leeward beach

2 November 2012

we’ve had friends over during this week, and i feel kinda guilty because the weather is not as it should be. since sandy, the sea, beaches and sun have not been in their “usual behavior”…so we’ve been trying extra hard to find the best beach spots for a dream weekend on island.

on a windy day we made a pitch stop in almost every beach on island until we chose the best one – we realized the most easter part of emerald point was less windy and the sea was calmer.

we spent the afternoon sunbathing, collecting shells and watching the kite surfers!

ps – tomorrow we are headed to the first island street food fair – part of the caribbean food & wine festival, that started yesterday.

after the storm

28 October 2012

3 Comments

this week felt totally different from a typical island life one. we had tropical storm sandy coming, but so happy that it’s gone and there weren’t any damages. the sun is out and shining, but the sea is still a bit rough. just hoping everyone is safe up north.

we have a friends visiting over from paris, so we’ll spend the rest of the weekend eating out and showing them around. last night we hosted an outside dinner party, which couldn’t have been more fun. we love having company and it gives us the chance of enjoying the island from a different angle!

ps – did you hear caicos cafe reopened last week? can’t wait to go back for that lobster linguini i’ve been dreaming of…

picture by my friend – thanks monica!

his dive story / 38

24 October 2012

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Hi all, it’s great to be back on island again and dive in the warm sea. When we were in Napoli last month, I managed to do 1 dive in plain view of Mt. Vesuvius and I tell ya, I could have used my dry suit! It was like 21c!

Anyway, in my first dive last Sunday, I caught sight of a fish that I had never seen before. We were at Northwest Point and our guide pointed it out for us. There were only three of us and we all had cameras. The fish is called a burrfish. I think my pic is better than the one in Wikipedia! Anyway, the fish was not at all shy and posed for us as we were taking turns snapping away!

Another fish that I saw was a flounder and it is fairly indigenous to the Caribbean. It was pretty well camouflaged on the white sand bottom but once you know what to look for, you can see it easily during your dives. Enjoy.

See my previous diving posts! – James

it’s good to be back

22 October 2012

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hey friends, i came back to turks and caicos last week and let me tell you… it feels good!! i had two amazing months off island, in new york, portugal, italy and london. it was great having quality time with friends and family and celebrating our wedding. but after so much catching up, i missed our home in provo, coming back to our little routine, our island friends, and of course the weather and the beach!

i have a few posts lined for the coming days – my favorite moments in portugal and our honeymoon too.

10 things i love and don’t love about living in provo

20 February 2012

9 Comments

one year ago today i was landing in provo for the first time, little i knew about this island, other than the beaches were pristine. i had always wanted to experience life in island like this, i was very excited and i am glad i made the move. now i think back through the past year and what i most like and least like about living in provo.

10 things i love about living in provo

pristine beaches, definitely number one best thing about living in provo, white sand, clear water, never busy and awesome water temperature.

lobster, fresh and affordable lobster is available, never before i had bought so much lobster as in provo (ok, only during lobster season).

no traffic lights, none on island, only roundabouts, actually there is never ever any traffic, and believe me it is a big plus.

weather, always sunny and warm, it does rain from time to time but never enough to wear raincoat and rainboots, it actually feels nice for a change.

people, i love that this is such a multicultural island and that we’ve met amazing people from all around the world.

clothes, i am terrible at wearing layers and find it perfect and relaxing just to wear one layer of clothes, short sleeves most days, no coats, no scarves, no jumpers.

distance, everything is close by on island, and because there is no traffic or peak hours, we take a short time to get anywhere. james takes less than 10 minutes to get to work and we take 5 minutes to get to the supermarket. the beach is 2 minutes away.

lunch, where else would james have time to come home for lunch, it’s a nice break to his busy day and we get to spend some time together.

parking, there is parking everywhere, anywhere we go. and the best thing all free of charge. the only one parking on island with costs is at the airport 1 hour = $1!

water sports, it is so easy to go snorkeling or paddleboarding.

10 things i don’t love about living in provo

sharks, i am super scared of these creatures and james sees them every weekend.

the cost of living is high, almost everything is imported and therefore highly taxed.

there are not many local products, other than lobster, conch and some fish.

we can’t go on last minute road trips on weekends, the island is 98km2, there is only so much to explore.

cinema, there is only one with three screens and not a great choice of movies.

no good pizza and sushi choices, i miss them like crazy.

lack of anonymity, everywhere you go you will always find someone you know.

no public transport, i am lucky to have a car, but many people rely on unofficial jitney drivers.

you cannot live without air conditioning…and i’m not a fan (!)

there are very limited shopping choices. i only shop when i’m off island so when i’m here i give my bank account a little rest.