Part 3 - B.V.I. Sailing Trip - 18 Feb 2011 to 27 Feb 2011

B.V.I. Sailing Trip
18 Feb 2011 to 27 Feb 2011

Part 3: Beef Island to Cane Garden Bay, Tortola

Saturday, 19 February 2011 (continued)

We stepped off the plane at Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island, and managed to get a few pictures in before security yelled at us. Over the past couple of years it has gotten harder and harder to get our traditional arrival pictures on the runway - no doubt a direct effect of the increased terrorist threats around the world.

Immigration took a very long time, and although they provided us with some excellent rum punch (which the security guards took a liking to), a few arguments erupted from the frustrated line of people. The guy in front of us questioned the worker as to the purpose of her job, which she didn't take too well. Note to everyone, don't be disrespectful to the people who determine if you can or can't enter their country. After about 45 minutes in line, we got through immigration, and customs was a breeze.

Before we could even get past the customs desk, a man poked his head around the corner and asked us if we needed a taxi. We said yes, ran to the bathroom, and then went outside to wait for it. The taxi never came, and the man was no where in sight. Perhaps found a more "profitable-looking" group. So, we asked around, and finally found someone to take us to our next stop.

The town of Cane Garden Bay, where we would be staying our first night, was on the opposite end of Tortola. You may have heard of it - Jimmy Buffett wrote about it in the song "Mañana" on his Son of a Son of a Sailor album. Our $50USD taxi ride across the backbone of Tortola was breathtaking. We first crossed the short bridge between Beef Island and Tortola, stopped at the gas station for a couple Presidentes (a 23 ouncer for me, of course) for the ride, and headed up to the top. The views were unbelievable. Our driver was a great guide and pointed out the names of all of the beaches and bays below. We could see all of the neighboring islands, the Sir Francis Drake Channel, and even St. Croix on the horizon.

After about 40 minutes on some very treacherous, pothole-filled, winding roads, we arrived safely in Cane Garden Bay. For our first night in the British Virgin Islands, we were staying at Agapé Cottages up on the hill overlooking the bay. The driveway up to our room was one of the steepest we've ever seen. Donna, one of our hosts, greeted us at the lowest unit and told the driver to "take it wide and gun it." Donna's husband, Tom, was waiting for us at the top, and helped us settle in. The views from our balcony and bedroom windows were amazing. We could see all of Cane Garden Bay, St. Thomas, and Jost Van Dyke.

After we got settled in, we made the short, steep walk down to the beach. Cane Garden Bay Beach was a beautiful beach, surrounded on three sides by towering, lush mountains. I had to admit, seeing St. Thomas in the distance was slightly bitter sweet. However, the beauty and laid back style of Cane Garden Bay more than made up for it.

We got a couple of chairs next to Myett's Garden and Grill Restaurant. I headed up to the bar to get us some drinks, and our friend and fellow sailing mate Bill appeared out of nowhere. He and his wife, Dee, were staying at Myett's, and would be joining us on the sailboat tomorrow morning. We moved over near their chairs, and the beach attendant was nice enough to refund our $10USD that Tiffany just paid for our chairs. The rest of the afternoon we just layed in the sun, had some drinks, and got in the water once in a while to cool off. There was a northern swell in, which churned up the water quite a bit, and brought in some seaweed. It was just our luck, but we weren't complaining. The water was still very beautiful and refreshing.

Later in the afternoon, just before Happy Hour, we headed back up the hill to our room to get changed. We asked Donna about the seaweed, and she told us this was the most she had ever seen. After we got ready to go, we enjoyed the view a little more and took some pictures of our beautiful bedroom.