We started our day bright and early today. Our flight was at 9:00am, so we met my parents at their house so that they could drop us off at the airport at around 6:30. After a smooth check in with the airline, we bumped in to my old pal Bill waiting to get through security. He was on his way out to a job in in San Francisco. He joined us for breakfast and we all caught up. Flight times grew near so we parted ways and Marci and I boarded our plan to Miami. We arrived in Miami after a short trip and had about a 2 hour layover. Marci and I enjoyed a salad and Bloody Mary at Shula’s while we waited to board the flight to Providenciales.
We boarded the flight to Providenciales, which was probably ¾ full. It seemed that many were headed down to a large wedding that was to be held at the Beaches report. Right before we started to taxi away from the gate, a gal a few rows up received a call from someone already on the island who said that Beaches had been quarantined due to a virus that had already shutdown another resort. This news got the plane full of people buzzing.
Marci and I had caught wind of the story about the virus the week prior on Trip Advisor, but we figured that we had waited this long to go on vacation, so we were going hell or high water. Since the Turks and Caicos are in the middle of the Caribbean and we were headed down in June, we had already bought travel insurance in case of a hurricane. This insurance also included a medevac out so, if the virus did strike us, we figured we could get out if we needed to. We had also made the choice to forgo the crowds and all-inclusive resorts for a more intimate alternative, the Harbour Villas. The Harbour Villas were on the opposite side of the island, and we figured we would probably be seeing more wildlife than people. That is more of our style.
We arrived at Providenciales, cleared customs, and met our rental car agent. I was a bit apprehensive about driving on the opposite side of the road before we arrived, but found that I took to it quite naturally. Marci on the other hand was not immediately comfortable, which got us both cracking up. She has only had to warn me one or twice… “OTHER SIDE!” The major highway is paved but you will not find a stoplight on the island. Instead you will find roundabouts of different sizes, which does take some getting used to when doing everything backwards. However, we quickly figured it out and made it safe and sound to Harbour Club Villas.
Upon arriving, we were quickly greeted with open arms by Marta and Barry, whom you immediately feel that you have known forever. They showed us to our villa, which is a quaint but rustic little home for the week. The villas are decorated in wicker and bamboo in island style. The view from the living room overlooks Flamingo Lake and there is a full sized kitchen. There is no central air in the villas but there is a small AC unit in the bedroom which will keep you cool at night. There are open storm shutters on the windows which allow the warm island breeze through the villa.
We chatted with Marta and Barry for quite some time and they showed us some prime fishing and private beach locations on the map. They then took us over to the pool area and showed us their little lady… a momma humming bird sitting on her little nest guarding two white eggs about the size of jelly beans. COOL! Barry also let us know that there are no drinking and driving laws on the island so to not be alarmed if we saw folks driving with a beer in their hand. This also meant it would probably be safer to not be on the roads too late.
One of the best ways to get a feel for a new place is to check out the markets, so after stopping by to pick up a couple of fishing licenses from the local marina, we went to the Wine Cellar (the local importer) to pick up some libations. Being an island nation, most everything is imported so you will find the prices to be quite high compared to the states. Imported beer, such as Coors or Miller lite will run you around $20 for a 6-pack… SERIOUSLY. Marci and I opted for the local beer, Turk’s Head which ran about $40 for the case. 
We also picked up some whiskey and rum, which in all honesty, was not priced too bad, and will last longer. Funny thing, they have cops stationed at the door of the liquor store – I wonder why?! After stocking up on the important stuff, we went to the IGA supermarket to pick up some food. The supermarket was packed, an eclectic mix of local families and tourists. The market had everything you could ever want – we were impressed with the selection. Beautiful fruit and vegetables, fresh breads, cheese, cold cuts, pâtés, meat, fish, etc so we stocked up for a few days of cooking in our nice villa kitchen.
After provisioning the house, it was time for cocktails and some exploring. We drove down the road about a mile from the villa and found a secluded beach to watch the sunset. It was a bit hazy, but very tranquil on the stretch of sand. Marci and I spent a few minutes saying how blessed we were to be here and what a great week was ahead.
When we go back to the villa, we decided to walk down to the marina to check out the view. We immediately met a group of salty dogs congregating at the dock sharing some fruit and drinking some beers. They were super friendly and invited us to sit down, who could resist? Two couples from Texas were sailing a catamaran from St. Marten back home and were only in for the night. The other couple was dive masters that worked out of the marina. We shared stories and laughed for quite some time, but Marci and I finally decided it was time for a dip in the pool and a late dinner. I fired up the grill around 9:00 I think and we celebrated our first night with a couple of rib-eyes and baked potatoes. It was a good first day of exploring the island and getting acclimated.
