Day Thirty

Ok so I decided to do one last post. Tom picked me up bright and early at 530 this morning after a totally sleepless night thanks to my neighbours playing "Eye of the Tiger" on repeat til gone 3am. As Courtney was still feeling a bit sick she passed out pretty early and slept right through it. Lucky $@@%^&!!! :) Still she was a total sweetheart and got up with me to say goodbye. Vicki also stopped my last night to say bye and give me a little leaving gift - some playing cards from Norman island with pirates on them. Lots of interesting nuggets and snippets of pirate lore - very cool. Thanks hun and I'm sorry I broke your watch too :(

So Tom gives me a ride to the airport and there is already a pretty big Q of people waiting to check in. So much for the airport only opening at 6am? I got my bags checked in (completely in shock that they were still under the weight limit!!!) and went to pay my exit fee before going through security. Bit of a shambles at security as there seemed to be only one woman doing all the work even though there were another 6 people stood around in uniform! Didn't have long to wait before we started boarding and as it was a free for all regarding getting a seat I think I was lucky to get in the front row and have no one next to me! Was hoping to get some good aerial shots of Tortola but it turns out I was sat on the wrong side. Ah well. Still I got a couple when we were coming into land at St Maarten.



The same beach as above but from the ground!

I was hoping that the Air France desk would be open when I arrived but there was no chance of that happening when the flight wouldn't be taking off for another 7 hours!! So I had to sit in the airport for about 3 1/2 hours waiting for the desk to get organised. Watching them trying to set up the lanes for passengers was quite entertaining as really it was yet another shambles. I think I could have done it myself in about 10 minutes and it took 6 of them about 25 minutes! Oh dear. Anyway I finally get my bags checked all the way through to Manchester and then head out of the airport to a little mall about 10 minutes walk away. Just round the corner from the mall is the beach above and it was really lovely, well if not for the fact that it is right on the flight path and if you stand in just the right place (about 20 yards across) you'll get blasted by the engines as they rev up to take off! Quick way of getting a "tan" if ever there was one. Hehe

So I have a mooch about the pretty much closed mall and gape in shock at the prices of some bikinis in the one shop that was open! Over $120 for a bikini brand I've never even heard of?! Is that just St Maarten for you? Then I walk down to the beach and sit there for a spell trying to drag the hours out. I suppose I look pretty daft sat on the beach in jeans and hoody while everyone else is in swim togs. Still maybe they thought I was a local and was cold as really it is still winter?! Ha! I manage to not rip my clothes off and go for a swim in that beautiful blue water and drag myself back to the airport for some food. One Quizno's sub later I am sated and head for security (memories of my first time through SXM security running through my head). Surprisingly there are very few people (in comparison) waiting in line so I sail through (after practically stripping off) and find a comfy spot for some Z's.

I was hoping to have the seat next to me free for the return leg but no such luck. The flight wasn't even full either and the guy knew someone closer to the front so when I saw that I thought he'd head down there to sit nearer her. Still no luck. So I had to put up with him coughing and being "fragrant" all the way back. Could not sleep so I watched Wall-E (FAB!!) and a couple of other not-too-memorable movies. Arrived in Paris to a drastic drop in temperature and after a bus ride pretty much all the way around the airport I was deposited into the correct terminal. Confronted by lots of premium brand stores after security was too tempting to not have a browse, not that I would have been able to buy anything! So then I hauled myself to the furthest gate possible to take off from and finally managed some Z's for the 1 1/2 hour flight to Manchester. Thankfully Manchester was not to type and was actually sunny! Gosh will wonders never cease?

An hour's drive (thank you Mr Taxi Man from Gold Line) and I was pulling up to the hotel a full 24 hours of travel later. Boy is it weird being back home. But luckily I am tanned and glowing and have apparently dropped a few pounds so all is good. Now I need to organise selling my car and some other of my accumulated worldly goods so I can partake in this dream of mine. Let's hope the credit crunch isn't too harsh that it takes forever to happen.

Thanks to everyone at SCD for making my time there fun AND educational. Massive thanks to Courtney for being a fab person to room with and share the month with. (Already miss you hun). And finally thanks to you readers for visiting. I hope you've enjoyed my tales and hopefully if I get my stuff sorted I may link you to another blog about becoming an instructor and what happens after....?!
Love n hugs
H x

Day Twenty-nine

Caught a ride into town with Steve this morning so I could buy some gifts for people back home. Then spent the rest of the afternoon trying to get everything I've accumulated here into my small suitcase. Quite the task. Just barely made it really!! Then spent my last few daylight hours catching the last sunshine rays I could. Slowly baked. Courtney was sick all last night from who knows what?! She spent the day at Norman today so hopefully she's had some time to recover.

Took a quick trip down to the shop to make sure I'd handed everything back in and to confirm what time I'd be getting picked up in the morning - 530am!! Oy. Not sure if it'll be Tom or Melie driving me to the airport - let's hope no one sleeps in - including me! Hehe :)

Am sad to be going home as I've had a really good time here - although I won't miss the midgie/mosi bites at all. They seem to love my feet/legs. Can't say I'm looking forward to going home to the cold weather but apparently it's been quite nice the last couple of days so maybe spring is on its way? Have so much to sort out when I get back - with selling my car and getting kitted out, never mind organising flights and actually finalising exactly where I'm going to do my IDC/IE. Cyprus is looking like a good contender but I'm wondering if I can find a cheaper deal elsewhere?

Anyhoo as I fly back home tomorrow there probably won't be another post. Sitting in an airport for 7 hours is hardly likely to be much fun to write about (never mind live it!) so I hope you've enjoyed my little blog about SCD and the BVI. If you're looking to dive there I would definitely recommend SCD as they are very safe and well organised. And of course everyone is really fun and friendly too which is the whole point of diving, right?

Hugs to all and thanks again for reading. If you have any questions about doing an internship with SCD I will answer what I can.
H x

Day Twenty-eight

My last work day! Went over to Norman island with Jason and Neil for a group of 3 certified divers and 2 Open Water referrals. Turns out that one of the CD's hasn't dived in 20 years and one of the O/W's hasn't got all the correct paperwork so they end up doing DSD's on Norman beach with another young guy who is on the same boat. His mom also came along for the ride when we went diving. Neil was hoping that I'd be able to do all the dives when we were headed over there but as plans changed when we arrived he had to lead their first dive. We went to the Indians and is was a little choppy - so much so that the father of the family group slipped off the back step and his tank slammed onto it - missing my toes by cm's!!! Crikey - that would have great wouldn't it? Trying to travel home alone with broken toes - not good.

A couple of the group decided they'd like to do a second dive so I did manage to get wet today. Yeah - my last dive in the BVI and it was at Ring Dove Rock. There was quite a strong current too so that was a bit of a challenge for the new diver. Still he did really well.

Went to the chinese as well for dinner with a bunch of peeps - never been there before (opposite the Mexican!) and it was pretty good. Apparently there is another chinese towards or even past Road Town which is better but I never got there during my month. That's the thing about Tortola - you have to have some transport!! Sat and had some drinks outside the shop though first as not everyone could make the meal.

In the pic - right side from front: Vicki, Me, Kitty, Neil

left side from front: Ria, Steve, Courtney, Rob, Jason

Dale and Harri turned up later (thanks Harri for taking this pic!) :)

Day Twenty-seven

Today was again all about diving. There were about 6 divers on Discovery this morning and again we went to the Rhone. One of the guests had asked Courtney to dive with her even though it was her day off so she came in to hold her hand as we dived. There were lots of lobster today in all sorts of nooks and crannies - but no seahorse! :( We did however see a turtle on the bw section feeding which was way cool. He was pretty big too!

The booze cruise last night was great. Very mellow just sailing in the channel. We went over to Peter island and had a tack and gib through the bay then headed back to Hodges Creek. Very cool with no lights out at sea - there were so many stars. Definitely way more than you can see from land. Very starry starry night! :) Took some photos but I haven't had a chance to look at them yet so will try to get them uploaded tonight and will add here asap (EDIT - DONE).
From left: Kitty Chang, Marc Easton, Jeff, Jason Chang, Vicki, Gilbo Simpson, Emily Parsons, Courtney Hansen.  Missing from the pic but also on the boat are Steve Ellefson, Rob and Jeff's wife Rain.  Not sure what Jason's looking at?
This is Marc and Kitty. I really don't know what Marc is making the face at but perhaps those lime tortilla chips aren't so tasty?!  Kitty doesn't look too impressed either does she? :)
This is Rob and Jason (doing the driving!).
This is the band - A Type of Toad - Neil, Courtney and Gilbo!
Me and Vicki

So tomorrow is my last work day. It's an early start for me too - 7am - and I think we are heading over to Norman island. Not sure how many divers there are or where we are going but hopefully it'll be a good day. I'm thinking of having a little goodbye meal/drinks thing as well at the chinese which I haven't been to yet. I hope it's nice. I'm supposed to be having my exit interview today with Tom but he's still teaching the EFR course so it will have to be another day.

Got Monday to pack and get things together. Hope all is well with everyone.
Hugs
H x

Day Twenty-five & -six

Yesterday I was off and so Neil and I took a drive around the island a little so I could check out other areas. We drove all the way out to Long Bay which is over on the west side on the north coast. It is absolutely gorgeous as you will see below! There is a lot more surf on the north side and we sat for a short spell watching the pelicans feed. We then drove up along the north coast for a while and then up the mountain into Sage national park so I could take a look at the view. From there it was back down into Road Town for some errands and then back to the apartment.


Last night there was a power cut, thankfully not long after I had made dinner for myself. Luckily I had some charge on my laptop so I could watch a movie as Courtney was working on the night dive.

Today has been my second day off and I booked to do a DPV (diver propulsion vehicle - those fun-looking scooters you see in James Bond type movies!) course.
Neil ended up being my instructor so we had a fun couple of dives on the RMS Rhone. I borrowed an underwater camera as well and I'm so glad I did as you will see from the pics below!


We saw the seahorse!! And I saw Fang and his buddy under the bow sprit too! YESSSS!!! I was beginning to think I wouldn't see them before I leave as my last two work days are both dive/dive and maybe I wouldn't end up on the Rhone again?!


This is the lucky porthole we tell all the divers about - you rub it three times and make a wish! See how it's all shiny from the rubbing?!

Tonight is the booze cruise on Jeff's yacht and so I will hopefully have some pics to show in the next couple of days. Sunday is my last work day and so that leaves me Monday to pack and get some gifts for home and say goodbye to everyone I've met.

Day Twenty-two, -three and -four

Monday and today have both been cruise ship days. Today was good as I got to dive both bow and stern sections of the Rhone although the first dive was way short!! I had 5 divers and two of them are married. As we are about to descend down the line to the wreck the wife says to the husband "did you tell her about your ears?" He of course hadn't so I figure right we'll take our time down the line and be ok. Well he drops down the line just fine. I get half way down and look around thinking why do I only have 4 divers and when I look up the wife is still on the surface. Turns out the last dive she made she had a cold (NEVER DIVE WITH A COLD!!) and so she ended up getting a nose bleed and it freaked her out. She of course was now somewhat freaked at the memory and so we went down nice and slow and she was fine. I get to the bottom of the line and my 3 other divers have disappeared. They have decided to follow Jason (the other leader) around the back of the wreck even though I told them to wait for me at the bottom!! I haul ass to try to catch them and tell them to stop, wait for me and finally reach them as they are about to head into the swim thru!!

So finally we get on with the dive and I take them through the wreck. On the other side of the swim thru I ask for all their air and the husband is down to 1100 psi! We head for the line again at 1000 so I'm like "right where do I take them now for a couple of minutes that will leave him enough time to do his safety stop and not blow through the tank?!" So we rode the current over the top of the wreck and headed back. Shortest dive of my life - 18 mins including 3 minutes safety stop. Oy!!

So after the surface interval of almost an hour we head back to the stern section and there is quite a strong current there which I knew was going to be difficult for this group, especially going through the air so fast. We manage to get about 28 mins on the second dive and still I ended up having to send up the husband early. I didn't do that on the first dive because I wasn't too sure whether I could just leave him hanging on the line. Because the visibility wasn't so great either at the bow even if I knew I could have sent him up, I probably wouldn't be able to see him and that is something I need to do!

I was so bummed about the bow section because the other divers got to see the seahorse that has been hanging at the coral nearby and I of course totally missed him! Boo hiss!! I also never saw Lobzilla on the stern or much else.

Afternoon was snorkelling which I enjoy but no one else seems to! And we made good tips today too which is always fab! :)

The previous two days were of a similar vein although I didn't have as many problems with ears or air blowers. One dive was just me and a guy who's an engineer on one of the cruise ships! Very cool dive and we got to see lots more than normal. Still no camera for me though as I'm not allowed when leading. I have the next two days off and so I'm hoping to be able to dive on one of those days so I can at least take a camera down there with me. I'm also hoping that some of the other staff are going to email me some of their pics so I can post them on here for you all to see. :)

Anyhoo not sure what else I'm doing on my days off other than on Friday night we are having a booze cruise on one of the instructor's boats. Should be a good laugh and hopefully some pictures will be taken so you can see the people I'm talking about!

After that there are two more days then I'm gonna be pretty much heading back home. It's been fun and has flown by so fast! I would so recommend you come out here if you can. But make sure you organise transport if you plan to stay on Tortola. I would definitely say you should charter a boat and a captain too if you can't sail. The best way to see everything here, most definitely!

Hope everyone is well
Hugs
H x

Day Twenty & Twenty One

These past two days have been all about diving. We've had a family of 4 from the States diving both days as the son was completing a Deep dive Specialty and the daughter her Open Water. Both parents can dive so they accompanied a child each on their respective dives. One the Sunday we also had the grandparents join us for some snorkelling which I guided. The site was quite disappointing and they were all set for heading back to the boat when I spotted an eagle ray and shouted for them to come take a look. As none of the divers saw the ray they were very pleased in the end that they stayed wet! Saturday was another ugh-y day for me though as the first dive site was at Santa Monica which is about a mile off Norman island and consequently was very swell-y! So of course I ended up hurling again over the side right after all the divers had got in the water. I took some Bonine (seasick tablets) on Sunday as well as wearing my bands but as the water was like glass all day I can hardly say whether they helped or not! :)
The afternoon dives on Saturday were again at the Rhone and I led my first trip around the stern section. I managed to finally see Lobzilla! And boy is he huge!!! He was sitting in a very large section of the wreck just chilling and I nearly swam right past him until I clocked that his attenae were actually not huge bits of coral but were in fact attached to him. Hehe. We saw another lobster and again lots of lovely fishes (see card in an earlier post below) but no rays or turtles unfortunately. Apparently one of the other groups saw some turtles right behind us but they never let us know! :(

There has been some confusion it seems about this gig I mentioned. Apparently the band weren't booked to play and so of course it didn't happen. Maybe they'll get something together for this weekend as this is my last week here. I can't believe it has flown by so quickly but it has. I'll be home in 8 days and trying to get myself organised to do my Instructors course as soon as possible. I've been in touch with the company I mentioned before in Cyprus and they don't take on DM's as they use people who are doing their DM course as their assistants. I know having spoken to a lot of people here about working as a DM that it is possible in certain locations but that you're pretty much not going to get paid. So to earn any money you need to be a dive instructor and the more specialties you can teach the better.

Anyway hope everyone is well
Hugs
H x

Day Eighteen & Nineteen

Back to work after my two fabulous days off! Yesterday (Thursday) was supposed to be a full-on cruise ship day but it turned out that one of the ships cancelled claiming an email had been sent but we knew nothing of this. The second cruise ship were supposed to have a fair few certified divers but Jeff and I ended up with 2 Discover Scuba Divers. So as with all DSD's we take them over to Cooper Island to do their skills and education stuff right off the beach. As I had spent almost all afternoon with Bella yesterday she comes bounding over to me when we pull into the dock on Atlantis (one of the smaller boats) and proceeds to jump on board as Jeff is going through the education! I manage to drag her off while I take all the gear to the water's edge. One of the divers had never snorkelled before and was having a lot of issues with getting used to the gear so he didn't end up doing the dive at all. I basically walked around the shallows of the water with him holding my hands so he could get used to breathing through the regulator. He didn't feel comfortable enough to do the dive and as he hadn't completed the required skills anyway we couldn't let him do it. So he sat with me on the boat when we took the remaining diver to the Rhone for her dive.
The afternoon we had a family of 4 and another guy who also dived the Rhone. Two of the family hadn't dived much before and had brand new kit too so it all had to be set up to fit the tanks. One of the BCD's was a Scubapro and their clasp system to keep it attached to the tank is not friendly! It took a great big bite out of my thumb and I almost bled all over the ladies new kit!! Not good. It has been stinging ever since - especially when I get it wet and boy does that happen a lot in this position!! :)
The father of the family lost his new snorkel when he was climbing out so someone out there is going to find themselves a new piece of kit. We dropped them back at Cooper and then headed back to base. Courtney had band practice again last night for their gig on Saturday and I just headed to the apartment for some food and a long shower - I was barely in the water much today but I seem to get even saltier when that happens!
Today was another cruise ship day and Dale, Neil and I were on Discovery with 8 DSD's. So again over to Cooper and then the Rhone. This afternoon I was on base again and so I had Neil show me how to service a regulator. All the bits you need come in a kit ordered from the manufacturer but in this case one of the mouthpieces plastic covers had cracked so no wonder the owner thought it was leaking! As they are not kept in stock it can't be totally repaired so will have to go back to the owner so he can decide what to do with it.
I've been wearing my seasick bands as usual but on some days I really feel like I'm going to hurl overboard! It seems to happen mostly at the Rhone. I don't know whether it's beacuse of its sort-of exposed position - it sits right at the edge of Salt Island and so consequently any waves are crashing onto the rocks and then around into the mooring field. When you're diving it is almost always ok down below but on the surface you're bouncing around like a cork! I'm usually fine when the boat is in motion en route to whichever site but as soon as we tie up that's when the ugh-ness starts to kick in. I can see myself becoming a land-based instructor at this rate! :)
I've been offered a position with a company based in Cyprus on completion of their Instructor course. I need to book and pay a deposit before the end of this month to get 10% off the price. I can afford to do the course but at this stage without selling my car I won't be able to get myself kitted out and pay for the exam fees and some books that are required. As the course starts on April 21 I'm not sure if that will give me enough time to get back home, get the car sold and get everything I need and then get over to Cyprus a few days before it starts to settle in. I'm wondering if the company will take me on without being an Instructor (in a similar capacity to what I'm doing now) so I can maybe take the course and exam at a later date and thereby gain more experience in the meantime.
As much as I've enjoyed my few weeks here I do wonder if it's been enough time to decide if it's for me. Some days are totally great, lots of fun and the customers are fab but then obviously other days aren't so good and I get back to the apartment totally exhausted and feeling well beyond my age, thinking can I handle another 5+ years of doing this every day? I definitely feel a lot worse when those ugh-y sick feelings kick in. I know it's supposed to pass the more time you're out on the water but how long does that take? :)
Anyway that's all for now. Hope everyone is well
Hugs
H x

Day Seventeen

Today I took a trip over to Cooper Island. Again the weather has been truly gorgeous - so hot in fact I nearly burnt my feet on the afternoon sand. I had a lovely relaxing day until the afternoon when Bella (the dog who lives at Cooper Island Beach Club) and I had a great play session. She loves to swim and chase thrown coconuts so that's what we did while running up and down the beach. I think I was more exhausted at the end than she was! :) I'll try to add a photo of Bella tomorrow (EDIT - DONE) - she's a cutie pie black lab.



Other than that I haven't done much else. Last night Courtney and I went to Pusser's for dinner. Another intern arrives today I think although I'm not sure when she is due to start work. Tomorrow is another cruise ship day for me - Ocean Village - which is one I haven't worked before. I'm not sure how many people are diving but today was apparently very busy.
This weekend Courtney is playing keyboards for the band that Neil and Emily's boyfriend (Gilbo) have formed. Matko (the instructor who was recently laid off) has now gone home and he played bass guitar so they felt something was missing with just Neil's drums and Gilbo's guitar. They have a gig this Saturday at Cooper so that should be good fun.
Otherwise it is work all the way through to next week now. I can't believe I am more than half way through my internship. It has definitely flown by so far. I'm somewhat disappointed that I wasn't told I could possibly stay here longer as Courtney is doing as I would love to stick around a bit longer. However I've been looking into doing my IDC (to become an instructor) at various places and have pretty much been offered a job in Cyprus with a company there once I've completed and passed the exam and gotten into teaching status. I just hope that I can get my things together in time to get there for it starting in mid April.
Anyway that's all for now.
Hope everyone is well
Hugs
H x

Day Fifteen & Sixteen

Today (Monday) was another dive day and there were only 3 guests and 3 crew, so it seemed like total one to one service! Two of the guests wanted to refresh their skills and one of those still had to complete their Open Water course so I dived with one guest at the first site and 2 at the second. I'd never dived either site so again I was a wee bit trepidatious about leading them around. The first site (The Indians) was ok but the visibility wasn't as good as it has been lately in other sites so that was disappointing. But we did spot a green eel - about 4 feet long - just hiding in the reef.
The second site (Kelly's Cove) was cool with lots of lovely colourful fishes but no eels or lobsters. We did see some hermit crabs though and a couple of sea cucumbers. We also had a bit of a surface swim as another company had hooked up at the mooring ball nearest the site.
Both sites are near to Norman Island so we had a late lunch there after dropping off the guests. I'd only been to Norman once before and that was for a half day and briefly dropping off/picking up guests at other times so I thought it would be good to stop there for a whole day if I could.

So that's what I did today (Tuesday). Neil was on Norman so he gave me a lift in on Explorer and I spent the whole day sunning myself, snorkelling and generally just chilling out! Just fab! Felt totally like a holiday today. There were lots of people on island from around 1030am but from 850am (when we arrived) I was the only person on the beach (not including staff). Awesome! I snorkelled around the dock and was surrounded by fishes, a big barracuda and also a very cool sting ray who is about 2 foot across! He brushed past me on my 2nd snorkel trip and I almost pee'd with excitement :) hehehe!
Have just got back now and I'm quite bronzed and salty. I have tomorrow off too and am not sure what to do. I think I may take a trip out to Cooper Island and do the same type of thing. The weather today was just fab - barely a cloud in the sky and not one single drop of rain. This is just the best news because all my other days off have had some rain and so I'm holding out some hope that tomorrow will be good too. Fingers crossed.
I've taken some photos of Norman today and will try to get them uploaded tomorrow (EDIT - DONE). Not sure of any plans for tonight but after the lovely easy day I may just hit the hay and try to stay as blissed out as possible! :)



Hope all is well
Hugs
H x

Day Thirteen & Fourteen

Yesterday I was on base all day so had quite a quiet day. Tom, Dale and I went to Sunsail again to pick up and deliver some equipment as well as try to sell some more dives. It was quite busy but not many people seemed interested in diving. I then had a few little projects to do on our return such as re-writing the sizes on all the wetsuits (they tend to fade a bit) and restocking first aid kits.
Last night Emily had a barbeque for all the staff and some of her friends that are visiting. She lives on the other side of the island so it was quite a trek to get there. Steve picked us up and dropped me off and Neil brought Court's back later as I was pretty tired.
Today was another dive day. Rob and I had 2 divers from base and then picked up another from Cooper Island. We went to Shark Point but it was too rough to pick up a mooring ball so we went to Carrot Shoals instead. That too was really bouncy and Rob took them for a 30 minute dive. I yet again had a bit of a barfing moment - even though I was wearing my bands! Still I didn't have much to feed the fish with but that yucky feeling lingered for a while. We then moved on to a reef called Black Forest just off Peter Island and I dived this one. I've never been to the site before so it was quite interesting to try and lead the divers around but as soon as we arrived there were 3 turtles - 2 small ones and one slightly larger. Very cool. Never saw them on the dive though which was disappointing. Still there were some cool fishes and lots of corals.
I also tried driving the boat today - Atlantis, a 26 foot monohull which was fab! It was really choppy for most of the journeys around so that made it pretty wet for everyone but it was great practice. I also docked the boat a couple of times - at Cooper and again back at base. I think I did really well and probably just need more practice to get it down without being told where to aim for.
There is another intern arriving this week which should be good. I also have 2 days off together which is fantastic but I have no idea what to do with myself for them. Surely I should go to another island for the night or something? We shall see...
Hope all is well with everyone
Hugs
H xx

Day Twelve

I've been off today so have just had an easy day, doing errands and laying in til 10am! Wow, that felt good. I thought I may show you some pictures of the apartment I'm sharing with Courtney (if blogger lets me upload them all!). We are in apartment 5 which is upstairs and about 5 minutes walk to the Marina. There is a shortcut through some other buildings to get there otherwise it means walking up to the road and then along through the Marina gates.


This is my bed and drawers. The mattress is quite squeaky so every time I turn over in bed I feel like I'm gonna wake Courts! :)


This is Courtney's bed (we are going to swap this weekend so I get to spread out - yay!!)


This is the kitchen area. There is a stove, microwave and small fridge. Occasionally the power goes out so sometimes we come back to a warm fridge! There is also a small sink - it really is dinky and just fits a full size dinner plate. :)


This is the patio/balcony area which we hardly use, although I have sat out there a couple of times when it's been nice weather.


This is the view! Shame the pool isn't filled as that would be so fab!! You can just see in the distance behind the trees a tall mast from one of the yachts in the marina.
There's no point showing the bathroom as it's a typical bathroom. The lighting in it is great though. There is a ceiling fan in the main room and also an AC unit which we have not really used as the weather lately has been pretty cold for BVI. Although for me it is still warm enough for shorts and a T. The only thing needed in the apartment is some better lighting (especially on my side of the room) and maybe a TV (there is a TV unit but no TV?!). Still we are usually so tired come the end of each day that reading for about 20 minutes is about all I can muster. Heheh.

I know when a lot of people think of the Caribbean they think it must be all luxury and amenities and so on. However there is the usual poorer side to it too. I spoke to an American couple who have been living on their boat in the marina for a couple of years and they said they thought the BVI was almost 3rd world in comparison to other Caribbean places they've been. I suppose I can understand that as you definitely will not find any Starbucks, McDonalds or other franchise type places. It is also quite wild with lots of active wildlife in the roadside. I've seen plenty of lizards, newts (a small one took up residence in my slipper the other night!), etc as well as the random chickens (who crow at all times of day and night), goats and so on. The roads are not perfect and you most definitely need a 4x4 to get about as Tortola is very hilly. It takes about 20-25 minutes to walk from the apartment to East End (where the nearest market and laundry are). It would take probably an hour if not more to get into Road Town on foot as there are at least 3 hills to get over/around. You definitely need a car or some other form of transport as although it is quite easy to get a taxi it can be hit and miss. There are some very friendly, helpful people who will stop and give you a ride if you're heading in the same direction but you can be waiting for a while or just a few minutes.

Hope everyone is well
Hugs
H x

Day Eleven

Today was yet another cruise ship day for me and it was the first early start I had. We had to be in at 7am instead of 730am to pick up the cruise guests from Road Town. Again we visited the Rhone wreck but this time I actually led a dive around the bow section. I was supposed to have 4 guests with me but ended up somehow with 6! One of the guests had a mild panic attack before diving but then she sorted herself out and came with me.
It was great leading this dive as I felt much calmer after my first leading trip and also because there is so much activity around the wreck and reef. A seahorse has been spotted at the bow sprit and so we have all been looking to find him again. There is also a huge lobster (Lobzilla is his name!! :) hehehe) hanging around the davits too. Very cool.
I was surface support for the second dive and there were some hairy moments with a diver having another panic attack who consequently didn't dive again. Another diver pulled out of the second dive as the wind and waves had picked up and he was knackered just getting to the ball.
Megan, Neil and I then took everyone back to the cruise ship pier and picked up some more snorkellers. Neil left us and that meant I had to do all the crew work on my own. I think I actually did really well as I'm getting the hang of tying off the boat at the docks and sorting out fenders and so on. I also gave the goodbye talk and spent a lot of time with the small group of snorkellers, about half of whom had never snorkelled before. They all had a great splash about at the Caves near Norman Island and then a quick trip to the beach and Pirates on Norman. A couple went snorkelling again off the beach and dock and managed to see a couple of rays around the dock! Very cool!!
We've just dropped off everyone at the pier and have refuelled and headed back to base. Filling the boat's fuel tanks takes quite some doing! 140+ gallons!! I think tonight is just gonna be an easy one (for me at least) as I didn't sleep too well last night with all the shenanigans. I am off tomorrow too so it would be nice to not get out of bed until at least 10am! We'll see.
Hugs
H xx

Day Ten

Today was another cruise ship day and also Courtney and I actually worked together on the same boat! Every cruise ship company hits the RMS Rhone wreck for 2 dives and this one was no different. There were a few Discover Scuba Divers though who needed training so Rob, Neil and I got dropped off at Cooper Island for that. I need to shadow 2 more DSD's and then I am allowed to teach them myself (I think that's how it works!). One of the divers had a lot of trouble staying underwater and then he had some problems with clearing his mask. In the end he decided that he wouldn't dive, he'd just snorkel over the wreck. I felt so frustrated for him as he was such a nice guy and was trying really hard to get it right.
Steve picked us up again from Cooper so we could take the DSD's back to the Rhone for their dive. I followed Rob and his group around the stern section trying to learn the whereabouts of everything.
We then headed back to port to pick up some more snorkellers. Neil, Court and I got off the boat in dock and took all the gear back to the base. We then spent a few hours filling tanks and doing general base work until the rest of the boats came back.
Today was Courtney's 21st birthday so when everyone was back we had a drink on the marina. Steve then picked us both up later to take us to Neil and Ria's house for a barbeque. The food was just so yummy - definitely recommend the salmon and tasty sausages they have here on island.
Steve dropped me off at the apartment as I had an early start and he then took Courtney over to the Last Resort bar/restaurant. I left the door unlocked for Courtney and around midnight I hear Courts come back in. I turn over and see this figure in the room and then Courts starts shouting "hey, what are you doing?" amongst other things. It turns out some guy had sneaked into the apartment and had grabbed her bag! He made a bolt for the door and managed to get past her and out into the night. Courts chased him but he legged it and was gone. I barely managed to get up out of bed in the time this all happened.
To say the least I was very freaked out because not only did I not hear this guy at all but I have no idea how long he may have been in the apartment. Obviously I'm very lucky because I suppose things could have been much worse and none of my things got stolen. Courtney has spent her day off cancelling her credit cards and talking to the police about it.
Anyway thats all the news for now
Hugs
H xx

Day Nine

Courtney and I had today off so we decided to take a ferry over to Virgin Gorda. We've heard a lot about a place called the Baths and how beautiful it is and so had to pay it a visit. The ferry cost $30 from Road Town and took about 30 minutes to get there. We then got a taxi from the ferry terminal to the Baths for $3 each one way. The guy came to pick us up again later (which we had to pre-arrange with him when he dropped us there) as there are no taxis that just sit waiting for you. There were a lot of people visiting from cruise ships or charter companies and so walking through the rocks was quite time-consuming to get to the lovely beach at the other side. I'll add some pictures tomorrow (EDIT - DONE, SEE BELOW) as I haven't uploaded them yet - truely they are gorgeous! :)


This is the first beach you arrive at after walking down through the first set of rocks.


This is the Baths.


Do you see the orca?


This is looking out into the channel.


One of the beach's permanent residents!


The gorgeous beach you reach after your trek through the rocks!


This is the first beach again (after practically everyone has left!).

We also stopped there for lunch and as we got there quite early decided we may as well spend the whole day as the weather was lovely (for the most part) and we weren't too sure what else to do on VG. Within about an hour of us getting to the beach everyone else had practically left so there must have been about 8 people total on the beach! Just fab!! :)
When we returned to Tortola we got a little food shopping done and then hitched a lift back to the apartment. We then got ready for the Full Moon Party at Trellis Bay. Got a taxi there for $5 and joined the growing mass of people on the beach. The craft fair was still on and there were lots more people actually manning the stalls. I got a fab cute pair of shell earrings and Courtney got a wooden mask and a lovely silver banana leaf ring.
The rest of the dive shop peeps arrived not long after we did and we sat talking and laughing all night. (Unfortunately I don't have any photos of the FMP as my camera batteries died right as we arrived! Boo, hiss!!) Finally Steve gave us a lift home and we hit the hay.


This is Trellis Bay taken on a previous visit. Imagine the metal ball things filled with fire and lots of people standing around/dancing to the band/drinking etc etc :)

Day Eight

Been a very busy day today and I led my first dive ever! I had 6 divers following me on a site I've never dived before and I was kinda scared about it. Still everyone came back alive and well and happy with what they saw so that's all good! Still it was a tough dive because the current was really strong and there was some surge around the point we were diving which really didn't help my bouyancy at the end of the dive and I felt like I was flying to the surface along with some of my divers!! Not Good At All!!!! I also did surface support today for the first time on my own on one of the bigger boats (Discovery today) and that was quite interesting to be in charge of the boat for a spell. I like doing surface support as it utilises my organisational talents! :)
Last night Courtney and I went to Pussers again for dinner - another yummy pizza - and lots of talk about life and loves. It's Courtney's birthday this week and it is also a full moon midweek. Every month they have a full moon party at Trellis Bay. It's supposed to be great fun and so we're hoping to head down there for it. One of the instructors who's been laid off is leaving on Wednesday and so it's also sort of a goodbye party for him too.
This past weekend was good although I didn't get much chance to write. I was off on Saturday and so again went into Road Town for supplies (food, more shorts for the boat, a new bikini). Sunday was an easy day as the dives got cancelled so Tom and I had to stay on base and do some random jobs. I also got to drive my first boat - a small RIB called J Lady - which was great fun! :) Tom also taught me how to use the air compressor to fill tanks and so I spent a lot of the day doing that. Courtney and I also went to Trellis Bay one of the evenings for dinner. It took us a fair bit to get back home though - no one would pick us up on the way back for ages and it looked like we'd have to walk all the way! Much too far for that!! Finally though we got a lift so phew.


Courtney and I at Trellis Bay - note the extremely wind-blown hairdo's!!

Anyway thats all for now. Hope all is well with everyone
Hugs
H xx

Day Five

Today was another cruise ship day this time with Princess Cruises. There were six staff on the boat today - Emily as captain, Neil, Tom, Mark, Dale and me. Dale and I were to get off at Cooper Island to do a Discover Scuba Diving course with one of the guests. As I'd never done one before Tom said I need to see them done 4 times and then I can apparently get certified to teach them myself - cool! The wind and the waves were so bad today. Really strong wind made the waves even higher. And yet again it poured it down for the morning at any rate. Apparently the first dive at the Rhone this morning while we were doing the DSD was really difficult, so much so that they changed the second dive there to a reef dive in a more sheltered area.
The DSD was good to see but it was difficult for me to dive as I couldn't get submerged at all. Mainly due to the fact that I had to hold on to a dive float so that any boats coming into the dock know there are divers down and not to go above. With the weather being so bad I was being pulled back up by the flag and it was a complete nightmare to control. Anyway the DSD went well and we were then picked up again by the boat and taken to the reef.
Chromis reef is no doubt so called because of the large amount of chromis fish found there! There were of course the usual suspects of parrotfish and butterflyfish but I also saw a trumpetfish, a sand diver, another balloonfish, a few blue tangs and a FAB ray and another turtle!! Awesome! I basically followed around the DSD and Dale although I joined them late and left early because for the latter I hadn't changed tanks so was getting low on air. For the former I was helping others into the water.
We dropped the divers back at the cruise ship pier and picked up only 12 snorkellers after lunch (there were supposed to be 40!). Tom and Mark also left the boat to return to base. The company emailed the shore-ex desk to say that the swell was huge and obviously a lot of people may not be able to handle it. As it turned out I had to rescue 2 swimmers who'd gottten exhausted and couldn't get back to the boat. We paid a quick stop at Norman Island right after the snorkel too so they could go onto the beach and get a drink or snorkel from the beach. Unfortunately someone had had a stroke or heart attack and the coast guard had been called to get them off the island. All quite dramatic!!
Anyway we then got everyone back to the pier again and sorted out the boat. I don't remember if I've said before that all the boats need cleaning every day after use. The big boats obviously take a bit more work to do and the heads need cleaning too - yay, how pleasant!! :) All the boats are also re-stocked with tanks after each day and boy are they heavy. There is a trolley to carry 6 tanks at a time and you need some ooomph to get it in motion.
Last night some of the dive guys who've formed a band played at a place called Trellis Beach. A bunch of us went down there to watch and Courtney and I had a mooch about the place. Very cool and funky. They have a local craft fair there quite regularly and Ria (one of the DM's) is hoping to show some of her artwork.
I am off tomorrow and may venture into town again but Tom may be able to take me to a lookout point or a beach on the other side of the island if he gets finished with his jobs earlier.
Oh and super bonus - I wore the seasick wristbands all day today and was totally fine! Not one iota of queasiness! Awesome! I am going to have to wear them all the time I think :) YAY!!!! No barfing today :)
Hope everyone is well
H x

Day Four

Today was a good day although I got completely soaked in yet another downpour! What is with all the rain since I've arrived? Rob and I went to Cooper Island to open up the little shop there and try to sell some gear/courses/whatever we could. Rob was sent today instead of Tom so he could fix the compressor there. Tom was off on another cruise ship day. So Rob brought his sister with us who is visiting from the UK and we hung out on Cooper all day. Rob showed me how to set up and take down the shop and all the procedures and everything for the place. Then it was just a case of waiting for customers to come in. By the end of the day we'd sold a few tank fills, a regulator and a few other little bits and pieces. As the weather was soooo bad this morning I was surprised that there even was any sales.

I managed to take a few pictures today from Cooper so will try to add them asap. (EDIT - DONE, SEE BELOW) Tomorrow is going to be another busy day I think as it's another cruise ship day for me. In an effort to stop my self throwing up all day again I've gotten some wrist bands that are supposed to prevent seasickness. I'll give them a shot as other than some ginger there isn't really much else I can try.


The dock at Cooper Island.


The boutique and compressor shed behind on Cooper.


The SCD shop on Cooper.


Another view of the shop.

Let's hope the weather improves for tomorrow as all this rain is making me wonder why I even left England! Hehehe
Evening activities so far have not extended to much else than recuperating from the heaving by watching a couple of movies. Tonight a couple of the staff who have started a band together are hoping to play somewhere on the island. Nothing specific has been organised I think but if they get everything sorted then that may be a plan. Otherwise probably yet another movie from my hard disk or a quick trip to the bar above the shop to check it out.
Hope everyone is well
Hugs
H xx

Day Three

Today was crazy! We had a full boat for both morning and afternoon trips with passengers from the NCL Dawn cruise line. There were 16 divers in the am for 2 dives on the RMS Rhone and then 40 snorkelers in the afternoon for 2 1/2 hour snorkels next to Norman Island. Everyone was really friendly and very generous with tips (and the best thing is that interns get to share in the tips split too!), even the snorkelers who didn't require as much as assistance.
Yet again the heavens opened and we had a real heavy down pour. It only lasted about 3/4 hour max but it was right when we were tying off the boat back at Marina Cay to drop of the guests to the ship. No one wanted to get off! Emily (the captain for today) had to tell them they HAD to leave as we needed to get back under way! :) So not only did I get completely soaked but so did every one else!!
I also think I spoke a bit too soon with regards to getting my sea legs. I was sick so many times today I lost count - it had to be at least 5!! Ughhh :( Everyone said to keep drinking lots of water and keep myself hydrated but it just all ended up coming back up again. I found myself with a fab pulsing headache and no way of keeping down a couple of nurofen. I attempted to eat lunch but that too paid me a return visit. Oy! I am going to have to get me some sea sick tablets or ginger because this can't go on. Apparently everyone goes through it and it seems to be a great weight loss tactic too as I don't feel like eating much right now, evn though I'm starving! I think today has been the hardest day so far, not only because of how busy it is but also the physical side of it too. Being sick really took all my strength away and hauling tanks, kit and so on at the end of every dive and then again at the end of the day really takes it out of you too. I should have muscles to die for come the end of this month.
I'm also finding myself covered in bruises from I don't know what! And in very strange, random places too that I think how did that get there?! My hands are getting cut up a bit and my feet too seem to be developing a tough layer on the soles. Ahhh the joys of a scuba intern, eh?
As for the dives this morning - they were both great. On the first I saw a turtle, lots of lovely fishes and there is a swim-thru on the wreck that was great but a little creepy (because so many people died on the wreck). The fishes iuncluded: balloonfish, schoolmaster, rock beauty, reef butterflyfish, yellowhead wrasse, bluehead wrasse, spotted truckfish (very cool), foureye butterflyfish and some grey snapper. The second dive saw more of the same but also a big lobster and some of the guests also saw a ray (although there was some debate over the type of ray it was!!). The second dive also had a pretty strong current although Bart (one of the DM's) said its been much stronger than that so I'm gonna have to kick harder still in future.
With the day being so crazy busy I haven't had a chance to take any photos at all today but will try to tomorrow. Also as the weather was soooo poopy it didn't seem worth it even if I'd had the time.
For anyone thinking of coming to BVI please bring (or get while you're here) a TON of mosquito repellent. I am bit all over! And they seem to find their way through the nets too. Very adaptable creatures - grrr!
Hope all is well with you.
Hugs
H xx
(Pic taken in the apartment bathroom)

Day Two

I haven't worked today as all new interns have to shadow their mentors for at least the first week and Tom was off today too. So I went into the office (at 8am, even on my day off!) to see if I could catch a lift into Road Town. Managed to get a ride on one of the boats that was heading there to pick up some German cruise ship passengers. There were 3 ships in port today and boy was town busy. One road in particular was just heaving with traffic - totally bumper to bumper. I had a walk about and tried to orientate myself with the place. When we were heading in it looked really cloudy and yes after a couple of hours of mooching about the heavens opened! Quite the downpour but then I suppose that's what keeps the island green eh? I've taken some photos (see below) and have some more to add from Day One and also of the apartment in a separate post. I'm currently in the crew room using the computer rather than my own as I haven't been able to get the wireless thing set up on my laptop yet.

Anyway town is quite nice. There are some really pretty buildings and Main St is quite cute. There is also a small craft village (below) right next to the harbour with all sorts of T-shirts, keyrings, cups, hats and general tat to buy with BVI or Tortola on it. I was looking for a cup to use in the crew room ($6!) and another pair of shorts as my nice ones already have boat grease on them!! So I found myself a pair of red Billabongs for (OMG!!!) $45. I dunno whether they tack on a few extra bucks because it's cruise ship day or if that is always the price but then I guess BVI is expensive for pretty much everything. I also found the supermarkets and so have a bit more food for the week.



You'll notice as you go anywhere in BVI that chickens (especially) are everywhere. These two (above) were having a spot of brunch at the craft market!
I was told to flag down a taxi for the journey back and after about 10 minutes managed to get one to take me back to the Marina. Two others stopped to askme where I was headed but then drove on once I'd told them. When I got in the third taxi there were already 3 others in it (it's a share type of bus/taxi system) and the trip cost me $3 - not bad! Took about 10 minutes to reach Hodges Creek (well it did but then the driver drove right on past and dropped off the others first!! Only as they were getting out did he realise/remember that I was still in the back and he asked me why I didn't say anything?! I said I figured he'd just drop me off when he was headed back into town :) heheh So I managed to get a little look see in the other direction!)
Last night my roomie Courtney (above) and I walked along to Pusser's - a bar/restaurant about 10 minutes walk down the road. One of the other staff said they did great pizzas so we figured we'd go take a look. I ordered a medium mushroom pizza (apparently the small is only 4 inches!) and it came out a good 11 inches across. Way bigger than I normally get so I had the rest today for lunch. It was really, really good. The base is just right - not too thin that the pizza flops over when you're holding it but not too thick that you're full of dough and not toppings! Cost about $17. While we were waiting for it we decided to have a drink in the bar. Cocktails were on Courtney as she'd received $25 in tips that day. She ordered a margarita and wasn't impressed and I had a "Nelsons Blood" - rum (at least a double measure was poured straight in with no actual measuring!!), cranberry, orange, lime and angoustura bitters. Really quite tasty but the rum was pretty darn strong and even though I was eventually eating my pizza at the bar too, I felt a wee bit woozy on the walk home. (Am I a total lightweight?) It wasn't that comforting to see the bar person having to read the menu to know what to mix - I actually mentioned to Court that it was hardly Tom Cruise in Cocktail and she said she was thinking exactly the same!! Hehehehe! :D
My first night's sleep wasn't that great but the second was much better - was that all to do with the rum? Quite possibly!
It is now barely 3pm and I feel like I've already had quite a full day. I think I'll be heading back to the apartment to chill out, read some of my new book/my intern folder and get ready for Day Three - cruise ship day with NCL.
Love n hugs
H x

Day One

Today has been my first day with Sail Caribbean Divers (shop at Hodges Creek Marina above) and it's been a long one! :) We start at 730am every morning with a meeting in the office to discuss what we'll each be doing that day. Some days start earlier, some later, but mostly it'll be 730am. We've only just finished today and it's now 6pm - so 10.5 hours on the boat (well pretty much). My mentor is Tom (an instructor born in Jamaica) who's a total sweet heart. Also on the boat today was a DM called Mark who has been here for about 3 months and is also from the UK. We picked up another guy called Tom from Norman Island who was completing his last 3 dives of his open water course. I joined the Toms on the first dive - which was very cool, but unfortunately no u/w pictures to show (need to get a u/w camera). Only shallow this one to about 20m for about 20 mins. Lots of lovely fishes and some great coral too - will also have to get myself a fish ID chart so I can tell you the names of them. Gonna try to post a picture of the chart (done - see below) if possible so you'll be able to see them too if I can't get a camera sorted soon.

EDITED TO ADD - Fishes/corals seen on the 1st dive include: brain coral, basket sponges, orange tube sponges, staghorn coral, gorgonian fans, balloonfish, queen triggerfish, reef butterflyfish and a few others that I now don't remember!
We moved from Angelfish reef to another place for the last 2 dives (called the Indians I think??!) and then from there took Tom back to Norman Island (where he works) and opened up the new shop they have on the beach there (see pics below). Had a quick break for some lunch (yummy chicken Caesar salad while the guys had burgers) and then headed back to the shop for some O2 administration training and run through of my rescue dive skills. It's been so long since I last did any rescue training I am somewhat rusty to say the least but the last attempt (there were only 3) was much better (so Tom says). :) Gonna have to do another rescue in a few days just to prove all is well.


I have tomorrow off as Tom is also off (I'm pretty much shadowing him this week) so I'm hoping to be able to get into Road Town so I can have a look around, get some little errands done and generally get a feel for the place. Then its back to work on Wednesday with a group from one of the cruise ships. Usually cruise days are really hectic/manic so it should be interesting - eeek! :)
Anyhoo that is it for now. I will post more and hopefully add pics soon. Hope everyone is well.
Oh PS the weather is gorgeous - I'm already getting a tan. I think the temp today was high 70's. And with all the water action my hair is getting pretty darn super curly but slightly blonder already.
PPS Just to give you a laugh I also threw up over the side today - fish food!! Still maybe I've got my sea legs now and fingers crossed that will be it :)

Love to all
H x

15 hours to go!

I am packed and ready to go. With so much going on trying to pack up my things and moving out of the apartment, putting things in storage and generally trying to organise my life I haven't really had a chance to get excited about my trip. But that has certainly kicked in now! I CAN'T WAIT TO GET THERE!! YEAAAHHHHH!! Not only for the sun as it is currently grey and rainy here in Blackpool but also for the complete change to what I'll be doing day to day. I have no idea really what's in store for me (other than having a quick re-read of the intern brochure they sent me) and so I'm kinda trepidatious about it but I'm excited too now.
I had a fab night out last night with some chums and am paying for it this morning with the sexy Eartha Kitt voice and general exhaustion that comes from staying out til gone 4am!! (Sheesh I think it's been a good 10 years since I last did that!) Lynda and I then went for a yummy breakfast this morning and she has just left for home. I miss you already sweetie - have a good meal tonight :)
Lyn suggested I take a photo everyday and post it to the blog which I think is a great idea. I'm definitely going to try to do it and just hope that I can get net access enough to do so. (And also that my "employers" don't mind me dragging a camera around with me constantly, heheh)
Anyway here's hoping there will be more regular posts to come so you can keep up with all that's happening and you can get to know the British Virgin Islands too.
Love
H

Welcome!

Hi there. I've set up this blog to record my little trip to the British Virgin Islands in March 2009. I'm hoping to add lots of lovely photos, ideas for things to do/see in the Islands and also some great places to eat and so on for those who might be thinking of visiting.
The reason I am travelling there is to take part in an internship with Sail Caribbean Divers for one month. So I'll also be posting hopefully lots of information on the scuba diving sites and other watersport related things. I hope you'll visit often and perhaps also take a look at my other blog - My Creative World.