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We are getting to know the British Virgins very well! We haven't spent this long cruising the same place since - well - not sure really! We have been in the virgins for a month now, and are enjoying the sailing (all the islands are quite close so we even sail when there is hardly any wind - my rule of sticking the engines on under 4 knots has been ditched) and have found some lovely spots.
One such spot was Guana island which we heard belongs to an eccentric American doctor. It also has a very small private resort on it and is completely private - apart from the beach of course. We have since found out that actually it belongs to Lizzie Uncle Michael, and Aunt Zsuzsi (well for a few weeks a year anyway), who doesn't take kindly to yachties landing on the beach and making themselves at home!! The beach was stunning with powdery white sand and good shade, and we spent a lovely day there.
The snorkelling / goggling at monkey point on the island was really good, and Ellen and John saw a turtle munching away on some weed as well as plenty of brightly coloured fishes.
From there we went to Anegada - the drowned island (slightly reminiscent of Barbuda). Very flat indeed - on the approach you see the palm trees long before land. We mistakenly arrived here with no money and due to the absence of banks (or anything else) on the island didn't go on a flamingo spotting trip! Instead we spent some time trying to get an email printed so we could sign it and fax it back to our broker. Sue (from Sue's Purple Turtle boutique) was a great help but we fell at the last hurdle of needing a new printer cartridge. Luckily John and Sue on Exuma arrived and had a printer on board! We went out for dinner with John and Sue that night for some famous Anegada lobster (my first taste of lobster) - I thought it tasted of blue cheese and found it very rich but everyone else enjoyed it. Ellen loved the grown up night, we were the only ones at the restaurant and it was beautifully decorated with fairy lights which twinkled on the water. Anna having fallen asleep before we went out only really got going when it was time to leave. I had a couple of rum cocktails and managed to pour myself into little helix at the end of the evening.
From there we went back to the bitter end (Virgin gorda) which is a really relaxing place for us. There are always other kids on the beach for Ellen and Anna, there are always sun loungers and plenty of shade for us, and wifi on the beach! Oh how we will miss this life!!
For my birthday (and Celines birthday (she is a bit younger than me)) we met Cenou in Trellis bay for plenty of cake (thankyou Ricke!), and then the following day we all went to the baths - an incredible place on Virgin Gorda where there are giant rocks balanced all over the shore making a maze of passages to climb and crawl through, and making some incredible big rock pools (sandy bottomed) where the sea rushes in and out with the swell. It was stunning and worth the very very tricky anchoring and braving the crowds of tourists. Ellen and Anna loved it and we were 'real, intrepid explorers' having to swim from little helix to shore and then tunnel and climb and swim!
From there we sailed with cenou to Road Town. We had planned to be here for a week, and although we anchored inside the marina and the marina has a pool we miss jumping in the sea to cool off, so went with Cenou for a last few days before they head north. We anchored in little harbour at Peter island - the water was incredibly green, and teeming with life. There were lots of see through hard little things (maybe fish spawn) in the water that you brushed through with every stroke, lots of barracuda, and fish churning around and jumping out of the water all the time. We had the Cenous over for dinner for their last night with us which was lovely and a bit sad. As they were getting in their dingy Claude noticed a 'big fish'. On looking with the spotlight we saw tons of them - maybe small sharks we think - circling the boat! Very eerie!
From there we went to dead man's' bay for a night (bit bumpy but super beach), and then came back to Road Town - in time to meet Jan who is coming to see Double Helix (sadly not his wife who has had an accident we understand).
Thankyou for all my birthday wishes (especially to Isaac Nina and Rosa for their fantastic bit of video they sent me, and to baby Lizzie for her card (I've never had one addressed to 'fairy godmother' before)). I also want to say to all my friends who I don't email as much as I wish I did that I hope my blogs will do for now for keeping in touch, and I do still think of you!
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