TCI/Provo 4/7-4/21/16: 4/17/16 CORAL GARDENS, DA CONCH SHACK, POOL, MANGO REEF

4/17/16 Breakfast is more substantial today. Richard makes an omelet with feta cheese and chopped tomatoes, crispy bacon, toast, and coffee. What a great start to the day! We decide to return to Coral Gardens for some beach and snorkel time.

Yummy!

Unfortunately Richard forgot to bring his fins with him. They are with Dive Provo on the boat until his diving is finished. He'll see how things are without his fins. I have a bit of a swim and then relax on the towels we brought. Richard decides to take his camera and see what he can see. He sees the biggest barracuda he's ever seen-at least 5', maybe bigger. It followed him around for awhile. (Later we find out this barracuda has a name-Elvis!) He saw turtles and did the snorkel trail. Said the current was very strong and it was hard without his fins. We stayed here for 2 hours watching people parasail and do stand up paddle boarding.

Going for a swim

Barracuda

Turtle

Following Richard is Elvis the barracuda!

You can rent 2 loungers and an umbrella for $40

Snorkel trail

Darker area is where the turtles will be found eating grass

Parasailing

Stand up paddle boarding

Rents out the loungers/umbrellas, snorkel gear

Snorkelers

We decide to drive to da Conch Shack for a light lunch. Not hard to find. We are getting pretty good with getting to places. The map we got from Grace Bay Car Rentals is very good. It's very busy. Tables have nice water views. They sell T shirts, sauces. There's a guy playing the guitar and singing. Very nice atmosphere. Our server is so sweet-Wilna. She's wearing the T shirt that I bought. Cost $28.00 We order coke and Turk's Head amber. Then a plate of cracked conch. OMG they are delicious. Much better tasting for me than the fritters. If we didn't have dinner reservation tonight I'd have ordered another plate! As it was we both felt good, especially after the huge breakfast we had. It appears that a large tour group has arrived. The 2 women (appear to be the guides) have these neat shirts and on the back is written "We'll help you get there" Cute. Cost of our lunch without tip $28.00

T shirt I bought

View from our table

Our server-Wilna

Cracked conch

Back to our condo and a couple of hours in the pool. In talking with others at the pool I meet Susan who is taking the same ferry as us over to North Caicos! Then the 2 women from Boston (forgot their names) thanked me for recommending Somewhere for dinner. They went there last night and liked the food.

Dinner-Mango Reef. I had made a reservation almost a week ago for 6:30 and had requested a railing table which we got. I also had asked if grouper would be on the menu and was told it would be. I should have been more specific. I am pretty sure I had read a review that raved about the coconut crusted grouper here. Well, grouper was on the menu-but not coconut crusted. I asked our server Miterson if the chef could prepare the grouper for me that way. They had coconut crusted shrimp on the menu. He came back and said the chef would not accommodate me. Bummer. Poor Miterson. He was upset that I was upset. Anyway drinks were ordered-coke and Turk's Head amber. A big basket of crusty, warm, delicious French bread slices. Richard ordered the Dominican paella. Everything but the kitchen sink-grouper, tuna, salmon, mussel, scallop, shrimp, chicken, and chorizo cooked with onion, bell peppers, celery, cherry tomatoes, and cilantro. With green peas, fish broth, white wine, saffron, and rice. That bowl was huge and Richard said it was fantastic. He loved every bit of it. I ordered the special-oven roasted crabmeat on top of Red Queen snapper set on mashed potatoes and baby spinach with a capsicum sauce. It was delicious and almost made up for my not getting the coconut crusted grouper! Dessert-Cartelized apple tart with vanilla ice cream. It was so pretty to look at and better to eat! Cost without tip $91.84 We had a nice view of the canal but not a good sunset tonight. What is nice is the lighting that comes on when it gets dark. Even lights on the water. Very pretty.