So I am interested to hear what this mighty swell that is supposed to be rolling in tonight is like! We get one really big north or northwest one a year, and they are calling for up to 15 foot swells coming in tonight from the north and northwest. That will make the north beaches too big to surf, the swells up to the restaurants on Cane Garden Bay and a big mess. We will say what the crew has to say about it! I am sure they are tucked up in great Harbor on Peter Island knowing them!
I wanted to let people know that we are really booked up this season, with really only about one week left we can do at the end of April until August. Next season is filling in quickly as well, so don't think about whether you are coming or not too long...
A picture I found from yesterday, on our way back from Anegada, we had a sing along, which was great and suprisingly tuneful!
I also found a great sunset shot from Anegada too....
We did a lot of diving yesterday to get our young ones through their qualification dives, they are doing an amazing job, they are all naturals, they even had time to predator after all that!
I like this one with the sunset too!
Thats quite a dramatic sky! Today my group did their last qualifying dive and are now fully certified! They even managed an afternoon dive at the Rhone, their first dive as a certified diver!
These are Rich's first under water pictures with his new camera, he needs to play with settings and all that a bit, but not bad for first shots! Now heres my guys having a celebrity drink
A pretty dish for dinner so I thought I would get a shot, salmon with a lemon and dill sauce!
Glad to be in the RV for awhile, and actually starting to feel a bit better! As usual, it looks like the crew and guests are doing just fine without us!
Wrote this while I was sitting on the airplane at 130 in the morning the other night, so I am not sure how cohesive it is!
So, talk about being nickel and dimed to death...I have been thinking about this. We have an Admiralty Club Pass with American Airlines, which in its day, used to be quite good. As we were sitting in there, surrounded by dirty tables and garbage, I thought about it. Now, everyone knows that sitting in a terminal is horrible, and you almost have to pay extra for something like that just to get a half way clean restroom. It seems nowadays, if you want any basic comfort at all, you are paying someone for it. The flight was horribly delayed. I cannot remember the last time I have taken a flight that was NOT. Yes, we are usually on American, we don't have much choice in Tortola, but I assume they are much alike. In the Admirals Club I gave my husband his frequent flyer number to log into the admirals club wireless. It would not take it. So, he just went down to the desk, and came back saying that because the Admirals Club pass was in my name, I was the only one who got email access, they did not give out two!
THen as we sat waiting to board our flight the plane came in from New york chock full, and of course, everyone had missed their connections. There were at least a hundred people that they were having to reschedule to the next day and put up in a hotel (I know who supports the San Juan Hotels, it is American Airlines!). Many more going on cruise ships, some the cruise ships were waiting for some, AA was going to have to put up for the night and then fly them to their next port. One man was going on a charter yacht in Tortola, and had had their flights canceled into St Thomas and just did whatever they could to get to Tortola and was not happy that he could not get to Tortola until noon the next day. He was bemoaning the fact that he was paying $2000.00 for a boat he could not use. Then we get on the plane and they charge us $2.00 or something for cookies, after they had delayed everyone by 5 hours. It scares me that a business can be more profitable, by delaying and putting up people left in right and it is made up by charging people for cookies!
Got me thinking about all inclusive. Charter boats go through this a lot. I have gotten away from the notion of charging the bits and pieces... $2.00 a person per day for this and that, but obviously a lot of large companies find the only way they can do it is to price it so there is add ons everywhere. I guess you see that left and right on cruise ships. One of the private pilots at the airport in Tortola was talking about the extra $20.00 departure tax that everyone is paying, but the airport authority is making the airlines collect it so it does not look like it is outrageous. All I know is the fare difference on American between flying out of Tortola and flying out of St Thomas is astronomical, although I am still not sure that once you add in all the cab and ferry fees it is any cheaper. I worry about this world we live in. We are more and more like cattle daily, and nowhere do you feel more like cattle then when flying nowadays.
When I was a kid flying it was an amazing experience, the meals were better than anything that was made at home! (sorry mom!) and we got dessert. I always remember the thrill of wondering was was on that gigantic tray for food (yeah, it is me). We would get coloring books, trips up to see the airplane in the cockpit and when I was too tired I could lay down on the floor between the seats and go to sleep!
There was a thread on one of the bulletin boards talking about culture in the BVI and what is gone. Some of the people posting these memories are much younger then me!!
They remember things like the century plant used to be used for gutters! I did not know that! I know they used to be dried and used for Xmas trees! I am not sure we hardly have any century plants anymore, I think they were mostly wiped out by disease. Other people talked about the smell of making charcoal, or going next door to get coal, or to see the Durants on Salt Island to get Salt. Most peoples memories seemed to have to do with climbing trees to get fruit, mangos, soursop, guavaberry and lamented the fact that most kids nowadays know the tasteless american apple much better. Yes, it is a ramble tonight. Tiredness and sickness does that to people!
