The usual!

I have said it before and I do it again... Between work and bad internet signal at home, it goes far too long between my updates! You don't appreciate good internet until you have been down here for a while!

So what have I been up to since last?

I managed to escape from the island for 3 nights and I ended up in Miami and stayed at our (that would be Four Seasons) hotel there. The trip was dedicated to shopping, and did we do that or what?! Tara, my friend came along as the shopping consultant. Every woman needs one!

We had 2 full days in Miami, and the first day we spent at Sawgrass Mills Mall. We spent to be exact 11h at the mall, with only 30 min break for food!

The following day we spent in South Beach and strolled around and did some more shopping! And ate Sushi!

There were two things we had set our minds on when it came to food.. Sushi and... I'm almost ashamed to say it, but McDonalds! When we made it there it turned out that they had closed 2 minutes before we arrived and only the drive through were open. Only one problem.... we had walked there... But after a short deliberation we decided to line up after the other cars in the drive through, and get our McDonalds! I'm sure a few people had a good laugh!

And what has happen in Nevis?

One very exciting thing was the opening of our new grocery store (I know, it's only a store). It's very nice with a few new exciting products. Expensive though but it's nice to just walk around! Hahaha! Like I would ever do that if I lived in Sweden!

I also got a side promotion. I have now moved down to our lunch restaurant, the Cabana! And I enjoy it very much. Not only the hours are better, I also finally get to see our guests in the hotel and get a chance to talk to them. The 2 weeks I have been down there I have met many great guest with interesting stories!

Hard at work!

Today we are sailing over to St. Kitts to give the new restaurant Carambola another try. I'm hoping they have Sushi by now! A little windy at the moment, as it is around this time (the trade winds) but I'm sure it will be a nice day on Feisty as it usually are!

 Cheers my friends!

Camilla

A day on Feisty

I had a Sunday off and what better to spend it on a boat with good company!

The Crew!
Miles, Tara, Mark, Ana, Angi, Nitin, Mazen, Jan

We sailed off from Oualie Beach in Nevis with Miles and Feisty, down the coast line to Four Seasons Resort to waive at our coworkers who had to hold the fort down, while we were sipping on rum punch and Rose!

Serving Rose

Then we sailed across the channel over to St. Kitts and went for a snorkel and swimming at Shitten Bay (well, it's nicer then it sounds!)

After a very active stop we got on board again and aimed for Reggae Beach Bar, where we had some food (and delicious daiquiris). You should not swim after eating, but we have all been taught different, everything from 10 min after eating to 1 hour, so we all went in for another swim and play.

Exchanging Fries

                                  

Excellent job Mazen!

7 hours later we cruised back to Oualie Beach and although we all were sad it was over, I think we all were tired and ready to take a nap!

                             

Tired troopers!

 I had a great day off and it was so much fun! Hopefully we'll do it again, soon!

Cheers my friends!

Camilla

St. Kitts

Managed to get to St. Kitts the other week and did a tour around the island. Beautiful place!

Brimstone Hill Fort

Sint Eustatius seen from St. Kitts

Feisty on land

Tourist

Small little street

Local post office!

Black Rock

Volcano island...

Hahaha! Love this one!

Cheers my friends!

Camilla

Hurricane Season

Hurricane season is in full swing and we have already packed up the hotel three times (for nothing, thank God!) 

The last storm, Maria, was a tricky one though. We were all got ready at the hotel, and around the island. Boats were taken out of water (one of them were supposed to take me and some friends on a tour on yesterday.. Hmm.. Now it's on land for a few weeks for maintenance..). Anyway, we were all ready and on Friday night we got together and had drinks at Ouallie Beach before calling Christian at Chrishi Beach to see if the kitchen was open. I went ahead and pre ordered myself some pasta Bolognese. As we waked in to Chrishi, a table was prepared for me and my pasta came out! 

So, Saturday morning we woke up, thinking the storm would be howling, but instead we woke up to blue skies and sunshine! Hmmm... interesting... And nothing came all day. Very confusing. Sunday turned out to be a crap day though and by the time I was leaving work, the lightning storm was in full action. I drove home feeling like it was day time, that's how bright it was with the non stop lightning. 

Back home we watched the lightning and it was a spectacular view!

Other updates... 

Our Resort Manager, and my fellow Swede (with a Norwegian passport) left the island to go to St. Petersburg to open a new Four Seasons over there. 

Me and Richard before he left

We managed to get a ride on Feisty over to St. Kitts to hang out a Reggae Beach for an afternoon. Well deserved and a fun ride, even though it was a short one!

We're on a boat!

 Double Deuce keeps hopping, although it has changed from Thursday night to Saturday night! DJ Cheffy and DJ Maz keep the party going, while I dance at the speaker! Fun nights and not to be missed!

DJ Maz

Stay safe out there and have fun!

Cheers my friends!

Camilla

Turtle Watch

The other week I did something interesting. Four Seasons Nevis is doing their part in helping Sea Turtle Conservancy  and when the hotel asked for volunteers to do turtle walk at night I was not slow to respond!

On top of needing volunteers they needed someone to drive a manual truck, in case we would find a turtle. As I do drive manual, I was designated the turtle driver!

The Truck

We met up at the hotel at 9pm with David, Dan and their staff, Tara from our NY office and a few more volunteers, then we headed to Lover's Beach by the airport. At Lover's Beach we divided up the team in two and then we walked up and down the beach looking for turtles, and/or tracks. We were hoping to spot a turtle coming up to nest, and then on it's way back to the ocean we would capture it so the team could tag it and put a tracking device on it in for the 2011 Tour de Turtles Marathon!

We did not spot a turtle that night, however, around 11:30pm we got a call that another group, at another beach had spotted one, and we headed that way to assist.

So I drove over with the old truck, got stuck in the sand, got the guys to help me out of the sand, and then I got to see the turtle! It was a beautiful Hawksbill Sea Turtle. When she was done nesting, we got her in a box we had with us and brought her back to the truck and headed back to the Four Seasons Resort! It must have been the most precious cargo I ever transported! We checked in the turtle to our beach front Cabana where she spent a relaxing night before being tagged with a satellite transmitter. She was also named Paradise by the sponsor, Four Seasons Resort, Nevis!

Paradise being released

I will definitely follow Paradise's journey in the 2011 Tour de Turtles (Tracking Paradise)!

Cheers my friends!

Camilla

Before the Storm

Nothing unusual with tropical storms and hurricanes in the Caribbean. And nothing different when we had the warning about Emily coming our way.

Usual preparation is getting water, some food that will last, make sure there are enough batteries and candles (you should always have candles and batteries as the power goes off on a regular basis around here). Then of course the preparation at the hotel..

This time I got to do something different though. Miles were taking up his sail boat, Feisty, on land and I got to come along on the ride. We set sail towards St. Kitts on a beautiful Sunday. The trip over took about 3 hours, and I was so excited as I did not get sea sick on the way over! That would have been a long trip otherwise, for all of us!

When we finally got outside the place where they take the boat up, we had to wait for ever. The process was not fast, and I'm glad we were not out last minute and a big hurricane coming, because then we would have had a bumpy ride on Feisty. It took for ever... just waiting. Luckily I had good company of Miles, Peter, Alicia and Sara.

X amount of beers later and it was our turn to be pulled up. It was an amazing process, well, at least for me that has never seen anything like this before. We pulled up the boat in between 2 slots, and then this machine came with 2 straps, and lifted us up. Then we drove across the road and put Feisty in the ground.

The trip was not over here.. We then had to get back to Nevis, and the last Seabridge (the boat over between St. Kitts & Nevis) left at 6pm... And by that time we just got the boat up!

After some waiting around, a very interesting taxi ride to Reggae Beach, and a seriously fast boat trip, we finally made it back to Nevis around 10pm!

Feisty being pulled up

Something is seriously wrong! 

Lifted up

Tagging along after the boat

High in the air

Cheers my friends!

Camilla

Strawberry

Working silly hours and having a spotty internet result in this... No updates on my blog. Shame on me!

Work has been intense as we keep staying busy, people being sick and going on vacation, and although I moved to my new place almost a month ago, it feels like I'm never home..!
I love my new place though! And best of all, Strawberry arrived!

Isn't she a beauty?!

I also got a CD player installed (which includes a cable to hook up my iTouch!). Oh yea, I get flash backs from good old Charleston time with my little red disco car!

As I said, I love my new place I'm staying at and just found out yesterday that there will be a swimming pool in the yard in a few months! Construction should begin somewhere in September/October. How sweet isn't that?!

My bedroom

My shower! Love it!

Dining room/living room

Today I was off and had a massage at the Spa at the hotel. Very nice, and after I had a pedicure and got some red polish (to match the car?!). Other than that it seems like every week is about the same.. Work, Double Deuce on Thursdays, lunch and dinners out here and there with Tara, which went home on vacation for a month by the way... Not happy with that decision  ;)  But I survive!

Hope you all have a great summer, and to all my fellow Swedes, have a great Midsommar!!! Be safe!

Cheers my friends!

Camilla

Thursdays is the happening night around here! That's the night Double Deuce turns in to a little club with DJ and all! The only thing is, it's almost always the same people, and almost all work at the hotel!
Earlier in the evening Double Deuce (bar/restaurant) have karaoke night, (which I usually try to skip) but after about 10-10:30 PM our chef and Asst. Dir. of F&B pulls out their laptops and start playing club music! Plenty of fun! You really have to make the best out of it, and that's why I'm jumping around the dance floor more or less by my self!

Part of the "going out crew"

Mazen doing tricks at the bar! Go Mazen, Go Mazen!

DJ Mazen

Then on my days off I hang out at, (you have heard it before!) at Chrishi Beach. Nice place to lounge, eat and drink! Go for a swim now and then or just chill!

Beach chairs with St. Kitts in the background

Chrishi Beach Club 

Sunset from my terrace with St. Kitts in the back 

Sunset from my terrace

Today after my usual lunch at Chrishi (on my day off) I went with Will to play some golf at the hotel. Fun times, but I really suck at this game! In my defense, it was my first time being on a golf course! Definitely need to go back soon to shoot some balls! At least I have "the right attire" except for the shoes! But it works well in flip flops!

Tonight Tara and I will head to Golden Rock for some dinner, and then we'll see what trouble we end up in! Will be fun since I don't have to work tomorrow!

Have a great week everyone!

Cheers my friends!

Camilla