Way Back Last Week (St. Lucia Day THREE)

Yeah, I know I know.. no WBW. (1) I forgot and am in a hotel room in Little Rock and (2) I kinda like re-living my vacation by typing it all up so I don't forget anything! :) You all rock my socks with the sweet comments here and on fbook....b/c today was loooong and you made me smile :). *Got out of work about 2hrs later than anticipated, *got rental car which turned out to be a big, white minivan...haha.. Sheez.., *took Gracie to mom's and realized a pipe burst in the bathroom or something. Cleaned up flood til mom got home and hit the road, *forgot pike pass at work and had to write a 1.25 check to the dept of transportation (they don't take check cards). Yeah, I did. Also got a lecture about keeping cash w/me. Thanks, toll lady. *sigh* 

Finally got to the Rock and had a FAB dinner with Melissa at a hibachi place! Mood improved vastly. Actually, mood wasn't bad before-The whole day had been kinda hilarious. I was just kinda over this whole meeting thing this week. Got to hotel and get this... got a room key.. to a room that already had people in it! I didn't think that ever actually happened! hahaha! I just laughed. The guy felt so bad. I assured him it was NBD...Comedy... :)

Okay, so that's my life now. I'd like to go back to the fantasyland of vacation before I sign off for bedtime. :) 

Woke up, excited to head to our next hotel and headed to a coffee place for bagel breakfast sandwiches (looks familiar, right?)

May have stopped along the way to look at real estate... The beach homes there are cheaper than most on Grand Lake. I know which one I'd rather have.. Just sayin...:)
View of the strip beside the coffee shop. The first hotel we stayed was in the most populated area on the island... 
We packed up, took a few more photos around the hotel pool, and headed to our second hotel on Marigot Bay! Annnnd here's the reception area! 
The restaurant below reception where we ate breakfast each morning looking out on the bay! :)Greeted with fabulous rum punch! All smiles! So excited to see our room! :)

So...I'm taking a pic of the (amazing) room when Eric bursts from the bathroom in the robe dropping it like it's hot...haha...Jeez...
And in case I haven't mentioned the view, I'll share it with you...We overlooked the pool and out into the bay.. gorgeous!
We were at the pool about...um..10 minutes after checking in. :) Discovery was the only hotel where we actually hung at the pool b/c it was so fabulous!! Plus, neither one of us had ever stayed anywhere with a swim up bar. LOVED it! They have barstools. UNDER THE WATER. And, like the rest of the staff, the bartender was awesome-friendly, attentive, all-around great! :) Jax & Eric = loving life. :)
Low season meant less crowds...total relaxation... 
Hey, I have an idea.. I'll put a flower in my hair and let's go for a walk....
I am Eric, king of the resort. 

Kept walking....til we realized the gate we'd walked towards was locked...haha.. 

Backtracked to walk along the marina...which made us both want a boat. Badly. More to come regarding this. ;)

Who'd we meet at the pool that day? A couple from Oklahoma! And they weren't the first or the last we'd meet! They'd sold their home and were just chillin on their boat-had been in St. Lucia since MARCH! Hi, my name is Jax and if you need boat crew, I'm volunteering. Just feed me once in awhile... and let me bring Eric...and my camera. Thanks.  Anyway, you'd be surprised how many people from this area of the country there were! Case in point...

Bigger than the rest of the other amazing boats, this one stood out... 
...til this boat showed up the next day and docked next to it. You could fit like 8 of those boats on the below yacht. Really. And yeah, I'm getting out of order here, but whatever. Meet the Vive La Vie. Who's on it? Not sure b/c apparently it's kinda a mystery who owns this fabulous sea beast. Just launched this year, it was headed for the Med. (Yeah, people really say that "sailing the 'med'"-I want to say that. I want to DO that.) I felt awesome just being able to say I was that close to a yacht.. haha...Comedy. 

If I had a boat, I would do this as I sailed across the "med." Bahahaha....

We continued our walk and saw...gasp...FISH.. Imagine that in a bay.. haha.. We're easily impressed. But, hey, they're big, right?! 
Back to the hotel, decided to continue exploring....
I miss vacation. *sigh* 
Ready for dinner! On our walk, we'd found a place we'd read about online and decided to give it a shot. I opted for no mo blowdrying on the trip on this day... :)
Love this shot of Eric on the bridge...I could make that walk to dinner everyday... 
Welcome to Chateau Mygo! Sitting near us was a small group of people, including the restaurant's owner. She was a pilot for Delta for many years, wanted to open a restaurant and went back home to St. Lucia! (I love that Eric and I both talk to people, but still maintain "our" vacation) :) Her family apparently owned most of the property on Marigot Bay and sold it to what is now a few villas, etc. Anyway, the other people in the group consisted of people who'd just up and moved to St. Lucia! This was their regular hangout! Listening to their convo was awesome.. It was just so relaxed...and they referred to things as "oh, this is a new dish, huh?" I could be a "regular" on an island. Yeah. I could. 
Are you eating dinner? B/c if you are, this is the menu. Someone came and sat it there for us...haha...  (the prices are in Eastern Caribbean btw. Don't be intimidated). 
Remember the "green flash" in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean? Check this out.. See the little bit of green as the sun's setting?! One of the "locals" (aka transplant from the states) said he'd seen it twice that week, but never before. Awesome! I can't believe Eric caught it b/c it happens super fast... 
The person taking the picture was the new wife of the guy behind us.. haha.. He looks thrilled. (and yeah, we sat next to each other to see the sunset, but otherwise don't. (Question: Do you do that? Ever sit beside your date/boyfriend/husband? I think it's totally awkward but that's me.)Our hotel at night! So pretty! They have a bar they called Hurricane Hole b/c well...that's what this bay is. In hurricanes, this is one of the safest places to be thanks to the mountains blocking weather. The hotel manager said during hurricanes, boats head to their bay and are stacked so tightly, you can actually walk across the entire bay from boat to boat!
Got back to the room and....the hotel's turn down service had done their stuff! Awesome!! They even put little flip flops by the bed for us! I was really entertained by the net. Obviously. 
...but so was Eric. ;)
And at a whopping 9pm, we crashed. :)

Goodnight everyone and happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for bearing with the vacation posting! (this was my "let's take a sleepy pic!" but I couldn't stop laughing or making ugly faces...whatever. It's cheesy. I know it. But, I still like it.)
 

Call on Me (St. Lucia Day TWO)

At Jump Up, we liked a lot of the music and managed to actually find what became the "vacation song" called Call on Me by Jah Cure. Wanna listen? It's catchy. Promise. :)

So, blogger was being a beast at work today and wouldn't let me comment on your blogs OR login. Arg! Annoying. This means I'll have to bring the mac when I travel tomorrow. Yes, that's right... I forgot I was leaving town for a meeting in Arkansas! Oops! 

Alright peeps...without further adieu.. here's day two! (I didnt mean for that to rhyme). I started making the pics a little bigger. And.. thanks so much for the comments on day one!! I'm trying to get facebook uploaded. I think my new fav application is iphoto for facebook b/c you can upload up to 200 pics per album! HELL YES! I only have two albums! :) I get props for whittling 1300 pics to 400. And I'll upload more to snapfish or somewhere if you wanna see more scenic and retardedly cheestastic (yes there are some) ones. 

As I posted, we had a tour on day two...and I was...um..a little hungover to be blunt here. 7:30 am.. rise and shine! Eric shined. I rose. Barely. 

Making fun of me....Nice. (Actually he gets props for being super sweet til I felt better around oh....10am) 


Spencer drove us around the capital at Castries and showed us some old buildings used during some of the 14 wars (between Great Britain and France) held over the island nation. We were asked what the below building looked like. We both guessed church. Wrong. It's an old jail. 
9:15 am or so, we stopped for breakfast at a local food stand. Spencer, our guide, bought breakfast and was so sweet, wanting us to try the local food. :) My tummy was not in any shape for that, but Eric got a bowl o' pork smothered in garlic (yeah) and Spencer got a bowl of soup for Eric to try later...cow heel soup. Do you have a hangover? B/c picture yourself having one and being offered cow heel soup. haha. 
Spencer stopped at a banana plantation.. one of many on the small island. Their bananas are a bit smaller than what we're used to and sweeter... They're rather awesomesauce. Seriously. The locals eat 4 or 5 in one sitting! (Eric may have gotten made fun of for asking to purchase just one banana later in the trip.. )

The color blue keeps certain bugs away and the bags protects the bananas. (I'm an expert now or something apparently)
Hi, I'm a baby banana. 
This is Eric. In a plantation. With his bowl o pork. (haha)
Close-up fishing village. 
From the mountains..same village... :)
Meet Jax and Eric. They're a cute couple. Fact. 
Yes! My fav! Snake man. Okay, so we're driving along with Spencer and he says "Wanna see a boa constrictor?" (native to island). Correct answer here, people: DUH. This dude was awesome. He sits by the road and collects tips (think 2 dollars or so) for letting people get pics of the snake. haha.. And what I love is how much he could give a rip. He's got his smokes, his snake....life's good. 
Soufriere. Our third hotel was between the two peaks. Gros Piton is the one we planned to hike with a guide before we opted to enjoy Pitons (the local beer) on the beach instead. ( Sending love to those who try it. I'll blow you kisses from the beach.) Petit Piton is much more steep and is a death trap not recommended for climbing.
Touraille waterfall! I heart waterfalls!
Love this shot!
Note I am fully clothed. I did not leap from any rocks or break any ribs. Thank you very much. 
Welcome to the drive in volcano! (aka sulfur springs). In the 1800s, it was mined for it's sulfur but hasn't erupted since the 1700s and is therefore dormant (I'll take volcanos for 400, Alex)... But see the steam? Dude. It's hot.
One of these little hot spots is called Gabriel's crater. Some moron tour guide jumped on the rock to demonstrate how sturdy it was. Yeah. Let's just say it wasn't so sturdy. Thanks, Gabriel. 
The piton is huge. Eric is surprised. (We're so easily entertained with ourselves it's scary).
After the tour, Spencer took us to a little place in Soufriere for lunch. Soooo good...a full plate of chicken, rice, salad, plantains, etc...
Spencer brings along beer and rum punch should you desire to indulge. I was finally feeling back to normal but a certain vacation date (*cough ERIC*) nixed my "I'll have some rum punch" comment...haha... This was my face. 

I ended up trying it anyway... This is how much I loved it!

The restaurant from the outside!
Okay, so our first tour stop earlier in the day was a place called Port Saraphine...where all the cruise ships come in. It's a center full of duty free shops. Eric found a watch he'd been looking for in the states, they didn't have the exact one, so the store ppl found it at another store and brought it back..after hours! Spencer drove us back over there for Eric to retrieve his watch and the place was closed aka became our "lets entertain ourselves" photo wonderland for about 15 minutes. 

Are you going to St. Lucia? B/c I highly recommend our tour guide. He.was.awesome. Eric found him on the net on some forums bragging about him. Such a great guy.. He had a wealth of info on the island plus some amazing personal stories. Loved every minute (after two waters and some tylenol that is). :)

Whew.. that took awhile.. Okay...our friends from OK (from law school) found a random hole in the wall place on a horseback riding tour they'd been on that day and asked if we'd be interested in going back for dinner. They'd taken a pic with Amy Winehouse there earlier... Sincerely hoping we'd see some of her antics, we were in. It was so randomly located, our cab driver had to ask where it was.... Hilarious. 

Here's the place! Called Majories Beach Bar!
Yeah, this is for real. Apparently this floated up, the US came and cleaned it out, and left it. Hilarious!!
Oh and did I mention it was karaoke night?! Awesome. :)
Bonfire!!! (with a few rain drops) Gorgeous. 
I was being a stubborn jerk/only child trying and failing to get a good shot of the palm tree and moon...and Eric figured it out! Thank you, Canon, for having cool features on your point and shoot cameras. :)
Dinnertime!! Hope you had a great Monday! Once I got through my zillion emails, life started looking a little brighter today. I only went to youtube twice (ish) to listen to that song linked above and pretend to be on the beach. 

Hopefully I'll finish fbook tonight. :) 

Weekend Recap AND St. Lucia Day ONE!

Hi hi!! So, the weekend was weird b/c my days are all still messed up. It's kinda hilarious actually. Friday night, slept. A lot. Saturday, was a pretty pathetic couch potato...SYTYCD, Here Come the Newlyweds (boo for the Cox's going home), Real World-Road Rules finale, The Soup,...yeah. I'm so cool. Oh, and I did get off my rear long enough to unpack! Eric, his brother and I went to see The Hangover on Saturday night. I don't think I've laughed that hard in a movie in awhile..but warning.. it's super inappropriate. If you're offended by the f bomb, I'd advise against spending 8.50 to see it... Covering all our bases on foods we missed while gone, finished the night with Braums and headed home. This morning, we went through all our photos and exchanged! You know what that means....THEY'RE GETTING POSTED PRONTO!!!

To kick off this hoorah, just gonna say... I'm sorry b/c it's going to be ridiculous...hahaha. :) I opted to take my new blog friend, Megan's, approach by going vacation day by day in posting! I hope you had a great weekend, everyone! Here's our trip... from Miami (Wed the 3rd) through the end of Friday (the 5th). Since Friday was the first full day, I'm considering this all day one. 

Lunch at our hotel in Miami...rested and ready for St. Lucia! (thank you camera self timer.. It got used...A LOT).

Our first room! Coco Palm! Very cute little boutique hotel in Rodney Bay (the busiest part of the island). Super affordable and great staff!!
Arrived. Set bags down. Went to hotel restaurant. Ordered beverages. We had our priorities, people.. haha! (you can guess which one is mine)
The local beer-Pitons!
Coco Palm wasn't right on the beach, but wasn't far at all!
A little crooked, but not too bad for the self timer, huh?!
Where would you like to sit? Right in front of the restaurant/bar? Yeah. That works. haha!
Hung the entire day at the beach, relaxed, bought jewelry from a local guy, headed back to the hotel for the Friday night Jump Up (the local party-fish fry in town!)
The bar and restaurant at our hotel. Super cute. Eric's sitting in center in green shirt (aka in front of the bball game) ;)
If Eric turned over his left shoulder in previous pic, this is what he would have seen!
Jump Up! Locals come out and bbq fish, chicken, and every kind of food you'd want! We bought local beers from a guy who had a "bar" (cart) set up and was selling them to buy football uniforms for his kids school. Super cute. (they have a really good school system there.. will comment on this later).
Eric red snapper. I think it was dead. Hopefully. I had chicken. ;)

People made things out of the palm trees-including angel fish! Cute, right?
Jump Up was really rolling as we were leaving to head back to Coco Palm! :) They had a stage, reggae music blasting, etc. We met up with my friend from law school and his wife for a night walk on the beach before heading home. :) 
I'll fill you in more later, but one thing I was absolutely astounded by is how fabulous the people are! We never felt like "bothersome tourists." As a cab driver told us, children are taught in schools to smile and wave at tourists...and have full understanding about the income they bring to the island nation. I never once felt unsafe. Locals pass each other and wave, comment about each other's lives, honk to say hello, etc...so great! Speaking of cab drivers, it's a top position on the island and is highly respected...costing over $20,000 USD to just BECOME a driver and that doesn't include your car. The drivers are all very proud of their cars...and most are very nice SUVs. More about all of this later so I don't totally bore everyone any more than I already have..haha!

Hope you had a great weekend! I'm sad to be back in a way...but so glad to have had the experience! I can't wait to go back to the Caribbean, but I bet I'll be hard pressed to find anywhere I love as much as St. Lucia...or as much as this trip. :)