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Trip report Last part Can anybody fit me in their suitcase?
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NoWorriesMom
- Posts: 150
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:45 pm
- Location: Boulder, Colorado
Trip report Last part Can anybody fit me in their suitcase?
We’re up and heading towards Trunk by 7:30. We are the second car in the lot and is it nonny (spelling?) fruit that looks like a hideous yellow slug we see lying about? No lifeguard on duty until later but the water looks as calm and inviting as everywhere else so off we go. Surprisingly nice snorkel! The new sighting for the day was the long thin fish that hides in the things that look like an underwater shrub. I watched it move from two “shrubs” of two different colors and it was perfectly camouflaged in each! Cool! There are some interesting nooks around that cay that are fun to see if you can swim into them and turn round and go back out without the waves surging you into anything. On our next trip we might feel confident enough to try snorkel spots that are rated for more advanced swimmers. On the right of the cay we see squid. I like how they look at you and dart away backwards. The first time I snorkeled I think I only looked down. There is so much more to see if you also scan the middle parts of the water and near the surface. Live and learn!
Snorkeling on the right of the bay was good too. I swam away from the edge of the bay towards the middle and found a large rock that turned out to be hollow and to hold a great number of fish in all sizes. We’d have liked to go all the way around to Peter Bay, but the little guys are starting to burn out on snorkeling. Instead they play sandcastle war.
Leave it to my guys to take a calm activity like sandcastle building and turn it into trying to pulverize each other! Actually, sandcastle war was fun and we later joined them. Basically, you build castles with multiple dwellings for the king, queen, servants, soldiers, etc. Then you take turns throwing a coconut in an attempt to be the first to demolish the others! Boys! At least there is a take turns aspect to the game!
We were at Trunk for at least five, then went to Vie’s for round two. Home by way of the smoothie stand (we’ve found a good thing and we’re sticking with it!) then we chill for the night before falling into a food coma.
Thanksgiving Day – Dinghy Day!
This day was hopefully the start of a new tradition for us: no extensive food shopping, no cooking all darn day, no Mount Everest of dishes. Next year hopefully it is back to St. John!!!! We have a nice breakfast then head for Cruz Bay to Noah’s Little Arks. My oldest says I should “drive like a local” so I do. We park at Denzil Clyne’s lot and walk to Noah’s which is on the beach in front of the Beach Bar. Off we go, first stop Honeymoon. Most people head to Waterlemon, but we’ve already done that. It feels like cheating not to have hiked to Honeymoon and in a dinghy you almost feel like you are disturbing the peace when you motor in. But my husband throttles it real low and there is only one woman snoozing on a blanket while her family snorkels. Ok, for the snorkeling at Honeymoon my husband and I go out; boys want to stay in the sand. Putting on my mask I see a ray very nearby and feel a chill. Those things are scarier now that Irwin bit it (loved that guy!). We go out a short way and see a turtle just gnawing away at the coral. Do they eat it? Maybe there was a crab he was after? I don’t know. The reef looks pretty good, maybe that’s why the boatloads of people showed up later. I want to stay near the boys so I tell hubby to continue on if he likes and I head back to the beach. Halfway back to the beach I see a 4 to 5 foot barracuda. AGAIN with the barracuda! He’s ten feet ahead and to the left of me so I take a right turn towards the sand and mutter in my head, “ok, getting out of your territory, no problem.” I’m calm until I glance back and it has turned towards me and is drifting along behind me. It never came very close, never did anything remotely aggressive, but that thing gave me a big old freak out. I made it to the shore, almost leaped out and looked behind me. It was about ten feet out from shore. I was, for that moment, the biggest chicken on planet earth.
We left after about an hour and went to Henley Cay, Jumbie beach, Whistling Cay, Francis (I know, I know), Peter Bay, and then Solomon. At Peter Bay the snorkeling stunk, at least where we went, but we had the beach all to ourselves and our little nudies skinny dipped again after a big family game of castle wars.
When the dinghy pulled away and I glanced back at the palm lined beach where we’d just had such fun together it was total happiness.
Jumbie was great. Rick spotted a crab in the coral and watched it for a while. As we motor to Solomon, my 12 year old plays Navy Seal by leaping off the dinghy at full speed. He loved it and has the chest rash from us dragging him back into the boat to prove it!
At Solomon there were clothed people and one nekkid couple but we didn’t care about that kind of thing and just went about our business, of snorkeling! There was a large (football size or bigger) spiral shell that had a monster crab in it. I watched him lure a fish in with his antennae then grab the fish and eat it up. Bits and pieces were drifting around and the other little fish would dart in and have a meal of scraps. Bizarre to watch the little fish eat up what was recently their buddy and not realize they were going to be next!
Then, when I was off by myself for a bit, I saw an eel. It was a small one and its mouth kept gaping open and closed. Other fish swam near it and would either take no notice or dart away quickly. I looked at the shore and marked my place well to show the rest of my family but later couldn’t find it again. I either stink at marking where I am or it was gone!
Later I throw on my mask and go straight out to see what I could see. Not much to see straight out from Solomon. But on the way back I saw an underwater train. You know those fish that are always near the surface, are long and ghostly, and have long noses like a swordfish? Well I counted 36 of them going by! It was a great moment in the water.
Next day we clean up the villa, then not clean up the car enough because they try to make us pay $100 bucks for a little sand. Denzil Clyne’s also charged us 50 bucks for a tiny little crack in the front parking light. You couldn’t even see it unless you bend over and do a close up inspection of the thing, so there was no way we saw it when we rented. Could have already been there or could have happened when we parked in their lot. Who knows? They have a furious attitude about the sand though. Is that an act to get some pocket money? I mean geez, it is an ISLAND and they do have a VACUUM. Am I missing something? I ask when Brenda, the manager, will be in and the sand charge is presto bingo dropped. Strange experience!
The wait on the ferry dock was in a competition with hell to see who could be hotter. The ferry ride itself was blessedly cool. Our taxi ride turned out to be a bit of an adventure because a local girl needed dropping off at her home and we got to see some crazy neighborhoods. The coconuts our sons picked caused quite a discussion at security but were eventually allowed, and I snuck some chapstick in my pants pocket on accident. Criminal! Flights home were fast and easy (ain’t that always the case).
Last memory to pop into my head was an evening at Francis when the sun was setting and the feeding fish got really busy going after fry. Fry were leaping in unison out of the water and then sounding like rain when they all dove back in. We had such a great trip:
LET THE SAVING FOR ANOTHER ST. JOHN TRIP BEGIN!!!!
Snorkeling on the right of the bay was good too. I swam away from the edge of the bay towards the middle and found a large rock that turned out to be hollow and to hold a great number of fish in all sizes. We’d have liked to go all the way around to Peter Bay, but the little guys are starting to burn out on snorkeling. Instead they play sandcastle war.
Leave it to my guys to take a calm activity like sandcastle building and turn it into trying to pulverize each other! Actually, sandcastle war was fun and we later joined them. Basically, you build castles with multiple dwellings for the king, queen, servants, soldiers, etc. Then you take turns throwing a coconut in an attempt to be the first to demolish the others! Boys! At least there is a take turns aspect to the game!
We were at Trunk for at least five, then went to Vie’s for round two. Home by way of the smoothie stand (we’ve found a good thing and we’re sticking with it!) then we chill for the night before falling into a food coma.
Thanksgiving Day – Dinghy Day!
This day was hopefully the start of a new tradition for us: no extensive food shopping, no cooking all darn day, no Mount Everest of dishes. Next year hopefully it is back to St. John!!!! We have a nice breakfast then head for Cruz Bay to Noah’s Little Arks. My oldest says I should “drive like a local” so I do. We park at Denzil Clyne’s lot and walk to Noah’s which is on the beach in front of the Beach Bar. Off we go, first stop Honeymoon. Most people head to Waterlemon, but we’ve already done that. It feels like cheating not to have hiked to Honeymoon and in a dinghy you almost feel like you are disturbing the peace when you motor in. But my husband throttles it real low and there is only one woman snoozing on a blanket while her family snorkels. Ok, for the snorkeling at Honeymoon my husband and I go out; boys want to stay in the sand. Putting on my mask I see a ray very nearby and feel a chill. Those things are scarier now that Irwin bit it (loved that guy!). We go out a short way and see a turtle just gnawing away at the coral. Do they eat it? Maybe there was a crab he was after? I don’t know. The reef looks pretty good, maybe that’s why the boatloads of people showed up later. I want to stay near the boys so I tell hubby to continue on if he likes and I head back to the beach. Halfway back to the beach I see a 4 to 5 foot barracuda. AGAIN with the barracuda! He’s ten feet ahead and to the left of me so I take a right turn towards the sand and mutter in my head, “ok, getting out of your territory, no problem.” I’m calm until I glance back and it has turned towards me and is drifting along behind me. It never came very close, never did anything remotely aggressive, but that thing gave me a big old freak out. I made it to the shore, almost leaped out and looked behind me. It was about ten feet out from shore. I was, for that moment, the biggest chicken on planet earth.
We left after about an hour and went to Henley Cay, Jumbie beach, Whistling Cay, Francis (I know, I know), Peter Bay, and then Solomon. At Peter Bay the snorkeling stunk, at least where we went, but we had the beach all to ourselves and our little nudies skinny dipped again after a big family game of castle wars.
When the dinghy pulled away and I glanced back at the palm lined beach where we’d just had such fun together it was total happiness.
Jumbie was great. Rick spotted a crab in the coral and watched it for a while. As we motor to Solomon, my 12 year old plays Navy Seal by leaping off the dinghy at full speed. He loved it and has the chest rash from us dragging him back into the boat to prove it!
At Solomon there were clothed people and one nekkid couple but we didn’t care about that kind of thing and just went about our business, of snorkeling! There was a large (football size or bigger) spiral shell that had a monster crab in it. I watched him lure a fish in with his antennae then grab the fish and eat it up. Bits and pieces were drifting around and the other little fish would dart in and have a meal of scraps. Bizarre to watch the little fish eat up what was recently their buddy and not realize they were going to be next!
Then, when I was off by myself for a bit, I saw an eel. It was a small one and its mouth kept gaping open and closed. Other fish swam near it and would either take no notice or dart away quickly. I looked at the shore and marked my place well to show the rest of my family but later couldn’t find it again. I either stink at marking where I am or it was gone!
Later I throw on my mask and go straight out to see what I could see. Not much to see straight out from Solomon. But on the way back I saw an underwater train. You know those fish that are always near the surface, are long and ghostly, and have long noses like a swordfish? Well I counted 36 of them going by! It was a great moment in the water.
Next day we clean up the villa, then not clean up the car enough because they try to make us pay $100 bucks for a little sand. Denzil Clyne’s also charged us 50 bucks for a tiny little crack in the front parking light. You couldn’t even see it unless you bend over and do a close up inspection of the thing, so there was no way we saw it when we rented. Could have already been there or could have happened when we parked in their lot. Who knows? They have a furious attitude about the sand though. Is that an act to get some pocket money? I mean geez, it is an ISLAND and they do have a VACUUM. Am I missing something? I ask when Brenda, the manager, will be in and the sand charge is presto bingo dropped. Strange experience!
The wait on the ferry dock was in a competition with hell to see who could be hotter. The ferry ride itself was blessedly cool. Our taxi ride turned out to be a bit of an adventure because a local girl needed dropping off at her home and we got to see some crazy neighborhoods. The coconuts our sons picked caused quite a discussion at security but were eventually allowed, and I snuck some chapstick in my pants pocket on accident. Criminal! Flights home were fast and easy (ain’t that always the case).
Last memory to pop into my head was an evening at Francis when the sun was setting and the feeding fish got really busy going after fry. Fry were leaping in unison out of the water and then sounding like rain when they all dove back in. We had such a great trip:
LET THE SAVING FOR ANOTHER ST. JOHN TRIP BEGIN!!!!
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Kentuckygirl
- Posts: 1903
- Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2006 10:17 am
- Location: Kentucky
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California Girl
All-in-all – a fabulous set of reports and this one did not disappoint. Thank you so much for taking the time to write them. I enjoyed each and everyone. Your writing style puts the reader right there. I’m sure that your next St. John adventure will surpass this one. Thanks again.
FlaGeorge
"Swim Against The Current - Even a Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow"
"Swim Against The Current - Even a Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow"
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madforstjohn
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Wed Nov 29, 2006 5:32 pm
- Location: Massachusetts
Great report
Okay you have motivated me to stop lurking and finally say something. I loved your trip report. I felt like I was there. My family will be going in April and I love reading trip reports in anticipation. I think I will finally try Vie's. Thanks for taking the time to give me a fix.
henley and whistling cay snorkel?
I loved your trip report!Lots of details.Did you snorkel Whistling cay or Henley cay?If so was it interesting?As for the the jeep rental I think I will always stay with Donald schell[I may have spelled it wrong.]He was very nice to us and reasonable.
HELLO FROM MICHIGAN...
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NoWorriesMom
- Posts: 150
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:45 pm
- Location: Boulder, Colorado
thanks!
to parafins: we checked out the cays (and would definitely try again another time because it's exciting to moor up and get out of the boat in the deep water) but the currents were a bit much for our littlest guy and the water clarity wasn't that great on that particular day. I don't know how they usually are but it's worth a try!
thanks to all the posters with positive comments! I'm SO waiting on trip reports from a couple of people hint hint
thanks to all the posters with positive comments! I'm SO waiting on trip reports from a couple of people hint hint
Great reports!!!! Really informative and fun to read. I decided this next trip that I really wanted to learn to snorkel (don't swim well) and you've helped that decision along. Of course, I'd forgotten about the ray s and Steve Irwin..... Nope, still have to try it! Thanks so much for the time and effort to do the write ups-it's appreciated!
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California Girl
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nothintolose
- Posts: 1960
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:36 pm
- Location: New Orleans, LA
NoWorriesMom - my first trip to STJ and my first barracuda sighting was one about 4-5 feet long like yours, and I swear it stalked me back to the beach too. It never got too close, but I hated having that big eye staring at me (even if it really wasn't).
I haven't seen one that big since then. The smaller ones seem like nothing when I see them.
Loved your reports - thank you so much - I felt like I was there with you.
nothintolose
I haven't seen one that big since then. The smaller ones seem like nothing when I see them.
Loved your reports - thank you so much - I felt like I was there with you.
nothintolose
California Girl-Thanks for the info-we're booked with him actually for next week! Just didn't realize he gets in the water to show you what to do-I'm a little nervous, but I'm game to try it. I'll be sure to write about it in my trip report when we get back. The trip with him sounds like it will be a lot of fun!