Tortola - My Turtle Dove
Written: Mar 01 '02 (Updated Mar 01 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: BEAUTIFUL!
Cons: I don't live there!
The Bottom Line: Low crime, beautiful surroundings. The water is safe to drink.
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Tortola was the third of the six islands we visited on our recent trip to the Southern Caribbean. The name, Tortola, means Turtle Dove, its shape resembling a dove in flight.
We left our ship and discovered $12 tours, sponsored by the government, awaited us just as we arrived on shore. If we had arranged these through Carnival, they would have been at least $30. Then again, when you arrive in a port where you've never been, you never know just what is and is not available until you get there, especially with a tight schedule.
My husband wanted to go to the beach and lay in the sun, but I took the bull by the horns, so to speak, and decided to do a tour, only $12, sponsored by the government, not an individual, how could you go wrong?
Our Tour and Tour Guide
We made inquiry at the dock about the tour and promptly boarded the Ford F350, complete with about 4 rows of seats, seating about 4 people across. There was a nice awning above us to keep out the sun and possible rain, as well as clear flaps alongside, which could be unrolled to keep out any potential rain. The tour bus left when it was filled to capacity, shortly thereafter. Six of us from our breakfast table met on this tour, totally unplanned!
Our driver was "Skip," a black gentleman, perhaps in his 60s. He sat in the cab with perhaps a passenger or two, and gave the tour using a microphone. We had a speaker in the bed of the truck and we were able to hear and understand quite well.
J.R. O'Neal Botanic Gardens
Our tour was to be 2 1/2 hours and it was every bit of that, perhaps a bit more. Our first stop was at the J.R. O'Neal Botanic Gardens. It covers about 4 acres, with lush foliage, complete with a chicken or two running around, pecking. I am not sure if the chickens actually belong to someone, or the first one to catch it butchers it, or just what the protocol is. There were palm trees, ferns, and "yellow bell" flowers. We also saw mango trees, with their fruit growing along the trunk.
There a greenhouse, encompassing ferns, as I remember, cactus, hibiscus, and a small area with exotic birds. There is a bench, along with a fountain and restrooms if the need arises. I am told there is a gift shop, but I don't remember it. The park was originally 20 acres, but with "progress" the size of the park has decreased to about 4 acres.
The Ugly American/Canadian
It is said, wherever you go, you bring yourself along. Unfortunately, on this tour, we brought along a couple of couples with rude habits, such as taking their time, by an extra 20 minutes on a 20-30 minute stop at these gardens. Everyone was ready to leave except for them. I guess they had a camcorder and wanted to make sure they filmed EVERY plant close-up, or something.
There was a used car lot just across the street, and just down the street there was the police station, with about a tall chain link fence along one side of it barbed wire on top, yet no gate across the driveway. We saw school kids playing in the schoolyard, wearing red plaid uniforms.
Geography
We noticed the roads were very steep. There were times when Skip would completely stop the F350 and take the transmission into low gear, eventually returning to a normal gear. Again, beeping when going around a corner was the order of the day, with many blind corners on these narrow roads, where you drive on the left-hand side.
There was an occasional cattle grazing, moping alongside the road. Chickens were here and there, along with goats. We noticed there were a lot of homes in the process of being built, most of which were having a second story added to them. A lot of the roofs were made of corrugated tin. There is a law in Tortola, if you purchase land, you must build on it within two years and you must live in it. They don't want the money leaving the island.
The jalousie (louvered) windows were glass in the city, but tended to be metal in the more remote areas. Crime is almost non-existent on this island. A murder in January, made national news. So why the police station with the tall fence? Beats me.
Skyworld
One of the stops Skip made for us was to Skyworld. It all sounds very grand, but it is basically a restaurant and gift shop atop a tall hill, where you can get a great perspective of the surrounding waters and land. You can see Puerto Rico on a clear day. The only improvement I could have made would be if it were sunny. My husband decided to try one of their local brews. There was a small restroom available for your use. We stayed there about 20 minutes, along with a few other tour vehicles.
Tour
Our tour continued around the island, Skip pointed out various local plants that we may not see back home. He would occasionally stop and handle a piece of fruit, still attached to the tree. At this point, one passenger cajoled, "Here, pass the fruit back here! I want to see it closer!" He was only about 10' away, for Pete's sake! He expected Skip to pick a piece of fruit that wasn't his for the sake of his passengers? I felt sorry for Skip.
Skip informed us that herbs are very popular in the islands. Indeed, a lot of sophisticated medicines are based on plant life; digitalis and penicillin are a couple.
Tortola is graced on one side by the Atlantic, and the other side by the Caribbean, as are a lot of islands in the Caribbean.
Cane Bay Garden Beach
This was our last stop on this island. As we drove into the beach area, there were open-air restaurants/shacks, where you could have a brew or two, order something to eat, or perhaps indulge in a strawberry ice cream. The lounge chairs were free on this 45-minute stop. There were a couple of hammocks, slung between a couple of palm trees. You could recline if the urge hit, or you could wade/snorkel in the absolutely BEAUTIFUL, CLEAR waters! The sand is white, fine, and clean. I didn't notice any clutter. What I DID notice were the pelicans diving into the water for their meals, as were those black and white birds that look black and blue. There was also a gift shop toward the rear of the "complex."
There was a rock formation off to the right side of the beach, with a type of green plant/moss growing up the side of it. Perhaps we were at low tide and this would be covered up by a high tide.
Caribbean Wallpaper
Can't get to the Caribbean this year? Below is a link where you can download some GREAT photos of the Caribbean for your computer! Just dream, and then plop those dollar bills into your savings account, or get the plastic out! There is still going to be cold weather up North for a little longer this year!
http://uweb.superlink.net/rwilmott/wallpaper/wallpaper.html
All Good Things Must End
On the way back to the ship, we drove through a small downtown area, similar to cities with a population of about 100,000 - 200,000 people. There were a few familiar names of businesses that don't come to mind now.
As well, getting closer to the dock there were a few tented areas with gifts and souvenirs for sale. One of our passengers requested to get off here, instead of the dock, where we had been picked up. It was only about a 1/2 mile walk back to the ship. I really didn't get any souvenirs on Tortola, so I can't tell you about any good buys or prices.
Overall, I really liked Tortola. I liked the quietness of it all, and the natural beauty. If you wish an international flight, Puerto Rico is only about a 30-minute flight away.
Here is additional information on the British Virgin Islands, if you desire.
http://www.b-v-i.com/beef.htm
Recommended:
Yes
Best Time to Travel Here: Dec - Feb
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remnjava
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