The Budget Babe's International Travel Advisor Fifi LaMode recounts an envy-arousing excursion to Biras Creek in the British Virgin Islands. —TBB
by Fifi LaMode
After surviving our first storm at sea (we found out that these weather events occur just prior to hurricane season and go away after about 12-18 hours.), we woke to a clear sunny day. We could finally appreciate the beauty of Marina Cay and looked forward to a new day.
The route for the day was relatively simple, and I felt more comfortable navigating, especially since I could actually see the places on the chart (in sailing talk it's "charts", not maps). There were some neat rock formations, some small islands with strange names like "the Dogs", and we saw Necker Island which belongs to Richard Branson. We sailed thiiiis close to it. You can get as close as you want because the water belongs to no man.
Destination Biras Creek in Virgin Gorda. The chart shows a long coral reef to be avoided, but after yesterday's ordeal, Fifi is undaunted. I navigate almost into it. Oops. Saved by the GPS. We enter a huge harbor, along with many other sailboats. It's such a lovely feeling as you and others around you all enter the safety of this enormous harbor for the night.
There are many places to dock but Biras Creek is at the far southeast corner and is a jewel of a haven. We find a mooring and watch the boats come in. Biras Creek is used to shelter boats during hurricanes, that's how safe it is. The water is so calm today, and so blue, and you can see for miles. A short dinghy ride away is the Bitter End Yacht Club, a resort where you can rent boats, snorkel, scuba, and where people who've been at sea for a few days can use a proper landlubber's shower for $3.
We were happy with our shower on the boat, but I was told the Bitter End's are top class. They have a lovely path around the resort where you can walk around. For those who enjoy luxury resorts, it's a great place. We preferred the Fat Virgin, a restaurant near our boat that had great food and friendly service, a winning combination (Richard Branson eats there when he's in the area). The path leading from the restaurant took us to the grounds of another resort, this one more low-key. We were the only ones walking.
Twilight brought out the land crabs that hid into their holes when they spotted us. We also saw some lizards, and the birds were chirping their evensong, and colorful flowers and shrubs were everywhere. When we returned to the boat we watched the stars and wished this day would last and last. Life doesn't get much better than Biras Creek on that April night.
Last week's column: Trouble on the high seas for Fifi