The Love: Jost Van Dyke

Dripping wet in our bathing suits and towels our group sat down and enjoyed lunch at Cooper Island Beach Club. The was food was okay; I had a roti and rum punch. My lunchtime view was the highlight of my meal though. 

Lunch, rum punch and beach front views :-)

After lunch, we hopped back on board the Bad Kitty and headed towards Norman Island for snorkeling. This is where I stayed onboard and chatted with a few others who decided to sit out as well. About 45 minutes later we anchored down in White Bay, Jost Van Dyke. One of my favorite places. The beach was beautiful (very similar to Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos), crystal clear water and powdery sand. JVD is well known for their signature drink - the Painkiller (coconut cream, dark rum, pineapple and orange juice sprinkled with fresh Grenadian nutmeg). It's definitely a good buzz for seven bucks. I also had some of the BEST ice cream here (both the ice cream and cone were freshly made from scratch and soooooo good!). We didn't get to spend much time here (about 45 minutes) but it was cool vibes all around. Lots of sailboats were anchored along the beach while their inhabitants enjoyed a drink (or three) on the beach. Certainly on my list for a revisit. 

Our boat, Bad Kitty, approaching the beach at White Bay

Jost Van Dyke was the last stop on our day trip. Afterwards, we headed to St. John to go through customs and then back to St. Thomas. 

St. Thomas is a hub of sorts; you're able to visit so many other places from their ferry terminal. I missed out on Tortola during this trip which means I have to go back! I would also like to spend more time in BVI (especially Jost Van Dyke!) and see St. John as well. 

Till next time keep in mind - The Caribbean is so much more than what we see on TV! 

The Love: Virgin Gorda

The view from the Bad Kitty boat  

The time was about 8:45am when I finally boarded the Bad Kitty for the day trip to BVI. As a black woman I noticed I was the only one until I saw another lady walk up and join the group. Bingo! We immediately gravitated towards one another and the rest is history. 

Aboard the speedboat we received history lessons about the tiny islands we passed. About 45 minutes later we arrived in Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda. Here we were notified that we could purchase waterproof cases for our electronics, or any other items we might need because we would be "swimming" in to the baths. My new friend and I purchased waterproof disposable cameras, used the restroom and saw ourselves back to the boat. The prices were astronomical ($65 for a waterproof phone case). I took a mental note to order a waterproof case from Amazon upon my return home (btw - you can find one for about $10 on the site). However, take a trip with Coconut + Concrete and you'll receive a complimentary waterproof pouch. Smile.

Back onboard we headed for the baths. Stunning to say the least and according to our guide, there's no other place in the world like it except for Seychelles. Now here is where things got a little tricky. I can't swim and neither could the other black girl. Let me pause here for a second and say that there were about 20 people aboard our boat. I remember thinking that we couldn't possibly be the only two who weren't comfortable in water or with swimming in general. Yet here we were; true to the stereotype in every sense. Two black girls who were afraid of the water.

So we strapped our lifejackets on and were the last ones to leave the boat. Everyone else had jumped off (literally!) and were headed towards the shore. We both had a guide to lead us in. Using both hands to hold onto the buoy I kicked my way towards the beach about 60 yards away. Once my feet could feel the bottom I regained my confidence. We would have to make this journey again to return to the boat. 

The baths were an amazing sight to see. I'd never experienced anything like it (I've been to caves in Mexico and DR, but this was just different). Using our bare feet we padded our way through a system of rocks and boulders. Climbing and sliding we went through what felt like a maze to reach the other side. Once there, we were delighted by the astounding view of the ocean, the rocks and the colorful fish fluttering by the tips of our toes in the small stream we stood in.

Now, it was time to "swim" back to the boat and head to lunch on Cooper Island.    

The Love: St. Thomas + BVI

Frenchman's Reef Marriott, a beautiful place to stay

I traveled semi-solo to St. Thomas last June and had the time of my life! Similar to how I visited Turks & Caicos with Restoration Weekend, I went to St. Thomas with Parlour Magazine. Parlour Magazine is an online destination for black women who travel fly or have big dreams of doing so. Let me just say, I've never felt more FLY in my life there at the Frenchman's Reef Marriott. The grounds of the resort are beautiful; perfect for impromptu photo shoots and candid selfies. 

I was there from a Thursday to a Sunday. On Friday I spent the entire day on the beach at the resort. I can't forget to mention that I also experienced the most relaxing massage at the resort's spa (Lazule Sea Spa and Salon) that morning. Unfortunately I arrived a little late (got the appointment time mixed up) so I wasn't able to enjoy the full hour. However, the Body Bliss Aromatherapy Massage was all that and more. Best part of the massage? The shower heads. There were about six of them above the table I was laying on. Each shower head seemed to be strategically placed above my body in different areas. It was like taking a shower lying down. A dream. 

On Saturday, I spent the day on the water. At 7:45am I took a cab ride to the ferry terminal and hopped aboard the Bad Kitty to visit BVI (British Virgin Islands). I always try to island hop when I'm in the Caribbean (the more stamps the better!). This day trip allowed me to see Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, and Cooper Island. Keep in mind I did all of this on my own. Yes, I was part of a group with Parlour Magazine, but again on these "semi-solo" trips you can either choose to make friends and mingle or do the solo thing. It's totally up to you. I mingled as I saw fit (there was a cocktail hour/meet & greet) but I really just wanted to be on my own schedule and do my own thing.

Over the next two days I'll be showcasing the baths at Virgin Gorda, the world famous Painkiller cocktail at Jost Van Dyke and lunch on Cooper Island. Stay tuned! 

The Love: St. Lucia, A Wedding Story

If you've been keeping up you already know that I have a serious love affair with St. Lucia. My hubby is from there and I consider myself an "honorary" Lucian. I experienced my first taste of local living there and will be heading back this summer so that my little one can get his feet wet in the sparkling waters of his other homeland (and experience the same local life). 

In September 2011 though, my love and I were there to tie the knot. We spent a good two weeks prior to the wedding on the island pampering ourselves (I needed to be a nice shade of bubblin' brown sugar for my wedding photos!). This would be my dream wedding.

On the day of the wedding I remember walking to the gazebo from the golf cart (that picked me up from my room) and looking out at the ocean on the horizon, the beach off in the distance and the lush greenery surrounding it all and thinking how perfect everything was. I couldn't have been happier; it was my wedding day and I was getting married to the love of my life in the tropics. 

The most perfect day 

I was probably the most easy-going bride. All I really wanted was a nice day and for folks to enjoy themselves. I wasn't worried about the particulars; the cake, the tablecloths, centerpieces - none of it! (I remember the wedding coordinator asking me when did I want to cut the cake and I said, "I don't know, when do you people usually do it?" Ha!) I really didn't care about that stuff. My husband and I really just wanted to make sure the music was on point (which they actually messed up; they played the wrong song for our first dance) and that our guests enjoyed themselves. 

It was truly a great day; time really flew! It felt like the shortest day of my life and I didn't want it to end. We had planned to go out and party after the reception but our poor feet told us otherwise which was just fine. Staying in and reading our guestbook and opening up our cards made the evening even more special. Our loved ones had so many beautiful and insightful gems to share with us which we still cherish to this day. 

Married!