....nearly forgot.....can't quite get our heads around the fact that it is soon to be Christmas, but it is so.....
Happy Christmas....to all our followers......!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
....surprise, surprise....we're now back in Virgin Gorda of the BVI.........having slept on it we decided to up anchor and set off for the above; having seen nothing of Peurto Rico bar the customs office and the marina.....!
The sail back to VG involved a night crossing which is never pleasant, especially as we were going against the wind and current, chopping through the waves for the entire 23hr passage, making us both queasy.....you end up in a kinda trance, drifting in and out of sleep.
Once we reached VG we decided to make good and register with immigration to avoid any unnecessary fuss......boy, did we get a tellling off, it seems we didn't checkout with them when we first visited at the beginning of December and therefore we were liable for fines of $5000....! Holey Moley, we're not having alot of luck with officialdom....anyway, having made us feel 'ever so 'umble' like someone caught stealing bubblegum from Woolworths and, it being Chritmas they gave us six of the best and told us not to do it again....!
Next we had to find a Doctor as I had developed Cystitis (the ladies reading this will understand how painful this is) during the voyage across from PR and having run out of the pills I'd brought with me from UK, I was really losing any semblance of sanity I'd ever had.....it was like PMT multiplied by 100...!....
Actually Customs were good enough to direct me to the nearest Dr being 2mins walk away....he was the biggest gentleman I had ever seen, he was so jolly and easygoing that I didn't mind the $145 charge for seeing him and getting the prescription.....I walked in and within 5mins I was seen, wee wee'd in a bottle and was sat waiting his diagnosis as he did the testing out back in a machine that looked like the paint mixer at B&Q....!
The Chemist was all of 300 yds away and there again, the lady Pharmacist was so cheery, she even gave us a dry-wipe board as a Christmas present but charged us $137 for my medication but I would have paid double and sold Tim if that's what it cost to get what I needed.....piddling acid and razor blades just about sums up my discomfort.....
Anyway, right now, after having a good nights sleep (we were in bed by 8pm and slept through to 7.30am) we are at the Bath & Turtle doing Internet stuff in the vain hope that the attendant is going to show up at the Launderette so we can can have a service wash and wear some clean clothes for Christmas Day at least......
The sail back to VG involved a night crossing which is never pleasant, especially as we were going against the wind and current, chopping through the waves for the entire 23hr passage, making us both queasy.....you end up in a kinda trance, drifting in and out of sleep.
Once we reached VG we decided to make good and register with immigration to avoid any unnecessary fuss......boy, did we get a tellling off, it seems we didn't checkout with them when we first visited at the beginning of December and therefore we were liable for fines of $5000....! Holey Moley, we're not having alot of luck with officialdom....anyway, having made us feel 'ever so 'umble' like someone caught stealing bubblegum from Woolworths and, it being Chritmas they gave us six of the best and told us not to do it again....!
Next we had to find a Doctor as I had developed Cystitis (the ladies reading this will understand how painful this is) during the voyage across from PR and having run out of the pills I'd brought with me from UK, I was really losing any semblance of sanity I'd ever had.....it was like PMT multiplied by 100...!....
Actually Customs were good enough to direct me to the nearest Dr being 2mins walk away....he was the biggest gentleman I had ever seen, he was so jolly and easygoing that I didn't mind the $145 charge for seeing him and getting the prescription.....I walked in and within 5mins I was seen, wee wee'd in a bottle and was sat waiting his diagnosis as he did the testing out back in a machine that looked like the paint mixer at B&Q....!
The Chemist was all of 300 yds away and there again, the lady Pharmacist was so cheery, she even gave us a dry-wipe board as a Christmas present but charged us $137 for my medication but I would have paid double and sold Tim if that's what it cost to get what I needed.....piddling acid and razor blades just about sums up my discomfort.....
Anyway, right now, after having a good nights sleep (we were in bed by 8pm and slept through to 7.30am) we are at the Bath & Turtle doing Internet stuff in the vain hope that the attendant is going to show up at the Launderette so we can can have a service wash and wear some clean clothes for Christmas Day at least......
Saturday, December 20, 2008
A bit of update and backdate
Well you learn something every day.... Today we learned that we need a visa (not the payment type) to enter US territories on a private vessel. We weren't arrested, but it was probably as close as it gets. We now have just 3 days to see some of Puerto Rico. We are currently seeing a marina! We spent a happy hour or so with US Homeland Security fingerprinting and filing all kinds of forms and stuff. I never realised the potential for paperwork that we represent. Wow! The sad part is the $130 fine(?) goes to the treasury rather than the staff Christmas fund!
We now plan to head back to BVI for Christmas and New Year, perhaps that should read, US Immigration plan for us to head back to BVI for Christmas!
Finally managed to get a photo of the fish in the dock by the restaurant. They are called Tarpin and are about 3.5 feet long. Apparently they hang out for scraps. We left Culebra this morning, and headed to the Western end of Puerto Rico to a place called Fajardo. Apparently there are two lage forts guarding the harbour, although I suspect the reefs and rocks were pretty effective on their own.
We tried the watermaker again today - the product is called a "waterlog" - hmmm. We stand no chance of being waterlogged, and "watermaker" is possibly actionable! Do we spend more on it - or is it a case of good money after bad?
....... one of those days.... I can't seem to upload the videos I wanted to, and I've just had a message that this post may fail. Trying now, otherwise tomorrow looks attractive...
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Titchmarsh would have been stunned!
.....ok guys, come with me on this one....make sure you're sitting comfortably and close your eyes.....next imagine being inside a balloon that's drifting....you open them to a scene that resembles the 'Lost Gardens of Heligan' and you're floating through it, very slowly.....that is the best way of describing the underwater world we experienced whilst snorkelling off a place called Melones Bay on the island of Culebra which is close to Peurto Rico......it was sensational.
As you've guessed we've moved on from St Thomas of USVI and stopped at Culebra which is either in a sorry state or possibly on the up, I can't quite decide.....the place looks very much like a shanty town, minus the cowboys and tumbleweed...though it does have it's share of Iguana's and huge fish called Tarpin which must be about 4ft in length and partrol the docks where you pull up in your dinghy; daring you to put your toe in......!
On first arrival Culebra didn't seem a goer but having experienced the best snorkelling ever, chewed the fat with the natives and adjusted to their laidback way of life (that was the hardest part due to us being such high profile adrenalin junkies), it's not half bad....in fact we were planning to Christmas in Peurto Rico but we could remain here and do the turkey thing using an Iguana or a Tarpin (even though I don't do bony, ugly fish) for variety.
Oh yes I nearly forgot to mention, whilst snorkelling we happened upon a turtle grazing amongst the coral....it was like watching Touche Turtle doing ballet.....for those unacquainted with Touche Turtle, he was a cartoon turtle for children.......somehow I think that analogy has lost something in the translation....also you have to be of a certain age to appreciate it....must be getting old.....
Hopefully we'll add some photos to this blog so you can get a taste of what I'm wittering about.
As you've guessed we've moved on from St Thomas of USVI and stopped at Culebra which is either in a sorry state or possibly on the up, I can't quite decide.....the place looks very much like a shanty town, minus the cowboys and tumbleweed...though it does have it's share of Iguana's and huge fish called Tarpin which must be about 4ft in length and partrol the docks where you pull up in your dinghy; daring you to put your toe in......!
On first arrival Culebra didn't seem a goer but having experienced the best snorkelling ever, chewed the fat with the natives and adjusted to their laidback way of life (that was the hardest part due to us being such high profile adrenalin junkies), it's not half bad....in fact we were planning to Christmas in Peurto Rico but we could remain here and do the turkey thing using an Iguana or a Tarpin (even though I don't do bony, ugly fish) for variety.
Oh yes I nearly forgot to mention, whilst snorkelling we happened upon a turtle grazing amongst the coral....it was like watching Touche Turtle doing ballet.....for those unacquainted with Touche Turtle, he was a cartoon turtle for children.......somehow I think that analogy has lost something in the translation....also you have to be of a certain age to appreciate it....must be getting old.....
Hopefully we'll add some photos to this blog so you can get a taste of what I'm wittering about.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Virgin Islands
Currently in St Thomas in USVI. We had rain last night, but thankfully today is dry with temperature near the 80s again. Sorry to hear about all your snow.....
In a marina last night, luxury being able to step ashore - and to have a good restaurant meal. The restaurant had loads of large (3 foot+) iguanas. So we are back today with the camera, but they are having a lie-in - sorry no photos.
We tried taking the camera for a snorkel - the photographer obviously has a lot to lear
n about underwater skills. Two attempts attached.
We were anchored off Virgin Gorda last week, when a small and pokey yacht came and anchored nearby. We just felt that standards were slipping! Still I guess you have to live and let live. There are a couple of cruise ships in the area that have sails that can be haule
d. They use roller furling sails, just like our Genoa, but I bet they don't haul them in by hand! This one also went past us a night, all lit up like a Christmas tree. Very Pretty.
We have to leave the marina soon, and will be looking for a quiet cove where we can spend a few days at anchor, now that we have the shopping and laundry done and water tanks filled.
Of course, something had to be repaired while we were here - we are now the proud owners of a new water pump, so the taps in all the sinks are feeling very chuffed.
This one just turned up, he is now sitting on the base of our table - hope he doesn't like toes.....
In a marina last night, luxury being able to step ashore - and to have a good restaurant meal. The restaurant had loads of large (3 foot+) iguanas. So we are back today with the camera, but they are having a lie-in - sorry no photos.
We tried taking the camera for a snorkel - the photographer obviously has a lot to lear
n about underwater skills. Two attempts attached.
We were anchored off Virgin Gorda last week, when a small and pokey yacht came and anchored nearby. We just felt that standards were slipping! Still I guess you have to live and let live. There are a couple of cruise ships in the area that have sails that can be haule
d. They use roller furling sails, just like our Genoa, but I bet they don't haul them in by hand! This one also went past us a night, all lit up like a Christmas tree. Very Pretty.We have to leave the marina soon, and will be looking for a quiet cove where we can spend a few days at anchor, now that we have the shopping and laundry done and water tanks filled.
Of course, something had to be repaired while we were here - we are now the proud owners of a new water pump, so the taps in all the sinks are feeling very chuffed.
This one just turned up, he is now sitting on the base of our table - hope he doesn't like toes.....
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