Chalk Sound and Babalau Beach, Feb. 3, 2012

Time to say good bye to Rhona. She and I just hung out this  morning; she packed; we put the air bed away; moved the furniture back in place. Ian went snorkelling and found a Queen Trigger fish.Having rented a car from  Scooter Bob's (an ex-pat from Bracebridge, Ont.) we took Rhona to the airport and said our good byes. It was great having Rhona with us.

From the airport we travelled along South Dock Rd to Chalk Sound. This is an inland waterway dotted with hundreds of small keys. We love the colour of the water at Grace Bay but the colour here, an iridescent blue, blew us away. We spotted this area from the plane as we came in for the landing. It looked so beautiful and inviting that we had to see it from the ground. Our first stop was the Las Brisas restaurant and bar, part of Neptune Villas. We thought about kayaking amongst the cays but chose to tour the area by car instead. Following Chalk Road we spotted some amazing homes, many of them for sale (not our price range). In the distance we could see a massive property at the end of another peninsula so we turned back and proceeded along Silly Creek Drive. At the very end we parked in front of a magnificent enclave. A private harbour had been formed by blasting out rock. There was a drawbridge for passage onto the estate. The place is called Emerald Cay and it is for sale for 48 million. Any one interested?

We returned to Las Brisas for a lovely lunch. Thinking we might see Rhona's plane take off we hung around for a bit. Although we saw planes going in for landing we did not see any take off.

Later we drove to another location known as Babalua Beach, which is on the other side of the Turtle Cove Marina Channel. Ian snorkelled while I combed the beach. An adult osprey took off from a perch as I neared. A couple of potcakes were following me. One actually licked my leg which I found pretty strange. Ian was waving frantically to me from the water. I figured he wasn't drowning but wanted me to come in and see something special. I quickly donned my gear and swam out to join him. Unfortunately the octopus he had found was now back under the coral. Too bad for me. Check out the octopus quick short above.

Spot the Octopus

When we were back on shore Ian was shocked to find he only had one shoe. They were both there when I went out. I mentioned the dogs and Ian took a good look down the beach. Several yards away Ian spotted his other shoe. The tracks along the way pointed to a canine thief!

Walking the Ridge, Feb. 2, 2012

Our neighbours had talked of walking along the ridge where we could see a bit more of the local community. So I led Rhona in this different direction for a change of scenery. The road was rough at the beginning and was bordered by unattractive brush, very different from the lush gardens around Queen Angel. We passed some private homes and a preparatory school where we overheard a teacher giving instructions. Walking further we noticed that the road was now of improved pavement and there were fancy streetlights. We turned down roads that turned out to be circles, but there were no houses; a failed sub division; a result of the crash in the real estate market. Having been told there were public stairs to get down to Lower Bight Road we had to investigate some more circles closer to the ridge. It was getting very hot and we were in need of the breeze coming off of the ocean. Finally, at the edge of a circle, populated with one fine house, we found the stairs. We made it back to the beach, took off our shoes, and made the walk to Smith's Reef. We hooked up there with Ian who had been snorkelling. He was excited about observing two eagle rays. On the way along the path another couple pointed out a little crab so we stopped to observe and take photos.
We all enjoyed some snapper and pasta at Baci for lunch.
The afternoon found us at Bight Park. Rhona brought a beach chair so she could relax while Ian and I went snorkelling. I spotted a beautiful, tiny, juvenile Queen Angel swimming around one of the reef balls. Incredible colouring, I chased after an eagle ray while Ian chased after a trigger fish.
Tonight we dined at Sharkbite; more grouper. We sat by the outside rail and Ian was like a kid feeding the fish. First he fed them mayonnaise from a tube. They didn't like it!  Another heavenly day!

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.