I almost was able to do some soap making in Turks and Caicos.
The very first thing I do whenever I go on vacation, is try to find a local soap maker in the area. Even when I was a child, my favorite spot on every trip was in front of the soap in the Gift Shop.
While staying at the Ports of Call hotel in Grace Bay, we easily walked to Island Organics. The shop was super cute and smelled great. Kico, the candle maker, greeted me. Her mom Arlene is the soap maker, but wasn’t in that day.
I looked (and smelled) around. Kico told me about how her mom sources botanicals from the island to use in her soaps. We commiserated about how the price of everything has gone up and how sourcing bottles was difficult during the pandemic. I thought my shipping costs were expensive, but it’s much worse on Turks and Caicos since everything has to be brought in by plane or boat. Kico helped me find soap bars natural to the island, and I bought 3, (Nettle, Papaya and Shepard’s Needle). Arlene would be in the next day and, so would I.
When I arrived the next day, I missed Arlene by about an hour. She had been in the shop soap making, and I had been back at the hotel swimming. I was disappointed but Kico showed me what her mom had made that day. It was as close as I’ll get to soap making in Turks and Caicos.
The rest of the trip was spent walking, eating, swimming and reading.
There were fragrant Plumeria trees.
There was also time for hammocks.
And yes, I’ll answer this before you even ask. I bring my own soap. Always. Don’t you?
Yours in Gratitude,
Angela