Turks and Caicos, Jan. 31, 2012

Although the morning started out cloudy and wet, the sun soon broke out and Rhona and I enjoyed a walk along the beach. We made it as far as the Alexandra Resort stopping for swims and photos along the way. Walking back I spied a crab riding the shore surf onto the beach. Cute little thing was having a rough go. From Bight Park we decided to follow the beach right through to Smith's Reef where we hooked up with Ian.
Lunch was at the Sharkbite (Sharkbite) down by the marina. I enjoyed fish (grouper) and chips again served with a sweet coleslaw. Ian had jerked grouper while Rhona had the fried conch.

After lunch Rhona agreed to a snorkelling lesson in the pool but that would be the beginning and the ending of her snorkelling career, for now, anyway.
Although the water was rough at Smith's Reef in and I went out. Rhona wandered down to see the ospreys. We saw an eagle ray twice and it swam very close to us. We also saw several turtles, file fish, and a couple of angels. Visibility was poor in the sandy areas but fine over the coral.

Ian cooked for us tonight; beef stiry fry with rice. We had a delicious cab-sauv called Ebenezer. Surprise by its age we later found out that we were drinking a $43.00 bottle of wine. Don't know how that happened. Sitting outside on the patio we reminisced about high school teachers and some people whose names I have not heard in a long, long time.

Turks and Caicos, Feb. 1, 2012

A clear blue sky today. All three of us walked the beach having intermittent swims in the turquoise waters of Grace Bay. Even in the ocean you see the green-blue hue and the incredible clarity that makes you think you are in a swimming pool. We walked as far as the Sibbonne Resort just short of The Sands where we dined the other night at Hemingway's Restaurant. In some ways walking from Turtle Cove to the other side of Grace Bay is like walking Kempenfelt Bay. In one direction you are blasted by the wind but when you make the curve you are given relief.

Ian met with a local lawyer for lunch today. At first he thought he had been stood up but he came home and checked his e-mail to find that C was on his way. Ian reports that they had a fine lunch at Baci and discussed law and Provo.
Rhona and I ate at the Green Bean (they have a Facebook page) which is across the street from Queen Angel. This is a fairly new restaurant in Turtle Cove and coffee lovers will be happy to know that they serve Starbucks. They also serve wraps, paninis, pizzas, salads and offer up daily specials. Good, fresh food.

Late in the afternoon we went to Magnolia for happy hour and each of us selected a different red to imbibe. Rhona was very impressed with the extent of the reef. While enjoying the view we noticed a lot of people were heading to The Tiki Hut (Tiki Hut) and it reminded us that Wednesday is chicken and rib combo night. So after the wine we headed to join the crowd. Unfortunately there was a wait for a table but fortunately we jumped the queue by sitting at the bar and ordering our meal for there. There were a few interesting characters at the bar and Rhona made up stories for most of them. The chicken was roasted perfectly in rosemary and the ribs were fall-off-the-bone tasty. The food, service and ambiance were great. Another wonderful day in Paradise!

Turks and Caicos, Jan. 30, 2012

Today I spotted an ocean trigger fish in a shallow patch of coral near the shore and proceeded to follow it as it swam away. It hid in a hole in a deeper patch but I kept my eye on it as Ian followed to take a photo. We saw the large sting ray again, partially covered in sand and this time decided not to bother it. Again we saw turtles, a rock beauty and angels but not as many schools of fish. The sea was rough and the visibility in the sandy areas was very poor. There was a storm looming in the area and the wind was gusting. We talked to some nice people on the beach who recommended that we try St. John island next.
We picked up the rental car at Scooter Bob's and headed to the airport to get Rhona. She was so excited to see us and get her mini vacation going.

The first thing was to treat her to da Conch Shack (da Conch Shack ). She loved the rum punch . Both Rhona and I had the coconut conch stew; a creamy stew of conch, cauliflower, broccoli, onions and peppers. Super! Ian had the conch curry which he enjoyed and didn't find too spicy. We watched the young man load up the kayak with conch and then split them open removing the innards. If you ever go to Provo you must go to this place.
We went to Bight Park for, what else, a snorkel. We had outfitted Rhona with some gear but it was too rough for a beginner who isn't comfortable in the water. R enjoyed the beach and had a little swim. Later we drove to Regent to check out the art shoppes. I love the paintings by Sara Skye (Making Waves Art) who actually took her training at George Brown College.

We dined at the water's edge at Hemingway's ( Hemingway's TCI ) of the Sands Resort. It had rained while we were in the shops but the hostess dried some chairs so we could sit on the deck. They lit lamps but we had them douse one as the smell of gas was too strong. We sipped a glass of wine and over time noticed that all the people around us were finished eating and we had yet to get our order. Well the crab cakes were tasty but not hot and the vegetables were cold. All we got was a very weak apology from the waitress. T and K came over to meet Rhona and join us for a night cap.  Great day!

Turks and Caicos, January 29, 2012

Today Ian and I walked along Coconut Rd. right to the end where an osprey nest is situated. There was an adult with two young in the nest. They may have been preening. We were lucky to get a couple of good photos as I only have a point and shoot. A couple of women were riding ponies along the beach. There are two dogs that follow us almost every time we go to the beach at Smith's Reef. They will hang out at the beach for a bit and then head off home.

Today the dogs followed us then sat down with us. People asked about "our" dogs. Snorkelling we saw turtles, a rock beauty, and several queen angels, otherwise the swim was pretty uneventful. 

Turks and Caicos, January 28, 2012

Today was much more relaxed. We did go snorkelling but since I didn't record anything I can't tell you about it. Our late afternoon was the highlight of the day and it involved wine and food. There is a restaurant perched on the hill near us and it advertised a happy hour from 4 to 6. The Magnolia  ( Magnolia Restaurant ) had been recommended to us by a  new friend in Barrie who used to live here. The view from Magnolia is spectacular overlooking the marina, Turtle Cove, the barrier reefand Grace Bay. We knew, that if we could, we would just sit there and stare for hours on end. We sipped on a nice Penfold's red wine and shared three different appetizers over two hours. The first dish was crab cakes served over a delectable salad of grilled vegetables. The second was chicken and vegetable spring rolls with an asian chili dip. Also excellent. The third was a mushroom and goat cheese strudel with a pesto garnish which was also tasty but the filling was just a touch dry. The plan was to share four appies but we were quite satisfied with just three.

Turks and Caicos, Januaary 27, 2012

Our friends, T and K rented a car and invited us to join them for the day. We went with them to Bight Park so T could try out his new camera mask which is similar to Ian's. We pointed out and named some of the fish and they were also able to view a turtle. The venture inspired K to purchase some fins so after changing we headed to Regent Village for some shopping. Our first shop was FOTTAC (Flavours of the Turks and Caicos) where we sampled the island made rum cake. I preferred the chocolate to the fruit cake. The next stop was a shop where K could buy her new flippers. Then we headed to the Graceway Gourmet (an IGA) and picked up a few grocieries. Later we headed out onto the Leeward Highway. T had sensed Ian's nervousness about driving on the left hand side of the road and knowing that we had to drive to the airport to get Rhona he gave us a test run. T and K are such kind, good people. But our big destination for the day was da Conch Shack in the Blue Hills area. Here there is mostly al fresco seating which is great as the view is delightful. The shack is famous for their rum punch and we soon found out why. A pitcher was ordered and shared. It is served before stirring so that you can see the layers of the ingredients. It is not only tasty, it is pretty. T did the honours of stirring. T and I had the conch combo which consisted of conch fritters and fried cracked conch with peas and rice and another side. I had the mac and cheese with mine. The cracked conch reminded me of popcorn shrimp which I don't like. I didn't think the conch had any discernible taste, The fritters were better than the ones I had the other day. I took photos of a young man cracking the conch open and removing the inners and of a young Haitian man slicing and pounding the conch meat. Too many flies around for my liking. A crazy man wandered down and yelled out obscenities which ruined the mood temporarily. I got the impression that this had happened before and the people who worked there called him by name.

After lunch Ian and I went snorkelling at Smith's Reef. Although I was tired out I ended up chasing an ocean trigger fish and was now exhausted. Both of us were so tired that we didn't cook dinner, or go out, and went to bed early. What a great day!

Turks and Caicos, Jan. 26, 2012



This morning we walked to Bight Park and snorkelled aaround the reef balls and patches. The reef balls are placed here to develop a new reef. After a slow start, we were treated to some undersea delights. I spotted a large baracuda hovering near a school of fish. Ian took a close look while I held back. He said I missed the little fish cleaning the baracuda's teeth. Oh, well. A small turtle swam by so we followed it for a bit and watched it as it rose to the surface. The water in this area is fairly shallow so I was able to have a good look at it without diving down. I just love the way the turtles move through the water -- so graceful. Of course we should have had the camera as the visibility was excellent and we were so close to everything (porcupine fish, a pair of scrawled filefish, a juvenile and adult gray angel. Then I spotted a long black line in the sand and two lumps further up. Ah, a sting ray!! Ian tried to disturb it but it wouldn't budge. Must be nap time. We stayed in the area checking out the other fish and coral and before long the ray was on the move folowed by some pesky yellow-tailed snappers. A ray is also a graceful creature as it "flies" through the water. After a while the ray landed and proceeded to bury itself in the sand. A small turlte came into view and we followed it in and around the reef balls. Tired, I headed back to shore but never stopped looking. In the shallow grass I caught a glint of blue. Looking closer I spotted a creature, long and brownish with blue dashes and spots. It had both a long tail and long mouth. Ian was incredibly excited. Later at "home" we looked the fish up, a blue-spotted coronet fish. A rare sighting.

In the afternoon we trekked back to Smith's Reef. Highlights: ocean trigger fish, big cow fish, three scrawled file fish, porcupine fish, a couple of turtles and a sting ray. We swam out to a further reef but it was disappointing. Overall a satisfying outing.

Scrawled File Fish