Cruising Around the Carribean

Kati and Me Boating

Our first full day in the Virgin Islands was fantastic.  We took a private charter from Red Hook and set out to explore the islands.  Alex's friends John and Ashley came along, as did their friend Sean.  It was a small, dual-engine speed boat, but it got the job done.

Not seconds after leaving the safety of the bay on St. Thomas, we hit rough water, and our captain, Steve, took this as a signal to hit full speed.  Between the size of the waves and the speed at which we were crashing over them, I found myself air born in the front of the boat.  Luckily, my (second) fall was cushioned by the conveniently located bean bags covering the floor.  After that, I learned my lesson and made sure never to be standing up while crashing through the waves again.

Our first stop was St. John's, Peter Bay to be exact.  This bay was unbelievable.  The water was pristine and we saw a sea turtle immediately upon pulling in (although further snorkeling revealed nothing of note).  Yet more impressive than any of the natural elements were the houses.  Peter Bay is where all of the filthy rich people with houses on St. John's live.  The former CEO of Qualcomm built a house there.  He built it for $36 million and had to turn around and sell it for $18 million when he led his company to one of the worst strategic moves possible.

After Peter Bay, we left the US Virgin Islands for the BVI.  We made a brief stop on Tortola to check in at the most run-down and least official customs house I've ever seen.  Then we set off around the island and stopped at the beautiful beach of Nanny Cay.  I think that Nanny Cay may very well have been the nicest beach we saw all day.  Yet the girls didn't even make it to the beach, opting instead to make drinks and hang out with Steve on the boat.  Unbeknownst to Alex, Wes, or me, they also moved the boat and forgot to tell us.  Luckily, just when we were contemplating which boat in the harbor we needed to steal, they showed up.

After Nanny Cay, we swung by Willy T's in Norman Bay.  Willy T's is a bar/restaurant located on a boat in the middle of the bay.  It was really cool.  We did some swimming, ate some conch fritters, and waited out the only rain we saw all day.  Wes and I were jumping off the second-story deck of the boat when, much to my surprise, Kati decided to jump off with me.  She didn't even hesitate.  It's amazing how far she's come with her fear of heights and the like.  Kati credits it to canyoning in Slovenia after which, she says nothing is really that scary.

[Almost] Everyone at the Soggy Dollar

Our last stop for the day was Jost Van Dyke and the mythical Soggy Dollar.  My parents have been talking about this bar for years, so it was kind of crazy to finally find myself there too.  It was awesome.  From the painkillers to the party on the beach, everything was great.  After days of unsuccessfully trying to hook the ring toss at my parents' house, she nailed it on her second try at the Soggy Dollar.  Unfortunately, I was waiting for the bathroom at the time (so it's questionable whether it even happened), but she was so excited and screaming so loud that everyone waiting in line with me also knew that she hooked it on her second time and that she couldn't believe "Jackson" wasn't there to witness it.

After getting back to Red Hook, we grabbed a bit to eat at a local pizza place before heading back to the condos.  Our intent was to clean up and have some more fun that night, but those plans were cut short by our sheer exhaustion.  Wes, Kati, and I were half-heartedly getting ready to do some drinking around 8:00 when Alex informed us that Monica had already laid down and passed out.  That was the last nail in the coffin for our night as all of us decided that sounded like a better idea and followed suit.