Almost anywhere you go in the Virgin Islands, you can still see reminders of hurricanes Irma and Maria that rampaged through these beautiful islands in 2017. But you also see evidence of resilience, rebuilding and renewal everywhere.
One example that stood out on our recent visit, was the storied Bitter End Yacht Club on Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands.
The pictures below show Bitter End as it was in January of 2017, when we visited with Kathy and Doug.
The picture below was taken when Kathy, Claire and I were sailing in January of 2019, about 1½ years after the hurricanes. There was virtually nothing left of the Bitter End Yacht Club.
What a pleasant surprise it was to return to Bitter End in 2023 and find a beautiful new resort springing up in place of the destruction we saw in 2019. Although I believe this is just the first phase in a multi-phase rebuilding plan, the BEYC is already a destination I would happily return to again and again.