paradise - Lili on the Loose

4 12, 2017

Travel Missteps: A Bump in the Night

By Lili|December 4th, 2017|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2010, 2011, Caribbean, frog, Maho Bay, Maho Bay Camps, ocean, paradise, St. John, St. John 2010, St. John 2011, USVI|0 Comments

On my second trip to St John, USVI I once again stayed in the tree-house like canvas tent cabins of the Maho Bay Camps. It was relatively cheap, eco-conscious, and amazing views! However, the tents were getting a little worse for the ware. Small holes dotted the roof and screens. Doors wouldn't fully close. But, when you are in paradise, these complaints fade away. Iguanas lounged on the deck. Hermit crabs scurried underfoot (after being captured and released by a young child.) Gekkos in your tent became your friend as they would eat the bugs. Rain would lull you to

7 09, 2017

Scenes from St John, USVI

By Lili|September 7th, 2017|Categories: Nature & Outdoors, Travel|Tags: 2011, Anna Point, Bordeaux Mountain, Caribbean, Coral Bay, Florida, Francis Bay, Hurricane Hole, Hurricane Irma, Leinster Bay, ocean, paradise, St. John, St. John 2011, Travel Thursday, Trunk Bay, USVI, Whistling Cay|1 Comment

Hurricane Irma has devastated so many countries and islands, and sadly I hear my beloved island of St John in the US Virgin Islands has been hit pretty hard. And with Irma heading towards Florida, more devastation is on its way. With St John on my mind, I'm sharing some of my favorite landscape photos I took on my 2011 trip. View of Anna Point and Leinster Bay. Look at that gorgeous color water! The beautiful Trunk Bay. Looking towards Coral Bay and Hurricane Hole from Bordeaux Mountain. Rainbow over Francis Bay and Whistling

15 04, 2017

Souvenir Saturday: Larimar, Stone of the Caribbean

By Lili|April 15th, 2017|Categories: Souvenirs, Travel|Tags: 2010, 2011, Caribbean, Charlotte Amalie, Cocoloba Shopping Center, conch, Coral Bay, earings, jewelry, Jolly Dog, Larimar, necklace, ocean, paradise, St. John, St. John 2010, St. John 2011, St. Thomas, USVI|0 Comments

Larimar is a stone only found in the Dominican Republic, but you'll find jewelry made from the stone throughout the Carribean as the "Official" stone of the area. It's beautiful aqua blue color does remind you of the ocean waves. I have 3 pieces of Larimar jewelry, all purchased at various places of the US Virgin Islands. The first piece The first piece, is actually my newest acquisition, as I got it right before leaving the USVIs on St. Thomas in Charlotte Amalie at a market usually serving cruise ship passengers. We had arrived by ferry and right after exiting found

18 01, 2016

Travel Missteps: Don’t Look Under the Ledge

By Lili|January 18th, 2016|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2010, 2013, beach, Belize, boat, California, Caribbean, Caye Caulker, Central America, fear, fish, G Adventures, Gadventures, GAP, grouper, island, Little Maho Bay, Maho, Mayan Encounter 2013, Mermaid, Michigan, ocean, paradise, snorkel, snorkeling, St. John, St. John 2010, The Little Mermaid, underwater photography, UNESCO, UNESCO World Heritage Site, USVI, water|0 Comments

As a young child, my favorite movie was The Little Mermaid. I loved swimming and spent my childhood on the beaches of California and the Great Lakes of Michigan pretending to be a mermaid. On my first trip to St. John USVI, it was my first time snorkeling in years and I was excited to try out my new equipment and underwater camera. I swam out to a rocky outcropping near Little Maho Bay Beach and got a little snap happy as I hadn't expected the water to be so clear or to see so many fish so close to the

14 09, 2015

Travel Missteps: No See Ums

By Lili|September 14th, 2015|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps, Travel Tips|Tags: 2010, 2011, beach, bites, bug bites, bugs, Caribbean, itchy, mosquito, no see ums, ocean, paradise, rum, sand, sand flies, snorkel, snorkeling, St. John, St. John 2010, St. John 2011, USVI, vodka|0 Comments

The US Virgin Islands are full of amazingly beautiful sandy beaches. And those beaches are often infested with small biting and blood sucking insects sometimes called No See Ums, Sand Flies, as well as many other names. They are almost invisible but their bites can swell up and look like mosquito bites. They can also carry/transmit diseases. They are also not fast, if you are moving quickly into the water, you'll likely not get bit, but its when you walk back through the sand, sit on a towel, or have stand sticking to you or your shoes that they can hitch

8 03, 2015

The Sounds that Travel with Us

By Lili|March 8th, 2015|Categories: Travel, Travel Memories|Tags: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, All in the family Italy 2005/2006, Asia, at the heart of it Ireland 2009, Backpacking it in England and Scotland, Belize, BuzzFeed, California, Canada, Caribbean, Central America, Christmas in Germany, christmas music, Costa Rica, drinking song, England, Europe, Germany, Good Food in San Francisco, Guatemala, House of Cards, Ireland, Italy, Japan, ke$ha, kesha, Las Vegas, Linkin Park, Mattafix, Mayan Encounter 2013, memories, Mexico, Nevada, North America, paradise, Robert Post, Sailor Moon, San Diego, San Francisco, Scotland, Sister Cities Japan 2004, song, songs, sound, sounds, St. John, St. John 2010, Toronto, USA, USVI, wild rover, Yea! Sports|0 Comments

BuzzFeed recently had an article about the sounds from Italy that will fill you with Wanderlust. And it reminded me of all the sounds I associate with certain trips. Here are some of my top highlights that will instantly take me back in time: Toronto: Theme from House of Cards Google Play and Amazon had the first episode of House of Cars for free. I figured, sure why not, lets see what the hype is all about. I watched the first episode on my flights out...and got hooked. At night I'd watch House of Card before falling asleep. San Diego:

18 03, 2013

Travel Missteps: Stuck in Paradise

By Lili|March 18th, 2013|Categories: Travel, Travel Missteps|Tags: 2010, Caribbean, eruption, paradise, Snowpocalypse, snowstorm, St. John, St. John 2010, stranded, stuck, USVI, volcano, work|0 Comments

View overlooking Trunk Bay, St. John USVI In February 2010 I visited a paradise known as St. John USVI for the first time. Nearly 3/4th of the island is national park land and it is beautiful. I stayed in an eco cottages (pretty much tents in trees with geckos and frogs as roommates) and snorkeled every day. I didn't want to ever leave this paradise. But as with all trips the end seem to come too soon and it was time to go home. A day before I was supposed to fly out, I started hearing rumors that flights into the USVI had been cancelled and no