The "A Trip to the Conch Farm" Story

It was an ordinary day. We were having fun on Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos. One of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. Sand is so soft and white it feels like talcum powder. And it sticks to you like powder when you're wet. Jerry, Just Sue, Carol and I are trying to figure out what we want to do tomorrow. Need a change from all this sitting on the beach and reading, napping and lounging in the water routine. When we arrived, there was a kiosk at the airport that had brochures with all types of tourist places to go. Later that day, when we returned to our rooms, we found the brochures and decided we would visit the World's only Conch Farm. Directions were included in the brochure, so the next day after breakfast we headed to the northeast corner of Providenciales. The roads on the island are terrible. Pot holes up to the rim of the wheel, so if you hit one, you had an awful time getting out of it. Many days we heard tires popping as we drove along the roads. And the road to the conch farm is no different. Really need to keep you eyes on the road and don't try to sight see as you drive. We had read in our Fodor's guide book all about the conch farm the night before and were anticipating our trip to this sight. The conch are raised from eggs to young adults, housed in greenhouse-like structures, then transferred to holding ponds and later ocean holding pens. Visitors are encouraged to pick up and handle the conch at each stage. The tour culminates with a visit with Sally and Jerry, two trained, 6-year-old, full-grown conch who are coaxed out of their shells so guides can point out the very obvious difference between the males and females. Now how cool will that be? We're on the final stretch of bad road now, and as we make the final turn into the lane with the Conch Farm sign, we are greeted with yet another sign. "Closed for Public Tours" - Re-open November 1st. Holy crap! We wasted an hour finding this place and a quarter of an inch of rubber from our tires, and now the ONLY, yes ONLY tourist attraction on the island is closed. And I was really looking forward to seeing all those conch. Oh well, back to the beach. Now that can't be all bad. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.