Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Wednesday, February 16, 2011:

Well, up early and got ready to be picked up by the rental car company.

Things are really starting to look up and this is a positive sign….

YAY THE TENT IS COMING DOWN!!! YAAAAAAHOOOOOOOO!!

AHHHH  SILENCE!

Here is some of what we have endured every day and late at night. The noise is not quite so bad here...they get louder at night! Go figure!

 While getting ready I’m struck by the new toilet paper Gerald got at the store.  We were running out so he picked a bunch up the last time he went to K-Mart.  Unfortunately, since he thought the Charmin was so expensive he figured he would get a different brand. Well.  It’s different that’s for sure.  Looks and feels like…well…like crepe paper.  You know the kind that you would get big rolls of, twist and string them up on the ceiling at parties?  It’s bizarre.  Although it is 2-ply. Unfortunately it doesn't stay together and I only got a hold of the top ply and left a big pile of the “2^nd” ply of “crepe paper” on the floor under the roll.  Looked like a cat was having fun in there!

We almost missed the car people.  They were waiting for us at the front office. Gerald thought they were coming directly to the room, but apparently not.  Luckily we left the room and we were able to hail him before he left the gate.  He took us up the road to the rental car company and we got all the paperwork done fairly.  We got a nice little car, with a full tank of gas…and off we went!  In the words of Mel Gibson in Braveheart…..FREEEDOOOOOOOMMM! =) 

Yeah!!!!! We got on the road and just kept going!  I started using my iPhone map…which is tons better than the crappy little map they give you and is everywhere for tourists, which doesn’t show all the roads and is not very accurate at all.  Plus, when you are on a road, after you go a block or so, it changes names.  Some of the roads have numbers too, and some of them even have 2 sets of numbers.  The map may say 780…and road signs say something else! Even using my iPhone map, trying to follow the blinking dot on the GPS map …it showed we were traveling in the jungle and went through houses! Wow…!

 (this map sucks!)

Well, we ended up going west, by the airport and up north through Fredericksted. We followed the road till it ended at a rock quarry.  I was so busy looking around…I forgot to notice that the road dead-ended!  Oh well, there were some beautiful quiet little beaches that we passed – so that’s good.  Can’t wait to come back there!

Unfortunately my camera died before we left the condo while taking pictures of the tent coming down – but I did get some with my iPhone…but not too many.  I didn't think to bring a car charger adapter with me (can you believe I didn't have one in my purse? Me either!), so now we will have to find the nearest Radio Shack to get an adapter (I only have 2 at home!!)    

When we came back on the dead-end road, we then took a road that went up through the rainforest. We drove and drove.  The roads were narrow and sometimes turned to gravel.  We passed several run-off creeks, a damn and some grottos, and occasionally through the trees we’d get a glimpse of the mountains and hillsides. Driving here was like driving in the country.  You didn’t realize you were on a small island.  It was really cool and beautiful.  At some points it reminded me of that Hana Road in Hawaii and sometimes I was taken back to Okinawa when we used to explore the islands and my sister found that hidden waterfall!   

We found our way to the Carambola Golf Course. Evonne & John and coming down in a couple of weeks and we wanted to check the course out so the guys can play golf.  We pulled up to the guard shack and the little lady inside didn’t even ask us any questions.  She was sitting in a chair in the little building, waived at us, picked up a pole about 10 foot long (I kid you not), stretched the pole towards the gate, poked around a bit with it and finally hit the button that opened up the gate.  I thought I would die laughing! 

In the resort we went and took a look around. We stopped in at the club house and Gerald checked on the greens fees…they are pretty expensive there…almost $200.  There are some pretty neat condo’s in there. Plantation style – so cool.  I’ve looked at some on the MLS listing, but there is no view of the ocean just mountain side and golf course.  Which really wouldn’t be all that bad. It would just feel like you were in a valley and not on a small island. 

As we were leaving to get out of the golf course, we took a road that was showing on my iPhone…but it dead ended at a locked gate…just at the road we needed to get to, so we had to turn around.  Would love to know what the residents there were saying about us driving through the golf course!  HA!  Oh well! Stupid tourists! Ehehe!

Out the gate and on the right road, off we went again towards the north side of the island.  It’s a beautiful ride that’s for sure! Finally get to the ocean. Wow – beautiful! There looks to be pretty deep areas on this side of the island, and looking at the “crappy little map,” (cause my iPhone is almost dead) this is the side to do some diving in for sure! This is where the famous “Wall” is that everyone raves about.  I’m wondering if I could snorkel with one fin…but Gerald puts the Ka-bosh on that idea!  Although he did say we could talk to the doctor and I would have to show him I could do it in the pool!

We kept driving past many little restaurants that we have seen advertised in the papers and magazines.  One place we did stop at was called Eat. Gerald was getting a little hungry. But it was pretty treacherous terrain just to get up to the restaurant and then the bathroom was way in the back, so we nixed the idea for a more level area maybe somewhere down the road. We can always come back later.  Well, we kept going and tried to find the Salt River Bay Preserve, but apparently we missed the road all together (darn dead iPhone) and before we knew it we had circled back around to where the condo is!

We just went ahead and stopped at KFC, got some chicken and came back to the condo to rest and ice my foot.  After eating I wrote a little bit and we both took a nap.  Then we woke up and walked around the condo grounds.  It’s almost dark and I looked up and saw what is almost a full moon! The last time I was out on night with a full moon…I hurt my ankle.  So I’m a little paranoid now!  We walked down by the pool and looked out to the ocean.  Wow…it’s gorgeous with the bright moon shinning on the water and a palm tree to the left.  I’ll try to lighten up the picture…but it was just beautiful. … I’m just not hanging out long here! I want to get back to the room and wrap myself in foam and bubble wrap! =)   

I’m going to the doctor tomorrow morning and then we are going to cruise the East side of the island!  SAAAAWWWEEEEEETTT! (I’ve charged my camera and my phone! Plus there is a Radio Shack by the doctor’s office and I can pick up a charger adapter.)  NITE!! I'm going to enjoy a quiet evening! 

Glad to hear you guys have had some good weather today! ENJOY! You deserve it!