Toes in the Sand.

We have arrived!

A long, long day of shuffling through airport queues and lugging bags bigger than Stacy through crowds and we have arrived in Tortola.

On the approach to the island in a prop plane we were blown away at the steep volcanic mountains that comprise the virgin islands.  The water was so blue and the hills so green that it was hard to process.

Once we landed, we hit a speed-bump as we proceeded through customs.  It seems that the immigration officers will not accept either an FBI or a PA State Criminal Record check if it is not signed by an actual person.  So...we've got 7 days to come up with one....or else!

The streets we traveled on the way to our lodging for the next month were narrow and shockingly steep.  We wound down a twisty road to our little residence and promptly walked down to the beach.  Our plan is to get in as much snorkeling as possible incase we are sent home by immigration....haha.

Cheesin' hard.

The water is so clear that peering off into the depths is slightly unnerving.  As we lounged in the warm water it finally began to sink in that we will be living in a Corona commercial for at least the next two years.

We ran into a rather large jack and several huge schools of small fish while snorkeling along the boulders that cascade into the ocean.  As I entered a crevasse between two of the huge rocks the jack swam straight for me as it tried to escape from where I had just incidentally cornered it, frightening me more than a little.  We also ran into several small Permit, a sign of good things to come with the fly rods, hopefully.

Permit and a school of baitfish.

Permit or Pompano? I dunno.

We stayed in the water to watch the sun set behind an outcropping of rocks to the west.  It was b-e-a-utiful.

Our home until we find a suitable place to rent is a cozy little resort 100ft from the water.  Its full of wicker furniture and voracious ants, much to the dismay of Stacy.

Our school director took us to dinner at a place called Pusser's.  As we sat on the dock overlooking some spotlights on the shallow reef a 5ft shark cruised past.  The food was delicious.

After dinner, we cruised down the beech with our headlamps on, looking for animals.  The stars rivaled those that my brother and I had seen while camping high in the rockies in Colorado.  Light pollution is almost non-existent and the Milky Way is clearly visible in the night sky.  We stopped at a bar on the beech as we returned but they had just closed.  Maybe tomorrow night...