“Let’s go back to St. John”, my husband suggested when we were trying to decide how we wanted to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. “It’s the only place we’ve been that you’ve loved so much that you cried when it was time to leave.” YIPPEE!!!
5/4
After many, many months of planning and anticipation, we were finally on the STT tarmac. After our “requisite” shot of rum, I headed to the baggage carousel, while HT walked over to the Budget kiosk.
Pulling out of the Airport in our little rental jeep – remembering to “keep left”, we soon found ourselves in bumper-to-bumper traffic! (Unbeknownst to us, it was “Carnival” week on St. Thomas!) It was 3:30PM, and we still needed to shop at Cost-U-Less before catching the ferry. It was after 4:00 by the time we reached the store, and becoming fairly obvious to us that we wouldn’t make the 5:00 ferry L. We’d so wanted to reach our villa on STJ before dark.
We were finally on the road again by 5:10 – plenty of time to make the 6:15 – or so we thought.
It seemed to take forever to get across island as we crawled along with the traffic congestion – 5:30… 5:45… 5:50… YIKES! As we were pulling up to the dock, we could hear the ferry whistle blowing – announcing immediate departure!
As the Roanoke pulled away from the harbor, HT impulsively picked me up and swung me around. We were jubilant; we would soon be on our beloved St. John ! J !
There was a gorgeous sunset after-glow as we wended our way up and over the hills on Centerline road. HT quickly re-adjusted to driving on the left as he maneuvered the twisty, narrow road like a pro – while I followed the directions to our villa, and called out landmarks: Shipwreck Landing… Miss Lucy’s… Tourist Trap… Take a left on Sugar Bird Road…
Dusk soon gave way to dark as we drove through Coral Bay, but HT still managed to find the short gravel driveway that led us to our villa for the week: Beas Maison.
Walking up to the front door, we were greeting by a large hermit crab. The house is lovely, and tastefully decorated; the view amazing.
We quickly unpacked and settled in – then spent the remainder of the evening reading in the breezeway since it was too windy on the deck. That night we slept like babies; a cool breeze blowing through our windows; the waves lapping the shore far below, and the rustling palm fronds “singing” our lullaby.
May 5th. We both woke @ sunrise – raised our heads – muttered a collective, “Wow” (as we gazed at the view out the sliding glass door at the foot of the bed), and promptly fell back to sleep. We woke again – probably an hour and a half later. This time muttering a collective “How beautiful!” – before, again, falling back to sleep.
We finally woke up (for real) around 0800.
I made breakfast (bacon, eggs, fried potatoes), while HT explored the grounds. We enjoyed our meal out on the veranda (which became a daily ritual) – then prepared for our first snorkeling outing.
HT’s choice of Little Lameshur turned out to be an excellent one! The entry into the water was easy; the bay wasn’t too deep; the water was calm; the sky was blue.
Our equipment worked perfectly: my new fins are great, and HT’s mask fit so well that he didn’t even need his nose plugs. (See HT in lower right corner of above picture.) He had stuck them into his pocket (just in case) – then realized, after we’d been snorkeling for a while), that he’d lost them L !
We enjoyed a pleasant, easy snorkel; saw some pretty coral, some colorful fish, and HT saw a stingray.
After a couple of hours, we paddled to shore and, as we were removing our fins, HT spotted his nose plug’s little case bobbing at the surf’s edge J.
We drove over to East End to get a better “gestalt” of all we can see from our balcony, then returned to the villa where HT washed off our equipment while I got to be first in the shower J.
Later we toasted our successful first whole day on STJ with a tasty rum drink then retired to the breezeway to read.
May 6
Another great night’s sleep! We were a bit disappointed to see the sky filled with grey clouds.
We slept in, so decided to skip breakfast and have an early lunch at Skinny Legs.
HT had the grilled pepper/onion parmesan burger, and I had the blue cheese burger - just as good as we’d remembered. After lunch, we checked out the cute little shops in Coral Bay, where we found the whole nutmeg we’d been looking for. (We’d bought some before we left on vacation, but somehow managed to leave it at home L ) – then drove out to Josephines – where we got some nice bell peppers.
The clouds had started breaking up, so we decided to go back to Little Lameshur and snorkel the rocks on the left – since we’d only snorkeled the right side yesterday.
The coral isn’t real healthy, but we did see some interesting “critters” – including my first Cuttlefish! For valentine’s day this year, HT and I gave each other a Cannon D10 underwater camera. On my “wish to see list” for this vacation were cuttlefish, sting ray, spotted eagle ray, octopus, and sea turtles. SO, I was thrilled to be able to check one “critter” off my list.
May 7
After breakfast, we headed over the Salt Pond. OH MY GOODNESS – what an incredible day of snorkeling!!!
I snorkeled the R side, then the L side. HT snorkeled the R side – then went on out to the rocks in the middle of the bay. When we met back at the shore later, he told me he had spotted a “group” of cuttlefish on the right side, and that the coral and sea life around the far rocks were incredible.
So, after a short break, we headed back out. I was surprised/amazed when he found the cuttlefish for me again – 9 of them J. And, OH MY, was he ever right about the far rocks – absolutely breathtaking! Colorful fish swam around, and through deep crevices lined with beautiful coral (including elkhorn, pillar, tube), and big, lacey purple sea fans.
When we got back to shore – after a long paddle against the current, I discovered I had the camera set on the automatic setting vs. the underwater setting – ARRGH! So, after resting up a bit, we decided to go back out one more time. It was beautifully sunny – with no clouds overhead. HT said he’d find the Cuttlefish again for me, but I wasn’t very hopeful. And, bless his heart, find them again he did! I took lots of pictures of them – this time with the camera on the correct setting! Back out at the rocks, we’d just rounded the back side when HT pointed. Off in the distance – swimming towards us – was a spotted eagle ray!!! We were stunned; it was absolutely awesome!
Our attention now back on the sea life surrounding the rocks, I tried to take a picture of one of the coral outcroppings, and the camera registered, “change batteries”! OH MY, to think how close I’d come to not being able to take pictures of the eagle ray!
Back at the shore, once again, we wolfed down delicious steak sandwiches (left over from last night’s BBQ) before the hike up-hill to our jeep.
That evening we floated in the lap pool to ease the pain from our sunburns. Seems like 6 hours of snorkeling (without repeating sunscreen) was too much. Thankfully, we were both wearing shorty wet suits (and HT a “do rag”), so most of our bodies were covered - with the exception of the back of our elbows and back of our legs, which were now bright red.
Sunday 5/8 – Mother’s Day
After breakfast we drove to Coral Bay to attend the service at the Calvary Baptist church. Stone steps led up the hill to the little wooden one-room church. The church members were very friendly, and welcoming, and we enjoyed pastor’s enthusiastic message.
Our bodies needed a chance to recover from our sunburns, so we decided to “see the sights” instead of snorkeling.
We toured the Catherineberg ruins, had lunch in the gazebo at the Westin, and watched the iguanas being fed their daily meal of lettuce and tomatoes. Before the food person arrived, you could spot three or four iguanas here and there. But once “dinner” arrived, they suddenly appeared in “droves”, climbing down out of the trees, ambling up the hillside.
Later, we made our way over to the Beach Bar for the scheduled get-together of Forumites. It was such fun finally being able to put faces to the names of people that, through the forum, already felt like friends - including: Calif. Girl and her hubby, Rick G & Christine, Bev & Crash, Pia, Island Girl, Diane 2 & Mr. Diane 2. (Sorry if I’ve forgotten anyone; it was a big group). It was fun seeing Ruth and Ron again too. And, I was honored to be presented with a “Haven’t I Seen You On The Forum” tee shirt – THANK YOU J.
5/9
Today we snorkeled Maho.
There really wasn’t a lot to see there – the bottom was mostly sand, and the visibility wasn’t very good. We did see several large star fish, two sting rays though.
After a picnic lunch, we toured East end. As I was out taking a picture of a young donkey (SO cute), his two companions tried to take my sandals out of the jeep.
We then went back to the villa to do a load of laundry since we’ll only have one more full day at Beas Maison. OHH time – please slow down!
5/10
Up at 0545 to watch an AWESOME sunrise! We had breakfast, and were out the door by 0900.
For today’s snorkel, HT wanted to try Pelican Rock – off Hansen’s Beach. And, OH what an AMAZING snorkel we had!
After an easy entry from the partly sandy beach, we snorkeled along the left side of the bay until we reached the point. From there, we swam the short distance out to the rocks - where several pelicans were indeed roosting. The closer we got to the rocks, the more in awe we were. The water was so clear, and the healthy coral formations – teeming with colorful fish - were absolutely incredible.
I was in my glory - happily clicking off picture after picture (HT about 30 feet away) - when “something” caught my eye. I glanced up to see a nurse shark – approx. 5 ‘ long – swimming in my direction! YES, I know it was just a NURSE shark – but you have to understand that I’m a bit of a shark phobic (OK, that’s putting it mildly); this was my very first shark “encounter”; HT and I were the only people here (and he was way over there); and the shark was as long as I am tall!!! My heart rate instantly went from about 60 bpm to about 100 bpm, as I fought to keep myself as calm as possible. And then….. I remembered my camera! “I need to take a picture of it”, I thought excitedly – and, in that second, I was OK J. As it swam towards, and then beneath me, I was able to take several pictures.
After it had passed, I was feeling quite proud of myself when it occurred to me that perhaps I should make sure he had gone on his way. When I turned around, I was a bit shocked to see that it had turned around also and was, once again, swimming towards me! To my great relief, it just swam gracefully past me – as if it wasn’t even aware of my presence. I called to HT saying “coming your way”, and pointed. Of course “Mr. Fearless” was thrilled to see it.
Within an hour, we saw two more Nurse Sharks, one approximately six feet long, and one accompanied by three large silver fish that swam along with it. That one stuck its head into a hole in the rocks – evidently trying to eat something that was living/hiding in there.
By the end of our snorkel, I was actually comfortable swimming with the Nurse Sharks, and thoroughly enjoyed taking pictures of them.
5/11 – Moving Day (to villa Tre Scalini, on Devers Bay, for week two)
We were up this morning by 0600, and I had just finished frying the potatoes for breakfast when the electricity went out. It had rained during the night, but had stopped by the time we got up??
We were hoping to shower before our 1000 departure, but as long as the electricity was out, we couldn’t use any water; we couldn’t even flush the toilet!
Showerless, we arrived on the other side of the island at Tre Scalini at 1100. NO electricity there either, and it was getting HOT! According to the property manager, who met us at the villa, a generator had evidently “blown up” at the power plant in St. Thomas, and all of St. John was without electricity! And, no one seemed to know when it might come back on – ARRRGH!
We drove into Cruz Bay and browsed through the shops, then ate our picnic lunch down by the water. Back at the villa: still no electricity. We went for a short walk, and were literally dripping with sweat by the time we got back to the house. It was overcast, very muggy, and miserably hot. We didn’t dare go snorkeling – even though it would have cooled us off – because without electricity and water, we wouldn’t be able to shower and rinse the salt of our bodies. (I was not a happy camper!)
We went for a drive – with the air conditioner on – AHHH! Back in Cruz Bay, we stopped at a market (that had a back-up generator) for an ice-cold beer – heavenly J. Back at the house by 5PM, there was a slight breeze. We found two flashlights, and set them out (in case the electricity didn’t come on by nightfall) before hunkering down on the deck with our books. We were just going to have to make the most of a “bad” situation. About 6PM we hear a “sound” coming from inside the house. Could it be ?!? Yep, a peek into the main room assured us the overhead fans were whirring – YIPPEE – electricity, water, and a flushing toilet J.
5/12
When we woke up this morning it was still overcast and breezy. We had a rather… shall we say… interesting night “wrestling” with the mosquito net over our bed – which kept slipping off the head board - enshrouding us!
After breakfast, we headed out to the North shore to find a calm bay to snorkel. NO LUCK! The water was way too choppy. So we decided to see if we could find Hart Bay, Rendezvous Bay, or Klein Bay – that we’d heard were good snorkeling spots. A local standing by his pickup on the side of the road gave us directions to Klein Bay.
Per his directions, we turned onto Klein road, parked at the end, and walked down the short path to the “beach”. The lone occupant on the rocky shore was a young Asian woman who advised us the snorkeling was good, and that “this is where the locals come to avoid the tourists”. It turned out to be a GREAT place to snorkel!
The rocky entry was “different”, but not too difficult and, soon after we entered the calm, clear water, we began to see lots of fish. Around the point on the left, we found a wonderful, healthy coral “garden” which was home to an abundance of sea life. We blissfully floated over the amazing scene below as schools of brightly-colored fish swam around and beneath us.
We were heading back to shore when HT spotted a “cloud” of sand in the middle of the bay. He called out, “Eagle Ray”, as he excitedly pointed.
WOW! I never thought we’d see even one, and now we were seeing our second ! J ! We watched, mesmorized, as it gracefully glided over the sea grass. It was SO beautiful; the white spots in stark contrast to the jet black background of its immense “wing span”; its tail SO long! What an unexpected surprise; we were absolutely thrilled!!!
5/13
Last night on the covered deck (and throughout the night), we were treated to an amazing storm. The rain came down in sheets, as thunder rumbled, and lightning lit up the sky. Around 9PM, we watched across the water, as the lights of St. Thomas went off – grid by grid – until the entire island was dark.
At 9:00 this morning, it was still raining – heavy at times. We turned the television on (for the first time since we’d left home) to check the weather forecast. UH OH! It predicted rain, with afternoon thunder storms, for the next SEVEN days ! L !
By 10:00, the sky was beginning to lighten up a bit, so we decided to go snorkeling at Leinster Bay – by the 3 mooring balls – where the forumites say there is a nice reef.
Well the forumites were right! The shallow reef just off-shore is teeming with beautiful fish, and we enjoyed a peaceful, easy, lovely snorkle!
5/14
Last night, HT had difficulty sleeping. We’d given up trying to mess with the mosquito net, and had tucked it behind the bed. That solved the problem of it continually falling down over us, but it created another problem: now the mosquitoes could find us, and HT’s highly sensitive to mosquito bites. Consequently, he had a pretty restless night – slapping, scratching, tossing and turning. Thankfully, he was able to sleep later than usual, and we woke about 0900 to some patches of blue sky J.
We decided to snorkel Francis Bay in search of turtles. So far, I’d been able to photograph everything on my “wish list”, except an octopus (which I really didn’t expect to find) and a turtle. While we were putting on our gear, at the water’s edge, a couple coming down the beach told us that the visibility was “really poor”. Knowing that Francis Bay is one of the most protected Bays – one that is usually calm when others on the north shore are choppy, we decided to check it out for ourselves. Well, unfortunately, they were right! The visibility was HORRIBLE! It was like snorkeling in a blizzard! Needless to say, we promptly exited the water, packed up, and left the beach.
We’d been told that when the conditions are bad on the north shore, they’re usually better on the south/east part of the island. So, next, we tried Lameshur. The visibility was better – but there just wasn’t that much to see. (We’ve obviously gotten spoiled since our first two days snorkeling here last week.) We ate our lunch – then decided to go to Salt Pond. The visibility wasn’t as good as it was when we were there last week, but it was do-able.
I found 3 cuttlefish that I followed around for a while – until HT called out to me that a spotted eagle ray was swimming my way – YEA! It stayed with us (or should I say, we stayed with it) for about a half an hour! I could have watched him for hours, but it was getting late, and dark storm clouds were gathering overhead.
Back at the villa, the rain hit with a vengeance around 5PM! I mean it just flat out poured!!! Another impressive lightning show followed that kept us entertained while we read. And, fortunately, the heavy rain kept the mosquitoes away, so HT had a much more restful sleep.
5/15
It was cloudy and windy this morning, so we knew (now from experience) that the north shore bays would most likely be churned up again. HT suggested we try Haulover north or south – thinking that if one was bad, maybe the other would be better.
We parked off the road, next to Haulover south. It was quite choppy (with the wind blowing from the south). We could only hope Haulover north was better.
After walking across the road, we followed the narrow foot path through the trees to the beach. WA LA! The inviting blue bay was as flat as a pond. We were soon gliding across the water, surrounded by beautiful coral formations with vividly-hued fish darting around, over and through them.
HT swam over to the right to see what it was like over there. After a while, as I was swimming over to join him, he called out “turtle!”. I swam faster! I soon spotted the turtle, and just as I lifted my camera to take a picture, it “fired up his afterburner” and – almost before I could blink – was gone! (I had no idea a turtle could swim that fast!) I caught up with HT and told him about the turtle and he said, “Yeah, I think the snorkeling is better on the other side of the bay anyway”. So we headed back over to the left.
Much later – back on shore – HT said, “Well, now that we’re out of the water, I can tell you that, right after I told you about the turtle, I saw the biggest shark I’ve ever seen”! “It was a nurse shark wasn’t it?, I questioned hopefully. “OH NO” he replied. “It was reddish brown with a pointed head rather than a flat head, and it was over 8 feet long”! (Possibly a Lemon Shark??) We think the shark may have been what startled the turtle?? OH MY!!!
Driving back to the villa, we spotted five donkeys – one of them a baby that was only about a week old. ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!
It was rainy and windy that evening, but still pleasant out on the covered deck.
5/16
This morning, when we got up, it was cloudy and very windy; there were white caps on the bay. The even darker clouds on the horizon promised more rain (or so we thought). We decided this would be a good day to “play tourist” in Cruz Bay, and then come back to do some “chores” (like laundry). On the way to town, we noticed that the clouds seemed to be breaking up a little, so we decided to drive over to the north shore to check out which beach would be best for tomorrow’s snorkel. (I was still really hoping to have the chance to photograph a turtle).
Several of the bays did seem quite calm, even though it was still pretty breezy. We drove into Maho campground – hoping to get some information on where would be our best chance for a “turtle encounter”. An employee in the dining area told us that he sees at least one turtle every time he snorkels Waterlemon! Driving back towards Cruz Bay, the sky was becoming more blue than gray… We went in to a couple of shops in Mongoose Junction – where both proprietors suggested Waterlemon when we inquired about turtles. When the gal at St. John Spice also highly recommended Waterlemon, we decided to give it a try – even though we hadn’t seen one at Leinster a few days prior – nor had we seen one when we snorkeled Waterlemon Cay two years ago.
Now the question was – should we go today, or wait until tomorrow??? It was already 1:00, and we’d have to go back to the house to get our gear – decisions, decisions! But, when we walked back outside, and saw that the clouds had completely dissipated, we looked at each other and said, simultaneously, “Oh, let’s just go for it”! “After all”, I went on to say, “how bad can it be – we’re on St. John”!
An hour later, we parked the jeep at the Annaberg parking lot, and started our trek – following the little path around Waterlemon Bay.
Spotting a lot of sea grass, I wanted to enter the water at the sandy beach half-way around, but HT thought we should go further towards the point opposite the Cay. Reluctantly, I followed. After donning our gear, we were soon paddling out over… SAND ! L ! Bummer! I still thought we should be back where I’d first spotted the sea grass! Ahead of me quite a ways – a little past the Cay – HT turned and motioned for me to swim to where he was. He’d found another patch of sea grass. And THEN he pointed, and exclaimed “TURTLE”! Sure enough, off in the murky distance, I spotted it – and it was BIG! Excited (to put it mildly), I swam towards it. As I drew closer, it began to ascend. It was even bigger than I’d first thought – and oh SO beautiful!
I could have done this for hours – but I didn’t want the turtle to feel harassed – plus, for some reason, the LCD on my camera was “clouding up” which was making me a bit apprehensive.
Back on shore, we noticed that some very dark clouds had moved in, and we could hear thunder in the distance. YEP, it was time to head back! I was absolutely thrilled! I’d finally gotten my “turtle encounter”! J ! And, one that had FAR exceeded my hopes!
Reading through my camera manual, after we had returned to the villa, I couldn’t find anything about a “cloudy LCD”. All the “doors” were tightly close; nothing appeared to be amiss” and by then the screen had cleared??
5/17
It rained again – with lots of thunder and lightning – throughout the evening and night. After we went to bed, one of the portable bedroom fans began surging, and then stopped. When HT unplugged it, it sparked – NOT GOOD – especially since there was water all over the floor from the rain pouring through the screened, but paneless, windows – at times even blowing across our bed!
5/18
It was still very cloudy this morning, but we would not be deterred: it was our last day to snorkel! We decided to go back to our favorite spot – Pelican Rock – off Hansen Bay. When we arrived, it was still cloudy and, once in the water, we discovered the visibility wasn’t as good as it was the first time we were there – but, it was still beautiful!
Right after we’d rounded the point, we spotted a little (comparatively) Hawksbill turtle ! J ! I followed it for quite a while – taking pictures as it swam among the intricate coral formations – nibbling on sponges here and there.
After our snorkel, the rain began the minute after we’d climbed into the jeep. By the time we reached the house, it was a deluge!
But the rain couldn’t dampen our spirits – nor could the fact that we’d be heading for home in the morning.
Though sad, of course, that our time on “The Rock” was coming to an end, we’d had a wonderful, memorable vacation – and lots, and lots of pictures to show for it J.
Bye – for now – SweeT JOHN. Until we meet again…
