I’m coming to the realization that after 3 more sleeps, there will be no one to make me a cheese omelette, well done, or bring me my English Breakfast tea without even having to ask for it. And I’m pretty sure the snow has not all melted at home. Sigh. Oh well, will enjoy our last few days to the fullest.
We are down to two last stops on this fabulous cruise, and they are both in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Jost Van Dyke today and Virgin Gorda tomorrow. Then it’s on to Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin for one last adventure before flying home Saturday afternoon.
There are 4 larger islands in the BVI archipelago and a bunch of small ones. Tortola is the largest and the capital, Road Town, is located there but the other 3 are Anegada, Jost Van Dyck and Virgin Gorda. The population of this British Overseas Territory is about 36,000, with most of the population in Tortola and on 16 of the more than 50 islands.
Unlike other Caribbean islands it’s thought that Joost Van Dyck a Dutch privateer and perhaps sometimes pirate may have been the first one to discover this island; however, it was British Quakers fleeing persecution in England in the 1700s that first settled here. The island citizens were granted British citizenship in 2002. The current population is only approximately 300.
It’s thought that Joost Van Dyke and other pirates used the many bays and inlets as hiding places for their ships. Eventually sugar cane and cotton were grown on the island, which would have employed slaves although they were emancipated in all of BVI in 1838.
This island and many in the BVI were hit hard by Category 5 hurricanes, Irma and Maria, both in 2017. Most buildings were destroyed and the island was stripped of it’s vegetation. The islanders were mainly on their own and they worked together to combine their resources. The one remaining working refrigerator was at a beach bar named Foxy’s Tamarind Bar and Restaurant and all food that could be preserved was brought there. Foxy is a natural leader in the community and for his efforts, he was knighted in 1968 for his humanitarian efforts, and in other projects for improving life in BVI.
The draw to Jost Van Dyke is the many beautiful white sand beaches and coves around the islands that are ideal for boating. The bay at Great Harbour is the most well known and biggest, with White Beach in the next bay as a close second. There are restaurants and bars along both beaches some of which are really well known. After the emancipation, charcoal, a byproduct of the cotton and sugar cane industries became a viable export.
Jost Van Dyke’s population is unusual for the Caribbean because of its population’s young age. Nearly half the residents are under the age of 35 and almost 70% under the age of 50. Perhaps because of this, two of the most famous beach bars in the Caribbean are on the beaches of White Bay and Grand Harbour. Foxy’s and the Soggy Dollar Bar are institutions and a frequent stop by the yachting community. The Soggy Dollar Bar has been given credit for being the birthplace of the drink called the Painkiller. The bar’s name comes from the practice of the many boaters who drop anchor in the bay and then swim in to the beach to enjoy a few drinks or meal, and yup, their dollars get soggy.
Another bit of trivia we learned the last time we were here is that the architect and designer of the US Capital building in 1793 in Washington DC, William Thornton, is from Jost Van Dyke. He received $500 and a building lot in the city of Washington for his composition. He was trained as a medical doctor in Great Britain and then moved to Washington where he continued to have influence on architecture there.
The last time I was here, I took a snorkeling adventure but we decided not to book an excursion for today but rather had a leisurely wake up and then grabbed a tender over to Great Harbour to check out the beach and Foxy’s Bar. The tender made its way around the plethora of lovely yachts anchored throughout this pretty perfect bay.
We sauntered along the alluring white sand beach with a stop for the required toe nails picture! There were some other shops and bars along the way, but they weren’t very appealing, and our goal was at the end of the beach, Foxy’s. It’s quite the place. Charming in a dowdy, run down kind of way. Surprisingly, it had one of the nicest souvenir shops we’ve seen, with reasonable prices and nice quality.
Those of you who know me well will be shocked to hear that I participated in a strawberry margarita at 10:55 in the morning! I’m not sure it actually had alcohol in it, though, as it didn’t seem to have any effect. Just seemed like the right thing to do at an enticing, charming and fun place in the British Virgin Islands.
Our days have pretty much followed the same pattern of going out on an excursion, coming back for lunch, hanging out in the shade at the pool, and then cleaning up, napping and getting ready for Trivia. We’re terrible at it, but the Entertainment Manager, Matt O (for O’Brien) is a great host and it’s always a million laughs. Then it’s on to the Shore talk to learn about tomorrow and then time to eat again! And then time to sleep again! Live just doesn’t get better, does it?
Lois' Adventures 