Island Festivities!

Dear World,

I have been on St. John for a little over a week. Here's all the cool stuff that's happened to me:

1. I got a job within five days of moving here. Yeah, I'm that good. This was weighing on me pretty heavily so I'm glad to have that out of the way.

2. I got a dive camera! There aren't many places on the islands to get cameras nicer than what there is at Kmart (and I did look there...no waterproofs), so I ventured on down to Yacht Haven to a place called Boolchand's. They have jewelry up front, but in the back there is an array of crazy cameras. Some had GPS and wifi in them, but I have a phone for that. I just wanted one that takes pictures underwater. 

If you happen to be on the island, there is another store called Royal Caribbean that carries cameras as well. Just FYI. 

3. I took pictures underwater! My husband and our friends went on a day sail from Bolongo Bay resort, to St. John's Honeymoon Beach. There were good cookies, adult beverages, lunch, and more adult beverages. It was a grand time. Here are some pictures I took:

Snorkelers setting out to follow our tour guide.

Some beautiful purple fan coral.

Parrot Fish.

I'm not sure what kind of fish this guy is...but he reminds me of the book Rainbow Fish.

4. I got to see a barracuda! When it was almost time to head back to St. Thomas during our boat adventure, the captain pointed out a barracuda to us. Then he began feeding it roast beef slices. We got to see his pointy teeth and everything! Here's my picture, although you can't really make him out very well:

What a beast.

5. I ordered a shark tank full of booze. So, there's a very VERY very touristy bar in Red Hook called Duffy's Love Shack. (Yes, they did play the Love Shack song by the B-52's. I'm sure everyone who works there hates that song.) Anyway, after our boat trip we went there for dinner, where I ordered a shark-themed drink, complete with a giant robotic shark on the wall that comes to life for you while the theme from Jaws plays:

I think it would be scarier to be attacked by a robot shark than a real shark.

64 ounces of blue sugary goodness. The shark has "blood" in his mouth. (It's grenadine.)

6. I tried conch fritters! I like to try daring new things, so for my foodie adventure of the weekend, I tried conch fritters. Conclusion: they taste like hushpuppies. Which I like, so I would totally get them again:

Yes, that is a straight-up wooden plank my food is served on. 

Stay tuned for my next adventure! 

Love,

Steph

Settling In

Dear World,
So, I made it home. Finally. Most of the trip was uneventful. I saw a bullfrog at Columbia's airport:

Later on, I was slightly delayed in San Juan, PR because their electricity went out. Not the plane's. The airport's. However, I still made it home, and had the pleasure of sitting co-pilot on our tiny, 10 person plane ride. Here's the crappy selfie I took of that:

Sooo many dials. The pic doesn't do justice.

And now for the bad news. My carry-on (a backpack) had to be stowed because this plane is comically small. While that was happening, somehow my good camera stopped working. So while I could be running all over the island taking awesome pictures, I am now trying to figure out the warranty on this thing, as I bought it about two months ago. -_-

In other news, there is a bird here that sounds like a cat. It is very confusing to me. It caws/meows, and I think "OH MAN A CAT" and then I realize it isn't. Which is disappointing. We do have a cat here, however, and we feed her (I think its a her) outside on our porch every evening. I think she helps keep mice away, which is awesome. 

Other than that, there isn't much to report. I was hoping to use my camera to make a sweet YouTube video giving everyone a tour of the property, but I guess that will have to wait! More updates to come soon.

Stay tuned,

Steph