A short post today, folks. About Tortola.
On the way from Puerto Rico to Saint Martin recently, I had the briefest of stopovers on this green and gorgeous isle, so here’s a tiny taste of the largest of the British Virgin Islands for you. And painkillers.
Although, you will have to imagine the taste of the painkillers. Or experiment your way along to creating your own. Curious? Read on!
One of my favourite things in the Caribbean is the abundance of bright, colourful buildings everywhere. Tortola, it turned out, is no exception.
Shades of sunshine!
Another quirk I rather enjoyed was the steep hills. Very, very steep! Driving across the island, I felt like I was driving a roller coaster. (Too busy keeping my eyes on the road and steering, to take photos, sorry.)
Shaken, not stirred
My stay on Tortola consisted of a long, lazy afternoon on the beach, followed by a fun night – also on the beach – with steel drums, Calypso music, and a painkiller. This last bit was generously offered to me by the bartender after I told him about my strained quadratus lumborum. For us non-medics, that’s a muscle in the lower back that has been giving me trouble lately. I know the name because I happened to be queueing next to a physiotherapist in an airport recently, who noticed my walking back and forth rather than sit and wait my turn at the gate like the rest. But I digress.
Expecting a glass of water and a Paracetamol, I instead got a glass of a dark cream-coloured liquid with a cherry on top. A Painkiller, you see, is orange juice, pineapple juice, cream of coconut and a sprinkle of nutmeg. And rum, of course. We are in the Caribbean, after all: land of grog and gaiety… swigs and sunshine… rum and relaxation… OK, I’ll stop now.