The Savage Traveler: US Virgin Islands-Part 2

Tuesday dawned bright and sunny, as we would find to be true nearly every day. Marv got up at 7:00 to make coffee, again as would happen every day. We had a relaxing morning and, following John's advice, we drove back to Annaberg Ruins and took the Leinster Bay trail along the water. We stopped when we got to the first three moorings and set up in partial shade. Kris was the first to venture into the water to snorkel and then Marv and I followed and went farther out. The shore was very rocky which made getting in and out of the water treacherous. Following the coral reef, we saw a 3-4 foot reef shark, some 16 inch sea cucumbers with a girth of about 10", and fish of various shapes, colors and sizes. After resting and reading for a while, Marv and I walked down the trail and around the bend to the sand beach and swam there for a bit. The British Virgin Islands are right across the narrows there but right offshore on the US side is a tiny island called Waterlemon Cay. It looks very inviting but John had warned us that it is a harder swim than it appears so we didn't try it. As it was well past noon we decided to go to a new beach. The parking lots of most of the beaches were full but we managed to squeeze into a spot at the far lot of Cinnamon Bay. It was right next to the Amphitheater so we sat on the benches there in the shade and enjoyed our lunch from the cooler then hiked down to the beautiful sandy beach and set up in a strip of shade along the trees that frame the beach. Kris and I went in swimming there but Marv, who had had enough of salt water by then, and Heidi, who is still recovering from a sinus and respiratory infection, read and relaxed. We had a chance to look at the beach "cabins" there that are lined up side by side and looking shabby. We had considered staying in them but after seeing them and talking to some women who had stayed there one night we were still glad we had decided on our place at Fish Bay. After cleaning up a bit in the freshwater showers at Cinnamon Bay we found our way to De Coal Pot in the heart of Cruz Bay city, which a friend of Kris and Heidi's had recommended for dinner. They have local West Indies cuisine and we each got something different: Kris, the traditional Rhodie (sort of like a pasty), Heidi, Creole Chicken, Marv, Creole Mahi and me, sautéed whelk. It was all delicious and came with three sides of our choice like Sweet Plantains, sweet potato stuffing, spiced rice and beans, cole slaw, etc. Everyone was very satisfied as we made our way back to the house. Marv was becoming an expert on navigating the twisting, steep roads and only needed an occasional reminder to get back on the left side of the road. We watched Josh Davis get "saved" on The Voice and fell into bed, again very tired but oh, so happy.

Leinster Bay

Kris and Peggy swimming in Leinster Bay

Panorama of Leinster Bay and the British Virgin Islands

Kris and Peggy swimming in Cinnamon Bay

In the shade on the beach at Cinnamon Bay with cabins behind

There was actually a small, quick burst of rain Wednesday morning but the sun came out quickly so there must have been a rainbow to the west that we couldn't see. Following breakfast we drove to Center Line Road and went into the interior of the island and as far east as one can drive. Most of the way we were in the National Park but there were one or two small villages, including the second largest on the island, Coral Bay (surprisingly, it was actually named Krawl Bay which is Danish for corral and has been changed over time to the more appropriate Coral Bay). The farther we drove, the fewer cars there were. That side of the island is drier so we saw more cactus too. We also saw many of the feral donkeys and goats that roam the island, along with feral swine and a lot of deer that were put on St. Thomas hunting reserves and have made their way to St. John across the water. Marv turned around at the end of the road and we came back a short way to Nature Conservancy land and Overhaul Bay. This was a very secluded area with only a few other people. There was a small sand beach there and small rocks along the edge where we set up. We ate our snack lunch from the cooler there and snorkeled and swam but didn't see a lot there. Heading back towards the town of Coral Bay we stopped at Skinny Legs Bar for a drink at a table outside and then drove to the most southeastern point that is accessible. John had told us it was a good place to snorkel and again, it was very secluded. (No pictures here for some reason) A group of 5 women was there with a lot of information on the island and they told us a spot in this bay where we could see huge Green Sea Turtles. Marv and I followed their directions and went much farther out and over than we needed to without seeing any. As we swam back we were happy to see one small turtle. We left the beach and drove back up the very rough road (the first time we have needed the Jeep's 4-wheel drive. We intended to eat dinner at the Cafe Concordia at the top of the hill overlooking Coral Bay, and then attending the Ranger stargazing program held at the Concordia Eco-lodge. The Cafe is closed on Wednesday nights and we didn't feel like we had time to go anyplace else. So we made do with what was left in the cooler for dinner, attended the so-so program and saw the moon and Jupiter through the telescope, and left. Marv really wanted to get some gas so he drove the length of Center Line Road back to Cruz Bay. Everyone was too tired to want to get dinner at that late hour so we went back to the house and welcomed bedtime.