No not real lions (I may not spell well but I at least know how to spell the word lion) but the Lyons Jenn and Kyle! Thats right I have been crazy blessed with another round of visitors! Jenn, Kyle and I had a fantastic time together exploring the island, eating good food, and just hanging out! Here is a short run down of some of the things we did:
One really great day we had started with snorkeling at Champaign Bay. This is one of the best snorkeling places on the island and we were lucky to have a clear morning to explore the reefs. We had a great time swimming around and taking underwater photos of all the fish (and ourselves)! After the snorkeling adventure we went to Trafalgar Falls. By this time it was raining off and on but we decided to go anyways, and I am glad we did. We had fun sitting in the natural hot springs while the rain came down we were even able to stow our cloths, just before the downpour came, under a little rock overhang. Kyle and I also scaled up the rocks in the river all the way up to the water fall, but on arriving at the base the rain really started to pick up, and we were pre warned about flash floods when we arrived, so we didnt stay long before heading back down to the hot water. To finish the day we went to Screws Hot Springs Screws is one of my favorite places on the island so I had to share it with Jenn and Kyle. It is a natural hot springs that Screw (thats the owners name) has built 3 different temperature bathing pools around. Its a very relaxing place to spend the afternoon lounging in the hot water enjoying nature and eating good fruit! The best part about this trip was Screw recognized me and as thanks for bringing Jenn and Kyle there, he gave us all free Screws T-Shirts! How neat is that!
We also got to spend an entire day with my friend Rashawna, we picked her up early one morning and went to breakfast at Pagua, which is the best breakfast on the island, and then went to the Carib Territory and explored the model Carib village. After that we headed to a new place I had never been before, and that I certainly can not spell, but basically in English is the Snake Steps. It was so cool! There is this old folk tail that a snake came out of the ocean and rocks formed around it making these huge lava steps from the top of the cliff right down into the ocean. Jenn, Kyle, Rash and I all hiked down the steps to get a close up look at the ocean so cool. Then we headed over to the Emerald Pool, that to this day remains one of my favorite spots on the island. We had an awesome time playing around in the water, the waterfall and the rocks. And to finish the great day we all had dinner and exploring at one of the best restaurants on the island, Red Rocks! It was such great day for me and I know for Rashawna too, thanks to Jenn and Kyle and all the extra driving they did to include Rash for the day!
Sometimes I forget that when visitors come they not only want to see the island and have adventures, but they also want to just lay on the beach it just slips my mind. I guess I knew we really needed a beach day after we visited Cabrits Natural Park, and I took Jenn and Kyle on an unplanned hike to the top of the mountain (flip flops and dress included). Turns out I dont know the trails as good as I thought. :) But Jenn and Kyle were good sports and we did have fun despite my error in navigating. But have no fear we did fit in some good beach days during the trip. And thanks to some positive energy Jenn put out we even had some really sunny beach time! We hit up three main beaches here on the island, Mero, Coconut and Purple Turtle! We played in the water, laid in the sun, and snorkeled at all of them! Kyle even found some cool sand dollars! Got to love being so close to so many great beaches!
We had a ton more adventures all around the island, Syndicate Natural Train, card games at Rituals, tons of good food, trip to the Peace Corps office, the list goes on and on!
One of the best parts about the trip was getting to show Jenn and Kyle my life here in Portsmouth. I was able to take them around to all the major spots I work, CALLS, the Womens Center, the Town Council, Care for the Elderly, and more. Plus they go to meet a ton of my co-works, students, and my friends. Even if we hadnt done all the other fun adventures, just being able to share my everyday life with them was priceless! Thanks again for taking the trip out here guys, it really was a great vacation for all!
