Big Sweet Tooth

The Virgin Islands: Funny How Some Places Don't Even Make a Dent...

As I sit here sipping a Sapporo (yes, I now drink 3rd World imports), I'm scanning through some old photos and realize that I never even posted about my trip to the Carib.  Why not?  I've been talking about Indonesia for what seems like eons and still haven't even touched the surface of what all I did and saw. 

Why not talk about my excursion to St. John and Tortola?  I spent four days there  immediately before taking off to Indo, and did all the things one does on a sunny island, usually with great flair.  I drank copious amounts of rum; I experienced some of the best snorkeling of my life; I stayed in an oceanside eco-camp; I got a fierce tan; I perused many used sailboats. 

So, what happened? 

Seems that the Virgin Islands are an offshoot of America.  Sure they're pretty.  Stunning even.  But, there was no soul.  Not an ounce.  The locals felt angry, paranoid.   The white faces buying crappy souvenirs dominated the landscape.  The food was horrifying.  And the overall vibe was just straight negative.  I felt like every person I encountered couldn't wait to leave.  And, and, and.....the PRICES WERE IDENTICAL (IF NOT MORE) that what you find in the US. 

When I got off the ferry in St. John, I was already two frosty rum drinks down and hunting for more before I headed into the wilds of the interior looking for Maho Bay (my green hotel).  I ended up at a little bar/restaurant  shooting the breeze with a couple of old geezers who were buying me drinks left and right.  In a moment of happy delirium, I shared my upcoming Indo trip with them and the look of horror and confusion that crossed their faces made me stop speaking.  After quizzing me on where Indonesia was, one bellowed, "What the hell would you wanna go there for?  There ain't any Americans!"

Do you see what I'm saying?  Do you get where I'm going with this?  The bottom line is, the Virgin Islands are overrated, overpriced and depressing. Pretty place, though...very pretty place.

The truth...by Misty

The Virgin Islands in a Nutshell

This photo pretty much describes my whirlwind trip this week to St. John and Tortola in the Virgin Islands to check out sailboats.  It was a non-stop frenzy of scoping boats (ah, the beauty in a 36' Cabo Rico), meeting expats and yacht brokers (what a motley crew), braving hairpin switchbacks and crazy drivers (heart attack x 8 gazillion), tossing down rum concoctions (never agin will I drink something dubbed a "painkiller"), stunning snorkeling (hi, fire coral that stung the whole left side of my body as a wave slammed me into a cave wall), shoving french fries (food--not so great), ogling the scenery (in a word: unbelievable), and basically attempting to figure out if I could live that wild-n-free boating life right now (big hmmmm...).  I've decided I can make no decisions on a thing (at all/in life/period) until I return from Indonesia in December.  It's a little hectic because I just got back early this AM and I leave for Indo tomorrow night.  Yikes...More to come from the road...