underwater pics.
We headed for Roadtown on Tuesday to fill scuba tanks and buy provisions. When we tried to start the genset at Village Cay, the old solenoid trick no longer worked. We had great difficulty contacting VIP since they only have a cellular phone and could not be reached on the VHF. By the time we got a hold of them we had already done our own troubleshooting (an act of desperation) and found the problem to be a faulty water temp. switch. VIP called around Tortola and finally found one for a Westerbeke at Maya Cove. We headed up that way, bought the part, and installed it on our way to Gorda Sound and Bitter End.
The docks at BEYC were damaged but a dinghy dock set up and it was pretty much business as usual. As was typical in several locations in the BVI, some of the aids to navigation at Gorda Sound are missing. Had a great cheeseburger and several frozen Raspbe rry Poundcakes at Pirates Pub, (they lost some of their dock too), and had a pleasant night at BEYC.
The next morning we headed for the Dogs and some more diving when the low oil pressure warning light came on for the port engine. This happened just as we were passing Mosquito rock and I shut down the engine immediately. As my son-in-law Kevin hurried to the engine room, the starboard engine died and would not restart, and of course neither would the port. Virgin Island radio answered our PAN-PAN call and they were in the process of getting us help when Kevin got the starboard engine restarted and we lim ped back to BEYC. After getting in touch with VIP, we were instructed to find "Dean" at BEYC and have him look at the engines. Dean, of course, had left for Tortola and it was very uncertain as to when he would be returning.
With the prospect of another day lost waiting for repairs, we returned to the engine room/sauna and began tracing down the problem which was bad wiring connections at the oil pressure sending units on both engines. Seems that salt water had found several electrical connections during the hurricane. It took from 10 to 2:30 to get her running and left us just enough time to make a quick dive at the Coral gardens off great dog and then return to BEYC instead of heading to Cooper as planned.
We had dinner at BEYC and it was overpriced and just so-so. We headed on to Cooper the next morning and dropped Susan off with the dinghy to save a mooring while we made a dive on the Mary L..
We went to Village Cay for more air and water and had more problems with the engines ( electrical again), this time they didn't want to restart. We finally found the problem and headed out to find another part for the one we had bypassed but gave up and w ent back to rescue Susan from the bar at Cooper Beach Club, not that she wanted to be rescued. We had a great meal at Cooper and went on to the Indians the next day. We anchored at Norman that night and returned to the Indians for a night dive, spectacula r but too much current.
Sat. morning we made a dive on the Rhone. The storm has moved a few things around and broken up the wreck a little more. Lots of damage to coral in Lee Bay. Lots of fish on the wreck, more than last time and a much stronger current running north to south. Returned our tanks at Sopers and went on to Cane Garden for our last night. We picked up a mooring and conditions were good when we got there but by the time we returned from dinner at Rhymers', large northern swells were reeking over the reef and the bo ats were really rocking. We were backwinded so the swells were hitting the stern and made sleeping difficult. Headed back the next morning and reluctantly said good bye to the virgins until next year.
By the way, you can't clear customs in St. Thomas due to the damage so we had the pleasure of standing in long lines in Miami and rechecking our luggage before proceeding on to DFW.. Fortunately we had enough time between flights, some didn't.
Mechanically it was the trip from hell. If I hadn't been able to repair the boat myself (my 40' aft cabin as given me alot of experience), we would have lost 2-3 days. VIP has an excellent reputation but I think they may have pushed a little too hard to g et back into operation quickly after Marilyn. It's hard not to feel for those folks on St. Thomas, it will be quite awhile before they recover from this one. We are already planning our trip in 96. But we may check out some BVI charters this trip. Heck we might just settle for one of those big catamarans next time.
Had a great trip but unfortunately we did not get to sail Wildcat as planned, but we did sail a sister ship Moonshadow. Wildcat is probably under repair now, as it was due at Roadtown the day we left. We had less than 5 knots of wind for 8 days which left us pretty much motoring about the islands.
The visible storm damage was minimal. Some roofs were missing shingles and lots of palm trees were damaged. The dock at the Bitter End was almost all gone. A sunken Cat at Trellis, Marina Cay has a wreck at anchor. Little Harbor JVD has a wreck in the bay visible from the surface. Sidney lost a lot of t-shirts(replaced).
We had a pretty good scare one day, as a tropical storm was expected to hit us at Marina Cay with winds of 40-60 MPH. The buildings were all being boarded up. Nothing ever happened and the winds were less than 10 knots that night. Harris's is being run by Mrs. Harris and is open for business.
We had a lobster dinner at Sidneys and were planning on breakfast at Harris's but Mrs. Harris insisted we have breakfast at Sidneys since we ate dinner there.
For all you divers, there is a new dive shop named AquaVenture across the road from Ample Hamper in the same building as Catamaran Charters. Paul Brown is the owner and I must say they offer the best and most helpful service I have encountered in the BVI bar none.
The trade winds seemed to be returning as the last three days we had steady winds of 11-14 knots and we finally were able to sail a cat.
BVI: BIRAS CREEK RESORT UPDATE NOV. 1995 BY LYNN MCKAMEY
My husband, Kenneth, and I had an outstanding vacation at Biras Creek in November 1994. We were scheduled to return a year later, but our plans changed when a new owner Mr. Bert Houwer, a Dutch National living in Argentina, closed the resort during Septem ber 1995 for a complete refurbishment of this wonderful property. No problem, we still went to the BVI and spent one of our afternoons touring the renovations with new general manager, Jamie Holmes.
Biras Creek uniquely offers private suites set along a gorgeous walking beach which is linked to numerous hiking trails along a salt water bird sanctuary and through a 140 acre nature preserve. At the end of one sandy pathway is a large protected lagoon w ith a sparkling white beach for sunning, snorkeling, and windsurfing. The centerpiece of the resort is a towering hilltop stone "castle", built on the remains of an ancient sugar mill and holds one of the most romantic dining rooms in the Caribbean. Biras is secluded and quiet - a lovely destination for those who want an upscale getaway.
We arrived at the newly restored dock and walked up the winding main pathway. A new circular activities/recreation building was rising near the stone "castle" and will have the same architecture, thus subtly blending the new to the old. The addition will have full conference facilities, a library, and small museum. The former gift shop is being transformed into a billiards room and the stone castle complex is being completely repainted in handsome "antiqued" colors.
All cottages are receiving new floor tiles, exterior stone accents, optional air conditioning, and shutters with screens and louvers which can be opened by those who prefer sea breezes. Each suite will also have new furnishings, a larger patio, and a tele phone, easily disconnected for those wanting to escape the modern world!
The fresh water swimming pool and adjoining seaside terrace are being re-tiled and the tennis courts are being re-topped. New landscaping is being developed.
Biras will continue to have bicycles available to guests and will also offer motor cart shuttles to Deep Bay Beach for those who would rather not walk or bike. The seaside bar now has electricity and can provide a full selection of beverages and frozen dr inks.
The kitchen has been completely redesigned and has new equipment to go along with a new advisory chef who will improve standards, food presentation, and train the dining staff. Menus will reflect new culinary trends.
Biras Creek will be adding a new fast launch to supplement the North Sound Express schedule to and from the Beef Island Airport. It will also be used for trips to the Baths and Tortola. More Boston Whalers are being added for guests to cruise the North So und and explore remote beaches.
The management staff is still mostly British, including Ginny Hawksley who handles reservations at the resort. American Jamie Holmes, well known past manager of Peter Island, has joined the Biras staff as General Manager.
In all cases, I saw good things going on at Biras Creek! The new owner, Mr. Houwer, has been a repeat guest for more than 15 years and purchased it as a personal investment. Our tour indicated that he plans to keep Biras the same quiet, enchanting resort yet add some modern touches and subtle enhancements.
The accommodations will be ready for guests on January 19, 1996, however, the restaurant will be open in time for the Holiday season December 1995.
Best of all, special "Discover Biras Creek" 1996 rates released last summer (before anyone knew about a new owner and complete renovations) will stay in effect and not be increased for the new season! If you ever planned to stay at this resort or would li ke to return, now is the time to make your reservations. They offer EXCELLENT value.
Daily rates listed below are for two people and include breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus many complimentary features. Please add 7% government tax and 10% service charge. Summer packages and sailaway (land and sea) vacations are also available.
For more information, call RALPH LOCKE ISLANDS, Inc. at (800) 223-1108 or fax (310) 440-4220 or call Ginny Hawksley at (800) 608-9661 or fax (809) 494-3557. From the U.K., dial 0-800-894-057 (no country code is needed).
For complete BVI vacation planning, contact OLSON TRAVEL AND NAUTICAL CHARTERS at (800) 525-8090 or fax (512) 643-6975.
BVI: PETER ISLAND,GUANA,DRAKES ANCHORAGE, VIRGIN GORDA UPDATE BY LYNN MCKAMEY
We were all set to go on our annual November trip to the British Virgin Islands when hurricanes Luis and Marilyn blew through the area! I called several friends who live there and was relieved to hear that the islands were spared and had only minimal dama ge compared to the devastation of St. Thomas, just 20 miles away. We kept our reservations and hoped that all they said was true...
... it was! The storms brought some much needed rain to the BVI and I've never seen it so green and growing. Plants which we've never seen flowering before were in full bloom. The BVI was absolutely gorgeous.
We began our vacation at Drakes Anchorage in the North Sound of Virgin Gorda. This small, intimate "barefoot beach" resort resides on it's own 110 acre island with most of the surroundings left in a natural state, so there is little to blow away even if a hurricane tried. The inn was just as delightful as always - cozy cottages, two spacious villas, pretty beaches, and outstanding food! Drakes had finished enlarging the cottage bathrooms; each now has a huge shower, big vanity, and a separate room for the water closet. A beach bar was added to White Bay and has towels, snorkeling equipment, and cold drinks conveniently available to guests. New bikes provide plenty of transportation around the island. Our stay was very relaxing and ended much too soon!
While at Drakes, we had a chance to visit Virgin Gorda. Spanish Town, the valley, and the Baths were just fine. A couple diving with us were staying at Guavaberry Spring Bay and found the accommodations perfect. Olde Yard Inn was open and now has a health club, pool, and jaccuzi for guests. Leverick Bay Resort had a few shingles being replaced here and there (if we looked really hard) but was busy as usual. Bitter End was in full operation after replacing part of their dock tilted by the storms. We toured Biras Creek Resort which is being refurbished by a new owner and liked what we saw - the restaurant will be open by the holidays and the suites will be ready for guests on January 19, 1996.
Only Little Dix on Virgin Gorda was closed. The extensive landscaping and perfectly manicured grounds had been ruffled by storm winds and will be tediously replaced, plus the property and rooms will be renovated once again. This resort always seems to be closed for rejuvenation more than it is open!
We transferred to Peter Island which had just reopened after some storm cleanup. A few trees had been "topped" by the hurricanes and Deadman's Bay beach was a little narrower, but otherwise, it was just as always before, if not better than ever. A boardwa lk was built on the shoreline in front of the oceanside suites - a nice addition which gives more privacy to those rooms. Lots of new hammocks line the beach. The menus have been modified to reflect new culinary trends and my favorite "lunch special", bar becued ribs is now available daily! Peter Island just added a new phone system with voice mail and modem compatibility in each room. During the upcoming winter season, guests will have several dining options. A light lunch is served by the pool and a full lunch is available at Deadman's Beach Bar and Grill. Guests can enjoy 5 course dinners each evening in the Tradewinds restaurant, or they can have a casual dinner at Deadman's Grill from Sunday through Friday. Peter Island continues to offer more ameniti es and choices for guests.
Cooper Island Beach Club, south of Tortola, has added more cottage accommodations near the shoreside restaurant. Marina Cay, a 6 acre retreat north of Beef Island, has just finished renovating 2 lagoon villas and 4 deluxe rooms, only a short walk from Pus ser's Store and Beach Terrace Restaurant.
We finished our vacation by spending a few days on Guana, a 850 acre private island north of Tortola. It is a gorgeous nature preserve and quiet refuge for wildlife (and people). Stone cottages set on a high saddleback ridge overlook the nearby islands of the BVI and U.S. Virgins and provide panoramic views. The food was outstanding, as was hiking and snorkeling. Guana showed absolutely no storm damage and the hills were a blaze of tropical flowers.
We did a lot of scuba diving with DIVE BVI during our vacation. The sites were mostly untouched by storm surge and we found a larger variety of fish and creatures than usual. Turtles and eels seemed to be everywhere we dived!
Basically, if we hadn't heard that two storms blew past the British Virgins, we'd never known! Some of you might wonder how these islands were spared, whereas St. Thomas was hard hit. Hurricanes are strange, unpredictable creations of nature. In 1970, the eye of hurricane Celia completely demolished my hometown of Portland, Texas. Corpus Christi, 20 miles south, had much less destruction; Rockport, 25 miles to the north, escaped major damage. In somewhat the same circumstances, the BVI was very fortunate.
ISLAND NEWS: A BVI team of four "Culinary Ambassadors" won three silver medals and a bronze at CHIC - Caribbean Hotel Industry Conference - held in Puerto Rico during June! The group consisted of Manny Thompson of Guana Island, Angus Bowen of the Bitter E nd, Wade Williams of Peter Island, and Mervin Lennard of Lars Catering/Admin Deli with alternate chef Rick Buttafuco of The Sugar Mill Hotel. The team was managed by George Aquino, the Food and Beverage Manager at Peter Island Resort. The competition betw een 16 islands emphasized use of regional Caribbean foods. Winning four metals was quite an accomplishment for the BVI, the smallest nation entered in the event.
The award winning recipes created by the BVI team included Seared Peppered Ahi Tuna with Christophine Ratatouille Laced with Curry Essence and served on a Bed of Plantain Chips, a soup - Caribbean Conch Consomme served with Sweet Potato Tortellis and Seaw eed Twists, and a dessert - Coconut Phyllo Napoleon with Mango Mousse served with Caribbean Cocoa and Passion Fruit Sauce.