Tortola--The "Good" Pics...

Yeah, I've already posted PLENTY of pics up here from my trip to Tortola, but I've saved some "good" ones for now. One or two may have been already posted, but the rest are fresh out of the digital darkroom.

Tortola (BVI) Vacation: Day Ten--the long ride home...

As I mentioned previously, the schedule for the inter-island ferry seemed to be more of an approximation than something to depend on. As predicted, the 7am ferry from Tortola to St. Thomas didn't happen. The 10am ferry would get me to St. Thomas by about 11, then I'd have to get to the airport, which wasn't too far away, and I'd presumably be at the airport the pre-requisite 2hrs early for international flights. Ah, if only...

Tortola (BVI) Vacation, Day Nine

As the last day of MY vacation, I had quite a bit to do. Jean and I still wanted to have some fun, but of course I had some packing to do--especially the bikes.

We got up early and had an early breakfast. Jean and I packed everyone (ourselves and her parents) into the rental car--along with our bikes, and headed out to the eastern side of the island. The plan was that we would drop the parents off at Trellis Bay--as there were nice beaches and some shops out there, and Jean and I would head out on the bikes from there to do a little more exploring on that side of the island.

Scuff What?

So far, the initial hops when I get in to this are unavoidable... I have to reposition my foot on the seat tube to take the pressure off the rear brake cable... I think I had started learning something like this back when the rear brakes were on the chain stays, then when they moved to the seat stays, I abandoned the trick. For some reason, I thought about it the other day, and whammo, here it is.

There's No We in Team

I just don't get it. I don't get the "we" whenever people talk about local teams. "We won!" "We lost." Who is this "we?" Our local professional teams are really just a bunch of people who where hired from all over the country, and many who still technically live all over the country, and are paid to join a "team," to do a job. You are not part of the team, no matter how many jerseys you own. You have no impact on the outcome of a game, and the outcome of a game, really should have no impact on you.

Tortola (BVI) Vacation: Day Eight

With our vacation winding down, we were still looking to explore as much of the island as possible. So, after a breakfast of home-made waffles with strawberries, we grabbed the bikes and hit the road.

As mentioned, the island is fairly hilly, and a road runs across the central ridge, unimaginatively named, "Ridge Road."

Flatland at Winter Jam 2, Mill Street Brews, Southbridge, MA

If you can't view the slideshow above (damn you iPhone and iPad browsers), follow this link to the Picasa Web album...

Thanks to Southbridge Bicycles, Mill St. Brews, BMX NJ, S&M Bikes, East Coast Threads and all of the bands that made my ears rings for rest of the weekend! Thanks Winter Jam!

Tortola (BVI) Vacation, Day Seven

Friday morning we got up, grabbed breakfast and go set to, once again, explore the island by bike. We rode from our villa, all along the souther coast of Tortola, to East End, and across the small bridge to Beef Island.

It was really a great ride, and MOSTLY flat. Well, not really, but it did start out fairly flat.

Tortola (BVI) Vacation, Day Six

Thursday morning was rung in with a great breakfast--home made mango pancakes. Of course, the only reason I remembered what we had (remember, I have food amnesia) was that I took a photo. MMmmmm.

Anyway, after breakfast, Jean and I did a short hike up on Sage Mountain--highest point in all of the British Virgin Islands. When I say the hike is short, I mean it was REALLY short... about a mile. Interestingly, for the vast majority of the hike, we were in tree cover, so we only had a good view at a couple of vantage points where little platforms were erected. It was fun, but a far cry from what we had a couple of months ago in Yosemite.

Tortola (BVI) Vacation, Day Five

Wednesday morning, another sunrise, another good breakfast, and then out for another bike ride.

We started off on the same loop as before, out by Smuggler's Cove, and up and over Zion Hill, and then I wanted to try to find another little loop.

As is so often the case, routes that I like to "try" translate into lots and lots of climbing, this time, ultimately with some bike pushing.

Tortola (BVI) Vacation, Day Four

Tuesday's big adventure was going to be a day on a boat. The plan was to charter a catamaran, the Kuralu, from Soper's Hole to take us around to some other islands, do some swimming and snorkeling, and then head back. Admittedly, I'm not a "let's spend all day on a boat" kind of guy, but it was a nice change of pace. We also got to chat with some other people on the boat.

As a side note, one of the things that I like about traveling is the chance to go all over the world and to talk with people who have different views and experiences. For example, the other people on the boat were all the way from Boxford, so their perspective, being about 10 miles from our home, was amazingly different. Not. In all, we met people from all over New England during this trip…

Tortola (BVI) Vacation, Day Three

Monday morning gave us another beautiful sunrise (yawn), and another great breakfast.

After a somewhat lazy morning, it was time to have the rubber hit the road and do some exploring by bike.

Tortola (BVI) Vacation, Day Two

Day Two, started off for me, in the same clothes as Day One. To make a long story short though, my bag made it to the local customs office later that morning, and by lunch, I was in fresh clothes and squeaky clean.

We were staying, again with Jean's parents, Nancy & Del, at Frenchman's Resort, on Frenchman's Cay, on Tortola. It's a beautiful beachside resort with nicely appointed individual villa's. Our was at the top of the aforementioned hill, which afforded us an amazing view. Walking down to the beach and we were rewarded with a quiet little lagoon, rocky outcroppings and persistently incredible vistas. In fact, I quickly developed Beautiful Vista Fatigue (BVF) and had to force myself to take yet another landscape photo.

Tortola(BVI) Vacation, Day One (getting there)...

Yes, that IS champagne...

I swear, every trip I take starts off with an ordeal of some type (see more in the "About Me" section for my disclaimer about my bitching). This trip was for a 10-day jaunt to the Island of Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands. It was to celebrate my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary, and technically, their trip. Jean and I were invited to chaperone and to ensure that no international incidents occurred. John Kerry may have a tough job, but he's never traveled with my in-laws.