Day Five
I SNORKELED! Yayyyyyyyy!!! This wasn't my first rodeo. I've snorkeled quite a bit before in the Gulf of Mexico, but still, I was uber excited to get down here and snorkel around the reefs and beaches. Dad and I set off from Maho beach and snorkeled around towards Francis Bay. We saw about half a dozen sea turtles (Squeeee!) and a bunch of fishes including a Blue Tang which I have a photo of above. Both of those images are not mine since I did not have an underwater camera on me. I came across this fabulous, tomato red starfish just chilling out 10 feet down or so. So Dad dove down and scooped him up for me to hold a few minutes before dropping him back to his home. It was a truly amazing time! Saw a barracuda as well... but I was on land, so no screaming and swimming away at top speed lol. Can't wait to do it again. Hopefully we can get out to Waterlemon Kay this week.
The other great event of the day was to trek out to Coral Bay on the other coast of the island. Dad and Joanie usually get a house down in Coral Bay, but this time they decided to change it up, so we're in Cruz Bay instead. Coral Bay is something otherworldly to me. It is fantastically quiet and lazy... and I mean that in a good way. Not a lot of people live on this end of the island, so there are fewer cars and even fewer homes or shops. There is, however, a fantastic little bar restaurant called Shipwreck Landing down there (not the same as the one Dad and I ate at on St. Thomas when Joan was in the hospital). I got a delicious crab cake platter and munched on some conch fritters. Plus I got a nifty girlie mixed drink called "Bushwacked." It was some mix of rum, bailey's and coconut cream. Yum!
We drove around Coral Bay after lunch and checked out the wildlife. Lots of chicken, goats, big ole pigs and donkeys roaming the streets. :) Dad snapped a few shots of me at an overlook near the restaurant. Enjoy me in my natural, unphotoshopped glory ;)
After our excursion, Joan was feeling a little under the weather so we headed back up and over the mountain to Great Cruz Bay. The pops and I dropped her off and drove back out to Starfish Market for some groceries for the rest of the week. WHEW they are expensive here! We got enough food for about 5 days and it cost over $100!!!! And of course gas is about $4.57/gallon here because we are so far out. I can see why much of these islands are like a third world country. It's rough to afford the cost of living here. The economy here does remind me of that in Hawaii. You are either rich or dirt poor. And all the economic stimulation comes from tourism.
But I digress. What a long and wonderful day! I really got to enjoy the beaches today and catch a glimpse of the sea life. I do hope we snorkel again soon... and that I get some semblance of a tan... I'm as white as the sand out here still! Eek!
Cheers and St. John Root Beer!
Meg
3 comments:
On that very same snorkel around that reef my daughter and I came face to face with a very large lemon shark. It checked us out twice and then swam away.
That is a fantastic reef to snorkel around. I never did spot the starfish on that beach but then again we we are always so overwhelmed by everything else that we are bound to miss something.
Sometimes you can confuse trumpet fish for barracuda.
Barracudas chased us off the reef between Francis and Maho before.
Reading your journal makes me so happy. I love that place.
Skinny Legs on the Coral Bay side makes great hamburgers and painkillers!
You rock! Have a wonderful time and KEEP WRITING!
Cheers,
Bobby
I have always stayed on the Cruz Bay side. Do your folks like it on the Coral Bay side when they have stayed in the past?
Hey Bobby! Thanks for actually reading all these! I think you're the only one :)
Dad and Joan LOVE staying on Coral Bay. They usually go over there for a week. Very cool place :) I'll post again tonight. More snorkel time in Oppenheimer
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