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Bluwater's Part 4 - Coki and Indigo
Bluwater's Part 4 - Coki and Indigo
I hope you'll all continue to enjoy these reports. Don't forget to check for the pics that go with each narrative. The pics will be in a separate thread.
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We awakened the next day and I felt like getting a little exercise, so Dad, my daughter and I decided to walk out to the point - the tip of the peninsula on which we were staying. The roads on the North side of Peterborg are rarely traveled and were great for walking or jogging. As we walked down the first road, we passed villas that I had seen on the McLaughlin Anderson website and had considered renting. It was interesting to see them "live" and really get a sense of how they were situated.
My villa was positioned over "Banana" - so when you look at the aerial shot of Banana, you can see Villa Fairwinds above it. I can say, though, that from Fairwinds we could only see Banana's parking area on top, and could not see any other part of the villa or the pool at all - skinny dippers fear not
There is a great deal of land between the two, so you also cannot hear anything from Banana. We could see cars coming and going, so we know people were staying there, but never saw or heard them.
As we walked along we also saw the entrance to Sunset Villa and eventually went down a really shaded road that eventually took us by Coral Gardens and Secret Garden. I don't think we passed any moving cars on this walk, but did pass a few joggers. It took us about 30 minutes to get out to the point. We had a good time strolling and looking at all of the plants and flowers along the way.
Once we reached the point, we went out as far as the end of the flat area, but didn't dare try to climb down to the tidal pools. I had heard of people being washed away while in the pools
…but I am sure there is a right time of day to go and maybe a right time of year when you'll be safe. Since I didn't know when that was, we just stayed up top. There was also a little memorial bench sitting out there with a picture painted of a man on it and it was in his memory. I wondered if he had been a victim of the surf coming over the tidal pool.
We hiked back, during which we had to climb a really steep hill and I was a little worried about dad. But, we went slowly and we all had plenty of water left and the hill, though steep, wasn't that long so we all made out ok. At one point my daughter asked if I would carry her - and I just gave her "the look" and she took the hint and kept climbing
We saw lots and lots of butterflies on our way back. Actually, we saw tons of butterflies around the villa also, so I guess they like this area. We also saw a good amount of hummingbirds and bananaquits - both around the villa and on our hike.
Once back at the villa, we were all hungry for breakfast and ready for some pool time. I think we swam in the pool for the morning and then we split up. Mom and dad wanted to go shopping at some of Mom's favorite stores on the island ("Dolphin Dreams" in Red Hook and "Local Color" in town) and they wanted to go say hello to their longtime friend who lives on the other side of Magens Bay. My daughter and I decided to head to Coki beach and we all agreed to meet up there.
We didn't have the camera charged at this point, so I don't have any pics of Coki. It was less crowded that I've seen on most days in the past (guess due to the slow season)…but the fish were out and we secured dog biscuits from the lady at the scuba rental place and fed the fish. These fish seem to get bigger and bigger each year - I guess they should with everyone feeding them so much. Literally, a couple of hundred fish swam around us as we dropped little bits of dog biscuit into the water - there were parrot fish, lots of black and yellow fish that I cannot name and some really large tanish/brown fish that I cannot name. The little ones were swimming near the surface and jumping up for the food, while the larger ones waited down by our knees for larger pieces of food to sink down since the little fish couldn't eat bigger chunks of biscuit that we sometimes dropped. When I say little fish, they were not THAT little - they were about the size of my hand. It can be a little intimidating for some people to have that many fish swarming around them….and some of the newby snorkelers swimming near us were backing up and said that they couldn't even see our legs because there were so many fish around us. That was cool!
We had brought our chairs from the villa and found a spot under a shady tree, so we didn't need to rent anything. We eventually got hungry just around the time mom and dad arrived, so we all decided to get our late lunch from the ladies in the blue truck. They have AWESOME pate. Mom had never tried saltfish pate and she declined when I suggested she try some, so she ordered beef. Dad and I ordered saltfish and my daughter got her usual Johnny Cake. Getting food from this truck takes a while, so be prepared to wait.
It is best to order food at Coki from the people walking around taking orders on the beach, rather than going to the truck directly. That way, you can stay in your seat and have them bring it when it is ready since it takes a while. Otherwise, you have to keep going back to check and see if it is ready. In years past, I have also found that the food and drinks can be cheaper if you go through the servers. Go figure! Also, I think the servers get their food faster than if you go yourself - maybe they get priority or something. Also, the lady in the truck is doesn't seem that nice
. She may be a lovely person, but she looks kind of mean and she doesn't respond well to smiles and greetings - even dad said "that lady doesn't like me" - and I could see why he thought that. There was another lady in there who was nice, but the lady who seemed to be in charge just wasn't friendly, so just use the servers who are really friendly and outgoing so you don't catch a bad vibe or something that will ruin your mood. The servers will make you feel good about spending your money and keep your mood happy!
Once our food was ready, my daughter and mom wanted to taste the saltfish pate and they were immediately hooked! Dad had to order more saltfish pate for everyone and that became one of our reasons for going to Coki from them on! We floated and swam for the rest of the afternoon and my daughter practiced snorkeling.
At the end of the day we all decided to head back and figure out where to grab dinner. Our routine became to alternate between cooking at the villa and eating out. We ate out every other night. We decided to head to Indigo for dinner. I had been dying to have their "Black and Blue" sandwich (grilled steak and blue cheese (gorgonzola?) on a baguette) - sounds simple but it is REALLY yummy and is really the only red meat I ate on this trip - they know how to cook the steak just right for me - a little charred on the outside but pink in the middle - juicy!! I order it cooked "medium"). I try not to eat red meat, but will break the rules for Black and Blue and Indigo
. However, I was really disappointed that Indigo didn't have Black and Blue on the dinner menu (it is on the lunch menu), so I had something else that I cannot recall - not because it wasn't good, but because it wasn't what I had wanted. I also had a Chardonnay - or several.
We swam in the pool at Indigo and enjoyed the meal. It was really pretty with the pool lit and the tropical plants and garden lights around. If you keep reading my report, you'll start to realize how much I like this place because I went OVER and OVER again
. You can have their sandwiches with fries or a salad - and if you like Cesar Salad I recommend ordering that here since they make it the right/authentic way with shaven cheese, not sprinkled/grated cheese and it isn't all smothered in dressing. Black and Blue with a side of Cesar is the way to go…but the fries are awesome too!!
Indigo is also a great place to go with children in the afternoon since there are usually a few other children swimming in the pool. Your children will be entertained while waiting for the meal, which is a HUGE benefit for parents. Also, on one villa vacation when I stayed in a villa without a pool, long, leisurely lunches at Indigo became routine. They also have lounge chairs for sunning on the other side of the pool - away from the dining tables. It is a nice place to lay out and have drinks. Order the Mojitos!! The staff is EXCELLENT. The waitresses are all very friendly and they really hustle for the tables. I just cannot find anything bad to say - honestly! I hope they'll stick around and keep things just as they are!
After dinner we all went home and crashed in the bed. Again, the phone started ringing around 9pm from friends on the island who were trying to catch up…but I was already in bed and too pooped to answer. My friends like to socialize later in the evening and I was always too tired or too intoxicated by then - usually both!
___________________________________________________
We awakened the next day and I felt like getting a little exercise, so Dad, my daughter and I decided to walk out to the point - the tip of the peninsula on which we were staying. The roads on the North side of Peterborg are rarely traveled and were great for walking or jogging. As we walked down the first road, we passed villas that I had seen on the McLaughlin Anderson website and had considered renting. It was interesting to see them "live" and really get a sense of how they were situated.
My villa was positioned over "Banana" - so when you look at the aerial shot of Banana, you can see Villa Fairwinds above it. I can say, though, that from Fairwinds we could only see Banana's parking area on top, and could not see any other part of the villa or the pool at all - skinny dippers fear not
There is a great deal of land between the two, so you also cannot hear anything from Banana. We could see cars coming and going, so we know people were staying there, but never saw or heard them. As we walked along we also saw the entrance to Sunset Villa and eventually went down a really shaded road that eventually took us by Coral Gardens and Secret Garden. I don't think we passed any moving cars on this walk, but did pass a few joggers. It took us about 30 minutes to get out to the point. We had a good time strolling and looking at all of the plants and flowers along the way.
Once we reached the point, we went out as far as the end of the flat area, but didn't dare try to climb down to the tidal pools. I had heard of people being washed away while in the pools
…but I am sure there is a right time of day to go and maybe a right time of year when you'll be safe. Since I didn't know when that was, we just stayed up top. There was also a little memorial bench sitting out there with a picture painted of a man on it and it was in his memory. I wondered if he had been a victim of the surf coming over the tidal pool. We hiked back, during which we had to climb a really steep hill and I was a little worried about dad. But, we went slowly and we all had plenty of water left and the hill, though steep, wasn't that long so we all made out ok. At one point my daughter asked if I would carry her - and I just gave her "the look" and she took the hint and kept climbing
We saw lots and lots of butterflies on our way back. Actually, we saw tons of butterflies around the villa also, so I guess they like this area. We also saw a good amount of hummingbirds and bananaquits - both around the villa and on our hike. Once back at the villa, we were all hungry for breakfast and ready for some pool time. I think we swam in the pool for the morning and then we split up. Mom and dad wanted to go shopping at some of Mom's favorite stores on the island ("Dolphin Dreams" in Red Hook and "Local Color" in town) and they wanted to go say hello to their longtime friend who lives on the other side of Magens Bay. My daughter and I decided to head to Coki beach and we all agreed to meet up there.
We didn't have the camera charged at this point, so I don't have any pics of Coki. It was less crowded that I've seen on most days in the past (guess due to the slow season)…but the fish were out and we secured dog biscuits from the lady at the scuba rental place and fed the fish. These fish seem to get bigger and bigger each year - I guess they should with everyone feeding them so much. Literally, a couple of hundred fish swam around us as we dropped little bits of dog biscuit into the water - there were parrot fish, lots of black and yellow fish that I cannot name and some really large tanish/brown fish that I cannot name. The little ones were swimming near the surface and jumping up for the food, while the larger ones waited down by our knees for larger pieces of food to sink down since the little fish couldn't eat bigger chunks of biscuit that we sometimes dropped. When I say little fish, they were not THAT little - they were about the size of my hand. It can be a little intimidating for some people to have that many fish swarming around them….and some of the newby snorkelers swimming near us were backing up and said that they couldn't even see our legs because there were so many fish around us. That was cool!
We had brought our chairs from the villa and found a spot under a shady tree, so we didn't need to rent anything. We eventually got hungry just around the time mom and dad arrived, so we all decided to get our late lunch from the ladies in the blue truck. They have AWESOME pate. Mom had never tried saltfish pate and she declined when I suggested she try some, so she ordered beef. Dad and I ordered saltfish and my daughter got her usual Johnny Cake. Getting food from this truck takes a while, so be prepared to wait.
It is best to order food at Coki from the people walking around taking orders on the beach, rather than going to the truck directly. That way, you can stay in your seat and have them bring it when it is ready since it takes a while. Otherwise, you have to keep going back to check and see if it is ready. In years past, I have also found that the food and drinks can be cheaper if you go through the servers. Go figure! Also, I think the servers get their food faster than if you go yourself - maybe they get priority or something. Also, the lady in the truck is doesn't seem that nice
. She may be a lovely person, but she looks kind of mean and she doesn't respond well to smiles and greetings - even dad said "that lady doesn't like me" - and I could see why he thought that. There was another lady in there who was nice, but the lady who seemed to be in charge just wasn't friendly, so just use the servers who are really friendly and outgoing so you don't catch a bad vibe or something that will ruin your mood. The servers will make you feel good about spending your money and keep your mood happy!Once our food was ready, my daughter and mom wanted to taste the saltfish pate and they were immediately hooked! Dad had to order more saltfish pate for everyone and that became one of our reasons for going to Coki from them on! We floated and swam for the rest of the afternoon and my daughter practiced snorkeling.
At the end of the day we all decided to head back and figure out where to grab dinner. Our routine became to alternate between cooking at the villa and eating out. We ate out every other night. We decided to head to Indigo for dinner. I had been dying to have their "Black and Blue" sandwich (grilled steak and blue cheese (gorgonzola?) on a baguette) - sounds simple but it is REALLY yummy and is really the only red meat I ate on this trip - they know how to cook the steak just right for me - a little charred on the outside but pink in the middle - juicy!! I order it cooked "medium"). I try not to eat red meat, but will break the rules for Black and Blue and Indigo
. However, I was really disappointed that Indigo didn't have Black and Blue on the dinner menu (it is on the lunch menu), so I had something else that I cannot recall - not because it wasn't good, but because it wasn't what I had wanted. I also had a Chardonnay - or several. We swam in the pool at Indigo and enjoyed the meal. It was really pretty with the pool lit and the tropical plants and garden lights around. If you keep reading my report, you'll start to realize how much I like this place because I went OVER and OVER again
. You can have their sandwiches with fries or a salad - and if you like Cesar Salad I recommend ordering that here since they make it the right/authentic way with shaven cheese, not sprinkled/grated cheese and it isn't all smothered in dressing. Black and Blue with a side of Cesar is the way to go…but the fries are awesome too!!Indigo is also a great place to go with children in the afternoon since there are usually a few other children swimming in the pool. Your children will be entertained while waiting for the meal, which is a HUGE benefit for parents. Also, on one villa vacation when I stayed in a villa without a pool, long, leisurely lunches at Indigo became routine. They also have lounge chairs for sunning on the other side of the pool - away from the dining tables. It is a nice place to lay out and have drinks. Order the Mojitos!! The staff is EXCELLENT. The waitresses are all very friendly and they really hustle for the tables. I just cannot find anything bad to say - honestly! I hope they'll stick around and keep things just as they are!
After dinner we all went home and crashed in the bed. Again, the phone started ringing around 9pm from friends on the island who were trying to catch up…but I was already in bed and too pooped to answer. My friends like to socialize later in the evening and I was always too tired or too intoxicated by then - usually both!
Bluwater
Coden,
I know you must be looking forward to your visit! You've been researching for a while now - good deal.
Indigo is a great spot. Food in the VI is not easily impressive - it is not St Martin or St Barths. Once you find a good spot, go there at least once on your visot so that you are not disappointed with other / new choices.
STJ that I have visited an enjoyed:
Lime Inn (for easy upscale)
Rhumblines (for Pac Rim - spicy Polynesian)
Skinny Legs (aka Skinny's burgers, salads, fries, good sandwiches)
Fish Trap
La Tapa
Woody's
Polly's
ZoZo's
I really want to get to Sweet Plantains in Coral Bay!
STT Recommended:
Magens Bay for breakfast (al fresco and over the sand on beach front)
Gladys' for local food (Charlotte Amalie - I would go for lunch - inside A/C)
Indigo (lunch or dinner - Magens Bay area - Magens Point resort - al fresco - pool swim and dine)
Meson Amalia (Charlotte Amalie - very upscale spanish - in Palm Passage (swank)- al fresco in the most posh passage on STT - please do not try to enter Palm Passage with a limit on your credit card -
Meson Amalia is something special - go for Sangria and Paella)
I know you must be looking forward to your visit! You've been researching for a while now - good deal.
Indigo is a great spot. Food in the VI is not easily impressive - it is not St Martin or St Barths. Once you find a good spot, go there at least once on your visot so that you are not disappointed with other / new choices.
STJ that I have visited an enjoyed:
Lime Inn (for easy upscale)
Rhumblines (for Pac Rim - spicy Polynesian)
Skinny Legs (aka Skinny's burgers, salads, fries, good sandwiches)
Fish Trap
La Tapa
Woody's
Polly's
ZoZo's
I really want to get to Sweet Plantains in Coral Bay!
STT Recommended:
Magens Bay for breakfast (al fresco and over the sand on beach front)
Gladys' for local food (Charlotte Amalie - I would go for lunch - inside A/C)
Indigo (lunch or dinner - Magens Bay area - Magens Point resort - al fresco - pool swim and dine)
Meson Amalia (Charlotte Amalie - very upscale spanish - in Palm Passage (swank)- al fresco in the most posh passage on STT - please do not try to enter Palm Passage with a limit on your credit card -
Meson Amalia is something special - go for Sangria and Paella)Bluwater