The basics of STT:
- KEEP LEFT! Drive on the left. Keep left there where you would keep right in the USA.
- Guard your possessions. Never leave anything sitting on the bar or the beach and walk away from it expecting it will be there when you come back. I have never heard of anyone getting pick pocketed in the Virgin Islands, but they will steal anything that isn’t nailed down or locked up.
- Do not even think about trying to walk to get around the island. Take the ferry, rent a car or grab a cab. There are no sidewalks, the roads are thin and they drive on the wrong side of the road.
- Always start every conversation with “Good Morning” or “Good Afternoon”. Do this and you will get what ever you want and a measure of warmth and hospitality that is impressive. If you don’t do this you will get rude back at levels you can’t imagine (or they will simply ignore you).
- Use Sunscreen. Get up. Shower. Put on at least level 45 sun screen. Don’t worry you will tan through it. The Caribbean sun is a whole different level. This is especially true because the ocean acts like a huge tanning mirror. Don’t complain, put it on or burn to a crisp.
- They are very good to tourists in ST Thomas, but if anything bad happens, remember you are a 10% minority (being white and a “continental”). Treat it like you would Europe or Mexico.
Getting around STT is always interesting for the first time visitor. It is an American island, but they drive on the left side of the road, not the right. The island roads are a bit challenging in places because STT is a volcanic island that it 5 miles long and 15 miles wide and the elevations run from sea level to almost 2,000 feet. Renting a jeep is a great way to get around, though if you want to take cameras, snorkel gear etc with you a small car that locks up is a good idea. Smaller cars are easier to park and drive on the Island. If you want to lock something up in a rent a car make sure it is out of sight too.
The great stuff (must do) to do on STT:
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Go to another islandJ:
Plan to spend at least one day on St John. Do it early in your trip in case you decide you simply must do it again. To get there go to the east end of STT and catch the ferry out of “Red Hook”. It is about a 30 minute ride and costs $6 per adult. Here is a very good website with all the schedules and rates for all the ferries in the Virgin Islands. http://www.vinow.com/general_usvi/interisland_ferry/ . You can catch a ferry from town too, but I advise against it. The ride from Red Hook is a lot nicer and if you get on the ferry first you can sit on the bow or outside on top. It is a wonderful ride over. When you get there, rent a jeep and “Beach Hop” (not bar hop). The beaches along the north side of St John are part of the US Federal Parks system and are legendary. Do not miss Cinnamon Bay and Trunk Bay. Also, pull into the Sugar Mill ruins at Annaberg. There are several turn outs with breathtaking photo opportunities on the drive along the north side of St John too. Here is a good web site listing all the jeep rentals on ST John http://www.usvi.net/usvi/stjohn/car_rental.php. Courtesy Car Rentals is cool because they will meet you at the ferry dock, but you might get better rates elsewhere. Here is a good web site to tell you all the stuff to do: http://www.stjohnbeachguide.com/ . Plan to circumnavigate the island. The north side beaches along route 20 are awesome, but the views along the roads as you drive around the island, especially of the British Virgin Islands next door, are breathtaking.
Go to the beach: Megan’s Bay Beach is still listed as one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world. If you like beaches then you have to try it. We invented the art of “bobbing” there back in the 70’s, (get cold beer, insert in coolie, get chest deep in the 80 degree 300 ft visibility water, pick up feet and “bob” like a cork in the high saline content water). This is a view of Megan’s Bay from the old “Mountain Top” hotel. The beach is a mile long. There are a LOT of beaches on STT and most are pretty nice. Just be careful with your stuff if you go to the non-tourist beaches (and at the tourist beaches too!). Coki Beach is pretty cool, as are Sapphire and Pineapple. I used to hang out on the North Side at Hull Bay quite a lot. It is the home of Larry’s bar (owner Larry LaPlace) and camp ground. Most of the North side is the home of the Islands French population, except for the ones that live in “French Town” on the south side on the airport end of the harbor.
Go Snorkeling or Diving:
Most hotels will offer a trip out to Buck Island or French Cap Cay as a day or half day trip. If you have never done it, either a snorkel trip or signing up for a “resort course” for a dive is always great. Less than ½ of all there is to see and do in the Virgin Islands is above the water. There is another world under the water and it is worth seeing. Most of the corals in the Virgin Islands are “stony corals”, though there are abundant sea fans, sponges and beautiful soft stuff to see. If you do this, don’t touch anything under there, especially the coral (most especially if it is red or yellow). Fire and Mustard coral will burn you. If you do get burnt, find some ammonia and pour it on the area. Aside from what the Coral will do to you, what is worse is what you will do to it. The oils on our skin (sunscreen too) kills the coral polyps.
Try the island food:
The cuisine of the Caribbean is wonderful. If you like to try new stuff I recommend:
- Patays (Pronounced Pa-tay. The normal ones are beef, but I love Salt Fish). Sweet corn meal dough wrapped around meat filling and deep fried.
- Ka-La-Loo – Spinach stew with ham or salt pork and crab.
- Fish and fungie – Island fried fish (usually with the head left on) and cornmeal mush with spices and Okra in it. Yummy with some of the flaming hot sauce they have.
- Conch – in about any form. My favorite is pressure cooked with onions and fungie and hot sauce
- Pigeon peas and Rice is a staple side dish along with fried plantain in cinnamon and sometimes a little rum.
- Roti – (pronounced Rowe-tee) Curried chicken, beef or goat, wrapped in thin filo dough and baked. It is like an east Indian, island style burrito …with curry. If you can get it, do not miss it.
The notable places to eat island food in the past have been Eunice’s Terrace (on the east end in Smith Bay) and Victor’s Hide Away in Crown Bay. Both are in questionable neighborhoods, but I have never had a problem at either and the food was always worth it.
Some of the best Patays on the island have always been at Coki Beach in the little shack on the bad end. It is not unusual to have a rough crown of Rastas hanging out there smoking ganga, but they have always been cool to let the you in to get a patay. On your way out of the airport, there is an old yellow beat up truck, off to the right side of the road up on blocks. There is usually a couple of tables set up by it. If the back is open, they are. If there is an old man cooking or a huge black woman, you must stop. That would be William and Audry, two of the best cooks and sweetest people on the Island. If William is there tell him that “the professor” says hello J and if he has Salt Fish patay, get them.
Get some Carnival Jump Up:
Here is the web site: http://www.vicarnival.com/
Find a steel band, hang out in “de village”, do some jump up (dancing in the street) and tramping (dancing in the street behind a steel band on wheels etc). If you happen to be there on Thursday of carnival week, do Jouvert (pronounced Joo-vay) morning. Head for the Waterfront at about 2am to dance in the street until the sun comes up over Flag Hill. It runs (at some level) from about April 17th to May 7th, with the last week being when it really gets going.
If you are really up for an adventure:
Grab your passport and catch a ferry out of red hook to the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and Jost Van Dyke. When you get into Great Harbor, after you clear immigration, find a cab or walk over to White Bay. Have a “Pain Killer” at the Soggy Dollar Bar. On the way back stop at “Foxy’s” in Great harbor for the t-shirts and more atmosphere.
Drive around the island:
Driving around STT is a worthy adventure. The vistas and views are simply stunning and driving on the left is…exhilarating. Places to check out while you are driving around:
Drake’s Seat: perfect scenic overlook of Megan’s Bay and the British Virgin Islands.
The Mountain Top Hotel: Where the Banana Daiquiri was invented and another perfect view.
Red Hook and the East End: You will have to go there if you catch the ferry to St John and it is a worthy drive.
Hull Bay: The scenic North side of the Island and Frenchie territory (my old hangs).
Skyline Drive: On the map they call it route 40 (the red line below). The locals call it Skyline drive. Great stops along the way are Sib’s Mountain Bar just above Mafolie and Drakes Seat. Elevations are from 800 to 1500 ft and it is 5 degrees cooler than town. The URL for this map is at: http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/st/st-thomas-map.shtml. There is a good St John driving map on that site too http://www.virgin-islands-on-line.com/sj/sjmap.shtml
Shop:
STT is a free port. Prices on alcohol are very cheap, but jewelry, watches, perfume etc. are all good too. The “Grand houses” are all downtown on Main Street, but they all have outlet stores in Havensight Mall, where the cruise ships dock at the West India Company dock. That is midway between you and town and, to be honest, you can get anything you would get in town there. AH Rhise, Cardow, Little Switzerland, Tropicana, Green Fire Emeralds etc. are all some of the names you will see and they are all good.
Learn to speak Calypso:
Mahn, if you ain got de ting in yo head den you can wan to do nutin cause you ain know nutin about it. Nuff a dat, I bus a cuff on you.
Tooth = toot
Teeth = teet
Repeat after me: “Ah see she on T.V.”
Always put the accent on the second syllable of the word. So it becomes syl-LAB-le. Like reggae music, that pumps the second and 4th beat of 4 / 4 one TWO three FOUR… not ONE two THREE four.
Other valuable web resources:
And remember, if you start to get rushed and harassed, slow down and chill and remember you didn’t go there to be in a hurry. Have a beer and try to act like a native
