Christmas in Jost Christmas in Jost van Dyke van Dyke

20082008(Volume one)(Volume one)

To make our travel logistics work, we flew from Wichita to San Juan on Christmas Eve and stayed there that night. This let us catch an early flight to Beef Island on Christmas Day, stop by Bobby’s Market Place in Road Town, and make the 1 PM ferry to Jost.

Sandman Rhymer picked us up at the airport and took us to Road Town to pick up supplies. We proceeded to the ferry, and by around two o’clock, we were in our cottage on the hill. We decided to take a walk down to the One Love Bar and Grill that Alton Brown had shown in his series “Feasting on Waves”.

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We stopped to visit Mic at the Soggy Dollar Bar on the way, just to make sure he was making Painkillers correctly. He was still doing a fine job

Here it was – One Love. It would be our base of operations for next 8 days, at least in the afternoons. Having only half-watched the episode, I wasn’t positive who was who in this place, but we were quickly introduced – that is, after Seddy Caldwell decided that we were not there for some ulterior motive.

Raquel was behind the bar, and Seddy was entertaining the patrons with stories and magic tricks. We started to meet our new friends for the week – first, Tommy and Trish Brown from North Carolina. Next, Marilyn Witt from New Jersey, who said Pat looks like her boss, and her husband Randy.

Pat placed a call to his brother-in-law, Al Walczak, in Kansas City. Seddy agreed to get on the line and explain what is so great about White Bay.

Pat was distracted by Lacie Shook and her little boy, Sutton. Even though he didn’t remember anyone’s name, or even meeting them the next day, the die for the week was pretty much cast this Christmas afternoon.

The routine for the week was set – get up late (seven AM or so), make coffee, sit on the deck for a while, then mosey down the hill to the Soggy Dollar Bar around nine. Linda would find a hammock in the shade. Pat would find the Stinsons at the end of the bar, visiting with Mic. Drink a couple of Bloody Mary’s, then switch to Carib (Pat) and Painkillers (Linda).

The bar got new cupboard doors today …. Pretty cool.

Just another day in Paradise – Boxing Day morning at the Soggy Dollar Bar

Linda re-introduces Pat to Lacie, Tommy, and Trish. Though he does not remember meeting them yesterday, at least he’s not hung over. Eric Stone, writer of the hit song (at least in Pat’s mind) “Bomba’s Shack” is singing at the One Love Bar this afternoon.

Our Boxing Day dinner of bagel bites and cheese potato chips does not live up to what will be our standard fare.