Pirates - Everywhere!

Pirate stuff!!! on Jost Van Dyke

Pirate flags at Corsairs

The Turk and I found ourselves sailing in the British Virgin Islands, in a 50 ft catamaran.  How did THAT happen?!  When you know someone who knows someone, and they know the Turk can cook and hoist sales, and also that we make good company (notice I wasnt known to do anything strenuous) you might get invited to go sailing in search of pirates!

our first day out

Our entre was through Karen and Mark who introduced us into the sailing circle.  We all met in St Thomas, VI at the ferry dock 5 mins before the last ferry was leaving for Tortola BVI (where our catamaran was waiting).  We were thrilled to finally see the other folks arrive since they were the ones who were captaining the boat.  The Dallas weather cancelled their flights, but they made it in the nick of time and the 7 of us were off to Tortola!

waiting for our shipmates in St. Thomas

Getting fuel at Leverick Bay

Tortola is all about sailing and most of that seems to stem from boat rentals and all that it entails. There is a whole process that involves checking out the boat, getting checked out with the boat, people arriving with what ever you ordered: food, booze, fishing equipment.  I'm pretty sure I could have ordered ANYTHING and it would have been delivered to our boat.

Orientation

We finally motored out, heading to Norman Island - supposedly where Robert Louis Stevenson experienced Pirates and wrote about them in Treasure Island. And what do I see as we moor in the bay?  A Pirate Ship anchored nearby.  Little did I know that this was the famous Willie T's ***.   Apparently they are famous for the naked women jumping off the top of the pirate ship for free t-shirts.  And no, I wont tell you how Karen and I each got a t-shirt from Willie T's.

Willy T's pirate ship.  Jumped from 2nd level deck.Or so they say.

The typical sailing day started early since we had

After the jump

the Turk caught 5 fish

skylights in our cabins strategically placed over our beds.  We would stumble up the stairs to the salon, one by one.  Coffee was started and the day began. Soon we’d be pouring bloody mary’s or just juice.  The Turk made eggs benedict one morning,  while Julie recreated her masterpiece French toast with rum and orange juice.   Then the big decisions started – where to sail.  Was our destination a prime snorkeling spot?  Or an interesting island town?   And where were we heading for the evening, where we would moor in a harbor with a fine bar or two.

mermaid

Some outstanding spots include:

Drinking at the Rocks - of course!

Amazing formations

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Creature at the Rocks

 the Rocks on Virgin Gorda.  This is a natural park with a lovely short hike down from the hilltop through boulders and trees.  Boulders (hence

‘the Rocks’) are from the volcanic activity that formed the islands which are relatively young in the history of the earth. 


Snorkeling around these boulders in the water was great fun with lots of colorful fish.  We saw one mana-ray swimming with his ‘buddy’ fish following ever close behind.  Alongside the boulder beach was a hiking trail through and around more of these huge rocks and swimming holes.

at the Rocks

 

Monkey Point snorkeling

  After the snorkeling and hiking, it was time to climb back up the hill’s trail for lunch at an openair restaurant overlooking the Rocks.  This restaurant had great food and drink….AND a swimming pool where Karen and I took our drinks.

Some great memories at Foxie's Bar on Tortola. Seems that everyone ends up there at some point.

I guess this is Foxy's

crazy people

Foxie's at jost Van Dyke

Ali Baba's 2 hole chip and putt!

Ali Baba's - the Turk had to investigate

Diamond Key:  We took the dinghy in to the dock at Foxie’s Taboo to hike over to the Bubbly Pool.  This pool is located on the other side of the island and is formed from the ocean waves crashing over a wall of rocks, forming a pristine pool.  Oddly, this pool had cute little fish that were yellow with black stripes that kept taking bites out of the Turk’s shins.  To recover, we hiked back to Foxie’s Taboo bar to enjoy the view, the ocean breeze and cool drinks.

Bubbly Pool

the fish that nibbled the Turk's leg

hiking back from the Bubbly Pool

a beer on Jost VanDyke

wandering the beaches at Jost VanDyke

the infamous Cynthia with her BushWackers

Cynthia's lobsters

 Jost VanDyke island, Little Harbor:  Went ashore to Harris’s where Cynthia, the short and spirited Virgin Islands native welcomed us with her secret recipe brew for BushWackers.  We looked around and found an underwater cage housing huge lobsters, her other specialty.  Cynthia seemed to know everyone and had photos to support the claim.  Seems people from everywhere come through this place.

Learning about the local drink

The Turk wakes up..sort of

This says it all

Sailing  - The Turk was a natural sailor. He pulled the lines to get the sails up and down, he knotted the lines when they were done, he captained the boat to Cane Garden Bay on Tortola, across the island from RoadTown.  And he caught 5 fish!   I had a chance to sail as well – between diamond Key and Soper’s Hole.  We caught the winds and sailed back and forth which meant that I needed to tack, change the direction of the sails to go in the opposite direction.  Here’s what happens.  I yell  - TACK.  And everyone who is lounging around and drinking has to jump up and take their post to pull in the sails or swing them around.  Then we catch the wind again and race across the water while everyone gets back to lounging. Until I yell TACK. And it all happens again.  Meanwhile, I get to just stand at the wheel and steer.

Ali BABA!! The Turk is the captain.

my turn at the wheel - TACK!

Food and drink:  It was a relief to find that the fellow shipmates were equally interested in the quality and quantity of both.  The Turk contributed to our food happiness with shrimp pasta, grilled grouper, swordfish and couscous.  Julie and Chris were amazing with bloody  mary’s and dark and stormy’s. yum!     Dinner at the Last Resort on Beef Island (next to Tortola) was delicious.  I had a seafood medley and Mark a steak. To get to the restaurant, you have to take your dinghy or call them from the phone hanging on a sign on Tortola, and they’ll come to get you.

notice the phone hanging on the left!

fun art near Beef Island, on Tortola

 Dinner at  Pusser’s at Sooper’s Hole was fun.  It started with their potato chip tower, progressed to dinner where the Turk finally got his lobster, and ended with the coconut surprise -  a chocolate shell filled with vanilla ice cream and covered in shredded coconut. Yum! 

 

potato chip tower at pusser's

coconut surprise at Pusser's

Julie and Chris - the veterans

Karen and Mark - the apprentices

Kathy and The Turk - the hangers on

Then off we went, in our dinghy, back to civilization.

Judd - just Judd

Look what washed ashore at Monkey Point

sunset

Corsairs

Typical road rules

party animals

must be morning - we are very civilized

another sunset

the captains of the boat!

The Turk Causes a Commotion

Karen, a great friend for 30 years, stopped by for a visit on her way to a convention in Tampa.  This required an appropriate celebration - so we were off to Frenchy's at Clearwater Beach in time for dinner and sunset. The restaurant was crowded as usual for a Friday night, the sunny evening was balmy. Perfect!  Well... not quite perfect.

Karen and the Turk start celebrating

Drinks, then grouper sandwiches - YUM!  Catching up on stories..... and then Mark starts choking.  He came over and I did Heimlich on him. I heard no noise, but am thinking that is because the restaurant was silent. It seems forever when Mark has these episodes.  We have a system to keep him calm and try to get some air out of his lungs to open his throat.

I felt the man sitting next to us rise from his chair.  The dining area was packed for sunset so there was no space between tables.  As he rose, I realized he was huge!  Quite tall and quite big - like a linebacker.  He said in a gentle voice - can I help you?

I thought to myself, we just need one good punch and Mark's throat will open.  Sure, I said as I stepped back.  The giant man wrapped his bear like arms around Mark's upper stomach and pressed. I heard some air coming into Mark's throat, at the same time he grabbed  my arm as if to confirm it.

Ok, Ok - I think we got it now, I said to the giant. Thank you so much.  Mark started to catch his breath and sat down.  We looked around and everyone looked relieved and happy to get back to their evening.  Then the manager showed up to tell us that EMS was on their way.

EMS and paperwork

All of  a sudden 2 EMS showed up with crash gear and equipment threading their way through the crowded room.  Yes we are fine, thank you.  No need for any assistance.  Alas, we had to do paperwork.

As we left the restaurant to walk the beach for sunset, people reached out to Mark to ask how he was, and to say they were happy to see he was OK.  Mark said - I think I'm famous.  I said, no - INfamous.

Then to sunset!

West Coast Food City

Ferry Building farmer's market

Poet with typewriter, rhymes on request

Bourbon and corn flakes ice cream ROCKS

My hostess for the weekend

Great dinner, with view of the pizza oven - just for Mark

After a week of work in Silicon Valley, I headed up to Half Moon Bay to visit college friend, Jackie P.  She and Arthur treated me like royalty with raclette for dinner and the chance to head out to the Ferry Building farmers market on Saturday.
This farmers market is always an adventure and its not far from Tcho chocolates on the Embarcedero.




















We tasted as much as we could across fruits, veggies, and chocolates.  And THEN we headed for an early dinner. Amazing rustic Italian restaurant called Cotogna where we sat at the bar overlooking part of the kitchen. We ate several shared dishes including pizza - made in the pizza oven, roast chicken that was so tasty, duck pate on artisan bread, some pasta that was delish.  And then we wandered around North Beach, my old hood.  The streets were very busy since it was Saturday, AND because the celebrations were starting for the Chinese New Year.  Sadly, I had to head home after that.  But happily it was home to the Turk!

Quick Trip to LA

Fiona helps with the horse therapy on Saturday's

I get to benefit from Fiona's volunteerism

Notice the KNITTED boots from grandma

sisters....sisters...cant get between the sisters...

I took advantage of a business trip to San Francisco to stop in LA for the weekend to catch up with the Hotchkiss line of O'Learys.  The weekend was a whirlwind, including a SuperBowl party,  working with a horse therapy group and a trip to Trader Joe's to buy a bag full of B-12 vitamins for mom.
The kids continue to grow - why does that always happen? Lots of family activity going on.
Too short, lots of fun, glad I could make it!

Ice Man Cometh and Drinketh

Beautiful drinking glass of ice

On the throne

 Ever since seeing a show about the Chinese ice carvers of Harbin and the ice hotel in Sweden, I've been fascinated with the idea of experiencing ice in a non-traditional way.  Traditional would be like: skating, ice cubes, Slurpees, ice icicles.  

I found out about the Ice Bar on International Drive in Orlando, and jumped on a Groupon coupon as my excuse to initiate an outing. I recruited unsuspecting victims: the Turk and Parental Units.

You get 'fur' coats to stay warm, but they only work if they can reach around you, which seemed to be a problem in Orlando Florida. Coats are really needed.The bar is made of 50 tons of ice and it is kept at 27 degrees.  You get special gloves and are told to bundle up.  Then, once you are ready, they open the door into the ice bar! 

First impression - it was, oddly enough, like walking into a freezer that is lined with blocks of ice. A long bar on one wall, made of ice of course, had a row of ice bar stools. Each was covered with a 'fur' to ensure no frost-bit buns.

The business end of the penguin drink luge

There are ice carvings all around the bar, mostly of penguins, large to small, regal to amusing.  The penguin that got the most attention was the ice luge penguin who's luge traveled from his head down to the.... place where liquids would normally leave. It looked like a large intestine from the head down, but didn't deter anyone from drinking the vodka based drinks.

The furniture is carved of ice.  There were couches, single seats, and even a thrown. All have fur
 covers because we know what would happen if they didnt.  Two ice coffee tables were beautifully done, with roses carved within their centers.

A regular

The drinks were served in carved ice glasses - further necessitating the gloves that we were given. It was an experience to drink out of ice. Each time your mouth opened onto the ice glass to drink, it melted just a bit. I guess slow drinkers eventually wear their drinks!

The idea of an ice bar is interesting, but probably doesnt fit the business concept of a bar because people dont just hang out there and order drinks.  They get their drink, look around, take pictures, and leave to warm up.  I just cant imagine a hotel made of ice! Bed? Toilet? Really?

New year's day: perfect!

We stayed with good friends in Sarasota for new years eve and welcomed the end of 2011 and the beginning of a fresh year.  Came back home and headed for the beach where there were A LOT of things going on.

We were sitting at the beach, watching the boats and beach walkers when all of a sudden, a dolphin jumped from the sea, then another and another! The water was full of dolphin all enjoying their dinner chase.

Then we heard a buzzing sound, and more and more buzzing sounds. In the sky we saw 5 sails flying around.  These sails were each carrying a man who had a large fan attached to his back.  Crazy guys! But fun to watch.

I then looked down and saw how pretty the shells looked in the light of the setting sun.  What a great way to start the new year.