Christmas in the sun and all that jazz....

It has been a very long time since I have written my blog... some two months actually!! This has not been because nothing has been going on here, but because the bite of normality hit. The drive to work, the splat of smacking a mosquito, the gorgeous sunsets, the endless beaches......all of these were no longer new. However, now I guess is as good a time as any to provide a proper update.

Over the past few months I have really settled into life here. We have had the opportunity to attend a lovely dinner reception on Norman Island (supposedly home to many an old pirate in days past) courtesy of a lovely chap Lisa and I met out here. The tickets were not easy to get hold of!! The main highlight of the past few months (save for the past week.... which I will come on to) has been our first visitors - Kim and Alexa. It was so nice to have visitors come so far to see us; this made me appreciate my friends even more than I already do. We had a fantastic time with them - diving, eat out, visiting Virgin Gorda and the baths for a day and generally hanging out with good friends. Bliss. Notable highlights of their trip included a night dive to the wreck of the RMS Rhone where, sadly, I smashed my little toe on the boat; eating at the Secret Garden which is a fantastic little restaurant tucked away in Josiah's Bay; and taking in the deserted Long Bay Beach.

And so went the end of November.... roll on December!

December on Tortola is a funny time..... there is none of the crazy Christmas hustle and bustle that I am used to in Manchester or London. None of the over the top, make you spend your entire wallet in rubbish sales, and (most importantly) none of rain, sleet, wind and cold! The first signs of the approaching festive season were in the first week of December when lovely Christmas lights started appearing on houses, talk of Christmas lunches started and blow up santas appeared on the beach. Lisa and I were invited to the Governor's Christmas party at Old Government House. This is a beautiful old colonial house in Road Town which houses the Governor and his offices. We had a fantastic time eating Caribbean nibbles (especially the coconut shrimp), drinking plenty of rum, listening to Caribbean style carols (something of reggae meets catholic hymns...) and generally getting merry!!!

And then came the holiday.... Lisa and I have spent the past 10 days in Puerto Rico and its sister island Vieques. This was a much needed holiday considering all the stress and general crazyness the past year has wrought. We took the short (30 minute) flight to Puerto Rico's capital city, San Juan. There we spent 3 nights in Old San Juan staying in a fab little hotel called 'Da House'. Old San Juan is simply fantastic - a little bit of old Spanish charm here in the Caribbean. Lisa and I made the most of being in a big (for us that is) city - shopping, eating tapas and sushi and generally taking in the chilled atmosphere.

We then took another very short flight (around 20 minutes) to Puerto Rico's sister island of Vieques. Up until 2004 Viques was largely occupied by the US Navy which used it, basically, for bombing practice.... much to the displeasure of the locals. Sadly it took the death of a local from a stray bomb to make the US government see sense and quit the island. The result is both good and bad. The island has a very laid back caribbean feel to it, but with very good infrastucture (especially compared to Tortola) including some of the most wild and beatiful beaches I have ever laid eyes on. Sadly though, much of the island is closed off due to large amounts of toxins in the land from the countless bombs (some of which remain unexploded). Thankfully, there is a clean up operation going on and more of the island is opening up. Needless to say, Lisa and I had a fantastic time chilling on the beaches, eating in some fantastic restaurants (espcially El Quenepo) and exploring the various old military ruins in our 4x4.

Having thoroughly unwound on Vieques, Lisa and I flew back to San Juan and checked into the Conrad hotel in Condada (about 10 minutes in a car from Old San Juan). Condado is a funny place... a mix of old delapidated rotting skeletons of hotels from the 60's and the rich grandeur of the more modern hotels. This area of San Juan is clearly trying to emulate Miami, but is a long way off. That said, we had a great time chilling by the pool (a nice change from the sand and sea), sipping cosmo's and dirty martinis, and eating at (again) fantastic restaurants including the incredible La Perla in the La Concha hotel.

So in summary, the past 10 days have a been a brilliant, relaxing and indulgent holiday... and now we are back to reality. Thankfully, some time away allows for perpsective. Coming back to our home here in Tortola from the glitz of San Juan has allowed me, again, to appreciate what a special place we live in. From the clean air and empty beaches to the slow pace of life and the santas on the beach - home is home and it is good to be back.

Now, my blog would not be the same without some facts:

1) Bio Bay (which we visited by cayak at night) on Viques is home to the world's most concentrated area of bioluminescence caused by the dinoflagellate micro-organisms. A combination of the red mangroves, an enclosed water space and no pollution has lead to this amazing feat of nature. As you cayak and then swim through the water, the water around you lights up as bright as a light. This quite simpy one of the wonders of the natural world!!!

2) Puerto Rico is home to the biggest Jewish population in the whole Caribbean with some 3,000 Jewish inhabitants many of whom escaped from Cuba after the revolution.

3) Although Puerto Rico is a US territory, citizens were granted US citizenship in 1917 and the local currency is the US Dollar, it has its own Olympic team and competes as an independent nation in the Miss Universe competition!!

Well a New Year beckons and I promise to do an update soon and not leave it another 2 months.

One final note - while I was away in San Juan, I received some very happy news - my oldest and best friend Nick has finally taken his cojones in hand and asked his girlfriend to marry him. Thankfully she said yes and they will be getting hitched!! Congratulations to you both!!