Day 3 (November 3, 2021):

We came to Turks and Caicos for three days of pure R&R. What can I say about our first full day, other than the fact that it lived up to our complete expectation:  29°, sun, swims in the bathwater-warm Caribbean, nice meals = a 10/10 type of day after a hectic Fall.  

We were at breakfast by 8AM, but the slow “island time” service meant that it took an hour to get and eat our bacon and eggs.  There were only two tables occupied in the restaurant, so we think they had to chase down a chicken to lay some eggs. Anyway, after a morning of beach time and a long walk, we had lunch in our room and waited for our Covid PCR test company to show up at 2PM (necessary for the return to Canada on Sunday). They arrived at 1:50PM and by 2, we had been tested and were getting ready for a short afternoon excursion to the southeast coast of Providenciales Island. 

That was followed by ice cream near the resort, more beach time, a drink by the pool as the sun went down, and an Italian dinner in the heart of Providenciales. We were back at the resort by 8:30PM and promptly fell asleep!  After all, resort life is taxing. 

A great day!

The view from our breakfast table at the resort’s restaurant felt a wee bit like being in Venice. Ok, yes, a little imagination was required. 🥴

This is the Royal West Indies Resort, courtesy of Google Maps, just to give an idea of the resort’s layout. The blue dot marks our building.

Puffy clouds, turquoise water and white powder sand - exactly what Turks and Caicos is known for. 

Late morning, we did an hour-long walk down the beach at Grace Bay, often voted as one of the world’s best. 

Unlike Florida, Hawaii and many other sun destinations, where every square inch of beachfront is hyper developed, Turks and Caicos still offers patches of prime undeveloped land. 

Long Bay is a shallow lagoon on the south side of Providenciales Island. 

This very large sink hole (note the large home in the background for size comparison) is one of the top ten attractions on the island of Providenciales. Down a horrible dirt road, marked by a rough sign (“The Hole”), and not at all protected by a barrier, it’s a quick fall to your death, if you slip. A stark reminder that North America’s obsession with litigation and public safety isn’t quite the same concern in these parts. 

The beachfront along Long Bay Beach on the southeast side of the island is marked by exclusive security-camera monitored estates. Getting around them and down to see the beach isn’t easy. We found a small trail though the brush and at least got a look at the beach. Its ooooh-ahhhh status pales in comparison to Grace Bay on the northern shore. But it was still quite neat to see this side of Providenciales Island. 

On Long Bay Beach, we saw what appeared to be a dumping ground for conch shells. That represents a lot of conch fritters…

This man-eating-sized poison-dart spitting lizard was stalking us on our way back through the brush at Long Bay Beach. Terrifying. (Okay, okay, so it didn’t spit poison darts. Okay, okay, so it wasn’t exactly man-eating-sized.  Okay, okay, so it was a tiny gecko.  Sheesh.)

I just can’t keep Pam in order on this trip, so giddy with excitement she is to be here. It reached a point this afternoon where some cooling off time in the stocks had to be arranged.

Our room is next to one of the pools - a comfortable patio with a ceiling fan, and a few hops to poolside. Great spot for eating lunch or for a late afternoon cup of tea. 

The sun set at 5:07PM over Grace Bay, marking the end to a wonderfully relaxing day on the beach. 

Dinner was at a great Italian place called Baci on the water in the Turtle Cove Marina (the heart of Providenciales). Pam’s yellow-fin tuna was caught locally today - seared to perfection. 

The canal at the Turtle Cove Marina. Baci, where we ate dinner, is the brightly-lit place reflected on the water in the centre of the photo.