J & I left the house at 5:00 in the morning Saturday, July 24th. I had trouble sleeping the night before, but I wasn't feeling tired because I was way too excited for that! We got to D & S's house sometime after 5:30 (after a little I-17 detour we hadn't expected), and D gave us a lift to the airport. We checked our bag and made our way to Starbucks so J could have his chai latte and a bagel with cream cheese. I'd already eaten a bowl of cereal, so I was not hungry. J bought a book to read, and we just hung out until boarding time around 7:30. The plane took off on time at 7:50. We were headed for Miami, Fl.
Though I was still excited, the sleepless night finally caught up with me. I dozed on and off throughout the 4 1/2 hour flight. In between dozes I worked on reading A New Earth; one of these days I'll finish it. J finished his book during the flight and then had nothing to do but listen to his music.
Once in Miami, we found the gate for our connecting flight. We really weren't in any hurry because we had a 4 hour layover, so we found some place to eat a mediocre dinner. I was surprised that Miami International didn't have more food choices and kind of wished we'd had a connection at Dallas/Ft. Worth. Oh well.
As we were boarding our plane, there was a guy there handing out Discover TCI magazines. It had some good information about the islands and will make a nice souvenir. I think our plane may have departed a few minutes late, but I can't recall for sure. We probably left around 7:30 Miami time (4:30 AZ time) and were told the flight would take an hour and twenty minutes. My itinerary read 1 hr. 50 minutes, so this came as a pleasant surprise. I sat next to a very nice gentleman (other than J) who was traveling to Providenciales for the first time along with his wife, daughter and Goddaughter. They were staying at the all inclusive Beaches resort, which was out of our price range and not really what we were looking for for our fist big trip away. Beaches caters to kids and families, which is great, but I wanted a quieter setting with a less crowded beach. Anywho...where was I?
It was disappointing that we had to land at night because we couldn't see the beauty of the islands as we flew in. When we departed the plane, we had to walk down stairs unlike the larger airports we are used to. No big deal. The first thing we noticed was how muggy it was outside, but it was actually very pleasant. Inside was a bit different. It was kind of chaotic. We weren't sure where to go, but we figured out the steps with some guidance. After going through customs we got our bag as well as a couple of Providenciales maps and a Where When How magazine about the island, and we went in the fast track lane since we had nothing to declare. Then we couldn't find the exit. Luckily there was someone there who showed us out. It would help if there were labels or signs, but I guess that's one reason the airport is under renovation.
Once we made it outside there was a guy there who asked us where we were headed and if we needed a taxi. A taxi pulled up, and we were asked to take a seat while our bag was placed in back. All of the taxis in Provo are big white vans. Most charge $15 a person, even for short distances, which was the case when we arrived at our hotel.
The lady at the front desk of our hotel, The Royal West Indies Resort, was welcoming. She gave us our keys and told us we were in building 2, and I leaned over to J and whispered "That's the good building!". A young gentleman came and got our bag and showed us to our room. We put our stuff down and had a look around. It was nicer than I expected, and J said something like "Good job picking our resort, wife." It was too dark to check out the view, so I sat in a cushiony chair and put me feet up. J read through a binder of information provided by our resort. Then we began unpacking. There were plenty of hangers in the closet for our clothes and even a laundry basket for future dirty clothes.
After getting settled, it was nearly 11 PM and time for some shut eye. I couldn't seem to fall asleep, so I said to J in a little kid voice "I'm too excited to sleep." (Do you remember that commercial where the family is going to Disneyland in the morning, but the kids won't go to sleep. One of the kids says "We're too excited to sleep!" This is a line we use on occasion.) Eventually, everything faded to black, and I was in dreamland (despite someone's snoring).
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