So it has taken me a few weeks to get things going on the blog. It was a very hectic first week in the BVI, spending much time in labour/immigration offices or wandering around Roadtown trying to figure out where I'm supposed to be going. I successfully sorted out all my paper work with labour and immigration, and I am now a resident of the BVI, complete with a fancy stamp in my passport.
The original plan for my living arrangements were to stay on and take care of a boat that I had found on Craigslist. Like most things you find over Craigslist, if it sounds too good to be true, it's probably not true. The boat was in decent condition, but wasn't what the owner described it to be, and he seemed to have other motives for the boat beyond me taking care of it. He already had a buyer lined up, and I didn't want to end up without a place to stay once the deal was finalized to I decided to walk away. I ended up crashing on my buddy/colleague Chris' boat for the week and he set me up with a friend who happened to have an old-school 46 foot yacht (maybe its a ship? certainly a solid vessel) laying anchored in the same harbour where his boat was. Though this boat was even older, and stankier, and required a lot of work, I didn't have too many more options, so it had to suffice.
After a not-so-successful swim under the boat to chip barnacles off the prop, the boat was moved onto the dock, and 2 days were spent cleaning the mildew out of the boat. Chris took me shopping to pimp the boat out and make it more liveable, and lets just say the "island department store" is highly entertaining after some afternoon beers! The main cabin (aka the "chill-zone") of the boat is now finely decorated with red chili lights, tropical fish throw pillows, lion and jaguar printed blankets, while my sleeping quarters are donned with the finest zebra print blankets, a pillow with a cartoon panda on it, and some sort of ambiguous wild animal print rug. The "island department store" is certainly no Ikea. The kitchen was re-fitted with a small bar fridge that costed far too much for it's size, and a small convection oven which has been known to make everything from eggs to hot dogs to pizzas. My cooking abilities have been severely downsized due to the size and caliber of the kitchen but I make do. The sacrifices one makes to live in paradise. Ghetto luxury, no doubt.
I am quickly approaching the end of my first month on the island, and time has been flying by. I didn't have a slow introduction to my job, so it has kept me on my toes everyday. The yacht club here has hired me basically to help with improving it's sailing program and to help run the national sailing team. It has been a lot of work, but all of it rewarding. At the end of the month we have team trials for the BVI sailing team, and I will be heading up the new Development Team, which introduces young and keen sailors into racing. It's going to be a great program and I'm really stoked to get it started.
As far as traveling around Tortola, and to the other islands, I haven't done a lot of that. I've been to the east end of Tortola, and spent an afternoon on the beach, and made a venture to the Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda last Monday for a "Monday Night Mash Up". It was quite the night and a hell of a party. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see much of the island as it was dark when we arrived. Though the next morning I woke up to an incredible view from my friend Alex's house. There are a few photos from his place, and from the walk back to the ferry dock. Soon I will have a real ghetto jeep to ride around in, so I should be able to explore more of the island, and hopefully get out into the surf at Josiah's bay and eventually Cane Garden bay.
December will be bringing many good things, so I look forward to the upcoming month! The 'Christmas Winds' will be picking up, my parents will be visiting for Christmas, and my beautiful girlfriend will be visiting and staying over New Years! December will involve a plenty of good times and some stories, and hopefully some good photos, too.
In conclusion, things are going well for me here on Tortola, and I have been settling in comfortably. Life is certainly different down here compared to the hustle and bustle of Toronto and Ottawa, though I miss home quite a bit. So far the hardest part is dealing with missing my friends and loved ones, and adjusting to the slow pace at which everything and everyone moves. That's all for now.
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