Tortola (December 17, 2014)

We leave the USVI and head to the BVI and arrive on Tortola (it’s been about 13 years since Matt and I went down to the British Virgin Islands to charter a sailboat with two other couples).

Sailboat BVIs_2000

Joshua visits with a friend

Joshua visits with a friend

We grab a mooring ball and Matt dinghies in to check us in at customs. We anchor in the harbor at Roadtown. We need to get a phone chip for the BVI and figure out the wi-fi stuff. While there, we check out a few grocery stores and make numerous Digicel visits (the equivalent of Verizon).

The highlight of this stop is a ‘dolphin adventure.’ I decline to participate because I am conflicted about the use of animals in this way [on the one hand, this type of exposure causes Joshua to talk about being a marine

Malachi getting a ride

Malachi getting a ride

biologist; on the other, dolphins are not domestic animals and I don’t like to see them confined (although these were bred in captivity)]. They have an amazing time – they interact for about 45 minutes (dancing with the dolphins, being pulled by them, using signals to communicate, etc.).

We end up being glad that I served as official photographer because the place charges $35 per photo (or $200 for the whole CD) for the ones taken by their photographer.

We end up being glad that I served as official photographer because the place charges $35 per photo (or $200 for the whole CD) for the ones taken by their photographer.

Malachi ends the visit by saying it is the best experience of his entire life (I assume he means besides having me for a mother).