BABY-SITTER | BANDS
| BARRIER REEF |
BARS | BEACHES |
BOATS | BOOZE |
CABLE TV | CHARACTERS |
CHURCHES | FIRE |
GAMBLING | GAS GRILL |
GECKOS or LIZARDS | GROCERY
SHOPPING | HAITIANS |
MILK | MAID |
POPULATION | POOL |
POWER | QUESTIONS |
RECIPES | RESTAURANTS |
RUM | SAFETY |
SAPODILLA HILL | SCUBA DIVING |
SEAFOOD | SMUGGLERS |
SNORKELING | SOUTH DOCK |
SOUVENIR SHOPPING | STEREO |
SUPPLY PLANES | TELEPHONE |
WATER
BABY-SITTER:
Contact Lynn Simpson to help arrange for baby-sitter. Phone 946-5355.
BANDS:
Provo has a few bands which are excellent, in fact, you may even buy their CD's
at "The Tourist Shoppe". Probably the best known is "Solie and the Gang",
"Everyman" and "The Rude Rebels". Usually you can find a group playing
somewhere every night except Sunday. The Banana Boat and Sharkbite, both down
in Turtle Cove and The Gecko Grill near Ocen Club have bands one night every
week.
BARRIER REEF:
What a view! The barrier reef protects the North shore of Provo and is pretty
much why you're here. The deep blue ocean on one side of the reef is over a
thousand feet deep, typically a mile deep, while the turquoise side is about
ten to twenty feet deep with numerous coral heads rising to within inches of
the water's surface! Boats must follow a marked 'channel' to get through the
reef. On quiet nights with little or no wind, you can easily hear the gentle
roar of the waves crashing over the reef almost ? mile away!
BARS:
Ah, yes, another reason why you're here! You'll have to take my understandings
of these matters with a grain of salt since I've never personally been found in
one of these establishments. Any bar you find on the island is perfectly safe
and promises a good time. Americans are leery of any unknown place, especially
populated by locals. Let me assure you that you are not in the US and can leave
any pre-conceived worries or stereotypes behind. All the Provo people are
friendly and love having a good time. Frequent good natured 'ribbing' and
joking are the norm, don't hesitate to start-up a conversation!
BEACHES:
Pelican Beach is about 500 feet from the Casaurina Villa home. From the beach
you can see the entire North Shore Grace Bay Beach - what has been rated by
Conde' Nast Traveller Magazine as the best beach in the entire Caribbean! Its
about a 15 minute walk to Club Med and the start of the 'touristy' part of
Grace Bay. All beaches are public property, the entire Grace Bay shore is part
of the Princess Alexandra National Park and has many, many public beach access
points. These access points are clearly marked with excellent parking and just
steps away from the beach. Anywhere you see a 'Princess Alexandra Park Access'
sign is beach access. A great way to spend the day is to have breakfast on the
deck, relaxing over coffee and listening to the birds. Then we'll pop into the
car, drive 10 minutes to the "White House reef" beach access and walk the beach
over to the Ocean Club Resort cabana bar, where we'll settle down for a
tropical drink or two, hey... its a 3 1/2 mile walk, you get thirsty! (Dirty
Bananas are the current favorite). Then a dip in the water along the way
(passing the topless area of Club Med ain't all bad either) and back to the
car. On the way back, a stop at the Tiki Hut in Turtle Cove for a Turk's Head
Lager and we're ready for dinner - where'd the day go???
BOATS:
Every morning you can watch the dive boats head out to the reef for their
morning dives. Sometimes you'll see a large yacht with a 30 foot 'dinghy' or
two anchored almost directly out from the house, that flotilla belongs to the
Arab sheik from Qatar who owns quite a bit of Provo!
BOOZE:
There are a couple of liquor stores on Provo. The popular 'Discount Liquors' is
on Leeward Highway across from the power plant and just opened up a nice wine
room with an extensive selection. 'Carib West', located downtown features the
largest selection with an amazing variety of good wines. All liquor prices are
very reasonable, the same or cheaper than the states, so drink up. Don't bother
with buying Duty free in the USA, the booze is cheaper in Provo!
CABLE TV:
Amazing cable TV channels are available here, over 70 channels and even nightly
Provo News on channel 4 which covers all the local news. The television is
received via satellite dishes located at the WIV cable headquarters on Leeward
highway. Cable is very advanced here, they even offer high speed internet
access!
CHARACTERS:
Since the earliest days, Provo has been a favorite lair of pirates, and other
such 'shady' characters. Today is no different, as Provo has seen its share of
modern day pirates, con men and fugitives. Now, we're not talking violent
criminals, these modern day crooks are arms merchants, embezzlers of majestic
proportions, and others who happen to find the economic situation they're in
would be best served in a tax haven! There are plenty of good stories and
rumors that any local person could relate to you over a beer. A favorite
regards the big unfinished white house near Smith's Reef. Supposedly, a
mid-east arms merchant was building the house and had to beat a hasty retreat
from the island. Update: the big unfinished house is finished (by a new
owner....) and is quite the sight to behold, take a walk down while you're
snorkeling at Smith's Reef.
CHURCHES:
There are plenty of churches on Provo and an interesting bike ride is through
the Bight on a Sunday morning. Some churches the size of a bedroom with a full
band 'rockin' inside. Listen closely and you'll hear Creole being spoken as
most have Haitian and English services interwoven.
FIRE:
Fire is a real worry here since there is no formal fire department
except for the airport fire detail. Fire extinguishers are located throughout
the house. Dial 999 on the phone to report a fire.
GAMBLING:
Slot machines are found in many restaurants, while a complete Casino is
the Allegro Resort. There's a interesting story on how slots came to Provo, but
I'd have to tell you in person!
GAS GRILL:
The gas grill is on the deck. There should be plenty of propane in the
tank, but if you run out, it can be refilled at the Shell station, downtown.
The tank must be dropped off before 11AM and will be returned by 4PM the same
day.
GECKOS or LIZARDS:
The island is full of these harmless creatures, they are desired to kill
the bugs in the garden and are fun to watch. If you watch closely, you'll see
their head "bob" up and down quite jerkily, why? My view (pun intended) is that
it allows them to get a look from two slightly different vantage points, thus
providing the brain with "distance to target" information. Cover one of your
eyes and see how you have no depth perception, this is the reason that frogs
and toads have two widely spaced eyes.
GROCERY SHOPPING:
There are a few smaller grocery stores and one big one on Provo. The new
IGA is on Leeward Highway about mid-island, it is very easy to find, if you go
too far either way, you end up wet! This store has it all and at prices that
are fairly reasonable - if one considers the long trip food takes to get here!
The smaller stores are the 'Island Pride' downtown and the 'Quality
Supermarket' on Leeward highway.
HAITIANS:
Since Provo is so close to Haiti, many Haitians make the 90 mile trip
across the sea to find better jobs and conditions here. Our gardener, Francis,
is Haitian as are most other laborers. Average per capita income in Haiti is
about $200 per year, and most Haitians make that in a week here! Virtually all
their wages are sent back to family in Haiti. I've never met a Haitian who was
bold, outspoken or lazy, and considering the recent events in their country,
they are most appreciative of Americans!
MILK:
A separate heading for milk? Sure, at $5.50 a gallon, it deserves it!
Along with most other perishables, it must be flown in from Miami, hence the
high cost. A fascinating price to explain to wide-eyed friends back home!
MAID:
Betty stops by weekly to check with you if needed.
POPULATION:
The Turks and Caicos Islands have a total population of about 15,000
with Provo being home to 4-5,000.
POOL:
The pool holds about 24,000 gallons of fresh water worth almost
$1,500.00 - the water, not the pool! Evaporation claims about an inch of water
a week. The pool cleaner and water balance people come by weekly to clean and
check the pool.
POWER:
Provo's electric comes from a diesel generator located on Leeward
highway, you can hear it at night when the wind is right, sounding like a very
distant truck at idle. Power costs about 6 times that in the states, a typical
refrigerator runs about $75 a month to operate!
QUESTIONS:
Lynn Simpson manages our home and is your island contact for any
questions you may have, phone 946-5355.
RECIPES:
Here's a short list of simple recipes that I always whip up using the
fresh ingredients available here in Provo:
Grilled Lobster: Make with fresh caught lobster (season runs from August
till March, see 'Seafood' heading for sources) Preheat gas grill for 5 minutes,
then set heat to medium. Set split lobster tail, shell side down on grill,
close cover and grill until meat on top side appears slightly milky white.
Remove tail and lightly oil grill with paper towel dipped in olive oil.
Sprinkle meat lightly with paprika, turn over tail, meat side down and grill a
few more minutes till just fully white - don't over cook! Serve with melted
butter, you'll actually find the lobster juicy, consider for a moment that it
was actually swimming about just a few hours ago!
Steamed Grouper: Once again use fresh seafood! Heat a few tablespoons of
olive oil in the high walled skillet. Saut? a pressed garlic clove or two,
about a teaspoon or two of shaved ginger root and a half a red onion in the
oil. Use fresh garlic and ginger, they're available at the Quality market and
the garlic press is in the knife/utensil drawer. When garlic and onion are
translucent, add the grouper along with a few quartered tomatoes, a few ounces
of white wine and a tablespoon or two of Pomerey coarse ground mustard then
salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan and steam till the fish just turns
fully white. Oh man, just writing this makes me hungry!
Grilled Grouper: Preheat grill, leave on high and lightly wipe with a
paper towel dipped with olive oil. Salt and pepper the grouper and set on the
grill. Leave cover open and grill on high. When fish starts to turn slightly
white on top, turn over and grill just a minute or so longer. Pull when fish is
fully white, but cook no longer than necessary. Serve with quartered key lime.
Cajun Grilled Fish: A no brainer that's fool proof! Use virtually any
fresh fish. Preheat grill and leave on high, wipe grill with a paper towel and
olive oil, sprinkle fish fillet liberally with Cajun seasoning and set on the
grill.
Jerk Ribs: Buy a few packs of frozen pork ribs at the Quality market
(yes they do look 'sad' compared to the fresh meats we're used to in the
states, but they do taste great). Thaw in fridge overnight. Rub the dry orange
colored Jerk seasoning over the ribs (Jerk seasoning is in the cupboard or if
all gone, available at the Quality market). Preheat grill, the set to medium
and put ribs on grill, watch carefully for flare-ups and slowly cook.
RESTAURANTS:
Where do you start? It's an effort to find a bad meal on Provo. (Well, I
guess the hot dogs at the Quality Supermarket are no gastronomical delight!)
The following list is by no means complete, but are a few of my favorites.
Caicos Cafe, located just past the Ports of Call shopping area has excellent
creole style food, it is one of my favorite places to go for lobster and fish -
don't miss it! Do not forget to try the Seafood Gumbo!!!!
Coco Bistro, the most romantic restaurant on Provo is situated in the middle of
a magnificent palm tree grove. The Coutisson's own the restaurant and if the
architecture looks familiar, its because Yves also built Top of the Hill house!
His wife is the chef and the food is wonderful, and... don't forget your camera
and to tell him where you're staying!
Pub on the Bay, a native style restaurant located in Blue Hills, great island
style seafood with classic Provo atmosphere. Situated on Blue Hills Road across
from the water. Their conch fritters, cracked conch, fish and lobster can't be
beat, don't forget their classic T-Shirt!
The beautiful Anacoana located at The Grace Bay Club is an elegant restaurant
on the beach with memorable atmosphere. Somewhat expensive but worth it for the
food and environment.
The Gecko Grill at Ocean Club, a more 'civilized' restaurant with good wine
list and good food. Stylish yet casual, try their macadamia nut encrusted
grouper with pineapple salsa and their mixed grill mushroom salad.
The Terrace located upstairs at the Turtle Cove Inn. Dine on the deck
overlooking the Tiki Hut restaurant and bar below. I like their seafood fondue
and their white conch chowder!
The Tiki Hut at the Turtle Cove Inn has a great Chicken or Rib special on
Wednesday night plus has Colorado Black Angus steaks. Good bar action with free
bar snacks from 5-6 PM. Also a great spot for breakfasts. Lots of divers and
boaters hang here.
Grace's Cottage located at the Point Grace resort is very elegant and pricey.
It is a splendid spot for a special dinner among the high class folks who stay
at PG, who knows, maybe you'll spot a celebrity.
Coyaba is a fine dining restaurant located next to Coral Gardens aka White
House Reef. Food is pretty complex and popular with many ex-pats on Provo.
Mexican can be found at 'Hey Jose' located on Leeward highway just behind the
house. Look out from the driveway, to the group of buildings on the left, Hey
Jose is the one with all the action.
The Banana Boat, also at Turtle Cove has good conch chowder, good lunches and,
shall I say, a quite colorful bar clientele.
The Top o' the Cove Deli has super sandwiches made with fresh baked french
bread and rolls. The french bread is available in white or multigrain. I always
keep a loaf for toast in the morning. The deli is located next to the NAPA
store on Leeward highway at Suzie turn.
RUM:
The most popular rum in Provo is 'Barcelo Anejo' a Dominican product
that goes for $5.50 a ? liter bottle. Another good rum is the Haitian
'Barbancourt' at $8.00 a bottle. Special reserve and 15 year old bottles are
available for a few bucks more! My favorite drink is Barcelo and Diet Coke with
? key lime. Diet coke actually tastes best, and allows you to watch the weight
too! Be sure to get a few bottles of Barcelo or Barbancourt at the Duty-Free in
the airport waiting area before you leave, I've never seen either in the
states.
SAFETY:
It is safe to walk, drive, bike or be anywhere on the island at any
time. Crime and violence are virtually unheard of on Provo, but that doesn't
mean that an undesirable lout won't show up on occasion - usually from Jamaica
or the Bahamas. It never hurts to play it safe and keep your valuables hidden
and the house locked when you leave.
SAPODILLA HILL:
This is a small hill located near South Dock and is marked with a short
pole at the crest. This small hilltop provided an excellent vantage point for
sailors and pirates of years past. There are many engraved rocks with the names
and dates of shipwrecked sailors. It is fascinating to see the fancy old
English style of lettering on these rocks, most dating back to the late 1700's.
Directions: Take South Dock Road and make a right at the Shell depot, take the
first left to the base of the hill and look for a path to the top. This is a
protected national historic site, so please don't step on the rocks or disturb
them. The government removed quite a few of the rocks when the new airport was
built and has them on display in the ticketing area, be sure to check them out,
just fascinating!
SCUBA DIVING:
Scuba is great here, one of the best dive destinations in the Caribbean.
I always dive with Art Pickering of Provo Turtle Divers, located down in Turtle
Cove. Art's been here for years and is pretty much the originator of diving on
Provo. Phone 946-4232. If you're an experienced diver, Fifi at Caicos
Adventures is the guy. Contact him at 941-3346.
SEAFOOD:
Seafood can be purchased at the Turks & Caicos Fisheries, phone
946-4727, located in Five Cays, this is where the fishing boats go to sell
their catch, be it lobster, crab, conch or fish - it doesn't get fresher than
this! Go to the Five Cays settlement area and take the road to the left just
before the large somewhat dry salina pond which usually has island dogs roaming
around! It's best to get your fish and lobster at 3 or 4 in the afternoon, when
the fishermen have just brought in their catches. Need I remind you again?
Don't forget the camera!
SMUGGLERS:
Check out the geographic location of the Turks and Caicos Islands and
you'll see that they lie directly in the flight path from South America to
Miami. Years back, in the early mornings you could hear the drug planes passing
by the south shores of Provo making their runs to Miami. In fact, some of the
out island cays would be convenient refueling points for the druggies, with
local island natives getting five grand for each barrel of Avgas. It got so bad
that the one of the T&C government ministers was convicted in the US for
condoning and participating in the refueling 'venture'! The US set up a special
radar station on Provo near Northwest point for the monitoring of drug
smuggling planes and boats, it was rumored that it could pick up a 20 foot boat
50 miles away. The plain clothes military personnel were quite secretive about
all this and were rotated out of the island on a monthly basis to prevent any
of them from forming ties with any undesirables. None of them would answer any
questions and virtually every one of them would simply say they were on
vacation from Iowa. Pretty bogus, especially when you consider that there were
50 or so of them staying in villas out in Sapodilla bay! The radar station is
now gone, having been replaced by spy satellite technology, but you can still
see the site on the way to Northwest point.
SNORKELING:
Great topic, you must go snorkeling! There are a couple of
very nice reefs located within 20 feet of shore! You'll see a fantastic variety
of very colorful reef fish and if you're lucky, spot an octopus, turtle or ray.
A special treat is bringing some hot dogs or cheese along to feed the fish.
They will anxiously eat from your hand and you'll find yourself surrounded by
swarms of fish, making an excellent "photo opportunity." There is absolutely no
danger in being eaten by a killer shark, barracuda or whale, so enjoy! Smith's
Reef is just over the bridge from Turtle Cove. The reef is located just
at the bend in the beach. To drive there, take the first left after passing
through Turtle Cove and pass over the single lane bridge, bear left and take
the road to the end.
White House Reef is along Grace Bay beach about midway through the first
bay going West. Obviously there is a white house there - it has an inclined
walkway leading to the beach. There is a public access road to the beach and is
located at the end of Penn's Road off the Lower Bight Road, Northwest Point
is where most scuba action takes place and also offers good snorkeling to see
rays and turtles - there is little coral, however. It is quite a rough drive
(about 5 miles of unpaved road), but worth it. A French TV game show was taped
here and numerous beach Tiki huts and decks were built offering a neat
Polynesian/Caribbean flavor. Beautiful sand beach, privacy and an ideal picture
taking spot. Take Leeward highway to the Blue Hills road, continue to the end
and follow the unpaved road.
SOUTH DOCK:
South dock is the sea port of entry to Provo, Weekly container ships
arrive here as well as the oil tankers (Caribbean size). I find it interesting
to have a look every now and then at what's coming and going. Close to South
dock is Sapodilla hill with 150 year old stone engravings by pirates and
shipwrecked sailors.
SOUVENIR SHOPPING:
There are quite a few tourist/souvenir shops on Provo, I believe that
the better ones are 'The Tourist Shoppe' and 'Pirate's Chest'. Tourist shop is
in the same plaza as the Mexican restaurant, 'Hey Jose' at Central Square while
Pirate's Chest is located in The Ports of Call plaza.
STEREO:
There are five FM stations on Provo, most are satellite delivered, but
the local station, WDDR, 88.7 MHz, originates programming here on Provo and
plays Caribbean style music. A great mix of Progressive is on 90.5 MHz, and Fox
News Channel is on 101.5 MHz (sorry, no NPR here!!).
SUPPLY PLANES:
The DHL and Tropic supply planes, Boeing 727 and Douglas DC-8 arrive
weekly bringing freight and food perishables out out of Miami. In the past
years, the supermarkets received their deliveries and stocked on Thursday. So,
the most important shopping day of the week was Thursday, when the vegetables,
fruits, ice cream and milk were fresh. With the growth of Provo and the IGA
supermarket's success, fresh food is available any day of the week.
TELEPHONE:
Local calls are free while long distance has been disabled. To call long
distance, you must use your phone company calling card or use a credit card.
Credit card calls using AMEX or VISA, dial 1-800-2273, phone company calling
cards or collect, dial the operator. Rates to the US are $2.50 a minute! The
telephone number for the home is (649) 946-5014.
WATER:
The average rainfall here is only 40 or so inches a year, similar to Las
Vegas - but without the nearby Colorado River, so strict water conservation
must be observed! The water you're using in the house for washing, cooking,
toilet flushing is all captured rain water. Look at the eves on the house and
you'll see PVC pipes that bring the roof-top rain water to the fresh water
cistern which holds about 20,000 gallons. The Provo golf course uses 250,000
gallons of desalinated water per day at a retail cost of over $7,000 - remember
that's per day! Who, you may ask can afford that? Well, it helps if you own the
water company and are an Arab sheik too!
