Paradise...

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When I read about couples getting away for an amazing vacation in paradise I can't help but feel a little grumpy. Sure, I'm happy for them but I also feel a little grumpy. I love paradise. I love being warm on a gorgeous beach. In the words of Tina Fey / Liz Lemon, "I want to go to there." I quote her too often don't I? 

Well two years ago (more or less) Matt and I started planning a vacation for the two of us. It is now my turn to bombard you with endless photos of views so tremendous it could make a baby cry...or something like that.

Salt Pond Bay 

So what did we do in the paradise that is St. John, USVI? Hike, snorkel, explore, relax, swim and talk without interruption from adorable, but highly energetic, little girls. Vacation was amazing. Have I overused that word yet?

Outside Concordia restaurant where I was introduced to the most amazing drink, The Painkiller.
I have since discovered the recipe. You are welcome here for a Painkiller anytime. 

We snorkeled eight beaches, including two beaches only reachable by swimming. Can you say private island?!

 Kittle Bay, right outside our villa.
(There are no houses in St. John, only villas. It sounds fancier that way.)


This is another shot from Kittle Bay. I dangerously balanced the camera on a rusty beach chair to capture this shot. Kittle was very secluded. In addition to discovering a sea turtle, a giant sting ray as wide as Matt is long, and countless fish this beach also had a tire swing and an old boat. For a brief second we debated taking it out but then realized we had no oars to get us back to the beach. Disaster averted.


Matt and I also completed some hikes. One hike was only a mile but was a good steady, sweaty, partially rocky climb. Upon reaching the top we celebrated by trying NOT to slip off the top of the mountain.





Neither of us have ever visited the Caribbean much less someplace tropical so the entire vacation was an adventure. I felt mentally torn from wanting to constantly explore or continuously do nothing.






After a full day of snorkeling and hiking we decided to take a drive. We stumbled upon a housing development way up high in the mountains. Unfortunately for us the road continued to narrow until it came to a dead end. The only way down was to drive in reverse on the side of a cliff or turn around. After I hopped out to help Matt negotiate the drive, he completed a 110 point turn around. I'm pretty sure that moment took 5 years off both our lives.

 We cannot afford a lot in St. John. Ouch!!!


The guy above appeared in the bay outside our villa one morning. I grabbed my camera, put in super zoom mode and peeked in on him only to find him doing the same thing to me. And now he is forever memorialized on my blog.



Many, many, many years ago St. John was home to hundreds of slaves. These are some of the ruins from their sugar making days. Amazing buildings and a very sad history.


But back to happy things...

If you don't believe that I was truly enjoying vacation then maybe this photo will convince you...


See that island way out there to the far right? Matt and I snorkeled out there and saw THE most gorgeous corral. If only I had an underwater camera.

Here we are on the deck of our villa. Nothing but the Caribbean out there. 

And a final view from our villa.

St. John was a vacation to remember. Thank you Matt for going away with me. Thank you to all the grandparents for watching our little girls. Thank you to St. John for rocking my world.

Comments

Dawn said…
I was reliving our honeymoon through your photos! Was the island you snorkeled to at Water Lemon Cay or something like that? We did that and I saw an amazing line of starfish leading to the island! Glad you guys had such a great time. You look so happy, relaxed, and sun kissed!
May 14, 2014 at 2:47 PM
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