Today we wake at our usual 6 ungodly in the am to some light rain. Deciding this is a sign that we need to stay out of the sun a bit, we do what we do best – Nothing! We relax around the house, eat some breakfast, and decide we should use this time wisely and go shopping. By this time, rain is gone!
Tip #14 – If you wake to rain take solace in the fact that it will most likely be gone before you get the motivation to make an alternate plan!
Still, the grown-up girls are hell bent on some shopping and are off to Cruz Bay. The guys hang back with the little girl. We plan to meet up around 12:30 @ Mongoose Junction for lunch and kid exchange. I think they guys were thinking that they were doing a public service to the future Mr. mini Flip-Flop by not allowing her to be indoctrinated to the Gromit & mama shopping experience!
We get to town & wander through all the great shops at Mongoose and discover a few new ones. We also spot Deli Grotto and take note that we should probably do lunch with the guys & kid there.
Deli Grotto is new (at least to me since the last trip 2 May’s ago). There was a different deli there before, if I remember correctly. It seems to me its under new ownership. It feels bigger, I think they knocked down a wall. There is seating & computer terminals with internet. Internet is $2/15 minutes, which I think is quite reasonable. I RESIST the strong urge to check my email. Only 5 days in & this is the longest I’ve gone without checking my work email ever!! That INCLUDES during maternity leave. But NO I refuse to be sucked into whatever happens to be going on in the real world. No news is good news!
Gromit & I salivate a bit over the goodies in the deli, decide we’ll be back when hungry & are off to resume shopping. Only a minor amount of credit card damage later, we realize that it is time to meet the rest of the gang. We suggest Deli Grotto for sandwiches and I get a MASSIVE curried chicken salad sandwich, fresh brewed iced tea and some broccoli salad. Delicious!! Everyone concurs it’s a good choice. They also have yummy baked goods & I select a concoction of crushed graham crackers, chocolate chips and coconut! OMG! Heaven redefined.
Tip #15 – If you decide to eat at Deli Grotto (which you should!) you can split everything and still have leftovers. And don’t miss the dessert case!
The ladies take over kid duty and the guys are off to shop. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, men shop. Not for long and not often, and sure usually for cigars or electronics, but it has been known to happen ;) The girls head back to the house for some POOL time. Another lazy afternoon slips by & we realize tonight is the first night we’ve arranged for childcare!
In advance of the trip, I lined up a sitter through Christie’s Classics for 4 of our 12 evenings (yes that means you have many more days of trip reports to look forward to ;). Susie of CC’s had already called us the day prior to confirm time & place & to tell us more about Tonya who would be our caregiver each night.
I try to mentally prep the mini Flip-Flop who is easy as pie to leave with a sitter at home. She literally throws us out of the house! I swear to you, she sees the sitter, turns to us and says “BYE!” and gives us the look of “go now … its time to party!” And I mean time for HER to party. Still, this is new and strange and I am concerned she may be a little reluctant.
6:30 pm – We are ready to go and Tonya shows up on the dot as scheduled with a huge smile. She has three kids of her own so we quickly determine she knows more than we could ever tell her. Quick introductions & show her where the important things are – diapers, pjs, movies, milk & popcorn - and we are off to Miss Lucy's. The little ones seem a bit dazed but surely they will be fine.
7 pm – We arrive at Miss Lucy’s for the Full Moon Party. Gromit & her hubby had departed a bit early to avoid the sitter exchange and to ensure we’d have a table. It is all about the teamwork! They snag a great table outside – there are inside and outside tables – and you definitely want an outside table for the full moon. Seeing the moon is kind of the point. Quickly our waitress has us all situated with our beverages of choice – the first of TOO many rum punches for Gromit & me. They just slip down so easily. We are given our choices for our entrees – crabcakes, sirloin, wahoo, or pork. I wisely choose the pork! Full Moon Party = Pig roast in my mind! YUMMMMM! The sauce was outstanding, I asked what was in it and they told me but I was already 3-4 rum punches in and I have NO recall. Hey, I am surprised I remember this much of the evening. It was sweet and fruity but with some definite heat. The dinner was $15/plate and included all kinds of west Indian goodies – fried plantains, mashed sweet potatoes, some kind of corn stuffing, rice and beans. We follow up with desserts. I have NO recollection what they were other than one was chocolate and one was key lime or citrus something – I think – whatever they were I do remember they were tasty.
There is a band playing and we enjoy the music and more rum punch. Soon the guys excuse themselves to have a couple of cigars down by the beach and the ladies just enjoy hanging out. We laugh and carry on and the next thing we know our table is approached by a lovely, local gentleman. Turns out he is Hamilton, as in the Maho Hamilton’s Taxi. We chat a bit and invite him to join us. We must have looked like we were having fun as he gladly complies. Now, he is easily one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. He’s traveled all over the world and tells us many funny stories of his experiences on & off the island. He invites us to his house for a drink later in the week – all of us, even the hubbys & kids! However, we get sidetracked and totally manage to not hook up with him. My first and really only regret of the trip! Sorry, Hamilton!!!
10 pm - 14 rum punches later things seem to be wrapping up at the party & we decide to pay up and head back to the house. Thanks Mr. Flip-Flop for getting us all back home safely! The drive from Coral Bay to Chocolate Hole is quite entertaining when you are a bit tanked. We get home, find one kid fast asleep – (Mine! SCORE), but the other one is awake ;) We thank Tonya and head off to sleep.
Tomorrow ... Mr. Flip-Flop turns 33, Daysail on the Wayward Sailor to Foxy's and fine dining from Uncle Joe's BBQ!
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