The Last Lil Bit

 

Still snorkel tour day. the guide said try windmill bar and boy what a view overlooking hawksnest bay etc. it was $5 to park and you know me i wasn't happy about that but in this islands economy it was worth it.

dunno where this black came from but it wouldn't come off

double rainbow!

It was jens idea, we hired a private chef. it was awesome, it was expensive or course but worth it. No one wanted to go to town for 45 min up and down those roads for a fancy dinner and have to go back afterwards. Erin Pryor of Coral Bay Catering and forgot the name of sous chef made a beautiful night for us as we drank sunset cocktails and the nice bottles of wine we brought for this purpose

grouper, eel reduction sauce, forgot what else

forgot what this was, it was local greens though, which we were wishing we could buy but nowhere sells stuff like this

lobster on top of filet mignon on top of crazy good mashed potatoes on top of crazy good mushrooms and cream and brussels sprouts

challah bread home made icecream baked icecream

just wanted to stay in the hot tub under the stars drinkin seltzers all night

everyone wanted to be lazy the next day but i had a mission and i could see it from our hilltop house. There, Pelican rock, they said the snorkeling around it is awesome. The plan was to kayak to that lil beach on the right and avoid the owners of the beach which was plausible cuz that lil sandy section of beach was kinda separate from the rest. then swim out and snorkel pelican rock. it ended up not being dangerous at all, seems like all the snorkel spots are so protected there are just no waves. It was stormy before so the water was full of particulate and not great visibility but was still cool because it was OUR snorkel trip. of course we drank seltzers on the shore after and it was a blast (bobby motion sick tho and feeling bad)

we picked up supporting dishes for dinner several times over the trip at places in Coral bay like pates from Ekaete and stuff from Johnny Lime.

In the morning I ran down to the snorkel spot by the house to try to snorkel with the turtles that we always see in the mornings coming up for air but i didn't see any and then later saw them right where i was! It was a rush going down there by myself, nothing but the vast ocean ahead of me, low visibility, just toodlin' around the warm waters looking for turtles. Almost makes me want to cry, something about it being the last few minutes of our trip and i'm just floating out there in the blue, an insignificant little speck in the vast ocean with the fish who don't know what time is, they just are, and they still just are and they're out there in the beautiful blue azur waters of St John which seems like a million miles away sitting here in this brooklyn apartment which is very much somewhere, sometimes too much somewhere. 

We had to drop off jeeps at 10am with a full tank. of course they didnt have the cheapest 87 gas they only had the next level up. as we waited for the ferry we drank more painkillers, then had lunch and more painkillers, then the ferry and then taxi van to the airport (a PRIVATE one this time) and then another painkiller as we all waited for our flights. Trying to squeeze as much out of the trip at the end as possible.

parent's flight was before ours to rochester. HAPPY 50th ANNIVERSARY mom and dad, I hope it was a good week, thanks for having us, thanks for paying SO much money for the house and tours etc, and here's to 50 more years!!!! :::)