St. Croix, US Virgin Islands -- June 2014 (Part 5A: Ham's Bay & Mount Victory)

DAY FIVE:  Wednesday, 4 June 2014

Waking up right before dawn so I could enjoy the sunrise, and sound of the waves crashing in the quiet morning, are the main reasons why I’m here.  I’m enjoying the trip very much, but the energy is different than the last time I was here.  That was the optimism of the first of many trips, and this is the reality of the last trip for the foreseeable future.  I’ve taken a lot of pictures this time, but no where near the amount as the previous time.  The sky still had some haze this morning, and that may stay through the rest of the week.  I was told previously (last night by Rico) if I’d come down for the week of my birthday (like I’d originally planned), I would’ve had rain the entire week, and rain for half of the following week.  So even though I didn’t get to spend my actual birthday on the beach, I have tried to make this entire week a celebration as much as I can.

During my first morning walk, I encountered an older gentleman fishing on the beach, and we chatted for a bit.  His name was Gregory, and he’d lived on St. Croix all his life.  He was now retired from the National Guard, and chose to remain here, even though his children had moved state-side (his daughter was in CT, and his son in SC).  He talked about the reason why Hurricane Hugo was so devastating to the island wasn’t just the fact that most people didn’t have hurricane insurance.  He said as young people left the island for better opportunities, they didn’t come back to claim the property left-behind by aging parents.  Thus there were many buildings damaged by Hugo which have remained that way because some didn’t care (or had the finances) to repair them.

Gregory mentioned the resort next door (the Hibiscus) was closed permanently.  Seems the owner (who lives off island) let his son manage it.  A water source was damaged and never fixed, and there was some drug deal which happened on site, which lead to the place being closed down.  Except for a couple maintenance people there, that place was abandoned.

Other than a few rooms, all the storm shades were closed.  I had visions of Norman Paperman from Don’t Stop the Carnival coming in and taking over the place.  Sure the infrastructure would need to be repaired, but it’s got a prime beach location (which is extremely desirable).  This is one good thing about being a solo traveler, as it gives me the opportunity to interact with locals like this.

After my morning walk, I grabbed the camera to see if I could get a few shots of the grounds of the Hibiscus in order to make a determination of the condition of the property.  I didn’t get very far, as the dirty looks from the maintenance guy loitering there put a kibosh to that.  I just rounded out the rest of the morning swimming and enjoying the wave pool like I’d done the previous day.

I decided I was going to explore places I hadn’t been before.  I hopped on Route 70 which would bring me towards Fredericksted, but I had no desire to return to that city.  I was able to take Route 63 to avoid it, and came out on the northern side.

I was heading towards the lighthouse at Ham’s Bay today.  The roads on the west side of the island are worse than on the east side, so as I worked towards the northwest side of the island I spent a lot of time travelling slow so I could avoid pot holes.  The lighthouse at Ham’s Bay better be worth this!  I passed the road (Route 76) which had taken me through the rain forest on my last trip, and then a turn off (Route 58) to Mount Victory.  Since that was a listed resort on my visitor’s map, I figured that would be a subsequent destination.

There were some pull-off points where I could take a few pictures, but those areas were few.  I passed a car called Coconuts (which had a Texas flag out in front of it), and Rainbow Beach, both which were small venues.  Besides those, there wasn’t much to see.  A lot of this section is residential, or there’s a decent amount of trees between me and the shore, so I couldn’t see anything.  The roads were here were some of the worse I’d travelled on, due to the large number of pot holes.  I finally found the turn-off for Ham’s Bay, but after travelling a ways I could tell I was heading eastward again.  The lighthouse couldn’t be found.  Once I found a usable turnaround spot, I exited this section.

Just south of Ham’s Bay was a cleared hillside dotted with a few trees known as Butler Bay.  What got my attention was the large set of ruins there, so I pulled in to investigate and take some pictures.  I wasn’t even ten feet in the driveway when this guy emerges from behind a ruined wall, and let’s me know there was no trespassing.  I didn’t see a sign.  And this wasn’t some random guy, but a member of the Highway Department (as I could see on his shirt, and the truck parked behind the wall).  I gathered he and his crew were taking a rest break, but I wasn’t going to press the issue.  I then resumed my southward motion.

Once I came upon the intersection for Route 58 (and the sign which said “Mount Victory 1.8 miles ahead”) I took it.  The first mile was flat and level (smooth driving with no potholes).  The second mile began to sharply ascend in a narrow and twisting manner.  The two times I did encounter someone coming the other way, we both had to hug the shoulder to be able to pass.  There wasn’t much shoulder to start with, very sections had any guard rails, and many places had a nice drop-off into a ravine.  After the bust Ham’s Bay was, I hoped this would be worth it.

I located what served as the parking lot of the Mount Victory Eco-Camp, and pulled Silvara in there.  Her transmission had been struggling as we ascended, so I was glad to be able to locate this.  I passed through a canopy of trees, and after a few dozen feet, then emerged on to a cleared hillside dotted with bungalows.  This was commune living at it’s finest.  I didn’t hear anyone about, but I kept my eyes peeled so I wouldn’t be considered trespassing again.  I wanted to look around the area, but it’s better to do so with the blessing of those there.

I scaled to the top of the hill to take a few pictures.  I could see the forested hills, but nothing which gave me a good view of the entire island.  Once I’d taken a glance around, I exited the area as there wasn’t anything else apparently to see.  There was a set of ruins at the base of the hill, but there was also a section marked “private residence” next to it.  Silvara had an easier time going down, but I could hear her brakes grinding.  Funny the things you become aware of when working in the automotive industry.

About half-way down the hilly section of Route 58 was a small pond.  I thought (when I was driving up) that would be a nice picture, but there was no place to pull off, but I didn’t want Silvara to lose her momentum.  On the way down I encountered a guy who’d stopped in the road just so he could take a picture of the pond.  Dude, I’m not that drunk!  I had to go into the other lane of the curve to get around him.  I’m glad I didn’t have to deal with another vehicle coming up.

Back on the main drag, I stopped into Coconuts so I could get a St. John’s Root Beer (as there were posters around for it).  It was an open-air establishment, and I waited about five minutes, but didn’t see a soul.  I called out, as perhaps there was someone in the back.  Nada.  All the lights were on at the bar, but otherwise it didn’t look like it was open.  Well, I’ll find a drink somewhere else.  I tried to make my way towards the Fredericksted Pier, but as I got closer to the area there was no reasonable place to park.  I looped back around, grabbed the bypass, and ended up back on Route 70.

For more information on the places visited or mentioned:

Hurricane Hugo Affects St Croix:  http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/general/lib/CREWS/Cleo/St.%20Croix/salt_river30.pdf

Hibiscus:  http://www.hibiscusbeachresort.com/

“Don’t Stop the Carnival”:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_Stop_the_Carnival_(novel)

Fredericksted:  http://www.vinow.com/stcroix/attractions_stx/fredericksted.php

Ham’s Bay:  http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147401-d184797-Reviews-Ham_s_Bluff-St_Croix_U_S_Virgin_Islands.html

Rainbow Beach:  http://www.rainbowbeachstx.com/

Butler Bay:  http://www.butlerbay.us/

Mount Victory Eco-Camp:  http://mtvictorycamp.com/

Coconuts:  http://www.coconutsonthebeach-stx.com/

*** 30 ***

St. Croix, US Virgin Islands -- June 2014 (Part 4: VLBA -- Very Large Baseline Array)

DAY FOUR:  Tuesday, 3 June 2014

I went out to my chair and watched the sun come up.  I then walked one loop of the beach, and was finally starting to feel tired.  It was 6am when I laid down, and had a good 90 minute power-nap.  Now that I was refreshed, I walked another loop, and encountered a couple which had just arrived from Indiana, Dan and Katayla (who said she was Russian, and had a bit of the accent).  They walked with me for a bit, as I informed these first-timers about some things to check out.  I learned about St. Croix pretty much by myself, but I’ve enjoyed sharing what I’ve learned with others.  It’s a way to send some positive energy forward.

Since I had my VLBA appointment in the early afternoon, I decided to spend most of the day on the beach.  I grabbed a snorkel mask and swam around the beach in front of the Palms.  I was able to see some Yellow-Tailed Snappers, and a few smaller fish I couldn’t identify.  Without my glasses everything was a little blurry, my mask kept fogging up, and the design was making an annoying pressure right between my brows and nose bridge.  That made it hard enjoy it, so I returned the stuff to the front desk.

I found a section of coral close to the surface with a good drop-off close to the sandy shore I could stand on (thus not standing on the coral).  The wind was blowing and making some white-caps roll in.  They picked up force coming across the shallow part where the coral was, and it was fun feeling the waves crash into me.  After a while I came into shore to talk to a local lady who’d brought her one-year blue pit bull to the beach so she could treat with sores on the dog’s coat with saltwater and a sand rub-down.  The dog and owner were both very friendly, but the dog (named Queen) got agitated when a couple guys brought a horse down to the beach to teach it to swim.  Since Queen was upset (not violent, by the way), she couldn’t stay on the beach any longer.

I had a brief bite to eat before getting cleaned up.  The thought was to cruise the south side of the island first, and perhaps get something to eat (before or after the 2 pm VLBA tour) at either East End Pizza (at Divi Carina Bay Resort), or at the Buccaneer  (where Genieve worked).  I also wanted to start looking for a replacement luggage lock for the one TSA stole from me.  I happened to find a close approximation at the Home Depot, although the employee thought I’d have much better luck at the K-Mart up the road.  There weren’t any at the K-Mart, but I had what I needed.

I drove south towards the former Hess refinery, and then turned west towards Divi Carina (with signs pointing the way).  I passed the Boy Scout camp and the cattle farm, neither of which had changed since the last I went through.  I also stopped off at Point Elizabeth in order to get a few shots of the south side of the island.  Some other pictures were taken at Cramer Park directly across from VLBA, which brought me up to the appointment time.

Very Large Baseline Array (VLBA) was housed in a small building, and operated by a two-person team.  I met with Greg Worrell (who I’d been talking with on the phone), and Bill LaGrange.  I talked a bit first about the mission of Austin Planetarium, showed some pictures of our recent appearance at the Austin Mini-Maker Faire and May edition of the Speaker Series.  I also brought a few small promotional items as token of my appreciation of being able to be here today.

The tour was conducted by Greg.  He showed me a short video about VLBA which had been produced by the location in Sirocco, NM.  (All the installations are designed exactly the same so they can function as a unified whole.)  Greg is more of an engineer than an astronomer, which is more the skills required here.  The main job of the team us to keep the facility operational, perform maintenance, and make adjustments where needed.  Data is collected and stored on hard drive banks with a capacity of 16 terabytes.  The data is then sent to and correlated with what was collected from the other installations.

Thanks to advancements in technology, the two rooms which used to house massive tape drives and processors have been compacted into a more-efficient cabinet stack.  Greg still had some of the original equipment around so he could show them during tours, like this tape reel.

VLBA deals with what can be detected by radio waves, not by visible light, so their process is much different than an observatory.  And VLBA doesn’t listen to signals in “real time” because those need to be processed and enhanced to filter out the background noise and be audible.  Greg noted the classic scene in Contact where the pulses are detected and the images buried within the signal are displayed were strictly a Hollywood creation.

Much of the explanation of the whole process was very technical, and was in the realm of the Engineering field.  Larry would’ve been drooling if he was here.  One of the original pieces of equipment still in operation was the maser pulse generator.  Greg also showed me some images of other radio telescopes, and gave facts about them.  It was very informative, and I’m trying to do my best to remember everything so I could relay that back to the rest of the crew at Austin Planetarium.

When Greg handed me a hard hat to wear, the most-exciting part of the tour began.  We went outside to look at the actual dish, which sets on four large wheels to allow it to rotate 360 degrees.  The dish (currently sitting in the up, or “at rest,” position) can be turned so the antenna is pointing parallel to the ground.  While the rotation is usually done from within the main building, there’s a set of manual controls in a chamber at the base of the dish.  The steps and platforms are essentially metal grates so water doesn’t pool up on them, and make them slippery.

As we ascended, I commented to Greg that after my skydiving trip, my fear or falling was greatly reduced but not completely gone.  For me, going up things have always been easier, as I don’t have to look at the ground.  I was fine going up these steep-angled steps, but I said I’ll see how well I do when it was time to come down.  When we crossed the catwalk over to chamber at the base I really enjoyed the view, but could start to feel my heart rate increase a little, as I could start to feel my heart rate increase a little as I could now see how high up I was fine again.

The chamber is sealed (as much as possible) to keep the equipment cool and at a constant temperature.  Greg pointed out the multiple collectors that were there, each designed to scan within a certain bandwidth.  Just being able to go up the structure was awesome, and then Greg was about to make it even more exhilarating.

He opened an outer hatch, and we proceeded to walk out into the actual bowl of the dish.  The surface was a little chalky, but not slick, so it was easy to stand.  At Greg’s urging, I scaled up the side and was able to peer over the edge at Buck Island.  Greg noted because of the increased elevation we’d normally be able to see St. Thomas and St. John (at a fuzzy distance), but the haze in the air (from the Sahara sand in the atmosphere) limited the visibility.

Greg took a number of pictures of me here in order for me to be able to prove (and create envy) to my friends that I was here.  Words cannot express how this became the high-point of the trip (no pun intended).

We ventured back inside the base chamber, and then began the descent back down.  Having to look down to make sure I was placing my foot on a step made my heart rate, and about half-way down my knees began to shake.  After that, the intensity plateaued because I’d passed the point which made me anxious.

Back on the ground, Greg gave the array a few commands so I could watch it rotate around.  The dish was moved as far “down” as it could go (which brought it to a position parallel with the ground).

From start to finish, this was a three-hour tour, and was much more involved and hands-on than I ever imagined it could be.  It was now the end of Greg’s day, and we chatted a short time before we departed the site.  He mentioned there was an Astronomy group on the island, so that’s something for me to research further.

Heading back westward, I was able to take Route 66 (also known as the Christiansted Bypass) to avoid the annoying traffic pattern there.  I saw there was a scenic look-out which I’d have to come back to when the sky was clearer.  Back at the Palms I headed to the bar so I could tell Matt of the interesting adventure I had today, but his shift had already ended.  I sat at the bar and got some journaling done, and tried a new root beer from St. John’s Brewery which I thought was very good.

I debated getting dinner because I was starved (since I hadn’t eaten since about noon when I left the Palms).  Instead of the more formal sit-down fare, I opted for a cheese pizza.  The bready nature would be helpful when it was time to start drinking again.  I expected a small size, and this was equal to a medium pie I’d get back state-side.  I only ate half of it, and then brought the rest back to my room fridge.  I returned to the bar to hang out, but there weren’t too many people present.

A little later Michelle came in.  She’d been having dinner with her work contact who was here, as she needed to make arrangements to get to UVI for her gig tomorrow.  We got drinks, and then headed back to the patio to chill a bit.  It was nice to sit and soak up the atmosphere, and hear the crash of the waves.  The night ended early because she had to be at UVI by 8 the next morning.  I returned to my chair and soaked up the atmosphere some more.  Spending this week with someone to share would be better, but it was the tranquil experience is why I came to the island.  I killed another third of the complimentary Cruzan bottle to help me end the night. 

For more information on the places visited or mentioned:

Very Long Baseline Array:  http://www.vlba.nrao.edu/sites/stcroix.shtml

East End Pizza:  http://www.gotostcroix.com/restaurants-east-end

Divi Carina Bay Resort:  http://www.divicarina.com/DiviCarina/

Austin Planetarium (Facebook page):  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Austin-Planetarium/280388248684669

St. Croix Astronomy Group:  http://stcroixsource.com/content/community/miscellaneous/2011/12/13/astronomy-club-seeks-stargazers

Christiansted Bypass:  http://virginislandsdailynews.com/news/christiansted-bypass-to-open-today-1.1428752

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St. Croix, US Virgin Islands -- June 2014 (Part 3B: University of Virgin Islands & Caribbean BBQ)

DAY THREE:  Monday, 2 June 2014

I drank some water and nibbled some trail mix, and then headed towards the University of Virgin Islands (UVI).  I drove around the campus a bit, and still couldn’t find the “visitor parking,” but I did locate the bookstore.  I parked nearby and strolled over to Public Safety, who told me there was no set “visitor parking” at this point, so any place was fine.  Coming out, I saw a bird was sitting behind the wheel of one of the golf carts which were used to patrol the campus.  I found it amusing.  The bird stayed still long enough for to get a shot of him.

I went into the bookstore, and saw that it was really no different than any other college bookstore I’d ever been in.  I really wasn’t expecting anything different, but it was nice to see there wasn’t a slew of Greek stuff allover.  I found one shirt which I liked, but decided to pass on the café that was there.  Sure I was going to the Caribbean BBQ tonight, so I didn’t need to buy any food, thus I was planning on eating at the room.  Besides, if I did want something else, I’d stop at Blues Backyard BBQ, or try someplace new, on the drive back.  I’d eaten at Blue’s the last time after my Cruzan, and I’d noted the business was still in operation.

Driving back up Route 75, I came up to the GM dealership which was there.  It was an open business on my last visit, and I’d considered doing an informal “drop-in” tour.  Now it was closed, and appeared to be overgrown.  I stopped to take a couple pictures for the amusement factor.  Another victim of GM’s downsizing.  I had to chuckle at the thriving (at least, appeared to be thriving) Ford and Toyota dealerships right next door.  As I headed back towards the Palms, I noticed that Blues was closed today, so I wouldn’t have been able to eat there anyway.

Instead of sitting on the beach (which would improve my tan, and get myself all sweaty), I decided I’d loiter in the bar area to work on this journal.  That way I didn’t need to get cleaned up before meeting Angie here tonight.  I was able to get a hold of Greg at VLBA, and we arranged a meeting time for tomorrow.  Angie then contacted me to take a rain-check as she’d gotten called in for work tonight.

I still hung out at the bar working on the journal, and chatted with Matt a bit.  As all the fashion people had vacated, the place was pretty empty now.  Matt’s Ipod was playing a selection of classic rock in the bar, which was nice and soothing to me.  Another patron had ordered some food, but got the wrong type of fries.  Matt just brought them over to me.  Thank you, man.  I nibbled on about half the plate, which would hold me over until dinner.  I had a lot of great conversation with Matt, and he even tried doing the Cocktail thing where he was flipping a bottle around.  He did pretty good, but decided to stop after one nearly slipped.

A lady had come to sit at the bar, and we struck up a conversation.  Her name was Michelle, and since we were both solo, she decided to join me for the Caribbean BBQ.  I passed on the ribs because I wasn’t sure what animal these were from, but had chicken breast and mahi mahi, with some potato salad, rice, corn, and a roll.  There were other side selections, but my plate was full.  Since this was a buffet, I could come back for more later.  There was a two-man band playing some cover tunes which they did good at, although the singer couldn’t quite hit the notes for Eric Clapton’s “Tears In Heaven.”

During dinner, Michelle and I learned that the firewalkers weren’t going to be present tonight.  Those were the guys on stilts who juggled torches.  I was looking forward to seeing them.  Instead there would be limbo going on, with a DJ supplying tunes.  The dining area was about half-full as it was the last time I was here.  I overheard more than one person commented that the attendance was smaller than normal.

I considered having a second helping of food, but ended up passing on it.  I was satisfied, but not stuffed.  I try not to eat large amounts in the evening if I can help it.  After dinner, I helped Michelle operate her camera so she could take some sunset pictures.  We then walked up the beach to a more secluded area to chat.  She was down from Michigan on business to deal with Aquaponics.  Much like hydroponics (which I was familiar with from my summers working at Northern Born), this system grows the plants in the water and uses the fish to create the fertilizer, thus having a self-sustaining system.  Michelle’s children were grown, and had never been to St. Croix before.  She commented that her original room wasn’t ready when she got in because the person who was supposed to check-out hadn’t done so yet.  They bumped her to the now-vacant room next door, which was Room 8.  How funny is that!

Michelle got a chuckle out of my story about how I’d previously stayed in that room, and was supposed to do so again until I was bumped to another.  We ended up heading back to the bar to grab some drinks (my Rum Punch, and her White Russian), so we could adjourn to the Room 8 patio to enjoy the quietness and feel the pulse of the ocean.  She gave me an interesting tidbit about the first genocide of the 20^th Century, which was what Turkey did to the Armenians in 1915.  This topic cam up when I said I was interested in 20^th Century history.

We discussed a variety of other topics, and when I needed to use the bathroom it was very natural to walk in the dark to it.  Not being in the room in over two years, I still was able to navigate it well.  Even though I didn’t get to stay in my requested room this time, at least being able to enjoy the patio (even for a short time) was great.  Michelle had to do work stuff the next morning, so the night ended not long after our drinks did.  We talked needing to continue this the next night.

I returned to my room and slept … for about two hours.  My insomnia decided to kick in then, and I was wide awake the entire night.  Thanks to the free WIFI, I was able to finish watching “Twelve O’Clock High” with Gregory Peck, and then watched the pseudo-steampunk move “The Adventurer,” followed by the very good documentary “Revenge of the Electric Car.”  By that time, it was the predawn light, and the next day as far as I was concerned.

For more information on the places visited or mentioned:

            University of Virgin Islands:  http://www.uvi.edu/

Blues Backyard BBQ:  http://st-croix.ceridium.com/profile/blues-backyard-bbq

Aquaponics:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquaponics

Armenian massacres by Turkey in 1915:  http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/armenians.htm

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St. Croix, US Virgin Islands -- June 2014 (Part 3A: Cruzan Rum Distillery)

DAY THREE:  Monday, 2 June 2014

Insomnia woke me up earlier than I wanted, so I used the free WiFi to finish watching a movie on the Kindle, which brought me to 6am.  I had my breakfast bar, and then went out for my breakfast beach stroll.  I walked up and down the length of the beach twice, just so I could stay “connected” with the sandier portion (like what is on my business cards).  I met a man from Missouri named Martin.  He arrived last night with his wife and mother-in-law, and this was their first time on St. Croix.  Martin said other than getting groceries, he had no idea what they were going to do.  I spent a few moments telling him things I’d learned about the island, and gave him some recommendations.

After I had second breakfast (my protein shake), I went out and swam around the area.  There weren’t too many people on the beach at all.  I went to the front desk, and grabbed some snorkel gear.  That enhanced my enjoyment even more.  Beyond some of the coral shoals were sandy sections only about six feet deep, so the bottom could be clearly seen.  I started out in front of the Palms dining area, and moved towards the Hibiscus (which seemed to be equally as empty).

I ventured farther out and came up to another shoal where I spotted a school of bright blue fish hiding under the receding ledge.  Things were a little blurry because I didn’t have my glasses on, but I was able to match the fish to the pictures posted at the Palms’ beach to know what things were living out there.  The fish were called Blue Tang.

After I was done snorkeling, I then put on some walking clothes and took a short stroll around the grounds in order to get some pictures of the area.  At one point I stopped by the bar area to take some shots, and encountered the bartender Matt.

He’s previously travelled in Jordan and Lebanon, and he was about a dozen days away from a trip to England and France.  We talked travel for a bit.  When I mentioned I wanted to visit Egypt at some point (as that’s on my Bucket List), he scribbled the name of his uncle on a napkin, so I could contact him when I was ready to make some arrangements.  That was awesome, thank you.

By the pool was a PADI instructor doing a dive certification course.  The instructor was based out of Rum Runners (in Christiansted), and she said it would take two whole days to accomplish.  I could also do the introductory course, which would take a single day.  In the end I passed on both because this was a more-frugal trip than the previous, and I didn’t want to take a such a large chunk out of my already limited time for something I didn’t know when I’d be able to do again.  Also, I wanted to find something nice for Rob & Lauren (if I could), so I want to devote some of the cash towards that.

After the walk, I was hungry so I had one of my sandwiches (which would’ve been packed in the cooler today), got cleaned up, and headed towards Cruzan.  I still brought the cooler with me, but I just put my trail mix bag into that.  I made sure to drink a bottle of water first, too.

I noticed the bar (lounge) section at Cruzan had been re-arranged.  I joined a group of a half-dozen lead by Magda.  She did much of the same stuff which was done on my previous tour.  As there were more people with me, I was able to snap some shots as I went along.

I did have my picture taken with the full rum barrels.  As we walked into the warehouse, I commented that part of my heaven looked like this.  Magda let us know due to economic crunches, and competition from Captain Morgan, Cruzan was only producing about a third of the rum as they did the prior year.  They were also going to discontinue the “Spiced 9” variety.  I might have to get some while it’s still available.

Back at the lounge the complimentary drinks were done differently than I recall, but that might be because I was already hungry and buzzed when I got there last time.  Magda let us know because it had been hot, they were out of sodas and most juices already for the rest of the day (it wasn’t even noon yet).  All that was left was OJ and cranberry juice to make the plethora of available drinks.

I started out with a Painkiller, which was very smooth.  Magda said we got two free drinks, plus four samples.  I had samples of the clear Special Reserve, the Black Label, and then two of the flavored types (orange, and passion fruit).  While the others of the group wolfed their drinks down and departed, I stayed and savored them.  I even tried to start up a conversation with the father & college-aged son that had come in from Houston, but they were more interested in how quick, and how much, they could drink.

I told Magda about my travel blog, and she said she’d lived in Kentucky for awhile.  She was gearing up for a trip soon too, even though she worked a couple different jobs.  She felt it was important to get out and explore the area where you live.  We talked about various places we’ve been as I worked on my second drink (the Cruzan Splash).  She also gave me a sample of the Velvet Cinnamon, which I thought would be very good as a basis for a milkshake.

Looking at the bottles available for purchase, I only got another mini-set like I did the last time.  Sure it’s quite cheaper here, I’m just concerned about the transportation home.  And I only brought one bit of bubble wrap, which will most likely get used for whatever I find for Rob & Lauren.  The shirts had different styles too, but I restrained myself and only purchased one.  I mentioned to Magda how much I liked one of the previous ones I’d gotten, which had tribal markings all over it, and she said that had stopped being made before she came to work here (that’s why she wasn’t familiar with it).

While sitting there, some other patrons (who’d been on the tour after mine) talked about taking the “pour shot.”  I had no idea what they were talking about, so I watched and listened.  There’s a light fixture in the middle of the lounge which you stand under, and then arch your back backwards.  The trick is to get yourself lines up with the mural on the fall wall, so it creates the illusion of having the rum poured down your throat.  I game to do goofy stuff like this.  It’s fun.

For more information on the places visited or mentioned:

            Palms at Pelican Cove:  http://www.palmspelicancove.com/

Hibiscus Resort:  http://www.hibiscusbeachresort.com/

PADI:  http://www.padi.com/scuba-diving/

Cruzan Distillery:  http://www.cruzanrum.com/visitus/

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St. Croix, US Virgin Islands -- June 2014 (Part 2B: Cheeseburgers In America’s Paradise)

DAY TWO:  Sunday, 1 June 2014 -- Continued

When I arrived at Cheeseburgers In America’s Paradise, I took a seat in the back so I could observe the action.  There were about a dozen other patrons present, so I didn’t know how easy it would be for my server to help me with some of my picture taking opportunities.  Someone taking random pictures at an area marks you as a tourist or a nutjob, or both.  The cheeseburger I had was as good as I remembered.  I even took a shot of it next to the pyramid for size reference.  I took a couple pics of the area myself, but nothing which would be too distracting to the other patrons.

I’d heard the bartender talking to a barfly about hockey, so I had to step in and check this out.  The bar isn’t in another room, but a separate building.  Keep in mind the dining area is mostly outdoor space under a large canopy tent.  Personally, I feel it gives the place a special charm..  As I walked in to the bar area, it occurred to me that I hadn’t even stepped foot in here on my first visit, so shame on me.  The TV there was playing a current soccer game (I think it was US vs. Turkey), and there were flags of various sports teams hanging within.  I didn’t see any Texas teams.

I was wearing my Cooper’s Cave Ale Company shirt.  The bartender took a look and said “Glens Falls, NY?  I haven’t heard that name in a long time.”  The barfly commented that he hadn’t either.  Turns out the bartender (named Steve) moved to St. Croix from the Glens Falls-Saratoga region about 11 years ago.  He used to work at the Dugout.  The other gentleman (I believe he said his name was Martin) was from the southern part of New York State who’d moved here awhile back, and he’d recently been to a family wedding in Saranac.  Small world!

We spent the next hour talking about exits on the Northway, the rivalry between the Adirondack Red Wings and the Albany River Rats, and other related topics to the Glens Falls region.  Steve even had a rubber rat which was thrown out during the River Rats’ games which he showed off.  That was a great surprise, and something inspiring (as Steve was able to relocate here and make it work).  Another patron who’d come into the bar a short time later (who’d never been to the region) was amazed at how these different people were all reminiscing about the area.  That was a great meeting.

A short distance after leaving Cheeseburgers In America’s Paradise, I went up a road which I thought would lead me to a vantage point where I’d be able to get some pictures of the area.  There were some white condo-type buildings on the hillside, so I thought I’d be able to pull in there.  I don’t specifically recall the name of the place, but there was a small café right at the foot of the drive (I think it had a blue pig on the sign; I believe this was the “Mount Roepstorff” section of the island).

Once I reached the top of the hill (which was an extreme incline), I didn’t see a way to turn into the condo area, so I kept driving.  The road became so twisty and curvy, I realized I was going over the hill to the other side of the island, which was not where I wanted to be.  Silvara’s engine didn’t seem to like this type of terrain.  I found a place to turn around, and then got back to Route 62.  Heading westward, I soon passed the Buccaneer, but opted not to turn into there.  I figured I’ll be back this way again in a few days, so I’d scope it out then.

Christiansted is poorly designed by having the main drag run though the center of the city, and then split into two different streets (with a row of buildings between them).  Going east is easy, as you go right part the Fort (figuratively and literally).  Coming west is tough, as you turn off before you reach the Fort and pick your way through the narrow streets until the two routes rejoin.  I’d done it before, so I was used to it.  This time the signs for the route were missing, so I ended up doing a short drive around some back alley streets (and saw the cemetery) until I was able to locate the correct way out.  Now that the bypass was built, I’d have to remember to take that next time.  This is why I grabbed an updated road map when I came through the airport.  It would’ve help if I’d looked at it more closely beforehand.

Back at my villa, I finally put all my stuff into the drawers.  Y’know, it would be too much of a hassle to swap rooms later, as it’d be just for a few days.  If I was going to be here longer than a week, then I would.  My patio doesn’t have as good of a view, so I’ll just spend more time sitting on the beach.

I decided I’d work on my tan and this journal at the same time, so I put on my swimsuit and suntan lotion, and headed out.  There was someone sitting in one of the beach chairs where I was heading, so I pulled up one next to her.  Eventually we got to talking, and to me it was another inspirational story.  Her name was Genieve, and a year ago she left her family in Staten Island to work as an office assistant for her uncle (as well as a waitress at the Buccaneer).  She lived in the Palms condos.

We talked a lot about how you don’t think there’s anything to do in an area until after you leave the area.  She’d been on St. Croix a year, and she hadn’t done much exploring of the island.  Sometimes that happens after working all week.  I shared stories of places I’d been here, as well as other locales, and she did also.  It was a great conversation, and the personal interaction was more enjoyable than scribbling notes.  I like to write, but I like talking to people more.  I didn’t have any cards on me then, but I still gave her the address for the blog.  She pulled it up on her phone, and said she’d look at it more on her laptop (when she could see the screen better).  We talked about meeting later at the Palms bar tonight, and she even suggested I come out to the Buccaneer at one point.

When she went back to her place (to get ready for her dinner meeting), I returned to my patio.  I worked on this journal a bit more, ate a sandwich, and showered before going to the Palms bar for my nightly Rum Punches.  I guess I could’ve taken a quick dip to wash all the sweat and suntan lotion off, but since I had to walk back to the room to drop my stuff off, it made sense to shower.  Considering the beach was pretty empty, I probably could’ve left my stuff sitting there for a short period without anything happening to it.

The final night of the fashion show was going on, so I sat at the bar and scrawled these very words as I drank.  I figured if anyone wanted to strike up a conversation, or if the opportunity presented itself, I could jump into a chat.  Nothing did.  The pulse of the crowd was nice to feel, even though I wasn’t part of anything which was going on.  I told Ocean that I’d have two drinks at the bar each night.  Of course, there was also the complimentary bottle of Cruzan back at the room I could work on too.

It just occurred to me when I bought food at the store today, I got grape juice instead of apple juice.  What’s the relevance, you ask?  I’ve learned from past experience that apple juice mixes better with Cruzan where grape juice does not.  I got the grape juice because the size was appropriate for what I’d consume for the week.

Before going over to the Palms bar, I put the small Minacs cooler in the fridge to get it cold.  I also put some ice into a baggie and put it into the freezer.  Tomorrow my plan was to go to the Cruzan Distillery, and I was going to pack a picnic, based on the amount of rum I expected them to give me.  This way I had a make-shift ice-pack which would keep the contents of the cooler chilled for a short period until I was ready for them.  I’ll see how well it works tomorrow.

As I sat in my beach chair, looking at the Big Dipper, the time seemed right to release the romance charm that I’d made with Cat’s group.  The bent tree outside of Room 8, being a very recognizable spot, I decided to claim as “my space.”  I opened a circle around the tree, and did an extensive invocation to the spirits.  I then opened the bag of mixed herbs, spread some on the tree, and scattered the rest with a short prayer to each of the four elements.  The remnant (the small cloth which had held the herbs) was then buried at the base of the tree.  As the cloth was biodegradable, it would eventually break down.  Cat had created the containers with that in mind.

My first sacred spot was Moran Point at the Grand Canyon, and the second was Grace Bay Beach out in front of Royal West Indies resort on Turks & Caicos (where I welcomed my 40^th birthday).  This tree has now joined the list of my sacred places.  A tone was released to power the energy of the invocation, and then I thanked the spirits for attending me for this.  I proceeded to close the circle, and then returned to my chair to mediate on the energy.

When it was time to come inside, I saw one of the Palms security personnel sitting in the common area of the villa, so I stopped to chat with him.  His name was Jonathan.  He was 21, originally from Puerto Rico, and had a six-month-old son.  He’d learned welding as a trade, but couldn’t find any work in the area.  His gig as a security guard here was netting him $8 an hour, which wasn’t enough for him to live on.  We chatted for about a half-hour or so about economic conditions on the island and job prospects.  Jonathan was following some leads in Virginia, so I wished him luck.

By that time, the two Rum Punches at the bar and part of the complimentary Cruzan bottle were beginning to be felt.  Part of being on holiday was staying up as late as I want, and sleeping in for however long as I can, so I’m going to take advantage of it.

For more information on the places visited or mentioned:

Cheeseburger In America’s Paradise:  http://www.burgersvi.com/

Cooper’s Cave Ale Company (Glens Falls, NY):  http://www.cooperscaveale.com/

Dugout (South Glens Falls, NY):  http://www.menumart.com/patrussos/

Buccaneer Resort:  http://www.thebuccaneer.com/

Royal West Indies Resort (TCI):  http://www.royalwestindies.com/

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