Me and my husband and another couple hired a cat for 5 nights starting Dec 5. We left Tampa and all flights everything great, no problems in PR, just a 2 ½ hr. wait for our flight to St. Thomas. It was great that I forgot the flight from PR was so short by the time we got up the captain was announcing that we were landing, it was funny and so cool we were almost there!

Got our welcome drink in St. Thomas, does anyone else think these little drinks are pretty strong? Even my friend said something about it. Next stop duty free, got vodka (Absolute), rum, and carton of cigarettes all for under $30! Hopped in our taxi and headed for the ferry. Arrived just in time to get our tickets run upstairs and get drinks for our ride, 4 very strong rum punches. The ferry ride over to West End was exhilerating and we all laughed and had a great time. The weather was great.

We were headed to Cane Garden Bay from there and got a taxi, only $7 pp this time, last time it was $10 so I guess it is better if you share a taxi with other ppl to lower the rate. After dropping off one girl who was travelling by herself at Sebastians we headed to Rhymers for one night stay before we got our boat in the morning. Rhymers wasn’t so bad, for only $64 what the heck. Didn’t stay in the room for any amount of time, bathroom was very small and not fun with a hangover.

Had our first drinks and some appetizers at the Big Banana place next door. Sat for a while and just soaked it all in. It is such a great feeling to finally be at the place you have been dying to get to for so long and share it with friends. Then we went on to Stanleys and then Myetts for dinner and after dinner libations up on the balcony at Rhymers. It was a great first night.

The next day our taxi was picking us up at 10am to take us to Sea Cows Bay to get our cat. I found a copy of The Drinking Mans Guide in the small gift shop in Rhymers and snatched it up. I think there was only one left. Our friends had ate breakfast next store at the Banana place and raved about it they also bought some locally made bread and a couple of pies, not sure where though, you can ask in Rhymers and they will know. The coconut bread was very good, the pies less desired. It was another gorgeous day. The view up the hill looking back at CGB is one of my favorites.

We got our boat and all the provisions where already there from Bobby’s, actually alot more food than I imagined. A guy that worked for Bobby’s came while we were unpacking it and said our CC did not go through, i did not want to use another one so the Barecat Charters was kind enough to let me use their phone to call the CC company and straighten it out and sure enough it was because a charge was trying to go through out of the country they stopped it. So very good advice is to call your CC company BEFORE you leave and tell them where you are going and not to stop charges from going through for the length of your stay. We were off.

Our captain was perfect for us. He was from London and his name was Tim Young he would become our friend. Our first stop/night was at Norman Island. We took the dinghy around the corner and snorkeled at the Caves. Got my first stamp at Pirate’s Bight. Didn’t make it to the Willy T but had a great view of it. Little did we know this was going to be our smoothest night sleeping.

2nd day we headed for the Rhone where our friend did a dive, he said it was the best diving he has ever done. Headed for Cooper Island where we stayed the night. I loved the Cooper Island Beach Resort atmosphere had drinks and headed to the boat for dinner.

3rd day, uh oh scratchy throat feeling like i’m getting sick (not a hangover sick). I did, I think I was one of the first ones to get the nasty congested head cold that is going around now everywhere. I was determined not to let it stop me as we headed to Trellis Bay. The weather was pretty rough in Trellis Bay but we managed. I was feeling terrible by mid-afternoon. We took a dinghy to shore desperate need for ice and beer. Shopped at Aragons, checked e-mail at cybercafe. While at Aragons went into a coughing fit and one of the girls asked if I would like some tea and I gagged yes please. She gave me some and it was pretty good and quited the cough. I asked her what kind it was and she said lemon grass, it grows behind the store and we sell it in bundles over there. I picked some up and went to meet our friends at the Loose Mongoose and the lady there made me some of my new tea; it helped a little. Had about a 10 minute downpour and all huddled in the small outside gazebo bar. We headed back to the boat, I had to rest. I didn’t even feel like using my free drink. I slept as everyone else went back to shore thinking a band was going to play but they didn’t show up and they headed to The Last Resort. They were having a private party so not much going on there.

The next morning I asked if everyone wouldn’t mind if we didn’t go to JVD that day as planned because I was still feeling a little under the weather and I wanted to feel my best as this was the place I really wanted to explore and spend time at. We all agreed that would be fine and we could go to Cane Garden Bay instead for the night. It turned out great because it was Sunday and we then planned to go to Elms BBQ and our friends wanted to go to the rum distillery. I did a little shopping at Myetts and then decided to help me make me feel better by getting my free drink at Myetts, no such luck only a free bottle of wine with dinner, that was not going to stop me. Went to Elms made reservations for that nights BBQ and got my free rum punch, then another, it worked. We were kicking back out front of Elm at the picnic table (smokers) and Capt Tim noticed a dingy floating out towards the middle of the bay, yes it was ours. I could actually tell because one of the straps was broken and sticking up and I noticed it. He took off and went to the pier and took another dinghy out to retrieve it. Darn my camera batteries were dead, he was happy about that even though he knows it wasn’t his knot tying but kids letting them go (riiight). No it probably was. He was very good and would spend his idle time on the boat practicing knots and weaved me a bracelet out of some small string. We all then moved on to Rhymers for other free drink, more caribes and then to Quitos for yet my last free drink at CGB, it was time to go back to the boat.

Our last full and day and night on the boat we headed for JVD and moored in Little Bay. It was still kinda rough so this is where we would stay for the night. We went over and hiked up the hill behind Stanleys to look at the view and see if we could walk over to White Bay, you can but we didn’t. We loved Stanleys and its self pour bar. Amy who signed my book made us some killer bushwackers with some chocolate drizzles inside the glass and then poured the drink in. We shopped a little there and drank and even invited some ppl that had taken a taxi over from White Bay to sail with us over to White Bay. We didn’t get to stay at White Bay too long because the weather was getting pretty windy. But did get to Soggy Dollar Bar where everyone had fun with the ring and hook on the tree. Don’t mean to brag but I got it on the first try. I walked around the little cottages there and decided this is where we would stay next time. We also made it to Ivans and the ppl that we gave a ride back where staying there and bought us all a round and we talked to Ivan a little. Had BBQ pork dinners back at Stanleys and then went over to Harris’ place and played pool, we had a lot of fun, Cynthia was cool. What a way to spend our last day/night.

The only thing I would do differently about the charter is to not get any provisioning. We could have easily just ate as we went along and got snacks, drinks and ice at different stops. We left alot of food behind.

It was sad saying goodbye to our Capt. Tim, <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cry.gif" alt="" /> our friends had to take the ferry back to St. Thomas to catch their flight and we were off to Virgin Gorda for 4 more nights.

Our place at Leverick Bay was nice. We rented a car one day and went to Savanna Bay but it was too cold (for me) and windy to swim or snorkel. But we did see it. Drove over to the Baths and there it was warmer and we took a swim and then started to look for something to eat and found a bar at the end of a road; I think it was Crooks Bay, a little rest./bar at the end of a pier, had some bean soup and caribes, it was good. We went up to The Mine Shaft and it was totally empty but the bartender and the cook we all started watching Borat it was pretty funny and their drink that was free was the “Cave In”. They brought the ingredients down in a bucket above the bar and it was really good (it is a secret); I could taste banana though and it had a pineapple leaf in it. It was one of my favorite drinks of the trip. The sun was setting. On our way back we stopped at a “local” bar called Cool something in Northsound just up the hill from LBR. Had cheap drinks and Budweiser and some really good fried chicken. They were very friendly there and were playing Christmas music. I asked the bartender (Selma) if she ever heard of King Obstinate who we had heard last year singing “How Will Santa Get Here” and she offered to get the CD when she went to Spanish Town the next day. Unfortunately they were sold out.

Just hung around the resort the next day. I was sunning and went to cool off in the little cove there and was walking back and forth and looking down and saw a $20 bill, I grabbed it and kept walking on the way back I saw another bill a little deeper but couldn’t tell what it was and had to stick my face in the water to get it and when I pulled it up and unfolded it it was a $50!! and right next to it was another back I go and it was another $20! my husband had just came down from the room and I said wait here I’m going to go get the snorkel gear smile. When I came back he had found another $20. $110 ain’t bad. He “treasure” hunted for about another hour but no luck.

We had signed up for a day trip to Anegada that leave LBR on Fridays at the resort’s dive shop not enough ppl had signed up by that morning. So we took a ferry over to The Bitter End and walked around to Biras Creek had lunch at The Fat Virgin and the ferry at Saba Rock came and picked us up to take us there and then ended back at LBR. We went to the Friday night Jumbie BBQ. Ended up talking the evening away with a couple that were at Harris Place the night we were playing pool.

On the way back at the aiport in PR just to let you know that you go through customs and then you are let back out into the unsecure zone. Without thinking about it we went to the Duty Free shop and bought a btl or rum. Well going back through the security process they confiscated it because of the no liquid rule! Also I like to buy Sheridan’s to bring home for the Holidays but that is not Duty Free anymore! Here are some pics. http://travel.webshots.com/album/561899580HxdWnf Gotta go.

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