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one year

So we are headed off island for the summer and since this has been our first year living in the Caribbean I thought I'd share

Carnival finale

Carnival came to an end on Sunday but the fireworks show was Saturday night. We enjoyed the show from a friends condo that overlooks the harbor. The kids watched Kung Fu-panda while the adults ate fajitas, and when the firework show was on, we all sat on the balcony eating ice cream cones. We attended the Children's parade on Friday morning but it was very slow to get started and the heat was beginning to rise so we only saw a few performances. The rest of that day was spent at the beach, swimming, swimming and swimming some more. Saturday was the adult parade, which we didn't attend but it is much more risque than the kids parade (hence two parades) and the libations are flowing more freely. So for the most part a nice break from school but we couldn't participate as much as we would have liked.

A few photos I took from St. John's Carnival parade last July...to give an idea of the costuming involved...I think the ladies with all the feathers are called "Birds of Paradise" and they dance to really loud calypso music.

Carnival food fair

This week is Carnival and today was the food fair in downtown. It is much like a street fair stateside, food, craft vendors and plenty of people. The farmers had some great produce and a few items I had not seen before. I came home with some fresh vanilla bean from the Dominican Republic, cinnamon (or bark) from Grenada, local kindney mangoes, goat water (mutton stew), beef pate (pronouced pattie I think). There was plenty of other food I wanted to try, but at the high Carribean prices I had to keep my expectations in check (see the $20.00/plate in the picture above!) Most of the booths served their own variations on stewed chicken, beef or mutton with black beans and rice, macaroni and cheese, lobster tails, shrimp and sweet potato stuffing. There were plantains, bananas, johnny-cakes, lots of sweets (candies, jellies and tarts) made from tamarind, coconut and guava. One dish I wanted to try was Kallaloo, a seafood and spinach stew but I was worried (and probably overly so) about the use of reef fish in the stew which carries paralytic toxins...and being pregnant I didn't want to go there.

sailing lessons

Maybe I have mentioned that C is taking sailing lessons. But I haven't had any pictures, or elaborated much about it. So today is the day. I had my camera, the wind was good and he was close to shore. Take a look at that kid! Can't drive, can't fly, but he's sailing a boat. And it my book its harder than driving a car - or boat, and possibly even flying (haven't really spent much time flying a plane though:) but you get my gist! We are told that at the beginning of the lesson he wanted to sail with one leg hanging over the side of the boat. What for, don't know. Did it look cool, did he think it would keep the boat from tipping over, was it to allow him a quick get away? With his instructor's help, he soon saw the wisdom of keeping all body parts in the boat and was controlling the thing with a 6-year-old confidence and frustration. On the beach the other parents were thankful that our kids had not picked up on curse-words yet, because a few times I heard C out there yelling out of frustration "I hate this stupid sail... etc. Totally understandable and in adult language would have been much more colorful - like 'I hope the ****ing sharks don't eat me!" But he was a champ even through the frustrating parts. He stuck to it, listened to his instructor and loved it. My boy. Six!?!

love the name of the boat. FYI, he is sailing an OPTI, which is a one person boat, usually for little ones to learn to sail on. We are told the kids who learn to sail in Caribbean are some of the best on the competitive circuit because they sail in rough winds all year. This does not apply to our little guy however, it was just a fact that we are now beginning to understand. The winds can be really strong here (trade wind zone) and the water is warm enough to be out on the water all year so the kids get double if not triple the time on the water that their northern and more southern peers get. They have my admiration for sure.

weekending

Out to the British Virgin Islands again this weekend. We decided the boat would be more fun than watching the Army Navy game inside on TV. Good choice! M has been the subject of many of my photos these days. She is really changing. At nearly 2 1/2 years she is talking and playing like such a big girl. No longer a little toddler really. She using a big potty, and diapers are not as frequent. In another few months we will be a diaper-free family. That seems like a big change to me.

Though, she is still very much a napper.

Adults would never have looked at that rock and decided to make it into a slide.

This is on the swim back to the boat from the beach. We had various floatation devices to get the kids and coolers ashore. At one point in time E carried much larger loads ashore; coolers and kids are easy for him so why not carry a beer too.

 Then on Sunday E participated in a paddle board competition. He had a rider onboard for the whole three miles. The girls and I stayed on the beach playing, taking pictures and people watching.

pelican dives

There is always something to watch at the beach. Today it was the pelicans, divebombing into the ocean, very near the shore. They hover, dive, catch their fish and bob quickly to the surface only to do it again, several times in a few minutes.

surfing

Nope its not us, but we wish it was. Surfing isn't a huge sport here, but occasionally the waves are right and the surfing is good. A weather report indicated that Hurricane Tomas was sending waves our direction resulting in a rough seas advisory. For surfers that means was time to head to the west side and Hull Bay. I headed out there to see what it was all about. I suppose the waves were like what are seen most days on the North Shore of Oahu or even on the West coast. But here it was big and fun.

caneel bay

Another new beach, and possibly a favorite that we can access by car. Caneel Bay is a very high end rustic resort with seven secluded beaches and what appears to be great walking trails. One beach is open to the public so we checked it out and it was perfect on this day for us. Empty, sandy, calm, some shade, and a bar nearby; food for the kids you know. We did our normal beach activities though: paddleboard, coconut hunting, sand digging and swimming with a new twist. M on the paddle board.

exploring st. john

We weren't sure how to get down to the beach. Apparently no road, and we found no trail.

But no wonder. Its meant to stay that way it seems.

little cinnamon

On Saturday a friend brought us over on his boat to Little Cinnamon Bay for the afternoon. The weather report threatened rain but we were spared! It was one of the best trips we've had. We anchored just off the beach. The kids played in the rocks, made survivor forts (this is still a theme of play). M napped for a little while. While snorkeling I saw a shark...a baby nurse shark, asleep on the bottom. But I didn't know that at the time and did a double take and then swam away as fast as I could. I told our friend what I had seen and he said it was probably a nurse shark (docile as sharks go) and still sleeping on the bottom. And sure enough he was as others in the group went to look at it.

Field Trip: walk to work

::road to work::

::lookout hill::

::walk along Vessups Beach::

::entering Latitude 18::

::rained last night::

::into the National Park::

::past the termite nest::

::past the mother hen::

::and the horses training at the beach::
::neva nv, alwayz n'vd::