As some of you might not know, for the first time in my life, on a recent trip to the BVI's, I decided to keep a travel journal. As promised, I said I would transcribe the pages there from and share it with all (three or four) of our readers....
The hand writing got a little sloppy along the way, and certain pages are scrawled about with nothing but gibberish and rum stains, but I will do my best to translate word for word the indescribable joys of my adventure.
"The Ships Log" As told by Pelican Pete On board the "S.S. Life of Reilly, Too" (previously known as the "S.S. Pocket Rocket"...Yes I am serious.)
-Four a.m. wake up, still hungry from not getting around to eating dinner last night, but the beers I shared late night with Chuck seemed to tide me over. After a blur of take off, landing, and dunkin donuts, we hunker down in a Newark food court, surrounded by large scale plastic renditions of french fries and burgers. We have two hours to kill...then San Juan bound...
Newark to San Juan, San Juan to St. Tomas on a Twin engine Cessna (a plane roughly the size of a toyota corolla).
*side note* Everyone is excited, but also a bit nervous, more than anything I cannot wait to get into sun and crystal blue water. The entire crew should regroup at the ferry landing on St. Tomas if everything goes according to plan...There we will wait for our ferry over boat drinks.
-Not even at my destination and the wierdness has already started. On the flight from Newark, an old hippy lady sat next to me. What started as casual conversation turned into her reading my palm, telling me my fortune, and giving me a spirit drawing. She then presented it to me and analyzed it. Bizzare. I have it with me now in my pack.
-Seeing Puerto Rico on the horizon was the most welcome sight I've seen in months.
-Upon our arrival at the airport, i immediately purchased two bottles of rum and sought out a small cafe to wait for our connection. The cafe is having a bit of a happy hour and after a slight miscommunication I recalled what little Spanish I could and got us two caiperenias(sp?) and two beers for six bucks. We may be here a while. After getting a solid buzz going, we stumble down to our "gate" with only the packs on our backs and two bottles of Bacardi. The gate is nothing more than a small waiting area, and the woman behind the desk hands us two hand written tickets and essentially tells chuck and I that we can just get on whatever plane, whenever. Since Chuck and I total about 400 pounds with our luggage, we had to wait for a plane without many people as they have to balance the weight out. We finally were called, stepped out onto the tarmac and into our Cessna. The plane was no bigger inside than an SUV, and we flew only a few hundred feet over the breaking waves and reef bars all the way to St. Thomas.
-I've arrived! I am sitting at the ferry bar in St. Tomas with an ice cold Carib. Chuck and I eagerly await the rest of the crew. They should be here shortly.
-The crew is assembled with the exception of two that are already at the boat. The other six of us find a cantina not far from the ferry landing and trade off buying rounds of beers. The table we are sitting at is split in the middle where a giant palm grows through it. Our ferry tonight will take us to road town harbor where our boat is docked. We sit around the table drinking and smoking cigars. Tomorrow we will have to provision and collect thing like water and food. My mind is trailing off right now....probably becasue I am sitting here in shorts and flip flops drinking and ice cold presidente...more tomorrow.....
-Peter J
-Four a.m. wake up, still hungry from not getting around to eating dinner last night, but the beers I shared late night with Chuck seemed to tide me over. After a blur of take off, landing, and dunkin donuts, we hunker down in a Newark food court, surrounded by large scale plastic renditions of french fries and burgers. We have two hours to kill...then San Juan bound...
Newark to San Juan, San Juan to St. Tomas on a Twin engine Cessna (a plane roughly the size of a toyota corolla).
*side note* Everyone is excited, but also a bit nervous, more than anything I cannot wait to get into sun and crystal blue water. The entire crew should regroup at the ferry landing on St. Tomas if everything goes according to plan...There we will wait for our ferry over boat drinks.
-Not even at my destination and the wierdness has already started. On the flight from Newark, an old hippy lady sat next to me. What started as casual conversation turned into her reading my palm, telling me my fortune, and giving me a spirit drawing. She then presented it to me and analyzed it. Bizzare. I have it with me now in my pack.
-Seeing Puerto Rico on the horizon was the most welcome sight I've seen in months.
-Upon our arrival at the airport, i immediately purchased two bottles of rum and sought out a small cafe to wait for our connection. The cafe is having a bit of a happy hour and after a slight miscommunication I recalled what little Spanish I could and got us two caiperenias(sp?) and two beers for six bucks. We may be here a while. After getting a solid buzz going, we stumble down to our "gate" with only the packs on our backs and two bottles of Bacardi. The gate is nothing more than a small waiting area, and the woman behind the desk hands us two hand written tickets and essentially tells chuck and I that we can just get on whatever plane, whenever. Since Chuck and I total about 400 pounds with our luggage, we had to wait for a plane without many people as they have to balance the weight out. We finally were called, stepped out onto the tarmac and into our Cessna. The plane was no bigger inside than an SUV, and we flew only a few hundred feet over the breaking waves and reef bars all the way to St. Thomas.
-I've arrived! I am sitting at the ferry bar in St. Tomas with an ice cold Carib. Chuck and I eagerly await the rest of the crew. They should be here shortly.
-The crew is assembled with the exception of two that are already at the boat. The other six of us find a cantina not far from the ferry landing and trade off buying rounds of beers. The table we are sitting at is split in the middle where a giant palm grows through it. Our ferry tonight will take us to road town harbor where our boat is docked. We sit around the table drinking and smoking cigars. Tomorrow we will have to provision and collect thing like water and food. My mind is trailing off right now....probably becasue I am sitting here in shorts and flip flops drinking and ice cold presidente...more tomorrow.....
-Peter J
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