Getting the itch to race!
The Highland Spring HIHO is less than five months away. Come join us!
End of an Era
There are just a few of the original island-built boats still in service. This boat, seen fishing off the Eastern tip of Little Thatch, is kept tied up to the mangroves in Sopers Hole. When I was a boy growing up in Tortola boats were still built by hand by shipwrights who practiced their craft in almost the same way as their fathers and grandfathers. They used some power tools but they still went into the bush to find cedar trees that were correctly shaped for the boats ribs. Caulking was done by hand and the boats launched by a team of people. In East End they would still build the odd island sloop while in Towers near the West End of the island I remember the yard where they turned out 18 or so foot open boats that were used by fisherman and by the North Shore residents who gunned off to work at Caneel Bay Resort on St John. By the 1980’s the Tortola boat building tradition had succumbed the ubiquity of the fiberglass boat.
Roti + Ting = Delicious BVI Lunch!
The Caribbean offers a wide range of cuisine which is as diverse as the island chain is long with islands all offering their take on meat, fish, stews, soups and so forth. Several food dishes have “legs” by which we mean you will find them almost everywhere. One of favorite dishes or meals are rotis. Brought to the Caribbean by indentured workers from India the roti is a stew wrapped in an Indian flat bread. It looks a little like a large burrito. A roti comprises potatoes, garbanzo beans, vegetables and usually chicken or mutton. Veggie rotis are common. Rotis can be spicey or not. They are usually accompanied with chutney. Compliment with a cold Red Stripe or Ting.
Time to Unwind!
Everyone has to unwind and a trip to the spa at Scrub Island is about as relaxing as it gets. Chill out on the deck next to the infinity pool and take in the view of Great Caminoe. Just below the pool is a tiny point break that offers a great longboard or stand-up paddle wave to ride if the swell is good. Come to chill out and get a great massage from Emily or Angie then flop down in a comfy chair in the cool enclosed lounge, nibble on some coconut chips and rehydrate with a cold glass of water. The Scrub Island Spa is a 5-minute walk from the resorts awesome waterslide enhanced pools, cool bars and restaurants. Contact the spa at elancaster@mainsailhotels.com.
