Category Archives: Uncategorized

Harbour Club Villas and Marina

Posted on by
Reply

Our little piece of paradise overlooking Flamingo Lake and our Marina at Cooper Jack.

Harbour Club Villas and Marina……a gem of a place on the South Side of Provo with Flamingo Lake on one side and our Marina leading out to beautiful Cooper Jack Bay on the other.  It’s a new year and past time to tell you a little about our piece of paradise, our location, surrounding area and all the beautiful out of the way spots and things you will find when staying with us.

 

A kite cam view of our six rental villas. Thank you to our neighbors Polly and Byron for this sensational photo.

A kite cam view of our six rental villas. Thank you to our neighbors Polly and Byron for this sensational photo.

Fifteen years ago, we built six , one bedroom villas overlooking the lake on 2.2 acres in an area that is called Turtle Tail. It is a unique place to call home while visiting Providenciales. A place where you can look out sometimes and see bonefish tailing, watch the hummingbirds, doves, bananaquits and a green heron or two that drops by the pool daily for a drink and squawks at you if you intrude on his space. A walk down into the marina and you are greeted by our neighbour’s two potcakes, Effie and Gemma who love coming by for threats from our guests. Can you believe that our guests actually bring treats, and premium cuts of meat with them to feed these two dogs?

A perfectly still, calm day....we call it a French Cay day.

A perfectly still, calm day….we call it a French Cay day.

Take out our complimentary kayaks and spend a few hours paddling close to the shore in a foot or two of water exploring the hidden coves, Delou’s beaches and even some of the small cays to see the iguanas and snorkel.

IMG_7673

A bird’s eye view of the lake, villas, marina and channel out to Cooper Jack Bight

Delou's beaches across the channel and accessible by our complimentary kayaks

Delou’s beaches across the channel and accessible by our complimentary kayaks

 

Many of our guests take out the kayaks and explore the shoreline…..beautiful little coves and tidal beaches, some coral heads to snorkel and some of the little cays have green iguanas. A delightful way to spend an afternoon on a beach just made for two.

Out kayaking making for one of the cays.

Out kayaking making for one of the cays.

Visit one of the little cays with the kayaks and see our local iguanas.

 

One of the tiny tidal coves along the shore line

blogIMG_0457

Kayak on Delou’s beach and Cooper Jack Bight

 

We have scuba dive boats just waiting to take you out to West Caicos or French Cay

Walk down to the Marina in the evenings and here’s where you will find all the dive operators….Flamingo Divers, Ocean Vibes, Caicos Adventures, Provo Turtle Divers and Jodi, the Snuba lady too. Our marina is the shortest distance to the amazing dive sites at West Caicos and French Cay. We’ll help you book some scuba diving, snorkeling or snuba so just let us know what you’d like to see and do.

 

IMG_0393

Here’s Snuba TCI heading off for a wonderful day of snuba and snorkeling.

cooperjack69

I’ve spent many hours on this small beach.

 

mikeDSC_3803

We have gorgeous sunsets which you can enjoy from the Marina

XIMG_1119abc

Flamingo Lake and one of our guests bonefishing

Bonefishermen love staying at our villas. All they have to do is walk out their villa door and be bonefishing in the lake within minutes. Sometimes you can even see the bonefish tailing from the villas. There are several areas where you can wade the flats too.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Bonefish churning up the lake waters at sunset.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Reflections on Flamingo Lake right by our villas.

 

blogIMG_5729

Sunset and a flamingo on Flamingo Lake with Harbour Club Villas in the background.

blogmornIMG_8772

A beautiful early morning calmness on the lake.

blogherIMG_2463

A Reddish Eagret looking for fish in Flamingo Lake.

Birdwatchers, birders and wild life lovers will enjoy watching the many water birds that fly in to enjoy the lake. As you  walk from Harbour Club Villas along the Lake and Juba Salina, you’ll see all kinds of Herons, ducks and even flamingos.

XIMG_0409

Often we see small groups of Flamingos

IMG_6885

Taking a look at the beautiful fishing flat close to Harbour Club Villas

XIMG_0064

Bonefishing on the flats of the south side of Provo.

IMG_1395

Juba Salina is further down Turtle Tail and often you’ll see flamingos down this way.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Marta’s little beach or Dog beach at sunset….it’s tucked away so you’ll have to ask me where it is!!

blogIMG_5915

This celebrity’s mansion overlooks the waters of the south side just down the road from the villas.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these photos of the south shore line close by Harbour Club Villas. It’s a wondrous area that’s quiet and tranquil, great for fishing, bonefishing, kayaking, walking and bird watching. For those that want to scuba dive, we are available to make the arrangements for you. Come and enjoy our piece of paradise……..the south side of Provo.

 

Marta

 

 

www.harbourclubvillas.com

 

 

 

Providenciales Afternoon Clouds and Skies

Posted on by
Reply

Trying to outrun the darkening clouds and coming rains

A beautiful sunny day on Sunday until about 2 pm and of course our planned boat trip for some beach, water and sunshine time. We headed out and this was the amazing skies behind us as we tried to find our little piece of sunshine. Here are photos of the changing skies as we headed towards Dellis Cay. We saw it all on our Sunday trip from sunny skies and puffy white clouds to somber, dark rain clouds and sunset skies too.

View from Dellis Cay looking towards Pine Cay........ such magnificent colours in shades of turquoise and blue.

 

Such beauty on this deserted island with its abandoned resort and villa buildings.

 

A few dark storm clouds obscured the sun creating interesting colours on the ocean.

 

Years ago we would come to Dellis to find sand dollars and shells ..... the best shelling beach in the TCI.

The abandonned buildings on Dellis Cay stand forlornly looking out as the world goes past through its' empty windows

Dellis Cay is a 560-acre private island that got its name from the Dellis family who lived on the island and earned their living sponge farming in the 1950’s. It lies to the east of Pine Cay and is a 20 minute boat ride from Providenciales. Years ago, island excursions, locals and visitors alike would spend many hours wandering the beautiful beaches, picking up numerous shells as well as hunting for sand dollars. Unfortunately there were no sand dollars that I saw but the shells are still all over the beach.

The beauty that was Dellis Cay is now spoiled by the unfinished structures of a failed resort scheme that formed part of the 2008 Mandarin Oriental Dellis Cay Project. One part of this complex called The Residences at Mandarin Oriental was supposed to open in 2010 but went bankrupt, construction was halted as you can see from the photos and financial problems caused cancellation of the development. And so the empty shells of deluxe private villas and residences on the beach stand waiting and watching and are faced with an uncertain future.

Parting view of the villas and residences on Dellis Cay.

 

Heading back to Providenciales with rays of sunshine streaking through the clouds

 

Coming home with a rain storm over the horizon and our boat's rooster tail.

 

We were treated to this amazing sky as we passed Smith's Reef.

 

Rounding the corner and heading into the channel to Turtle Cove Marina

Coming into Turtle Cove Marina with beautiful clouds.

 

Docking in the Marina after a perfect day on the water.

You simply can’t have a bad day in the islands……..rain or shine. Besides, what’s a bit of rain amongst good friends?

 

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

 

Haiti and the Citadel

Posted on by
Reply

Marta on horse back???? Yep, the last time was also on a trip up to the Citadel in 2003!

Two of us were on horse back, some walked all the way up and we even had someone who ran the route of about seven miles (11 km) from the little town of Milot uphill all the way to the Citadel.  The Citadel is a large mountaintop fortress to the south of the city of Cap-Haitien. I can’t tell you how impressive this named ” World Heritage Site” is and it is a must to see and experience.  The first portion of the hand cut stone work trail up can be done by car but I chose to go the horse route.  From the mid-level parking lot, the second portion must be completed either on horseback or on foot.

Saturday was wash day and all the dwellings had clothes strung out and over bushes drying in the sunshine.

On the way up were small dwellings surrounded by banana and other fruit trees, even coffee beans had been picked off the hillside bushes and lay drying at the side of the trail/road. Since this was a Saturday (our trip was on Sept 24 ) everyone it seemed had done their washing and many had wares to sell to the tourists on their way up to the Citadel.

The first sighting of the fortress perched on a high mountain surrounded by what I thought was fairly lush vegetation.

 

The massive fortress walls as we made out way to the entrance

This fortress was built by King Henri Christophe on top of a  3,000-foot mountain called Bonnet-a-l’Eveque, or the Bishop’s Miter, using between 10,000 some 20,000 workers in the years between 1805 and 1820. Around ten percent of them did not survive and there’s a popular Haitian belief that there is human blood in the Citadel’s mortar. It is Haiti’s most revered national symbol and was built to protect the interior of the country in case the French tried to retake the former colony.  It is a symbol of the will of the Haitien people to fight for their freedom and understanding the Citadel is crucial to understanding Haiti’s turbulent history as the only nation whose birth was the result of a successful slave rebellion.

A bright green lizard caught our attention......and note the orange lichens on the stone walls

View over looking hundreds of cannon balls and the mountaintops beyond.

The Citadel fortress is said to have some 365 cannons and 10,000 rounds and it took up to three months for a single cannon to be moved from the coast and up the mountain to the fortress. On a tour of this awesome stone structure we saw a room filled with more cannon balls in addition to the piled up mounds of cannon balls shown in the photo above.

An impressively decorated cannon faces the stone openings where cannons were positioned to defend the fortress from invaders.

 

Opening in the solid fortification walls showing the mountain greenery below with the mouth of the cannon.

 

View from the top of the Citadel with the inner courtyard to the right.

Water collection for the cisterns

As there was no inner spring or water source, large amounts of rain water were gathered in 8 huge cisterns, to supply the garrison and inhabitants of the fortress for a whole years’ time.

 

The sloping roof of the Poudrière (powder store) on the left

The Poudrière exploded in 1818, killing Prince Noël, the kings son-in-law and Citadel’s commander.

Around the inner court were the crew's quarters, the kitchens and the storerooms, each of these 50 feet deep.

 

It's a long way down..........no barriers or anything so we had to be careful and not go close to any edges.

 

Wow! what a stunning view...we were almost in the clouds on top of the world.

And time to head down the mountain and leave this wonderful place. I took over 850 photos and everywhere I turned there was a picture to take. The people were friendly and yes, the vendors will try to sell you a painting, a necklace, a hat or some other ware. I rode my horse down the winding road making one last stop at the Sans-Souci Palace and a group photo.

The Palace of Sans-Souci was the royal residence of King Henri I (better known as Henri Christophe) of Haiti

What a fabulous day we had here at the Citadel and hopefully there will be another occasion to return. I’m hoping to post a little more of this really all too brief visit that will include some photos of Cap Haitien and the Cormier Plage Hotel.

 

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

 

Tree Frogs in Our Cisterns

Posted on by
Reply
Croaking frogs caught in our cisterns........noisy especially when trying to sleep!!

Croaking frogs caught in our cisterns........noisy especially when trying to sleep!!

We’ve been hearing frogs croaking at night and yes, two of them managed to get into the cistern under our house. Yesterday, we caught another one that had taken up residence in the cistern under Harbour Club’s gazebo at the pool.

We sent Mike down into the cistern today to capture the little frog........I'm hoping there isn't a mass of froglets down there!!!

Last night, we opened the trap door to the cistern while watching TV. We had read that frogs are attracted to light and we hoped the two frogs would emerge into the living room……umm, I wasn’t too keen on this idea with visions in my head of chasing a fast hopping frog around our living room. Well, Mike peeked around the recliner to find one of the frogs sitting on the trap door ledge which he quickly caught in our pool net.

Here's this mornings tree frog caught in the pool net.

Here's this mornings tree frog caught in the pool net.

We sent Mike down into our cistern this morning to catch the last remaining frog. He was well hidden up in the pipes but Mike managed to catch him.

Mike frees the small tree frog and we let him go into the bushes and shrubs by one of the villas.

Mike frees the small tree frog and we let him go into the bushes and shrubs by one of the villas.

Such pretty camouflage colorations on this little tree frog.

Such pretty camouflage colorations on this little tree frog.

Note the suction type pads which enable these frogs to glom onto cistern walls ?? etc

Note the suction type pads which enable these frogs to glom onto cistern walls ?? etc

I’m hoping there weren’t too many tadpoles down in the cistern waters…….we did add bleach this morning.

Marta

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

 

Turks and Caicos Dog Show

Posted on by
Reply
This gorgeous dog was almost as tall as his little friend at this afternoon's eagerly awaited Dog Show

This gorgeous dog was almost as tall as his little friend at this afternoon's eagerly awaited Dog Show

What a great afternoon it was as everyone and their dogs had some tail waggin’ fun under the tent set up in Turtle Cove Marina. Once again it was time for the annual TCSPCA Dog Show. All the “who’s who” of the Provo doggie world came to vie for some great prizes and two trophies…..one for the Best in Show and one for the winner of the Obstacle Course.

Top Dog trophy waiting for the winning dog announcement

Top Dog trophy waiting for the winning dog announcement

A great turn out of dogs and potcakes of all sizes, their proud owners, loads of kids with cute painted doggy faces, booths selling a variety of neat items like eco friendly doggy bags, T-shirts and too many other items to mention along with food and drinks.

This little cutie was ready to show it's stuff in a range of competition endeavours.

This little cutie was ready to show it's stuff in a range of competition endeavours.

   

Checking out the competition at the TCSPCA Dog Show!

Checking out the competition at the TCSPCA Dog Show!

I'm so handsome ....I deserve a treat for this pose woofs Rama.

I'm so "doggon" handsome ....I deserve a treat for this perky earred pose woofs Rama.

Kids with painted doggy faces were kept entertained at the craft tables

Kids with painted doggy faces were kept entertained at the craft tables

All the excitement made this potcake tired as it lay down for a rest
All the excitement made this potcake tired as it lay down for a short break

If you missed the action today make sure to mark your calendar for next year.  The show today included a demonstration by the K-9 unit and I’ll post some photos of this in tomorrow’s blog.

Keep those tails waggin’
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

The all important Mangrove

Posted on by
Reply
Mangroves help prevent erosion by stabilizing sediments with their tangled root systems

Mangroves help prevent erosion by stabilizing sediments with their tangled root systems

Mangroves protect shorelines from storm and hurricane winds, waves and floods and also serve as valuable nurseries for fish and conch. The shallow waters surrounding the pheumatophores or aerial roots provide a sanctuary and food for juvenile fish, turtles, lobster and other marine species.  They thrive in salty conditions and their coverage of coastal shorelines and wetlands provides many species of birds, crustacea and fish with a unique habitat.

Mangroves are important breeding and nursery grounds for a variety of marine animals.

Mangroves are important breeding and nursery grounds for a variety of marine animals.

Mangroves found in the Turks and Caicos include the Red Mangrove, Black Mangrove, White Mangrove and Button Mangrove. The trees generally grove between 6 and 12 feet but in sheltered coastal areas the Red Mangrove can be found growing as high as 32 feet.

Mangrove roots extending out under the water

Mangrove roots extending out under the water

Mangroves can grow densley providing shelter and nurseries for bonefish

Mangroves can grow densley providing shelter and nurseries for bonefish

Mangroves have a seed capsule that is a self contained pre germinated plant. It matures on the tree and then drops into the water. They can float quite a ways before finding a spot to plant themselves

Mangroves have a seed capsule that is a self contained pre germinated plant. It matures on the tree and then drops into the water. They can float quite a ways before finding a spot to plant themselves

Mangrove flowers

Mangrove flowers

 The bark of the mangrove tree has been used to make tea for stomach ailments such as ulcers and diarrhoea. The flowers and fruit feed birds and other wild life.

The pheumatophores help to stabilize the sediment and protect coastal areas from erosion

The pheumatophores help to stabilize the sediment and protect coastal areas from erosion

Protect our mangroves here in the Turks and Caicos Islands
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com