WHAT DAY IS IT? VIRGIN GORDA/BITTER END

Oh yeah, just checked with a crew member... it is Tuesday, February 8, 2011. I woke up at 6:30 am and headed out in search of a cup of coffee.  Not just any coffee was being served this morning. Maria, a crew member from Brazil had a special package of coffee displayed from her country. I asked for a cup made in the french press and headed out to the upper back deck. Tilithia was up early this morning and brought me my cup. It had to be the best cup of coffee I'd ever had!

Jim wandered out of the cabin about a half hour later and we headed up to the Sun Deck for morning Yoga with Maria. Maria reminds us of proper breathing... and to ALWAYS smile through the poses. It works! Helen is a yoga junky and puts us all to shame with her completion of the poses. She can literally roll herself up into a ball. How is Jim doing you may wonder?? Well, I hear him next to me puffing and grunting like a bear and making all these weird moaning sounds when Maria asks us to change positions. I have to learn to block out the sounds.

We headed downstairs for a "light" breakfast of pastries, fruit, yogurt, smoothies, and my favorite... the almond milk.

After breakfast we tendered out towards the ocean, passing the Bitter End Resort and Saba Rock Island for some reef snorkeling. John wanted to show us Necker Island (owned by Richard Branson) so we cruised past it before beginning the snorkeling. Now keep in mind, I'm not one for feeling really comfortable in the water... especially water with waves breaking over my head! Tom and I happened to be sitting together and he was mumbling about how this seemed to be more than he felt comfortable with. I was with him!!! Tom and I helped each other talk ourselves into doing this. The experienced crew was with us, the tender was close by etc... we did it! Jim however, lost one of his fins, retrieved it and then was unable to bend over in the water to put it back on. Maria had to dive down and put his fin back on for him! (I didn't buy that little tactic one bit!) After all that, I was not terribly impressed with the snorkel trip. We really saw very little.

On the way back to the Jamaica Bay, we waylayed to the right of the bay and stopped in at the SandBar for a quick refreshment. This little island which is part of Virgin Gorda has a white sandy beach and is very popular with the cruise ships. Fortunately, there were no cruise ships in and it was deserted with the exception of a family of goats and an underfed cat. Rob and Joan were drawn to the cat, however our host John was very adamant that one of his traveling rules was to never touch an animal in another country or area. You never know what you could be exposing yourself, your family, or animal at home to. That seemed to be a little extreme to me but... whatever! Rob and Joan chose to ignore John and were really loving it up with the cat.

We returned to the Jamaica Bay around noon, showered, and headed to the main back deck for a "light brunch". Since, I have some time and recent memory I'm going to describe our "light brunch". Drinks started with a very good champagne mixed with a light raspberry infused simple syrup and a hibiscus flower floating in the glass. YUM! Then, the food starting coming.... first, smoked atlantic salmon with capers, red onion, whipped creme cheese and fresh squeezed lemon on a bagel slice. Then, Cesar salad,
a lobster skewer, eggs benedict, roasted potatoes, tuna sandwiches on white bread, duck and chicken pockets, and a huge platter of english link sausage, pattie sausage and bacon. Other than the Super Bowl meal of make your own Tacos, this was the lowest key meal we have had so far.

This afternoon is a do your own thing option... I chose to read and update my blog. (I should be on the treadmill for the next two hours!) Jim tendered over to the beach at the SandBar with Joan and Helen, Rob went to take a nap, and Tom is sleeping off his over indulgence in champagne.

We have been kidding each other all week over the laundry. The crew takes whatever is left out in our cabins and launders it. There have been times when we have gotten items back that do not belong to us. I discreetly ask Joan or Helen if the item belongs to them. Well, last night in our stack of laundry we found this very cute pair of black boy shorts type of women's undies. Jim held them up and said "I don't think these belong to you!" Just before lunch today he said he was going to bring them to lunch and ask Helen or Joan if it belonged to them. Of course, I said you will NOT DO THAT! Well, unbeknownst to be he had laid them out and taken a picture of them. He brought the camera to the table and asked me to hand the camera to Helen. I did. Then, he asked Helen if she recognized the picture. She immediately turned it right around and accused Jim of coming into their room and digging around in their drawers. So, the joke was on him! Everyone wanted to see the picture... everyone also thought the undies were very cute!

Enough for the afternoon. Our host has promised us something very special for the evening, so stay tuned. Our cooking class has been scheduled for later in the week. We have also had a very interesting political discussion that Jim got easily sucked into. I chose to move out onto the deck...