1. First, these are pictures from my balcony, which overlooked the harbor in Charlotte Amalie. The view was just as spectacular during the day as it was at night. St. Thomas is hilly as you can see in the pictures. As a result, many homes and businesses are built into the hills. Reaching certain destinations can be a struggle if you’re walking around the island. If you decide to visit and rent a car. As a matter of fact, I would suggest a jeep. You may also want to remember they drive on the opposite side of the road in the Virgin Islands. If you’re not comfortable with that concept, cabs are plentiful.
2. Next, this is a picture of Blue Beard’s Castle named after the Pirate Blue Beard. The castle is actually a tower that sits on a hill. It was used as a look out by Blue Beard for ships coming into the Charlotte Amalie Harbor. The canons used by Blue Beard on still on the premises, Also, a statute of Blue Beard is pictured below. The tower is open several days a week for tours.
3. Cruise ships dock in St. Thomas. The ships actually passed my balcony before docking in the harbor. I captured these pictures after they had docked on the other side of the resort. They arrive around 6:00 – 7:00 am several days a week and normally depart around 9:00 pm that night. Cruise passengers must shop and explore the island between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm.
4. St. Thomas offers world class shopping for the rich and famous as well as unique boutiques and shops for the everyday person. Many of the shops are housed in narrow alley ways, but they also have major shopping areas with stores like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Cartier, Rolex etc. They are a little to rich for my pocket, but you can also find flea market type items at Vendor’s Plaza. Nice place to visit for tees, jewelry and other items for souvenirs.
6. Exotic fruits and hot sauces are plentiful. It was interesting to see coconuts in their original state after being picked from the palm trees. What we see in our stores are coconuts that have the shell shown removed. The coconut has reached its final stage, and contains the coconut meat that we use for cooking. Fresh mangoes are huge on the island too. I’m a lover of all things hot, so I went in search of unique hot sauces to bring back to the states. I found the perfect stand at Market Square. The vendor allowed me to taste the sauces before purchasing to ensure I went home with the perfect sauce. I did!
7. I enjoyed watching the yachts of the rich and famous pass my balcony as they headed out to the Caribbean Sea and their next destination. You see million dollar yachts on television, but to see them in person is truly amazing. This one has a helicopter on board, see it on the back of the yacht?
8. I love eating native dishes when I’m traveling. Gladys’ Cafe came highly recommended. So I headed there for lunch. The cafe is downtown and specializes in Ox Tails and curried dishes. They were both amazing. The Cafe is very small. Pauline was our waitress and the only waitress. What amazed me the most, the cafe didn’t have a rest room. In the states, a business would not be able to operate.
Patrons were required to go outside and several doors down a small building housed the Ladies and Men’s rooms. Most of the establishments are open for either breakfast and lunch or they’re just open for dinner. Those that are open for breakfast and/or lunch close by 5:00 pm. Since many businesses depend on tourists, the money must be spread around.
9. Also, you can find Green Iguanas in many areas in St. Thomas. The Green Iguana is native to Central and South American. Wondering how they have populated the Caribbean? Biologist believe they arrived via hurricanes over the years. This is an older Iguana. Unfortunately, they loose their bright green color as they age. It appeared to be used to people and was enjoying crackers when I spotted it.
10. There’s nothing like relaxing with a little steel drum music when your vacationing in the Caribbean. As a matter of fact, one evening we were entertained by a brother and sister team pool side. In addition to Calypso, you will find Reggae which is popular on the island of St. Croix. Furthermore, salsa dancing in the Virgin Islands is a must too. So, be sure to brush up on your moves before you arrive.
11. So, the supermarket in the background below was about a mile from my condo. Some items were reasonable and some caused my mouth to hang open. For example, $9.00 for a gallon of ice cream, $10.00 for a gallon of milk, and $5.00 for a dozen of eggs. Needless to say, I didn’t purchase any milk or ice cream. Truthfully, it was cheaper to eat it out. In spite of the of the high prices, the views are awesome on the island. They make-up for the high cost of living. As a result, things balanced out for me.
Last, rent a vehicle. If you’re simply going to cruise around the island, I would recommend a convertible. Remember, the maximum speed limit is 35 mph on the island and it’s hilly.
Finally, I wish I could share all of my photos of this trip. It is a beautiful island. Unfortunately, I was unable to visit several places during my visit. So, I will be returning in the near future. In my opinion, turquoise water, beautiful beaches, great food, and nice people make another trip worth it. In closing, you may also like 18 Places to Travel Off Season.
