Drive Around de Island

Earlier this month, I went on a semi-spontaneous island tour adventure with two other ladies of lesiure, Daisy and Alicia. We got in the car and drove, and if we felt like stopping, we did. Our first stop was at Wingfield Estate, where we walked the grounds and admired the old ruins that used to contribute to the sugar and rum industries. As many times as I've been to Caribelle Batik at Romney Manor, I've never explored Wingfield Estate...mostly because it's always so full of tourists who are heading to Caribelle, and there isn't ever a good parking spot. Sounds like a terrible excuse, but just know that the roads in St. Kitts are teeny-tiny and the taxis here are actually large-ass vans. Not to mention that there really isn't a designated parking lot. You have to park alongside the road, and that's fairly impossible when the taxi buses filled with tourists are taking up any/all room.

After our short walk around Wingfield Estate, we shopped at Caribelle, (where there actually is a nice area for parking). Alicia was given a demonstration regarding the batik process, which I've actually seen a million times, but I stopped to listen anyway. I just love Caribelle and the pieces they create, so I don't mind lingering and watching the ladies batik the day away.

When Daisy and Alicia paid for their purchases, we walked over to the botanical garden section, so Alicia could check out the beautiful plants, flowers, and trees. Afterwards, we walked back out to the car and realized that none of us had plans for the rest of the day, so that's when we decided to drive Alicia around the island.

Our next stop was at Rawlins Plantation Inn—which was actually closed—but we walked around anyway, and nobody seemed to mind. That's one thing about St. Kitts that I really appreciate. Nobody really cares about what the hell you're doing. While we walked around, we found an art gallery on the grounds, and realized its owner is Kate Spencer, an artist that is originally from England but has lived in St. Kitts since 1978...and is apparently related to the late Diana Spencer, (duh, Princess Diana). We didn't get to meet her because she was off-island, but her husband and their little dog, Abby, (which looked just like my Trooper), showed us around. Kate has such beautiful paintings. I loved all the pieces that represent different aspects of Caribbean life. Her fine art was fairly expensive, but we settled on purchasing a few of her cards. I plan on framing mine and hanging them in our NC apartment. (Can you tell that I'm really going to miss SK?) Anyway, if you click here, you can view the studio and gallery that we visited.

Oh, I forgot to mention that the drive up to Rawlins was le cray cray. Being from Michigan, we know all about two-tracks, but this was intense. Miss Daisy has a Jeep, so we did make it up eventually, but it was quite the bouncy adventure. I'm currently laughing at the memory...

We wanted to pay a visit to Ottley's Plantation Inn next, but it was clossssssssseeeeddddd. Big bummer, because I have never been there before. However, it's definitely on my SK Bucket List. I'll make it there before December.

Instead of exploring Ottley's, we headed to the Snapper Farm, where there's a rehab section for sea turtles. Hanging out with these lovely ocean friends is always fun.

Here are some photos from the day's adventures. Enjoy!

Wingfield Estate Ruins

Jungle vines

Caribelle Batik.

Saman Tree @ Caribelle...400 years old.

Sea Turtle!

Stacey Visits Saint Kitts

I met my friend, Stacey, at Grand Valley State University in 2003. We lived next door to each other in the teeny tiny dorms on-campus, and became fast friends. Almost ten years later, we've maintained our college-initiated friendship, with quite a lovely history---if you ask me. We've been roommates, involved in each other's weddings as bridesmaids, and we've even worked together. However, these days we're forced to watch each other grow and experience life from afar...literally. 

After Stacey was married, she and her husband moved to Ohio, bought a house, and had a baby. A few years after Matthew and I were married, we up and moved to the Caribbean. While our lives have gone in completely different directions, it's always been easy for us to pick up wherever it was we last left off. So, when Stacey said she was planning on coming to visit me in St. Kitts, I was ecstatic! I hadn't seen her since New Year's Day 2011. I was really looking forward to reconnecting and catching up with her. And that we did!

She arrived on a Wednesday afternoon, and Matthew and I met her at the airport. Unfortunately, I had to go to work from 2:30-5:00 p.m., so I had to part ways shortly after our initial reunion. But don't worry—Matty kept her busy during the few hours I was away, showing her around, and giving her a brief tour. Once I arrived home, I made dinner, and we spent the evening catching up. We chatted about everything: work, school, family, friends, neighbors, sports, books, movies, current likes and dislikes—you name it. It was a great start to her vacation, at least for me. :) 

On Thursday, we spent some time at my friend's gorgeous infinity pool, and later that night we brought Stacey to Bombay Blues for her first Indian cuisine experience. Of course, we ordered her the butter chicken, bismati rice, and butter naan. NOM NOM NOM.

Friday was a busy day, but definitely fun. I brought her to Caribelle Batik at Romney Manor, Palm Court Gardens, Port Zante in Basseterre, and The Strip (for Friday night beach volleyball). We rounded out the night at Reggae Beach Bar for Lobsterfest, where we dined on lobsters the size of our arms!

Saturday was spent at Shipwreck Beach. We soaked up some vitamin D, went snorkeling, and enjoyed the beautiful island views. That night, even though semi-exhausted, we decided to head over to The Marriott. After the tour, we sat at the sports bar and enjoyed a few Caribbean beers, along with the live Calypso-esque music. We also took part in one of our all-time favorite activities: PEOPLE WATCHING. Free entertainment at its best, folks.

On Sunday, Stacey joined me and Matthew at our intramural flag football games. And she even participated! Afterwards, I drove her out to the peninsula to Spice Mill Restaurant. We had lunch, and then admired a lovely view of Nevis while out on our beach chairs. We had a late start to our 'beach day,' but it was still very enjoyable.

Monday was sad. It was sad because she flew off de island that day. But before I dropped her off at the airport and choked back my tears, we enjoyed one last lunch date at the The Marriott's Bohemia Beach Pool Bar & Grille. We even kicked off our shoes, and walked on the beach for a bit.

After lunch, we went back home, and I helped her pack. Then the inevitable arrived, and I had to bring her to the airport. It was a quick goodbye because I couldn't handle much more than a hug and a wave. I sobbed on my way home. Stacey coming all the way to St. Kitts to visit meant so much, and it was like having a small piece of 'home' with me for a few days. I loved being able to show her around, as well as introduce her to our island family and closest friends. We definitely squeezed in a ton of quality time, and I couldn't have been happier. What a blast!

@ Timothy Hill scenic turn-out.

We wear our sunglasses at night.

Stace posing by a Traveller's Palm.

Nice photo...except for Matthew's lovely addition.

Dressed and ready for dinner. 

@ Caribelle Batik

Jurassic Park.

@ Palm Court Gardens 

@ The Strip for Friday night beach volleyball. 

Go, Stace, go! 

Puerto Rico: Days 2 & 3

Day 2:

Sleeping in on vacation is a glorious thing, my friends. And that is how we started our second day of being in Puerto Rico. However, by the time we were ready to begin our day, and head out to Old San Juan---it started to downpour! Curse you, rainstorm. Curse you!!

We had planned to go to Walmart, (will explain), and Plaza Las Américas on Monday, but seeing as though it was raining, we decided to get our shopping over and done with on Sunday. So off to Walmart we went (for supplies).

Side note: Who goes to Walmart on vacation, you ask? We do...because we reside in St. Kitts where things are costly, and the selection is sparse. We needed to purchase things like contact solution, vitamins, misc. toiletries, coffee, etc.

We opted to rent a car that day, but that turned out to be quite the adventure...considering the fact that due to the language barrier, we received several sets of skewed directions. AND OUR RENTAL DID NOT HAVE A GPS SYSTEM. Oy vey. After an hour of going the wrong way, we headed back the way we came, stopped for lunch, and tried to find someone who spoke English or could at least understand my broken Spanish. Eventually, we saw the big blue Walmart sign, and high-fived ourselves. And then we spent waaaay too many hours in there, wandering around, and filling our shopping cart.

We had intended to get to the mall too, but seeing as though it was already late afternoon, we figured that there was no way we could get there in time since it was a Sunday, where the mall hours are shorter than a regular weekday. So we headed back to our hotel...and it took about 15 minutes. GO FIGURE. One good thing about not knowing where you're going, is that you learn your way around once you figure out the surrounding area. Haha.

For dinner, we went to a restaurant called, "Lupi's." It was about two blocks from our hotel, and it was a great choice. Mostly because when we arrived, we realized that it was karaoke night!!!!! Needless to say, Matty and I were there until closing time. A nice Puerto Rican man even asked me for a dance, and he tried to teach me and Matthew some moves. Hehehe.

Day 3:

We went to Plaza Las Américas---the biggest mall in the Caribbean, by way of taxi. I felt a little guilty because it was such a nice day out, but we picked up some needed and maybe some not-so-needed items. It was actually a little overwhelming to be in such a large shopping mall. I am talking sensory overload. And this is coming from someone who used to go to the mall for fun or to relax, prior to moving to St. Kitts. I guess living on a remote little island in the Caribbean has affected my lifestyle choices! Oh, and I must mention that Matty was a trooper and followed me around all day, without any complaints. Kudos, husband, kudos. Honestly, he was just excited to eat 'mall food,' as he calls it.

Margarita time.

Matty ordered tequila shots when I wasn't looking. Sneaky sneaky.

We had our photo taken by the Ricky Martin shrine!

No-VAT-Thursday = Black Friday? ...Sorta

While picking up our mail on Thursday, the man at the counter notified us that it was, "No-VAT-Thursday," at IGA/Horsford's. VAT stands for, "value added tax," and it is partially why everything on this island is so damn expensive. So, on our way home, we decided to stop at IGA to get a few things. Why not, right? No tax? Let's do it!

As soon as we arrived at the store, we noticed that the parking lot was busier than usual...and then we saw that there weren't any shopping carts left, or shopping baskets for that matter. Upon entering the store, we saw checkout lines backed up all the way up a few aisles, and people with shopping carts filled to the top. It was like BLACK FRIDAY in the US. I couldn't help but laugh...and sneak around like a creeper and take photos. I have never seen so many people in that store, so I felt like I needed evidence for my fellow islanders.

In line with about 20 people in front of us!

Check-out line backed up to the freezer section. Crazy!

{Conversations}

I've decided to add a segment to this blog involving conversations that I find myself laughing at when I think about them later on in the day. If they don't seem funny to you, you probably weren't there, or know the people involved. But that's okay, because it's my blog, and I'm really the only one who reads this anyway...besides maybe mi madre.

A nearly new exchange between Diana and I—regarding her upcoming swimsuit shopping strategies.

Me: Hmmm...medium bottom, small top.
Di: A small? Really?
Me: Yep.
Di: Are you sure? I mean...this, [pointing to herself], is a size small and I feel like I'm popping out of it.
Me: Righhhht. Yes, well, some of us prefer that.

Pacific Northwest: Vacation Day 6

Monday was a fun day, even though we were leaving Seattle that night, and heading back to our island home.

Heather went back to work, so Corey kept us entertained during the day. :)

He chauffered us around the Seattle area to get breakfast and run errands. I needed to go to the Post Office, Target, and the mall to get my hair cut. By the time we made it back home, Heather arrived shortly afterwards. We made dinner, and spent the early part of the evening around the bonfire, reflecting on our vacation. We also took the canoe and kayak out on the lake by Heather's house for a ride. It was a great way to end our vacation. We feel very lucky to have been able to explore Heather and Corey's home, and we couldn't be more thankful for their generosity. They were fabulous hosts to us. :) And we can't wait to visit again!

Heather and Corey's backyard.

From left to right: Lucky, Bodie, and Dakota

Heather and Matthew totally tricked me into thinking this raccoon gnome was real.

The lake behind Heather's house. 

Corey, the professional kayaker. LOL.

Pink lily pads. :)

A little music to end the evening.

Pacific Northwest: Vacation Day 4

SEATTLE SATURDAY!!!

At long last, we made our way to the city of Seattle. This part of the trip was what I was most looking forward to, mainly because I love buildings, shops, and the overall buzz of people coming and going.

Our first stop was at Pike Place Market, in the heart of downtown Seattle. It was packed with vendors, people, and food. We spent a lot of time drooling over all of the fresh produce. In St. Kitts, everything is imported which makes life down here very expensive. Not to mention that the produce is not-so-great-looking. Not only were the prices completely reasonable, but all of the food items looked so fresh and delectable! Annnnnnnd, I couldn't help but swoon over all of the fresh flowers. There were these big, beautiful bouquets offered for very little money. Completely unreal! I was in heaven...

We later stopped at Beecher's, which is a restaurant that makes their own cheese. And you can watch them do it while you eat! They had a huge vat of cheese being churned as we sat and ate our food. It was pretty cool. Another place we stopped at, was the very first Starbucks. I'm not a dedicated Starbucks person, and I actually didn't even know that the chain started in Seattle, but I still thought it was worth checking out.

After our fun trip to Seattle, we headed home to bask in the sun while the boys went to the grocery store. Heather and Corey hosted a bonfire that night, so we were able to meet quite a few of their friends. And guess what? One of Heather's friends is coming to visit a student who goes to UMHS, (here on the island), in November. Small world, eh?

Seattle Art Museum

Pike Place Market

Huge lobster tails...they aren't like this in St. Kitts!

Pacific Northwest Vacation: Day 1

Matthew and I were were scheduled to leave St. Kitts on Monday, August 22, at 3:20 p.m. to arrive in Seattle/Tacoma, WA, at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 23. Did this go as planned? Of course not! I don't seem to have much luck when it comes to arriving or leaving this crazy island. However, we did end up arriving in WA on Tuesday, but it was at 8:30 p.m. instead. So we really only lost part of a day. No big deal. A lot of our friends and other students were delayed for days, so I consider us pretty lucky. :(

Our friends/hosts, Heather and Corey, happily greeted us at the airport, and took us to their home. Wanting to celebrate our arrival, they started a bonfire---and that's where we began our vacation. Although it was past midnight our time, it was relaxing to gaze into the fire and feel the warmth on my face. After all, I wasn't on my little tropical island anymore; I was in the Pacific Northwest and it was much cooler! Plus it was nice to catch up with Heather and Corey and chat about the week ahead.

On Wednesday, Corey and Heather brought us to Tacoma, Washington. We stopped by a hip little coffee shop called, "Cutter's Point," for some coffee and breakfast. I chose a green tea smoothie and a veggie breakfast sandwich. Yummy! A few shops down from, "Cutter's Point," was, "Hello, Cupcake." It was a bit too early for sweets and considering that I had just eaten breakfast, I really didn't need a cupcake. BUT---I was on vacation. AND---I wasn't sure if we'd be able to stop by another cupcakery in the near future because of our busy vacay plans. So I took my chance and tried their Raspberry Lemonade cupcake. Matthew ordered the traditional Carrot Cake cupcake, and they. were. soooooo. yummy. In retrospect, perhaps I could have gotten them packaged up, "to go," but I guess I was just too excited. :)

After our indulgences in downtown Tacoma, we drove to Owen Beach at Point Defiance Park. On the way, we saw a great view of Narrow's Bridge. Owen Beach is really very pretty. It's definitely not a beach that I'm used to, but the water looked very serene and there was a beautiful view of Mt. Rainer in the background. It was also really clean, pet-friendly, and had several areas for families and friends to host cook-outs or parties. We spent the rest of our time walking up and down the beach, stopping to take pictures, admiring the views, and picking up sea shells.

When we left Owen Beach, we took a nice drive through the park, and it was almost shocking to see such huge beautiful trees again. Having spent almost nine months on the island, I was used to seeing lush tropical rain forests and palm trees. It was very enjoyable to experience a change of scenery. And driving around in Corey's convertible with the top down provided us with a very refreshing and sunshine-y morning/early afternoon.

We made a few pit stops at Target and TJ Maxx after Owen Beach, and then we headed back to Heather and Corey's house for lunch. Sometime later, we started getting ready for the second part of the day, and headed to Bellevue, WA. There, we stopped at Bellevue Square---a large shopping mall---where Matthew and I accidentally spent $75 on tea at Teavana. Oops! That retail sales person was gooooooooood. LOL.

After our jaunt at the mall, we walked around the city of Bellevue, which I absolutely loved. It's a smaller city than Seattle, but with big beautiful buildings, modern apartments, restaurants, parks, and shops. We stopped at the Tap House for dinner and treated ourselves to seafood.

It was a wonderful first full day in Washington! I'll be blogging about our other vacation days in the near future. Enjoy the pictures. :)

About to dig in!

Top down in the convertible to enjoy the sunshine. :)

Convertibles complicate things when it comes to hairstyles, but it was still fun. :)

Narrow's Bridge

Owen Beach @ Point Defiance in Tacoma, WA.

View of Mt. Rainier

Bellevue Towers