BVI reflections

Now that we're home again and have had time to process things, I can think of some of my personal favorite things from the trip.

For me, the best part was the snorkeling. I loved observing all the underwater life and the diversity of the fish. It was always amazing to be above the water and seeing all the wind, boats, people and chaos and then putting your head under the water and watching the calm underwater life going on. We were often surprised by a large fish swimming by, but I loved the small ones and the schools of fish swimming together.

I also liked the birds we saw, especially the pelicans we watched diving and the laughing gulls that came to our boat at mealtime and would grab any scraps we offered. They were very pretty and intelligent looking birds and great aviators.

It was great to spend time in warm water and be able to just climb in off of the boat. The salt water was so buoyant it was easy to swim around. We had some good sailing times and the constant breeze was nice.

We had some lovely meals, most fixed by Rachel and I on board the boat. We were able to improvise and put together some great food.

The things I didn't like were mostly the heat and humidity. It was hard to always be sticky, either from sweat, from sunscreen, or from salt water. It was sad to see that the main emphasis in the BVI is on beach bars and drinking. The cruising guides mainly told you where you could eat and drink. We felt like the San Juan Islands were just as beautiful and there were more things to do ashore. Also, things were quite expensive, from showers to mooring balls to groceries. The length of travel was also an issue and all the time going through immigration and customs. The people there are certainly on "island time" and nothing is done with much speed. While I am very glad we went and we got to experience a lot, I think we were all in agreement that we have no desire to return to the same area again.