well- never thought i would be lazy about a trip report but dove in headfirst to numerous problems and obligations upon returning. now i wince to see trip report languishing on my list of things i hope to get to. so....rainy day in maine.(so whatelse is new!)<br> 4/18-23 spent on st.john after an uneventful trip from logan on aa. will post on that board.<br> the trans. system from stj to vg is tedious. ferry to tortola,taxi to rt,ferry to vg,car to mahoe. we did some hanging around and had to leave stj by 11:30 am to be sure we could get there and not be stranded. check the schedules carefully. customs was only minutes as there were so few people on the ferry. we actually arrived earlier than we thought and a very nice cab driver called LandS to come get us. our 4 wheel was not ready so he gave us a very modest car and then came out and switched. for our"trouble"we were upgraded to a grand vitara for the car price. very pleased with the ease and service. mango bay even made the reservation for us.<br> 4/23-28 at mango bay on mahoe bay on virgin gorda. our first overnight trip on vg. expected to be beachfront but were beachside in a building that was beachfront. thought we would have a room overlooking the beach but had a villa type setup with a separate br.in the back with sliders that had a tiny view beyond the other units. there was a lovely covered deck with kitchen,table,and nice chaises. inside was a room with ref and two twin couch -type beds. a very nice bathroom with glass walls and a bidet-boy did we get to laughing figuring THAT out. the bedroom was simple but roomy and excellent ac. once i got used to it being different than what i expected i really liked it. if we stayed again we would request the beachfront unit that borders the property edge. the grounds were simple, paths,not overly landscaped. reminded me of a larger sandcastle. they are working on the property but not actual construction. gino was very warm and welcoming. what a lovely host. the beach was in turmoil. easter week included the storm anna which gave us torrential rain on stj ,blustery fairweather clouds for several more days,and riled up water. could not even see the bottom of mahoe for a couple of days. i live to snorkel so this was a major disappointment. hard to believe the last 2 years we have been in the islands for the "storm of the century"!! <br> we decide to go out and get food. took forever to find bucks not realizing the marina set up. how can such a tiny place be so hard to navigate!! HONEYMOONER2 gave us a comprehensive dining list so we set off for our first local delight. this became the achilles heel on vg for us. after not being able to find several we went to the wheelhouse garden restaurant-no longer a restaurant in the hotel-but a very tired looking group of tables with a couple of very bored young women at the "bar". we asked if they could feed us and after the list of chicken fingers and hamburgers we asked if they had local food. the cook came out and asked us a few more questions and brought out the BEST stew mutton and fixins possible. we were in heaven. she was so pleased. we asked directions to a couple of the other places for the next night.<br> 4/24up to make a quick b'fast. kitchen area was great but the early am bugs were too much. spent the am at the baths. we were the first ones there. the snorkeling was AWESOME way to the left. was in heaven. not as clear as it could be but good enough. then my husband spotted a few jellyfish. the man of steel was out of that water so fast..... i followed his lead as he is always right. the beach was covered with people. there was a dingy traffic jam fighting for beaching rights. i thought beaching was a nono.the water was quite rough. it was decidedly unsafe and i am not easily spooked in the water. a dingy filled with toddlers and a woman trying to keep her fancy sandals dry looked like the front page of usa today waiting to happen. there was no evidence of cruise ship passengers so that was not the cause of the dingy traffic. we left and went over to spring bay and snorkeled much further out than ever before. it was not too clear but we saw lots of fish. really enjoyed this area. there were waves in the little pool where little dix lunches.had lunch at the underrated top of the baths. just something about the place that i love.their wahoo lunch is always tasty if a little overcooked. tried mahoe again and while we could get in there was just too much turbulence to see much at all. tried to rest on the beach. the bugs were unbearable. the rains made the island look so lush and gorgeous but gave life to the bugs from hell.mosquitos and those awful knats that stick to your sunscreen. that lovely cool br was our haven for some reading and chocolate splurging. back to town to thelma's-oops-have to reserve dinner a day in advance. to dixies-no local food only some very dried out fried chicken that i bet was good when it came out some hours before. we are starving and go back to the wheelhouse for some more stew mutton and stew turkey. delicious. bump back to mahoe and enjoy the quiet.<br> installment 2 tomorrow(as it will still be raining!!)