TCI/Provo 4/7-4/21/16: 4/19/16 NORTH AND MIDDLE CAICOS, POOL, INFINITI BAR, MR. GROUPER'S

4/19/16 Oh my-up at 4:45 am. Yikes! So early for breakfast! Coffee and that yummy, huge almond danish from Caicos Bakery. Bacon. Easy drive to the TCI ferry. Signed in and paid for round trip ferry over to North Caicos. Cost $100 for the 2 of us. Told we could return on any ferry. Not bound by specific time. Nice sunrise. Boat is full. Short 30 minute ride. Too tired to enjoy the scenery.

Sunrise at the TCI ferry dock

Ferry

Almost full

Beautiful

This resort never got completed-abandoned

Upon arrival North Caicos several people holding signs. We spot a guy holding a sign that says Al's rental cars. It's Al. He has around 4 vehicles lined up behind each other. He has Richard sign a form and we get the pink copy. Cost $75.00 Everyone in their cars and off they go. We are the last ones to leave. The windshield is very dirty and Richard finds out no water to clean the windshield. He's pissed. Sun in his eyes makes the driving worse. Takes his hanky and tries to make it slightly better. There's 1/2 tank of gas. We see some signs and make a turn to go to Whitby?? The road is packed dirt with rocks but in rough shape and we're not seeing anything so we decide to turn around.

Approaching North Caicos

Al's rentals-ours is the last one in the line

Paperwork

Drove further than 3/4 mile and no restaurant so we turned around!

We will drive over the causeway to Middle Caicos. Once back on the main road we are doing fine. Road is in good shape. Soon we see the blue roofs of the Blue Horizon Resort. Turn in here. Park and walk down a sandy path of sorts to the beach. This is Mudjin. Waves pounding/crashing against the shore and the rocks I later learn is Dragon Cay. It really is a beautiful sight as everyone says. There's an open cave like area with a bench. Much too dangerous to go in the water. No swimming here. No one else here but as we leave some others are arriving. Now we will try to find the Indian Caves-no luck. Stop at Daniel's Cafe-closed. Quick look at the view and sign for the Crossing Place Trail.

Main road in good shape

Going over the causeway

Turned here to get to Mudjin

Dragon Cay

Selfies!

Me and my shadow

View from Daniel's Cafe

Back on the main road and just driving. We reach Lorimers. End of the road. Decide to go to Bambarra Beach. Almost miss it as sign says Bambarra Bay by the road turn off. Within minutes we're at the beach. Other cars here. Spread out the towels. Current too strong for a swim. This is not turning out like I thought. Stuff washed up on the beach. Some shade trees. Explore. Tiki Huts. Bunk beds inside. Richard says could come here with a sleeping bag and spend the night?? No other facilities here. Susan and her family here. The guys don't look happy. Susan and her sister are walking along the beach. We decide to leave since we can't swim here. No one in the water.

Bambarra Beach-no one swimming

Picnic benches at Bambarra Beach

Tiki Huts

Quaint house

Back to Daniel's Cafe but first........Stop at Middle Caicos Co-Op. Lady explains traditional handicrafts sadly only being done by older folks. Some really nice things for sale. With space in mind I buy a small basket and a bag of sea glass from this co-op. Cost $35.00 Lunch at Daniel's. I'm not very hungry so I order just a coke and salad. Richard orders the cracked conch. Just has water. Others here finishing up. They leave and we're the only ones left. Daniel comes out and I give him a message-a hello-from his nephew Leonardo/Nardo who works at OCW. Daniel is a character. Cost without tip $22.00

This is the basket I bought

Entrance to Daniel's

My salad

Yummy cracked conch

Richard and Daniel

Again try to find Indian Cave-no luck. Give up. Decide to return to North and catch earlier ferry. We are hot and tired from such an early start to the day. One leaves at 1:30 pm, the next after that is 4:00 pm. We may be able to get the 1:30 one. See the sign-Flamingo Pond. Building with viewing platform. Camera has good enough zoom that I can see so many of them way in the distance. Cool. Then we see another sign-Cottage Pond. All of a sudden heading in this direction back to the dock we see signs! Didn't call to make arrangements for Wade's Green Plantation. Bummer. Al is at the dock checking vehicles that have been returned as Susan's group of 4 and another group of 3 have decided to return to Provo. Richard and I debated about putting gas in the car but nothing was said to us by Al and we got it with 1/2 tank of gas. Maybe gas was included in the rental price? (I will later find out that Al hit us with a $25 fuel surcharge for not replacing the gas we used! Won't ever rent from him again nor will I recommend him as he should have communicated/made that clear to us. On the back of our pink paper receipt I do see info on replacing the fuel, etc but how would we know how much to put in-the gauge is still showing 1/2 tank-maybe the gauge is broken??) This car ran good so no complaints on that front. Back on the ferry after giving our return ticket to the lady collecting them. Almost full again with day trippers heading back early. What I learned is that this day trip needs planning. Some things you'd want to visit/see won't be open unless you call ahead to make the arrangements. Big mistake on my part. Would have like to tour Wade's and the Indian Cave. There was supposed to be a sign for the Indian Cave but we never saw it. Also maybe should have gone to the Conch Bar Caves National Park, Hauler Plantation. With these sights could have spent the entire day here. In hindsight would have made better plans and maybe taken the 9:30 am ferry instead of the 6:30 am ferry.

Back over the causeway

Home on North Caicos

Flamingo Pond lookout

TCI ferry

Welcome sign at North's dock

Leaving North

Turquoise life

Jet ski

Back to OCW and the pool!! Rest of the day here.

Our condo on the 2nd floor-pictured here is the balcony

Our stuff on the drying rack

Decide to check out the Infiniti Bar at the Grace Bay Club which is practically next door. Signs on property grounds to the bar. Told we can sit at the bar or there are groupings of comfy chairs. We pick chairs near the fire pit. Lovely. Server appears to take our order. I go for broke and order the Painkiller which per the menu has something to do with Soggy Dollar Bar in 1970s, Jost Van Dyke, BVI. The menu lists info on the drinks which is very neat. This drink has Pusser's rum, orange juice, pineapple juice, coconut cream. Not as much of a painkiller/strong as I thought but great nonetheless. Richard has-what else-Turk's Head amber. We also get a bowl of tasty popcorn which I finish! Beautiful sunset-best yet. 10% service charge added to bill. Cost without extra tip $29.28

Pre dinner drinks

Good signage on the property

Fire pit

Looks like it may be a gorgeous sunset

Painkiller and me

Richard's drink of choice

Party on the beach??

Infiniti Bar

Popcorn disappeared fast!

Pretty colors

Parking area at Grace Bay Club

Dinner-Mr. Grouper's. I decided on this place as they have coconut crusted grouper on the menu. Locals here as well as tourists. Busy. We decide to sit inside as it's later and we don't want to deal with insect bites by sitting outside where most are. It's quite dark inside so my pictures did not turn out well. Good service. Drinks-water with lemon for me and Turk's Head amber for Richard. I order the coconut crusted grouper and choose sides of baked potato (first one I've had) and steamed veggies. Richard picks the jerk chicken and rice/peas and steamed veggies. What a major disappointment. How could a place named Mr. Grouper's fail with grouper! It was overcooked to almost being mushy. The potato was steaming hot but the veggies barely lukewarm. Richard said his chicken was barely edible. Constantly finding bones. His rice/peas downright cold and veggies lukewarm like mine. And the reviews for this place were so good. Honestly don't know what happened. Maybe we should have complained/said something but thats not how we are. Fortunately all our other dinners have been good. Cost without tip $44.24