Before Spring Break, the staff recommended to rent Airbnbs in the Grace Bay area of Providenciales. Grace Bay is the center of tourism, with access to multiple beaches, clubs, and local events. Admittedly, I picked the cheapest Airbnb that I could find. Funnily, it happened to be the furthest Airbnb from Grace Bay. After many wrong turns, I was dropped off at the house where I met our host, Maria, and her family. Within fifteen minutes of meeting them, they brought me to the beach and I watched as they kiteboarded. That night, I took my first hot water shower in two months and ended the night watching YouTube. It felt great to rest after a busy semester. The following day, my friends, Shania and Ms. Simon, from the Virgin Islands made it to the house. We were starving, had no transportation, and the closest restaurant was 40 minutes away. Nevertheless, we pushed ourselves to walk for food. At the mid-way point of the avenue, I placed my thumb out for hitchhiking and they were nice enough to drop us at the restaurant. We were able to tour Grace Bay, try different foods, and buy last-minute groceries. Turks Kebab is probably the best Mediterranean restaurant on the island.
The next day, we rented a car, kickstarting our adventurous era. In the afternoon, we put on our bathing suits and drove to Smith’s Reef (a recommendation from Maria). Before reaching the beach, we went to one of Maria’s favorite spots, Simone’s. This food was so good that we came back later that week. If you ever go to Providenciales (Provo), ask for the seafood paella and your life will be complete. We went on to tour the beach and I had to show my snorkeling skills. I hope that I’m able to revisit these reefs in the future.
The following day, we went to the only official walking trail on the island, Bird Rock Trail. This 30-minute trail was a workout. The trail comprised numerous rocky sections, beautiful shrubbery, and a mini bridge over a mangrove estuary. Being the newly informed marine scientist from the SFS program, I was intrigued by the juvenile Sergeant Majors and Yellowtail Snappers in the estuary. At the edge of the trail, we saw a mitten of conch shells and collected some as souvenirs. While collecting our souvenirs, it began to downpour and Shania’s hat flew off the edge and into the water. We never retrieved that precious hat. If you see a dolphin wearing a black hat in Turks and Caicos, please return it to us. To commemorate our cardio for the day, we ate at The Crackpot Kitchen for authentic local food and drinks. The next day, I got up early to start studying for my upcoming exam. While I was studying, Shania and Ms. Simon went to the beach. Hours go by and my friends are not here. Now, where would those two go? They return to tell me about their adventure around the island.
So, I hopped in the car to see these amazing sites that they visited. Firstly, we drove to a chicken shop across the island. The fried chicken and fries were popping! I even gave some to this cute puppy who followed me around the area. Then, we went to Wheeland Pond. We had no idea there was a pond in the town but we managed to find it. Lastly, we went to the westernmost part of the island. How did they find this? Ms. Simon has a habit of driving until the end of the road. I love her tenacity to explore and learn every part of a place. The Northwest Point showcased a virtually untouched beach. We saw a young blacktip reef shark near the shore and I was so happy to take in the scene. Later that night, we went to the weekly Fish Fry festival. There were many vendors selling souvenirs, food, and drinks. The members of the Junkanoo* club performed multiple dances and the Master of Ceremonies went on to hyping the crowd. After the festival, Shania and I headed to Danny Buoys, where I introduced her to the rest of my cohort. We ended the night with drinks and karaoke.
The next morning, I continued studying and then headed out to Grace Bay. It was there that I learned that I was ripped off at the Fish Fry Festival regarding the souvenir prices. Despite this revelation, I bought some more souvenirs and headed to eat at a small local shop. The food was really good but the dessert at the nearby ice cream shop was PHENOMENAL. If you ever go to Turks and Caicos, please go to Island Scoops. Hands down, the best homemade ice cream that I’ve ever tasted, and the owners were amazing. We continued touring the area and stumbled upon this little shop called Island Organics. I got some perfume and candles from this spot. Anyone who asks in the future, my signature scent is from the Turks and Caicos Islands.
In the evening, we went to a nice restaurant to celebrate my friends coming to see me. We were extremely grateful to be able to travel to a beautiful island, build connections with the locals, and explore its many wonders. I think the biggest blessing was going to an Airbnb that wasn’t in the tourist hub. It allowed us to prioritize cultural immersion rather than the setting that tourism-dependent countries implement to attract visitors.
Missing Rihanna twice
Following our exciting day trip to Smith’s Reef, I fell asleep earlier than anticipated. At midnight, I checked my phone and saw that the cohort spotted Rihanna at a restaurant. I was heartbroken. Why did I go to sleep? I told myself that I would never go to sleep early again. This was the first time that I missed Rihanna on Spring Break. While touring souvenir shops in Grace Bay, Shania and I entered a jewelry store. Shania and the representatives hit it off and compared their experiences as jewelry salespeople. The gentleman informed us that Rihanna had come to their store two days before. That was the second time that we missed Rihanna during our Spring Break. Was I upset? Yes. Will I ever get the opportunity to see her again? Maybe not. Am I still bitter about it? YES, but life moves on.
*What is Junkanoo?
Junkanoo is the term for the three-day holiday period allotted to chattel slaves to replicate their traditional celebrations from home. It transitioned into a mass celebration among locals in the Turks and Caicos Islands as well as The Bahamas. Feel free to delve more into the history of this culturally significant event.