Adventures in St. John USVI

Day 8 - The Line Of Woe!

2006-02-25T10:20:00.000-08:00

Saturday - We awake early and get things packed. I toss out my bipod now monopod seeing that it did not grow new legs and shed a tear, good bye old friend, at least you get to stay in the islands. We have a 2:00 flight and were thinking we could catch the 10:00 ferry to St. Thomas.

This is the sad part - DJ and I each walk around the cottage and say good bye to paradise. I will honestly say that we both were teary eyed.

The drive to Cruz Bay is quite. We're early but that's not a bad thing. I pull up to the ferry and we unload the bags.

Penn's take Robin, no hassle, I pull in and a guy just takes the car. No questions asked, perhaps I should have asked if he works for Penns LOL.

Walking to the ferry to get a ticket we find out that the window ONLY opens 10 minutes before the ferry pulls out. I get tickets, which are $1 less going this way and a guy and we enter "The Line of Woe". (Tickets have gone up in price I hear).

At this point a guy with a cart comes up and asks where were going and we say Red Hook. He takes the bags, yells something incomprehensible to a worker mate and our bags leave us. Eagle eye DJ watch's those bags the entire way to the ferry saying she does not want to loose those bags.

We board the ferry and see all sorts of people we have met in the last week. The Italian couple from Trunk, the couple from Ram Head, a family that we flew down from Chicago with, another couple from Salt Pond.

Arriving at Red Hook the group of us wait for our bags to be unloaded and everything goes well, FOR US! The scary thing is that one bag is missing and they have an extra bag. All the ferry people can do is tell you go to Charlotte Amelia and get the correct bag. Obviously somebody in Charlotte Amelia is pretty disappointed and has to taxi out to Red Hook. What a freaking nightmare.

We're taxied to the Airport with a driver that is racing another and it's pretty funny. If you have ever seen the movie "Meet the Parents" with Robert De Nero and Ben Stiller racing from stop light to stop light, it was pretty much like that. A one block at a time speed race. HINT - take the ferry to Red Hook 5 hours before your plane leaves to avoid LONG lines.

At the airport DJ fills out a paper saying we have not purchased over $1500 in goodies so we can get into San Juan. We go through customs and the guy asks me where my final destination is and I blow it. Chicago, no Madison, no Chicago WELL, WHICH IS IT!! I ask define "final" and we're all good. I think DJ was flirting with him behind my back and he lets us go. We did hear a story of one woman that was "detained" for being stupid and complaining about WHY she had to do this.

I'm hungry so I get into the mile long line at the cafeteria and see that Starch is only $1.50. I've never had anything actually called starch but pass on it anyway.

An hour later we board The Line of Woe #2 on the tarmac and sucking in our last breath of St. John air we climb the stairs to the plane. Now the exciting part comes. We take off and are heading straight up when the bottom drops out beneath us, DJ's hand slams down on the hand rest on her left which is already taken by another woman. After the 1 second 100 foot dead drop like a stone excitement everybody lets out a good laugh and tension is relieved. I think there is a down draft from the mountains next to the runway and I would not be surprised if this is not unexpected. Just be prepared, if it happens, it's NOT a surprise.

United airlines has a really cool thing, you can listen to the air traffic controller and all the pilots in the vicinity. I LOVE this. In fact I listened to 5 straight hours of this banter on the way home.

Its only a 20 minute flight and I hear it's going to get bumpy when we have to drop through a cloud layer in late afternoon. I tell DJ and we fly over San Juan bumping all the way.

HINT - if you go to the duty free store with your boarding pass you can buy even MORE liquor to take on the plane with you. Looks like everything is a little less then 1/2 price. I bought a liter of Kahula for $12.

HINT #2 - it did not happen to US but I saw perhaps 70% of the boxes that carry 6 bottles of Cruzen rum with ripped handles. Duct tape was the preferred fix.

HINT #3 - I was told to take duct tape on the trip. We did and it DOES come in handy.

The NEXT plane arrives and we fly to Chicago with about 1/3 of the plane full. Two movies are played but I listen to the air traffic controllers and pilots the entire way. It's fascinating. The group has to be the most polite group of people I have ever heard.

We have light chop here and there and I hear pilots asking and helping others looking for a smooth ride. I hear WHY we turn an odd times and WHY the engines seem to stop from time to time and love it. We're flying at 39,000 feet and mach 0.79. DJ looks at her watch every 15 minutes and I have my face pressed against the window for a good part of the trip loving every second.

Night falls and we fly on. The pilot asked the controller about the chop we were just in and the sweet controller says "United 6227, you have a smooth road all the way, it's all behind you darlin" "Thanks Miami, g'day" We are passed from controller to controller and then things change. As we are handed off to Chicago by Indianapolis our new Controller sounds different, more . . . .professional, somehow. This guy is not just making sure we have a clear road, this guy is bring us into and landing us in O'Hare.

What a difference. He's controlling ten planes every move, from speed, to altitude to direction, everything. We're 10 miles from "Big Wavey" (shores of Lake Michigan), another plane is over The Bears Den (Solder Field). Flying over Chicago at night is awesome and even DJ is looking out the window in wonderment. The pilots and I are informed to be careful because there is a "heavy" 8 miles ahead and there might be turbulence. COOL!

Long story short - everything goes smooth, bags are found, shuttle is found and our FREEZING ride to the hotel is on time. HOWEVER - I overhear a conversation that there is a snow storm brewing in Wisconsin that might hit later tonight. It's about 9:00 Chicago time but 10:00 body time and we have been traveling for 13 hours now.

I jump into our Civic that seems WAY WAY too close to the ground (remember, 4-wheel drive jeeps are high up). Exiting out of the parking lot the car is 1 block away from I294. ZOOM ZOOM we're on the interstate going WAY WAY TOO FAST. I just spent a week at top speed of 20mph and now I have to drive 80????

What an experience. I'm a REAL good driver and I can not believe how hard it is to get up to speed on a 6 lane, flat highway with my butt scrapping the road. We're so low! We're both just holding on. Driving St. John was a piece of cake, this is nightmare LOL.

By the time we relax and are comfortable going fast I notice that we're on I94. I ask DJ, are we suppose to be on I94? YUP she says without thinking. You see, I94 and I90 both go into Madison. The key point is I94 comes from Milwaukee. This key piece of information escapes us at that moment.

15 minutes later I see another I94 sign and an alarm goes off in my tiny brain. I94 GOES TO MILWAUKEE, NOT MADISON. DJ takes out a map and ponders a solution. We take an exit which leads us to another super highway, then another that leads us further away. FINALLY we get to a NON-super highway and I find a McDonalds and we look at the map and have a burger. YUMMY! but LOST!

The only way out of this is to head back to where we started, we have only gone 30 miles and there was really no great way to get back on track without going through 60 small towns.

Heading back I see it. One Snowflake. ALREADY? Then another. We get onto the right highway a half hour later and we see that our turnoff was 1 block from the hotel. No wonder we missed it, I was still freaking out on driving.

My eyes are tired and body is tired but I'm doing OK, mind is alert and we drive on. It's only about 2 1/2 hours. What can happen. A few more snow flakes are randomly coming down but it's not really "snowing".

I start stopping at every toll booth and rest area to stretch. My body is getting tired, eyes are dry, mind alert. We're about 60 miles from Madison and I stop at the last rest stop and stretch. I think about resting for a little but sitting resting does not seem comfortable (it's been 16 hours of sitting for cryin' out loud). I'm not really tired sleepy-like, just achy. We drive on.

5 minutes out of the rest stop - the storm hits with no warning. BAM, snow! The snow is hypnotic coming at us in the dark. The highway turns into 1 lane and 2 tracks from an unseen car ahead of me that I follow like a lemming. Speed is 40. and on we go. Radio is turned down, no distractions, I concentrate on keeping the car on the slippery two tracks ahead of me.

I blink to keep my eyes wet, I blink only when I feel it's safe. I have never in 40 years had a accident and I'm NOT going to have one now. There is a purple glow ahead of me, sort of like those new car headlights, yet, I can not see the southbound traffic and there is no one around me, yet, there IS a greenish purple glow. Ignore it, follow the tire tracks ahead of me.

I can't pull over, I can't see the side of the road. Where did those trees come from, I know there are no trees that over hang the interstate, are those trees? they can't be, follow the tire tracks and what is that damn glow!. "how are you doing" DJ asks. Fine I say, "This is unbelievable she says" and on we go. I'd REALLY like to pull over but I don't have a clue where the rest of the road is.

I'm awake as I can be, the snow is coming at me hypnotically in the headlights, through the greenish purple glow, mile after mile I watch for mile markers and follow the tire tracks ahead of me.

Lights ahead - it's DeJope Bingo hall. I KNOW WHERE I AM! We're nearing Madison and all of a sudden the road is wet and salty, WE'RE SAVED! We both let out sighs and our last 6 miles are on wet pavement and everything clears in my head. That is the worst ride I had ever had in my life. I have driven from Dallas to Madison non-stop with 1 small break 2 years ago, 16 of 17 hours behind the wheel and this was 10 times worse (actually the Dallas/Madison was pretty easy).

We get home, take stuff out of the car as our Cardigan Corgi looks at us like "Who are you". Climb into bed and notice how quiet it is and sleep the sleep in our own beds.

We awake to a winter wonderland. Back to reality.

That is our adventure.

Grinder and DJ - out.

Day 7 - The Ram Head Debacle

2006-02-24T09:52:00.000-08:00

Quick note - you might have noticed the change in photo styles - I'm in the process of updated everythign and thought the photos were less important the the words - they will be fixed soon.
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Friday started like all the rest except with the realization that this would be our last REAL day on the island. We would have to pack in a lot of relaxation in today starting with Trunk Bay AGAIN. Yes - it is that beautiful

We pack as normal and headed to Trunk. Upon arriving we park in the UPPER lot to stay away from the taxi's. Smoothing out an area we put the blanket down and took a walk as we actually WERE the only ones on the beach (it was 9:30ish). We meet a real nice couple of volunteers in the information shop and talked to them about fish and all sorts of stuff.

They are retired and spend 4 months a year on St. John as volunteers in the Park. DJ bought an inexpensive recipe book that we have actually used (unlike other recipe books) and I bought yet another fish book that contain all the fish I never see and none of the fish I DO see.

Trunk fills up but I'm told Fridays are slower days because of the lack Cruise ships . It's not crowded at all. I take a snorkel and view a few fish but just being in the water is fun.

FIRST TIME SNORKLERS - do not fear the water. I'm not a great swimmer and there was never a time I was worried. You do not need any floatation device unless you need it for your soul. You are not going to sink. The fins are actually your floatation devise. If you get water in your mask, pull your legs up to your chest and then push down. It only takes very minor toe twitching to keep your head above water. Another thing is getting INTO the water. I saw many ways to do it and everybody has their own technique. I found that sitting in a foot of water and putting on the fins worked. Also, when you are getting OUT of the water keep the snorkel in your mouth until you are sure no wave will dunk you. Your sort of at the mercy of wave action.

DJ and I people watch as AGAIN the beach is full of smiles and happy people. Young and old. We see an elderly couple in there 80s holding hands with huge smiles on their faces. It's all good.

About 11ish we eat some jerky and sandwiches and decide to make a rum drink. WE FORGOT THE RUM!! What was I thinking. What can we do! We walk up to the snack area and low and behold, there are two long tables filled with bottles and blenders and so forth with a pretty islander standing there. Walking up we ask if this is only for cruise ships or normal people also. She says it's for everybody and we ask if it's possible to get ONLY some 7Up and rum, nothing fancy. SURE! No Vanilla or Coconut rum is available (all sold out) so I get an Orange Cruzen Rum and 7 and DJ gets Pineapple (I think) and 7. She puts a couple ice cubes in the plastic cup and fills the rest with rum and a splash of 7Up on top for good measure! YIPES! Only $3 apiece. Smiling we walk back with our drinks and start lim'in.

About 2:00 we feel tired and a TINY tad reddish so we shower up and decide to look into Annaberg Ruins.

Climbing up the wooden stairs we don't have any idea what is coming next. It's pretty interesting but what catch's my eye is the view of Tortola. Outstanding beauty! The ruins are striking and the stories about the slaves are amazing. I can not fathom how hot this must have been for the slaves working beside the ovens. We wander around and this is the one time in the entire trip that I kick myself for missing a shot. I had a beauty set up and I was waiting for a group to pass buy, the sun was not being friendly (contrast) and I took 3 or 4 shots. All I could see was the histogram on my camera (this is a very very important function on digital camera on the islands) that LOOKED like I got it. BUT, alas it is gone. it was the perfect set up grrrrrrrrr!

We really liked Annaberg and people should check this place out. While wandering I saw a nice photo op and wish I would have gotten this woman's name, I bet she would like a copy.

Having explored THAT area it was now time for Rams Head Trail. The trail to salt Pond is HOT. As we're walking down, a woman is coming towards us carrying a lot of beach equipment. She stops us and asks if we can do her a favor, "there are two guys behind me, tell them they are both "J A's" and she smiles. OK, we meet two loudish guys, each carrying drinks and tell them that the woman ahead of them called them "J A's". They scream and laugh like we just made their day!

Arriving HOT at Salt Pond we wade in the water and a couple asks us the time and we find that they are also leaving on Saturday. It seems Friday is a sad day for many people. We walk the "so called" trail and it just keeps getting hotter and hotter, we have water and take a break now and then but we're baking. The views are great but it's longer them you think it is and it's over 215 degrees.

There are some outstanding lookouts/resting places as DJ is lagging behind. hmmmm, wonder why, no real lunch after strong drinks and swimming in intense heat in the late afternoon. Excellent planning LOL.

About 2/3s of the way we meet a couple on the way back. They had turned back after hitting a beautiful coral beach, it was to hot for them also. DJ and I decide that it's too far and hang out at the mentioned beach and look at the billions of pieces of coral. We leave Rams Head for another trip.

The water at Salt Pond is wonderful on our feet and this is where I take a starfish photo.

THAT is our adventure to Rams Head.

Side note - Chacos are GREAT sandals. You can take any trail on St. John in them, they never slip or slide and are very comfortable . . . .after the 1st day.

We get back to the cottage and rest before we go out to Island Blues for our final dinner.

OF COURSE - this is not without a story :-)

It's Friday night and the locals are out. There are a couple of drunken happy yokel locals at the bar and they are a riot. They talk drunken pirate talk and think GREEN DAY IS AWESOME DUDE! and are generally good natured, even though they had to have their ash trays taken away after one broke and flew across the room.

There is a band that night and a couple of well dressed guys (looked like pro golfers) are putting the stage together and are followed by a male groupie that looks like he's dressed up in 60's garb with a beer gut. He follows the band guys around and brings them drinks and food and just hangs out smoking cig's and looking . . . . .dumb.

We eat and laugh and watch the dogs beg for food at the tables and look at the weather channel in horror and take in the night. The band gears up and MY GOODNESS the groupie is the MAIN GUY in the band. LOL He sings and plays the bongo and the band is pretty good. What a scream. More locals arrive and the place is hoppin with happy people. But, alas, we're cooked and it's going to be an early morning.

Ziggy Marlay plays on stereo one last time as we sadly head to bed Time to bag it.

Note - As I reread this 1 year later I feel sad. I NEED to go back - it was a dream.

Next report - The line of woe, bags on the wrong ferry, bumpy excitement to San Juan, lost in Chicago, snow storms and real hallucinations. WOW!

Day 6 - Hawknest, Donkeys and the East End

2006-02-21T13:13:00.000-08:00

Thursday we awoke to the typical sounds, a rooster 1/2 hour before daybreak, a dog barking in the distance and goats doing their goat naying thing in the hills, and the tree frogs. However - the realization that the week was all too quickly coming to an end was in the back of our minds.

We drank our coffee and watched as the islanders went about doing their normal daily routine. Workers below us running the catch the bus, the school children in their uniforms running to catch THEIR bus, a pickup with 3 workers standing in the back pulling up to a villa. All was going smoothing atop our perch.

We were told by friends to check out Francis Bay for sea turtles so packed our cooler and headed to Francis. My 1st wrong turn happened but I corrected myself (yes it can happen) and we arrived at a totally empty, long beach. The water was calm and we looked for a place to make camp. Walking to our right the sand gave way to rock (although it looked like sand), DJ was lagging behind as it did not look like a GREAT place to play and people watch (especially the people watching part). I entered the water and was doing what snorkelers do, just wallowing slowly. In the mean time DJ had made friends with another woman who had been to Francis 29 times. The sea turtles, she was told, were in the middle of the bay and her husband did not like Francis so SHE came by herself to see the turtles. ANYWAY, I saw the sites, nothing GREAT but I did not go to the far end where there was more coral.

Final take on Francis, probably a nice place for snorkeling if you want to make it a day, not great for beauty (well LOL, compared to other beach' s on St. John), Sand is hardish between the rocky outcroppings and not like Trunk at all, it is shady in the morning. It's a snorkelers bay.

We drive to Hawksnest. Let me tell you about Hawksnest. It's like Trunks smaller, immature brother, very pretty, sand is nice but not the velvet of Trunk. Beach is long but skinny. Only room for single file beach laying. The water is clear blue like Trunk. There are two groups of coral in the middle that would have been good for snorkeling except for the 3-foot breakers thundering over it. STILL - feeling more confident with every water adventure I go out and dabble around the edge of the breakers. As I'm coming back about 20 yards from shore and spot a stingray on the bottom. I follow him around for awhile and lose him when I look up to see where I am.

We spend the day at Hawknest, eating jerky and P & J sandwich's while drinking 7up and rum. Very relaxing.

About 1:30 we get the real hunger and . . .HEAD TO SKINNYS!! While waiting for food I attempt to take photos of the pelicans diving into the water for food but I was always at the wrong angle. Afterward I buy a Skinnys T-shirt (they make them big - be aware). We look at a little shop (Awl Made Here??) and DJ buys a St. John checkbook cover and a little necklace. As she puts it on the counter the sales person says "The person that made this is standing right beside you!! SNAP!!

It's time to explore the East End. 1/4 mile out of Skinnys we encounter friendly donkeys (we saw no unfriendly donkeys and we saw MANY people petting them). NOTE - BE AWARE - we also saw dogs sleeping in the middle of the road at night!. As we drive buy slowly we get an unexpected guest in our front seat looking for a sandwich. We have nothing so we move along, he does not seem to disappointed.

Typical roads. I think I have mentioned why nobody has photos of how steep the roads are haven't I? It's because there is no place to stop a car and take a photo. The East End seemed calm enough so I could attempt a couple shots. The photo on the left is a typical hill.

If you have a chance you have to drive out to the East End. It's longer than you would think. After driving the rest of the island I had gotten to know the roads pretty well but this was untraveled area and an adventure. IT was beautiful. AND THERE IS VIE'S SNACKSHOP. I had forgotten about her. Wonderful lady. I wish I were not so full!

Again we were shut out of any sunset by clouds.

Looking for something different for supper Sweet Plantains called for us. Very nice East and West Indian food. Very nice place, very very nice looking inside and comfortable. I had some sort of curry chicken and DJ had some sort of chicken Burrito looking thing that was bigger then her head.

Tomorrow is Friday - the last real day. AAAAAAGH!!! Drunk at Trunk :-) the Rams Head fiasco, blue lady at the Annaburg Ruins.

Day 5 - Trunk, WOW!

2006-02-16T08:37:00.000-08:00

Wednesday - It was a beautiful day, the wind, as predicted was getting calmer and we were tired of the South side of the island. It was Trunk Bay day for sun and fun. We packed our cooler and this time added some Coconut rum and lime to the mix for afternoon (or morning) rummin'.

We were the first to arrive (9:30) and parked in the lower lot. This is a mistake, park in the higher lot. You will see that when it's time to leave there are 15 of the pick-up Taxi's right behind your jeep. They will gladly move but it's a hassle. On a side note - the people of St.John are very nice and very friendly, I did not see one person that was unfriendly (well maybe one).

I think the reviews about Trunk are misdirected. If you are looking for a fantastic beach THIS is the one. We pay the fee (well worth it) and walk into the most incredible view in the world. The water is bluer here then anywhere I have ever been, the sand is ultra soft and feels like velvet, you sink 3 or 4 inch's into the amazingly white powder. The ocean is crystal clear. We stand there stunned. WOW.

Looking around there are perhaps 3 other people on the entire beach. We walk to the left and find a spot where the sun will hit us and camp out. Unpacking the wooden chairs that were at the Trade Winds we figure out how they work and relax. Waves are crashing in front of us and it is perfect. There is no other beach on St. John that can compare with this.

Slowly the beach starts filling in with people, The lifeguards arrive and I go on thong watch.

I have heard that snorkeling is not great at Trunk and even though there were moderate waves I wanted to see what the scoop was. I walked about 1/2 mile to the snorkel trail and entered the water. Before I knew it I was being churned like I was in a washing machine. UP, DOWN UP DOWN, before I knew it was in in 20 feet of water and fish were doing somersaults below me. The pressure on my chest was actually making it uncomfortable for me to breath. AND it was getting dark.

I made a circle and headed in, content to try another day. The excessive wave action and the surprising deepness of the water made it a quick snorkel.

I walk back to our set up and as luck would have it, a group of Italians have setup next to us and one woman is thong enhanced. Now let's make one thing very clear. If DJ owned a thong, this would not be a bad thing. BUT, to be honest, if you live in Wisconsin, thongs are not one of the things that are in the bottom drawer . . . . at least not for swimming :-)

We go for a swim and the warm, clear water and the magic happens. We're turned in to giggling children. In fact this is something that we saw over and over and ONLY saw it at Trunk. We see a group of older men, looking like they should be on the Soprano's speaking Italian, what are they doing? Jumping up and down in the waves laughing. We see this over and over, age means nothing on this beach.

The complaint I often hear about Trunk is that it's crowded. Well , it's MORE crowded then the other beaches but, really, who cares. Is it a bad thing to be around a lot of happy people?

As I said, there are many people but they are happy people and are all friendly. A funny thing happened. At the Beach bar some New Englander made fun of how I said WisCONsin. Now, I'll admit that Midwesterners do not sound like east coasters so it was no big deal. HOWEVER - while we're basking in the sun a group of Cruisers (you can tell by their towels) spread out beside us and we exchange pleasantries. As I'm laying there I replay the 2 sentences in my rum induced haze . . . . . . OH MY GOD! I ask "Where are you from" (hoping I'm wrong). "We're from WisCONsin". In fact they live 40 miles away from us. I tell myself not to talk the rest of the trip.

DJ and I break out the Rum/7Up and lime and soak up the happy!

ANOTHER thing I want to mention. Patriot fans. YEA YEA YEA - ya won the Super Bowl, big deal, been there, done that, blah blah (We're cheeseheads). When your on St. John, don't come to the beach in full New England Patriot regalia. This family of 6, gets off the taxi and every stitch of clothing down to their black socks says Patriot including their jersey's. I'm here to get away from the world!!!!!

As our skin begins to heat up we decided to call it a day before the sun does any damage. We shower up at the showers and get the sand off our feet - HINT - always carry a gallon on water in your jeep to wash off sand. Refreshed, we jump into Robin and cruise to Cruz Bay for a bite to eat.

Rumbalaya is a great place for a ocean side lunch, it's just this side of the Beach bar near the ferry. Very relaxing and friendly, their Quesadadillas are great. As usual, it's a $30 meal OH - I forgot, for some reason I had a Kraut Dog at Trunk. I ask myself to this day why I wanted one but, I saw it and had to have one. It was pretty good, VERY large dog (as are all dogs on St. John . . . hmmmmmm)

That night we ate at Island Blues again and DJ wants you to know that the pasta salad is YUMMY! She had it as a side the 1st time and asked for ONLY it the 2nd time. $4! I had blackened chicken that was pretty darn good.

Tomorrow - donkeys in the jeep, The east end, Vie's and Francis Bay

Day 4 - Crabs, Skinnys and Settling In

2006-02-14T04:06:00.000-08:00

Tuesday we awoke at the normal time 7ish. I got up and checked out the sunrise and measured wind and temperature. Sunrise was pretty, temperature was AGAIN 74 and wind had died down a little but still blustery. It was a glorious day.

We ate Cheerios, made a couple peanut butter sandwiches, packed some beef jerky, tossed in 2 bottles of ½ frozen water. We were going back to Little Lameshur to soak up sun and snorkel.

It’s about 10 when we get there (the drive was not as hair raising as the 1^s^t time). And are the first people to arrive. We figure out the very best spot and unfold our supplies.

It’s wonderful, sun is out, water is lapping at the shore as people start to arrive. DJ says – LOOK, a little crab. Sure enough. It’s a little yellow crab skittering across the beach. At about that same time a family moves in to our right. We talk about the crab louder because they have kids that might be interested. I talk about "Finding Nemo" to get their attention but they are not taking the hint.

5 minutes later a little girl asks where the crab is and I get up to see if we can find him. He’s among some pebbles and we stoop down to get a good look. She is mildly interested and her brother comes up (about 6??). We talk and he says "I use you have a crab" I say "cool, that’s awesome" he says "I killed him and threw him in the water". I look up and another adult who was looking at the crab exchange worried looks. At about that time the little boy picks up a rock and stands there. I brace myself for a road runner reaction. Time is frozen, all I can feel is myself lunging forward in super slow motion screaming in a deep voice "NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO"!

Seconds tick away, the little boy puts one foot forward and I spring, however, I have miscalculated the pebbles under my right, spring foot, and all it does is shoot rocks behind me. The CRAB, who had been watching this whole thing with claws out takes a VERY quick 500 sideways steps and is in the water, safe.

The kid drops the rock and walks back to his mom. The adult and I exchange laughs and shake our head.

Disaster diverted it’s time to snorkel. DJ is relaxing but I’m in snorkel mood, I have Vaseline now to go on my upper lip and feel confident.

AWESOME – it’s so easy! I glide around to the coral on the left side of the bay and see so many fish I am in a trance. I see 7 little squid floating by. I see sea urchins all over but from above. I float back as I see DJ getting her mask on and we snorkel together. I point out a school of yellow fish and she points out a big scary eel.

There are not many adventures snorkeling, unless you get caught in the rip tide at Waterlemon so I’ll just say it’s wonderful. We go back to shore and relax, soaking up the sun again. A while later we’re on a walk when DJ gets this look in her eye. Remember, "2001: A Space Odyssey"? Remember when the apes first come in contact and touch the monolith? That is the same reaction DJ had when she comes upon this perfect, palm size piece of coral.

Long story short, the coral is by our side and sharing our blanket, but, at this moment back in the States, it is STILL at Little Lameshur where it belongs!

The morning runs smooth as I go in and out of the water, snorkeling. However, we have a schedule to keep. Bill (internet friend) is meeting us at Skinnys so we can ring Howies bell.

We arrive at Skinnys and Bill says he is wearing a bright yellow cap. Just our luck, it seems like it’s bright yellow cap day. On our third try I spot a guy with a bright yellow cap taking a photo of a group – BINGO. I yell Howie and he turns and we meet. Drinks for everybody and burgers for us.

We talk and tell stories (you will have to ask Bill about the thong stories). Food is slow but, who cares. They have to get going so we get a guy to talk our photo ringing the bell.

It’s middle afternoon by the time we leave Skinnys with a couple extra tee-shirts and caps and we decide to explore Waterlemon Cay. The 1^st thing about this is it’s a hike. Not a hard one but a long one if you are carrying a lot of beach/sunning stuff. Snorkels are OK but, chairs, drinks, coolers, rum, camera’s, towels and so forth and it’s a hike. We make it 2/3s of the way, see it’s beautiful and turn back. Another couple about 100 yards behind us go to where we turned around and also turn around. We’re just to beat from the morning and full tummies to be enthused about going the whole way. AND, clouds are building We call it a day.

Note - go here before you get worn out.

Back at Camp 1 we relax and watch a cloudstorm move across the ocean creating a beautiful rainbow for 45 minutes.

We eat some Lipton Caribbean Rice and cozy up to each other to Ziggy Marley, read books and relax. Cruise liners drift buy with lights blazing in the distance and a 4 masted schooner is seen drifting past Peter Island. The lights of Tortola are in the distance and we are drifting on a cloud. This is the best comfort zone you can ever imagine.

Tomorrow – The weather turns gorgeous, a day at Trunk, a taste of home (oh my god) and lunch in Cruz Bay.

This was the view we have when washing dish's. hmmmmmmm!
Skinny's

Day 3 - a Perfect Rainy Day!

2006-02-10T12:30:00.000-08:00

It's Monday morning and neither of us slept well. The wind howled all night. Upon further review, when you have 8 open windows facing the ocean and 3 windows shut 98% of the way on the OTHER side of the cottage you have a LOT of wind trying to escape through a very small opening - thus - HOWLING!

Wind speed this morning is a constant 24mph with gusts up to 35 (as a birthday present DJ gave me a hand held wind thingy, the SAME one used by Jim Cantore on The Weather Channel).

Today we have to go pay for our jeep so it's a great day to explore Cruz Bay. We take the mountain road to Cruz Bay and have a little experience. We reach the top of the hill and stop at a beautiful look out - even with clouds it's breathtaking. DJ sees a brightly painted shop and like a moth to light is attracted. I, on the other hand gravitate towards the scenic and start looking for photo opportunities HOWEVER, as I am shooting I hear the blaring of a semi-truck horn. I move to the railing and look up the road.

What I see makes my sphincter squeeze shut. A 100 ton semi is careening around the corner at break neck speed taking up BOTH lanes and is aiming RIGHT AT ME WITH HORN BLARING. IS HE OUT OF CONTROL? IS HE A COMPLETE LUNATIC BENT ON DOING AWAY WITH TOURISTS? I straddle the guard rail waiting to lose a leg as he passes, horn on constantly as he whips around the hairpin turn. I hear that horn all the way to Cruz Bay. Here is the photo I took with shaking hands.

Paying Penns was easy (make sure you only have ONE driver $$) and we park in their lot and start exploring. I'm not sure how to do this, the only real story is we purchased Hook Bracelets from the St. John Bracelet Company for 25% off (Valentines day) - That's DJ and you can see me in the mirror taking the photo.

Nothing thrilling happened in Cruz Bay - we found the Star Fish market but had to circle the lot 5 times to get a place to park. Found out Dr. Goop had passed away so no bug Goop. Prices were not THAT bad, expensive but not shocking. OH - we went to Mixology to buy rum - YUP! We sampled all the flavors and purchased . . .12 LARGE bottles. Price for a liter of Cruzen Rum was $7.05. you can bring 6 bottles per person back. But if you have a lay over in San Juan you can buy MORE duty free liqueur. I got a huge bottle of Kahlua for $12.

We took the coast road back and now I see why there are so few OTHER photos of Trunk Bay. There is NOWHERE to pull over. The road is JUST wide enough for two jeeps. One jeep and one pick-up and you are maxed out. One jeep and one cement truck means the jeep BETTER find a place to get off the road. Literally!

We had our very first view of Trunk and I felt I HAD to take THE PHOTO! OH sure - everyone takes this shot - BUT I CAN DO IT IN THE RAIN!

We also stopped for a rainy shot of Maho.

We checked out Hawks Nest and decided it was a must go back to beach.

That night we decided to try the Ship Wreck Landing for supper. However we were early and the dinner menu was still an hour away. SO! We had a couple drinks and got totally cooked!! I had a Rum Runner and I think DJ had a rum punch and the bartender (very nice, tattooed woman) put in the rum. It was the strongest (in a good way) drink on our stay. (That's DJ in the blue on the right at the bar). We went down the road to eat at Island Blues and it became a regular place for us. This seems to be where locals come (including our bartender a while later) and we felt right at home (except for the breath taking beauty part).

That night we figured out the howling wind problem and had a better nights rest. We found ourselves crashing about 8:30 and waking up 7:00 each day there.

Tuesday - crab story with little boy and rocks, we meet Bill and his cohorts at Skinnys.

This is actually one of th LESS crowded times on the main drag of Cruz Bay

The road up the hill to get out of town - notice lack of sidewalk!

Day 2b - Bees, Butterfies and Cliff/Roads

2006-02-10T06:02:00.000-08:00

We left our heroes coming home with a fully tummy and much needed water. Before we go any further let’s take a peak inside their little love nest . . .oops – The Trade Winds Cottage.

We found the Cottage on the Internet and fell in love with it. Somehow we were attracted to it. We later found that Lois Woods who runs (and help build) the cottage went to school in Madison so we actually WERE linked together. Here is a link to the Trade Winds Cottage - beautiful place.

Along with the beauty of the cottage are the birds. There are three kinds that frequent the cottage. A Green-throated Carib, a large group of Bananaquits and "Spike" the Antillean Crested Humming Bird.

Well then - after a nap we decided to check out some more beaches on the south side Little Lameshur was our goal. We drove past the crowded Salt Pond and the road turns into a dirt road, then it turns into a rocky road and THEN we see our 1st obstacle. Half way up a narrow one lane pile of rocks is a jeep and it's backing/sliding backwards down the slope. I stop 50 yards behind him and observe. He backs all the way down and I can tell he's talking to his wife. Luckily I had a internet friend tell me about this barrierr. I put the jeep into 4W-L and as we drive past the backed down jeep I give him the thumbs up and we plow ahead. My fear is of a jeep coming THE OTHER WAY since it is ONLY 1 lane wide. All I we can see is sky as we climb up the rock pile. Robin (jeep name- they like to name their jeeps) crests the hill like a WWII tank going over a hedgerow and we're clear. YIPES - what a rush!!

The road turns back into blacktop and we're OK. UNTIL! we have to go down the OTHER side. HOLY CRIPS! It's cement with black skid marks going both ways and a hairpin corkscrew at the bottom. I've never been in such a steep decent, will we stop? DJ is, well . . . . quiet. I'm basically standing upright on the brakes as we creep down the cliff some call a road. We make it!

NOTE - I have just realized the crab story and little boy with rocks will not be in this addition - wrong day.

We travel the roads and look at the great snorkeling beaches, it's pretty cloudy now and not very good beach photo weather so we (I) decide to take a hike on the trail at the end. DJ is . . . quiet. I can tell she is on edge and out of her comfort zone.

We stumble along a trail of sharp, jagged rocks that some would call a trail and I call it an accident waiting to happen. It smooths out and we see our 1st 4 foot high 3 feet wide termite nest. CREEPY. It looks like something from a horror/alien movie and does very little to lighten DJ's mood. We hear critters in the woods and walk under a tree that is buzzing with bees and THEN, out of nowhere, a wild herd of butterflies appear and block DJ's way startling both of us. She goes into defense mode. It's at that moment we look at each other and break out laughing. We decide to call it a day and head back.

We're hot, the scenery is not so we turn around. Leave the trail for another day. The road back is MUCH better knowing what was ahead.

It was getting a little late (5ish) so we head back to the cottage. The entrance to the Concordia Eco-Tents are right next to the Trade Winds entrance so we decided to take a peek at them. Little did we know that at the end for the road is what we think was one of the most outstanding panoramas of the entire trip (ooooo, darn tripod!!) This photo was taken by DJ and her ultra compact camera.

The clouds moved in like they mean it and the wind is stiffening so no sunset (we were shut out on sunsets).

That night we relaxed, ate some Mac and Cheese, turned on Ziggy Marley's "One Bright Day" (this will be with us the rest of our lives) and listen to the strengthening howling wind (constant 22mph on my wind meter) and cozy up to each other.

Tomorrow - spitting rain, howling wind, our 1st view of Trunk Bay and a tour of Cruz bay.

Day 2 In Which A Ballyhoo Gives DJ The Evil Eye

2006-02-09T09:43:00.000-08:00

Day 2 actually started around Midnight on Day 1 when SOMEWHERE there was a house party with rasta music blaring. I’m not complaining because it WAS Saturday night and islanders can do whatever they want and . . . the music was not BAD, and it was just loud. We couldn't decide if this was irritating or exciting. About 1:30 I got up to find the culprits. Never found the house and it stopped about 2:30. No big deal Mon!

I woke up when a rooster crowed about ½ hour before sunrise. I looked out the window and saw scattered clouds that would make a great shot. I jumped up, ran to the balcony as the sky started to turn red. I grabbed my trusty tripod (which cost me an extra $35 in overweight baggage fare), and quickly and firmly extended the leg which quickly and firmly came all the way out of it’s socket and six little ball bearings and random pieces of metal falling on the floor. I was stunned. I stood there with my new bipod and a new leg of my new monopod. Is this how new tripods are born, like starfish? Was this part of the island magic? Time would tell as I set them aside.

Racing the clock I start snapping photos when I realized that the photo I took 15 seconds earlier look PRETTY much like the one I just took. I decided to only take one every THIRTY seconds.

By that time DJ was up and we were making some real bad Oatmeal which we tossed out. Must find market today! We had a ton of Beef Jerky (very healthy for you). I STRONGLY suggest you should have bags with you as a power boost where ever you go. This is a tip I have heard many times and it is true.

Oddly, we were both . . . nervous. It was like we were afraid to start the day. What if we fail to have fun!!!

Salt Pond – 1^st destination. We decided to go slow and just have a look, let's not lock ourselves into anything YET. Halfway down the trail (more like a rocky driveway) we were hot and changed our plans. The cottage was 30 seconds up the road – swim suits and snorkel gear were in order. FULL STEAM AHEAD!! We left the empty parking lot and zoomed (15mph) back the the cottage.

As we drive back we round the corner and spot 5 jeeps AND as we were wondering how so many jeeps could have gotten there so quick a BUS pulls in with 20 screaming 20 year olds (not that that is a bad thing but it was SO peaceful).

It was a windy day (as AccuWeather promised) and I think all snorkelers on St.J were migrating to OUR beach! This is what happens we fond out later.

We dabbled and hung out and THEN – did the snorkel thing. Well, we both had problems with water in the mask and one fish (a Ballyhoo) looked at DJ the wrong way and she freaked a little and got out. I had minor probs but knew I could fix them but did not want to leave DJ on shore fighting her inner demons of tropical fish becoming amphibious (as part of the magic of the islands), flopping to shore and biting her feet off so I got out and relaxed and ate some Jerky.

The clouds started building so we decided to shower up and head to the World Famous (at least in St. John) Skinny’s. We looked at the shops in front and entered into the well-known burger hall of fame restaurant for our very 1^st St.John eating experience.

Remember – we’re not BIG fish eating people and are not fond of sea bugs (lobster, crabs – all related to cockroach. . . . so maybe they deserve to be eaten) and don’t like eating animals that communicate feelings and save humans from sharks (dolphins). NOTE - I later find out that Mahi Mahi is Dolphin FISH!! Not Dolphin MAMMAL

The special drink for the day was a Rum Swizzle (Sprite, a BIG helping of Cruzen Pineapple Rum and a squirt of lime), we inhaled two and had what I consider one of the top 5 burgers I have ever had in my life. Total bill for 2 Cheeseburgers and chips and 2 Rum Swizzles - $25+ $5 tip. $30, sounds expensive but IT WAS DELICIOUS!!! I had no problems at all paying $30. In fact almost EVERY meal the two of us had ended up costing $30. Coral Bay is 33% cheaper then the other side of the island. SunTan lotion was $6 here and $9 in Cruz Bay.

Side Note - DJ took a photo of the Cheesburger but we think some drool hit the lens and it was fuzzy (the photo, not the burger)

Our next quest was water, milk, and so forth. There are two mini marts and going into both is like trying to drive a large truck around Chaos Bay oops Cruz Bay. They can pack a lot into those little stores. Both mini-markets - this one and the other one up the road going to Salt Pond had ABOUT the same things. Prices were not as bad as I thought they would be, we spent $11 on 1/2 gal milk, 2 gal of water, a big jar of Dry Roasted Peanuts and a loaf of bread.

At the mini mart we had our 1^st close encounter with THE DONKEYS!! who are very sweet. I have been told that they will bite but I'm pretty sure it would not be in anger, there just looking for a sandwich to nibble on.

We went home to plan the next move as it looked like the sun might reappear, to bad the wind was strengthening.

Day2b involves birds, crabs, little boys with rocks, 4 wheeling, an awesome lookout and DJ fighting off a flock of butterflies successfully.

Day 1 In Which We Get Lost in O’Hare

2006-02-08T11:58:00.000-08:00

Where does one begin.

Because we had an early flight to St.Thomas, DJ and I stayed at a Park&Fly in Chicago. Arriving early, we were bored so we decided to take a look at O’Hare to see what we were going to have to go through the next morning.

So far – no problems. Looking at the crowds we decided to catch the shuttle back to our hotel. HOWEVER – we quickly realized that the departure and the pick-up were in totally different zip codes and the fastest way to get from one to the other was to go through security.

THAT AIN’T GOING TO HAPPEN.

SO – we did the smart thing and asked for help.

EASY - take that escalator over there, go down the hall, stay to your left, get on the elevator and go down two more levels staying on the right and go across the parking lot, then go though the double doors - and follow the orange buttons it'll be straight ahead.

RIGHT!

I thought to myself "I hope DJ got all that". We quickly got lost. One half hour later we stumbled into the right shuttle area, boarded the shuttle and were happy - UNTIL, DJ spotted a Krispy Creme sign. We escaped the shuttle, bought some donuts and got on the second shuttle and were relaxed . . . . . UNTIL, we had to stop to pick up 14 shivering vacationers that had been standing outside for 30 minutes. They looked at us like we were just going on a joy ride and taking up room (yea - sort of). They actually made some snide remarks about taking up space. I forgave them as they were getting back from Mexico. blah

Take off day!

Everything goes smoothly for the flight to St.Thomas – we land and step out of the plane to glorious, sunny, warm, humid air and we are all smiles. Filing our way down to the ground we walk past “the loser line” of an outgoing aircraft. boo hoo! You have to walk totally around to the other side of the airport to get your bags.

As we enter the baggage area we have our 1st taste of Cruzen Rum and it is fantastic AND has a small kick!!! The bags come and we head towards THE CABS!

WOW – it’s very crowded and we are herded into areas of destination. I yell Red Hook and we are on the Red Hook wall. Then we’re told THIS is the taxi to Red Hook (we had no choice) and 12 of us pile into a taxi. DJ is in the back with 3 other people stuffed and I am in the front next to the driver. No choice.

Then the crazies start, a woman starts asking inane questions. How far are we from Cuba and can we get a ferry to Cuba, how far are we from Cancun, has anybody ever gotten sick in your cab, is it always this hot, if this is Charlotte Amelia where is St. Thomas and so forth. The cabby just takes it in stride.

We FINALLY get to Red Hook (about 45 minutes) which looks more like 3 ice fishing shanties and 2 guys help us with our bags to catch the ferry that is JUST getting ready to leave. As we approach the ferry a ferry guy is screaming at us saying “DON’T TIP HIM, DON’T TIP HIM, THEY DON’T PUT YOUR BAGS ON THE BOAT” stunned I tip the guy $3 (hey – they helped us).

We climb up to the top of the ferry and it seems like only a 5 minute ride to St.John. DJ is nothing but smiles. It is WAY WAY TOO wonderful to get seasick.

As we near St.John our jaws drop at the beauty, We THOUGHT St. Thomas was pretty but St.John has the other island beat hands down. No comparison.

NOW – the adventure begins. With bags in tow, two carry-on's over the shoulder, and each hand has a bag, we start to look for Penn’s Jeep rental. Cruz Bay is utter chaos. No urban planning in THIS town!! And no sidewalks where you think there should be. I know Penn’s is near the Lumber Yard and is on the left so I say TRUST ME and we move forward.

Through a small park we wander and then through an even smaller park until we get to a post office and, THANK GOD, an information booth. Well, the kid has never heard of Penn’s, I say it’s near the Lumber Yard, he points to the Lumber Yard and we gaze UP a hill. We will have to climb UP a VERY busy street and there are no sidewalks on either side.

We grab our bags and start trudging up the hill, DJ makes it 97% of the way but can not make the final hill into the parking lot, she lets out a yell and I can tell she is about to turn teary. I am in the middle of the climb and there is no level place to set my bags down. Long story short – we survive. But – STILL, no Penn’s! I get directions from a shop owner and leaving DJ I go looking, after 2 blocks I ask again (I’m now at Mongoose Junction, 3 blocks away from DJ in a strange and bizarre town) and a jeweler tells me to look for a building under construction. I know THAT building, it’s the OTHER SIDE of the street from where we were. I get the jeep, rescue DJ, and our 1st instinct is to GET OUT OF THE CRUZ BAY CHAOS.

Driving on the left is easy as long as there are no intersections and thank goodness, there are none on the way out of town. The roads are exactly like a Formula 1 Computer Racing Game that I spent a good deal of my life playing, up, down, break, accelerate, turn while heavy breaking, turn while going straight up, it was a blast.

We make our way across the island, DJ is rubber necking while my eyes are glued to the ever-changing road. FINALLY we get to the TradeWinds cottage, open the door and gasp – it’s beautiful. I run to the porch and am floored by the view. We made it. That night we see the Milky Way, listen to music, relax, smile a lot and go to bed very very happy.

Views from our balcony. The first one looks east, the large hill is the island of Tortola and just in front of it is the "east End" of St. John.

The second photo is of what seemed to be the typical sunrise looking more southerly towards Norman and Peter Islands.

Join us tomorrow for Day 2 of DJ and Grinder's St.John adventure featuring Salt Pond, Bananaquits, Antillian Crested Hummingbirds Skinnys an Awesome lookout and a crazy steep road..