Turks & Caicos
2008-02-19
By Miki Turner
Continued...
And in addition to the conch fritters you can get conch salad, conch chowder, cracked conch, stir-fried conch, sautéed conch and curried conch!
Further down the road is the swankier Tiki Bar, known for its international cuisine and tropical drinks. You’ll meet some interesting characters there including Lewis Astwood II, a 64-year-old man who claimed to have father 59 children “bearing his name.” Tina had told me that Provo is still small enough that “everyone knows everybody” and that certainly rang true as everyone on the island knew of Mr. Astwood and his feat!
He was so busy telling me about his desire to father even more children that I never did get around to asking him how he felt about all of the development going on. Many locals had already expressed their concerns about the white Americans coming and “taking over things,” and not employing locals in the jobs created as a result.
Nadia Pean, who works at a local resort, says the downside for her is that, “It has changed the island, changed our lifestyle and there is less quality time for people to spend with their families and each other. Plus, some of our favorite spots—restaurants—are being torn down so that they can build all of these condo hotels. That’s really sad.”
No More Motel 6 For Moi!
I thought a lot about what the natives were going through as Tina was driving me back to Grace Bay later that night. I was heading back to a place that many of them could only dream about staying. I’d be laying my head down on a down-filled pillow atop a four-poster mahogany bed in a room overlooking the Caribbean Sea.
It somehow didn’t seem fair, or even natural for an earthy girl like me.
Usually when I go to the Caribbean staying in some swanky resort is not my highest priority. I’m a diver, so all I want to do is find a nice stretch of beach where I can get my SCUBA on. The only requirements I have of my hotel is that there be a bed and a TV.
But here’s the thing. If I ever have the opportunity to stay at one of those picturesque properties with the five-star ratings again, I’ll be all about it! During this trip I split my time in between The Tuscany, a six-month old condo hotel and its older, neighboring property the Ocean Club Resort.
The Tuscany is a magnificent structure that takes your breath away as soon as you drive onto the property. There are two buildings that have views of the pool on one side and the ocean on the other. I stayed in a three-bedroom, three-bath suite with a full kitchen and a large screened-in balcony overlooking the sea. The view alone made me wonder why I’m still living in America. But the $1 million-plus buy-in for a three-bedroom condo, will keep me on these shores a while longer.
Ocean Club was built in 1986 and its younger sister property down the road, Ocean Club West, are top wedding locales. The plush Ocean Club property includes a market, a dive shop, a world-class golf course, a souvenir shop and the Gecko Grille that features gourmet international cuisine with a pinch of island flavor. Also, staying at Ocean Club means you have access to free bicycles, DVDs (limited availability at The Tuscany) and board games. Plus there’s a spa with a masseuse named Di-Di who will always rub you the right way. A three-bedroom condo here will set you back about $800,000.
Word Up!
OK, now for the real reason I wanted to go to T&C—the beaches. Yes, they are beautiful and the water is clear and turquoise. But, pick your times my friends! The sea may be warm as bath water during the spring months, but in the winter, it’s a bit chilly.
Thank goodness I remembered to pack my shortie (SCUBA suit)! That helped me adjust to the water quickly during a three-hour sailing trip organized by Sail Provo to an uninhabited spot called Little Cay. Basically, the only things strolling around that joint are the Iguanas!
And whatever you do on these islands, don’t mess with them!
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Miki Turner has been traveling the world since she was 5. She can be reached at fourfriendsprods@gmail.com