Still no apartment

Bad news is that the apartment is still not ready today so I've gone back to Maria's by the sea hotel which is fine by me.  Good rooms, good food and great view... as per attached photo of the sunset this evening..... although tonight I went to the Marina next door to try out the restaurant there.... another good find, can't believe the price of eating out in the BVI... there is no incentive to cook at home as it is so cheap!

 

Hopefully apartment should be ready tomorrow.  My passport should also be ready for collection which means I can then apply for my phone line, internet, bank account.... etc.

First day at work

Good first day in the office.  Met the team that I’ll be working with, they all are great people and really friendly.  Got assigned my office and picked up my rental car.

Today that the weather is great, I get to spend it in the officeL Ah well, plenty of weekends ahead to explore the island.

 

No news on the apartment yet….

Facebook album

facebook David M Parody 10:47am Jan 6th Facebook album To hdcgib.davidinthebvi@blogger.com   You might also want to check out the facebook photoalbum for the BVI just in case I forget to post to the blog...... David has shared an album with you. To view the album or to reply to the message, follow this link: http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=554302165&k=35ET35S2R5TF2D1BPB3ZX Are your friends bothering you? You can opt out of emails from friends on Facebook.

Because life's too short to be in a hotel room....

OK so it is really pissing down and there is no sign of a let up.... so why stay in the hotel when there is a new town to discover?  That's what I did and got a drenching for it... pero at least I got some nice pics out of day one....

 

Could not resist the photo of the donkey and the fasten seat belt sign, classic!  The other shots are street scenes and buildings dotted in and around town, a couple of the cruise ships in port and the marinas which is the mainstay of the tourism industry in the BVI.  Two photos to also prove that it is indeed raining in the BVI!

 

Found a nice little restaurant in town but service was very slow, just as well as the rain did not stop and this gave me a chance to dry off :)

 

Still hoping that the cloud will burn off and I can catch a few rays of sunshine at the pool this afternoon.... best to live as an optimist!

Day One

Woke up this morning to the sound of a cockerel singing his heart out at 7:00am... who needs an alarm with a wake up call like this! Slept like a baby after the long day's flying yesterday. Had a hearty breakfast on the terrace looking out across the bay where the Queen Mary II is disgorging its passengers onto an unsuspecting Tortola.

Am looking forward to talking a walk in Road Town but have been set back by the torrential rains that are presently over the island. With any luck these should pass over in a couple of hours and leave a clear day. Want to find out where the amenities are, supermarket, ATM, bank. etc are located and walking is the best way to find them... but not in this weather.

Fortunately the hotel has free Wi-Fi access which has allowed me to get on-line and make contact with family etc...... will need to sort this out in the apartment as well. Was very surprised with the call quality of calls made using Skype's Call Out service which means that I can call Gib for 0.05Euro a minute to landlines! Way to go Skype!

The flight etc

The flight was a killer.  Nine hours give or take a few minutes.  Ni business class ni leche mahada!  It tires you out!

 

The killer was the Antigua connection.  There was supposed to be a 1.5 hour change which under any other airport would have been OK.  Pero not in the Caribbean.....  Por empezar the BA flight got in 30 mins late, good thing I was first out of the plane... there should be a transit desk but no I had to get behind 600 Virgin 747 passengers which had just arrived and pass customs and immigration in Antigua... aqui me cole do todo dios as this can take 2 hours by itself.... then find the American Eagle check in desk which had practically closed by now.. the check-in girls looked at me as saying you are not going to make it.... speak to BA see if they can get you passed the queue, this was the queue to get back into the departures lounge and through security, pretending I was on another flight which was already boarding I jumped to the front of that queue or I would still be there!

 

Made just in time for the flight to be called, and yet another security check!

 

The friendly AA staff were not pleased that I kept asking them if my bags had made it off the BA flight and onto the AA flight... blank looks, on the tarmac I see the trolley making its way towards the aircraft and on it were my two suitcases, at least they would make it.  50 minutes later (after another delayed departure) I land at BVI.

 

When the BVI immigration officer asks me what my leaving date is and I tell her six months, she has a fit!  would I be working----YES!, another fit... where is my work permit?  No idea I reply... this can't be and walks into a room.... minutes later she re-emerges to inform me that my passport will be impounded until the situation is sorted out in a few days time, gives me a receipt for my passport and off I go into the blue yonder now not being able to leave the BVI, even if I wanted to.

 

So now I am here, half way round the world having dinner al fresco (grouper by the way) with a balmy calm see in front of me... let us see what the world brings tomorrow.

 

 

Last minute

With hours to go before my first flight, all my things are packed and I'm ready to go. At least physically ready.

I suppose that it is common to feel apprehensive at this stage about whether I have packed the right gear, left anything important out, packed too much, etc. I don't think that I will get an answer to this until I've been in the BVI for a few weeks and then I remember that I should have packed this or the other. Maybe at the end of the six months I will also say, why did I carry this with me all the way half-way round the world?

There are last minute changes to the packing list which was meticulously prepared weeks ago. For example, photographically I am going to only take my compact digital not my Nikon SLRs. Don't know, somehow the compact serves me well on holiday and I don't want the hassle of a big camera to weigh me down. I might regret this decision big time.

Flying with a serious stomach upset picked up during the Christmas festivities is not going to be fun. Fortunately I've been put on some dramatic antibiotics which should ensure that I get to the BVI in a fit state.

It's been an emotional few days in the run up to my departure. I've not gone back to the office since the Christmas break-up although a few people have phoned me or texted me messages of support and encouragement which was good. But I am trying to keep away from those closest to me as will miss them dearly and my goodbyes are not the most cheerful of events.