#132 – I Vacation Part III [and last]

I Vacation, part III Originally uploaded by yaelol

Going on vacation as i did means no camera, means i relay on friends and the web to provide the atmosphere. and these pictures indeed were taken by friends.

Friends however, cannot write my experiences for me. they can contribute to them, can be part of them, and therefore my of me.

So with many months old perspective, and here i am, ready to complete this amazing trip to Virgin Islands, only to clear the cue for Budapest and Paris, Puerto Rico and Israel, St. Petersburg, Russia and the many little things that collectively are called my life.

Virgin Island.

The islands, are anything but virgin. many races have been here and gone, many left some genetic cells behind. some left more. some, like the

Where it’s never cold, mostly too humid, and, as islands go, there’s water all around. I managed to avoid the water. Mostly. First it was the pool. Months after the latest and last Harry Potter came out, Harry and I were finally together. Harry was with me at the pool, everyday, for hours at the time. Until almost the very end, at least Harry was virgin. and now they are making a movie.

Good as he is for a vacation companion, I had friends to meet. What are the chances that Rich and Pat, close friends from NJ, will end up here, at the same as me? I wonder which butterfly flapped its wings to make this happened. on a 2nd thought, who cares. The best day of this first in a long time vacation was spent with them.

As it turns out, not all resorts are born equal. Ruti and I were staying @ the Westin Resort, and thought the place was almost OK, other than a bit too many honeymooners and kids. Until we joined Rich and Pat at Caneel Bay. No kids under 16, private beaches all around. . . Mr. Laurance Rockefeller, the original owner, loved the environment. However, being a Rockfeller, he too had to make money. He developed few environmentally oriented resort hotels in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Hawaii and Vermont, serving as chairman of Rockresorts, Inc., a resort management company which he founded and chaired. [http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2004_3rd/Jul04_LRockefeller.html]

In addition, he was key in the creation and development of several national parks including Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, Virgin Islands National Park on the island of St. John and Marsh, Billings, Rockefeller National Historical Park in Vermont. And we are now in Caneel Bay, St. John. Look at the photos from their website.

After the hugs and the laughs we head to Breakfast. And if feels like I’m a guest in a plantation. the waiter who delivers great coffee has white gloves on. the Breakfast buffet is big on the eggs and meat side, and the cushioned rattan furniture all fit to the image in my mind.

After breakfast, it’s time for the beach. The 6 of us have a private beach all to ourselves. In comparison, the Westin suddenly is nothing but the public pool of a hood. Even the water look better, and i can’t help but go in for a swim. and later another one. In between our conversations cover world politics, recent development in the medical field – unavoidable when two of your friends are doctors, getting me to rave about the wonders of Blackberry, and all of us have our books or magazines to fall back to.

I Vacation: Beach, Blackberry and friends

Afternoon Tea @ Caneel Bay

Hiking with Pat along the isolated trails, I’m impressed with the artful way of creating a resort which is well manicured yet are natural and a little wild, and offers the privacy level only a Rockefeller could afford.

Blue clear water, sun, short hike, what else is missing? A 4 O’Clock tea. The tea is wet, the scones are fresh and warm; i can’t remember if there were cucumber sandwiches or not. but if there were, they were fresh and perfect, like everything else. To remind me of reality, a laptop walk in a joins us. Stock and investments take wi-fi with their tea. not sure is this was part of Laurance Rockefeller’s vision. Regardless, i love the place.

After our goodbye we head back to the Westin resort, and if feels so less cool than before. Ruti gets her book and I go back to Harry.

I take a day trip to Saint Tomas with Larry and Linda, only to find myself in a shopping hell. everyone is nice, and polite and has something to sell. you name it, it’s there. i end up buying couple of magnets and this is it. the food is good, the company is great, and I’m happy.

We take the ferry back to St. john and Ruti who’d been studying all day. in a funny way, it makes the vacation even feel more like a vacation. A whole day off-line. This is a vacation.

This is my our last night. Ruti is taking the morning ferry, and i take the afternoon one. hugs, kisses, walking Ruti to the water. 3 hours later, Larry and Linda are walking me, and i hugs this amazing couple that from invading my boat seat became such good friends. who’s imagine that a month later we’d meet again in Peurto Rico?

And this was it. I did vacation. And Loved it.

Planning my next vacation, it’ll be all around packing, cleaning, unpacking, goodwilling a lot of extra stuff i could well do without. and a new address. yes, my next vacation is a moving vacation.